Rain Forest Relay Read online

  TO JENNE, WHO KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ON A TEAM –KJE

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  CHAPTER 1: SEEING RED

  CHAPTER 2: CALLING ALL CUCKOOS

  CHAPTER 3: THE BIGGEST SNAKE

  CHAPTER 4: CLEAR AS GLASS

  CHAPTER 5: THE CRAZY CANOPY

  CHAPTER 6: A GOOD PREDATOR

  CHAPTER 7: PRETTY IN PINK

  CHAPTER 8: A FRAYED FRIENDSHIP

  CHAPTER 9: RACE TO THE FINISH

  TEASER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALSO AVAILABLE

  COPYRIGHT

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  Your team has been chosen to compete in THE WILD LIFE, a race around the world to experience the majesty of the animal kingdom.

  Be the first team to answer all the clues and you’ll win the ultimate prize—a million dollars for the team.

  There are four legs, each in a different habitat. At every stop, you’ll meet strange and wonderful animals. Keep your eyes and ears open for clues. And watch out—the wild world is beautiful, but it can also be dangerous!

  GOOD LUCK!

  Russell Dean watched as the other contestants came into the clearing. They had all said good-bye to their parents the day before and boarded a plane. Russell had barely ever left his hometown. Now he was far away, in the middle of nowhere. Well, not exactly nowhere. It was the most awesome place he had ever seen.

  The trees rose over one hundred feet, and their thick leaves blocked out almost all the sunlight. The warm, moist air clung to his skin, giving him the chills. Everything on the forest floor was cloaked in spooky green shadows. When he looked up, it was like a kaleidoscope of green with slivers of golden light. This place felt special, almost sacred.

  When Russell looked down again, the clearing was full of people: mostly kids around his age and a few adults with clipboards. Russell hadn’t paid much attention to the other kids the day before, because he’d been with his best friends: Jayden, Dallas, Damien, and Gabe. They’d played flag football together for three years. Even though they’d all wanted to be contestants on The Wild Life, it had been Russell’s idea to enter.

  But now he didn’t have a choice. He had to deal with the other kids. He wasn’t with his friends anymore.

  “Welcome,” a man called out. “I am Bull Gordon.” The man was standing behind a podium, but not the kind of podium that a principal stands behind at an assembly. This one was made from the trunk of an old tree, with roots reaching into the ground like spindly fingers. The man stretched his arms and wrapped them around the top of the podium’s crusty bark.

  “You are in the heart of the Amazon rain forest, home to some of the world’s most exotic animals,” he bellowed. “For all you lucky contestants, this is the start of the Wild Life competition—the first of four legs, each in a different ecosystem. To win, you’ll have to prove that you understand what makes these different environments work.” Bull paused and surveyed the contestants. “Now, you need to find your teams. And hurry up! This is a race after all.” A sly smile gave way to the trademark grin that showed up on all the ads for The Wild Life.

  “Hey, you!” Russell heard a voice call. The voice seemed to be directed at him. “You, with the red folder.” The voice sounded impatient.

  Russell looked down at the folder in his hand. It was definitely red, unlike the ones his four friends had. Theirs were all green.

  “What? Are you going to make us come to you? Fine.” In no time, the voice and its owner were in Russell’s face. “What’s your deal?” The voice belonged to a girl. The girl was tall, and she had a red folder tucked under one arm. A hiking backpack dangled from the other. “You’re on our team. I’m Sage Stevens.” Sage turned around and pointed to a much shorter girl whose long dark hair was pulled into a braid so thick that it looked like a panther’s tail. “This is Mari Soto.”

  Next, Sage pointed at a boy. The boy had a gigantic camera hanging around his neck. It was almost bigger than his head.

  “And this is—”

  “Dev Patel, at your service,” the boy said, cutting Sage off. He politely stretched out his hand.

  Russell gave it a shake.

  “And you are?” Sage Stevens prompted. Her intense blue eyes returned their gaze to Russell. She tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ear.

  “I’m Russell,” he answered. “Russell Dean.”

  “And what would you say your strengths will be?” Sage asked, eyebrows raised. “In the race, I mean. What do you have to offer the team?”

  Russell wasn’t about to answer. Who put this girl in change? She was getting on his nerves.

  “There’s a million dollars up for grabs,” Sage said, as if Russell didn’t already know that. “As a team, we need to be fast, generous, and smart if we are going to win The Wild Life.”

  Russell knew all about the race. He didn’t need Sage’s advice. After all, it had been his idea to enter in the first place. He was the one who had sent his friends the link. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel to the world’s most exotic places and see wildlife up close. Plus, there were challenges that meant real adventure: mountain climbing, river rafting, maybe even a safari. That’s why it was called The Wild Life!

  Russell couldn’t believe that his friends were all on a team together, and he had ended up with a bunch of strangers. He’d even been the one to talk Damien’s mom into letting him go. Russell had promised he’d look out for him.

  He glanced over and saw Damien and his other friends, laughing together. They hadn’t said a word to him since they found out he had been booted from their team. They hadn’t been mean, but they hadn’t been particularly nice about it either. “Who knew they’d change the number on a team from five to four?” Gabe had said, like it was a random piece of trivia. The worst part was that Russell knew his friends. He knew they were smart and fast. He knew that they had come here to win.

  “And tough,” Russell said after a long pause. He looked at each of his new team members in turn.

  “What?” Sage asked.

  “Fast, generous, smart, and tough,” stated Russell. “We’ll also need to be tough if we want to be the winning team.”

  Sage nodded, and the corners of her mouth turned down. Russell could tell she was holding back a smile. Dev and Mari nodded, too.

  “Now, groups,” Bull announced over the excited frenzy, “you have two duties. First, get to know your teammates. Second, get some sleep. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, you will receive your first challenge. Have a good night.” He stepped away from the podium and began talking to one of the adults with a clipboard.

  Russell leaned over, grabbed his bag, and swung it over his back. He turned to Sage, Mari, and Dev. “Anyone know the way to the red team’s bunk?” he asked.

  THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST

  A rain forest is just what you would guess: a forest with extremely high amounts of rainfall, usually between 80 and 250 inches a year. It is very humid, which means there is a lot of moisture in the air. The temperature is warm all year. It usually ranges from 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 34 degrees Celsius).

  Rain forests cover only 2% of the earth, but they are home to over 50% of the world’s species. That means over half of the different kinds of animals in the world live in rain forests.

  The Amazon, in South America, is the largest rain forest in the world. The heart of the rain forest is the Amazon River, which runs over 4,000 miles, from the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.

  “My dad laughed when he read the rules,” Sage said, putting a scarlet hoodie in her backpack. “He says it’s hilarious that we can’t use cell phones or computers.”

&
nbsp; “Adults assume we can’t do anything without the Internet,” Mari added. There was a snap as she finished twisting a rubber band around her braid.

  “I can’t believe I have to leave my camera behind,” Dev said with a sigh. “Even worse, I had to trade it for an ‘ancam.’ That isn’t even a cool name. What is it, a combination of an animal and a camera?” He was comparing his ultra-advanced camera to the tiny device that all the contestants had received that afternoon. “This thing doesn’t even have a decent telephoto lens. We’re going to have to get super close to get our shots.”

  The ancam was a digital camera and walkie-talkie combo made just for the race. All the race devices were set up to call only one number: the Wild Life hotline. Teams could use it to contact the race organizers to get new clues … or if they got into trouble. The organizers used the devices to send maps or other information to the contestants.

  “At least the ancam is fair,” Mari said. “All the teams have the same stuff.”

  “And cell phones wouldn’t get a signal in the Amazon anyway,” Russell reminded them.

  “If they did,” Dev chimed in, “I bet the green team would be calling their mommies every five minutes.”

  Everyone laughed, even Russell. He could tell that Dev had just picked a team at random to make fun of. Dev wasn’t trying to be mean, just funny. Russell hadn’t told his new teammates that he was friends with everyone on the green team. Now definitely did not seem like the right time. The funny thing about Dev’s joke was that Dallas’s mom had this awesome tech job. Her company made cutting-edge phones and other smart devices. Dallas’s house was full of cool stuff. If anyone would have a way of contacting his mom from the Amazon, it was Dallas.

  The four members of the red team were in the middle of packing their bags. The Wild Life started the next day. They’d carry only a backpack during the race. The organizers would take the rest of their stuff to the next stop so it would be waiting for them.

  Marcia and Javier headed up the Wild Life clothing and supply crew, and they were in the red team’s bunkhouse, advising the team on their wardrobe and gear.

  “You all need to take a red backpack and a red rain poncho,” Marcia said, “but picking the rest is up to you. You get twenty pieces in all.”

  Each team member could choose from a whole rack of athletic clothes and shoes. Since they were the red team, everything was in some shade of red.

  “Is it good or bad that we’re red?” Russell asked. “We won’t be camouflaged. Other teams will totally be able to spot us.”

  “I’m more worried about getting lost,” Mari replied. “If we get lost, really lost, a bright red poncho won’t help at all. What do we do then?”

  “Don’t get lost,” Sage said in a matter-of-fact tone. “We have to stick together.”

  “That’s good advice,” Javier said with a laugh.

  But Mari, Dev, and Russell all glanced at one another. It wasn’t as if they were going to get lost on purpose.

  “If you do lose track of the team, you could use one of these,” Javier offered, holding up something that looked like a kazoo. He put it to his lips, and out came a sound that seemed to be half laugh and half squawk. Javier blew again, and the odd, musical chuckle repeated.

  “Oh, is that the call of a squirrel cuckoo bird?” Mari asked.

  Javier blinked several times and then stared at Mari. He looked down at the wooden instrument. “Piaya cayana,” he read out loud.

  “Oh, yeah,” Mari said. “I think that’s the scientific name for squirrel cuckoo.”

  Javier turned the instrument in his hand. He rubbed his finger over a carving on the other side. “What do you know? Squirrel cuckoo,” he read.

  “What?” Dev questioned. “I thought the squirrel and the cuckoo bird were two totally different animals. Mari, how’d you know that?”

  “I don’t know,” Mari responded. “I probably saw it on TV or something. It has a very distinct call.” She didn’t look up, but instead investigated a number of tank tops, running her fingertips along the seams.

  Russell joined Mari when she moved to the table with the shoe options.

  Did he want sports sandals that could get wet? Hiking boots for protection? Or running shoes for speed?

  “What shoes are you guys getting?” he asked.

  “You need two pairs,” Sage said. “ ’Cause they’ll get wet, and there’s nothing worse than wet feet.”

  Russell sighed. Sage had no problem giving advice. He reached for a pair of sandals like the ones he had worn last year.

  “Don’t even think about choosing something that does not have closed toes,” Sage added. “There are roots sticking out of the forest floor, creepy crawlies, piranhas. You get the idea.”

  Russell quickly angled his hand toward a pair of running shoes and some rubber boots. Next, he checked out the extra gear: ropes, climbing belts, a whittling knife.

  The four made their final selections, and Marcia and Javier packed up the remaining clothes and shoes. “Bye, Team Red. See you at the send-off,” Marcia said, waving.

  “Here you go,” said Javier, placing a squirrel cuckoo call in the palm of each kid’s hand. “On the house. Good luck, guys.”

  Dev locked the bunk door and looked at his watch. “Twelve hours,” he said. “Twelve hours and our lives will change forever.”

  Russell glanced at the two photos he had put in the outer pocket of his backpack: one was of him and his big sister with their parents; the other was of Russell with Dallas, Damien, Jayden, and Gabe. Russell didn’t have to wait a single hour. Some things about his life had already changed.

  * * *

  Russell’s brain still felt blurry, despite the fact that Sage had blown the squirrel cuckoo whistle over an hour earlier. Russell didn’t need an hour to get ready. He needed more sleep. If Sage didn’t chill out, she would drive him cuckoo.

  The jungle was alive with chirps and squawks, but the contestants were all silent. The morning mist lingered in the tops of the trees, sheltering the forest floor from the sun.

  Russell glanced at his teammates. He hoped they were ready.

  “Hey, dude.” Russell turned toward the hushed voice and saw Dallas standing next to him. His friend had on a pair of deep green cargo shorts and a gray swim shirt with green on the shoulders. “I just wanted to say have a good race. We’re all rooting for you.”

  “Thanks, man,” Russell said. He grabbed Dallas’s hand like they always did after good football plays. Then they slapped each other on the back. For a moment, Dallas’s hand rested on Russell’s red pack.

  Russell watched Dallas return to the green team. Dallas gave them all a thumbs-up, and Russell’s friends looked at him and waved. They were all smiling, which was weird. They never smiled before a game; they were all business.

  “You know those guys?” Dev asked.

  “Yeah,” Russell admitted. “They’re my friends from football.”

  “How come you’re on our team?” Sage wondered.

  “Got me. But I am,” Russell said. He caught Sage staring at him, studying his face.

  “Look. Bull’s coming,” Mari whispered. The teams instinctively moved into tighter clusters. The yellow team—two girls and two boys—wore matching lemon-colored polo shirts and khaki shorts. Next to the yellow team, the blue team looked like a varsity sports photo. They were all in athletic shorts and tanks, with long, strong arms and legs. The purple and orange teams were gathered closer to the podium. To Russell, the orange team looked more like the red team—a good mix. The purple team was all girls. The green team was all boys. Even as he tried to get a sense of the different teams, Russell realized they had one thing in common. They all wanted to win.

  “Morning!” Bull announced from behind his tree podium. “And a very good morning it is!” He paused as a few kids mumbled a response. “Excuse me. You’re about to race in The Wild Life. Is it a good morning or not?”

  “Yes!” the contestants cheered. The sound seemed to
stay in the clearing, echoing back on the small crowd.

  “Well, you have your gear. You know the rules, so there’s no reason not to start. Punch the answer to the first clue into your ancams, and get going.” He paused and tipped his fedora forward for effect. The teams waited for his cue. “What’s the name of the of the life source that snakes through the rain forest all the way to the Atlantic Ocean? Answer it, and go!”

  CREATURE FEATURE

  SQUIRREL CUCKOO

  SCIENTIFIC NAME: Piaya cayana

  TYPE: bird

  RANGE: from Mexico to Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad

  FOOD: large insects, including caterpillars and wasps; sometimes spiders, small lizards, and cocoa beans; rarely fruit

  This cuckoo bird gets its name from its habit of running along tree limbs. It likes to jump from branch to branch, much like a squirrel. It doesn’t fly very often. The squirrel cuckoo nests high in the trees.

  Easy! If he couldn’t answer this question, he didn’t deserve to be here. “Here,” Russell prompted, snatching the ancam from Dev. He fumbled with the new device and got to the alphabet screen. A-M-A-Z-O-N_R-I-V-E-R, he typed with super-speed thumbs. He’d have to tell his mom that all those video games were good for something after all. The screen lit up with a picture of leaves that spelled CORRECT. Next, the screen read YOUR NEXT CLUE.

  “I got it! I got it!” Russell called in a hushed voice. He could see kids from other teams glance over at him. Sage, Mari, and Dev pulled in tight to look at his screen.

  What has feet like a duck, the body of a beaver, and the head of a hairy hippo?

  Warning: At least half the animal has to be out of the water in your photo.

  What? This one was not easy. Russell realized the first question about the Amazon had been a freebie. Now the race had really begun.

  “I know it,” Mari said quietly. “Let’s get down to the closest stream.”