B.A.S.E. Camp Read Online Free PDF Page A

ruled out that, too. One thing he did discover, however, was that there was a missing number in the sequence. There was no T3.
    His curiosity now satisfied, Eddie decided to head back before he was found out. The return trip was not without mishap and he breathed a sigh of relief when he finally got out of the wobbly boat.
    â€˜Pity I lost that,’ he murmured, staring at the oar, which was now tangled in a clump of reeds out of reach.
    Eddie turned and jogged back towards the house to the accompaniment of his squelching shoes, but his absence had not gone unnoticed.
    â€˜Been paddling, have you, laddie?’
    Eddie had been jogging across the courtyard when Blackbeard stepped out from the dark archway of the main entrance. He stopped in his tracks and his heart sank at the prospect of another ducking in the pool.
    â€˜Er… I’ve just been out for a run, Coach,’ he began. ‘I got permission from…’
    Blackbeard cut him short. ‘So I’ve heard, Peters. And I’ve also been told you could be dyslexic.’
    â€˜Yes, sorry, Coach, I can’t help it, like…’
    â€˜Not your fault, laddie,’ Blackbeard said before making a startling admission. ‘So is Taffy Jones.’After a hot shower, Eddie found his roommates in the games room and he had to explain what he’d been up to in rather more detail. He also told them about his encounter with Blackbeard.
    â€˜You were taking a huge risk,’ said Tom, who had a glass of green juice in his hand as he watched the others playing table football.
    â€˜Not really. Blondie said I could go.’
    â€˜Yes, go running, not messing about in a boat.’
    â€˜Just wanted to check things out, that’s all,’ Eddie said with a shrug. ‘Wonder what the letter T on the crosses stands for?’
    â€˜T for Taffy?’ Gareth suggested. ‘But then why isn’t there a T3, like you said?’
    â€˜C’mon, are you playin’ or not, GG?’ Adam said impatiently.
    â€˜I’m listening to Eddie.’
    â€˜Huh! Just ’cos you’re losin’.’
    â€˜No, I’m not.’
    â€˜Yes, you are. It’s 3–2 to me.’
    â€˜Wonder if Taffy actually owns this place,’ Eddie said, cutting across their argument.
    Adam sighed. ‘Here we go, another theory from Wonder Boy. First you have him dead and buried, and now you’ve got him down as the big boss man.’
    â€˜Well, what do
you
think, Mr Know-It-All?’
    As Gareth sent the next ball onto the table, Adam twisted his handle grip sharply and one of the footballers spun and smacked the metal ball into the goal with a loud clunk.
    â€˜4-2!’ he cried.
    â€˜Offside!’ claimed Gareth.
    â€˜Rubbish!’ Adam scoffed. ‘There’s no such thing as offside in this.’
    â€˜It still doesn’t count. I wasn’t ready.’
    â€˜So what
do
you think, Foxy?’ said Tom. ‘C’mon, let’s have your great theory.’
    â€˜Ain’t got one,’ Adam admitted, ‘but if you must know, Old Taffy gives me the creeps, the way he prowls about the place. And ’cos I know he was lyin’ last night when I asked him about Jacko. Y’know, that kid I palled up with at Easter – the one I told you got took away.’
    â€˜What did Taffy say?’ asked Eddie.
    â€˜He reckoned he knew nothin’ about him – but I saw ’em together in the Jeep.’
    â€˜Where do you think they were going?’ put in Gareth.
    â€˜No idea,’ Adam grunted. ‘But I bet it wasn’t a ride home.’

Chapter Six
The Statue
    â€˜Thought this was meant to be a
summer
camp!’ moaned Gareth, resting on his bunk after Friday’s fitness sessions. ‘It’s hardly stopped raining since we got here.’
    Due to the bad weather, the boys had endured an extra workout in the gym under the demanding eye and sharp tongue of Petit