The Drop by Jeff Ross

snowboarder there was. And it killed him. He didn’t have any family. No sisters or brothers. His parents had died years before. Mike had this, this drive to just go that step further. To prove something. And it killed him.”
    I could understand why Sam had never told anyone. This kind of information could ruin him in any number of different ways. At the very least, he would be fired as a Backcountry Patrol trainer. It explained a lot as well. His disappearance for all those years. The flask he kept in his pocket. Losing a friend that way must have been incredibly difficult. Even so, he should have told somebody what had happened.
    â€œHow did Bryce find out?”
    â€œI don’t know. Sometimes when I drink, I talk too much. He might not have known everything, but he knew enough. I’m thinking of making a comeback. That kind of information would kill it for me. And I didn’t do anything wrong. I left my friend right where he would want to be. This whole mountain is his coffin.”
    â€œWhat about the kidnappers?”
    â€œThey got in contact with me. I didn’t really have to do anything.”
    I shook my head. Then I opened my jacket and put the flare gun inside.
    â€œYou believe him?” Hope said.
    â€œI do.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause I remember when he was on the circuit. Other riders said he was the best. But they also said he was the most honest. Back in the day, there were different ways down a mountain. You could cheat. Sam never cheated in a competition. Not once.”
    â€œNo,” Sam said. “Not once.”
    â€œAnd remember what Dave said before about Bryce hanging out with those guys who steal boards?” I said.
    â€œThose are the guys,” Sam said.
    â€œAnd Bryce wasn’t tied up in the cabin,” Hope said. “I should have known.”
    â€œSo how do we get him back?” I said.
    â€œWhat’s going on up there?” Dave called up from below.
    â€œWe’ll be there in a minute, Dave. Just chill out,” Hope said.
    â€œI heard him talking on the satellite phone with them!” Dave yelled. I looked at Sam.
    â€œYeah, that happened.”
    â€œSo the phone wasn’t broken?”
    â€œNo. That was a bit of a lie. I kind of took the battery out.”
    â€œBut it doesn’t matter, right? Because Bryce will be fine? These guys’ll just hand him over to his father?”
    â€œThat was the plan,” Sam said, standing up. “But the plan has changed.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œThey want to keep the money. So now they’ve actually kidnapped Bryce.”

chapter nineteen
    â€œSo what do you think they’ll do now?” I asked.
    â€œThey wouldn’t tell me. They just said I’d been paid. That my part was done.”
    We boarded down to where Dave stood. He stared at Sam.
    â€œI heard him on the phone with the kidnappers,” Dave said. “He’s in on it. What are you doing with him?”
    â€œIt’s not that simple, Dave,” I said.
    â€œIt seemed that simple to me. He is in on it.”
    â€œListen, these guys weren’t going to kidnap Bryce. Bryce wanted to be kidnapped. He set the whole thing up. But now they actually have kidnapped him.”
    â€œWhat?” Dave said.
    â€œSam explained it.”
    â€œOf course he did. Don’t believe him. I heard him on the phone. And you should have seen him last night.”
    â€œWhat?” Hope asked.
    â€œHe was drunk. He thought I didn’t notice.”
    I didn’t even look at Sam. “It doesn’t matter, now, Dave. We have to save Bryce.”
    Dave gave me a funny look. “Who made you boss?”
    â€œStay here then. I don’t care.” I turned back to Hope. “So what do we do now?” The storm had passed. It was almost three, and the sun was still high in the sky and warm. If we had had nothing else on our plates, a nice day of boarding would have