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careful,’ she told us. ‘It’s wet underfoot . . .’
    It had been raining during the morning and in places the ground was slippery with mud. I pushed some branches out of my face and looked around for any danger. But we were OK. There was no sign of the Blue team.
    â€˜It’s horrible in here!’ moaned Lily.
    â€˜Oh, shut up!’ said Emma. ‘It’s fun.’
    Chris tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I turned round to see him holding a beetle between his thumb and forefinger.
    â€˜Where’d you get that?’ I asked.
    â€˜Fell on my head,’ he replied. ‘Shall I put it down Emma’s back?’
    I shook my head. ‘We’re supposed to be paying close attention,’ I reminded him. ‘If she screams, the Blues will know where we are.’
    â€˜So?’ Chris shrugged. ‘If they come for us, we’ll blast them!’
    Before I could say anything else he walked up behind Emma and dropped the beetle down the back of her protective suit. But if he’d been expecting her to react, he got a real shock. Emma turned round and laughed at him. Then without warning, she showed Chris the big, hairy caterpillar she was holding in her left hand. Chris shrieked like a little girl and stepped backwards.
    â€˜You girl!’ shouted Lily.
    â€˜No!’ protested Chris. ‘I thought it was something else . . . like a . . . er . . . stick!’
    Emma grinned. ‘Big boy’s blouse!’ she said.
    â€˜Don’t you mean girl’s blouse?’ I asked.
    â€˜No,’ she told me. ‘I
mean
boy’s!’
    SSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
    It was Wendy and Mr Singh. We shut up and turned to them. Wendy was trying topoint out something to our left. I looked around but I couldn’t see anything. Then I turned right, towards where Mr Singh was pointing but there was nothing there either.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ whispered Lily.
    â€˜Blue team,’ replied Mr Singh. ‘Just beyond that line of trees. They must have taken the bridge we were going to cross . . .’
    Wendy motioned for us to get down. She crouched to the floor and we followed suit. Suddenly a whooshing sound flashed overhead. Then another and another!
    SPLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Blue paint slid down the tree trunk right next to my head.
    â€˜DUCK, YOU SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ someone shouted. Someone who sounded just like Abs.
    â€˜They’ve found us!’ shouted Chris. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
    â€˜WAIT!’ demanded Mr Singh. ‘They can’tall be here. Probably only two of them. Let’s try and circle them and get to the bridge.’
    He pointed at me, Lily and Wendy and then gestured with his fingers for us to go left. Then he took the others right.
    WHOOSH! SPLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More blue paint balls zipped through the air until they smacked against tree bark. I ducked again.
    They’re everywhere!’ I shouted.
    â€˜Fire back!’ ordered Wendy, but then she turned and got hit on the helmet twice. From in front of us, a cheer went up. It was Leon’s voice. Wendy grinned and sat down.
    â€˜Be with you in ten,’ she told us. ‘Go get ‘em . . . !’
    WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
    â€˜Let’s get out of here!’ shouted Chris as we all went our separate ways.
    I crashed through some bushes and down a bank into the water. I stayed on the edge, trying not to get too wet. Suddenly Emmaslid down the bank too and appeared at my side.
    â€˜Good move!’ she told me.
    â€˜I just slipped,’ I told her. ‘I didn’t mean to—’
    â€˜SSSSHHHH!!!!’ she whispered, pointing above her head.
    I looked up and saw someone’s feet.
    â€˜It’s Abs,’ Emma told me. ‘He was chasing me. Let’s get him!’
    She crawled along the bank until she was behind where Abs was. I went the other way.