Viking Camp

by Mark Fitzgerald

  It took ten minutes, moving like a snail, soundlessly to get back up on to the island and still another ten minutes, with just as little noise to penetrate the forest enough to see what was going on there. To see four prisoners in a "chain gang", the machetes sparkling in the moonlight and Parker's slumped over body.

  Cooper couldn't drive. Besides Parker had the keys AND the only working walky-talky on the island. Cooper could ride a horse and so he did; using that old warhorse's mane to steer. He was back at camp no more than thirty minutes after Parker had been captured.

  Chapter Eleven

  When they make the movie of this story, this will be the great scene. Cooper riding into the encampment with a call to arms. This time Conner was actually going to mind on of Parkers commands. "Feed Freckie and Gary." That was what the Vikings called going to battle. It was part of the lore told everyday to the incoming campers. Legend was that some Norse god had pet wolves who ate only flesh and blood. You can guess the rest.

  Cooper put a plan to Parker's command. A good plan, so long as he could sell it to the "grownups". The grownups would want to discuss it. To call in reinforcements. Well there wasn't time. There was no way to reach the mainland by car or walky-talky. Maybe he thought, just maybe someday they invent portable phones that everyone will carry with them all the time. He thought he might try to get into that after high school. Computers and stuff.

  He rode boldly among the tents calling out, "Suit up, everybody suit up and get your weapons". As soon as he had made the round of tents he galloped over to Big Vinnie who was almost upon him anyway.

  Big Vinnie was an easy sell. Not so dumb as that Jersey schtick seemed to suggest. He could see the logic of it. He could also see the necessity of the big lie that was to follow.

  Cooper said it. The big lie. As he sat astride that danged old horse, who by this times was lazily grazing, he said . "It's Parker's idea and it’s a great one. He's already got a bunch of us with him in the forest. They're all suited up too. We going go guerrilla this morning since the usual battleground is too muddy. So, fall into formation and listen for my orders. Oh, and be really quiet. They know we will be coming but not exactly when. " They bought into it, even it should have been clear that virtually no one was missing from camp to being acting as the enemy with Parker. All, the supervising pack leaders elected to sit this battle out. Crawling in the mud through the bush, when there was still good sleeping time left in the night was just not compelling to them. Big Vinnie was in though.

  Cooper had one other concern and he addressed it. He rode up to Valerie and said " Stay beside me okay." She smiled. He thought again, " No, take my hand and get on." And so he pulled her onto the horse and started the forward march to the forest.

  It was nearly five oclock in the morning now. About an hour before daylight. About an hour before Diago would have to shut it down. An hour before the fate of the four and the fate of Parker would be sealed.

  One might have thought that Cooper would be scared but he wasn't. Just determined. It made sense to him that forty reasonably skilled"junior" Vikings with lances and swords and shields could intimidate six men. The men having machetes was potentially a problem. But they could always surrender if the had too. At least that would spare the four and Parker from being singled out for harm.

  When they got to the edge of the woods, Cooper again made sure they understood that this was a stealth mission. His orders were simple enough. Go straight into the woods, quietly as you can and staying as close to the ground as you can. Stay ten feet apart and stop as soon as you can see the clearing. GO NO FURTHER. Until you hear the battle cry.

  None of the campers liked the idea of forging into the forest but with the security of having another camper no more than ten foot away to each side, it was a was a tolerable idea. Big Vinnie was going to take the path. That was his idea and not a particularly good one in Cooper's opinion.

  It made a lot noise: forty kids in protective gear, with shields and lances and spear and swords picking their way deep into the forest. But not as much noise as six men frantically hacking away at the sinewy stalks of six foot pot plants.

  When Cooper got to within ten feet of the clearing he held his position and waited an incredibly excruciating five more minutes, to be sure everyone was in position , before he called it.

  He called it. The campers ripped through the final ten feet with a thunderous racket and all manner of war cries. The drug guys stopped cold; their machetes frozen in space; their jaws dropping at the site of forty Vikings surrounding them. Equally surprised were forty Vikings staring at six machete wielding Mexicans; as the sun was filtering through the trees finally. But they saw the predicament of the "four" and of Parker and when Cooper lead the charge shouting "this is for real.. get the bastards", they charged.

  Two of the banditos simply dropped their machetes and retreated the twenty foot through the trees to the edge of the island and jumped into the lake. To swim to the boat presumably. I doubt they even realized the weapons were wooden and the enemies were children.

  Cooper went right at Diago. Diago was willing to kill him, swinging his machete angrily…. but with no skill whatsoever.

  Valerie went for one of the others who were choosing to follow the lead of Diago. She "clocked" him immediately with a full sword to the side of his head. For all he might have known or the guy beside him might have known, she had just killed him.

  That was three "down" already. Three left. Against forty. Diago raged against Cooper. Cooper kept "tagging "him but couldn't bring him down, with that wooden sword. Valerie stayed next to Cooper but out of the fray. But ready to jump in when Cooper called.

  About fifteen campers a piece were on to the other two banditos. They were fully utilizing the grouped shields strategy Parker had taught them. All packed close together like that, there was no way a machete could penetrate those heavy old wood shields; especially when the machetes were not being swung with much conviction or intention to wound. The two banditos took a good thirty blows from lances and swords before they finally threw down their swords and were dog-piled by fifteen Vikings a piece.

  Parker, by this time was finally free of his binding and rush into the fray. He grabbed a loose shield and a real machete; abandoned by the "chickens" at the beginning of the battle.

  He cried out "bendayho!". Now, I'm not sure how you spell that word. That's how you say it. I am not even sure I know what it means but I do know Mexican men do not like to be called that. Especially by some gringo.

  Diago spun on a dime, now at a level of rage that was greater than that when he killed his first man as a teenager in Juarez. Parker was far enough away still for Diago to snatch up a shield of his own.

  Cooper cried out, "No Parker, I can handle him!" Which might have been true but Cooper was a boy and he had been at it for at least four minutes already. Four minutes of hand to hand combat is an eternity.

  Parker and Diago did that circle thing . I guess it is just hard to stand dead still in such a face off. Finally, with a blood curdling cry Diago attacked. And scored. The blade of his machete hit the edge of Parker's shield but at such an angle that it also made contact with Parker's left shoulder. He was wounded. Not mortally. It didn't hurt much, but it bled furiously. Parker wished he had done as Cooper had said. Practice would have helped. But he was equal to Diago, wounded or not. But it was just a matter of time, seconds probably until one got in a very damaging blow. They were both getting very tired . But no one could really come to Parkers aid without getting hurt very probably.

  Diago suddenly came in on his attack. Clashing his shield right up against Parker's and raising his machete way over his head to strike Parker from above. A blow that Parker deflected with his sword…. while he simultaneously let go of his own shield to grab the bottom of Diagos shield and wrench it upward with as much might as he could summon, this late into the match. It was enough to send the top of the shield right up under Diagos nose, crushing
it totally and knocking the dude out in a flash. In a wild final swoop of his sword, the sword and the hand of Diago's that was holding it, flew into the bushes beside them. They never found the hand. Legend is that it just dragged itself further into the trees and roams the island still.

  And that, my friends , was the battle of Viking Camp, 1993. When forty of the bravest boys and girls on the planet took on six of the worst criminals on the planet … wood sword against steel machete. Children against men.

  Oh, I made up the part about the severed hand.

  When you retell this tale, I'd leave it in. It's better with it, I think.

  the end

  About the author: My son, Parker really did run Viking Camp up there on Lake Bridgeport. Cooper really is an ace with a sword too. Parker.. ehhhhh .. not so much. I am Parker's dad. An unemployed (perhaps retired )architect who has recently taken to writing short little novels. I've written others. Not all suitable for kids; just so you know.