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C HAPTER 1
    Rick Williams ran his hand through his short brown hair and looked out the window. The sun wasn’t up yet. He turned his attention back to what he was doing, rolled his sleeping bag tightly, and secured it to the frame of his metal packboard. He was the designated leader of this climb and he wanted no mistakes. Mentally he checked off his list of equipment: headlamp, mittens, sunglasses, food, extra clothing, canteen, cooking kit, compass …
    The front door burst open. A sandy-haired boy who was about three inches taller thanRick strode across the room and fell into the nearest chair. He grinned up at his friend. “I would have bet money on it. How many times have you inspected your pack this week?”
    Rick turned red. “Come off it, J.D. You know the right equipment can mean the difference between life and death up there.”
    J.D. sat up. “There’s not much chance of anybody getting hurt on good old Sugarloaf. Shoot, we’ve climbed that mountain a thousand times. It’s baby stuff.”
    Rick looked at him. “You haven’t talked to Spud yet, have you?”
    “No, I—hey, what are you guys up to?” J.D. asked suspiciously.
    “Did I hear someone mention my name?” A stocky boy with jet-black hair stepped into the room. He set his pack in the middle of the floor and pointed outside. “I left my climbing gear on the porch. We almost ready to go?”
    J.D. stood up. “What did you forget to tell me this time, Spud?”
    “Shhh.” Rick held his hand up and looked back toward the stairs, where his parents’bedroom was. “We don’t want everybody to know.”
    “This spring break we’re doing things a little different, J.D.,” Spud whispered. “The Rock Jockeys are finally going on a
real
climb. We’ve worked hard to get in shape and practiced our heads off. Now it’s time to put it all to the test.”
    “Where are we going? Elk Mountain? Timmons Peak?”
    Spud grew serious. “We’re going up the north face—Devil’s Wall.”
    J.D. sucked in a breath. Devil’s Wall was the most dangerous mountain face in the area. “Does your dad know we’re not going to Sugarloaf?” he asked.
    Rick shook his head. “No, but it’s all right. Dad’s our teacher and he knows we’re good. He’s responsible for everything we know about rock climbing. He’ll be proud when we become the first climbers in history to make it up the north face.”
    “After he kills us.” J.D. ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know … I didn’t really come prepared for a climb like this.”
    “Got it covered.” Spud raced to the porch and came back with extra food and supplies. He motioned for J.D. to put the stuff in his own pack.
    J.D. was still worried. “Maybe we should wait till summer. The top is probably covered with ice and snow now.”
    “Come on, J.D.” Rick picked up his pack. “So far everybody in town makes fun of the Rock Jockeys. This is our big chance to show them we’re serious climbers. Think how famous we’ll be: the first, not to mention the youngest, climbers to make it all the way up Devil’s Wall.” Rick paused. “And there’s also the bomber to think of.”
    “Don’t tell me you guys believe that stupid rumor?”
    The whole town knew the story about how a World War II bomber had supposedly crashed somewhere on the top of Devil’s Wall. The latest gossip was that the crew had all been killed and the government hadn’t been able to recover the plane.
    “What if it’s true?” Spud asked. “What if abomber actually crashed up there? Wouldn’t it be neat to get to see it up close?”
    “No way.” J.D. shook his head. “The government has had every kind of helicopter and search team up there you can name. They’ve gone over every inch of that mountain from the air and they haven’t found a thing.”
    Spud slapped J.D. on the back. “That’s because they didn’t have the Rock Jockeys helping them.”

C HAPTER 2
    J.D. looked down at the gentle, tree-studded ridge