also posed a problem.
Anthony cut the Explorer ’s engine and walked to the stern of the boat.
“Can you see anything?” he asked.
Noah was training a pair of binoculars on the shoreline. “The moon’s helping, but it’s still hard to make out much. I remember Dad saying there’s an opening to the cave above the waterline, and one below.”
“We should swim in the underwater entrance so no one sees us,” Anthony said.
“Can we shine some light on the shore?” Noah asked.
“Just for a second.” Anthony trained a large spotlight on the shore. “We don’t want to attract attention.” He flicked a switch and a bright beam of light hit the shoreline.
“Wait. There it is.” Noah handed the binoculars to Anthony, then adjusted the spotlight. “Right by that outcropping of rocks.”
Anthony peered through the binoculars. “I wonder how deep the water is there.”
“And if there are barracudas,” Juan Carlo chimed in. He’d changed clothes and looked much more comfortable in shorts and a tee shirt.
“I wish we could get a bit closer,” Anthony said. “Better turn off the light.”
“Will you dive now?” Juan Carlo asked.
Noah shook his head. “We’d have to use underwater lights. If patrolling boats came by, the lights would alert them.”
“We can come back in the morning and dive once the sun is up. We’ll moor the boat out far enough where Wright can’t tell us where to be. I’ll dive over there while you two stay with the boat. I’ll explore the cave and see what I can find. If anything goes wrong, you hightail it out of here and get Chief Burton.”
“Uh-oh. It looks like we have more than barracudas to deal with.” Noah had the binoculars again. He reached over and turned on the spotlight.
“What do you mean?” Anthony asked.
“Watch over by the cave entrance.” The dark water shimmered in the spotlight, and periodically a fin broke through the surface, cutting through the water like a silver knife.
“Sharks,” Anthony said.
“That’s bad,” Juan Carlo shuddered.
“They must be feeding on something in the cave,” Noah said.
Anthony nodded. “Just what we need.”
“How do you get in there if the sharks are there?” Juan Carlo asked.
“Go in the opening above the waterline,” Anthony shrugged.
“It’s up on the left.”
Anthony took the binoculars and studied the cave. “You’re right. But, man, that’s a small hole. I don’t know if I can squeeze through that.” He cut the spotlight power again.
“Then I’ll go,” Noah said, his jaw locked in determination.
“It’s too dangerous,” Juan Carlo said.
“We’ll both go,” Anthony said.
“We can swim over to the left,” Noah pointed south of the entrance. “Then we’ll get out of the water at those rocks. We’ll leave the tanks there and climb over to the entrance.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Anthony said.
“I’ve played around in places like that before,” Noah said.
Anthony scrutinized the shoreline again. “I don’t see any other way.” He gave the binoculars to Juan Carlo. “We’ll come back tomorrow. If we start at first light, we can be back at the house in plenty of time for the phone call.”
“This is too dangerous,” Juan Carlo repeated. “There must be another way.”
“Not in the time we have,” Noah said. “We have to find those glass pieces before noon tomorrow.”
In the distance, the revving sound of a motorboat pierced the darkness.
“Wright’s patrol,” Anthony said. “They saw the spotlight. Let’s get out of here!”
He sped to the cabin and started the engine. The Explorer churned through the inky water, leaving Copper Key behind.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SHARKS
Friday dawned warm, with gentle breezes stirring the palm trees on the south side of Copper Key. Off the north shore, the Explorer sat anchored in the thirty-foot depths.
“Here’s the radio.” Noah showed Juan Carlo a VHF marine radio. “It’s
Anthony cut the Explorer ’s engine and walked to the stern of the boat.
“Can you see anything?” he asked.
Noah was training a pair of binoculars on the shoreline. “The moon’s helping, but it’s still hard to make out much. I remember Dad saying there’s an opening to the cave above the waterline, and one below.”
“We should swim in the underwater entrance so no one sees us,” Anthony said.
“Can we shine some light on the shore?” Noah asked.
“Just for a second.” Anthony trained a large spotlight on the shore. “We don’t want to attract attention.” He flicked a switch and a bright beam of light hit the shoreline.
“Wait. There it is.” Noah handed the binoculars to Anthony, then adjusted the spotlight. “Right by that outcropping of rocks.”
Anthony peered through the binoculars. “I wonder how deep the water is there.”
“And if there are barracudas,” Juan Carlo chimed in. He’d changed clothes and looked much more comfortable in shorts and a tee shirt.
“I wish we could get a bit closer,” Anthony said. “Better turn off the light.”
“Will you dive now?” Juan Carlo asked.
Noah shook his head. “We’d have to use underwater lights. If patrolling boats came by, the lights would alert them.”
“We can come back in the morning and dive once the sun is up. We’ll moor the boat out far enough where Wright can’t tell us where to be. I’ll dive over there while you two stay with the boat. I’ll explore the cave and see what I can find. If anything goes wrong, you hightail it out of here and get Chief Burton.”
“Uh-oh. It looks like we have more than barracudas to deal with.” Noah had the binoculars again. He reached over and turned on the spotlight.
“What do you mean?” Anthony asked.
“Watch over by the cave entrance.” The dark water shimmered in the spotlight, and periodically a fin broke through the surface, cutting through the water like a silver knife.
“Sharks,” Anthony said.
“That’s bad,” Juan Carlo shuddered.
“They must be feeding on something in the cave,” Noah said.
Anthony nodded. “Just what we need.”
“How do you get in there if the sharks are there?” Juan Carlo asked.
“Go in the opening above the waterline,” Anthony shrugged.
“It’s up on the left.”
Anthony took the binoculars and studied the cave. “You’re right. But, man, that’s a small hole. I don’t know if I can squeeze through that.” He cut the spotlight power again.
“Then I’ll go,” Noah said, his jaw locked in determination.
“It’s too dangerous,” Juan Carlo said.
“We’ll both go,” Anthony said.
“We can swim over to the left,” Noah pointed south of the entrance. “Then we’ll get out of the water at those rocks. We’ll leave the tanks there and climb over to the entrance.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Anthony said.
“I’ve played around in places like that before,” Noah said.
Anthony scrutinized the shoreline again. “I don’t see any other way.” He gave the binoculars to Juan Carlo. “We’ll come back tomorrow. If we start at first light, we can be back at the house in plenty of time for the phone call.”
“This is too dangerous,” Juan Carlo repeated. “There must be another way.”
“Not in the time we have,” Noah said. “We have to find those glass pieces before noon tomorrow.”
In the distance, the revving sound of a motorboat pierced the darkness.
“Wright’s patrol,” Anthony said. “They saw the spotlight. Let’s get out of here!”
He sped to the cabin and started the engine. The Explorer churned through the inky water, leaving Copper Key behind.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SHARKS
Friday dawned warm, with gentle breezes stirring the palm trees on the south side of Copper Key. Off the north shore, the Explorer sat anchored in the thirty-foot depths.
“Here’s the radio.” Noah showed Juan Carlo a VHF marine radio. “It’s
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