Surviving (4 page)

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Chapter 8

Back in Mobile

Mobile, Alabama

May 17, 2020

              Robert was a nice looking man about 40 with slightly graying black hair and was 6’ 1” with a muscular body. He was sitting on the bed in a Holiday Inn in Mobile wondering how he got this assignment and what it had to do with DHS. The phone rang and he knew his contact was on the other end.

              The voice on the phone said, “Are you making any headway with the secretary? I mean besides screwing her brains out?”

              Robert replied, “You really think I like screwing her? Yes, she is starting to trust me. I have most of the names and info on all of the shop’s employees and a lot of info on Gus and John.”

              The voice said, “Good, now gain her confidence and gather the entire story about John and Gus, we also need more Intel about guns, ammo and anything that will help our cause. You have been working on her for about two months; it’s time to drop the “L” word and continue buying her expensive gifts. Hell, take her on a trip while the guys are out of town.”

              About an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Robert opened the door, grabbed JoAnne and kissed her passionately while telling her how much he missed her. He kicked the door to close it while continuing to kiss her.

              He said, “I missed you so much, I want you to be mine forever. I think I love you baby.”

              JoAnne was confused at first because she thought this was just a booty call while she tried to land John.

              She replied, “Robert, I had no idea that you cared so much.”

              He said, “Close your eyes and hold your right arm out.” She did and he placed a very expensive diamond tennis bracelet on it.

              He said, “Open your eyes baby!” She looked at her wrist and got very excited because there was a $10,000 bracelet on her wrist.

              “Robert, I am so surprised, I know you like me, but this is so personal and so over the top,” she said.

              Robert replied, “I hope that I am not going too fast for you, but I love being with you and our sex is so great that I can’t bear to be away from you.

              JoAnne replied, “I care for you, but we need to get to know each other before we push this too far.”

              Robert looked annoyed for a minute then recovered. He said, “JoAnne, you are a very special woman and I don’t want to miss out on the love of my life.”

              She put her arms around him and started taking his clothes off. She did not trust love at first sight, but she knew expensive jewelry when she saw it. He was a very happy man that night.

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Chapter 9

The Crash

Iowa

May 17, 2020

              As the plane cleared the end of the lake, the guard went into the hanger and called his boss Manny. He told him about the dropped box and how clumsy Roger was. He told him that one of the boxes of drugs had broken open and that at least one of the young men had to have noticed. He then mentioned the tattoo.

              Manny cut him short and told him, “Not to worry, Karl will know what to do."

              The plane was a twin-engine six passenger with Roger and Steve up front, Gus and John in the middle with Scott and Jim bringing up the rear. They flew directly over the Great Salt Lake, and then headed out over some very desolate country. Steve chatted with Roger who had calmed down a bit since the takeoff. Gus and John slept while Jim and Scott were in awe of the terrain below them.

              After a while, Scott whispered to Jim, “I’m sure that box was full of drugs, it looked like how they wrap cocaine in the movies.”

              Jim replied, “Are you sure? What the frick was that much drugs doing on a bush plane going to Idaho?”

              Scott said, “As soon as Dad wakes up, we had better tell him; he’ll know what to do.”

              The plane droned on, the sky was clear and the sun was bright. The weather forecast was excellent for the next two weeks with no rain for at least a week. Steve and Roger kept each other company while Gus and John continued to sleep with Jim and Scott uncharacteristically quiet in the back. They were still heading towards Sun Valley as planned, when Roger got a transmission over the radio that appeared to be giving him instructions.

              He replied, “Yes, I know where it is, we’re only about 20 minutes from there. Okay, okay, damn it, I’ll land there."

              He then spoke some words that Steve could not understand and then started to make small deliberate changes in direction. Steve questioned him about it.               Roger replied, “Oh, Karl, my boss, just told me to make my cargo delivery on the way out instead of on the way back. I now have to go north and pick up some tools from a mining operation and can’t make the drop after I drop you off.”

              Jim and Scott were busy trying to guess what the boxes of drugs meant and where they came from. Their minds ran wild.

              The plane banked and Roger began the approach to a large lake just east of a fairly large city. Roger told them they were landing on a reservoir just west of Pocatello. Gus woke up and wanted to know what was going on. Steve told him and Gus complained then rolled over and went back to sleep. They made a smooth as silk landing and taxied up to a small dock in front of a group of small cabins. Several rather tough looking Hispanic men greeted Roger and helped him unload the boxes. Jim and Scott watched closely.

              Jim pointed and asked,” Do you see the guy behind the tree by the far cabin on the left?"

              “Yeah,” Scott replied.

              “Well he’s got an M-16.”

              “Let’s tell Dad,” Scott whispered.

              Jim replied, “No wait, we’ll look foolish if we’re wrong, let’s play this out a while.”

              Just at that time, Roger got back into the plane and quickly started the engine. They taxied out and took off. Roger heard Scott and Jim whispering in the back and knew trouble was on the way for he had also caught a glimpse of the M-16. Scott and Jim knew that something was wrong, but had no clue how right they were.

              Roger brought the plane up to cruising speed and soon received another transmission. Roger did not like what he had heard. He argued, and then complied quickly as if he had been threatened. Steve overheard Roger’s part of the conversation.

              Roger’s answers were, “We made the drop. …… Why there? Yeah I know you are the boss. Okay…Okay… We are 40 minutes from there. Again, are you sure? Yes!”

              Steve questioned Roger,” What’s going on this time?”

              Roger answered with,” My son of a bitch boss wants me to work straight on through the weekend to get those tools back to the mine. I had a hot date.”

              Steve asked what was 40 minutes away.

              Roger said, “That’s how far we are from our landing and your camp.”

              Gus, butted in and stated, “Just a while ago you said that we were only twenty minutes away, which one is correct?”

              Roger apologized and said that the 40 minutes was correct and that while he did not remember the 20 minutes, if he said it he was wrong.

              Gus was becoming concerned. If he knew, what Scott and Jim knew he would be more than concerned?

              The time passed quickly and Roger said, “Your destination is right there, over the right wing.” Roger began a slow circle over the largest lake in a chain of lakes.

              The largest one was about a mile long and about a quarter mile wide. It looked shallow and murky, not what they had expected at all. This area was known for its deep clear bodies of water. There were several islands on the north side and dense forest all around.

              It was one of the most beautiful sights Scott had ever seen. He thought that this would be home for the next two weeks. Just as he was picking out likely fishing spots, he saw something shiny in the woods to the south. He watched the area closely and saw a bright flash and smoke.

              He yelled, “Someone is shooting at us.”

              Gus took a quick look and hollered, “Roger, dive, incoming.”

              He had spotted the missile. Roger brought the plane into a steep dive at right angle to the incoming rocket, but was too late. There was a thunderous explosion and the plane rocked and felt as if it had been blown sideways. Shrapnel blew through the floor and out the top; they were hit, blood splattered and everyone screamed just like in the movies.

              Scott thought I know it sounds corny, but it really was in slow motion just like in the movies. Metal bounced around the inside of the plane and everyone was reacting as though they were hit.

              John’s first thought was that they were all dead. He prayed all he could in about two seconds, whatever he did that was wrong he promised that he would never do it again if only God would save them.

              Roger had blood all over him from a wound in his shoulder and Steve was yelling, “My ass, my ass, oh shit my freaking balls are gone.”

              A jagged piece of metal had gone into his seat and hit his butt.

              Gus asked, “Is everyone okay or at least alive?” All had been hit with bits of shrapnel, but they only received cuts and scrapes, it could have been much worse.

              Scott was pulling a small shard of aluminum from his cheek and Jim said that he had a slice in his thigh. Steve had checked his ass and had a bad cut, but was keeping pressure on it. All would live, at least for now.

              The plane was barely in the air. Gus saw large holes in the wings and the left engine was severely damaged and the right barely running. The plane was bucking and jumping.

              Roger was mumbling to his self, “The dirty SOB Karl.”

              Gus quickly assessed the situation and yelled, “Roger, get us out of here.” Gus reached over and gave the plane full throttle.

              Gus then said, “John, we only have one engine, a pontoons been blown away and God knows what is holding this damn plane together.”

              The missile had hit one of the pontoons and expended most of its explosive force on blowing it to pieces.

              Gus then told Roger to aim for the farthest lake to the north.

              Roger yelled back, “The plane won’t make it that far; I’m landing on this one.”

              Gus cold cocked Roger and took the controls.               John screamed, “What is going on, I think you killed him!”

              Gus replied, “John, someone just tried to shoot us down with a Stinger and only Roger and his company knew where we were landing."

              He then added, “I think we stepped in someone else’s sandbox and the shit is flying and it sure stinks.”

              Steve and John pulled Roger in to the middle seats and John moved up front with Gus.

              “Can you land this damn plane?” John asked.               “Damn it John, this plane is coming down whether I land it or not, with only one pontoon we will crash, just how bad is the question.”

              Gus then said, “Y’all see the lake over to the right with the small island on the north side?" 

              They could all see it and replied with a rather shaky "Yes.”

              Gus told them, “I’m going to bring her down between the island and the shore.

              “He then added, “Get your seat cushions out from under your asses and put them around your ears and buckle up, we’re coming in hot and we’ll make a big splash.

              John told them, “If your right about the missile, those guys will be on us like stink on shit, be ready to un ass this plane after impact."

              John began searching the cabin and found a loaded 9mm and a bag of candy under the seat. He told the others to find anything that would be useful and to grab Gus’ and his Bug Out Bags, which were in the cabin behind Scott. He thought for a brief moment that this trip was at least starting out a little more interesting than the others had been.

              Gus then ordered them to get all the gear that was in the plane when it landed and told Scott and Jim to try for the guns in the cargo hold if they could. Gus told them that he was going in and to get ready. The plane was all over the place as Gus tried to bring it down to the water. Gus touched the one remaining pontoon onto the water, it fell off and ripped part of the flooring out with it. The plane bounced back up into the air.

              Gus yelled, “Damn it, we can’t make another pass, down we go.”

              He then brought the nose up and almost stalled, but kept it under control. The plane touched down and started skipping on the water. As it came to a stop, it dug in to the water and flipped over leaving everyone hanging upside down in midair. Gas was pouring out all over them and smoke was pouring from the engine. They quickly kicked the doors open and crawled out leaving Roger hanging from his seat belt.              

              John said, “What about Roger?”

              Gus said, “Screw him; he’s the one that did this to us.”

              John said, “You don’t know that and anyway this is still not what we were raised to do.”

              Steve and John pulled Roger from the plane while Jim and Scott tried to open the cargo hold in vain. The plane was floating in about 12 feet of water and was sinking fast; there was no way to get the guns or other equipment.

              Gus asked them to grab what they could and swim to shore. John towed Roger, who was now sputtering as he woke up.

              They swam, and then waded to the shore. This was the shallow end of the lake and there were trees growing right up to the water. John saw a rabbit and some birds at the edge of the forest and thought that they would not starve.

              Steve and John pulled Roger out of the water and dropped him on the shore like a sack of potatoes, he groaned, then passed out.

              Gus looked at Roger and told John, “That’s one lucky SOB; if you weren’t here; I would have let him drown.”

              John turned towards Gus and stared him down, “Gus, shame on you. You are the one who has been after me for years to be more religious and caring of my fellow man.”

              At that point Scott joined in with the following observation, “Whatever happened they don’t like him any more than us. They were either trying to kill us or him.”

              Scott gently kicked Roger in the ribs until he woke up. Then he asked him, “What was in those boxes? Don’t lie, we saw some drugs.”

              Gus said, “What drugs?”

              Scott answered, “Gus, Roger dropped a box and bundles of drugs fell out. We were going to tell you after Roger let us out.”

              John pointed the gun at Roger’s head and said, “You have one chance to tell the truth and live.”

              Roger told them that he thought that it was a drug smuggling operation and then was vague on detail. He tried to make them believe that the GAO paid him well and he did not ask questions.

              They then turned their attention to their wounds. Roger had the worst of it with a deep gouge in his right shoulder; Scott spread something from the FA kit on it and bandaged it with some gauze and a stretch bandage from the FA kit.

              John made Steve pull his pants down and they saw a puncture wound in his right cheek. John poked at it with the end of a pair of scissors to see if anything was still stuck in there and Steve jumped as though he had been shot.