Free Danger on Midnight River by Gary Paulsen Page A

scowled. “Leave him alone, boneheads. Let him get in the van.”
    “Aw come on, Brandon.” Scotty held his hands out. “We're just trying to have a little fun with the geek.”
    “Later.” Brandon's face was seri-ous.
    “Whatever you say, O wise one.” Scotty moved out of the aisle to let Daniel pass. As Daniel took a step, Scotty stuck his foot out and tripped him. Daniel fell to his knees.
    He jumped up with his fists clenched. “Try that again, lard bucket.”
    “Not in my van.” The driver growled as he pulled the sliding door shut. “You peacocks can fight all you want after you get there. For now find a seat and sit in it. Don't even think about getting out of it before we get to the camp.” Climbing in behind the wheel, the driver turned toward them. “I also don't want no music, loud talking, or snoring.” He mumbled something under his breath about spoiled rich kids and started the engine.
    Daniel moved to the last seat at the back of the van. He propped himself in the corner and pretended to go to sleep,
    Scotty sat down in the seat in front of Daniel and whispered, “I wouldn't sleep too soundly, Danny boy. You never know when the boogey man might get ya.”
    Troy and Brandon spun around in their seats two rows ahead. Troy laughed. “Watch it, Scotty, you're scaring him. We may have to stop and get his teddy bear out of his suitcase,”
    Brandon rubbed his eyes and took a pack ofcards out of his back pocket. “Why don't you idi-ots grow up?”
    Scotty leaned back over the seat. Daniel could feel the boy's hot breath on his face. “You're gonna love camp, Danny boy. I'm gonna see to it personally.”

CHAPTER 2
    The storm was steadily growing worse. Giant drops of rain pounded the van with a vengeance. The driving wind buffeted the van and made it hard to stay on the road.
    Daniel stared anxiously out the window. They had been driving in the mountains for several hours. He looked at his watch. They should have been there by now.
    He glanced at the three boys laughing and playing cards in the mid-dle of the van. They were acting as if they didn't have a worry in the world.
    The driver was a different story. Beads of sweat dripped off his forehead. His knuckles were white from clutching the steering wheel so hard. Daniel could tell that the man could barely see the road, and more often than not the van veered over onto the shoulder.
    Abruptly the van left the pavement and began traveling on a dirt road. Daniel looked at his watch again. They hadn't passed a car in more than an hour. He considered asking the driver if they were lost, then decided against it. If they were, there wasn't anything Daniel could do about it anyway.
    From the hollow sound the van made as it passed over the wooden planks, Daniel could tell they were on some sort of bridge.
    The driver scratched his head and muttered under his breath. “Don't remember no bridge out here. Musta made a wrong—”
    Suddenly it felt as if they were flying. The plank noise was gone and the van soared effortlessly through the air.
    When it hit the water, it hit hard. The boys were thrown against the walls like rag dolls.The van was instantly sucked into the raging current and dragged downstream.
    The driver was hanging limply over the steering wheel. Blood trick-led from the corner of his mouth. Outside, the rain still hammered down. The heavy front end of the van was completely submerged, and only the back stuck out of the water as the churning river drove it down the treacherous canyon.
    Daniel opened his eyes and shook his head. It felt as if he'd been kicked by a mule. His forehead throbbed and he could feel a knot on it. He raised himself up and tried to see outside. The back end of the van was slowly sink-ing.
    There was only one chance. Crawling to the back door, he unlocked it and pushed it open. The rain pelted him and the wind forced him back. He braced him-self and shoved.
    It was an immediate fight for his life. The angry water hurled