Imprisoned (16 page)

All eyes swiveled between Chad and me and I felt my face redden.

“As those of you who have participated know, Saturday Challenge is all about teamwork.”

Not from what I’d heard, but I kept my thoughts to myself, hopeful that the other kids had just been trying to scare me.

“Now, Tyler,” Mrs. Reynolds said to a dark-haired boy. “Why do you think it’s important to work as a team?”

I half-listened to his answer as I imagined what the next day would bring. Hansen had seemed excited about Saturday Challenge, which didn’t bode well for us campers. Anytime he was having fun, we were bound to be suffering.

Chapter Eighteen

During my first kitchen shift the next morning I kept an eye on the knives—who used them, where they were kept—and plotted how to take a small one. I noticed that the adults in charge seemed to keep careful track of who was using the knives, and that when they were done being used, they were hand-washed (not by me, obviously—I only got to handle pots and pans), then put in a locked drawer. I knew it was locked because my supervisor, Mrs. Coleman, had a key in her pocket that she took out and used each time she opened the knife drawer.

As I surreptitiously watched Mrs. Coleman, I decided I would have to distract her to either get the key, or to take a knife. Maybe I’d even have to get someone else to help. The only person I trusted was Piper, but I didn’t know if she would help me.

At breakfast I put my power bars in my pocket and tried not to think about the competitions that would be taking place later that day.

When I got to the gym after breakfast, I was almost afraid to go in, worried Hansen would be covering for Mr. Muscles again. Forcing myself to walk in, I glanced around but didn’t see Hansen anywhere. But Mr. Muscles was there. I went about my business, hoping I could get through my workout without being harassed.

After my warm-up I started on the treadmill and tried to do what I knew was expected, but after a few minutes he came over. He seemed more cheerful than I’d seen him before.

“Are you excited about the Saturday Challenge? This is your first time, right?”

So that’s why he was in such a good mood. My anxiety over what happened in this competition went up a notch. If both he and Hansen enjoyed them so much, that could only be bad news for me.

I nodded and kept jogging.

“I’ll be watching you.”

Great, I thought. He finally walked away to bug someone else and I finished my workout without him bothering me.

During my pre-lunch shift I was asked to help put together box lunches. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given any sharp utensils to use, but rather just boxed up the food that others had put together. I stood next to Piper at a long counter. “What’s with the box lunches?”

She looked at me as if I should know. “Oh yeah, you haven’t been here for Saturday Challenge before.”

Yeah, I wanted to say. Everyone keeps reminding me of that. Instead I just nodded.

“At twelve-thirty we’re all supposed to meet in the cafeteria wearing our workout clothes, then everyone goes outside to eat. Then we’ll begin the competition.”

Twelve-thirty?
That was in forty-five minutes. For some reason I thought I had a few more hours until the Saturday Challenge I kept hearing about.  “What about my last shift?” Suddenly I wanted to do dishes, if that would give me an excuse not to participate in the competition.

“Yeah, at least you get out of that.”

Not what I wanted to hear. “Oh.” I kept one eye on the clock as we stacked the box lunches in large plastic containers that were then placed on carts, ready to be wheeled out.

“Okay, everyone,” Mrs. Coleman said. “You are excused to get changed, then meet back in the cafeteria no later than twelve-thirty.”

The volume of chatter increased and I wondered if it was from nervousness or excitement. I followed everyone out of the kitchen and to the elevators. Piper rode up to the sixth floor with me. “Will you wait for me before you go back to the cafeteria?” I asked as we got off.

She smiled. “Sure. I’ll come get you after I change. We all usually meet up at our table anyway.”

“Oh, okay.” We split to go to our rooms and I hurried and changed, trying not to think about what might be in store. A short time later I heard a knock at my door. It was Piper.

When we got back to the cafeteria we headed to our usual table. No one was there yet, but a few minutes later Alyx, and then Cassidy arrived.

“Has anyone seen Billy?” Alyx asked.

We all shook our head.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“Enforcers will come and get us and take us outside.”

I hoped Hansen wouldn’t be among them.

Billy finally showed up.

“I was wondering if you were going to make it,” Alyx said.

“And miss all the fun? No way.”

A few minutes later, a group of eight Enforcers entered the cafeteria and all the chatter among the kids stopped. It was kind of eerie, like someone had suddenly hit the mute button. I quickly scanned the faces of the men and was relieved that Hansen wasn’t among them. I noticed each one had a taser on his hip and I felt a twinge as I remembered the experience of being tasered—twice.

“Everyone is here,” one of the Enforcers said. It was so quiet in the room, he didn’t need to yell to be heard. “Form four lines, one per elevator, and we’ll escort you outside.”

I stayed with my group as we shuffled toward the elevator. They let five kids on the elevator at a time with one Enforcer per group, but then that same Enforcer was still on the elevator when it came back, empty. I couldn’t imagine they were leaving us prisoners unsupervised once we got outside, so that could only mean there were other Enforcers outside. Dread at seeing Hansen tightened my already taut nerves.

When it was our turn to get on the elevator, the Enforcer who got on with us waved his card in front of the reader. All the buttons lit up—even the one for the first floor. Then I saw one labeled “B”. That was the one he pressed. I assumed it meant basement.

A moment later the elevator doors slid open and I saw a short hallway that led to a pair of double-doors that stood open, and beyond those doors I saw a large expanse of grass and sunlight.

“This way,” an Enforcer who had evidently been waiting said as we walked out of the elevator. As he led our group toward the doors, I felt an odd mixture of elation at the opportunity to be outside and heavy trepidation at what was about to happen.

When we stepped through the doors and into the sunshine, I closed my eyes briefly, enjoying the heat from the sun. This was my fifth full day here, but the first time I’d been allowed to go outside and I realized how much I’d missed the warmth of the sun.

“Keep moving,” an Enforcer who had been behind me said as he shoved me in the back.

My delight evaporated and I opened my eyes and trudged forward with everyone else. Piper walked next to me and as we marched forward I quickly took in my surroundings, noticing several long ropes and several sheets of plywood lying on the ground.

When we reached what seemed like a random spot on the grass, the Enforcer told us to stop and wait there. Kids were standing around and I saw way more Enforcers than I’d seen in one place. My gaze swept their faces and stopped on one that was zeroed in on me. Hansen. At the look on his face, I felt a chill race up my spine and I shuddered.

“What’s wrong, Morgan?” Piper whispered. Then she followed my gaze. “Why is that Enforcer staring at you like that?”

I tore my gaze away from Hansen and turned to her. “He doesn’t like me.”

“Why not?”

“I kneed him in the groin.”

Her eyes went wide, then she laughed and glanced at him again.

I looked at him too and saw that his stare had turned murderous and I realized he must know that I just told Piper what had happened. I recognized that had been a mistake and somehow I knew he would make me pay for it. “Stop laughing,” I whispered urgently as a new level of terror slipped into place.

“Sorry.” She got herself under control.

“What’s so funny?” Cassidy asked.

When Piper opened her mouth to speak, I shook my head at her.

“I’ll tell you later,” she said.

“I hope they’re going to give us some of those new power bars,” Billy said. “I’m craving one right about now.”

“Me, too,” Cassidy said.

“They had us pack them in the lunches,” I said.

“Good.”

 I heard the crackle of a speaker.

“Listen up, everyone.” A tall, thin man wearing slacks and a button-down shirt held a microphone.

“Who’s that?” I asked.

“That’s Dr. Tasco,” Billy said. “He runs the place.”

I stared at his bespectacled face and wondered if he knew that his Enforcers hit people with batons when they weren’t going fast enough on the exercise equipment.

“The group you’re with now will be your team,” he said.

There were murmurs from the crowd, including our group. Some groups seemed happy and some seemed worried. I was glad I was with my friends.

“Quiet down now.” He frowned as he waited for everyone to settle down. “Before we begin, we will recite the pledge.”

We all stood and faced him, then as one we spoke, although I had trouble pushing the words past my lips. “I pledge to always follow the rules and to take care of my body. I will strive to put the good of all above the desires of one. A healthy me is a healthy world.”

“Very good,” Tasco said. “Two people from each group will now come to the table and gather lunch for their group.” On his next words, the volume of his voice increased. “You
will
do this in an orderly manner.”

Billy turned to us. “I’ll go. Morgan, do you want to come?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” I saw kids peeling away from their groups and heading toward the table, which was stacked with box lunches and water bottles.

“You get five water bottles and I’ll get the lunches.”

“Okay.” As we approached Hansen and the other Enforcers who stood near him, I studiously ignored him, not wanting to make him any angrier at me. As I walked next to Billy, I came within five feet of Hansen and out of the corner of my eye I saw him standing with his arms folded across his chest. I could feel his stare burning into me.

When Billy and I reached the table, I grabbed five water bottles and waited while Billy took a stack of five lunch boxes, then we walked back to our group and handed them out. The five of us sat on the grass and ate. I noticed everyone was quieter than usual. It almost felt like a last meal before an execution and my anxiety notched up. Between the hating stare of Hansen and the horror stories I’d been told about the Saturday Challenge, my nerves were stretched tight.

I’d eaten everything but the power bars, but then realized I didn’t have anywhere to put them so that I could give them to Beth later. I picked them up and held them, not sure what to do. Finally, I unwrapped the first power bar and took a bite. They tasted as good as I remembered and I enjoyed eating it. When I began unwrapping the second one, I looked at the other campers and my gaze met those of Beth. She was glaring at me.
Crap
. But did she really think I could sneak these to her? I didn’t have pockets in these shorts, plus it would be kind of hard to do these competitions in front of all these Enforcers with power bars stuck in my waistband. Hoping the price she would make me pay wouldn’t be too high, I ate the second power bar.

As I waited for the competition to begin, I looked around, trying not to be too obvious, and made a mental inventory of my surroundings: tall fence topped by razor wire—wow, this really was a prison—Enforcers everywhere I looked, the backside of the building with the doors that we came through hanging open, but I couldn’t see past the sides of the building. The grass was a long carpet of green that flowed off into the distance.

“Billy,” I said. “Is this where you work?”

He nodded. “Yeah. And out front.”

Out front? I wondered if there was a fence with razor wire out there. Hopefully I could get on the yard crew soon and see for myself. “How do you get out here? Do you get to go by yourself?”

He smirked. “Come on, really?”

Yeah, of course I should have known they would never allow that.

“No. We all meet by the elevators on the third floor and the Enforcers take us down.”

“Oh.”

“Attention, everyone,” Dr. Tasco said. “Gather your trash and send one group member to throw it away.”

“I’ll do it.” Alyx stood and we handed her our trash.

When she returned, the others stood, so I did too.

“Very good,” Dr. Tasco said. Then he looked at each of the groups. “It is time to begin.”

Chapter Nineteen

“In today’s competition, we will begin with everyone’s favorite. Dodgeball.”

I smiled. That didn’t sound so bad. In my world, fewer and fewer schools allowed dodgeball, and it had been a long time since I’d played, but I didn’t think it was too bad.

“There are thirty teams of five each,” Dr. Tasco said. “We will assign your team a number and when we call your team forward, you will line up where directed.”

Someone came around and counted off the teams. Our group was assigned to be team twenty. I glanced at my team members, but no one said anything. The first ten teams were called forward and lined up so that team one was opposite team two, team three was opposite team four, etc.

Then Enforcers set six red balls on the ground exactly between each team, six for each set of teams. They looked like the balls I’d always used when playing dodgeball.

“If you are hit, you’re out. If you catch a ball thrown by someone else, then the thrower is out. The team who eliminates all the players from the opposing team wins. Or, at the end of three minutes, whichever team has the most players still in, wins. The members of the winning team will gain one point. The members of the losing team will be deducted one point. However, after the first round, the losers will play each other and the winners will play each other, so in round two you will have the opportunity to regain or lose more points.”