ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SUBMARINE

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Outside the window, red flares rocketed across the sky. Men sprinted past, yelling and gripping rifles. Kep pushed out of bed while T.J. yanked on his boots and Max fumbled with his suitcase.

"Leave it, Max!" ordered Sergeant Turner.

 Max snatched something from the suitcase and shoved it into the hav- ersack at his hip. T.J. pulled open the door and let out a whoop. "All the world's a stage, baby. Hope I get to man the cannons."

Kep barely had time to finish dressing before Turner rushed them outside and across the fort at a fast jog. General Bombast, unshaven, in a bathrobe, stumbled barefoot down the steps of his barracks. "To your posts! Defend!"

Considering Bombast had to have ordered this fake attack and considering how seriously he took his "Washington look," it was odd to see him rushing around looking frantic, with no white wig covering his bald head. 

A small plane swept over, dropping something, and a series of explo- sions crashed fifty feet away. Kep grabbed Max and started to dash under an overhang before he realized the explosions were like firecrackers, lots of bangs and smoke with little actual destruction. There were no planes in the eighteenth century, so what was going on?

"No way they're filming in this smoke." T.J. coughed. "Bummer, since this would make an awesome trailer. Hey, Sergeant Turner, what's up with the plane? We've moved on to World War II?" 

Turner ignored him, leading them down narrow stairs that Kep had never noticed before to a tunnel that curved under the fort wall to the outside.

They moved to the outskirts of camp and kept going through a thickly wooded area. They must be getting away from the smoke. His lungs were grateful. In the distance came something that whirled like a helicopter, and then shouts. 

It sounded like someone yelling for him, Max, and T.J.

"Someone's calling," he said. But Turner only walked faster. 

Kep stopped and yelled, "We're here!"

 "Where?" came a woman's voice. "Call again!" 

Kep did, joined by T.J. and Max. Moments later, the shadowy figures of Querishi, Tela, and Mule appeared from between the trees. Each held a lantern.

Tela's hair was damp and she had smudges of white stuff on her face. 

"We were looking all over for you!" Querishi said to Turner. 

"I was getting the boys to the facility." 

"You're going the wrong way!"

 "All this confusion," Turner said. "Couldn't remember which path to take."

"What's going on?" Kep looked back at the blazing fort. 

"Mock attack," Querishi answered quickly. 

"Ma'am, are you sure?" Mule pushed back his hat. "We've never done nothin' with a plane! And some helicopter—"

"Yes, I'm sure. It got a bit out of hand, some small fires. It'll take a while to clean up. For you kids' safety, we're going to transport you out of camp. We're sending you to—the competition early."

"Now?" T.J. said. "Sweet!" 

Kep felt a wave of relief. Transported off camp? Where there'd be phones and normal people? Sweet indeed!

"This way." Querishi took the lead. 

"Can I just run back and pack a couple things?" Tela frantically finger- combed her hair, which sprang out in frizzy curls.