The First Adventure by Gordon Korman Read Free Book Online Page B

said briskly. “But right now every counselor at Ebony Lake is out looking for this dimwit. The sooner we get him back to camp, the safer Luthor’s going to be.”
    â€œI’m afraid it’s not going to work out that way,” came a voice from behind them.

    G riffin and Savannah wheeled around.
    Malachi Moore stepped out of a stand of birch trees and approached them, carrying a pistol-sized tranquilizer gun.
    Spying the weapon, Savannah stepped in front of Luthor.
    â€œOh, I’m not going to hurt him,” Malachi assured her in a friendly tone. “It’s just a tranquilizer dart — you know, to make it easier to get him back to Mr. Palomino.”
    Griffin’s eyes bulged. “You work for
Swindle
?”
    Malachi grinned appreciatively. “Nice nickname. I don’t like him much, either. But business is business. Sorry, guys.”
    At that moment, Darren lost his shaky grip on the branch and dropped like a stone to the forest floor.
    Startled, Malachi turned and looked down at the fallen boy. “Are you okay?”
    Savannah knew she’d never get another chance. She picked up the pump handle at the end of Luthor’s leash and swung it with all her might, slamming it across Malachi’s shoulders. He collapsed to the ground, stunned.
    â€œRun!”
bellowed The Man With The Plan.
    He began to scuttle along the overgrown path in the direction they’d come. Savannah untangled Luthor’s leash from the broken pump and followed.
    Darren scrambled to his feet. “Wait for me!”
    Luthor halted him in his tracks with an angry bark.
    â€œDon’t even think about it, Vader!” Griffin rasped. “This is all your fault!”
    Darren was the picture of innocence. “It’s my fault Swindle hired a goon to kidnap the dog?” He indicated Malachi, who was dazed and barely moving.
    â€œIf you weren’t such a greedy, blackmailing slime-bucket, you would have stayed in your bunk instead of coming for Luthor!” Savannah accused. “Then the whole camp wouldn’t be searching for you right now! For all of us, probably!”
    â€œAnd
this
guy couldn’t have followed you,” Griffin added resentfully, gesturing toward the prostrate form of Swindle’s hired man. “Which is
totally messing up the plan
!”
    â€œHow do you know he didn’t follow
you
?” Darren shot back.
    With a groan, Malachi rolled over.
    â€œLet’s get out of here!” Savannah hissed.
    With a silent nod, Griffin continued along the trail, noting in annoyance that Darren was tagging along at a safe distance behind the Doberman. Too bad rescuing Luthor also meant bailing out this big jerk.
    Calm down,
he thought. The important thing was getting Luthor away from Swindle’s hired gun.
    All at once, he froze.
    â€œWhy are we stopping?” asked Savannah.
    â€œShhhh!” Griffin put a finger to his lips. There were voices in the forest — not just a few — accompanied by the rustle and snap of footfalls through the underbrush.
    â€œThe counselors!” Savannah whispered in alarm. She aimed an accusing finger at Darren. “Looking for
him
!”
    â€œIf they find me, I’ll tell them about the mutt,” Darren threatened.
    Savannah was distraught. “What are we going to do?”
    Griffin started back toward the cabin. “To the lake!”
    Darren was astounded. “
That’s
your plan? To swim for it?”
    â€œThere’s an old rowboat by the shore.” It rankled Griffin to have to explain his reasoning to his worst enemy. But if he couldn’t get Darren to shut his mouth, the searchers would be upon them in a matter of minutes. “The counselors will be checking the woods, not the water. Maybe they won’t notice us.”
    The four of them — Griffin, Savannah, Darren, and Luthor — doubled back along the path toward the shoreline. They tiptoed a wide berth