Wildfire Run

Read Wildfire Run for Free Online

Book: Read Wildfire Run for Free Online
Authors: Dee Garretson
to laugh.
    â€œOf course, Luke knows all the rules. He’ll know where you can and can’t go.” Warren sneezed three times in a row.
    â€œExcuse me again,” he said.
    â€œSounds like allergies,” Callie’s dad said.
    â€œShouldn’t be allergies. I’m not allergic to anything but cats.”
    â€œI picked up a cat outside the motel,” Callie said quickly. “Maybe some of its fur got on my clothes.”
    Warren sniffed. “That’s probably it. I just can’t stand cats.”
    The kitten gave a tiny meow, so Callie pretended to cough. She pulled her camera out of her backpack. There wasn’t much to see, but at least the clicking of the shutter might cover any sounds from the kitten.
    The agent frowned in the rearview mirror.“That camera will have to stay in your cabin,” he said. “You can’t take photos at Camp David.”
    â€œWhat if I show you all the pictures I take before I leave?” Callie asked. Now that the camera was in her hands, she knew she couldn’t put it away for a week. It went with her everywhere, because she never knew when a good shot would appear. “You can delete all the ones you want. I won’t take any pictures of buildings.”
    â€œWell, maybe,” he said. “Even if we get permission, though, you can’t take even one picture of Luke Brockett. That is absolutely against the rules.”
    â€œNo problem.” She didn’t want to take pictures of Luke! “Could I take a few pictures before we get there? Out of the window, I mean. My aunt Kate wanted me to e-mail her lots of pictures.”
    â€œThat’s fine, but we will be in the restricted area in just a minute.”
    The SUV turned onto a road marked with a sign: CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK . Callie snapped pictures of everything, even if nothing seemed very interesting. They passed two people dressed for hiking.
    Agent Erickson motioned at the hikers and slowed the car as the road narrowed. “CampDavid is located in a national park, so even outside the fence we are surrounded by woods.”
    A black shape appeared in the camera’s viewfinder. Callie tried to make out what it was. It was moving, but not as fast as the car. She held down the zoom button.
    â€œIt’s a bear! I see a bear!” she yelled.
    â€œWhere?” Agent Erickson braked as if afraid the bear was in front of the car.
    â€œThere, over there, in the forest.” The bear was moving fast, his big body swaying from side to side. “He’s gone,” Callie said, lowering the camera and turning off the shutter. “Wow! I can’t see it anymore. That was great.”
    â€œYou were lucky,” Agent Erickson said. “There aren’t that many in this part of Maryland.” The car moved forward again.
    Callie shifted around, trying to put the camera away and take off her jacket without hurting the kitten. She positioned the pocket and the kitten in her lap. When she leaned over to peek in, her braid dangled down and the kitten stuck a paw out to bat at it.
    Agent Erickson sneezed again. Startled, Callie hid the kitten’s paw.
    The road became steeper until they came to awooden fence covered with vines. Two security cameras were mounted on either side of a big wooden gate.
    â€œIt’s just like the ranch,” Callie said. “I bet the electric fence is inside this one.”
    â€œYou’re right. This fence is meant to blend in with the surroundings and warn off anybody who might get this close. I’m glad you’re old enough to know to stay away from the electric fence. When the President is in residence we don’t turn off the fence, and that’s why we usually don’t let staff children up here.”
    The wooden gate opened and Agent Erickson drove the car through, stopping before a much more imposing metal gate. On either side of it were thick chain-link sections held in place by concrete

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