Youâre right. It does look like Morse code. Someoneâs out there!â
âWrite this down,â Cody commanded, handing M.E. her notebook and a pencil.
Code Busterâs Key and Solution found on this page , this page
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Once the girls had translated the message, they looked at each other.
âWhat does it mean?â M.E. asked Cody.
Cody shrugged. âYou donât suppose one of the boys sent that message â¦?â
âLuke or Quinn? But why? That makes no sense,â M.E. said.
Just then Cody heard her cell phone chirp. âA text.â She picked up the phone lying next to her sleeping bag and read the message.
âR U sending code?â
The text was from Quinn.
âNo,â
Cody texted back.
âThot U wr.â
After a pause, she texted again:
âSup?â
âIDK. Something abt a map,â
Quinn answered.
Cody thought about the map Chad had shown them. She pulled up the picture sheâd snapped on her cell phone and studied it. Was this the map they were referring to? She opened the tent flap and leaned out, scanning the dark again for the flashing light.
There was nothing but pitch blackness in the trees around the camp. Whoever had been sending Morse code appeared to have vanished.
Another text chirped on Codyâs phone, again from Quinn.
âWeâll CIO 2morrow. L8R.â
Code Busterâs Solution found on this page
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M.E. snuggled back into her sleeping bag and pulled it up to her nose. Although sheâd been frightened, it didnât take her long to fall back asleep. Meanwhile, Cody kept watch for the next half hour, unable to relax. Finally feeling drowsyâand seeing no sign of the mysterious light againâshe lay down in her bag and drifted off, dreaming of pirates.
The warm sun filtering in through the door of the tent woke Cody early the next morning. She turned to check on M.E. and found her friend still asleep. Cody checked her phone for messages and, finding none, gathered her clothes, towel, soap, and toothbrush, and headed for the latrine to get ready for the day.
By the time she returned, M.E. was up and dressed and holding Codyâs phone. âQuinn just texted. He said to meet him in the trees where we saw the light last night.â
Wondering what was up, Cody tucked her Pjâs into her sleeping bag, hung up her wet towel on a tree branch, and, together with M.E., headed for the spot where theyâd seen the flashing light. Luke andQuinn were already there, scoping out the area.
âDid you find something?â Cody asked as she and M.E. reached the boys.
âFootprints,â Luke said, pointing to what looked like several large boot prints in the soft dirt.
âThey look fresh, but I guess they could have been made any time in the past few days,â Quinn said.
âThereâs no sign of a flashlight or map, is there?â M.E. asked, scouring the area around the footprints.
âYeah, right,â Luke said. âLike theyâd leave those behind.â
âI wonder if it was one of the teachers?â M.E. said. âMaybe Stad was practicing Morse code with another teacher so she could send us a message today. She loves codes about as much as we do.â
âI doubt it,â Quinn said. âNot that many kids would be able to translate it.â
Something caught Codyâs eye as she followed the boot prints leading deeper into the trees. The object was small, thin, and white, and sticking out of the ground. If she hadnât been looking carefully, she might have missed it.
She knelt down for a closer look.
âCome here!â she called to the others. âI think I found something.â
âWhat is it?â M.E. asked, hurrying to Codyâs side. The gang knelt down around the object in the dirt, frowning at the discovery.
Cody reached for it.
âDonât touch!â Quinn commanded.
âWhy not?â Cody asked.
âBecause it