Breaking Point

by Lesley Choyce

  Breaking Point

  Lesley Choyce

  ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

  Copyright © 2012 Lesley Choyce

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Choyce, Lesley, 1951-

  Breaking point [electronic resource] / Lesley Choyce.

  (Orca soundings)

  Electronic monograph.

  Issued also in print format.

  ISBN 978-1-4598-0130-1 (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-4598-0131-8 (EPUB)

  I. Title. II. Series: Orca soundings (Online)

  PS8555.H668B74 2012 JC813’.54 C2011-907837-6

  First published in the United States, 2012

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2011943734

  Summary: Escaping from a wilderness camp for young offenders,

  Cameron and Brianna end up in a struggle for survival.

  Orca Book Publishers is dedicated to preserving the environment and has printed this book on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®.

  Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

  Cover photography ® Kablunk! / Masterfile

  ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

  PO BOX 5626, Stn. B

  Victoria, BC Canada

  V8R 6S4 ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

  PO BOX 468

  Custer, WA USA

  98240-0468

  www.orcabook.com

  Printed and bound in Canada.

  15 14 13 12 • 4 3 2 1

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter One

  It was raining when I arrived at Camp Mosher on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Buckets of rain falling from a gray dead sky. I regretted my decision to come here. It was my choice. I could have been warm and dry up in the Valley in the so-called Nova Scotia Youth Facility in Walkerton. But I’d been there before and hated the dorks who were in charge.

  So when they gave me the chance to go somewhere else, I jumped at it. Camp Mosher, just somewhere short of the end of the earth.

  I got off the stupid bus, and as the other kids ran for the building, I just stood there in the rain and got soaked. I looked around. Nothing but trees, rocks and water. Lots of water. They had told me this would be different. That it would be tough. I’d have to learn about survival, about wilderness. About myself.

  Don’t get me wrong, I knew that was a pile of crap. And I’d never really had any interest in boats or camping or idiotic stuff like that. I just thought the deal was either three weeks here or ten weeks back in Walkerton. So here I was. I felt the rain soak all the way through my jacket and pants. I was cold and I was drenched, and I could see I’d made a big fat mistake.

  That’s when some big asshole came up behind me, smacked me on the back and started pushing me toward the building. “They say turkeys are so stupid, they don’t know when to get in out of the rain,” he said as I tried to elbow him without turning around.

  I thought about running just then. I didn’t deserve to put up with this.

  But I had nowhere to run to. Hell, I didn’t really even know exactly where I was, except that I was on the coast of Nova Scotia, far from Halifax. Far from anywhere.

  I turned around to look at the goon who was on my case. He was the size of a football player, and he had on some kind of rain poncho with the hood drooped down over his face. I guess my hands had automatically cramped up into fists, because the goon flipped his hood down and looked me in the eye. “Cameron, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said. He was big. Way out of my league.

  “You like it out here?” he asked, an edge in his voice.

  “Whaddaya mean?”

  “You like the rain?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Maybe I do.”

  I thought he was gonna shove me or drag me inside or something. But he didn’t. “Okay for you, buddy,” he said, flipping his poncho hood back up. “But this isn’t the shopping mall. You’re gonna have to stay dry if you want to survive.”

  And then he walked away.

  I began to shiver. And that’s when I looked to the inlet, saw the kayaks and canoes. There were even a few paddles. I thought all I’d have to do was run to the water, grab a boat and get the hell out of here.

  Instead, I walked toward the main building, feeling like a loser, like I had nothing left of me.

  Inside the building, I found myself in some kind of dining hall with shiny wood walls like you’d see in those old movies about kids going to summer camp. The windows were all steamed up. Some kids were walking around. Some were sitting. I recognized some of them as the losers who had come here on the bus with me from Halifax. But then I realized that there weren’t just guys. There were girls here too. They must have arrived ahead of us on another bus. They were all sitting at tables on the other side of the room.

  I just stood there dripping water on the floor. I didn’t know which I hated more—standing out in the rain, or standing here inside the door with all those eyes looking at me like I was the biggest loser in the place. Again, I was ready to just turn and run. That was my style. I was a runner. When I found myself freaking out in school, or when the shit hit the fan, or when I’d do some idiot thing that was about to get me in big trouble, I’d spin on my heels and run. That’s the way I’d saved my ass a dozen times, caught inside people’s houses when I was ripping them off.

  I always got away.

  Well, not always.

  But here, now, with everyone staring at me, where the hell was I going to run to?

  That’s when I saw her. She was staring at me. But not like the others. They all had some kind of smirk or goofy smile. She looked like she felt sorry for me. Her eyes were fixed on me, and when I made eye contact, I couldn’t look away. Her long dark hair was wet, and it was clinging to the sides of her face, framing it. And the way she was looking at me made me feel like she knew who I was. Really knew me. Who was this girl?

  That’s when the big guy walked over to me. “If you want some dry clothes, follow me.”

  I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t stand there all day. I wanted to talk to that girl, but that wasn’t going to work in front of all the others. So I followed the dude.

  “I’m Chris,” he said as he led me out of the dining hall and down a hallway. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me. I’m not exactly going to be your best friend. But I’m not a total pain in the ass either.”

  He pointed to a storage room, and I saw the clothes hanging up on racks. I walked in. Chris didn’t follow. “Just come back and join us when you’ve found some stuff that fits.”

  I found a hoodie and some pants and somebody’s old running shoes that fit. I cursed myself again for ending up here. For getting caught. For getting that lousy judge who decided to make things hard on me instead of just giving me the usual slap on the wris
t. Everything sucked big-time. I wanted to scream.

  So I did.

  A few seconds later, Chris poked his head back in the room, although he didn’t seem particularly concerned. “Guess this isn’t the happiest day of your life?”

  “I’ve had worse,” I said.

  “I’ve been where you are. I know it feels like shit.”

  “And this is supposed to cheer me up?”

  “Not at all. Just wanted you to know. Come have something to eat. Food used to be crap here. But it’s improved.”

  So I followed him back to the hall, but when I got there, the girls were all gone. She wasn’t there. Chris led me to the food counter and handed me a tray. When I got my food and sat down at the closest table, two guys at the table started laughing. I wanted to scream for a second time.

  But I didn’t. I pretended they weren’t there. I decided to think about something, anything that would keep me from losing it. So I pictured her face. Her eyes. I wondered how I was going to get to meet this girl.

  Chapter Two

  I kept to myself that first day and tried to keep my head down. The rain pounded on the metal roof through the night, and then it suddenly stopped at around 3:00 AM. I was lying there on my bunk thinking that I didn’t deserve this. I’d screwed up and got caught. I’d spent time at Walkerton before, where I’d learned more tricks of the trade from other kids there. Then I’d gone back home and used what I’d learned. Breaking and entering. It’s a skill like any other one. Even with security systems, it was usually a piece of cake. What I hadn’t factored in was unmarked, silent video surveillance.

  In the morning the sun was out. By 8:30, twelve of us were standing on the shoreline of the inlet wearing life jackets or pfds—personal flotation devices. In front of each of us was a sea kayak. Chris handed me a two-bladed paddle and pointed to the red kayak in front of me. I looked at it and then out at the water. I have to admit, I liked what I saw—blue, sparkling and beautiful.

  Chris gave this big boring lecture about safety, and I didn’t pay much attention. I kept thinking about the girl. And then we were finally on the water. I was snug inside the kayak with the spray skirt, the piece of rubber meant to keep water out, tight around my waist. It was like the kayak was part of me. At first it felt pretty wobbly, but as I got moving, things smoothed out and I was thinking, Hey, this is easy. I’m loving this.

  We were all together in a group, headed toward a rocky island ahead. I felt like I needed some more space, so I took a deep stroke with my paddle and split off to the left. The sun in my face and the smell of salt water all around made me a little dizzy, and I was thinking I hadn’t felt this good in a long, long time. But then I heard someone yelling. Chris.

  “Cameron. Get back with us. Don’t screw around.”

  Well, I guess I knew that was coming. Only thing is, I had this little voice in my head that said, Don’t do it. Just keep going.

  So I did.

  “Cameron. Back here now!” I heard Chris scream.

  I could have been a good boy and done what I was told. But that wasn’t my style. I just kept paddling, straight into the morning sun. Straight off into oblivion on my own. It wasn’t like I was trying to split. I just wanted to go where I wanted to go.

  I was always listening to that voice in my head. It said things like, You can do it. You’ll get away with it. You’ll never be caught.

  By then, I knew that Chris had struck out of the pack and was headed after me. That was inevitable. He wasn’t going to let me just paddle off into the wilderness. Then I made the mistake of turning around to see how close he was.

  I guess I leaned too far to the left and then lost my balance. Wham. I went over. I can’t begin to describe the shock to my system. The water was icy cold. I was completely upside down with my kayak above me. I flailed the paddle underwater, but that didn’t seem to do any good, so I let go of it.

  I wanted to scratch my way up to the surface so badly. But the worst part was I couldn’t get out of the kayak. I was still sealed into place by the spray skirt. And I was upside down. I hadn’t paid attention to the part of the lecture about how to rip the skirt off the kayak, how to push downward, out of a kayak when you are upside down.

  I thrashed about and felt my lungs begin to burn. My brain was screaming at me to get to the surface, but no matter how hard I twisted and turned, I couldn’t get free to swim up. I was totally panicked.

  And then suddenly I saw the shadow of something above me on the water’s surface. I saw an arm push down into the water, and then a hand grabbed my wrist and yanked hard.

  I twisted free of the kayak and felt myself being pulled upward. I surfaced a second later, gasping for air and snorting seawater out my nose. When I could catch my breath, I saw Chris scowling at me, but he didn’t say a word.

  I draped myself across the front of his kayak to get some breath and my bearings. I wondered what would happen next.

  “You got the balls to get back into your own kayak, or you want me to just haul your sorry ass back to shore?” he asked.

  I was cold and still pretty freaked by what had just happened. “I don’t know, man,” I said.

  He looked at me for second. “If you can follow directions, we can do this.”

  I looked around me and realized how far from shore we were. Once again, I had been the screwup. I decided I would let Chris call the shots. I nodded at him.

  “Okay, you’ve got your life jacket on, so you’re not gonna drown. So slip off my boat and get back in the water.”

  I looked at him like he was crazy.

  “Just do it.”

  I eased back into the icy-cold seawater.

  “Now lift the nose of your kayak onto mine.”

  My kayak was still upside down and seemed to weigh a ton. I struggled with it as Chris braced his kayak with his paddle to stay steady. Eventually, I got the front tip of my kayak on top of his and he reached forward with one arm to slide it up and over. I realized then just how strong this guy was.

  When most of the water had emptied, Chris flipped it upright and back down in the water like it was nothing at all. I was still dog-paddling and cold as hell. He braced my boat and then said, “Get in. Nice and easy.”

  I floundered and slipped and struggled but eventually got back in. He handed me my paddle. There was still water in the bottom of my boat, but at least I was back in it.

  “You want me to take you back to camp, or you want to catch up with the others and go to that island out there?” He pointed to the rocky island we had originally been heading for. “I got a pack of dry clothes here you can change into. It’s not the first time, you know.”

  I nodded to the island and took a stroke with my paddle. My heart was still racing pretty fast.

  “Great,” he said. “Just don’t be an asshole again.”

  Chapter Three

  When we got to the island, I was still wet and shaking from the cold. I got some razzing from the other guys, but I’d taken much worse in my time. I walked off with the packet of dry clothes to change and found myself standing on a large rock shelf in the morning sun overlooking the inlet.

  I skinned off my wet clothes and stood naked for a couple of minutes, letting the sun dry me. In front of me was the bright blue water, and out there were dozens of islands in the distance as far as I could see. I knew I was looking east. I’d seen the map of this place. I knew that in this direction there were no roads and no towns for a long, long way. Nothing but sea and islands. It would not be hard to get lost out there.

  I put on the clothes, which were a little too big for me, and walked back to join the others. Chris didn’t say anything else about what I’d done. I watched as he lit a fire, and half listened as he gave a talk about wilderness survival. That word, survival, echoed in my head. I’d just had my own close call. That’s what I was struggling for down there underwater. Survival. The basic instinct to live.

  But wasn’t that what it was all about? Even back in civilization. W
e were all just trying to get by. We all just wanted to survive by getting what we needed to live. But why was it so difficult?

  I was a nervous paddler on the way back to the camp later that morning. I trailed behind the others, but everyone left me alone, even Chris. When I allowed myself to stop beating myself up, I looked around again and thought that being on the water like this was great. But, as always, something was gnawing at me. I felt like an animal in a cage, even out here in the wide-open watery inlet. No matter what I did in life, I couldn’t shake it.

  Back in the hall at lunchtime, I sat by myself at the end of a table in the back of the room. I’d always been a loner, so this was nothing new. Back home at school, they had names for me. I never had many friends, and those I did have were ones who’d get me in trouble. Most times, I thought I was better off on my own.

  I spotted her in the lunch line and wondered what her morning had been like. I didn’t think she had seen me when she walked in, but as soon as she left the line with her tray of food, it was like the girl had some kind of radar, because she walked straight in my direction and sat down across from me.

  “I hear you nearly drowned,” she said.

  “News travels fast.”

  “Around here it does. Anyway, no big deal. I’m not afraid of death. Are you?”

  “A little,” I said.

  “You’ll get over it.”

  It was an odd conversation with someone I had never spoken to before, but she was interesting, for sure. Different. And she was hot.

  “I’m Brianna,” she said.

  “Cameron.”

  “Do people call you Cam?”

  “No.”

  “Ouch. Okay, Cameron. You okay with me sitting here, or you want me to leave?”

  “Sorry,” I said. I knew I had just sent out a bad vibe, and I sure as hell didn’t want her to leave.

  “It’s okay. You had a rough morning, nearly drowning and all.”

  “What did you do?” I asked. My social skills were not all that polished.