Scout's Honour - Camp Red - P1

And here is the last new series that will begin very, very soon.

You've asked for it (some of you more than others!) and whilst I considered rebooting The Christmas Trip, I've decided to hold off and inject some new life into the series. Keep an eye out, you may just recognise some names! 

All characters are consenting adults (18+)

Liam smoked a cigarette and watched as the cop patted down his friend, Devon. Experience taught him that there was no use in running now, so he didn’t. He simply stood there smoking.

“Put your hands on the wall” the other cop spat, and roughly spun him around. Liam scoffed, and held the cigarette between his lips as the man began to search his pockets.

“You know weed is illegal?” The cop asked, dropping the bag onto the concrete. Liam didn’t respond, it was better to keep quiet.

The man slid his hands down each leg before finally pushing against his crotch. Liam smirked.

“I bet you enjoy this part of your job, huh?”

The cop ignored him and continued until the two young men were stood side by side and the officers glared at them both.

“We could arrest the pair of you” the older one said, his eyes scanning Liam, “what would your parents think if they knew you were out here on a Friday night, drinking and smoking weed?”

“My folks are probably somewhere doing the same thing” Devon laughed, which was likely true, though he had no way of knowing. He hadn’t seen his parents since he was taken from them ten years prior.

“And what about you?” He asked Liam, who shrugged.

The younger officer looked as though he’d happily lock them both up, but remained silent as his partner continued.

“You’re both eighteen” he said, “so I’m going to take it easy on you, but if I catch you out here again, I’ll arrest you, do I make myself clear?”.

Both of them nodded, though they had no intentions of following the man’s orders. They’d be back in an hour.

“This ain’t the first time I’ve come across you two” the younger cop said, as though he was eager to get the cuffs on them. “Weren’t you both involved in that robbery up on thirty-sixth?”

Neither of them replied.

“Fuck this, let’s just get these little shits off the street for the night” he said, and reached for Liam’s arm.

“I’m not dealing with the paperwork” the other cop said, and his partner stopped and glared as Liam smiled. “It’s a bag of weed and some beer, it’s not exactly the crime of the century”.

As much as both young men hated the cops, they were thankful for the older one. Liam pulled his arm away, but as soon as he did, the cop pulled another bag from somewhere and held it up.

“That’s not mine!” Liam snapped, staring at the bag of white powder, “you fucking planted that!” It was true. Despite the fact that the two teens were known throughout the relatively quiet town as being quite the pair of troublemakers, hard drugs weren’t their thing.

“Hands behind your back” the cop snarled, “you’re under arrest for possession of a controlled substance”.

As the man began to call out their rights, the two of them were handcuffed.

“This is bullshit!” Devon snapped, “that pig planted that on him!”

“Shut your mouth” the older cop growled, dragging him toward the cruiser, “you just had to go and blow your chance, didn’t you?”

“You fucking pigs” Liam hissed, and felt a blow to his lower back.

“Are you resisting?” The younger cop asked, pulling out his baton as Liam dropped to his knees, and by the time both young men were sat inside small, cold cells, the result of the beatings were clear to see.

Liam pulled his knees to his chest and sighed. His dad wouldn’t care, so he didn’t have to worry about that, but if he ended up in front of the same judge as the last time, he was almost certain that he’d get a sentence.

Three weeks later Liam Bradley entered the courtroom with a woman who had been appointed as his lawyer, and watched as the very same judge who he’d been before four times previous, began to hear Devon’s case.

“You have previous charges for trespassing and burglary” the judge said sternly, staring down at the teenager who had a much cleaner record than Liam did. “You’re eighteen years old and you have two offences on your record, do you think that’s acceptable, young man?”

Devon shook his head. He was far more controlled in these situations than Liam was. “No, your honour”.

The judge, who looked to be in his sixties, studied a report that Devon’s lawyer had provided, which no doubt mentioned his tough upbringing. The young man was quite happy for his miserable childhood to be a crutch in times like this.

“You grew up in care?” The judge asked, though his tone wasn’t exactly friendly.

“Yes, your honour”.

The man continued to read before finally setting the documents down and staring at Devon. Liam was sure that his pal would get off with a warning, but he wasn’t so sure about his own fate. Would the old judge give him one more chance? It was difficult to tell, but his lawyer was quite certain that he’d avoid a custodial sentence if he showed some remorse.

“Day in, day out” the judge said, not taking his eyes off the young man, “I find myself presiding over cases involving delinquents like you, Mr. Reid”.

Liam swallowed a lump in his throat.

“Day in, day out” he continued, “I show compassion in my rulings, because just like you, some of these boys and girls have had extraordinarily difficult upbringings”.

The tension eased a little. Surely when the judge heard about Liam’s alcoholic father who hadn’t even bothered to show up, he’d show some lenience.

“And day in, day out, I’m reminded that sometimes, it’s best to nip the problem in the bud immediately. Therefore, I’m sentencing you to six months incarceration”.

The gavel hit the wood before Devon or Liam had a chance to process the words. The young man swung around and gawped at his friend as two police officers grabbed him and led him away. Liam’s heart almost exploded in his chest, and he turned straight to his lawyer who looked equally as horrified.

“What the fuck just happened?” He hissed, but the woman had no answer. She began to fumble with papers and hurried off before returning a moment later.

“I’m sorry, Liam” she said, “but apparently he’s been sentencing everybody this morning. All we can hope for is that he’ll take it easy on you”.

“Take it easy?” Liam snapped, “I was set up! That shit was planted on me, don’t you fucking understand that?” He was seething. Yes, he’d fucked up with the weed, but he certainly wasn’t to blame for the coke! As he opened his mouth to continue to argue, his name was called, and the blood inside him turned cold.

“Ah, back again, Mr. Bradley” Judge Timmons said, with a smug grin on his wizened face. “Did I not say that the next time we meet, will be the last time we meet?”

“Yes” Liam replied stiffly.

“Yes, your honour” the judge corrected and Liam reluctantly repeated it. “I see here that you were arrested alongside your little friend who is about to begin a six month sentence”.

Liam remained silent, but could hear the sound of his heart smashing against his chest.

“I’ve read your report for the fifth time in the last year, and I don’t expect to read it again, because I assure you, young man, this will be the last time I see you before me”.

He gulped, hard.

“You’re probably expecting a nice little six month sentence” the judge half scoffed. “Yourself and Mr. Reid having a little vacation in prison, huh?”

The judge sounded unhinged. Liam couldn’t quite believe that he was being spoken to like this by a judge!

“Well, I considered it” he continued, “it would take you off the street for a while, but let’s be honest, you’d be out in two months if you could manage to behave yourself, so I’ve decided that I won’t be sentencing you to prison at all, Mr. Bradley”.

Liam’s eyes widened. He looked back at his lawyer and felt kind of bad for snapping, but she didn’t look as relieved as Liam did.

“Instead, you’ll be enrolled in a six week camp designed for young men like you”.

He cocked a brow.

“It’s run by the Scouting Association, and from what I’ve heard, it will be a perfect place for you to learn what it means to be a functioning member of society”.

“Wait, wait” Liam said, not quite understanding the situation. Judge Timmons’ face stiffened.

“You do not tell me to wait in my own courtroom, young man!” He spat, and Liam fell silent. “I have no doubt that while you’re there, you’ll learn some respect, too! And let me explain something to you, Liam. I expect a full report on your progress, and if I am not satisfied, you’ll serve a minimum of five years in prison, do I make myself clear?”

He couldn’t believe his ears. Was this some sort of joke? All he had to do was go to some stupid camp for a few weeks? He nodded his head and hid his grin. What a stupid old fuck.

“You’ll be returned to jail until tomorrow morning when you’ll leave” the man said, closing over the report and handing a booklet to another person who gave it to Liam. “You can read over the details of what you can expect during your time in camp while you wait”.

“Yo” Liam whispered as an officer came to take him away. His lawyer looked over at him. “Thanks!” He beamed, “you obviously did something right”.

She still looked worried, and Liam cocked a brow.

“I’m sorry, Liam” she said, as he began to be led away.

“Sorry?” He laughed, “I’m going on a vacation, baby!”

Back in his cell, Liam couldn’t believe his luck. While Devon was rotting away in prison, he was going camping for a few weeks! Sure, he’d probably have to endure some losers, but it was certainly better than prison! He grinned to himself as he took out the booklet and began to read.

Here at Camp Red, we pride ourselves on our ability to turn unruly young men into strong pillars of their local community. As a group of scout masters with a long history of navigating the daunting wilderness, we ensure safety, structure and most importantly, improvement! Since being founded, Camp Red and our team of dedicated counsellors have turned the lives of countless young men around, and if you’re reading this, we’re about to do the same for you! Isn’t that exciting?

We cater to males aged eighteen to twenty-one, so you’ll be surrounded by a peer group of your own age who have all struggled with behavioural issues, just like you! With small groups of six, we ensure plenty of one-on-one attention, and you’ll never be bored at Camp Red.

Our days may begin earlier than you’d like, but we aim to pack in as many activities as possible, so that your mind and body are constantly on the go! You’ll make friends, develop deep, meaningful relationships, and work through your own personal problems before returning to your lives as responsible, respectful young men.

Will your time here be difficult? Of course it will, but as our founders like to say, there is no sunshine without a little rain! We cannot wait to meet you, and prove that whilst our approach may not be traditional, it is most certainly effective.

Yours,

Nathan, Ben, Rory, Jesse & Radek - Your camp counsellors.