“The short story is,” he said, “my great-grandparents fled Germany during the war to protect their middle son, Klaus, after their oldest was killed fighting the Nazis in the resistance. After the war, my great-grandmother’s brother, Ludwig Strassmair, showed up, offering to pay a good sum if Klaus would accompany him on a trip to Chile. The plane never made it. My grandfather believed it went down in the Andes Mountains, or it would have been found before now. It was after the plane was lost that people started making inquiries about what Ludwig Strassmair discussed with my great-grandfather. It’s also how I ended up here, of all places.”
“Did your grandfather know anything?” Sam asked.
“I know what he didn’t tell them. He only allowed Klaus to go with Ludwig as a paid companion. He felt guilty for taking the money, but they desperately needed it. And, of course, after the plane was lost, he suspected there was some other reason that Ludwig was taking the trip — something he didn’t know about, especially after these inquiries were made. There was no doubt in his mind that the people asking were Nazis.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “This last fact I didn’t find out until right before he died. Even my mother didn’t know. Once I was old enough, I did some digging on my own. My search eventually brought me here.”
“For what reason?”
“A number of reasons, actually. The night Klaus and Ludwig left, there was a murder at the shipping office where Ludwig worked. The newspaper reported it as a robbery, but my grandfather didn’t believe it.” He glanced over at the men at the bar, then back. “My grandfather said that the man deserved to die like the wolf he was. It wasn’t until I started researching the Nazi war criminals and read about Operation Werewolf that I realized he wasn’t speaking metaphorically. That, in turn, made me wonder about the drug runners in this area after I heard the locals referring to them as los lobos.”
“The wolves,” Sam translated. “We ran into them on the way here.”
“They have a compound in the jungle about three days west of here.”
Remi said, “I’d think this would be the last place you’d want to be.”
“I’m just the bartender. They’re so used to my presence, they tend to look right through me. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve stayed on.” He looked up at the door, then back. “I figured I might be able to turn over information about their movements to the government. My way of getting back for what happened to Klaus.”
“Rather dangerous, don’t you think?” Sam replied.
“Maybe so, but these men transport their drugs right past us on the river. The people in this village deserve better.”
Sam agreed with him. “Did you ever find out anything else on the downed plane?”
“There seems to be conflicting evidence that some sort of cover-up took place after the plane went down.”
“What sort of cover-up?”
“About who was on board. One of the reports I read said that there were only five civilian passengers and three crew, but another said six civilian passengers. Apparently, someone on the ground crew recalled seeing a man boarding when the plane was about to take off and yet there is no official record of a sixth passenger.”
“Odd,” Remi said. “Do you think that tied in with the murder at the shipping office?”
“Possibly,” Dietrich replied. “Of course, there was also the physical evidence. A propeller.” When all three of them looked at the one mounted on the wall behind the bar, he laughed. “Not that one. That was found in the jungle nearby. A much smaller plane, and much more recent. I’m talking about one found high up in the Andes near Mount Tupungato. It was from an Avro Lancastrian, the same type of plane Klaus and Ludwig were in.”
Sam and Remi exchanged glances. “Pretty conclusive evidence, I’d think,” Sam said.
He shrugged. “No one’s ever found anything else, including me. I’ve led dozens of expeditions to help fund my searches. When my money runs out, I return here, tend my bar, then head back up, listening to the stories from other climbers, hoping I might hear about more debris. So far, nothing…”
“Any chance you can show us where it was found?”
“The actual location? Not easy to get to. The conditions are extreme, between the high altitude, glacier, and unstable weather, even if we rented a helicopter to get from the base camp to the location, we could spend days up there searching. But the cost — between the helicopter, equipment, and the time, it’s expensive.”
“If you’re willing to lead it, we’re willing to fund it.”
“Beside Klaus, what exactly is so important about this plane that complete strangers are interested in it?”
“Something called the Romanov Ransom.”
“Which is what?”
After Sam told him, Dietrich leaned back in his chair, whistled, and looked at the three of them. “Looks like we have some plans to make.”
76
The next afternoon, Sam stood outside Dietrich’s bar, talking to Selma on his satellite phone. “You’ve got our list?” Sam asked.
“Already sent it to your flight crew,” Selma said. “They did an inventory check right before they took off from Buenos Aires. I found a store in Mendoza that has the rest of what you need.”
“And the helicopter?”
“I called the company that Dietrich recommended and spoke to the pilot this morning. He’ll pick up the four of you downriver, then fly you into Mendoza from there.”
“And he’s agreed to be on standby?”
“Since he’s based out of Mendoza, he said it wouldn’t be an issue. The only thing that might come up is that his wife’s expecting in the next few weeks. He’ll make arrangements with his brother to take over should she go into labor early.”
“Check that off the list. What else?”
“I heard from Rube,” Selma said. “Tatiana and Viktor have followed Leopold and Rolfe to Buenos Aires. They were seen at the property manager’s office. Leopold knows that you’re looking for Dietrich. He’s on your trail.”
“Not surprising. When we rescued Nando, one of the drug runners got away. Good news travels fast.”
“I’ll give Rube your location. Good luck, Mr. Fargo.”
Sam disconnected, then returned inside the bar, joining Remi and Nando at a table. “Everything’s set,” he told Remi.
“And Nando?” she asked, looking up from the map she’d been studying. “How’s he getting home?”
“We can arrange for a car service once we get to Mendoza.”
“Actually,” Nando said, “I was hoping I could go up with you. I want to help.”
“If you had more climbing experience, I’d agree. It’s dangerous.”
“And so are the men coming after you. I’m strong. I’ve always dreamed of going up to the mountains where my namesake saved so many. Maybe I’ll be good luck?”
Remi gave a supportive smile. “Hard to argue with that.”
Sam’s instinct was to tell him no. And yet, the fact Nando had saved Remi in the jungle by refusing to tell the kidnappers that she was in the vicinity was enough to convince Sam that he had the fortitude to persevere even in the face of danger. “Dietrich? You’re familiar with the area. Exactly how difficult are we talking?”
The bartender eyed Nando. “He seems fit. Considering that we’re bypassing the worst of it on a helicopter, an extra body at base camp will be welcome. It should be safe enough there.”