6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

The next day was a little mellower, at least at first. The kids dragged themselves out of bed when the camp bell sounded at seven. Prince heard the groaned, saw the yawning, smelled the overwhelming morning breath.

Silvio had them all line up to go to breakfast and let them know they'd be the second in line at the showers that morning. Together, they got the kids to the dining hall, and got them in line for breakfast, Silvio in front of them, Prince at the end of the line. Nat, of course, was with him. "You know, processed food isn't good for you," he informed Prince off-handedly.

"No. You know I never had it until I was fifteen. No fast food, no processed food."

He blinked up at Prince as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How?"

"My father saw me as thin and sickly. I wasn't really sickly, I didn't get sick a lot or anything, but he thought I was because of how I looked. He made my nannies feed me whole foods, no grease or sugar or anything little kids like."

"Wow. You were so lucky," he said, and turned back to face the line.

Prince laughed to himself, knowing Nat was probably right. It was better that he was cared for, even if from afar.

Monnie came over as soon as Nat had his tray, and they ran off together. Nat was supposed to eat with Cabin C, but everyone knew his camp buddy was Monnie. And that was the rule, to stick by their camp buddy.

Silvio held a spot for him at the end of the table where most of Cabin C was congregated. The room was buzzing with noise as the kids excitedly talked to their friends. The excitement was contagious. "They're all so happy to be here," Prince said as he looked around the room.

Silvio bit into the sandwich he'd made from his sausage patty and egg. "Mmmhmm."

"I don't think I've ever been so happy to be anywhere. Not having a pity party, I swear, but it's really beautiful to see."

After swallowing, Silvio agreed, "Oh, I feel you. School, work, home, a lot of these kids have it pretty bad in their normal spaces, but here? They can be whoever they want."

"Even Nat and Monnie, who don't seem to want to be different, they have each other for being themselves is a good thing."

"You're getting it. I see the future," he said in a breathy voice. "I see…I see…the handsome Prince is going to come back year after year."

"I'd love to," he said right before his eyes found Toby. "Especially if he doesn't come back."

"You'll be in luck. He'll do internships from here on out."

"Speaking of which," Prince said to him. "If you could get a grant or scholarship, you might be pretty busy the next few years, too."

"Sure, sure, but I doubt that happens. It's cool, though. Being a nurse is good! I actually see the patients more."

He said the words, but they didn't touch his eyes, which had no real life in them.

That was forgotten in an instant as a food fight was getting started, a piece of toast flying right by Silvio's face. He got up and ran to the offender as more food flew, and the counselors had to get it stopped before it got out of hand.

After the few kids that had thrown the food had done the cleanup, the couple of offenders from Cabin C left the dining hall to hit the dock by the boathouse. Anton and Fabian were there too, being it was one counselor per boat, and they'd need four boats for their group.

Fabian sniggered at Prince as he walked in with Silvio, but Prince ignored him. "Okay, you maniacs, it's time to learn boat rules."

Groaning all around at the word rules .

Anton stepped in to say, "Yeah, rules are tough, but better than having to get CPR and have someone ugly and smelly like Fabian giving you mouth-to-mouth, right?"

Fabian's eyes narrowed at Anton while the kids laughed. Prince didn't laugh, but he sure wanted to.

The boats. Prince was still nervous about being in one, especially on his own, with four of the three of the boys, but he didn't want to show it. He got in, remembering everything Silvio had told him, and got one of the other boys, Noah, an African American kid who was one of the bigger boys in Cabin C, the second oar.

Noah smiled at him, and Prince asked, "You know what to do?"

"Been here three years in a row. I betcha I know more ‘an you," he said, and his friend, Bucky, that red-headed giggly one, got him to laughing.

"I am pretty sure you're right."

Nat was the third boy in the boat with him and Nat confided in a whisper, "They know what they're doing. They're good at this kind of stuff."

"Got it. Thanks, Nat."

They rowed to the middle of the big lake, so far that swimming back to shore would be a feat Prince didn't think he could manage. That's when he got a little jittery, and Nat noticed. "Don't worry. I'm a good swimmer," he whispered.

He had to put on a brave face so that Nat didn't get scared. "I have a lot of faith in you three. I'm not worried a bit."

After he rolled his eyes, he said, "Nice try."

Silvio rowed his bow close to Prince's and waved. "You guys look great!"

Prince waved, then dropped his hand quickly so Silvio wouldn't see him shaking. "We're good!"

"He's lyin'," Noah called. "He's shakin' so much, the boat feels like a washing machine."

The boys in Silvio's boat and in Prince's laughed, but it calmed him down. "It's not that bad," he denied, then added, "I'm…I'm good."

"You're doing fine, Prince. I've been watching. We don't load the boat full in case one capsizes."

Prince saw Silvio give him a reassuring nod after the revelation and he felt so much better. He felt his shaking stop. "Thanks. That helps!"

Silvio rowed a little ahead and, as he moved, movement on the shore caught his eye.

It was pretty far, but the man on the shore was obviously the mysterious fisherman, who'd thrown his phone into the lake. He was crouching on the shore, his fishing pole in his hand, and he couldn't be sure, but Prince was almost positive he was watching them.

Then he thought about it and sure, he was likely watching. They were a bunch of people in similar boats floating by. If anything, he was likely angry the boats were chasing the fish away.

"I've seen him," Nat said to Prince.

"You've seen him? The one fishing?"

"Yeah. He was walking around last night when everyone was eating s'mores."

As Prince looked over at him, he saw the man give a little wave. Prince waved back, and then he placed his hand firmly between his legs, almost losing the oar. He grabbed it and saw that Nat had caught him. "I'm okay."

"You will be."

After the boats were back at the dock, and he was safely on the shore again, he reflected on the day, how scared he was, but how others were confident in him. That was enough of a boost, but he still had hours to go, and the next activity after lunch was hiking.

Now, the hiking itself wasn't scary, but they were in the deep woods. There were animals everywhere. Mountain lion, bears, bobcats, all kinds of homicidal creatures. There were posters on the walls in the office and the dining hall of ways to be careful of them, and he'd memorized all of them. That knowledge didn't help.

Silvio led the boys to lunch, and once they were all sitting, Prince admitted it to Silvio. "Have you seen bears and other wild animals?"

"Believe it or not, they are more afraid of us. In group, especially loud boys, they tend to want to run the other way. Do you blame them?"

"No. I guess not, but…"

"Why don't you beg off for this one? We're going with the girls, Cabin B. That's Toby."

"If I don't go, he'll think I'm avoiding him."

"So? Prince, you have to stop worrying about what people think about you. But, seriously, this wears the kids out pretty well. They'll be asleep early, and then you can take the evening to yourself. I'll even try to get your computer out of the safe. Just come back to C when you're ready for bed."

"You'd do that for me?"

"It was done for me when I was new. This job is twenty-four/seven, and it's not easy. It's like being a parent to twelve kids. More, because we watch out for all of them, really."

He was right. It wasn't a simple job, but he did like it more than he ever thought he could. Still, a few hours on the computer sounded like heaven. "Okay. Okay, I give."

"Like I was twisting your arm," he said, laughing. "I'll holler at you when we're back and heading to the mess."

"Thanks, Silvio. For everything."

"No problem."

Running to the counselor cabin, he ran up the stairs and got into his suitcase, grabbing a clean shirt right off and using his deodorant. There was a laundry room next to the showers and he planned to take a load there once he had a few more things.

That was one chore he'd managed when he'd moved to the dorms. The first two tries were pitiful and he'd ruined all his clothes. After looking up the steps online, however, he figured out the washer and dryer, and his first good load was a shining accomplishment.

He remembered the phone and pulled it carefully out of the baggy. It was a cheap smart phone, one that was likely purchased at a discount store with cards to add minutes. He held down the power button, waiting impatiently for any sign of life.

Then it happened. The phone powered up and Prince laughed to himself.

Now, if he didn't have a lock on the screen…

And it was unlocked. Prince couldn't believe his luck. He immediately scanned the screen at the apps, only to find there weren't any extras. Only phone, texts and general apps that come with the phone.

He opened the text messages and found only one contact with messages.

The contact was called simply Work .

That was a letdown. Work meant boring texts, but he opened it anyway. What he saw made him drop the phone.

Watch him and wait. Don't contact him until you're sure. We can't have the lion collecting him if he's scared of you.

The fisherman was there to watch someone. Who? Could it be…?

"Me? No," he dismissed. Of all the delusions, he didn't need to think someone was after him.

Still, the man could be there watching a kid, but for what reason? It's not like their parents could pay a ransom if they got kidnapped. Him or Toby, on the other hand…

Should Prince tell someone? Should he send a message and act like he was the fisherman? No, no, not that.

When he compared the number for the text message and the last call, they were the same. In fact, it was the only number in the phone and the only one ever called. That meant that the phone was purchased just for this call and this text.

Only criminals did that.

He hid the phone under his bunk and closed his suitcase. Anxiety started to take over and he was shaking all over. The man was there watching someone, possibly him. What if he was a kidnapper?

He had to talk to Silvio. He left the cabin and headed for the office. The only thing he could think of was getting his phone and computer. If there was enough signal to send a text on a cheap phone, he was likely to be able to get his hotspot going so he could do some investigating on his computer.

No one was in the office. Of course, not. Sabrina and Harry were always running around the camp, taking care of things.

The safe was locked, and he wasn't a safecracker. If it was electronic, he'd have a shot, but it was just an old dial combination lock, and he couldn't guess the numbers.

Then again, thinking about the supposed head of the camp, Harry, and knowing Sabrina was the actual head, who was to say she didn't have to write it down to get him to remember. Prince was about to look through Harry's messy desk when Sabrina entered the room.

He jumped a little, startled, but Sabrina didn't seem to notice. "Oh, Prince, hey. Are you here about your father?"

Suddenly confused, he forgot all about his computer. "Excuse me?"

She slid behind her desk and sat, fingers threading together as she rested her arms on the neat desk. The contrast between the two was extreme, showing whose mind was better organized, and it leaked out over the rest of their roles. "Your father called five times today. Seems he saw a picture of you…"

Toby! "Where? Where did he post it?"

"IG, Snapchat, I'm not sure where else. Someone named Tory told him about it."

"My wicked stepmother." Prince sat without being invited, but he didn't care about protocol or manners. "What…did he say?"

"He's upset. He wants to know how you got yourself in that situation and when I told him it wasn't your fault, he, well, told me where to stick my opinion."

For all Prince had known, Sabrina hadn't known about it. It was obvious he was wrong. "I can't believe he knows."

Sabrina made her voice as warm as Prince suspected she could. "Prince, you're a grown man. I get it. Our parents' opinions and expectations are important to us, but they don't have to rule our lives."

"He didn't want me coming here. He doesn't know why I did, but thought it was a bad idea."

"I'll just bet he wanted you to work at his company for the summer."

Prince breathed a laugh as he said, "You're not wrong."

"Yeah. My mom wanted me to follow her lead and become a wife and mother."

Prince tried not to make a face at that, tried harder not to laugh, but lost both battles. She started nodding slowly as she laughed along with him.

"Yeah, I know. Not me in any way. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but only if they belong to other people."

"I feel pretty much the same."

Then came the admission he hadn't expected but should have. "Prince, when your teacher called me, he said you were right on the edge of something. He wanted to save you."

"Save me? From?"

"Your destiny, or at least the one your father has for you. He said that you were on the edge of living a life that you'd hate. You were never meant for business meetings and screwing over the world to line your pockets. I thought he was crazy, that most all rich kids sewed their oats, then did what their parents wanted because they wanted to stay rich."

"Like Toby," I added with distaste.

"Like Toby. Be insisted that you could be saved, and he was saved the same fate by coming here as a kid. You were too old to be a camper, but not too old to be a counselor."

Gadsden was a good person Prince had known that from the start, but this?

"I've spoken to Toby, and he's taken the video down. I also confiscated his contraband phone."

The weight of the fisherman's phone in his pocket reminded Prince he had one such phone. That gave him an idea, however. "Since he got some phone time, can I maybe get my computer for an hour or two?"

"The kids will see you and want their phones."

"I'll be in the counselor's cabin. Silvio was good enough to give me the evening off."

"Okay, then, I guess it can't hurt. But not long and don't let anyone see you taking it back to your cabin."

"No, ma'am, I won't. Maybe my phone, too?"

"Only if you don't listen to the voice messages and texts from your father. I'm sure it's full."

Once she retrieved them from the safe, he hid the computer under his shirt and his phone next to the other in his pocket, and rushed back to the cabin, where he took them out and quickly got signed into his computer as his phone was powering awake.

He was glad the data on his computer worked, though it was only two bars and slower than he was used to. Once everything was set, he plugged the fisherman's phone into his computer and started his fingers flying over the keyboard.

The number that was programmed into the phone was a burner, like he'd thought. Two people talking on burner phones was unusual, to say the least. It reminded him of every movie he'd seen concerning hitmen and spies.

"Hitman? Could he be a… hitman?"

He set his computer to search the cell towers used, but it came back quickly that none were found. "Fucking disposable phones."

He upped his game, working around normal parameters to delve deeper. What he came up with then was that the phone was activated in Montana. "What the hell?"

Before he could get further, he thought about the text again. He punched in the word lion to the search to see what that could mean since it was obviously code. No one would watch an actual lion in the mountains of Colorado.

The synonyms the computer came up with were long, but a few words floating up from the rest as his mind snatched onto them. Leo and King .

Leo was the shortened version of Leonard, which was his father's name. His father, the father of Prince… king …

"He's after me," Prince whispered. "He's after me?"

Closing his computer, he started spinning his head this way and that, getting up from his bunk, moving to the windows like someone addicted and paranoid.

He rushed the computer back to the office, glad no one was there, and he placed it on the desk with a note for Sabrina before leaving, skirting around the buildings, looking into the trees, expecting to see the fisherman watching him.

Once he started back across the camp, he saw Silvio and the kids coming back from the hike. He ran over to him and whispered, "I need to talk to you. Soon."

Silvio studied his face quickly and agreed, "Okay, help me get these kids washed up and to the dining hall, and I'll have Anton keep an eye on them while we talk."

"Sure, let's go."

The kids took forever cleaning up, Noah splashing Bucky, which started others doing the same until Silvio had to herd them out of the bathrooms. They all headed to the dining hall, where Silvio whispered in Anton's ear.

Anton nodded and threw Prince a thumbs up before Silvio led him outside and asked, "What is so critical?"

"That guy? That hot guy that we've been seeing? He's here to watch me."

Silvio's smile was involuntary, but it occurred, nonetheless. "He's watching you. For?"

"Did you forget my father is one of the ten richest men in the country? He is the head of a multibillion-dollar company. I'm what kidnappers do best. Sad kids of rich mothers and fathers who are easy pickings, a la Patty Hearst."

The smile faded quickly as Silvio's eyes widened in fear. "Fuck! Do you really think so?"

"What else could they possibly want me for?"

Silvio waved both hands as he said, "Hold up, hold up, hold up! Okay, this is crazy, but I need to know all the facts first. Like, first of all, how do you know this?"

They started back to the cabin so Prince could show his friend the phone. Once Silvio saw the phone and the text, he asked, "How do you know this is you?"

"Lion. My father's name is Leonard. Leo, the lion, lion is a king, and I'm Prince. It…it made sense in my head."

"Okay, okay, Prince. I believe you believe this, and I've seen enough movies to refuse to say you're crazy. We need to know for sure, but how?"

"I've been thinking about that. I think I need to go to his cabin while he's not there and…"

"Break in? Are you insane?"

Prince sighed, "Maybe. But I'm doing it. Are you in?"