When The Chips Are Down

by Aiden Vaughan

  “You’ve got it, Jason. A camera man and I have been driving out toward the camp and should be there in about twenty minutes.”

  “Have you called in the police yet?”

  “Yes, the county sheriff’s office has jurisdiction here, but the night commander I talked to said that they were willing to bring in state police if necessary. Child Protective Services will probably be called in to deal with this situation, once the abuse is confirmed. Ask Stan what his radio frequency is. I believe that the sheriff’s office wants to confirm the presence of the two injured and abused kids on the helicopter. Then they will be able to get a search warrant.”

  Shortly after Jason rang off, a call came in from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s office. Stan confirmed that Cody and Timothy were aboard as a result of a rescue mission. Stan then had Frank Messina talk to them. Dr. Messina confirmed their medical conditions, that their injuries were the result of systematic beatings and torture, and that both boys had been kept restrained for long periods of time. “We have two very serious cases of abuse here. I wouldn’t hesitate to shut down at least this part of the camp if not the whole operation. If this is any indication of what is going on at that camp, there could be other teenagers hurting, being abused, or in danger also!”

  After the doctor’s statement was reported to the sheriff, he decided to bring in a full SWAT team and Child Protective Services. A quick call to a local judge resulted in a search warrant. By seven AM the police forces and the KHHT television crew were at the camp entrance.

  Lieutenant Marvin Lehman went up to the guard at the entry station and showed his identification. “I have a search warrant to examine this camp. Open up the gates so that we can execute the order!”

  “I have no authority to do that. You would need to talk to the camp director or our senior security officer.”

  “Then you have exactly three minutes to get one of them here to accept this order, or I am going in by force!”

  The guard made a frantic call to Walter Gaither’s office, which didn’t answer, and then to Roland Thomason, who did answer. “You need to get to the gate immediately, sir. There is a huge contingent of sheriff’s deputies here in full SWAT gear. They say they have a search warrant! Yes, I tried Mr. Gaither’s number but no one answered!”

  A few minutes later, Roland Thomason appeared at the security office. “What is the meaning of this? We have a lot of troubled teenagers at this camp, all brought here legally. Why do you have a search warrant?”

  “Earlier this morning two of your troubled teenagers were rescued from a prison compound on this site. They clearly had been beaten and tortured on a systematic basis according to the report we have. They are being flown by med-evac helicopter to a hospital for treatment. They have very serious charges to make against this camp. We are here to investigate. Now open the doors or I will break them down by force!” Lieutenant Lehman handed Roland Thomason the search warrant and ordered the guard to unlock the gate. The SWAT team began swarming through the gate.

  “Do you have a camp loud speaker system that can be accessed from here?”

  When the guard said yes, Lieutenant Lehman had him turn it on. “This is Lieutenant Marvin Lehman of the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. We are executing a search warrant for this camp. All staff and inmates of the camp are to stay in their quarters or the building they are in now. No one is permitted to move around outside without my explicit permission.” After he made his announcement, Lehman said, “Guard, come with me and bring your keys.” Lieutenant Lehman then went inside the camp with the guard to begin the search.

  Jaime Orlando then stepped up to Roland Thomason with a microphone in his hand and the camera rolling. “Hello, Mr. Thomason. I’m Jaime Orlando from KHHT news. Could you comment on the allegations that teenagers are being brutalized and tortured at your camp?”

  “I have no comment for the media at this time,” Thomason replied. “Out of control teenagers are brought to this camp because they need to develop discipline in their lives.”

  “I understand,” Jaime continued, “but do you think the best way to instill discipline on these teenagers is by beating them up, whipping them, handcuffing and gagging them for long periods of time, or staking them out on the ground?”

  “Get out of here!” Thomason demanded. “I told you I have no comment for the media at this time.”

  “What do you tell the parents of these kids?” Jaime persisted. “How are these kids supposed to recover from the extreme mental and physical abuse they have received at your camp?”

  “Screw you. Now get off our camp property!” Thomason then proceeded to leave the guard office and go back inside the camp.

  “That was Camp Chinquapin director, Roland Thomason, who apparently has been allowing kids admitted to his boot camp program to be systematically tortured and abused when they don’t submit to the camp discipline system. This is Jaime Orlando reporting. Stay tuned to KHHT for further updates throughout the day from this breaking news story.”

  * * * * *

  It didn’t take the SWAT team long to find the secret prison compound. Again events worked against the camp authorities. It wasn’t until nearly seven o’clock that Alfredo regained consciousness. Even though Walter had cut the duct tape binding his hands, Alfredo was still a little groggy from Dominic’s lightning blows, and it took him about fifteen minutes to get up and remove the tape from his body and face. Then he had to revive Darius and cut the duct tape that was binding and gagging him. Once they were free and realized that their prisoners were gone, they then went back to the main recruitment office to see if they could find Walter and figure out what to do. They were just coming through and out of the recruitment office around 7:35. By then the SWAT team had taken complete control of the camp and were starting to search the back area when suddenly Alfredo and Darius came walking out of the office door.

  They were immediately stopped by the SWAT team. “You!” one of the SWAT members shouted. “You were told to stay in your building! Who are you?” Several weapons were pointed at the two men.

  “Who are you?” Alfredo asked back. “Why are sheriff’s deputies in the camp?”

  “It’s clear you didn’t hear our orders,” the SWAT team member continued. “Where have you been the past half hour?”

  Alfredo and Darius looked at each other not knowing what to do or say. The SWAT team member, seeing their suspicious body language and expressions, realized that they might have been back in the hidden compound they were looking for. He called Lieutenant Lehman over. “I think these men might know something about the prison.”

  Several members went inside and searched the recruitment office. It didn’t take them long to find the doorway to the tunnel. Alfredo and Darius were searched, and now they had the keys to the all of the doors in the passageway. Within ten minutes, the SWAT team had found the hidden prison.

  Lieutenant Lehman ordered one of his men to bring Roland Thomason over. “We have now found the secret compound and a couple of the guards for it. Who was in charge of the prison?”

  Some of the color drained out of Roland’s face as he realized that the game was up. Not only were Cody Johnson and Timothy Wilkinson gone from the camp, but now the police had found the prison where they had been tortured.

  “Walter Gaither is the man in charge of recruitment and our discipline program,” Thomason answered. “You should talk to him about how it was run.”

  “Where is he?” Lieutenant Lehman asked. “Isn’t he in the camp now?”

  “He would normally be in the office here or in his personal quarters next door,” Thomason replied.

  When no one could find him, Lieutenant Lehman decided to question the guards. “You can cooperate with us now and maybe receive some consideration. If you don’t, I’m sure the district attorney will throw the book at you, and you can expect to receive very long jail sentences!”

  It didn’t take long for Alfredo and Darius to decide to cooperate. Alfredo was sure that W
alter had come out to the compound after they were attacked and knocked unconscious by whoever was helping the two boys escape. Alfredo said that was the only explanation for why the tape binding his wrists was cut and the cell door where he had been placed was open when he woke up. His guess was that Walter decided to go after the men responsible for the escape.

  “When we got here this morning there was no sign of an escape in the front of the camp. How would you get to the rear of the camp quickly?” Lieutenant Lehman asked Alfredo. “Is there another way to get to the prison compound?”

  “There is no way to get to the compound except by crawling through several miles of brush and forest,” Alfredo replied. “However, you can get to the rear by traveling on the causeway between the two fences.”

  Eventually they figured that Walter Gaither must have gone to the back of the compound on a dirt bike, since one was missing. A couple of the deputies were sent out to look for him.

  Back near the entrance to the camp, Jaime Orlando and his cameraman had come into the front courtyard of the compound, since there were no guards at the entrance any more. Inside, the cadet squads were being led in small groups to the cafeteria to get breakfast. Jaime wanted to interview some of the kids or other staff members in the compound, but was not permitted to do so. He then asked if Lieutenant Lehman would be willing to be interviewed on camera to report what he had found.

  About five minutes later, the Lieutenant came forward and agreed to the interview. With the camera rolling, Lehman reported that they had found the secret prison and indeed there were signs that it was used to inflict bodily harm on some of the teenagers in the camp. As yet they had no signs of anyone else being tortured, but they would need to interview the other kids in the camp before they had a definitive answer. Child Protective Services was in the process of getting a court order to take over the camp, and soon they would be arriving to do so.

  Jaime next asked Lieutenant Lehman if he and his cameraman could view the secret prison compound. He said they would be happy to go there under sheriff’s escort and only go where they were permitted if he was considering it a crime scene. Amazingly, Lieutenant Lehman agreed. He said that because Jaime helped break the case, the two boys were now safe and prepared to give detailed statements about the prison, and that two of the prison guards were doing the same, there really wasn’t anything in the way of forensic evidence that they would need from the site to determine what had gone on there. There was plenty of eyewitness testimony. So Jaime got another incredible scoop: the first actual camera footage of the secret prison compound.

  * * * * *

  Back in the Silicon Valley, the med-evac helicopter had landed at Mercy Hospital. Dr. Messina felt that this would be the best facility for Tim and Cody to recover from their injuries. Frank had bonded with both Cody and Tim on the trip, and decided he wanted to personally take charge of their recovery. He was already on staff at Mercy Hospital, so that made everything easy to facilitate. Timothy and Cody were placed on IVs after they were brought to the med-evac helicopter to restore bodily fluids, and some imbalances from their lack of good care at Camp Chinquapin. As soon as they were admitted, they would receive complete examinations with x-rays.

  Jason talked with Frank and asked if there was a place in the hospital where the two boys could be placed in a private double room, but in a place where they could be separated from other patients and the media if necessary. “At the same time, Daniel and I would like to be able to stay with them, at least during regular hours, for the first couple of days. Right now they are both very unsure of what adults in their families they can trust or rely on given the manner in which they were both brought to the camp!”

  Dr. Messina replied, “Yes, there actually is. They have a couple of VIP areas on the sixth floor. They are private and spacious. I will see if one is available.”

  Jason explained that his Whatever Foundation would cover the costs for the rooms, at least for the present. “I want them to have the best possible care now that they are free of the horrors of that camp prison. Plus this is going to be a big media story and there may be times when they just need to be left alone!”

  “That’s very generous of you, Jason. Cody and Tim are really lucky to have you on their side!”

  “Stan Henderson told me that you are one of the finest doctors on staff here, and I already can see that you have connected with Tim and Cody and are making them feel better. I also know that they are going to need a lot of counseling for the mental anguish they have been through. Please let me know when their physical needs are taken care of to a point that the counseling process can begin!”

  “You seem very informed about the recovery process. Where did you find all of this out?”

  “Let’s just say that a lot of it comes from personal experience, Doctor,” Jason told him.

  “Of course, how stupid of me! You are the young teenager who was kidnapped last year and then ended up solving your own case with the help of your friend Daniel. You really do understand the highs and lows they will experience.”

  “One other thing, Dr. Messina,” Jason continued. “Both Tim and Cody want to tell their story to the outside world, because they want places like Camp Chinquapin put out of business. To avoid it being a media circus, I have a friend in the media who already is reporting this story, and is willing to interview the boys on your terms. In other words, he will come alone with just a cameraman, and do the interview privately, but only when you think that the boys are ready. He understands that the boys’ health issues come first. After it airs on his station, he will make the interview available to the other stations so that a lot of the pressure will be taken off the boys for media statements. I have a very good publicist, Ruth Fiorre, who can be relied on to keep the media away from the boys, but happy because she knows how to farm information out to them in small measured amounts.”

  “I am very impressed with your organizational abilities, Jason. It is very important for the boys to be allowed to recover without a lot of distractions or being under pressure to talk constantly to the media. It looks like you have a pretty good plan in mind.”

  “Thank you. Now the most important thing is their health and recovery. That has to be the top priority for now. Daniel and I are here to support that. Let us know if we are ever in the way of their recovery, or if we can do anything more to help it along!”

  After Timothy and Cody were admitted to the hospital, Jason and Daniel called their parents to tell them that they were back in town, and to update them on the whole rescue mission they had become involved in before they found out about it on the news. Edith Hunter was upset with Jason for going out and taking another big risk. “Why do you continue to put yourself in harm’s way?” she asked with a little anger in her voice.

  “Mom, I had to act!” Jason replied. “These boys we rescued were being tortured and beaten and couldn’t have lasted much longer. There is no way I could have enjoyed hiking through Yosemite knowing that. Besides we had really great help. Two Navy SEALs assisted us on this operation. They were awesome! I’ll tell you all about it when I get home! I know you are a little upset right now, but in the long run I think you will be proud of me for what I did!”

  Daniel’s parents had a similar reaction. But Daniel was able to calm them down about it with some similar talk. “Remember how we had to take a risk or two when we were saving Eric from his horrible stepfather? Now look at what a happy and productive person he has become, and also one of my best friends and a fellow musician! And remember how last year if the Molinari’s hadn’t come along and helped me, I could have been seriously harmed when those turncoat deputies kidnapped me? That’s why Jason and I had to help these guys. It was the right thing to do! I’ll tell you all about it when I see you later today. And be sure to watch it on the news. I think you’ll agree we did the right thing once you know the full story!”

  After they were admitted to the hospital, thorough examinations determined that Cody had several crack
ed ribs and that a number of of the welts on his body from the whippings he endured were becoming infected. There was also some congestion building up in his lungs, which was a prelude to a possible bout of pneumonia, so he was put on antibiotics and given an antiseptic bath before his ribs were bandaged. Tim was found to have a damaged spleen from the beatings he received. His tongue was a little swollen from having to wear the ball gag so often, and his mouth had also developed some canker sores. A few of the welts on his back were starting to get infected, so the doctor cleaned them out and had them carefully bandaged. It was also determined that both boys had lost at least twenty pounds of critical weight, in their arm and leg muscles. So they were both told to start eating more to build back their basic body strength.

  The remainder of Friday morning was spent treating Tim’s and Cody’s wounds and injuries. Jason and Daniel, who were exhausted after their all night adventure both ended up falling asleep on the couches in the hospital room. Around noon Cody and Tim were done with their examinations, x-rays, and initial treatment. Lunch was brought in for the four boys and they ate together and talked about their adventure. After lunch, it was clear that both Cody and Timothy were fading fast, and needed sleep. So Daniel called his parents and asked if they would come and pick him and Jason up. Both Melinda and Gary Holmes came along for the ride because they wanted to hear about the boys’ latest adventure right away. The two boys regaled them with the entire story while they drove home.

  After Jason was dropped off, he ended up just going to his room and taking another long nap. Edith and Bill Hunter came home early that Friday, and were eager to have Jason tell them the entire story of the past few days. Later the Holmes family and the Hunter family went back to the hospital to visit Cody and Tim. Any tension between Jason or Daniel and their parents quickly dissolved after they met Cody and Tim, and could see from their injuries how they had suffered and how happy they were to be free again.