Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes

asked Eddie.
    â€œWe were fleeing from kidnappers,” Molly answered matter-of-factly.
    â€œAwesome,” said Raj.
    Addison flipped through his aunt’s gigantic copy of
Fiddleton’s World Atlas
. “I’m not sure about the second half of the clue, the hidden cave of bones and all that. But the first part seems clear enough.”
    Molly, Eddie, and Raj crowded around the atlas.
    Addison pointed a finger at a map of Colombia. “These are the Andes Mountains. And look—southwest of Bogotá, there is a town called Olvidados.”
    â€œâ€˜
Río
’ means ‘river,’” Eddie chimed in, squinting at the map. “And Olvidados is split in half by a tiny river. That could be the Río Olvidado.”
    â€œSo we have a starting point,” said Molly.
    Addison addressed the group. “Gentlemen,” he said dramatically, “and also Molly,” he added, “we are flying to Colombia.” He turned and began pulling camping gear from the hall closet.
    â€œWait, shouldn’t we think about this first?” asked Eddie.
    â€œThink about what?” asked Raj, tightening the straps of his bug-out bag.
    â€œI mean, shouldn’t we just go to the police?”
    â€œRagar could be boarding a plane within the hour,” said Addison. “Once he leaves American soil, there’s nothing the local police can do. We’d just be stuck here praying the Colombian police can be bothered to track Ragar across the Amazon. And frankly, I don’t like those odds.”
    â€œWell, what are we supposed to tell our parents?”
    Addison was not one to be bothered by details. “Eddie, just leave them a note telling them you’re with me. It’s not lying. Besides, you sleep over here every weekend.”
    â€œI know, but Colombia? There’s a whole rain forest down there. We could get malaria.”
    â€œI’ve got pills for that,” Raj piped in.
    â€œEddie, I’m an experienced traveler. I’ll have you back in time for school on Monday.”
    â€œYou can’t guarantee that.”
    â€œI can’t
not
guarantee it.”
    Eddie pondered this.
    â€œLook,” said Addison. “If your parents were kidnapped, I’d go and help you.”
    â€œThat’s true,” said Eddie. “But you’d do anything that means getting out of school.”
    Addison felt Eddie had a strong point there.
    â€œI shouldn’t even be here,” Eddie continued. “You know my mom thinks you’re a questionable influence.”
    â€œI’m a fantastic influence! Your parents don’t let you do anything. I let you do whatever you want.” Addison pressed his point. “I’m giving you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Eddie. Your parents are workaholics with seven cats. They practically keep you imprisoned under lock and key. If you grow up sheltered and afraid of taking risks, someday you could end up just like them.”
    Eddie shuddered. It was all true. “Okay, fine. But South America? Aren’t there kidnappers?”
    â€œThere are kidnappers here, too.” Molly shrugged.
    â€œAll right—but it’s a different continent. How do we even get there?”
    â€œI’m glad you asked that, Eddie.” For this was Addison’s trump card, the moment he had been waiting for. “Minutes before my uncle was kidnapped, he gave me one very important item . . .” Addison reached into his back pocket and showed the group. “His wallet.”
    â€œSo?”
    Addison flipped open the billfold and said two magic words: “Credit cards.”
    Addison could sense Eddie’s objections melting away one by one. He forged ahead. “Seventh grade is almost over. We don’t know what the future will bring. Even if we find my aunt and uncle, the museum might lay them off. Molly and I might have to go live with our weird uncle Jasper in England.