Grand Canyon Grab

by Ron Roy

  “Right,” Dink said. “I’m Dink, and this is Ruth Rose. The guy with the parrot is Josh.”

  “Cool!” Taylor said. “Does he talk?”

  “Josh talks a lot!” Dink said. Then he laughed. “The parrot does, too.” He told Taylor they were all going into the canyon tomorrow on mules. “But we don’t know what to do with Tommy.”

  “We’re staying down there overnight,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Can we bring him with us?” Josh asked.

  Taylor tapped his fingers on the counter. “It’s possible,” he said. “A few weeks ago, a woman took her cat down with her. Fluffy rode in a special carrier tied to the mule’s saddle.”

  “Great!” Josh said. “Where can I get a carrier?”

  “First you have to ask the ranger in charge of the mule rides,” Taylor said. “I’ll try to find a cat carrier for you.”

  “Awesome!” Josh said. “Where’s the mule guy?”

  “It’s a mule gal,” Taylor said. “Actually, she’s my girlfriend.” He pointed through the lobby door. “Go out, take a right, and walk over to the barn. Ask for Lisa.”

  The kids followed Taylor’s directions. They found the mule barn on the other side of the parking lot. A bunch of brownish-gray mules stood inside a corral. A woman with curly hair was filling a water trough with a hose.

  Dink walked up to the corral. “Hi,” he said. “Are you Lisa?”

  The woman smiled. “I sure am,” she said. “And I’ll bet you’re the kids going on a mule ride tomorrow!”

  “We can’t wait!” Dink said. “My uncle is coming, too. He said we’re sleeping in a cabin at Phantom Ranch!”

  “Your uncle must be pretty special,” Lisa said. She reached a finger toward Tommy. “What’s his name?”

  “Tommy,” Josh said. He told Lisa they didn’t know what to do with Tommy when they went to the bottom of the canyon. “Taylor told us you let a woman take her cat down with her.”

  “Taylor’s right, but we don’t usually let pets go into the canyon,” Lisa said, stroking Tommy’s wing feathers. “That woman’s cat needed medicine every day, so we made an exception for her.”

  “How about Tommy?” Josh asked. “He’s already upset because his owner got kidnapped and—”

  “Whoa,” Lisa interrupted him. “Who got kidnapped?” The kids explained what had happened at Blue Meadow.

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Lisa said. “My little sister loves Roger Good! She never misses Roger to the Rescue! The actor got kidnapped? Why didn’t I see it on the news?”

  “It just happened,” Dink told her. “Some officers came. I guess they’re investigating.”

  “We found his parrot in a tree, and I’m taking care of him for a while,” Josh said.

  “I know the two wranglers who will be your guides tomorrow,” Lisa said. “I’ll tell them about the parrot. But don’t let Tommy out of your sight. There are coyotes and mountain lions in the canyon who would love to eat a parrot for lunch!”

  “I’ll watch him, don’t worry!” Josh said.

  “Can we pet the mules?” Ruth Rose asked.

  “Sure, and by the end of your trip down, they’ll be your best friends!” Lisa said. “Be here by seven tomorrow morning, okay?”

  The kids spent some time petting the mules. Tommy stood tall on Josh’s shoulder, watching the big animals inside the corral. He flapped his wings and clicked his beak.

  “Their ears are so soft!” Ruth Rose said.

  “Soft!” Tommy said.

  * * *

  —

  An hour later, the kids were in Dink and Josh’s room, eating pizza at the table. Dink’s uncle was snapping pictures of Tommy. The parrot was on the floor, pecking at a piece of crust.

  “I wonder where Parker Stone is right now,” Josh said quietly.

  Uncle Warren looked at his watch. “Maybe it’s on the news,” he said. He got up and turned on the TV.

  At first, there was weather, then sports, then a shampoo commercial.

  A man’s face appeared. He looked worried as he read from his notes:

  A fourteen-year-old boy was kidnapped today near the Grand Canyon. Parker Stone, the star of the TV series Roger to the Rescue, was with his agent, Maxwell Kurve.

  Mr. Kurve told our reporter they were having a picnic lunch at Blue Meadow when two masked men abducted Parker Stone.

  “The men were hiding in some trees. They surprised us and grabbed Parker,” Mr. Kurve said. “The kidnappers put a pillowcase over my head and tied me to a tree. When I fought back, one of the masked men struck me in the face.”

  Nothing has been heard from the boy’s abductors. Police are asking anyone who might have information to call the Flagstaff Sheriff’s Office.

  Dink’s uncle shook his head and turned off the TV. He began clearing the table. “Do you think the kidnappers knew Parker was going to be in that spot today?” he asked.

  “We wondered the same thing!” Ruth Rose said.

  “I think they knew, and I think they were waiting there for him,” Dink told his uncle. “They had the pillowcase, ropes, and masks with them!”

  Everyone thought about that for a minute.

  “I wonder how they got Parker out of Blue Meadow,” Josh said.

  They all looked at him.

  “I mean, where did the kidnappers go after they grabbed him?” Josh asked.

  “We saw a lot of cars and trucks there,” Ruth Rose said. “Maybe they put Parker in one and just drove away.”

  “But wouldn’t someone notice two guys shoving Parker into a car?” Josh asked.

  Uncle Warren shrugged. “Well, they did it somehow, and quickly,” he said. “Donny is right—the kidnapping must have been planned ahead of time.”

  They finished cleaning up. Ruth Rose and Uncle Warren went to their rooms, across the hall from the room Dink and Josh shared.

  Dink brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas, and climbed into bed. In the other bed, Josh was already snoring.

  Tommy was perched on Josh’s headboard with his beak tucked under one wing.

  Dink shut off the light and tried to get comfortable. He was almost asleep when his eyes popped open. A thought buzzed in his brain like a fly in a bottle. What was it? Something he had seen or heard when they were with the officers in the woods. He remembered the white pillowcase, the plastic cups, the rope, the pig mask. The officers had taken them all away.

  Drifting toward sleep, Dink could still see the scene Maxwell Kurve had described. Two masked men had grabbed him and tied him to a tree. A pillowcase was pulled over his head. Someone punched him in the nose, making him bleed.

  If that was how it happened, Dink wondered, why wasn’t there any blood on the pillowcase?

  Early the next morning, the kids and Uncle Warren walked to the mule corral. Near the barn, six saddled mules were waiting, their long ears swishing at flies. Saddlebags carrying water and other supplies hung down their flanks. The mules watched the kids approach with curious brown eyes.

  “Good morning!” Lisa called through the barn’s wide door. “Be right with you!”

  Uncle Warren and the kids wore pants and long-sleeved shirts. They had smeared sunblock on their faces and hands. Fanny packs were tied around their waists, and they each carried a backpack.

  Tommy was inside a cat carrier. “Stay cool,” Josh told the parrot. “There’s no need to be nervous!”

  Dink laughed. “Tommy is fine,” he said. “It’s you I’m worried about!”

  Ruth Rose petted one of the mules on the nose. “I wonder which is mine,” she said. Her shirt, headband, and pants were yellow today. Even her sneakers and backpack were the color of daffodils.

  Lisa and two men walked out of the barn. One of the men was tall and had gray hair. His partner was shorter a
nd younger. They both wore cowboy hats, jeans, and flannel shirts.

  “That’s Poppy, and she can be your mule for today if you like,” Lisa told Ruth Rose. “She’s very sweet.”

  Lisa walked up to Uncle Warren. “You must be the nice uncle the kids told me about,” she said, holding out her hand. “Lisa Bloom.”

  “Warren Duncan,” Uncle Warren said, shaking hands with Lisa.

  Lisa introduced the two wranglers. “The tall guy is Luke,” Lisa said. “His sidekick there is Junior. These fellas know the canyon, the trail, and every mule in the barn. You’re in good hands!”

  “Smile, everyone!” Uncle Warren called out. He took pictures of Luke, Junior, and Lisa standing next to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. Then he asked Junior which was his own mule.

  “You’ll be on Oliver,” Junior said. “He’s a sweetheart.”

  Uncle Warren handed Junior his camera, stuck his foot in a stirrup, and pulled himself onto Oliver’s saddle. Uncle Warren smiled, and Junior snapped his picture.

  “You kids ready?” Luke asked.

  “I’ve been ready since last week!” Ruth Rose said.

  Luke cupped his hands to make a step for Ruth Rose’s left foot, and boosted her onto Poppy’s saddle. “Just hold the reins loosely,” he told her.

  “My feet can’t reach the stirrups,” Ruth Rose said.

  Luke adjusted the left stirrup and slipped her yellow sneaker into it. Then he did the same with the right stirrup. “Comfortable?” he asked.

  “Thank you,” Ruth Rose said. “Poppy thanks you, too!”

  Josh’s mule was Sleepy, and Dink’s mule was named Rambler. Luke’s mule was Joe, and Junior rode one called Flo.

  When everyone was saddled up, Lisa tied Tommy’s carrier securely on the back of Sleepy’s saddle, behind Josh. She tucked a towel around the carrier to keep out the sun.

  “It’s dark in here!” Tommy called out, making everyone laugh.

  “We ride single file, and I’ll be in front,” Luke informed the group. “Ruth Rose will ride behind me, then Josh, then Dink, followed by his uncle. Junior will take up the rear.”

  “I always get the rear,” Junior said with a big grin. “These mules know exactly what to do, folks. You don’t have to steer them or anything. Just let them follow the mule in front of them.”

  Lisa arranged the mules into a line behind Luke. “Have fun, everyone!” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

  “If anyone has a problem, just give out a yell,” Luke told the group. “We’ll stop halfway down for lunch and a chance to stretch your legs.”

  “Can I use my cell phone down in the canyon?” Dink’s uncle asked.

  Luke shook his head. “There’s no reception,” he said. “But there’s a landline in the park ranger’s hut.”

  “Okay, thanks,” Uncle Warren said. “So should I shut my phone off now?”

  “Good idea,” Luke said. “These mules aren’t used to hearing ringtones, and the sound might scare them.”

  “Right. Let me check something first.” Uncle Warren tapped a news app on his phone, read something, then powered off.

  He leaned forward over Oliver’s neck and whispered, “Donny, Parker Stone’s parents received a ransom note.”

  Dink turned in his saddle and stared at his uncle.

  Uncle Warren held up three fingers. “Three million dollars!” he said.

  Dink gulped. He wanted to enjoy the mule ride, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Parker Stone. Who took him? How did they spirit Parker away from Blue Meadow without anyone noticing? Where was Parker now?

  Luke whistled and said, “Git along, Joe,” to his mule.

  Joe moved forward, and the other mules followed. Dink saw a sign that said BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL next to a rocky path that led down into the Grand Canyon.

  The trail was about four feet wide. The right side was a steep rock wall. On the left were only space and the canyon floor, miles below them. The mules placed their hooves carefully as they moved downward.

  “Everybody doing okay?” Luke called over his shoulder.

  “Yes!” Ruth Rose shouted. So did Josh, Dink, Uncle Warren, and Junior.

  “Okay, enjoy the ride and this beautiful morning!” Luke said. “Should take us about five hours. If you look across the canyon, you’ll see the North Rim. It’s about ten miles from the South Rim, where we are.”

  “And check out the rock formations,” Junior called out. “You’re looking at the inside of the earth!”

  The mules trotted down the trail, past layers of colored rock in the canyon wall. Far below, Dink could see the twinkle of the sun on the Colorado River.

  Small plants grew on the edge of the trail, and lizards darted away from the mules’ hooves. A bird flew in front of Rambler, and the mule brayed loudly.

  Dink felt safe sitting on Rambler’s back. He leaned forward and called out to Josh, “How are you and Sleepy doing?”

  Josh turned and grinned. “Piece of cake,” he said. “At least today I’m only a few feet off the ground!”

  From the end of the line, Junior began to sing a funny song about a cowboy writing a love letter to his girlfriend. Everyone laughed.

  The mule train went down and down and down. Dink sipped from his water bottle and enjoyed feeling the sun on his shoulders. He talked to Rambler, saying, “Good mule, good mule!” Rambler swished his ears and nodded.

  The group stopped twice at rest areas along the trail. Dink was glad he’d worn long sleeves. He finished his bottle of water, wishing he had more.

  “Next stop is Indian Garden for lunch!” Luke informed them. “Hope you’re hungry!”

  “I am!” Josh called from atop Sleepy.

  * * *

  —

  Indian Garden was a small campground shaded by trees. Junior showed them a water spigot, where they refilled their bottles. Picnic tables and benches stood under the trees.

  Luke led the group to a shady spot. “Let’s eat!” he said. He unbuckled Joe’s saddlebags and carried plastic bags to one of the picnic tables.

  Everyone climbed off the mules and headed for the food. Dink’s legs felt wobbly, and his bottom was sore. Junior gave the mules some water and let them munch on grass.

  Josh peeked in the cat carrier to check on Tommy. The parrot’s head was tucked under a wing, so Josh let him sleep. He set the carrier beneath a bench, out of the sun.

  Luke placed six white boxes on the table. Three were marked with the letter T and three with P.

  “What do the letters stand for?” Josh asked.

  “Sandwich choices,” Junior said. “T stands for tarantula and tomato, and the P is for porcupine with pickles.”

  “I’m not eating any spider!” Josh yelped.

  “Don’t listen to Junior,” Luke said. “The T is for tuna, and P is for peanut butter. They’re both great!”

  Dink and his uncle each chose tuna. Josh and Ruth Rose took peanut butter. Luke and Junior flipped a coin. Junior won and took the other tuna box.

  Each box held a sandwich, a bottle of water, an apple, and a chocolate brownie.

  “I’m going to get a few pictures of this magnificent place!” Dink’s uncle said. He picked up his sandwich and wandered off with his camera.

  While Dink ate, he looked up at the canyon wall. The rock was in layers of different colors: orange, red, yellow, brown. He smiled, remembering a cake his grandmother had made for a birthday. The cake was layered with yellow custard, dark chocolate, and red raspberry. The red made Dink recall the blood on Maxwell Kurve’s face and shirt.

  But then he remembered what had bothered him last night. He whispered to Josh and Ruth Rose, “Guys, don’t you wonder why there wasn’t any blood on that pillowcase?”

  “What pillowcase?” Josh asked around a mouthful of sandwich
.

  “The one the kidnappers put over Mr. Kurve’s head when they grabbed Parker,” Dink said. “They punched him and he had a bloody nose, so why wasn’t there any blood on the pillowcase?”

  Ruth Rose put her sandwich down. “You’re right,” she said. “The pillowcase was clean when that officer found it. It looked brand-new!”

  “So Mr. Kurve must have gotten it wrong,” Josh said. “Maybe he got his bloody nose before they put the pillowcase over his face. The guy was pretty freaked out, remember.”

  Dink watched his uncle snapping pictures of the mules where they munched grass. “Maybe,” he said.

  Ruth Rose read to them from her guidebook, “Scientists think the Grand Canyon was formed millions of years ago as the Colorado River slowly eroded its way down through miles of rock.”

  “And the river is still flowing,” Luke said. “So the canyon is getting a tiny bit deeper every day!”

  The kids placed their trash and water bottles in their backpacks. Ten minutes later, they were all mounted and in line behind Luke. The mules headed farther down the Bright Angel Trail. Dink felt himself closing his eyes. The rocking of Rambler’s gait, the creak of the saddle, and the warm breeze on his face nearly put him to sleep.

  The trail leveled off, and they were on the canyon floor. Luke led them across a wood bridge that took them to the north side of the Colorado River. The mules’ hooves clip-clopped on the boards.

  Dink looked down into the river. The greenish-brown water tumbled along beneath the bridge. It was hard to believe that this river had been flowing for millions of years.

  On the other side of the bridge, the mules started walking faster. They tossed their heads and hee-hawed loudly.

  “The mules know we’re almost there!” Luke called over his shoulder. “They can smell the hay in the barn. Phantom Ranch is on the other side of that stand of trees.”