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