Gravity Check

Alex Van Tol

Description

Jamie is determined that nothing—not even his annoyingly popular younger brother Seth—is going to spoil his fun at a mountain biking camp in the backcountry. Nothing but stumbling on a giant grow-op in the woods, that is. And watching their fellow campers get captured by violent drug dealers. And working with Seth to figure out a way to save them without getting caught themselves.

Sujets

• Siblings
• Juvenilee Fiction
• ELL
• English as a foreign or second language
• Family
• EAL
• Electronic Sports League
• Estonian Air

Informations

• Publié par: Orca Book Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9781459800250
• Langue: English

Extrait

Gravity Check

Alex Van Tol

Orca sborts

ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

Copyright © 2011 Alex Van Tol

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Van Tol, Alex Gravity check [electronic resource] / Alex Van Tol. (Orca sports)

Type of computer file: Electronic monograph in PDF format. Issued also in print format. ISBN 978-1-55469-351-1

I. Title. II. Series: Orca sports (Online) PS8643.A63G73 2011 JC813’.6 C2010-907999-X

First published in the United States, 2011 Library of Congress Control Number:2010942093

Summary:Jamie and his brother Seth stumble upon a marijuana grow-op when they go mountain biking in the backcountry.

Orca Book Publishers is dedicated to preserving the environment and has printed this book on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Typesetting by Christine Toller Cover photography by Getty Images

ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS PO BOX 5626, Stn. B PO BOX 468 Victoria, BC Canada Custer, WA USA V8R 6S4 98240-0468

www.orcabook.com Printed and bound in Canada.

14 13 12 11 • 4 3 2 1

For Colin, whose support has made my career as a writer possible.

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

Chapter ten

Chapter eleven

Chapter twelve

Chapter thirteen

Chapter fourteen

Chapter fifteen

Chapter sixteen

Chapter seventeen

Chapter eighteen

Chapter nineteen

Chapter twenty

Chapter twenty-one

ACknowledgments

Contents

chapter one

It’s been rainy this year. Every time the forest trails have a chance to dry out a bit, another big dump of H O comes along and turns the dirt back into slop. 2 I don’t mind. I’m okay with slop. I edge along a tricky section of trail, staying high to keep my wheels moving. I don’t want to slip down into the mud pit below. It’s fun to get muddy, but deep, sucking craters of the stuff tend to slow you down a bit. And gum up your bike. I’m good for about ten feet. Then my rear tire hits a wet patch and starts to slide. I lean forward and mash the pedals, transferring my weight onto the front tire. I hope it’s got some bite. Yep. Uh…nope. My front tire catches, then spins. I’m finished. I give up and take the slip ’n slide to the bottom. I come to a stop and find my footing in the deep mud. I pull my bike out from under me. About a pound of black clay decorates my shorts. Another pound has crammed itself into the chain and gearshift. Out here on the trails, there’s nothing I can do about mud in my gears. Some of it will clear out when I start riding again. I’ll give my bike a good hose down when we get home. Otherwise the gunk will harden into noisy little grindies that’ll mess up my shifting. I hear a laugh and look up the hill. My little brother Seth is standing at the start of the slippery section. “Nice one, Jamie,” he calls. “But let me show you how it’s done.” Seth grabs his handlebars and prepares to push off. I doubt he’ll make it. Especially since I left him a nice skid track to follow. “You’re not going to make it across, Seth,” I say. “Not if I came down.” Seth laughs again. “I’m not planning on bogging out, bro.” I feel my ears grow hot. It’s not often that I flunk a section, so I’m feeling a bit choked right now. “Just wait a sec, man,” I say. “You’re not going to make it, so let me get out of your way.” I carry my bike a few steps to where the mud isn’t so deep and set it down. I swing my leg over the crossbar and crank on the pedals. My tires slip, but then they grab. I squint as mud flings off my front tire. It’s a grunt, but a few good pushes haul me out of the hole and onto the forest floor. Where does Seth get off being so cocky? As if he’s actually going to make this section. If I crapped out, then there’s a good chance he will too. He hasn’t been riding as long as I have. It burns me that he’s so sure of himself. He’s always like that. It’s like nothing fazes him. But at the same time, I admire him for it. And I envy him for it too. Which basically makes me hate him. Everyone I know would be shocked to hear me say that. My teachers, my friends, my grandparents, my swim coach. Okay, maybe my parents know how I feel. Just a little bit. It’s hard to hide stuff, especially from my mom. I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad have started to piece things together. I think that’s why they decided to send us to camp for two weeks. We leave tomorrow morning. I know what you’re thinking. Camp? Sounds kinda hokey. Like we’re five and six instead of fifteen and sixteen. But it’s not just a camp, you know, like with sing-alongs and Capture the Flag and crafts. It’s a biking camp. Mountain biking. On the slope above me, Seth launches. I watch as his bike goes through the exact motions