July 23, 1984
Base Camp
12:17pm
“Group one just completed their noon check in, that just leaves three and five.” Ted looked up from the radio as Bill walked into the tent. “I’m still not sure I understand why or how you managed to assign the youngest group to the campsite farthest from base.”
Bill shrugged, his face tight. “I didn’t assign them. I told you, I put the names in a hat and picked them at random. You could have changed it, if you’d wanted to. I thought you had more faith in your little pets, Cowboy and Richie Ranger boy.”
“Can the attitude, Bill.” Ted removed his glasses, and wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know you’ve been preoccupied with Vince, but I really don’t need this crap from you, especially not right now. There’ve been lightning strikes to the west of us, and some reports of small fires. We need to keep an eye on the weather and the fire situation. I don’t want the campers out in the open if it starts to storm, and I want them back immediately if the fires gain any speed.”
“Sorry.” Bill didn’t even attempt to flash his normally congenial smile. “Has there been any word from the hospital?”
As if in answer, the radio squawked and Ted shook his head and turned to answer as Jim “Ranger” Frayne’s voice sounded. Bill turned and stomped out of the tent.
12:29 pm
After signing off, Jim pulled Dan away from the group of boys unpacking their hiking gear. “Ted says we need to stay close to camp and keep an eye on the weather,” he said. “They’ve been having lightning a little to the west, and if the clouds start heading our way, we need to go in.”
“No kidding.” Dan didn’t bother to hide the alarm in his voice. “We’re in the worst place possible for a lightning storm; there isn’t any shelter at all.”
“It gets worse.” Jim looked over his shoulder at the campers. “The lightning started some fires. Ted says that they’re small, but we need to be really alert. He says to keep our eyes open, and the radio near by. We might need to leave in a hurry.”
“Great.” Dan looked over at the campers, too. “I hope Ted has a plan in case we need to evacuate.”
“He does. If we see the storm rolling in, smell smoke, or get a call, we head down. Ted said he has an ATV with a trailer, and he’ll send it to meet us. If that happens, we leave everything and get off the mountain.”
“Yay.” The sarcasm was sharp. Dan sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. “What do we tell the boys?”
“I think we have to prepare them,” Jim said. “I don’t want to scare them, but it would be best if they were alert.”
“Yeah. Eight sets of eyes are better than two.” Dan stepped away and shouted, “Hey guys! Team meeting!”
Base Camp
6:00pm
The squawk of the radio brought Ted to his feet. Excusing himself from the dinner discussion he had been having with Billy and Frank “Cookie” Zeller, he headed into his tent to answer the call. It was a long one, and the information left Ted pale and shaken when he emerged.
“Frank! Billy!” he called. Only Frank appeared. “Where’s Billy?”
“He took off like he had a swarm of bees on his tail,” Frank said. “Unhooked the Quadrunner and took off about ten minutes ago. What’s up?”
Ted looked at the trailer, sitting unhitched beneath a tree, the tracks from the four-wheeler clear and deep. He felt his heart sink. “Where did he go?”
“I think he was heading up towards camp three. At least, that’s the direction he was going when he lit out of here. Why?”
“We have a problem; more than one, really,” Ted said, trying to focus his swirling thoughts. “I need you to get ready to bug out. Call the camps, and bring everybody in. I’ve got trucks coming up with the sheriff, to get everyone out. We’ve got a thunderstorm headed this way, three small fires merged and jumped the break, and Vince woke up.”
“Vince woke up?” Frank grinned. “That’s great. Did he say anything about what happened?”
“Yeah.” Ted chewed his lip. “Vince had quite a lot to say. That’s why I need to find Billy. Get on the calling, okay?”
“Got it, boss. But what are you doing?”
“First, I’m going to call camp three. Then, I’m going after Bill.” Ted rubbed his head. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.”
Leaving Frank to start calling in the campers, Ted tried to raise someone on camp three’s radio. No luck. Looking at his watch, he realized that the campers were probably getting their dinner ready. Picking up the portable radio, he left the tent, and headed off at a trot.
Camp #3
The radio squawked shortly after the campers had finished a delicious meal of “hobo stew”. Jim looked at Dan and grinned. “Your turn.” With a whistle, he led the boys down to the water to wash off their dishes, while Dan went into the tent to answer the radio.
“This is Cowboy, over,” Dan said into the handset.
“Cowboy, Cookie here...in...now.” Cookie’s voice was faint, the transmission broken up by static.
“Say again, Cookie. You’re breaking up.”
“Bring your guys in, immed...“ More static.
“I get that you want us back at Base. What’s going on?”
“Lightning storms,” Cookie’s voice came through suddenly loud and clear. “There are serious thundercaps headed our way, and the fire jumped the break. Leave everything, and get down here. Evacuation is...” Static took his voice again, and Dan smacked the radio in frustration. “...cops showed up...Ted...ba...heist...becaref...”
There was a loud pop, and Dan ducked, covering his face as the radio disintegrated, showering the tent with shards of plastic and metal.
Shocked, Dan looked first at the handset he still held. Turning slowly, he experienced an extremely unpleasant feeling of deja vu, as for the second time in his young life, he stared down the barrel of a pistol pointing directly between his eyes.
