Adventure in Grand Canyon National Park by Aaron Johnson

Author:Aaron Johnson [Johnson, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aaron Johnson

Chapter 20

The Hideout

After the sun had set and stars glimmered in the clear summer sky, Jake, Amber, and Wes crept from their cabins. Passing under the fluttering shadows of the great cottonwood trees, they made their way to the darkened canteen building. All Jake could hear were the sounds of the night wind rustling through the tall grass and the quaking of leaves overhead. A draft of cool air flowed like an invisible stream through the canyon.

“Jake, I’m not sure about this,” Wes said.

“Our parents said we could explore,” Jake answered. “as long as we stay between the ranch and the bridges.”

“But they didn’t say we could explore at night?”

“They also didn’t say we couldn’t,” Amber added.

“Okay,” Wes mumbled.

“This way,” Jake said, edging around the building toward the back. “This is where I saw the light last night. And whoever was back here somehow climbed up onto the roof here.” He pointed to the low roofline.

“I’ve got an idea,” Wes said. “I thought I saw an old shed”—his voice began to trail off—“with stuff in it over here.”

Wes disappeared into the darkness. A few seconds later came the clatter of things falling, followed by several grunts. Jake cringed. And then Wes emerged from the underbrush with a plastic five-gallon bucket. “Sorry about all the noise,” he said, wincing with embarrassment. “I got into a fight with a couple of rakes and a shovel. Anyway, I thought we could use this as a step stool.” He flipped the bucket upside down on the ground.

Amber stepped onto it and reached for the roofline, pulling herself up in one smooth motion. Jake followed, pulling with all his strength and then hooking his heel onto the asphalt-shingled roof. He started to fall backward when Amber grabbed his arm and shoulder. Stabilized by her grip, he lurched forward onto his belly and inched onto the roof.

Wes stood on the bucket, looking up at both of them. “I’m just going to stay down here.”

“Come on, you can do it,” Amber replied.

“If it was that hard for Jake to get up there, then I’m going to need some serious help.”

“We’ve got you,” Amber said. And she and Jake helped Wes safely onto the roof.

Jake walked up to the window and tugged on the frame. To his surprise, it slid right open. From the window, they had to step down into a room not much bigger than Jake’s bedroom back at home. But in the dim moonlight, it was almost impossible to make out anything in the space.

Jake flipped on his headlamp. A camping mattress lay on the floor in the corner with a sleeping bag on top. Beside it was a stack of books. Under the opposite window were a small desk and chair. And on the desk sat an old ham radio, similar to the one in his grandpa’s attic. A thin cable led from the device across the table and underneath the closed window casement. Someone had attached a corkboard to the wall, and upon it were several maps and notes pinned to it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.