Spy Camp A Christmas Story

Chapter 3

We arrived at Camp at around noon, and the sky was a cloudy gray, lush with the expectancy of snow.

I checked in at the main hall and was delighted to hear that this year, I was going to be put into a much cooler cabin, the Raptors. I was even more delighted to hear that Jawa and Chip were going to be in my cabin. Unfortunately, Mike was in a different cabin, and I was slightly dismayed to realize that Mike's first experience at Camp Happy Trails was going to be spent in the cabin with the highest reputation, the Eagle cabin.

Chip and Jawa were already setting their beds when I entered the cabin. Outside, it looked much like the Muskrats Cabin, the one I had been in two years ago. However, the interior was of much higher quality than the Muskrat's. I plopped by stuff down on a bed that was two times bigger than my bed back at Spy School, and went over to where Jawa's area was. Our cabin had the best view of the lake, and I was once again struck by the fact that I would have to leave in a few days. 

"What's with the long face, Ben?" Jawa asked in a concerned tone. Jawa was a great guy, an Indian jock whose talents far outstripped mine. I wasn't supposed to tell him anything about my ordeal, so I simply lied and told him that I was merely reacting to a spider being in my hair, which in fact, was true. I shook it off and asked him what he thought about spending winter break at camp.

"I'm nothing but excited," said Jawa, flashing me one of his classic grins. At that moment, Chip came up to us and reminded us of the orientation that was beginning in five minutes. The three of us left the cabin and headed back to the main hall, where students were already gathering.

The orientation turned out to be nothing more than a video of the principal reading from a note card, reminding us that this wasn't a vacation and that we would be undergoing extensive training in outdoor fieldsmanship. The video was cut off, however, and a man wearing nothing but moccasins and a leather jerkin hopped onto the stage. Woodchuck, the man just described, was the camp director and in charge of many of the classes we would be taking.

He gave a short speech on the upcoming difficulties we were about to face, and for the first time I was slightly relieved to be leaving camp earlier than anyone else. I could tell that the rest of the crowd felt thoughts similar to mine, grimacing at the imagined horrors in store for them. 

A bell rang and it was time to get lunch. With Jawa and Chip, I went inside the mess hall to grab some food. I saw Zoe wave to me from a table she had claimed, and I quickly sat down to eat with her, with Chip and Jawa doing the same. We talked about the warning that Woodchuck had given us, and while Zoe and Chip were arguing over what courses we were likely to be involved in, I noticed Erica sitting alone in the center of the room, reading a book. I nodded to my friends and excused myself to go talk to her.

As I walked towards her, I felt a familiar tap on my shoulder. I turned around and was suddenly face to face with Mike Brezinski. Delighted to see a friend, I stopped walking and began to talk to him. "What's the Eagle Cabin like? You do know how lucky you are to be in that cabin." I reminded him of how horrible the Muskrat Cabin was, and Mike laughed. "Ben, you know that I don't care about those things. I'm just looking forwards to learning how to fight eight ninjas in a bear cave with nothing more than a flashlight." Mike was referring to the story Woodchuck had given us at orientation, which was his was of introducing us to the many outdoor skills required in the great field of working for the CIA. 

We clapped each other's backs and surprisingly both headed towards Erica's table. "Uh, Mike? What are you doing?" I asked. Mike responded with a repeat of that question directed towards me. "I was going to sit with Erica, I had something to talk to her about," I said to Mike. Mike grinned and told me that he was going to sit with Erica as well. 

Slightly dismayed, I asked him why. He gave no response, and instead made a beeline for Erica's table. Red-faced, I followed Mike in subordinate pursuit. 

We sat down at Erica's table, and said "Hi" at the same time. Erica looked up from her book, likely aware of the conversation that had unfolded between Mike and me moments earlier, and said "Hi" back, giving Mike a dazzling smile. She didn't so much as look at me. 

Completely disturbed, I nudged Erica's leg under the table and whispered "Erica, do you have any idea of what's going to happen to us in Antarctica?" To my amazement, Erica completely ignored me and began to ask Mike what he thought about Woodchuck. Mike smiled and leaned in towards Erica, much too close for my liking.

Their flirtatious encounter went on for some time, and only when Mike got up to grab Erica some JELL-O did Erica talk to me. "You should try to act more like a spy, Ben. Who knows, it might get you somewhere someday." 

With that, Erica got up and left the hall. 

Mike returned with a bowl of sugary gelatin in his hand and a smile on his face, but was quickly settled into a different countenance when realizing that Erica had left. "Aw Ben, what'd you do to make her leave?" Mike was completely oblivious of the issue that was suffocating me at the moment.

If Erica had wanted me on the mission, why was she acting so strangely towards me? And exactly what were we going to do on this mission? Both Catherine and Erica had deigned to keep me in the dark on this matter, and I had a stinking suspicion as to why.