Chapter Ten

It was getting dark and Lavagirl was worried. Sharkboy and Tucker were still out and the tide had risen. She could not see anything out the window. She turned away. The other kids were patching up the floor and she went to join them.

"Are they back yet?" Max asked.

Lavagirl shook her head.

"Don't worry," Danny said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Tuck knows this side of the island like the back of his hand. They won't get lost."

"Then where are they?" Lavagirl asked.

Marissa and Linus exchanged worried glances.

"Do you want to go out and look?" Linus asked.

"I think we should."

The kids dusted themselves off and Danny left a note for his mom. They went outside and started walking along the water. After a while Danny stopped next to a short wooden pole.

"It's gone," he said incredulously.

"What's gone?" Marissa asked.

"Aquamarie, my dad's fishing boat. I left it tied to this pole and now it's gone."

"Did Tucker take it?" Max asked.

"Looks like it," Danny turned back to the house.

"Where are you going?" Linus asked.

"To get Lilly, my step-dad's boat. We have to catch up to them. It's dangerous out there and Tucker can't swim in deep water."

The rest of the kids followed him, and in a few minutes they were sailing out to sea.

00000

Sharkboy awoke upright against a wall. The calm rocking of the floor told him that he was on a ship out in deep water. He moved forward to inspect his surroundings but found he could not. Looking down he saw that his ankles and wrists were shackled to the wall he was standing against. He strained to get out but to no avail. He was trapped. Sharkboy tried to contain his growing panic and took a long, deep breath. He thought of Tucker. Was he in the same predicament?

Sharkboy wondered if Max, Lavagirl, and the rest of the kids had noticed he was missing. He hoped so. Just then the door across from where he was bolted opened. Tucker, walking unsteadily on his plastic leg, came up to him.

"Hey Tucker," Sharkboy said, trying to sound jovial, his voice shaking slightly, "what's going on here, man? Come on, get me down from here."

"Uncomfortable?" Tucker asked, smirking.

"Yeah, come on man."

"Good" came the sharp reply.

Sharkboy frowned, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Well Taylor, it's like this—can I call you Taylor?"

"Um, okay."

"It's like this Taylor, I work for a guy. He hates sharks as much as I do. His wife was killed in a shark attack you see, so he actually hates them more than me. Anyway, since you seem all 'buddy-buddy' with the sharks we're going to use you as live bait. The sharks see you in trouble; they come to help you and . . . bam! No more sharks. We'll blow them out of the water."

"Why are you doing this?" Sharkboy was silently hoping that Tucker would make him angry and that by going a Shark Frenzy he could break the iron shackles that held him. He was not prepared for the words that emitted from the small boy in front of him.

"It was a shark attack. About a year ago. I lost my leg and my for sharks. Naturally when something hurts you, you don't like it. Right?"

"Uh, I guess."

"So Dad wasn't very happy that I stopped liking sharks. I noticed he seemed more distant but thought he'd get over it. He didn't. That's when he started looking for you full force. He practically abandoned my family searching around the world. Well we don't need you. We were fine until you came. You ruined everything! If you hadn't shown up Dad would've gotten over you and come back to me and Danny! I hate you! Do you hear me? I hate you!"

With that Tucker, the boy who never cried, collapsed on to the floor, tears coming out it great wracking sobs. Sharkboy watched awkwardly, not knowing what to say. After a few minutes Tucker controlled himself enough to stand. He gave Sharkboy a haunted look full of hurt and anger. He turned away and walked, unsteadily, out the door, shutting it behind him, and leaving Sharkboy all alone with the hate filled words echoing through his head.