The Shark Rider by Ellen Prager

looked up expectantly. Tristan wondered what other cool gadget they might get. He felt like James Bond. Maybe they’d get to use an underwater car that fires torpedoes and releases an ink smokescreen or has an ejector seat.
    â€œLunch!” the director said as he passed out boxed meals. “There are drinks in the small refrigerator in the back. Help yourselves.”
    Lunch was good, but Tristan was disappointed that it wasn’t another undersea gadget.
    â€œHey, how about some food up here for the one flying the plane,” Coach Fred said over the intercom.
    Director Davis chuckled and carried two of the box lunches into the cockpit.
    Tristan offered to get Hugh a drink. He didn’t think his friend was going to undo his seatbelt anytime soon. While they munched on sandwiches, Tristan, Hugh, and Sam examined their maps.
    â€œThere’s Beef Island, where we’re headed,” Hugh pointed out. “It’s right beside that island, Tortola, and pretty close to guess what?”
    â€œVirgin Gorda,” Sam and Tristan answered together.
    Along with Tortola and Virgin Gorda, there were smaller islands to both the south and north, includingNorman, Peter, Mosquito, Great Thatch, and Little Thatch. Some specific locations were also marked on the map—The Baths, Deadman’s Cove, Invisible Bay, Rogue Rocks, and Treasure Caves.
    The director came back through the plane to get drinks and noticed the teens staring at their maps. “Bet you’re wondering where those names come from.” He sat on the couch across from them.
    â€œIt’s quite a story actually. The British Virgin Islands were discovered by Columbus in 1493 and soon became a favorite hideout for pirates. Some of the most dubious and infamous characters of the high seas sailed the waters of the BVIs. The sheltered coves and uncharted reefs of its some forty small islands were great places for the pirates to stage raids from and stash their loot—at least that’s what people say. Notice Great and Little Thatch Islands. Those were named after Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard.”
    Rosina and Ryder had turned around and were now listening as well.
    â€œAnd Beef Island, where we’ll be landing, was—as the story goes—home to a widow who poisoned a band of thieves during a dinner party. The conversation during that dinner must have truly been toxic .”
    When the campers failed to laugh at his joke, the director continued, “Pirates are said to have buried treasure on Norman Island, and supposedly it inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s book Treasure Island . Who knows what you’ll come across during your investigation!”
    Tristan found Norman Island on the map. It was the island the yellow rubber ducky had circled near in the computer model. Treasure Caves was on the southwest side of the island.
    â€œAre there, like, pirates there now?” Ryder asked.
    â€œNot that I know of,” the director replied. “But you never know where unsavory characters will pop up.” He raised his eyebrows at them and then headed back to the cockpit.
    â€œNot very reassuring, is he?” Hugh said to Sam and Tristan.
    Unsavory characters? Surely the man was just joking, as usual. Tristan thought again of Rickerton. At least that was something they wouldn’t have to worry about. He looked over at Hugh, who was examining the robo-jelly again. Sam was drumming her fingers on her seat’s armrest. Her eyes moved nervously from Tristan to Hugh to the map and then out the window.
    â€œOkay, everyone settle down and get some rest,” Director Davis said from up front. “We’ll be touching down in a few hours.”
    Tristan, Hugh, and Sam sat quietly talking, but together the drone of the plane and the soft leather seats were like sedatives. Soon their eyelids got droopy, and their heads began to bob. Just before Tristan nodded off, he glanced out the window. Were