CHAPTER 31

We started loading gear into the back of the SUV.

“There won’t be room for all seven of us inside the vehicle,” said Dad.

“No problem,” I said.

“Bick and I will gladly follow you guys on the quads,” added Beck.

Dad grinned. “Such was my plan.”

Beck and I put on helmets and eagerly climbed aboard our new rides. I could already hear their two-stroke engines whining like angry wasps, which was weird, because we hadn’t even started them yet.

Suddenly a motorcycle roared up the street.

It whizzed by so fast and so close, my shirt ruffled in the breeze.

“He grabbed my bag!” shouted Dad.

“The priest’s letter is inside it!” shouted Mom.

Beck and I didn’t wait to hear what everybody else was going to shout.

We both locked our feet on the starters, gave a little jump, and pushed down hard. We each pulled in on the clutch, kicked the gear shifter into first, and blasted off. As we worked our way up the gear changes, I realized Dad had rented two very speedy all-terrain vehicles.

We chased the thief out of Cuzco, hoping that the rest of the family was chasing after us.

In no time, we were outside the city and in the open country. The mountains were spectacular.

We were also gaining on the guy.

The bag-snatcher veered off the road.

Beck and I did the same.

The bad guy skidded his dirt bike to a stop near a scaffold. He hopped off his ride and charged up what looked like a rolling section of bleacher steps.

“What is that thing?” cried Beck.

“Steps!” I shouted. Sunlight glinted off a taut wire. “To a zip line!”

As we raced closer, we passed a sign reading THE FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR. LONGEST ZIP LINE IN THE WORLD: 2,930 METERS.

“That’s one-point-eight miles!” Beck shouted loudly. She’s way faster at mathematical conversions than me.

The thief was strapping himself into a harness and shoving off from the platform.

“Looks like the line is broken up into sections,” I said as Beck and I abandoned our ATVs and scampered up the scaffold. “There’s a platform down there, maybe five hundred yards away, see it?”

“Not really, but I’ll trust you. Let’s go! Maybe we can tackle the guy before he clips onto the next section of wire!”

We tightened our helmets and slid into a pair of harnesses connected to one pulley.

“If we fly together, we’ll fly faster,” I said. “More weight equals more speed. That’s just the law of gravity.”

“Fine,” said Beck as we bumped thighs. “Just try not to do anything too gassy.”

“Deal!”

And then we leaped off the platform!