Camp Big Lake.v1 (Bill, Leslie, Mike)

June 18^th-July 2^nd, 1986: The kids of Boulder City are being sent off to summer camp! Two weeks of archery, canoeing, horseback riding, and swimming on Lake Mead await. The kids excitedly studied the camp layout and activity schedule, already planning their weeks’ worth of fun.

Jimmy, 14yo Hick (Bill): He’d never been to camp before; family couldn’t afford it. Mom didn’t explain how their church minister provided the money. “I packed clean underwear for each day. Did you pack your toothbrush? Remember to write." Even dad was there to see him off. Jimmy hugged them both before gathering his bag and climbing on the bus with MOTO (iconic item) and an inflatable float-ring securely stowed.

Lisa, 13yo Bookworm (Leslie): She’d been to camp before. Knew to pack bug-spray and chigger-oil. She couldn’t wait to go horseback riding and canoeing. Mom pleaded once again, “You are so like your dad in all your athletic activities. All I’m asking is for you to make new girlfriends. Do girlie things such as experiment with makeup.” Lisa scoffed, “MOM! The only makeup I plan on applying is fire-soot to play hide-n-seek and use my new compass (iconic item) during our hikes.”

Johnny, 13yo Rocker (Mike): Mom discouraged him bringing his peace-pipe, “The adults might think you’re trying to smoke. Go have fun with the other kids.” After packing his Infinity-Aux robot, he called his grandparents to thank them contributing to the camp cost. He excitedly read off the list of activities that awaited, “Canoeing, archery. All the things you taught me grampa. And pottery gramma.” Mom gave him an extra hug and kisses before he climbed on the bus. He hugged back, unlike most of the kids shunning their parents’ affections displayed in from of everyone.

Bus Ride: Rick was their designated counselor for the ride who checked off each kid climbing aboard. After 15 minutes, the 23-year-old gave up trying to quiet the kids who were screaming with excitement. Within the next hour, the kids’ adrenaline wore off. They settled into their seats and the doldrums of the ride. The air-conditioner couldn’t keep up with the summer heat and thus windows opened to get a breeze. When the bus exited paved roads for the gravel roads, the kids coughed at the dust rolling into the open windows. The excitement grew once again when the bus pulled to a stop. Disappointment to learn, “Only a gas-stop and bathroom break at the Market Basket. But we’re in Echo City and only 5 miles from camp. Won’t be long.”

Market Basket Store: The gas-station/market bathroom lines stretched out the door. The 5-minute break took 20-minutes. Enough time for Jimmy to buy a postcard (an aerial view of the camp and surrounding area, complete with a junkyard) to send mom. As Lisa paid for a comic-book, she advised Jimmy, “You know, the counselors provide free cards and stamps as encouragement to write home. Part of the package deal.”

Welcome to Camp: They passed 2 outbound buses that had already dropped off their load of screaming kids. 5 buses in all. 130 kids. Once the kids unloaded and grabbed their suitcases from the undercarriage bus-bins, two more 20-year-old counselors were there to greet them: Beth and Dan. “Follow us to the dining hall for a snack and to read your cabin assignments. We’ll go over camp safety and scheduled activities. You’ve got a full 2 weeks ahead of you and we’re here to help guide you thru a fun-filled stay.”

Disappointment when each was assigned a different cabin. Awkward, shy introductions. Johnny took the time to ask his cabin counselor, “I saw Arts&Crafts listed. You’re not making us kids weave dreamcatchers for you to market, are you?” Pete laughed, “Sorry to disappoint you kid. No, this is not a child-labor camp. Relax, have fun. Whatever you want. Whatever you make, you can take home to your parents.”

Lisa already knew the routine and thus quickly unpacked and sought activities. Surprised to run into Randy. The wanna-be Boulder City bully. “How ‘bout a card game; you name it. Blackjack? Nickel anti? Come on, I thought you wanted to play a real game.” Lisa smiled at the taunting and laid down a quarter. It wasn’t long before Randy stomped out of the barn, less $6, “I’m gonna tell the adults how you cheated me!” Lisa ignored his threats, “Tell them to change your diaper while you’re at it, cry-baby.”

Over the next couple of days, the kids crossed paths during the variety of events. Lisa collected apples to treat her favorite horse, Missy. Johnny spent a lot of time fishing, while Jimmy rode the dirt bikes around the camp paths. But on the 2^nd night, once Jimmy confirmed the counselors’ routines, on a dare from Rod stuck back home with the measles, Jimmy snuck out of the cabin in an attempt to steal the girls’ camp flag. He almost made it. His inflatable float-ring sure looked convincing as his body under his bed covers. But a counselor on a bathroom break caught him, “Hey kid, what are you doing out after curfew?” Jimmy never was good at lying.

Another day was lost due to rain. Jimmy took the time to tinker with Johnny’s robot. [Tinker-failed] “Sorry, Johnny, don’t know why the remote control won’t work. I’ll keep trying. Alvin taught me a few circuitry tricks I haven’t tried yet.” Meanwhile, Johnny pulled out dice and his rule book as he offered, “Anyone up for a game? No, not DnD. I bought this new one. Call-of-Cthulhu. No, its not devil-worship. You play the good guys fighting evil.” Judy and Darrel sat down intrigued. But soon asked, “What’s sanity?” Johnny teased, “I hope you brought enough clean underwear ‘cause there’s a chance you encounter something that scares the … well, you might get scared.”

Wednesday, June 25^th: They’d already spent a week at camp, making new friends and trying out the various activities. But just like home chores, Jimmy was used to early-morning rise. He’d help the cooks peel potatoes and even set the tables. But today, the morning fog seemed to hang over the lake lower and thicker. That cold, grey chill before the rising sun burnt off the fog. He noticed a boat floating just beyond the buoys that outlined the designated swimming area. Not one of the camp canoes or kayaks. This one rubber with a small motor hanging over its end. It rocked gently in the waves.

Jimmy startled when a head surfaced next to it and a man grabbed its side. No mask or flippers; he was free-diving with regular shoes on. Jimmy watched as the man hefted a box onto the boat then climbed aboard. Then opened the box, pulled out a paper and compared it to a larger paper he unfolded from a backpack stored on the bottom of the boat. A map? Jimmy thought he could hear the man muttering something. But it wasn’t English. Jimmy used landmarks across the lake to help mark the spot of the man’s dive. Soon the motor started up and the man drove his boat south, following the shoreline maybe a half-mile. Enough fog had burned away for Jimmy to see the man pull his boat ashore. Keeping his eye on the dive spot, Jimmy moved to another dock for another bearing check. So much for helping the cooks. He had to tell his friends!

“Hey Johnny, you say your Cthulhu game is about investigation. Care for a real caper?! Where’s Lisa?” They used the 2pm ‘Camper’s Choice Water Activities’ slot to go diving on the site. “One third of the way between those 2 buoys and just beyond the rope.” Johnny was the first to come up, “Over here. I found where he disturbed the bottom.” 

Lisa dove on the area and came up with a pin. “It’s a Soviet Hammer and Sickle! Remember that 1984 movie ‘Red Dawn’ about the Soviets invading America? Maybe the Soviets took a page from the movie and actually plan to invade! Where did you say he pulled his boat ashore?”

3:30pm (Camper’s Choice): As they kick-started the dirt-bikes, Jimmy reminded them, “Beth says we need to be back for the 5pm ‘Assassin’ activity.” They headed south thru the trees, hugging the shoreline, around the inlet, then back to the shoreline. Johnny found the rubber boat hidden under Pinetree branches. 

Paper in a plastic sleeve still on its bench, “From the pin, I’d say this is Russian. Coordinates and times. Hey look, Market Basket written in English!” Lisa found footprints. They walked their bikes following the tracks that led up a slope. The quiet throb of a generator guided them to a small cabin where a thin wisp of smoke curled from its chimney. Jimmy swatted his arm. Lisa scolded, “Shush! I told you to bring mosquito repellant.”

Johnny snuck up to the cabin. Every move of every war movie: on his belly, a roll, elbow inch forward, freeze, tiptoe, breath held. He inched his head up the wall to peek thru the window. Thread bare interior, table, man at the table, metal contraption on the table. Johnny realized it a ham-radio operator set. And the man was talking in a foreign language while writing on a notepad. Johnny slunk back down and worked his way to the back of the cabin and another window. Bedroom: suitcase and the box hefted from the water. Another window: a storeroom.

“Now what? It’s past 4pm and we’ve an activity to attend in an hour.” “I don’t think they’ll miss us.” Lisa remembered, “Across from the gas-station was a library. Maybe they have a book to translate Russian.” They walked their bikes a safe distance before starting them up and riding into town. Jimmy walked into the store to check it out while the others stepped into the library. Lisa told the librarian, “We’re from the camp and have a play to perform. Our version of that move ‘Red Dawn’. I’m hoping you have a Russian to English dictionary to help make the play believable.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy buried his face in a magazine as he tried to blend in. Listening to the clerks in hopes of hearing accents. It wasn’t long before one clerk scolded another, “How many times do I have to tell you Michael? Pull the old stock to the front and restock to the rear. I don’t care if you’ve only been here a week. Long enough to learn!” Jimmy snuck into the back room looking for lockers. And found a bank of them. One with a freshly taped label ‘Michael’. Jimmy picked the lock and found a backpack with a Russian passport for ‘Mikhail Petrov’. And a note reminder in English, “Thursday 1430.”

They met up at the bikes to compare notes. Jimmy confirmed Lisa’s translation of the letter. “Our cabin man and your Michael are to meet tomorrow at 1430 with code phrases. I guess they don’t know each other yet. More coordinates for a pickup with the pickup item to be delivered Saturday between 0800-1500.” They calculated the coordinates, “The most southern set must be the cabin, the most northern, per your aerial postcard, looks like that small island. Must be a runway on it and they plan to flyout the package. It’s already after 6pm. We missed the camp activity. Better hustle back before we’re missed.”

Jimmy and Johnny snuck in and parked their bikes. Lisa got caught. “My chain slipped. I told the others to head back without me. They didn’t say anything? Boys! Should have expected them to leave me hanging.” They missed dinner. Fortunate Jimmy had an in with the cooks who slipped him enough leftovers for the 3 of them. They used the next hours to plan. Lisa got momentarily distracted by the evening movie, “American Tail. Oh, I love that mouse Fievel and that French pigeon Henri.” Jimmy butted in, “Wasn’t that a Russian mouse sneaking into America? Kinda parallels our story.”

Jimmy left the movie rubbing his shoulder where Lisa punched him. Spoiled her memory. [3-6s] While the rest of the camp used the free-time to sit around campfires roasting marshmallows and telling ghost-stories, Jimmy tinkered on MOTO installing a walkie-talkie, while finally getting the remote control working for Johnny’s Infinity-Aux robot. He then strolled to the docks where he happened to hear the rubber boat’s motor puttering north. He rushed back to the others. Interrupted Lisa chatting with Jenny, “Yes, I’ll partner with you on the canoe doubles race. What is it, Jimmy?! Uh Jen, I’ll talk with you later.” They found Johnny and planned a 1am rendezvous, “We’ll use the walkie-talkies… one beep means time to go.”

Their luck a counselor was on a small-bladder bathroom break. Lisa threw a rock to provide distraction for Johnny to slip away. They walked the bikes a reasonable distance before starting them up and riding back to the cabin. They checked under the tree first to confirm the boat still missing. Jimmy left MOTO as a guard: single clicks on its attached walkie-talkie to alert its return.

Jimmy couldn’t unlock the front door. At least Lisa found a rear window unlocked. Johnny used his polaroid camera to take pictures of the ham-radio equipment and Russian papers. Found a note taped to the radio box “AM1345. Must be their contact channel to talk with the other Russians on that island.” Jimmy checked the bedroom and found an empty ammo box, map of the area, and binoculars. “He’s got a loaded gun.” Lisa checked the storeroom and found a large drone powered by small magnetrine disks. “It’s remote controlled with surveillance cameras.” She swapped out its memory card.

And that’s when they heard their walkie-talkies beep, “Uh oh, that’s MOTO’s signal. The boat has returned!” They JUST climbed out the back window as they heard the front door unlock. Jimmy reprogrammed MOTO to hide closer to the cabin, “One beep if by land, 2 if by sea. Let us know how he leaves. Good night, Paul Revere.”

They couldn’t sleep when they got back to camp. Lisa crawled under her covers with her flashlight and the polaroid pictures Johnny had taken. With the library book in hand, she spent the early morning hours translating the pictured papers. The walkie-talkies crackled with her find, “Mentions the Loop. Industrial espionage!” Johnny was more alarmed, “Didn’t you say DARPA runs the place and they are an arm of the military?! Remember those military robots we encountered that killed those velociraptors? What if the Russians got ahold of that technology?!”

Jimmy recalled MOTO from its stakeout as he reasoned, “I bet there is an airfield on that island. They plan to fly their espionage out. That radio channel AM1345 is to control the drone. I say we build our own controller to hijack the signal, gain control of the drone, and crash it into the airplane engine so it cannot take off.” Johnny interrupted, “Wo, wo, David, aka Matthew Broderick of ‘Wargames’. Cool your jets. Your computer skills aren’t that great. Besides, we haven’t seen what’s on the memory card Lisa grabbed.”  They drafted a plan for the 2:30pm meeting today at the Market Basket. “Lisa will take the card to the library for download with help from the librarian, put MOTO in the backroom of the store in case they meet in there, Jimmy position in the store, while Johnny position outside in case they leave to meet elsewhere.”

1400: The librarian, Claire, was more than eager to help a child interested in computers. “Pictures for your play? Sure, I can help. My son actually helps me and taught me a few skills.” She led Lisa to equipment in the back and inserted the card. Images flashed across the scene: Aerial views of Boulder City, the Loop, Hoover Dam, and even Echo City. And a night view of the island that revealed an area cleared for a landing strip. Claire so excited in helping, she didn’t even question the recorded scenery.

1415: Johnny watched as the boat-man (Uri) pedaled into town on his bicycle. And filled up a gas can at the marina (for his boat engine). He then entered the store. Johnny clicked the walkie-talkie to get Jimmy’s attention for the handoff. Jimmy watched the man approach each clerk and ask, “Where can I find chekin ravoli?” A definite accent. The first clerk put his thumb to his chin as he wondered… Uri walked away before the clerk finished his thought. The next clerk equally dumbfounded. Michael, responded, “We expecting delivery nex veek.” Just enough accent to confirm… Russian!

Jimmy watched Michael drop a piece of paper in the man’s shopping basket before returning to work. Uri palmed the paper then grabbed a can of Spam off the shelf and paid at the register. Jimmy clicked his walkie. Outside, Johnny watched the man read the paper then crumple it up and toss into a trashcan before walking away. Johnny retrieved said paper. More coordinates and a Russian word that Lisa soon translated to “tree. That must be the dropoff for the package. 1500? It’s already past 3pm. This must be for tomorrow. 

The coordinates plot out near the junkyard. Let’s go look.” Sure enough, a nearby tree with a hollow cavity. Empty. Jimmy left MOTO on watch.

Friday morning: Their lack of sleep caught up with them. They crashed for a few hours. Kids can get by on minimal sleep. The canoe competition was scheduled for 0900. Lisa ate a light breakfast before finding Jenny. Together, they raced to a win. And Lisa finished first in single competition too. Two blue ribbons and small trophies.

1400: Their walkies beeped. “It’s MOTO. Someone is at the tree.” They hopped on the bikes and sped to the junkyard. And found a package inside the tree. A brown paper bundle tied with twine, about the size of a toaster but heavier. “Well, don’t just stand there, open it.” A computer hard-drive! “Loop stamp. How the heck did they get this out of the facility?! Find something in the junkyard about the same size and let’s switch it out.” “But what do we do with the original? Mail it to the Loop? It weighs and looks suspicious. And if we’re caught… I say destroy it. Take it into the junkyard and smash it.” “Heck, we don’t need to do that. Just fire up that magnetic disk they use to lift old cars and we’ll degauss the thing.”

And that’s when they heard the dull buzz overhead. And looked up to see a large drone hovering. Then an angry voice, “Hey! You Little SHITS! That’s mine. Give it back!” Lisa was already at the crane control cab and flipped the switch. At the same time, Uri pulled a gun and pointed it at the boys. The magnetic disk on the end of the overhead cable hummed to life. The hard-drive leapt out of Johnny’s hand and slammed against the magnet. The gun equally flew skyward and clanked against the magnet. The drone was close enough to start wobbling in its flight.

“RUN!” Lisa hopped out of the control cab and hid in the junkyard. Johnny lost his footing and was about to be collared by Uri, till Jimmy programmed MOTO to ram the man’s leg. “Ouch! You little…” Uri kicked MOTO across the street. But Jimmy and Johnny raced away. Uri clamored into the cab and turned off the magnet. And cringed when the hard-drive slammed back to earth. He cradled his destroyed package as he limped back into the store to curse at Mikhail. Lisa came out of hiding to eavesdrop.

The boys rode back into camp. Where Jimmy found the nearest counselor. Out of breath, he exclaimed, “Man in town. Molester. He tried to grab Johnny and me. Flashed his coat open. I kicked him in the shin, and we ran. The other man had a car they tried to lure us into. That man works in the store. Heard him called Michael.”

CONCLUSION

Police cars quickly responded. And apprehended the man they learned to be Uri. And his accomplice, Mikhael. The charges at first were flimsy. Other store clerks gave alibies for Mikhael. But hours later, Loop agents arrived and took over the case.

Johnny had gotten on the phone and called the Loop facility. They disbelieved him till he suggested they look for a missing hard-drive. That got their attention, especially when he could describe its exact measurements.

Lisa also added to the charges. She had returned to camp, gathered all the photos and the Russian pin, and mailed them to the Loop facility.

The last days of camp ground to a standstill as activities were overshadowed by the trio being called out to retell their story.

EPILOGUE

Johnny bundled a few extra pictures of the caper and mailed them to his grandparents. He called to proudly tell them the story. But they thought he was describing a “Spygame. Did you win? Did you have fun? Did you make new friends?” It wasn’t until days later when the news broke about a trio of kids that broke up a spy ring. And a day later, a package arrived. Johnny tore into the box as he explained to his parents, “I forgot to mention I won the archery contest. The prize was this new bow.”

Lisa proudly held up her 2 blue ribbons for her parents. Dad was super proud. Mom added, “That’s nice, but did you make any new girlfriends? Oh, Jenny? The girl you joined in doubles? That’s nice.” Within a week, dad came home with a brand-new canoe strapped to the top of the car, “I think it’s time we began a new family tradition and go family canoeing. What do you say?” Lisa’s excitement muted her mother’s sigh. Surprisingly, other girls from her school began calling and hanging out with her. And suggested movie night, “Escape from New York? Isn’t that Kurt Russel as Snake Polissken? What a hunk. Sure, I’ll meet you there.”

Jimmy emptied out his bag and handed 4 postcards to his mother. “I really meant to mail them. I just got busy. Yeah, I had fun. But I missed a lot. Do you think if I restarted my paper route and saved enough money, I could go to camp again next year?” Dad ruffled his son’s hair, “We’ll think about it. I’ll add to your savings. But right now, go check out a gift your mom and I got for you.” Jimmy tripped on the rug as he dashed to his room. And tore into the wrapped gift. The hatchet from his dad he understood. The book, his mom had to explain, “Hachet. It’s a survival story of another 13-year-old boy lost out in the wilderness. The boy is a tinkerer just like you.”