The Treasure of Death Valley Read online

  "And remember, even though it looks clean and fresh, don't drink water without first purifying it. With all the bacteria going around, it's too risky. You can't afford for anyone in the group to get sick. I've packed the water purifier in Elizabeth's pack."

  Elizabeth forced herself not to react when she saw Jessica rib Ken and roll her eyes.

  "That's fine, Kay," Elizabeth said, shooting Jessica a dirty look.

  "Good. Why don't you go ahead and look through your packs," said Kay. "If you have questions about anything, just ask."

  "What's this?" Jessica asked, pulling a pouch from her pack.

  "Lunch," Brad answered. "Freeze-dried chicken and vegetables."

  "Sounds delish," Jessica said, wrinkling her nose. "Looks like I'll be losing some weight the next few days."

  "That reminds me," Kay interrupted. "Be sure to eat every meal. You may not feel hungry, especially in the middle of the day when it gets really hot. But you'll need all the calories and nutrients. And you'll get used to the freeze-dried taste. You might even start liking it—I do."

  "I think I'll stick to California cuisine," Heather said dryly.

  "And my first stop when we get back home is the Dairi Burger," Todd commented, pulling some dried fruit out of his pack.

  "Enough about food," Brad said. "I want to make sure you understand the most important aspects of this trip. As we discussed back in Sweet Valley this weekend, over the next four days you'll not only learn about yourselves, you'll learn how to work with others. And you might as well get used to it, because for the rest of your life you'll be faced with having to deal with people you'd rather not have anything to do with."

  Jessica took one look at Heather and knew exactly what Brad was talking about.

  "Learn how to find the strengths in each other that will help the whole group," Kay continued. "Sometimes you'll need to take a step back when you know there's someone else in the group more able than you," she said, looking at all of them.

  Jessica couldn't help but notice her sister looking straight at her. She rolled her eyes again. This adventure trek was the kind of thing Elizabeth loved, and she was acting more goody-goody than ever. Elizabeth had always been a nerd, but her self-righteous attitude was really beginning to drive Jessica crazy. I'm not going to let it get to me, she decided, looking over at Heather, I've got to focus all my tolerance where it's truly needed.

  Brad was talking now. "We've assigned each of you a buddy. Things may get a little hairy out there sometimes, and it's important to have someone who's responsible for your safety."

  Jessica squeezed Ken's hand. Brad and Kay were sure to have noticed their special bond.

  "Jessica, we've assigned you and Todd to be buddies," Brad announced.

  "Are you serious?" Jessica couldn't believe her ears. "You must have made a mistake."

  "No mistake," Kay said.

  Jessica was beside herself. This is just perfect. For the most boring trip in the universe, I've been assigned the most boring person on earth.

  Brad glanced at his list. "Elizabeth, you're with Bruce. And, Heather, you're with Ken."

  Jessica gasped. Was this some cruel joke?

  "Oh, Ken, we're buddies!" Heather bubbled, casting a triumphant look in Jessica's direction. "We're going to have so much fun looking at—oops, I mean looking after—each other."

  Watching Heather bat her eyelashes at Ken, Jessica couldn't believe she'd be so brazen. Of course, Heather was never one to be subtle. Ken . . . with Heather! Jessica thought disgustedly. I might as well have spent this week sitting in a bath of hot coals—that would have been fun compared to the torture this is going to be.

  "Do you really think these are the best matches for the group, Kay?" Elizabeth suddenly asked.

  Jessica looked at her sister in surprise, until she realized that Elizabeth was probably pretty unhappy, too. She was matched up with Bruce Patman, the most arrogant person on the planet. I'd rather be bored with Todd than have to listen to Bruce all day long, Jessica figured.

  "Yes, Elizabeth, we do," Kay answered. "We've put a great deal of thought into this and put you in these pairs for a reason."

  Jessica felt a little bit of satisfaction when she saw her sister silenced. It looked as if being the teacher's pet didn't do her any good, after all.

  "Kay and I have to take care of some last-minute details," Brad said. "Take a minute and relax—this'll be your last opportunity to do that for a while." Kay and Brad walked back over to the van, leaving the rest of them sitting at the table.

  "I'm starting to feel better about this trip already," Heather said, grabbing Ken's hand. Ken laughed nervously and gently pulled away.

  Elizabeth saw her sister fume and had to admit that she sympathized with her. Elizabeth didn't approve of the way Heather operated, either. Although Jessica was one of the all-time champion schemers on earth, Elizabeth knew she had a good heart and would never be as devious and spiteful as Heather Mallone.

  "I can't believe they're doing this," Todd whispered to Elizabeth. "This is going to be a true test of your tolerance, being matched up with Bruce, and all."

  "You're right. We're supposed to learn how to triumph in the face of adversity. Trying to stick to Bruce will be the ultimate adversity," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.

  "Yeah, and watching you stick to Bruce will be the ultimate adversity for me," Todd added, looking sadly into her eyes.

  Elizabeth returned his gaze and knew exactly what he was thinking. A little while back she and Bruce had found out Mrs. Wakefield and Mr. Patman had been college sweethearts. The shock of discovery had driven the unlikely pair together, until everything came crashing to an end when Todd had walked in on Bruce and Elizabeth in the Wakefield kitchen in a passionate embrace.

  Any feelings she'd had for Bruce then, Elizabeth now chalked up to temporary insanity. She was attracted to guys who were honest, sensitive, modest, and kind—guys like Todd. Bruce was the polar opposite. And now she was going to have to spend every minute of every day hanging around Bruce.

  Elizabeth thought back to the time when she'd actually been interested in Bruce. They had bonded for a short time. Was there any chance this trip would bring out the vulnerability and sensitivity he had let her see back then?

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Bruce snarled, "Oh, great, I get to have Miss Camp Counselor breathing down my back for the next four days. I might as well have brought along my mother." He threw back his arm and tossed a pebble toward the road.

  "Put a lid on it, Bruce," Todd said. Before Bruce could start in again, Kay and Brad emerged from the van and approached the table.

  "OK, gang," Kay called. "We just called the weather station on the cell phone to confirm the weather forecast. It still stands. They're talking torrential downpours, flooding, high-velocity winds. This is real. You guys have got to make it to Desert Oasis by Thursday evening, or you're going to be stuck in the storm. And we can't promise that we'll be able to find you."

  Elizabeth felt a knot of dread growing in her stomach.

  "You have everything you need to make it just fine," Brad said. "As long as you stick to the plan, that is. Remember, this area was mined back in the great California Gold Rush of 1849, and there are still a few mine shafts standing. It may seem really cool to explore them, but it's extremely dangerous. They could collapse at any moment, especially if people climb around inside them."

  "Now is your chance to rise above expectations: your own, your parents', your teachers'," said Kay "Look around at each other and realize that this week these people are your team—your family."

  Elizabeth looked from one member of her "family" to the other. She could tell that Bruce wasn't even paying attention—he was reading a magazine he'd pulled from his pack. Heather had her eyes glued on Ken and kept inching her way closer into his space. While Ken appeared to be intent on Kay's and Brad's words, Elizabeth sensed that he was distracted by the fact that Heather was edging up next to him. Jessica seemed too bus
y pouting to be thinking about the challenges ahead of them. And even Todd looked a little preoccupied. Elizabeth found herself worrying that her "family" was not up to the task at hand. Did Kay and Brad actually believe that they would pull together as a team?

  "Well, we're out of here," Kay announced. She and Brad walked across the parking lot and climbed into the van. Kay started the engine and put the van into gear.

  "Oh, yeah," she yelled out the window before driving off. "Have fun!" And then they were gone.

  Elizabeth couldn't push away the terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched the van disappear down the dusty road. Come back, she wanted to say. I can't carry this whole group alone. We'll be lucky to get out of Death Valley alive.

  Chapter 2

  As the sound of the engine subsided, the van became no more than a white dot on the horizon.

  This is it, Todd realized. The adventure begins. But the adventure seemed to be getting less appealing by the minute. First of all, he was stuck for four days with Jessica Wakefield. On top of that, he had to worry about Elizabeth rediscovering her old feelings for Bruce. This wasn't exactly his idea of a romantic getaway.

  "Anybody need to make a pit stop?" asked Ken, getting up from the table.

  "Good idea," Heather said, following him to the bathrooms.

  "I'm getting provisions," said Bruce, heading over to the minimart.

  Jessica sat glowering in silence. Todd decided to use the opportunity to take up the buddy subject with Elizabeth.

  "You know, Liz," he started, "no one is out here to watch us—we could switch partners so we can be together. I hate to see you forced to put up with Bruce's stupidity for the next four days."

  "I'm sure it won't be so bad once we get started," Elizabeth replied. "Bruce'll calm down and stop teasing so much once he realizes that I'm not going to grab his bait."

  "But, still, the hike would be so much more fun if we could be together," Todd tried again, reaching across the table to take her hand.

  "This trip isn't about fun, Todd," she said in a light, scolding tone. "We have our whole lives to be together. This is an opportunity for us to grow as individuals." With that Elizabeth patted his hand and got up, walking over to the pile of packs.

  Todd watched her get engrossed in her task of examining the supplies in her pack, checking off her list one by one. It's no use, he concluded. I'm stuck with Jessica. The thought of dealing with Jessica's whining all day long made Todd wince.

  He looked across the table at his partner. She looked just about as miserable as he felt. Suddenly Heather's high-pitched laugh rang out, and Todd saw Jessica shiver with fury. Then he had an idea. Knowing how much Jessica hated Heather, Todd realized she would do anything to split Heather and Ken apart.

  "Jessica, you're looking pretty dejected," Todd said in a friendly tone. She raised her eyebrows but didn't respond, focusing her attention on the table.

  He continued. "For some strange reason—which I'll never understand—you always seem to be able to convince Elizabeth to do just about anything," Todd said to her quietly. "How about convincing her to switch partners? I can't seem to get past her wanting to play by the rules."

  "So you get to be with your girlfriend, and I end up with Bruce? Thanks, but no thanks," Jessica snorted. "Believe it or not, I'd rather be with you."

  "No, I wouldn't do that to you," Todd said ingratiatingly. "You can convince Bruce to switch with Ken. Word among the guys is that Bruce thinks Heather is hot, so that shouldn't be too hard."

  Jessica considered this for a moment. It didn't take long for a smile to creep across her face.

  "You're on!" she said, shaking Todd's hand. Together they approached Elizabeth, with Todd hanging back to let Jessica work her persuasive magic.

  "Say, Liz," started Jessica in her sweetest voice. "I'm starting to think this week might really be fun."

  "That's great, Jess," Elizabeth said, clipping her odometer to her belt.

  "It's just that—" Her voice cracked. She stuck out her lower lip and looked down at her feet.

  "What is it?" Elizabeth asked, a look of concern on her face.

  "I'm really upset about Heather. You know how she has it in for me—she'll stop at nothing to make my life miserable. I'm afraid that her being matched up with Ken is going to ruin the experience for me."

  "Don't be silly, Jess," Elizabeth said dismissively. "Ken's absolutely crazy about you. He'd never let Heather get in the way of your relationship."

  "It's not that I'm worried that all of Heather's disgusting attempts at flirting will actually work on Ken. It's just that with Heather matched up with my boyfriend, she'll use all her energy to try to charm him, instead of working toward a common goal."

  Jess is good, she's really good, Todd thought. He looked at Elizabeth expectantly.

  "I'm sure Heather will quickly grow bored of flirting with Ken once she sees he isn't returning her advances," Elizabeth said.

  "OK, Liz, I'll admit it," Jessica continued. "Even though I have absolute faith that Ken won't be taken in by Heather, just knowing that she's doing everything she can to steal him away will distract me from the purpose of this trip." Jessica met Todd's eyes behind Elizabeth's back and grinned.

  "So why don't we do this," Jessica continued. "I'll switch partners with you so that you can be with Todd."

  Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "And you want to be partners with Bruce, I take it?"

  "Now, wait a minute, I'm not done. Then I'll talk Bruce into switching with Ken, which should be a snap because he's got a thing for Heather, although for the life of me, I can't imagine why. Anyway, everybody's happy. You and Todd get to be together, and Ken and I get to be together. And Heather and Bruce are free to go ahead and drive each other crazy."

  Elizabeth didn't say anything for a minute. What's her problem? Todd wondered. Didn't she want to be his partner?

  "I'm sorry, you guys, I just don't think it's a good idea," Elizabeth finally said, looking from Jessica to Todd. "Don't you remember how Brad and Kay said that a major part of the experience is learning how to get along with people you may not like? If we switch partners, we're sabotaging the whole point of the exercise."

  "It's an exercise in stupidity, as far as I'm concerned," snapped Jessica. She stormed off to the bathroom.

  Elizabeth looked at Todd but said nothing. Then she took off in the direction that Jessica had headed.

  Todd watched her walk away and realized that she was beyond persuasion. Why did his girlfriend always have to be such a stickler about rules? He'd thought Elizabeth would jump at the chance to avoid Bruce and be with him instead.

  Todd's mind wandered to a painful memory.

  The afternoon sun cast a golden glow upon the bodies entwined in the Wakefields' kitchen. Bruce's long, muscular arms were wrapped tightly around the small of Elizabeth's back. Lifting her face to his, Elizabeth caught Todd's eye over Bruce's shoulder. She froze, her eyes proclaiming her guilt.

  Try as he might, Todd couldn't get rid of the sickening visions. Maybe Elizabeth actually wanted to be stuck in the desert with Bruce.

  "You kids going camping out there in the Valley?" Startled, Todd turned to see a gray-haired man dressed all in denim and wearing a bolo tie. He was sitting on a stool a few yards away in the shade of a fence. Where had he come from?

  "Yes, sir, we are." The man nodded slowly, stroking the stubble on his cheeks. "Do you live around here?" Todd asked, trying to be friendly. The man turned, his bloodshot eyes examining Todd up and down.

  "Mighty hot out there," the man drawled finally. "You best be careful."

  Todd nodded, relieved the old guy didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation.

  "Well, have a nice day," Todd said. The man cackled. A strange premonition made the hairs on the back of Todd's neck stand straight up. He knew this trip was going to give him a lot more to worry about than Bruce Patman making a move on Elizabeth. He could feel it.

  Elizabeth walked out of the bath
room to see Todd and Jessica sulking by their packs. Heather was playing some sort of keep-away with Ken, and Bruce was sitting at the picnic table, reading a comic book. Why wasn't anyone doing something to get their trip started? Was she going to have to do everything?

  "Well, I guess we'd better plot our day's journey," Elizabeth said, looking at her watch. "It's nine o'clock now. Figure we'll break for lunch at one, and get to tonight's camp by five. That way we'll have plenty of time to set up before sundown."

  "Who died and left you in charge?" Bruce taunted, looking up from his comic book.

  "I'm not taking charge, Bruce, but if we don't stop arguing about buddies and fooling around, we'll never get out of this gas station," she replied. She tried to ignore Todd's petulant look.

  "Elizabeth's right, you guys," Ken agreed. "We're here now, and the van's long gone. So there's no use complaining. It's time we got serious about this."

  "Thank you, Ken," said Elizabeth. "I'm just trying to get everyone started. We can all plan it together. Does anybody have a problem with what I've said so far? Lunch at one, camp at five?" She looked around at the others, waiting for someone to respond.

  "Lunch at one? That sounds fine," Heather said at last. The others mumbled their approval.

  "Good. Let's get out our maps and start plotting a course." At least someone in our group is using her brain. I haven't heard one of you lay out a plan, Elizabeth thought, doing her best to contain her frustration.

  "Didn't Kay and Brad tell us that it works best to have one person at a time responsible for navigation?" Ken asked.

  "Oh, right," Elizabeth said. She wanted to be the navigator, for the first day at least, but she didn't want the others to think she was being bossy. "Does anybody want to volunteer to plot our trail and make sure we stick to it?" she asked the group.

  "I volunteer Elizabeth Wakefield," said Bruce.

  "Yeah, Elizabeth, you were the one paying the most attention during that part of the lesson. Why don't you do it today?" Todd seconded.