Free Fright Wave by Franklin W. Dixon

foot pedals, and the helicopter banked hard to the left.
    Frank glanced at the fuel gauge. The needle was still close to F. The tank was almost full. Frank smiled. Doyle had a weird sense of humor, but he was beginning to like him. "Cheer up, Joe," he said. "You said you needed a bath, anyway."
    ***
    They were in the air for over an hour. Frank checked the position of the sun and guessed they were headed northwest. They flew over the small island of Lanai. They saw Molokai in the distance. Oahu passed by on the right. After that, there was nothing but blue for a while. Blue sky above them, and blue ocean below.
    Finally a lush, green island loomed ahead.
    Jade pointed out the window. "That's Kauai. They call it the garden island. That must be where we're going."
    "What makes you think that?" Joe asked.
    "Because if it isn't," Doyle answered, "it's an awfully long way to the next island big enough to land on." He turned to Frank and grinned. "Hang on - we're going in hard!"
    The helicopter banked to the right and swooped down toward the island. As they got closer, Frank could see a vast, tropical jungle.
    "Yee - hah!" the pilot whooped, skimming the tops of the trees. "I love this job! It's the most fun you can have without getting shot at."
    Frank spotted a small cabin in a clearing in the jungle. Doyle pulled back on the stick, and the helicopter slowed down. It hovered over the clearing for a moment. Then he pushed down on the lever at his side, and the flying machine eased to the ground.
    Doyle cut the engine power and unbuckled his safety harness. "One of the fringe benefits," he said, gesturing at the small cabin surrounded by forest, "is being able to live someplace where you never get uninvited visitors."
    They all got out of the helicopter. Joe looked around. Something was missing. "Is there a road anywhere near here?" he asked.
    "Depends on what you mean by near - and what you mean by road," Doyle replied. "There's an old dirt trail about a mile from here. I guess you could run a four-wheeler down it."
    "So you can get here only by helicopter," Frank said.
    "You got it," the pilot answered. He opened the cabin door. "Welcome to Chateau Doyle. Try to ignore the mess. It's been a while since any guests have been here."
    They followed him inside. "Looks like it's been a while since anybody has been here," Jade said.
    There were cobwebs everywhere, and a faint mildew smell filled the air. The sparse wood furniture looked handmade, Frank noticed. Probably carved from trees that grew in the area.
    "Well, it has been a while since I was last here," Doyle admitted. "I don't really live here anymore. I just use it as a retreat - a place to chill out when the world gets too weird."
    "Like now?" Joe ventured.
    A grin spread across the pilot's bearded face.
    "Are you kidding? I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun."
    "Well, all this fun is making me hungry," Joe said. "I don't suppose you've got anything to eat in the refrigerator. That is, if you have a refrigerator."
    Doyle laughed and slapped Joe on the back. "Let me show you the kitchen. We've got all the modern comforts. Refrigerator, stove, trash compactor - "
    'Trash compactor?" Jade echoed.
    'Sure," Doyle replied. "There's not a lot you can do with garbage. You can either bury it in the yard and end up living next to a dump, or - "
    "Or you can haul it away," Frank cut in. "And if you have to carry it away in a helicopter that doesn't have a lot of extra space, a trash compactor makes a lot of sense."
    "What do you do for power?" Joe asked. "I bet the electric company doesn't run any lines out here."
    "If they did," Doyle answered, "I'd have neighbors pretty soon, and then I'd have to move. There's a diesel generator out back. It's not much, but it'll give us all the power we need. Come on, I'll show you."
    He started to walk to the door and then stopped. He scratched his beard. "Of course, it isn't going to start without any fuel in it." He shrugged his