Hitting a speed of a hundred and ten in an old Chevy Nova, the car nearly sped out of the driver’s control. The night air was warm and not the cooler temperatures it usually drops to in early summer around the Pacific Northwest. The dim light filtered through the dirt covered headlight. Every corner was an accident waiting to happen. “Don’t slow down Devon! I’ve got money on this one. ” Gabe yelled to the driver as he held on from the roof of the stolen car. “Any faster and they’ll be scraping you off the road with a shovel. ” The driver yelled back. “Just drive and let me worry about that.” With that, the sedan gave one last effort to hit top speed and actually gained a few miles per hour. The other car parallel to them was wavering between taking the lead and following up from behind. Back and forth they danced, passing kids alongside of the road with wagers on who would cross the finish line first. Gabe’s stolen car was in the lead when he saw the familiar sight of red and blue lights speeding around the corner catching up quickly. “Damn, we should’ve jacked his car. He’s catching up fast.” He said as he almost slid off the roof of the car admiring the speed of the Ford Mustang police car. “Hang on, I’m going to send Barnie Fife back to Mayberry,” said the driver as he left the race by turning off onto a county road, slowing down only to let Gabe slide from the roof into the passenger seat of the car. The lead police vehicle kept pursuit on the other racer, and a second followed Gabe and Devon off road. “We’ll lose him past the bridge on Rock Creek. We can hide behind the pilings if we can get there in time,” said Devon, Gabe’s long time best friend. “Hot Damn!” Gabe yelled as he let the rush of the chase fuel his adrenaline. “I haven’t had this much fun since… well I guess… last weekend.” He slammed his palm on the dash of the car and stuck his head out the window yelling, “come on ya pig, just try and catch us now.” Devon reached over and yanked on Gabe’s jeans. “Get your ass back in here. We got us a problem.” Gabe lowered himself back into his seat to see the obstacle in front of them. “What the hell? When’s the last time a train came through here?” Unbelievable, yet right in front of them was a train going nowhere fast enough to get out of their way in time to escape. It was thirty cars long loaded with white wrapped bundles labeled Potlatch Lumber Company. The boys sat there with the police car only seconds behind them, trying to make a quick decision on what to do. They looked at each other and after a few long seconds Gabe said. “We gotta split up. They can’t catch us both. You’re eighteen and with your priors that’ll land you in county for who knows how long. You gotta run. I’ll take the heat.” “I’m not leaving you,” Devon said, grasping the wheel tighter. “Devon, you gotta run. Go now!” Gabe leaned over Devon’s lap and reached for the door handle, opening the door and shoving him out with all his strength. Devon had no choice but to stumble out of the stolen car and stand there looking as his best friend took the driver's seat. Gabe rolled the window down and held out his hand for a quick knuckle bump. “Don’t let me take the heat for nothing. Run Devon, now!” With that, Devon obeyed and ran without looking back. He ran until his chest felt like it was on fire and he couldn’t take another step. Surprisingly, when he stopped, he realized he had run about a mile in what felt like seconds. Hoping for the best, he went home waiting for news of his friend's demise. That night, Gabe was arrested, booked and put in a holding cell until his mom posted bail the next morning. His court date was scheduled, and he wondered which judge he would have the pleasure of meeting this time. His mom, hadn’t spoken a single word since they got in the pickup and the silence was comforting. He watched her and couldn’t quite decipher her facial expressions. Holding back tears and gritting her teeth in anger, she gripped the wheel and stared straight ahead. Every explanation that flashed through Gabe’s mind seemed to have a negative outcome. Would it be better to just apologize and then shut up? Would it be better to try to makeup a reasonable explanation of why he put his life in danger and drained his parents bank account for bail money? He chose to take the apology route. Figuring it would end in less screaming. “I know whatever I say won’t be enough to fix this, but I wanted to let you know that I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.” Silence filled the musty air of the old pickup truck. Gabe took a deep breath and exhaled waiting for his mom to say something, anything. With every mile they drove, the silence became a heavier burden that finally forced Gabe to shrug in shame. He knew the drill. His family was poor and could never afford a reputable lawyer. He’ll get stuck with a court appointed puppet, filing the proper paperwork, but not investing any genuine concern for Gabe’s future. A half-hour after leaving the courthouse, they arrived home. Pulling into the run-down trailer court he has always called home, Gabe looked out the window and gazed at an old man with a blank look on his face watching them drive by. It was then that Gabe wondered if he was looking in the future face of himself. Same trailer court, different house number with an ex-wife and split custody over two point five kids. He shuddered and unbuckled. Gabe approached his front door, reached up to the most obvious hiding location and grabbed the key from the top of the door frame. They weren’t worried about being robbed since there wouldn’t be much to steal, just an old rabbit eared television with a missing remote control. Two weeks later, Gabe and his tired mother; who still had barely spoken to him, pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the familiar route to the courthouse. Once again, they drove past the blank faced man who was out watering his yard and Gabe couldn’t help but make a notice of familiarity between the blank man’s stare and the empty look that his mom had these days. “I’ve got to get out of here.” He mumbled to himself. The judge was a cranky old man with a gavel he loved to use. Gabe was number twenty-three and had to sit and listen for hours to all the sob stories of the low lives that occupied the room. This should be punishment enough, he thought to himself. Finally, number twenty-three was called and Gabe was in front of the judge answering to the best of his knowledge. He suppressed a smile as he looked straight at the judge and allowed his mind to venture back in time as a child watching the peanuts cartoon. The judge was Charlie Brown’s teacher who sat in front of the class and mumbled, “Waa-waa-waa.” Suddenly the familiar slam of that stupid gavel woke Gabe out of his stupor and the judge said, “I herby sentence you to attend the rehabilitation program of ‘Back on Track’. I hope that this will teach you to not be so self indulging and to realize that your future will consist of a prison sentence if you keep up these shenanigans.” The judge leaned toward Gabe as if it might help the words be clearer. “This will be the last time that I see you in my courtroom Gabe Duncan, or I’ll toss you behind bars and throw away the key.” “Yes, Sir,” Gabe nodded. The judge looked at Gabe with his grey uni-brows in such a frown that they drew a solid hair line across his forehead. “Don’t let me down son. That sphere on top of your neck, that until now, has been used as a bobble head…actually has a brain. Use it.” Without wanting to piss off the judge anymore, Gabe just nodded, hoping to not look too bobble heady and repeated once more, “Yes Sir.” It was another typical gloomy day in Seattle, and the rain was relentless. Noah Hudson observed the sleet pounding against his office windows as he packed the last of the first aid that he needed in order to bring along with him on his trek deep into the Montana mountains. Noah was an orthopedic surgeon from Seattle. His tan, lean and muscular build complimented his tasseled blonde hair, giving him the easy-going surfer look that was more popular down south rather than in this colder northwestern part of Washington. Although women fought hard for his attention, he seemed to delve deep into his work so intensely that he never really had time for leisure. Even these intervention trips he takes with these kids are considered work. Work that he always finds time to enjoy by adding a little fly fishing here and there. He’s hoping that his philanthropic intentions will fulfill his occasional desire for settling down and launching a family. Always the optimist when it comes to troubled teens, he teaches that it’s never too late to turn yourself around and live a happy fulfilling life. That’s why he founded Back on Track. This camp was set in the mountains and designed to heal destructive behavioral patterns in teenagers and educate them with the knowledge of how to start over and regain positive control of their lives. The participants were put into the program primarily through the juvenile court and occasionally enrolled by their own parents. Families came from all parts of the country to drop off their children with high expectations of new beginnings and a future full of possibilities. Camp destinations differed occasionally, but the most popular spot was in the Montana mountains. Once again, Noah and his team were headed toward Boulder Pass in Glacier Park Montana. It’s a place where the beautiful yet rugged terrain breaks the strongest bonds to modern civilization and gives a fresh perspective to a person’s soul while they bond with nature. On the third floor of the Swedish Orthopedic Institute, Noah was just about packed when Mick first popped his head around the corner. Then entered the room out of breath and in a hurry. “Let’s go, we’re going to miss the ferry.” Noah’s best friend, Mick Rogers, was twenty-five years old, recently out of work and was frustrated with his current lack of employment and even more so, with his non existent girlfriend. Despite his charming boyish appearance and substantial trust fund, he failed in the commitment department, hindering him from attaining a lasting and meaningful romantic relationship. Noah smirked and said, “Hang on a sec, the ferry’s not going anywhere without the captain.” “What are you talking about?” Mick replied. “Well, I happen to know that Captain John Ballard has just left this building with a new cast on his arm from some rusty scrap iron that went flying out of control. He called and there was no one to sub him. So he’s running about ten minutes late… just in time for us to arrive before departure to Bremerton.” Mick smiled and said, “That’s a lucky break, but if we’re late and Lizzy is left waiting in Bremerton without us, I’m going to kill you!” “Hold your horses,” Noah said, “and enough with the love sick puppy act.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Mick replied smiling at just the corners of his mouth. Noah sighed and said, “You’re not that hard to read. Lizzy’s attractive and you’re…” Noah zipped his bag and looked straight at Mick, “well you’re you. That’s why you insisted that I let her come along, even though she doesn’t have experience taking care of kids like this.” Mick puffed out his chest and said, “Yeah, well there’s no time like the present to see if she’s ready, and no worries, I’ll be there to protect her from any big bad bears that may come along. I know exactly what I’ll do. I’ll scoop her up in my arms and…” Noah interrupted, “…and you’ll both be eaten alive within thirty-seconds of entering the bear’s range. Drop out man, she’s out of your league.” Mick replied, “Why do you think just because she’s beautiful, has legs that never end, and an all around amazing body, that I don’t stand a chance?” Noah laughed and said, “Dude, you just mentioned all the reasons why I think that. Now let’s go. We have a ferry to catch.” He threw the bag to Mick, turned and walked out the door. Over in Bremerton, Lizzy Dashner parked her VW as close as she could to the ferry landing, which turned out to be two blocks away. Accidentally leaving her umbrella at home, she had to run two blocks in the downpour of a rain shower before finding refuge next to a building with a short, but dry roof ledge outside the ferry landing. Irritated with the oddly busy traffic and lack of available parking, she wrung out her drenched hair while waiting in the cold rain for the guys to meet her. The rain here in Bremerton was considerably colder than in Florida where she had just spent a week basking in the sun on the beach. In Florida, when it rained, it was refreshing and warm, not bitter cold like it was here in Washington State. Lizzy was jerked out of the tropical daydream to the present time when the gutter overhead, gave way to the weight of the rain and added to her drenched wardrobe; a grey hoodie and blue jeans that were now soaked. As she tightened her long blonde ponytail, the holder broke and she thought, great, just what I needed. She started talking to herself which was becoming a more frequent occurrence than what might be considered healthy. “What if I didn’t bring the right lenses? Or enough memory cards? Or batteries? Hopefully I packed plenty waterproof bags. Geez, I’m going nuts here, why am I so nervous? I need to relax. It’ll all work out.” Gradually, the ferry appeared in the distance and Lizzy could see that this was actually happening. She was now a part of something that was about make a life changing experience with all these kids. When the ferry docked, Noah and Mick departed and Mick was trying to hide his excitement to see Lizzy. “Hey Lizzy,” Mick nodded and said as he casually walked up to her and offered to take her bags. “Hey Mick, are you ready for this?” “Yeah, I’m pretty stoked. I haven’t been there before and it’ll be one thing to mark off my bucket list. What about you, are you ready for all these bad ass kids?” Lizzy replied, “Yes, definitely.” She had to say out loud to convince herself. I’m also excited to shoot and video some of the most picturesque countryside in America. Noah looked around and asked, “Where’s your car? We could’ve met you so you didn’t have to get soaked.” “Yeah, that would’ve been great, had my charger worked last night. My battery is totally dead.” Lizzy replied while patting her pocket that held her cell. “Awe, phones are overrated anyway. Let’s jog, it’ll be good for us.” Noah grinned and started to jog. “Hold your britches Noah, we’ve got plenty of time.” Mick replied, while not taking his eyes off of Lizzy. “Very funny, coming from a guy that was having a heart attack about catching a certain ferry an hour ago.” Noah said as he looked over his shoulder, and kept jogging. Arriving at Lizzy’s car, they loaded the packs in the trunk. Noah offered to drive while Lizzy skimmed over the participant files. “I’ve practically memorized it, but I’d like to take another look at their profiles,” said Lizzy as she pulled her notebook out of her backpack and began to read. The car continued winding through the streets of Bremerton while they conversed. “First up, Hanna Broadman. She’s sixteen and attempted suicide twice. Diagnosed with bi-polar disease.” Lizzy brought the photo closer to inspect. “Her picture makes her look so sad.” Lizzy noticed that her dark roots peaked through the bottle blonde, and streaks of blue ran through random locks of hair. “Her blue eyes seem to sparkle as if they have constant tears.” Lizzy kept reading down the list. “Parents travel a lot for business and are rarely around when they’re in the states. She was placed in boarding schools and summer camps and felt she only served as a nuisance to her parents.” Lizzy kept reading and got to Hanna’s current motto that they all were asked to write. It said, Life sucks and then you die. I’m just trying to hurry it along. “How sad, ” Lizzy said, more to herself than to the others. “She’s just given up on life and sees no happy ending to her story. Keep an eye on her around the cliffs and ledges. We want to bring them all back alive.” Just then, the car hit a pothole and forced giggles out of the two that didn’t spill coffee all over themselves. “Real funny guys,” Mick said while wiping his coffee stains with his hands absorbing nothing thus defeating the purpose. “Sammy Benson, seventeen and recently lost his parents. Home invasion, both killed in their bed. He’s reclusive and has recently spent time in juvy hall for breaking and entering.” “Claims he was, ‘just hanging out and didn’t know the house wasn’t belonging to his friend.’ His uncle, being recently assigned as guardian to Sammy, thought this camp would give him something else to think about instead of focusing so much on what he lost.” Lizzy moved on to Gabe Duncan. “Seventeen and always the class clown. He’s here because it’s his last chance before sentenced to serve time after multiple arrests.” “Next up is Charlee Macintosh. She is here by court appointment and claims to have no idea how the drugs and homemade knife got into her luggage at the airport. She is a niece of Judge Bishop and regardless of the fact that this is her first offense and not the typical troubled candidate for this program, he feels so strongly about the success of this, that he wants to jump start her before it’s too late. Her current motto is, ‘wrong time, wrong place’.” Looking up to see them turning into the parking lot, Lizzy hurried through the remaining participants in the camp. “Crendal Millare is twenty-one.” She raised one eyebrow as she noticed his long hair and braided hemp necklace. “We already know he’s here undercover doing a thesis project for his psych degree. He’ll be graduating next spring at WSU in Pullman. He’s here under the persona of a pyromaniac that has started over twenty-five fires.” “Hopefully, he’ll be good at starting real campfires.” Noah said. Lizzy continued, “I really hope this doesn’t backfire and the others find out. Who knows what kind of trouble that’ll cause.” “Jason Berteer, sixteen and is our most troubled participant. He is an alcohol and drug abuser who recently got busted in his meth lab with intentions to sell. He has been in and out of juvy with a rap sheet that includes armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. His dad has tried everything including enrolling him in this program as a last resort. He currently is out on bail and has permission from his parole officer to participate in this camp. His next court appearance is in ten weeks. His current motto is, ‘catch me if you can’.” “Better hurry or you're reading in the rain.” Noah observed as he pulled into the Parks and Rec Center. “Alright, already,” Lizzy said hurriedly. “Marianne Humphrey, sixteen and partially deaf. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, her meds keep her at bay, however sometimes she forgets to take them. She then proceeds to threaten her family of suicide and turns violent. She loves to design her own tattoos and adds them to her body, wherever there is still room. Her body piercings are numerous, but she’s agreed to leave some of them at home. She has a twin named Maggy that has no apparent signs of mental disorder.” Noah pulled in and parked. The three gathered their belongings, jumped out, and ran in the heavy rain into the building where they were to meet up with the group of kids dreading the next four weeks.