Touching the Clouds (12 page)

Kate awkwardly withdrew her hand and tucked it inside her coat pocket. Anger heated up inside.

Sidney stayed calm. He raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled. Kate had seen him do this before when he needed to cool down a hot situation. “She’s all we got today, fellas. If you want to fly, it’s her or no one.”

All three men sized up Kate. Finally the one who’d demanded that someone else be called said, “All right. But I’ll never buy a ride from you again.” He compressed his lips, crumpling his mustache into what resembled a crawling caterpillar.

Ignoring his comment, Sidney said, “We’ll get you loaded up, but first I’d like to introduce you to your pilot.” He moved to Kate’s side and put an arm around her shoulders. “This is Kate Evans, one of my best.”

Kate felt a jolt of surprise, but figured Sidney was just trying to make her look good. She wouldn’t let him down.

He nodded at the man who’d spoken. “This is Carl Brown.” Carl barely looked at Kate. “And his brothers Ralph and Norman.”

Ralph, the shortest and roundest of the three, almost smiled before following Carl and Norman out the door. “Our gear’s in the truck,” Carl said, then glanced at Kate and asked, “Your plane the red one?”

“That’s it,” Kate said nonchalantly. Inside she fumed, but she wasn’t about to give these guys the satisfaction of knowing they’d gotten under her skin. Besides, starting a war before getting in the air was ill-advised.

Carl led the way to the Bellanca, leaving Kate to get the provisions.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Sidney said, glowering at the hunters’ backs.

The men watched passively while Sidney and Kate worked. Carl leaned against the craft, smoking a cigarette. He talked about the trophy he’d be bringing back.

With the last bag in hand, Kate walked toward the plane, trying to convince herself that once they were in the air things would improve. They’d see she was a competent pilot and behave appropriately. She imagined their surprise at her skill and the apology that would follow.

Ralph approached her. “So, how long a flight is it?”

“Not far. I’ll drop you outside of Palmer, along the Mata-nuska River.” The odor of liquor hung in the air.

He looked at the plane. “Ever have any trouble?”

“No, never.” Kate hefted the bag into the back, thinking about Rimrock Lake. It didn’t count—she’d been barely more than a kid then.

With everything loaded, Sidney said, “You’re set.” He eyed Carl. “Better watch out for bears. The sound of a rifle will bring them in.”

“How do you mean?” Ralph asked, his eyes widening slightly.

Sidney smiled. Kate knew he was playing with them. “A downed animal is an easy meal, and the bears know what it means when a rifle is fired off.”

“Really?”

Carl smacked his brother between the shoulder blades. “He’s pulling your leg. Bears are hibernating now.”

“That’s partly true. Some of the females are denned up, but those big males are still roaming around.” He set a hard stare on Carl. “If you get a sheep, you’d better bag it good and hang it in a tree. And camp away from the game.” He headed for the office, wearing a smirk.

Kate smiled while she cranked the plane. The men piled in and found their seats. She boarded, closed the door, and made her way to the front, careful not to let her legs touch her passengers. Wearing slacks among this group made her feel exposed. After tucking the hand crank in its place, she dropped into her seat and started the engine. It whined and then caught, rumbling.

“It’s freezing in here,” Carl griped.

“When the engine warms up, we’ll warm up,” Kate hollered back, checking the gauges. Everything looked good. She turned and called over her shoulder, “Stay in your seats while we’re in the air. It can get bumpy.”

“Where ya think we’re gonna walk to?” Norman asked, with a snicker.

Kate ignored the jibe.

Ralph leaned toward Kate. “Is there supposed to be foul weather?”

“No. But you never know what to expect when you’re in the air.” Kate glanced at the pudgy man. He looked nervous. She grinned and revved the engine.

While the Bellanca rolled down the runway and lifted off, the men were quiet. Kate turned northeast and headed toward the Talkeetna Mountains. “If you look out your windows you can see Cook Inlet,” she called over the thrum of the engine.

“Hey, look there,” Norman shouted. “A ship’s coming into the harbor.”

“You never seen a boat before?” Carl taunted.

Kate ignored her passengers and focused on flying. Once on course, she picked up the map and looked it over. It wouldn’t be too difficult to find her way. She’d follow the Matanuska River until she reached the glacier and then she’d look for the landmarks Sidney had noted.

Unexpectedly, a sharp wind punched the plane in the side. The Bellanca shuddered and dipped.

“What’s wrong?” Carl hollered.

“Just a little turbulence. Gets up under the wings and makes her vibrate. It’s normal.” Kate glanced back, unable to conceal a smile when she saw that Carl’s complexion had turned pallid.

Kate flew north over forests of spruce, birch, and alder, now mostly bare. A broad valley emerged and the forests fell away. Trees stood in clusters amidst a patchwork of farmlands, and green earth could be seen where the snow had melted. The Talkeetna Mountains angled up from the valley floor. They weren’t as impressive as the Chugach, but they were still stunning.

“Looks like farms down there,” Ralph said.

“Yeah. They’re colonists from the Midwest.”

“Read about that,” Carl said. “It’ll never work. The government’s got things fouled up.”

“Nothing worthwhile is easy,” Kate said, barely able to keep her voice congenial. “The valley’s got good farmland and the colonists are hard workers. They grow some fearsome vegetables. Biggest cabbages produced anywhere.”

“Cabbages. Who needs cabbages?” Carl pulled a cigar out of his pocket and went to light it.

“No smoking.” Kate gripped the stick more tightly and waited.

Without a word he returned the cigar to his pocket, and Kate blew out a relieved breath. She didn’t want to spar with him.

The valley sprawled beneath the plane. It was beautiful. Kate wondered if her parents might consider moving to the valley. She’d have to ask them.

“Why’d they come up here?” Norman asked.

“Who?”

“The colonists,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “The drought decimated their farms, so the government moved two hundred families here to give them a new start. The plan is that they’ll produce food for Alaskans.” Kate was thankful she’d been listening when Albert told her about the colonists. It made her sound knowledgeable about the territory.

She followed the broad river, which was banded by several small tributaries. Gray water fed by the Matanuska Glacier cut through dirtied snow.

Leaving the valley behind, she used the river as a guide. The Talkeetna Mountains pressed in from the north and the Chugach from the south. Green spruce stuck up above woodlands of alder and birch. The river wound through the dense forests, sometimes narrowing and growing deep and then expanding and drifting into small streams.

“How far we got?” Norman asked. “I gotta use the john.”

“Nearly there. If you can’t wait, I keep a can stowed under the backseat.” Kate felt a flush heat her cheeks. She kept her eyes forward.

“I can wait.”

When Kate caught her first glimpse of the glacier, relief swept through her. She was nearly there. Now all she needed was to find the landing site.

The glacier looked like a giant frozen river winding out of the Chugach Mountains. She’d never seen anything like it.

“What’s that?” Ralph asked.

“The Matanuska Glacier.”

She flew closer to get a better look. The river of ice didn’t meander. It was an undulating frozen flow, cutting its way through the mountains. Blue and white ribbons pushed up, forming jagged peaks that fell into small chasms. The amazing sight took Kate’s breath away.

Reluctantly she swung back to her original course. She finally saw Sheep Rock with its distinctive dark jagged peaks jutting up from the forested landscape. She searched for the landing site.

“You said it wasn’t far. I gotta go.”

“It’s right down there.” Kate nodded toward a sandbar. She’d made it. Decreasing the power and holding slight back pressure on the elevator, she descended and made a pass over the landing strip. It was made up of small rocks and looked fairly level. There were remnants of snow from the rogue storm that had pushed through, but it looked good for landing. Kate’s confidence grew. The Bellanca ought to do fine. She made a wide sweep and set up for the approach.

The plane touched down with little difficulty, bouncing only once when the wheels touched the crude runway. Kate rolled to a stop. Norman pushed open the door and hurried to a nearby bush to relieve himself.

While the hunters had a look around, Kate unloaded the supplies. She piled their provisions far enough away from the plane so they wouldn’t be an obstacle when she took off.

“I’ll be back in a week,” she called. No response. “Be ready when I get here.”

Carl gave her a half wave.

“Fine,” Kate groused and returned to the plane. Revolted by the men, she watched them cross the sandbar and hoped their kind weren’t what she could expect for passengers. Carl pointed at something on the ridge and made gestures Kate guessed had something to do with hunting strategies. She started the engine, thinking the hunters ought to be setting up camp. It would be dark soon. Deciding their problems weren’t hers to worry about, she left them and headed back to Anchorage.

The week passed quickly. When it was time to return to the Matanuska to pick up the New York hunters, Kate set off with trepidation. She didn’t like the Brown brothers, and she’d be glad to have the trip behind her. Climbing into the plane, she told herself that if she was going to be a bush pilot, she couldn’t be picky about who flew with her. She’d have to toughen up.

Fresh snow had fallen during the night, leaving a layer of white on the trees and ground. Kate headed up the Mata-nuska and soon spotted tracks leading away from the river toward the mountains. She was ahead of schedule so decided to have a look at what had left the markings. They most likely belonged to wolves.

The prints wound through the forest and into a gorge. Although Kate knew better than to wander off her designated flight plan, interest drove her.
I’ll follow just a little way. A
quick look is all I need.

She stayed low, making it easier to see the trail. Several times it disappeared beneath foliage but would soon reemerge. Finally, Kate was rewarded by the sight of a wolf pack. It had downed something.

The snow was bloodied and they were feasting on a fresh kill. Seemingly unaware of the plane, they ripped flesh from a moose that still steamed in the cold morning air. She circled back and flew over again, this time lower. Some of the wolves stared at the sky and cowered, but weren’t intimidated enough to give up their prize. She looped around and returned for another look. The pack ate, this time barely aware of the plane overhead.

Kate turned back toward the river, thrilled at having witnessed wildlife in their natural, though base, state. Her thoughts remained with the wolves until she realized she’d lost her bearings. Everything looked the same. Alarm stood the hair on her arms on end. Then in the distance she spotted a familiar mountain ridge and blew out a relieved breath.

Life could change in a moment. She should have known better. Just like the day she’d killed Alison, she was being careless and larking about. Kate clenched her teeth.
When
will I learn?

It was late morning by the time she reached the landing site. She hoped her riders were ready to leave. When she flew over the sandbar, they were waiting with their gear piled beside them.

She put down without mishap. Two sets of magnificent spiraling horns sat on the ground near the men.
So they got
their rams.
Kate’s eyes went to a canvas bag hanging from a nearby tree. She smiled. They’d been listening when Sidney warned them about bears.

Ralph and Norman moved to the tree while Kate climbed out of the plane and headed toward Carl, who stood beside the trophies. He walked toward her, clutching a half-empty liquor bottle in one hand. His gait was unsteady. Kate groaned. He was drunk
.

“Where were you?” he demanded. “We expected you early. You said you’d be early.” His words seemed to slam together.

“It’s early enough.” Kate wasn’t about to tell him about her sightseeing trip. She watched as Norman lowered the meat from the tree, then turned her gaze to the pile of gear and back to Carl. “You ready?”

“Been ready.” He took a drink from the bottle.

Kate moved to the supplies. “How about some help?” She didn’t even try to keep the irritation out of her voice.

“What do you think I pay you for?” Carl smirked.

Kate ignored him. Ralph and Norman hauled the bagged meat toward the plane. “Put it behind the seats. Make sure to distribute it evenly. If the weight’s not balanced, the plane won’t maneuver properly. And we can’t have too much weight all in the back.”

Ralph hefted the game into the plane, then helped Kate with the gear.

Carl and Norman lugged the horns. They were still bloody.

“Looks like you had a good hunt,” Kate said.

“We did.” Norman grinned. “You should have seen—”

“Dry up,” Carl ordered. “Let’s go.”

Kate shot him a look of annoyance. “Can you bag those horns? They’ll stink when they warm up.”

“Yeah, we got a bag,” Ralph said, searching through a pack.

Kate double-checked the load, moving some forward so they wouldn’t be too heavy in the tail, then she stood at the open door. “Time to head out.”

After they got in, she climbed down and, pressing a foot against one of the tires, used the hand crank on the flywheel. When the whine reached the right pitch, she removed the crank, climbed into the plane, and closed the door. The compartment stank of booze.

“No drinking in my plane.” She moved toward the cockpit. Carl slapped her bottom as she passed. Kate stopped and glared at him. “Don’t
ever
do that again.”