Mysteries in Our National Parks: Escape From Fear: A Mystery in Virgin Islands National Park

Mysteries in Our National Parks: Escape From Fear: A Mystery in Virgin Islands National Park
Gloria Skurzynski

Alane Ferguson

National Geographic Kids

The Landons are in the Caribbean, in Virgin Islands National Park, to figure out what is destroying the coral reefs and causing the hawksbill sea turtle to disappear.Jack and Ashley find themselves hopelessly entangled in the mysterious life of Forrest Winthrop IV, the adopted son of a U.S. diplomat. Why is he so anxious to save an island woman named Cimmaron? What secret do they share? Follow the action to Jumbie Bay and see what the full moon reveals.From the Paperback edition.

ESCAPE FROM FEAR

A MYSTERY IN VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

GLORIA SKURZYNSKI AND ALANE FERGUSON

For Denise Georges,

who brought the island of St. John

to life for the authors

Text copyright © 2002 Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson

Cover illustration copyright © 2008 Jeffrey Mangiat

All rights reserved.

Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents is prohibited without written permission from the National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

Map by Carl Mehler, Director of Maps

Map research and production by Matt Chwastyk and Thomas L. Gray

Hawksbill turtle art by Joan Wolbier

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to living persons or events other than descriptions of natural phenomena is purely coincidental.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Skurzynski, Gloria.

Escape from fear / by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. p. cm.—(Mysteries in our national parks; #9)

Summary: While at St. John National Park in the Virgin Islands for a seminar on coral reefs, the Landons help a wealthy thirteen-year-old to find his birth mother, whom he believes is in danger.

ISBN: 978-1-4263-0972-4

[1. Racially mixed people—Fiction. 2. Adoption—Fiction. 3. Poaching—Fiction. 4. National parks and reserves. 5. Virgin Islands of the United States—Fiction. 6. Mystery and detective stories.] I. Ferguson, Alane. II. Title. III. Series.

PZ7.S6287 Es 2002

[Fic]—dc21

2001005508

Version: 2017-07-07

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are very grateful to

Ginger Garrison, Marine Ecologist,

U.S. Geological Survey, and to the staff members

of Virgin Islands National Park

who so generously shared their expertise:

Denise Georges, Park Ranger;

Ken Wild, National Park Service archaeologist;

Schuler Brown, Chief Ranger;

Judy Shafer, Deputy Superintendent; and

Rafe Boulon, Chief, Resource Management; and a

special thanks to Miss Felicia, the basket-maker.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE