Read Online Shipwreck Island by S. A. Bodeen - Free Book Online Page B

“It’s a small boat. Like a lifeboat. It was on the stern—the back—of the boat.”
    Sarah made her way to the stern and looked over. A small white boat, which looked barely big enough for a couple of people, was attached by a rope. “Yeah!” she yelled. “I see it.” She didn’t add any details, like the fact that the dinghy was upside down in the water; her dad could find out that bad news on his own.
    John joined her on deck, and set down a basket full of cans and boxes. He looked over the side and sighed. “I’m going down there. I hope it still floats.”
    He handed his glasses to Sarah, then put his legs over the side and jumped into the water with a splash. Sarah watched as her dad was able to right the dinghy and climb into it. He grinned up at her. “Lucky for us, someone did a great job lashing these oars to it. Seems to be fine! Just a little wet. Can you pass down that basket? Put my glasses in it, would you?”
    Sarah set the glasses gently on top, then tried to lift the basket, but it was too heavy. She dragged it over to the side. “What do I do now?”
    She heard a thump and whirled around. Marco had just dropped a loaded mesh bag onto the deck. He gazed at the island. “Whoa. Sweet.” He peered over the side at John. “How are we gonna lower this stuff?”
    John asked, “Do you see a rope of any kind?”
    Marco lifted up the lid of one of the benches. “Yeah.” He pulled out a frayed, knotted-up line. “I guess this qualifies. Hold on.” He slipped off his life jacket. “This thing is too hot.” He slid the line through the basket handles, and dropped it over the side, lowering it slowly to John, who caught it and undid the line. “Perfect. Send down some more.”
    As Marco started to do the same to the mesh bag, he looked over at Sarah. “Are you just standing there? There’s a lot more stuff down there to unload.” He scowled. “Unless you’re too busy doing nothing .”
    Sarah stuck out her tongue at him, whirled on one toe, and headed over to the stairs. Down in the cabin, she found Yvonna and Nacho had taken off their life jackets and were furiously grabbing food and water. But she focused on the corner, and their pile of suitcases. Sarah grabbed hers and dragged it up the stairs. She wheeled it over to Marco. He glanced at her, took ahold of it, and called, “Heads up!” Then he dropped it.
    Sarah leapt over to the side and looked down.
    Her suitcase had landed outside the dinghy, but her dad had snagged a corner of it and was hauling it in.
    Sarah shoved Marco. “You did that on purpose!”
    He shrugged. “Maybe there are more important things than your stupid clothes.”
    Sarah glared at him and went back downstairs.

 
    14
    After the third load up the stairs, Marco stopped counting. His mom and Nacho and Sarah had put food and supplies in whatever kind of carrier they could find, even pillowcases, and he just kept hauling things over the railing and lowering them to the dinghy. John had made one trip to the beach in the dinghy so far, and was about to leave for the second. Marco called down, “I think we only have one more load.”
    John said, “And that’ll be everything?”
    Marco nodded. “Pretty much the food and water supplies.”
    John sat down for a moment. His hair was plastered to his scalp with sweat and his face was red; maybe from the exertion, maybe from the sun. Marco couldn’t tell. John said, “What about other stuff? We’re going to have to make a camp until we get rescued. I mean, that could be later today or maybe not until tomorrow. So if we have to spend the night, we will want blankets. And matches for a fire.”
    Marco nodded. “I’m on it.” He appreciated that John was treating him like an equal in the endeavor, not talking down to him. He also liked that he and