“Maybe it tells something about the Romanov Ransom?” Dietrich said.
“A mystery that’ll have to wait,” Sam replied. “Let’s get back into that cockpit and finish bracing our tunnel.”
“What about the papers?” Dietrich asked.
“Give them to Remi. I promise she won’t start reading without us.”
“Me?” Remi said, looking far too innocent for her own good. When he and Dietrich finished bracing the tunnel and returned down to the hold a few minutes later, she aimed the flashlight on her pack, taking out the papers. “A little light reading to catch up on. Part of it at least.” She handed them to Dietrich, no doubt to help get his mind off their situation.
Sam waited while Dietrich read. “Any talk of the treasure?”
“Not by name.” Dietrich scanned the first page, then turned to the next. “This seems to be a synopsis of more detailed plans to sabotage the peace efforts. Bomb Russia and blame it on the Americans, bomb America and blame it on the Russians — apparently, they were waiting on the money to finance it. The goal was to start the war again…” He looked up at them. “If the treasure was on this plane, then I guess it’s a good thing it went down.”
“Except for Klaus,” Remi said.
He nodded, returning the papers to Remi, who read them herself, then returned them to her pack.
They spent the remainder of the night keeping warm, taking turns on checking the tunnel, telling stories about the various places they’d been. Dietrich had never traveled beyond South America and was fascinated by their adventures. “How is it you two met?” he asked.
“The Lighthouse Cafe,” Sam said. “A bar in Hermosa Beach, California.”
“In fact,” Remi added, “we were on our way there when we landed here. Sort of.”
“Listen.” Sam turned on the flashlight, aiming the beam at the cockpit. “I don’t hear any wind.”
“Not again,” Remi said, shivering. It seemed colder now than it had been the previous night.
Dietrich got up. “My turn. I’ll check.” He took his flashlight and climbed up the ladder. They heard him moving around up there. “It’s still open. But the wind has stopped.”
Sam joined him in the cockpit, looking through the tunnel. “He’s right,” he called down to Remi, who was holding on to the ladder behind him.
“When can we get out?” she asked.
He looked at his watch. “My guess is, they’ll be waiting for morning to start the search. We’ll call first thing.”
The three settled in for the night. The cold seemed even harsher. When morning came, Sam climbed up, disappointed to see that the snow had once again covered their tunnel. He grabbed the shovel and started clearing the entrance. This time, though, when he broke through, it was to a clear, sparkling sky.
“That’s a welcome sight!”
Once the three were free of the plane, snowshoes strapped on, they worked their way down the mountain far enough to get a clear signal on the satellite phone. Sam called Nando.
“Good news!” Nando said before Sam could get a word in edgewise. “Julio is already on his way. He’s insisting on piloting the search and rescue himself.”
“We’ll be at the rendezvous point. What about his brother?”
“Fine. Made it back, but wracked with guilt.”
“Tell him not to worry.”
“I will!” Nando said. “We’re celebrating tonight. Big dinner. And your friends said to tell you they’re waiting for you.”
“Who is?”
“Yes. See you soon!”
Nando disconnected before Sam could clarify further. He stared at the phone a second.
“Well?” Remi asked.
“He’s more excited about our rescue than we are. Celebratory dinner. And our friends are waiting for us.”
“Tatiana and Viktor?” Remi asked.
“I hope that’s who he meant.” Sam tried calling him back. This time, there was no answer. “Odd. I’ll call Selma. Maybe she’ll know.”
Selma, however, had no idea what he was talking about. “As far as I know, Tatiana and Viktor are still in Mendoza. That’s got to be who he meant.”
“Of course it is. I’ll give them a call.”
“I’ll see what I can find out on my end.” But neither Tatiana nor Nando answered their phones. He left voice mails on each, then pocketed his phone. “I’d feel better if we knew which friends he was talking about. Especially considering Tatiana and Viktor are the only ones who know we’re up here.”
“Surely,” Remi said, “Nando would suspect if two strange men showed up at camp?”
“Let’s hope so,” he said as the air began thrumming from the approaching helicopter.
Dietrich pointed. “There it is!”
Sam looked up. “Better late than never,” he said, watching as the helicopter approached, flying over the top of the ridge, circling back and then down the pass — something Julio had never done.
Remi even noticed. “Why’s he coming that way?”
“Good question,” Sam said, shielding his eyes against the glare, trying to see if it really was Julio piloting. It definitely wasn’t the same craft.
The helicopter seemed to shudder as it hovered over them, before banking sharply. Remi reached out, grabbing Sam’s arm. “Something’s wrong.”
85
The three watched as the helicopter picked up speed again, circled around the peaks one more time, then landed near the rendezvous point. When the door opened and Julio appeared, waving at them, Sam, Remi, and Dietrich continued down the mountain.
“Is everything okay?” Sam asked Julio. “Looked like you were having some trouble up there.”
“Combination of an unfamiliar craft and a sharp downdraft,” Julio said. “I wasn’t about to trust anyone else. I had to borrow this after my brother’s accident. I can’t tell you how sorry he was.”
“He’s not hurt?” Remi asked.
“He’s fine. Our helicopter not so much. But it got him home, and you’re all okay.”
“More than okay,” Sam said, making a mental note to have Selma get started on replacing the damaged helicopter. He threw their packs into the back before helping Remi. Once they were in the air, he tried calling Nando and Tatiana. Again, neither answered, and so he checked in with Selma, who had the same results. Concerned, he asked Julio if he’d spoken with Nando at all.
“Earlier this morning.”
“He say anything about friends stopping by?”
“Not a word.”
Sam eyed the base camp below as the helicopter neared. “Do me a favor, Julio. Fly a little slower as you make the first pass. I want to get a better look at our tent.”
He lifted the binoculars, focusing as their large orange dining tent came into view. He scanned the area around their campsite. No one seemed to be around. “If our ‘friends’ are there, I don’t see them,” he told Remi. “Then again, I don’t see Nando, either.”
“I’m still worried,” Remi said.
“Good reason for it,” Sam replied, pointing near the helipad. “That man at the northeast corner. Possibly a sentry.”
“There, too,” Remi said. “A little farther to the south.”
“How can you tell?” Dietrich asked.
“Besides that we’re expecting it? The way they’re standing, right hand in the right pocket, most likely holding a gun. Notice we’re all wearing bright colors,” Sam added. “They’re dressed in white. Blends in with the snow.”
“Guess my false travel plans didn’t work,” Dietrich said.
“Might have bought us a few days.” Sam scanned the area with his binoculars, telling Remi, “I don’t see Rolfe or Leopold.”
“Maybe they didn’t want to get their new white snowsuits dirty.”
“Somehow, I doubt we’re that lucky. There’s got to be more sentries. Leopold doesn’t send a couple men out and hope for the best.”