Chapter 5

"Hey, Ron! Wake up!" Tom shouted as he shook his sleeping partner.

"It's clear!" Ron replied as consciousness began to come to him.

"Yeah, at least we'll be able to see what we're doing," Tom said.

"Yeah, I'll get a map and a compass!" Tom said. "We should at least be able to figure out where we are."

The distant hum of an airplane engine caused both men to gaze expectantly up into the sky.

"Listen to that!" Tom said.

"Yeah, it's a plane!" Ron replied.

"Quick," Tom said. "Get a flare! They may be able to see it!"

Ron handed Tom a flare. Tom swiftly sent the life-saving brilliance of the magnesium into the twilight of the morning and the flare exploded as it should.

Unfortunately, Patty and Jeannie were still asleep, so they had no notice that their husbands were safe.

"Shit!" Curly said as he sat next to Bud in the cockpit. "You see that!"

"Yeah! A rescue flare!" Bud replied.

"Want to see what's up?" Curly asked.

"Hell, Curly I don't know," Bud replied. "I don't know if I want to go wasting my time playing hero."

"Well, you can never tell," Curly said. "It might be a couple of broads!"

A lewd grin of malevolent intensity formed on the bulbous face of Bud Smith.

Yeah, he thought to himself. What if it was a couple of chicks?

"Let's take a look," Bud said.

The plane loomed into view.

"I think they've spotted us!" Ron shouted.

"Shit! It's just a couple of guys!" Bud said. "I don't know if I want to waste my time."

"Not so fast," Curly said. "Those guys have probably seen the serial number of our plane. Hell, if we don't get them out of here, and someone else finally does, if they tell the Feds, we could all get fried."

"Yeah," Bud said. "That goddamn law! Well let's make it quick."

"I think there's a clearing over there," Curly replied. "Let's go down."

Bud rapidly maneuvered his plane into a dusty clearing and made a smooth landing.

Tom felt an instinctual aversion to the crude and rowdy looking bunch of men in the airplane. Somehow he didn't trust them; but at the moment, he had no choice. This ominous looking group of men was their only chance at saving their wives.

"We've lost our wives," Tom said. "They were with us when our plane went down. Do you think you could help us find them?"

Curly gave Bud a knowing wink.

"Be glad to, fella!" Bud said.

Unfortunately, the airplane sailed right over the girls, who were hidden by the bushes and were still in a sound sleep.