Stratagems

  “I’m going to get you for this Randall,” she said, half-serous, half-joking. “Mark my words.”

  “Okay,” Zane said, “Hang check.”

  Kyle reached back and checked his harness, then the buckles and connections as Zane did the same for Carmen. Zane lifted the glider up and forward, the nose moving farther over the edge. Kyle knelt as low as he could in a flying position, which was difficult with the fencing around them, then measured the distance of his chest to the main bar.

  “Check,” Kyle said, standing up straight again.

  “You okay?” Zane asked Carmen, his arm around her back as he steadied her.

  She nodded, a sick feeling across her face. “I think so.”

  “Don’t worry,” Zane said. “This is nothing, trust me. You better fly before they arrive.”

  Kyle and Carmen lifted the glider at the same time, Kyle trying to bear the brunt of the weight. Zane guided them to the edge of the railing and they slowly climbed over, a thousand-foot drop inches away. Zane held the glider as they perched on the rail, then poked his head between them.

  “Listen to me carefully,” he said quietly. “You might catch a ridge lift, but that’s not what you want, unless you want to end up in Santa Fe. Kyle, you’ve done this in the summer time, but the air’s thinner in the winter and there aren’t as many thermals to lift you up, plus you have the weight of two people so it’s harder to maneuver and the turns and drops tend to be exaggerated. You basically want to make a bee line for Tramway where Robert’s parked, but don’t over-extend the angle or you could wind up in a bad situation. Try to stay in the clouds so they can’t see you. You don’t want to be an easy target. You’ve got a four-thousand-foot drop with a maximum descent of a thousand feet per minute, so you’ll be in the air at least four to five minutes, maybe longer. You’re harnessed to the A-frame, so you control roll, pitch and yaw with your weight movement in relation to the glider’s center of gravity. Head straight for Tramway unless you are dodging bullets, clearing a mountain top or dealing with weather. Remember, the wind can slam you into the mountain so get away from here as soon as you can. Everything clear?”

  “Can you repeat that?” Kyle asked with a smile.

  “Not on your life,” Zane said, then added, “which might only be a few minutes longer.”

  “Very funny,” Kyle said, not amused.

  Zane turned to Carmen. “You’re going to be tempted to yell out when you first take off, but I suggest you don’t. Hold it in and close your eyes if you have to. Okay?”

  Carmen nodded, her face pale and sickly as she gazed over the tops of her feet to the trees and rocks far below.

  Kyle turned to Zane. “Get out of here fast. They don’t know you, and let’s keep it that way.”

  “I’ll be fine, I know these trails better than anyone. Are you ready?”

  Kyle nodded and looked at Carmen. “Hang onto the bar if it makes you feel better. The harness will hold you in place, so let me do the turning and diving. Okay?”

  Carmen might have nodded, but Kyle couldn’t tell.

  “On three,” Zane said, and started counting.

  Zane guided them off the edge. Kyle held the bar tight fearing Carmen would jerk it around out of sheer terror, but she didn’t. She held firm, allowing Kyle to maintain control. When they went over the edge Carmen gasped aloud, but not loud enough to disclose their location. At first, they dropped hard because they didn’t have the usual running start, and Kyle’s stomach rolled a few times, then the wind filled the sail and they soared through the clouds, the mist batting gently at their faces. It was actually comforting not to be able to see the ground below, but Kyle knew it would appear soon enough.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Dwight, posing as Harry, stood by Rudy’s body while Santiago made his way toward Remos. They had fired a couple of shots hoping to get lucky, then they heard Remos cry out that he had them. After that, nothing. Nothing at all. Suddenly Santiago appeared from the mist shaking his head.

  “He’s in pretty bad shape, unconscious.”

  “Who?” demanded Dwight.

  Soon Devin joined them from the parking lot, after hearing the shots, breathing hard and positioning himself next to Dwight.

  “Remos.”

  “How?”

  “Someone hit him on the head.”

  “And the money?” Dwight asked.

  “Didn’t see it. They must have it.”

  Dwight thought for a second, looked around, expecting at any moment for the park ranger to trot up to investigate. Devin said he saw the ranger run toward the buildings, and Dwight figured it was to call the police, the last thing he needed.

  He looked to both Santiago and Devin. “You two dispose of both bodies. Toss them over the edge of the cliff, and make sure you throw them as far out as you can. If we’re lucky they won’t be discovered until summer, if at all.”

  “Don’t you want us to go after Kyle and the girl?” Santiago asked.

  “No, I’ll call Antonio. They were headed south, likely to the tram. With the snow and ice, they won’t get very far.”

  “There will be more people over there,” Santiago pointed out. “More witnesses.”

  “Not if we send Antonio on the trail to meet them first. Now get rid of these bodies before someone comes up and sees them.”

  The clouds were still thick, floating by peacefully, visibility still only a couple dozen feet in all directions. Santiago and Devin bent over and lifted Rudy Kain’s body as Dwight stooped down and retrieved his gun that had fallen. They kept his body face down so the blood, which had pooled on his back, wouldn’t stain the rocks as they walked to the edge. The clouds still offered a wonderful veil of protection, but Dwight was becoming concerned about Remos laying in the middle of the trial for anyone to stumble upon. All it would take was one person and there would be a lot of explaining to do.

  When they reached the edge, Santiago turned to Dwight and asked, “Why not leave him here and put the blame on Kyle?”

  “Because there was at least one witness, and we only have a month until we’re laying on a beach for the rest of our lives.”

  Santiago grasped Rudy’s arms while Devin took the feet, swinging the body in unison until they released on three. Rudy Kain flew over the edge of the mountain and disappeared into the clouds below, the sound of breaking tree branches and a final thud and roll drifted upward. A few moments later, all was quiet again.

  “Get over there and get Remos, quick.”

  Dwight stayed at the edge and looked around, watching for stray witnesses. The clouds were starting to dissipate and soon they would be out in the open. The visibility increased from around 30 feet to almost twice that, and the gunshots that had been fired would soon bring someone along to investigate. He heard someone on the rocks and turned. Santiago and Devin stumbled over the snow and limestone, lugging poor Remos just as they had Rudy. As they neared the precipice, Dwight scanned the area again, paranoid someone would walk up and see them tossing a body over the edge.

  “Hurry,” he said.

  “He’s still alive,” Santiago told him, getting a better grip on Remos.

  “We have no choice.”

  Santiago stood looking at Dwight, conflicted, not moving.

  “Listen,” Dwight said, drawing closer to him. “There’s nothing we can do. He may not make it anyway.”

  After another moment, Santiago and Devin did the same with Remos – heave, ho and over on three. Devin released before Santiago and Remos spun in the air as he flew over the edge, his body twisting and turning as it descended into the trees, now partially visible through the clouds. Dwight was satisfied no one witnessed their disposal efforts and turned in time to see Remos’ body hit the top of one of the branches, causing it to cartwheel as it descended before disappearing into a clump of trees and bushes with a final thud on the rocks below. He was afraid Remos would wake and yell out on his way down, but he never did. The clouds were clearing on the western end
and the city was slowly coming into view, along with something else that caught his attention. He squinted his eyes and at first thought it was a large bird flying across the sky. As the clouds dispersed farther, Kyle and the girl came into focus. Dwight’s mouth dropped as he saw them descend toward the main road leading to Interstate 25. He stood for a second in shock, Santiago and Devin also gaping at the sight. He couldn’t really see faces, but he knew it was them – same clothes and body form. He couldn’t tell if they had the money bag with them or not. It was possible.

  Dwight reached inside his jacket and pulled out his gun, the silencer extending beyond the barrel. Santiago pushed Dwight’s hand away, drawing closer to his face. “Not here. They’re too far away and people are coming.”

  Dwight held the gun, pointed toward the sky, and considered for a few moments.

  “We’ll have another chance,” Santiago said. “It’s not worth getting busted.”

  Dwight took a long, deep breath and returned the gun to the hiding place under his jacket, looking at Santiago. “We need to get that money, and get Kyle.”

  He grabbed the radio from his pocket and contacted Ian who was at the base of the tram, ordering him to head for the interstate and wait for further instructions.

  “Come on,” Dwight said, “we still have another chance.”

  Dwight led the way back to the trail and started up the steps, toward the café and gift shop, where a crowd had gathered but took little notice of Dwight and his two friends. He heard conversations regarding the echoes of the gunshots. Someone speculated it was a hunter. Another said the mountain plays tricks and the sound could have come from far away, rebounding off the peaks. Yet another claimed he heard a bullet wiz by and ricochet off something, but no one knew for sure.

  Dwight was pleased people were rationalizing, and even more elated that no one had seen anything. He hurried to the observation deck, reaching deep in his pocket for a quarter and inserted it in the slot of the fixed binoculars mounted on a swivel base, allowing him to turn and roll them until Kyle and the girl appeared in his view. They were over half-way down the mountain and Dwight could see a white truck waiting near the side of the road, but the power of the binoculars wasn’t strong enough to distinguish anything else.

  He got on the radio again. “Kyle and a girl are heading down in a glider and will be landing soon. You should be able to see them if you hurry. Turn right on Tramway when you get there, and speed if you have to. They’re going to be in a white pickup truck any minute.”

  “Understood,” the voice came back. “What do I do when I catch them?”

  “What do you think?” Dwight said, exasperated. “You kill 'em and get the money.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Kyle glanced over to Carmen who fidgeted and shifted next to him, but lightly held the control bar with her left hand, allowing Kyle to direct their glide path, while she clutched tightly to his harness with her right arm. She returned his gaze, a big smile spread across her face, her hair whipping behind her head, then turned her sights back to the ground far below. As they descended, their flight took them from the tallest peak to a large U-shape valley forming beneath them, caught between mountains rising up on either side. The left mountain range was filled with thick forest and snow-covered evergreens, the right rockier with large clumps of trees and scrubs scattered about.

  Kyle looked at her, which was easy since their heads were so close together. “Sorry, we usually have helmets to wear.”

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  He smiled. “You wanna try?”

  She shook her head, “No.”

  “Oh, come on. Just do what I did.”

  Kyle released his grip on the bar and let her take over; she freed her right arm from his harness then grabbed the bar with both hands. She was grinning from ear to ear, pushing against the bar and shifting their weight slightly to the right, the glider turning to follow the shift in the center of gravity. Obeying her command. She screamed in exhilaration, then shifted their weight to the left, centering their flight path once again.

  Kyle returned her smile as she looked over. “Kind of thrilling, huh?”

  She nodded.

  “If we wanted to, we could stay up here for hours and travel hundreds of miles,” he said, grabbing the control bar again. “But we need to get out of here. Don’t be scared, okay?”

  She stared at him for a moment, looking far below to the rocks and snow passing fast beneath them, then back to him. “Okay.”

  The nose of the glider quickly dropped as Kyle pulled back on the control bar, their heads and upper bodies easing over the top of the bar. The glider shifted downward and their speed picked up fast as they accelerated, soaring through the sky. The mountains on either side swept past them, trees below whizzing by. Part of Grand Enchantment Trail was visible, winding through the mountains and down into the valley spread out in front of them.

  Kyle turned to Carmen, his voice a bit louder than before to compensate for the wind batting against their ears. “Soon we’ll break through the mountains to a series of hills and ravines. I’ll bank left in order to reach Tramway where Robert should be waiting. Are you doing okay?”

  She nodded, then wrapped her arms around Kyle’s waist, holding on tight.

  They soared faster than before, their altitude dropping, trees growing bigger in their field of vision. Soon the mountains were behind them and the smaller hills were passing by beneath their feet, the sea of trees now replaced by rocks and shrubs scattered over the landscape. The snowy mountains gave way to dry, brown dirt as far as the eye could see. He shifted their weight again and banked left, moving forward even more, forcing the glider to accelerate. Kyle could see scattered homes in the communities of Tierra Monte and Valley View Acres off to the right; and to the left, million-dollar estates that dotted Sandia Heights North. Once out of the mountain region, they entered the foothills of northern Albuquerque. The basin was covered with desert plants and trees, acres of pines and piñons surrounded by sagebrush, yuccas and wild grass.

  They were now over Sandia Heights, a maze of roads weaving through the small hills sprinkled about with large homes, each surrounded by expanses of private land. Sandia Heights had always been out of Kyle’s price range, but he loved the neighborhoods and the privacy each house and lot possessed. Mostly he could make out their rooftops, and no two were alike. Each home was custom built, the smallest probably 4000-square-feet. A couple of the homes had outdoor swimming pools, which struck him funny as they flew over – each was covered for the winter as homeowners could only keep them open during the summer months, being so close to the mountains.

  Sandia Heights disappeared from view as they entered the flat part of the plains and descended even further. Kyle spotted Tramway Road up ahead, also called NM-556, where it curved from the south and turned heading west, cutting through six miles of Sandia Pueblo land. Right of their flight path was Robert’s truck parked on the side of the road. The glider was coming in perpendicular to Tramway and it needed to be parallel, so he banked a deep left, shifted their weight backward, nudging the nose upward. The glider slowed and he sensed Carmen’s relief. Kyle hit the outer edge of the wide bank, shifted their weight to the other side, then glided parallel to Tramway. Robert’s truck grew closer as Kyle dipped the glider lower to the ground. He saw other cars pass below them as well, many slowing and sticking their heads out their windows to get a good look.

  “Okay,” Kyle said, “when we land, we will slow down considerably. We’ll shift our weight backward, almost like we are going to stand up. As we touch down, get ready to run forward so we can catch our balance. We may be going slow enough that we don’t need to run at all, but be prepared.”

  “Alright,” Carmen yelled, looking a lot better than she did a few moments ago. The ride down had gone smoother than Kyle had hoped, and his only fear now was that Harry had anticipated their move and posted goons to greet them on Tramway. Harry might also think they still had the mone
y and would want it back. In the back of his mind, Kyle had the idea that maybe the money could go to Charlie’s family. No one would have been the wiser. Maybe.

  Robert stepped out of his truck as they drew closer, looked up in the sky, then dropped the tailgate and pulled out the ramp. He climbed into the truck bed, hopped on the motorcycle and eased it down, careful not to lose his balance and fall over. Kyle was much closer and sighed in relief knowing his bike was safe, as well as Robert. Once the motorcycle was out, leaning beside the truck, Robert scrambled to get the ramp back in the truck bed and the tailgate locked.

  To slow their fast approach to Robert’s truck, Kyle pushed forward on the bar and they both dropped their legs to a near standing position, the glider’s nose rising. Kyle overshot the truck by a couple of feet, the soles of his shoes missing the top of the cab by inches. He pulled the nose of the glider further up, dropped a few more feet, the glider now almost vertical, their speed slowing like that of a runner passing the finish line.

  “Here we go,” he said, and they touched down, walking a few feet as they came to a perfect stop next to Tramway Road. Two kids stuck their heads out of the window of a passing car, pointing to them with excitement. Looking like she was about to throw up, Carmen stumbled as Kyle secured the glider, steadying her balance.

  “Are you okay?” Kyle asked, looking over to her.

  She bent over as much as the harness would allow, her hands on her knees, breathing hard and nodding. “Yeah, I think so. Now get me out of this damn thing.”

  “We need to move fast, just in case they have someone waiting down here.”

  Kyle reached up and unhooked the harness from the A-frame, unfastened his hooks first, then quickly went to work on Carmen’s. She stood and stumbled backward, almost falling onto the asphalt, Robert quickly catching her under her arms until she regained her balance. Kyle started pulling the rods out of the sail and pins out of the glider’s joints, disassembling it as quickly as he could and setting the parts off to the side.