Chet, Biff, Tony, Phil and Callie arrived at the campground a little before six a.m. "Let's not waste any time," Phil suggested once Chet had parked the camper on their allotted spot. He gave everyone a walkie talkie he had "borrowed" from his father's security company. "These have a two mile range," he said. "They are set on a specific frequency so I doubt anyone will be able to tune in but just in case, be on your guard and don't be too specific in your locations," he warned.
Next, Phil opened up a map of the area. "Chet, you and Tony take this section. Keep a north east bearing. Biff and I will head this way. What we're looking for should be here," his finger stopped on a spot on the map where the two paths would intersect.
"Be careful," Callie said, worried. Were they doing the right thing, she wondered. Frank and Joe were experienced at this and they were in serious trouble. What would happen if one of them got caught? Callie gave a slight shudder as she watched the boys leave, praying this wouldn't be the last time she saw them.
Being careful not to let their presence be known, Biff and Phil spoke only when absolutely necessary. They watched their footing, avoiding old branches and twigs and still kept a sharp look out for any sign of human entity.
They had been gone from the camper for almost an hour and a half when Biff spotted a wisp of smoke coming from straight ahead. He grabbed Phil's arm and pointed. Phil nodded and put his finger to his lips. Stealthily, they continued their trek until they were about two hundred feet from where the smoke had come from. Biff climbed a tree and sought out the place with his binoculars. Smiling, he hurried back down.
Biff told Phil what he had seen and the two picked up their pace. Just as they reached the spot, the lone figure stood up and took a step back. Biff put his hand on Joe's shoulder ready to go greet him but after the initial contact, Joe went into defensive mode. He grabbed the wrist and arm belonging to the hand of his shoulder and pulled, shifting his weight and inserting a foot behind one of the culprit's As the familiar figure went flying, Joe gasped in surprise.
"Biff! Oh no. Are you okay?" Joe asked, reaching Biff as he landed on his back, the air knocked out of him.
"Guess...you didn't need rescuing after all," Biff grunted with a scowl when he could breathe again, but the scowl quickly turned into a joyous grin. "Boy, am I glad to see you."
"Ditto," seconded Phil, coming out of the trees to join them.
"How did you get here?" demanded Joe, staring at his two friends in disbelief. "And where is here?" he added, realizing he still had no idea where he was.
"First, tell us how you got here," Phil instructed.
Joe told them about recognizing the driver of the car Frank had gotten into and taking off after it. "That explains why your door was open," Biff put in but shut up at a glance from Phil. Joe ended his tale with falling out of the helicopter.
"You're lucky to be in one piece," Phil hissed, his face white after listening to Joe.
"Tell me about it," Joe replied dryly. "You're turn," he added, looking at him expectantly.
Instead of being happy as Biff and Phil expected, Joe's face was creased in worry when Phil finished bringing him up to date. "We need to get in touch with Tony and Chet," Joe said. "I've already staked out the place. There's too many for them to handle."
"We have talkies," Biff said, holding one up.
"If we only knew what frequency the Assassins were using," Phil said. "Then we could chance getting in contact with them even though they must be very close by now."
"Eleven," Joe said without missing a beat.
"How do you know?" Biff asked, looking at Joe with a curious expression.
Giving a silent laugh, Joe looked up. Biff and Phil followed his gaze to the tree tops, their own faces breaking out in smiles of amazed amusement when they spotted the three incapacitated Assassins.
"Shh!" Tony hissed at Chet as they squatted, looking at the men surrounding a stone compound several hundred feet away through their binoculars.
Chet had pulled his talkie off his belt and dropped it on the leaf covered ground. "We've got to warn Biff and Phil not to move in," Chet whispered, picking up the talkie. Before he could, however, a small sound erupted from it.
"Phil?" Chet whispered.
"Yes," Phil acknowledged. "Stay away from the compound," he continued. "Head back to the camper. We'll meet you there."
"Roger that," Chet replied and hooked it back to his belt. "Let's go," Chet whispered to Tony.
The two boys moved away from the fortress and back the way they had come. Roughly a quarter of a mile into their return trip, they came to a sudden standstill as a group of men, all armed and in camouflage, surrounded them.
Next, Phil opened up a map of the area. "Chet, you and Tony take this section. Keep a north east bearing. Biff and I will head this way. What we're looking for should be here," his finger stopped on a spot on the map where the two paths would intersect.
"Be careful," Callie said, worried. Were they doing the right thing, she wondered. Frank and Joe were experienced at this and they were in serious trouble. What would happen if one of them got caught? Callie gave a slight shudder as she watched the boys leave, praying this wouldn't be the last time she saw them.
Being careful not to let their presence be known, Biff and Phil spoke only when absolutely necessary. They watched their footing, avoiding old branches and twigs and still kept a sharp look out for any sign of human entity.
They had been gone from the camper for almost an hour and a half when Biff spotted a wisp of smoke coming from straight ahead. He grabbed Phil's arm and pointed. Phil nodded and put his finger to his lips. Stealthily, they continued their trek until they were about two hundred feet from where the smoke had come from. Biff climbed a tree and sought out the place with his binoculars. Smiling, he hurried back down.
Biff told Phil what he had seen and the two picked up their pace. Just as they reached the spot, the lone figure stood up and took a step back. Biff put his hand on Joe's shoulder ready to go greet him but after the initial contact, Joe went into defensive mode. He grabbed the wrist and arm belonging to the hand of his shoulder and pulled, shifting his weight and inserting a foot behind one of the culprit's As the familiar figure went flying, Joe gasped in surprise.
"Biff! Oh no. Are you okay?" Joe asked, reaching Biff as he landed on his back, the air knocked out of him.
"Guess...you didn't need rescuing after all," Biff grunted with a scowl when he could breathe again, but the scowl quickly turned into a joyous grin. "Boy, am I glad to see you."
"Ditto," seconded Phil, coming out of the trees to join them.
"How did you get here?" demanded Joe, staring at his two friends in disbelief. "And where is here?" he added, realizing he still had no idea where he was.
"First, tell us how you got here," Phil instructed.
Joe told them about recognizing the driver of the car Frank had gotten into and taking off after it. "That explains why your door was open," Biff put in but shut up at a glance from Phil. Joe ended his tale with falling out of the helicopter.
"You're lucky to be in one piece," Phil hissed, his face white after listening to Joe.
"Tell me about it," Joe replied dryly. "You're turn," he added, looking at him expectantly.
Instead of being happy as Biff and Phil expected, Joe's face was creased in worry when Phil finished bringing him up to date. "We need to get in touch with Tony and Chet," Joe said. "I've already staked out the place. There's too many for them to handle."
"We have talkies," Biff said, holding one up.
"If we only knew what frequency the Assassins were using," Phil said. "Then we could chance getting in contact with them even though they must be very close by now."
"Eleven," Joe said without missing a beat.
"How do you know?" Biff asked, looking at Joe with a curious expression.
Giving a silent laugh, Joe looked up. Biff and Phil followed his gaze to the tree tops, their own faces breaking out in smiles of amazed amusement when they spotted the three incapacitated Assassins.
"Shh!" Tony hissed at Chet as they squatted, looking at the men surrounding a stone compound several hundred feet away through their binoculars.
Chet had pulled his talkie off his belt and dropped it on the leaf covered ground. "We've got to warn Biff and Phil not to move in," Chet whispered, picking up the talkie. Before he could, however, a small sound erupted from it.
"Phil?" Chet whispered.
"Yes," Phil acknowledged. "Stay away from the compound," he continued. "Head back to the camper. We'll meet you there."
"Roger that," Chet replied and hooked it back to his belt. "Let's go," Chet whispered to Tony.
The two boys moved away from the fortress and back the way they had come. Roughly a quarter of a mile into their return trip, they came to a sudden standstill as a group of men, all armed and in camouflage, surrounded them.