Speed Times Five Read Free Page B

Curtis. These are my friends, Maggie Collins and Robert Frid.” The other two, a man with short black hair and a woman with long auburn tresses, offered their hands as well.
    The Hardys shook hands with them. “Frank and Joe Hardy,” Frank said.
    â€œAre you three a team?” Joe asked.
    â€œNo,” Frid said. “We’re all competing separately.”
    â€œThough not in a cutthroat way,” Maggie Collins added with a smile. “What about you two?”
    â€œWe’re competing as well,” Frank said. “Our support crew should be here shortly.”
    â€œWhen Frank says ‘crew’ he actually means our friends Chet Morton and Jamal Hawkins,” Joe said, grinning.
    â€œWe’re using hired support,” Curtis said. “One of the college alumni pitched in on the cost so all of us could race.”
    â€œLucky thing,” Frid added, “or two of us would just be along for the ride.”
    â€œWell, nice meeting you,” Frank said. “I’m sure we’ll see more of each other during the race bivouacs. C’mon, Joe. We’d better find Jamal and Chet.”
    The Hardys left the hilltop lodge and joined up with their friends at the gondola platform. They checked over their mountain bikes, and housed them in a large shed being used to store race equipment. Then all four scouted the next day’s downhill course before returning to the lodge for dinner. After dinner, they mingled and scoped out their rivals some more.
    The large field of competitors came from all over the northeastern United States and Canada. Most had joined up for the thrill of the race. Many were college students like Curtis, Frid, and Collins. Others, like Roger Baldwin, had crossed over from other athletic disciplines. Some, like the Clemenceaus, hoped to expand their media visibility. A few, like Hawk and Lupin, seemed driven by their own inner fires.
    Most of the contestants kept to themselves during the evening and retired early, not wanting tobetray their strategies to their rivals. The Hardys, Jamal, and Chet turned in just before ten.
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    Morning dawned bright and beautiful over Fire Creek Mountain. Sunlight blazed over the green ridges of the resort and painted the bare ski slopes orange and gold.
    The Hardys and their friends rolled out of the sack early and joined the other competitors in the dining hall for breakfast. Then the brothers went to the equipment shed and gave their mountain bikes a last going-over.
    As the starting time drew near, the race crew assembled the contestants in front of the lodge, and Vince Bennett spoke to the group.
    â€œGreetings! Welcome to the Speed Times Five Adventure Race!” Bennett called to the crowd through a bullhorn. “Glad to see you all up and at ’em this early.” He smiled as the competitors grumbled back a sleepy greeting. “Hopefully, all of you received your start times with your competitor’s package when you checked in. For the benefit of the media present”—he nodded to a stand of video cameras set up nearby—“let me explain that the racers will start in order of ranking—for those who have competed in previous adventure races—or by random group draw for new participants.”
    â€œHow’d we do on start time?” Chet asked.
    â€œNot too bad,” Frank said, checking his schedule.“We’re about the middle of the pack. I’m going before Joe.”
    â€œThey kept us together since we’re using the same support crew,” Joe said, smiling at Chet and Jamal.
    â€œBecause of the staggered start, the racers will be timed to the checkpoints,” Bennett continued. “These times will determine starting order during other legs of the race. The media and spectators can check the Speed Times Five Web site for complete rules.
    â€œRacers’ communications packs will be given a once-over by