The Escape From Spy Camp.
This Creative Writing Exercise is suitable for ages 16+
Writing Exercise 4.
Sean Tanner was told by Sarah Serking, that HQ(2) bigwigs had purchased a camper van for operatives to use for weekends and holidays. She suggested that Sean and his work colleagues should be the first ones to book it, as she thought they needed a well-earned rest. Sean negotiated a weeks break for them, which was unheard of in all the time he’d worked for HQ.
The four operatives gathered all they would need for a week-long camping holiday and headed over to Logistics to pick up the van.
Sean Tanner, Brandy Taylor, Alex Farrington and Rebecca Towley are met by Danny Poy.
--- “What do you think of it?” Danny says.
--- “It's a bit old, are you sure it's up to the job?” Sean says.
--- “It's been restored by my fair-hand. It'll be good for another forty years.”
--- “They probably won't have petrol in forty years,” Alex says.
--- Danny starts to get irritated. “No cars will run on petrol in forty years time. It will probably be in a museum.”
--- “Bit like us then?” Sean laughs.
--- “If you'd like to pack your things, then you can get on the road and start your holiday,” Danny says.
--- “We appreciate your help,” Brandy says.
--- “Yes, thank you,” Rebecca adds.
--- The
four operatives load the van and set off.
The
journey to the forest is uneventful. The four spies are tired from
weeks of assignments, one on top of another. Sean is driving the van
with Brandy navigating with the GPS. Alex and Rebecca are catching up
on lost sleep in the reclining seats.
It takes four hours to
reach the destination. Sean unloads and sets up camp; he quickly
erects the tents saving time for later so they can chill out. There
is no need to pay anyone for using the land as the area was abandoned
by landowners years ago after the first rebellion.
--- Alex is
the first to wake when Sean puts the coffee on. A campfire is already
blazing, and he has laid out everyone’s plates and cutlery ready
for their holiday meal. The girls begin stirring when the faux bacon
starts cooking. Eggs are on the boil and beans are bubbling.
--- “It’s been a lovely evening,” says Brandy,
cuddling up to Alex.
--- “This is just what we need, I hadn’t
realised how burnt out we all are,” Alex says, kissing her hair.
--- “We must thank Sarah when we get back,” Brandy says.
--- “We’ll take her for a meal or something. Let’s not think of
work now. It’s so nice to sit and listen to the sounds of the
night.”
--- The peace is suddenly interrupted by the sound of
chainsaws.
--- “It’s a bit dumb cutting down trees at night,”
says Alex.
--- Suddenly, a piercing scream fills the air. A
shiver runs down Brandy’s spine, and she quickly checks her leg
status. It has enough charge for about three hours of use. She begins
to panic.
--- “Was that a scream?” Rebecca asks.
--- “It sounded like a
woman,” Alex says.
--- Sean goes into the camper van and gets
his rucksack. He hauls it out and dumps it on the ground near the
others.
--- “What have you brought with you?” Alex asks.
--- “Not enough,” Sean says, pulling out the equipment.
--- A
pile of assorted weapons and gadgets lie in front of them. They
divide it up, and Sean locks the van.
--- Brandy checks her leg
once more before they all set off in the direction of the scream.
--- When they reach the top of a hill, they can see the situation
below. A man and woman are hanging upside down by their feet,
suspended from a tree. A group of ten men dressed in hoodies are
taking it in turns to scare their captives by placing a running
chainsaw as near as they can to the couple without cutting them.
After
the meal, Rebecca says she’s tired and wants to go to bed. Sean
goes with her to their tent, leaving Alex and Brandy beside the
campfire.
Sean and Rebecca get out of their tent and come over to the campfire.
Exercise: Continue the episode.
The episode title is called The Escape From Spy Camp. So some or all four operatives could be captured and taken back to their camp; the hooded men are not campers, they could be a car or motorbike gang similar to the one in the film Mad Max. If the Spies split up and go their separate ways, then it would be good to show how each operative is fairing, one after the other; title each scene as follows – Sean, Brandy, Alex, Rebecca. In Mad Max, Jessie is being pursued through a wood by the biker gang. Also, think of the films First Blood and Deliverance.
Notes.
* Brandy’s leg is discharging, so she may suddenly become incapacitated.
* Sean and Alex are both expert fighters, although I do frequently put them in situations where they cannot shine!
* Rebecca was raised in wooded surroundings and is an expert in botany, so she could use her skills to make a toxin (a non-lethal sleep inducer?) to use with a blowpipe.