Missing! Read Online Free PDF Page B

against a steep bank to the back. In front of it ran the stream, which didn’t seem too deep but was really wide. Once inside Gavin told us that we needed to split up.
    â€˜One unit to protect the base and another to attack the enemy.’
    Emma and Lily both pulled faces.
    â€˜Were you in the
army,
Gavin?’ asked Lily.
    â€˜Er . . . no,’ he replied. ‘Why?’
    â€˜Oh, nothing,’ said Lily with a yawn. ‘I just thought from the way you were talking that . . . oh, never mind.’
    I gave Chris a nudge. ‘They’re messing him about,’ I told him.
    Chris nodded. ‘He’s a fool!’ he whispered back. ‘He deserves it.’
    Gavin told us to decide amongst ourselves who was going to join which unit.
    â€˜I think it should be me, Chris, Jason an Emma!’ shouted Lily. On the attack!’
    â€˜
Lily!
Stop being so demanding,’ ordered Lily’s mum.
    â€˜But I was only saying—’ began Lily.
    â€˜I know, darling, but let someone else speak for a change,’ said Lily’s mum.
    â€˜Oh, Mum!’ replied Lily, looking sheepish.
    Gavin grinned. ‘You’ve got five minutes to sort yourselves out,’ he told us. ‘And then I’ll radio my colleague and we’ll start . . .’
    In the end Lily got her way about the attack unit. Joining the people she’d asked for were Wendy and Dal’s dad. Everyone else stayed at base. Before we left, Gavin gave us a map of the course and some red stickers.
    â€˜Stick them to trees along the way so that you don’t go in circles,’ he told us.
    â€˜OK,’ I nodded, taking them from him. ‘But how are we going to know what you’re doing?’
    â€˜Easy,’ he said, grinning again.
    He pulled the backpack he was wearing from his shoulders and produced two walkie-talkies. He handed one to Dal’s dad and the other to Chris.
    â€˜The frequency is set to channel two,’ he said. ‘Don’t change it.’
    Chris nodded. ‘No way, José,’ he promised. ‘What channel is the Blue team on?’
    â€˜Four,’ replied Gavin. ‘Right – get going and remember the plan. You take their baseand then come back for us. If you need help, radio in and we’ll send some. And work together, team!’
    Once we were on the ground, I asked Dal’s dad what we should do because he’d been paintballing before.
    â€˜I don’t know, Jason,’ he admitted. ‘Every time I’ve ever been we just shoot at anyone. There’s never been any of this war games stuff.’
    â€˜Oh,’ I said, feeling a bit disappointed.
    â€˜Firstly,’ said Wendy, ‘we need to check out the map and work out the direction of their base. Then we move towards it . . .’
    â€˜Good idea, miss!’ said Emma, getting excited.
    â€˜Wendy!’
replied Miss Rice. ‘For Pete’s sake . . .’
    â€˜Who’s Pete?’ asked a confused-looking Chris.
    â€˜It’s just an expression,’ Wendy told him.
    Chris grinned. ‘Can we shoot Gavin?’ he asked.
    â€˜I was going to ask that!’ said Emma. ‘Can we,
please????
’
    Wendy smiled and looked at Dal’s dad.
    â€˜Whaddya think, Mr Singh?’
    â€˜I think it’s a great idea,’ he said. ‘But after we get back . . .’
    â€˜YES!!!!!!!!’ said Chris and Lily together.
    â€˜He’s
soooo
annoying,’ added Emma.
    â€˜OK, Red Unit – move out!’ shouted Wendy. ‘Let’s go kick some butt!’
    According to Mr Singh, the Blue team base was to the north-west of our position, with the stream ahead of us. So we decided to head west, following the stream until we reached a bridge. Very quickly we found ourselves obstructed by huge trees. Wendy motioned for us to follow her into a thicket,which was dark and dense.
    â€˜Be