DRIVIN FAST, LIVIN LARGE

DRIVIN FAST, LIVIN LARGE

I dun tole ya! Jessie hollered ta Walter whilst Buster was yellin faster. Howard was jes a grinnin from ear ta ear cause he liked speed too, ya know. He jes loved ta see Walter a devlin Jessie drivin so fast. Tha red an blue lights was a flashin when Walter pulled over ta tha side of tha road. Jessie said ta Walter that he was gonna git hisself a ticket an wadn't no way out of it this time. Thar was six of em in tha car; tha boys and 2 of tha Brittain cousins. Thay had all ben out ta a lil party an that Old McBrayer kinda snuck up on Walter. First off thay begin by playin Pitch at Everett's with some of tha boys from Tar Bottoms an then headed on over ta tha 11-70 Club down by tha river. Buster and Jessie wadn't goin steady with nobody at this time but Howard and Walter had that Snow gal and Lil Lynette thay was seein regular. Lil Lynette was a pistol fer shor. She was chin high ta Walter and toted tommyhawks with her ever whar she went. That is ta say, she was half French and half Injun. Walter said when ya got her riled it was like tanglin with a bobcat.We seen her set ole Walter ta sail a time or two that's fer shor. Course tha boys was tha cause of that on occasion a gittin Walter ta do sumthin she didn't want him ta do. Buster did see that 6 foot tall Injun gal that worked over at tha Holiday Inn by tha name of Bonnie Wahela Emmadine Sullins Morgan fer a time but weren't nuthin serious. She was tall nuf ta dance with though. Now Jessie on tha other hand had more gals than Carter had lil liver pills with them pheromones of hisn poppin out all tha time. Bout when he thought he had em under control thay'd pop out an a gal would cum rite out of tha woodwork it seemed. In tha least likely places, one of em would latch on ta Jessie. Why one time Jessie was a walkin by a storefront downtown with hisn pa and jes decided ta git sum 20 Mule Team Borax at tha WalMart on tha corner. Plus it was cummin up on hisn ma's birthday an him an his pa reckoned thay would git her present whilst thay was out. Thay didn't git ta tha city too offen and this was as good a time as any. When Jessie an hisn pa went ta tha store tha lady at tha counter went plum google eyed over Jessie an tole hisn pa she wanted him ta take out her daughter. She even had her picture she showed em. Her name was Jenny an she was a rite purty thang an a rodeo queen ta boot. She barrel raced an was real good at it. Well, Jessie Senior got ta talkin ta tha lady fer quite a spell an cum ta find out thay knowed sum of tha same folks. Mr. McBrayer invited all tha Olivers over fer supper after church on tha followin Wednesday so thay could all meet an visit. Well, Jessie was fit ta be tied! He tole hisn pa he jes wadn't up to no courtin cause he had bizness an lawyerin on his mind. He ben a helpin Mr. Omar Green thar in town an at hisn law office an was a studyin up on contracts and sich. Mr. McBrayer said now Jessie, ya got ta be sociable an ifn a gals ma asks ya ta escort her daughter ya ort ta preciate that. Thay seem ta be good Christian folks an want a nice feller like youself that has good raisin ta be friends with thar gal. It was a rite nice compliment fer Jessie an his folks so he reckoned he would take her out fer ice cream at Leake's drugstore an tha picture show on Saturday ifn all went well on Wednesday evenin. Both Jessie's ma an pa was happy bout that, I tell ya.
Anyhow, back ta Walter an tha po-leece. Two State Troopers cum up ta tha car an asked fer Walter's driver's license an checked him out. All tha rest of tha boys stayed in tha car whilst thay took Walter an put him in tha back seat of tha po-leece car.
Whilst the troopers was waitin fer word on Walter, thay begin ta talkin bout how dry it was in them parts. Walter said he didn't mean ta interrupt but down in Groom it was so dry a tree had ta chase a dog. Them two Troopers busted out laughin an bout that time tha radio cum on an tha dispatcher said Walter was clean. Them two troopers jes looked at each other still a laughin and tole Walter to git on out of their car but ta drive tha speed limit. Walter had him a snoot full an tole Buster ta drive on home. Walter dun got out of another un an Jessie said Walter was luckier than a outhouse rat. He could talk tha brass horns offa billy goat.
Saturday after tha picture show, Miz Inez Adams asked tha boys ta help clean up the trash left in the rows an she said thay could have 2 passes each. Well, tha boys said thar weren't no need of that an thay would be proud ta do it. Thay had that buildin spic an span in no time flat and Miz Inez give em passes anyhow. Whilst thay was thar thay found a billfold of cash an papers. It belonged ta a feller passin thru town that had a lil time ta kill so he went ta the picture show. Tha feller was a Yankee, but Injun, lookin fer oil and gas leases in tha area an also lookin fer sumbody ta invest in a oil an gas well. Seems he had a pardner that jes died an had cum from tha funeral at Higgin's Switch an had ta wait whilst his car was fixed over at Baxley's Texaco station. Loomis Burks had ta cum over an do sum weldin on tha axel too . Anyhow, tha feller had a lease over in Oklahoma fer a gas an oil well an was flat busted ceptin what he had in hisn billfold when he rolled thru town. He needed a stake ta prove up tha well an knowed it would pay off. Wildcattin was a gamble fer shor but he jes had a good feelin bout tha well cummin in. When tha boys caught up with tha feller he was plum dejected sittin on tha side of tha road out of gas. Buster had a five gallon can of Amoco gas in his truck and he put that in tha fellers tank. Howard handed over tha fellers billfold an tole him thay found it in tha picture show. Tha boys knowed which a way he was goin when Acey an Loomis over at tha station tole em tha direction he was headin in. Tha boys got inta Humnoke an had coffee with tha feller an he shor nuf preciated what thay dun. He offered em a reward but tha boys wouldn't take it. He tole em all bout tha gas an oil leases an his pardner. He said he was a lookin fer a stake and he dang well knowed it would make a pile of greenbacks. Shor, wildcattin was a gamble but not when he knowed it was rite under hisn feet. Tha feller was called Joe Whitetail an he was a Cherokee and Kootenai Injun. He was raised with his ma in Oklahoma till he was 13 and moved with hisn pa after hisn ma died. He said he knowed ever inch of that Anadarko Basin an could even show em whar tha gas cum rite out tha ground like a artesian water well. Tha boys asked him when he was a goin back ta Oklahoma ta prove up the well an he tole em in bout a month when he settled some thangs in Sandpoint, Idaho whar he was from. Tha boys give Joe thar contact information an ta call em when he was a headed back. Thay jes might want ta hook up with him again. Joe said he would an thanked em all agin fer bringin his billfold ta him. It was rite neighborly an he knowed thay was all good men.
Well, all boys dun sniffed out another adventure. Thay figured thay could jump in an help Joe cause Howard was good with heavy equipment, Walter could weld pipe or anythin else fer that matter, Buster was stout as a ox an would work like a Turk an Jessie would do tha researchin, plus all em of was smart as a whip. Jessie's pa and Uncle Cecil worked fer Southern Natural Gas an knowed all bout gas wells. Heck fire, that's how hisn family got in tha gas bizness cause of one of them surface gas wells. Jessie an his pa an Uncle knowed fer true surface gas wells was a fact seein how thay had one.
Cummin on ta summer, Joe Whitetail called up tha boys an said he was a cummin thru to go back ta Oklahoma an said he wanted ta stop an visit fer a bit. Jessie's ma said ta cum on ta tha house an thay would have a big supper an all tha boys an thar folks would be thar an visit with him one evenin. Well, tha boys dun made up thar minds to go with Joe an tole thar folks what thay was a gonna do. Since thay was all old nuf ta make decisions on thar own an had thar own money an school was out; thay didn't make no never mind that thay went. Tha boys' folks had plenty of help an knowed thay would be careful an Uncle Cecil and Aunt Liz lived out that way in Weatherford an would keep an eye out fer em. Tha boys had thar money from thar various bizness enterprises an decided ta go whole hog ifn it looked like a good thang ta do. Jessie purty well would fill em all in on what was what in tha gas an oil bizness. Jessie's pa and Uncle Cecil andtha folks thay knowed in SONAT could advise em too. Joe cum on in a couple of days later an Mrs. McBrayer an Mrs. Ollinger an Buster's grandma Clara fixed up a feast fit fer a king. Walter an Jessies's sisters cum ta supper too an since Joe was single, young an good lookin, thay was more than willin ta help an stay fer a spell. Durin supper everbody visited an Joe tole bout hisn raisin an hisn folks. Joe was 24 an shor nuf had tha drive ta make this deal work ifn he could git a lil cash. After supper, all tha folks went inta tha parlor fer homemade vanilla ice cream that Buster's grandma made an, fresh peach pie an chocolate cake. Fresh coffee was an sweet iced tea wetted thar whistles an then tha boys tole Joe thay was gonna invest an work with Joe in Oklahoma to bring in hisn well. Tha folks tole Joe that tha boys had the money an wanted ta do this ifn he wanted em in on it. The split would be 5 equal ways said Joe ifn thay agreed. Tha boys shor nuf liked tha idee but tole Joe ta make it 50/50. Tha boys half and him half. Joe purt near fell outa hisn chair an bout shed a tear when thay said that. Joe tole tha foks that these here boys were mighty fine young men an would always be hisn brothers. He said thay cum by it honest by thar raisin an could be rite proud of em. Tha next day tha boys started gatherin up thar belongins fer tha trip an tools too. Thay made arrangements at tha bank fer tha money ta be used in a account fer tha venture. Thay called thar new company 5 Brothers Exploration. Joe went on ahead tha next day an tha boys would meet up with him in a day or two when thay was ready ta leave. Joe said thay was gonna tap that artesian gas well first an git that ta goin an then drill with tha money thay would make on first well. It was a plan. Buster an Walter an Jessie took Buster's Ford an Howard got Belle ready to fly an flew her ta whar thay was gonna be. Thay figured ifn thay had to go sum place fast that Belle was tha best way plus Howard wanted ta keep up with hisn tricks by practicein when he had tha chance.
Joe an tha boys settled in Elk City bout 42 miles from Weatherford whar Jessie's Uncle Cecil lived. Joe an tha boys, with Uncle Cecils's help, begin ta gather up tha equipment thay as gonna need an hired an old wildcatter to open up that artesian gas well. Sam Riggins was a crusty ole feller but took a likin ta all tha boys. Uncle Cecil knowed Sam an got him ta sign on. It wadn't long that thay had that well tapped an capped an SONAT bought all tha gas thay could pump from that well. Tha boys put in $150,000.00 inta 5 Brothers Exploration an made a tidy profit fer ever cubic foot of gas sold. Thar advance was enuf ta pay off all tha debts an pocket $50,000.00 a piece with a nice bonus fer Sam. Joe tole tha boys that thay was ready ta drill now an ifn thay wanted ta keep on drillin with him. At supper one nite at Uncle Cecil's, thay all discussed thar plans. Uncle Cecil had tha deal made with SONAT fer all tha gas thay could git an any oil too ifn thay struck sum. The next well wadn't quite as easy as that first surface well but ole Sam brought er in. By this time he dun gathered up a real good crew an thangs was a runnin smooth like. When number two was hit sum dang ambulance chasin lawyer begin ta give sum grief an stir up trouble. Sumthin bout Joe's dead pardner's people wantin in on tha profits offa tha wells. Joe had hisn papers an thay as all in order leavin him full ownership of tha leases. Tha contract stated that ifn one of em died tha other one would git hisn half. Since thay never did drill nor made any money thar wadn't nuthin ta split. One day Joe went inta Oklahoma City with Howard in Belle ta see a lawyer bout all tha fuss. Howard went ta see tha sights in town whilst he was a waitin fer Joe. Joe never showed. Joe was kidnapped an a ransom note was left on Belle at tha airstrip. Howard called tha po-leece an tha boys an Uncle Cecil cum with tha boys ta Oklahoma City ta find out what was a happenin an all tha goins on. Tha note said that thay wanted tha contract an all tha rites ta tha wells or Joe was gonna end up daid. That evenin at tha motel, Buster said ta Walter, Howard an Jessie, that thay had ta do sumthin an he had a idee. First off, Howard was not ta feel bad bout Joe bein kidnapped. It wadn't hisn fault. Next off thay needed ta call Mr. Holmes fer help from Dalton an Devane. Thay all agreed an Buster made tha call. Uncle Cecil also thought that was a good idee an would call all tha folks from tha phone in hisn room. Tha folks at SONAT gave tha boys an office at thar headquarters building in Oklahoma City till Joe was found. That shor helped ta have a central location fer support. Mr. Holmes answered on tha first ring. How he dun that Buster didn't know. It was like he knowed Buster was callin. Anyway, Buster didn't waste no time in tellin Mr. Holmes what all dun happened. Mr. Holmes said he would git rite on it an took all tha particulars from Buster. Buster an tha boys thanked Mr. Holmes an tole him how much thay preciated hisn help. Thay don't know whar in tha world Dalton an Devane cum from but it wadn't 4 hours later that both of em landed in town an was a gittin tha low down from tha po-leece. Dalton an Devane met up with tha boys an Uncle Cecil at thar motel an begin ta tell em what all thay was a thinkin bout all this. Tha note was on a large scrap of paper that cum from Chicago, IL. How thay knowed that was by traces of DNA left by a paper cut. Sumbody had accidentally cut themselfs on tha paper an didn't even know it. Tha DNA matched a sample from a local Russian Mafia gangster thar in Chicago. Tha feller had ben arrested thar fer fightin in a union dispute whar he mite near kilt a feller with a ball bat. DNA samples was taken fer tha case an was on file so thay was available ta Dalton when thay got tha results from tha lab on what was found on the note. Devane tole em he was leavin rite then fer Chicago an would be in touch. Dalton phoned Mr. Holmes with the information an that shor nuf got his attention, I tell ya. Cum ta find out after a lil investigatin that a cousin of Joe's daid pardner was a ex KGB agent an was knowed ta be tied ta tha Russian Mafia in Chicago.
It begin ta add up real quick what this was all bout an Dalton sat em all down, includin Uncle Cecil, an give em tha skinny on what thay figured was goin on.
Dalton tole em all thay ben round tha block a time or two an that this was leadin ta sumthin him an Devane an Mr. Holmes knowed mite be held in sich secrecy that only 3 men in tha world even had an idee what it was all bout. Thay couldn't tell em rite then what all it concerned but Mr. Holmes was tha onlyest one that knowed all tha details. Thay was jes gonna have ta wait an see how this all played out. First thangs first said Dalton. Not nary a word an he meant that, not nary a word. Dalton said he knowed thay was gonna stick thar noses in this an ta keep em safe an not crossways with tha bad guys an tha government, thay all had ta do exactly what Mr. Holmes said to do. It was that or thay was gonna be held till Joe was found. Thay all agreed ta tha conditions an swore thay wadn't gonna take matters in thar own hands. Mr. Holmes said he wadn't kiddin nun bout this an South America an tha Bahamas put tagather was a cake walk compared ta this. He also said not ta ask any questions till thay was briefed cause thay wadn't gonna git no answers unlessen thay needed one. Dalton also tole em that he didn't even know all tha details but it so secret, so serious that the President didn't even know all tha details. Thar wadn't no sleepin fer em an Dalton had a plane waitin fer em ta go ta Chicago. Uncle Cecil was gonna stay behind in OK City an git thangs cleaned up thar an then go on back ta tha house with Aunt Liz. He was ta stand by thar till all of this was over. SONAT was workin with Mr. Holmes an Uncle Cecil was ta be under Mr. Holmes orders till further notice. All tha folks back home had thar minds put ta ease by Mr. Holmes an Uncle Cecil that tha boys was all OK and thay would be kept informed of what all was goin on or at least as much as possible. Tha folks understood an knowed tha drill from tha past fracas thay was in. Everthang was movin real fast an that was good. Tha sooner thay found Joe tha better.

Devane had a lead on tha Russian when tha plane landed. His name was Boris Gorsky an he was bout ta offered a deal he couldn't refuse. Buster an Walter flew Belle ta Chicago whilst Jessie an Howard went with Dalton. Tha boys wanted Belle with em an would be a bit behind but would catch up after thay stopped fer sum stuff thar in Elk City. Devane an Dalton left Jessie an Howard with tha plane an took off on thar own. Thay snatched ole Boris an brung him back all trussed up an bleedin a mite but still breathin. Devane asked Howard an Jessie ifn thay recognized tha feller an Jessie said he seed him thar in Elk City at tha café an Howard said he seed him lollygaggin round tha buildin whar that lawyer was that Joe was posed ta meet up with. Devane had a car take tha boys ta a hotel an would be back later. That Russian was tuff as boot leather but not as tuff as he thought he was. Devane knowed a thang or two bout gittin a feller ta talk an when he was dun tha feller was sangin like a canary. Boris tole Dalton an Devane whar tha cousin of Joe's pardner was holed up an that he had Joe. Anton Petrov was Tony Peters, Joe's pardner. He died of natural causes, a heart attack. Tony lived in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho whar he met Joe an thay hooked up ta make thar fortune. Tony's people cum from Russia an changed thar name ta a English version. Pavel Petrov is Tony's cousin. Now that Dalton an Devane had tha location of whar Pavel was holdin Joe, it was time ta fetch tha boy on back home. But, thar was a catch ta that. Believe it or not, Joe was bein held at tha Russian Foundation till tha oil an gas conference was over that was ta be held thar. Thar was a secret room in tha basement an it was heavily guarded. Dalton said this was gonna be a tuff one seein how thay was highly visible. But Dalton, Devane an Mr. Holmes cum up with a plan. Mr. Holmes had ta keep tha fire dept. from answerin tha call of tha security system an tha extraction had ta be dun early of a mornin, like 3 am. All was go an tha sooner tha better but tha 6 guards were bad news but tha plan was doable.
Everthang went off like clockwork till thay cum ta takin out tha guards, it got kinda dicey thar.
Two was guardin tha staris and elevator ta tha basement an 4 guards were stationed in tha hall an at tha door of tha secret room. Dalton and Devane each took a guard but Dalton's man pulled tha trigger of hisn machine pistol an fired off a burst as he went down. Both of em were daid as a doorknob but tha alarm was sounded. Thar shor nuf was a shootout now, I tell ya but a couple of grenades did tha trick. Time was short and thay had ta move an fast. Tha door was locked an nun of tha guards had a key. Devane set a small charge an blew it. Joe was out cold with drugs ta keep him quite an Devane him outa thar in a fireman's carry. Thay lit out thar headin fer tha airport. Tha boys was called an tole ta meet em thar so thay could git airborne quick. Pavel was nowhar to be found durin tha raid an he had ta be dealt with later. First thang was ta git Joe up an talkin. Buster an Walter was fuelin up when thay was contacted by radio ta meet up with Dalton at a private airstrip jes outside of St. Louis. A doctor would be waitin thar ta tend ta Joe an thay would make plans thar. Joe cum round in tha rooms thay got after tha doctor treated Joe. It took bout 6 hours an thay all used tha time ta rest up an make plans an gather information from Mr. Holmes. Nuthin else could be dun till Joe cum round an tole em what all he knowed.

When Joe cum to, everbody was all ears. Boy he had a tale ta tell, that's fer shor an Mr. Holmes was a listenin as he was a tellin hisn story. When Howard left Joe at tha lawyer's office, sumbody grabbed him from behind an stuck a rag over hisn mouth an he went out like a lite. When he woke up, Pavel was thar an begin ta ask him questions an bout tha boys too. Seems as he was rite interested when thay was up ta Crow Creek in Utah on thar trip. Pavel was ta use hisn cousin ta git all tha rites ta tha gas field in tha Anadarko Basin but he up an died fore thay could kill Joe. The gas field was one of tha largest in tha world an tha Russians wanted it. Tha money it would generate would be in tha hundreds of billions of dollars. Pavel had a feller cum in an talk ta Joe by hisself bout sum kinda technology an what he knowed bout tha boys an how he met up with em. Joe said that it was shor strange ta him why that feller was so interested in tha boys an all an tole him how thay met an thar bizness deal. Cum ta find out Joe did have notions on what all took place up at Crow Creek with tha boys. He was Indian an that kinda stuff was passed down from generation ta generation. Fact is, his people had thar own brand of Julian. tha feller asked Joe ifn he knowed whar tha technology was an whar it cum from. Joe tole him he had no idee but didn't think tha feller believed him. The feller even asked him ifn he talked ta tha aliens who brung it ta Crow Creek. Joe tole him he was nuts an turn him a loose. The feller jes turned round an left tha room. Then Pavel cum back in an tha guards held him down an thay give him a shot. Mr. Holmes tole Dalton an Devane it was jes as he suspected an ta be mitey careful that tha Russians wadn't dun with em yet. Bout that time thay figured thay better move on out an got inta a couple of SUV's Dalton had arranged fer in St. Louis. As thay was drivin back ta tha airstrip, two motorcycles an 2 cars pulled up long side of tha SUV's an started shootin at em. Well now, tha race was on. Dalton was in one SUV an Devane was in tha other and thay begin ta shootin back. Dalton an Devane had extry guns an give em ta tha boys an tole ta keep thar heads down.
Tha chase an tha shootout was bringin lots of attention ta tha ruckus an po-leece sirens was a heared in tha distance. Then, one of the tires was shot out an tha SUV that Walter an Jessie was ridin in crashed. The driver was also wounded but managed ta git the SUV inta a parkin lot of a bizness. It was St. Louis MotorSports. Walter an Jessie run in whilst Devane an Joe hunkered down firin back at tha Russians. Walter grabbed tha keys ta a Lamborghini an Jessie jumped in. Devane an Joe made a break fer a car whilst Walter an Jessie give em cover. The 2 motorcycles was took out a while back when one crashed an Dalton shot tha other un. When Devane and Joe got inta a Porsche thay lit outa thar like thar tails was on fire.
Walter was jes a grinnin an laughin with Jessie hollerin at him ta drive faster. Walter hit a hundurt in bout 4 seconds with Devane close behind. Jessie was a jumpin up an down yellin faster Walter, faster. At a hundurt an fifty Walter had her levelin out an left tha Russians in thar dust. Devane cum up behind em an blinked hisn lites to pullover. Tha po-leece had dun took over an tha Russians that was left got away but was bein chased. When Buster an Howard an Dalton got thar whar thay was stopped, Walter was a funnin Jessie bout drivin faster. Jessie tole em all that that was one time he wanted Walter ta drive fast since he wanted ta keep hisn hide intact. Pavel was on tha run but thay would git him. Now was tha time fer a meetin with Mr. Holmes, so thay headed ta tha airstrip an took off ta Washington. Belle was left thar with a pilot dispatched ta take her back ta Elk City.

Mr. Holmes said fer shor sumthin sinister was a brewin an he needed ta talk turkey with tha boys and Dalton an Devane. Uncle Cecil was left out this conversation on purpose. Need ta know basis he said. Mr. Holmes give em tha lowdown on what was happenin. It was really a carryover of tha old Russian regime an from what dun happened when thay all went ta French Guiana. Tha pig farmers wanted ta take over tha United States any way thay could. Why them Russians didn't even have last names till a hundurt years ago. Control of a few over many was their agenda but it ain't a happenin said Mr. Holmes! The rulin class wanted ta make a pile of money offa tha gas wells or blow em sky high; whichever thay could do first. Tha other thang was military superiority an this technology thay was talkin bout ended up at Crow Creek. Mighty strange thangs happened up thar an portals was knowed ta exist thar. Aliens from a time back had a technology thay give ta tha Aztecs an thay moved it ta Utah up at Crow Creek an buried it thar. Tha Spaniards chased em all tha way ta Utah an tha aliens had em ta go ta Crow Creek whar thay could cum an go thru portals in dimensional space. Seemed far fetched ta most folks but tha boys dun had a taste of it with Julian an Doc Freibot. Now Mr. Holmes wouldn't tell tha boys exactly whar this here technology was buried at Crow Creek or what it was but thay had ta make a trip back up thar with Dalton an Devane ta show em whar had their experience with Julian. Joe said he was a goin too an wadn't gonna be left behind. Tha next day all em left on out ta Utah. Tha plane flew em inta Vernal an agents met em thar with 4 wheel drive SUV's an gear. Walter showed Dalton an Devane tha ice cave an Howard an Jessie recounted tha snake lodge ceremony ta em too. Buster tole tha story of Julian jes appearin an leavin like he did an bout all tha weather changes in a hour's time. All tha pictures was on tha rock walls an Jeff Houston an Josh Wilkerson cum by an tole em all bout tha skinwalkers an Sasquatch sightins. Howard was on a 4 wheeler an seed em on tha road home from work an asked ta cum up fer a beer an tell thar story. At tha Weston Plaza Motel that nite, Dalton called Mr. Holmes an he said fer Devane ta go on back with tha boys ta Elk City an fer Dalton ta stay thar fer excavation of tha technology. Guards were on thar way an were ta be posted all round tha site. Them Delta Force boys meant bizness with orders ta shoot ta kill.

Devane escorted tha boys back ta Elk City an stayed tha nite before leavin out tha next mornin fer Crow Creek. It was bout 2 in tha mornin when thay busted in on Joe an Buster. Rooms had ta be shared cause thar jes wadn't nuf of em ta go round fer all tha men. Devane an Jessie bunked tagather an Walter an Howard throwed thar bedrolls in tha same room too. Tha pilots took tha last room.

When Pavel an tha thug with him kicked in tha door, Buster was a waitin fer em. Reckoned thay woulda ben kilt daid ifn he hadn't a heared em outside tha door when he got up ta git a extry balnket. Buster grabbed Pavel round tha guzzle an was takin an a bit of a thrashin but he didn't turn him a loose. Joe throwed a lamp at tha thug an he missed as he fired hisn pistol. Devane an tha boys cum a runnin an helped Buster hogtie Pavel. One of tha pilots shot tha thug in tha haid an put him outa of commission. Devane begin ta question Pavel an Devane wanted ta know how thay cum to foller em. Pavel jes laughed and showed them ugly teeth of hisn an said it was tha tracking device thay implanted in Joe's left eyebrow whar thay whacked him durin interrogatin him. Joe never knowed it was thar till now. Devane called Mr. Holmes an Dalton an tole em what all happened an said he was gonna bring him ta Washington fer further questionin. One of tha pilots was left ta guard Pavel whilst tha boys loaded up Buster's Ford an Devane helped git tha plane ready fer immediate takeoff. In tha meantime, Pavel had a trick or two up hisn sleeve an got ta a hidden handcuff key an got a loose. He jumped tha pilot an pole axed him with tha chair he was sittin in. Then he escaped ta tha helicopter he an hisn thug cum in. Pavel was a pilot too an could fly most any kinda of aircraft. Well, Walter an Howard seed Pavel git ta tha helicopter an thay run ta Belle ta chase him. Howard took off a chasin Pavel in Belle. Pavel's helicopter couldn't out run Belle but thay was bout even when it cum ta speed. Howard was rite on hisn tail when Pavel begin ta shoot at Belle. Walter still had his Mac 10 an opened up on tha helicopter. Howard had hisn pistol he was give durin tha chase in St. Louis too, so thay had sum firepower. Neither one of tha aircraft could git away from tha other an Howard hollered ta Walter ifn he could hold on a wing walkin till he got near Pavel's open cockpit door. Walter said heck yeah, let er bump. Thar was one grenade in Howard's coat that he got when he got out of tha SUV an he give it ta Walter. Howard asked him ifn he got close enuf ifn he could toss it in on Pavel. Walter said ta consider it dun; jes git him close enuf fer a good throw. Howard tole Walter this was gonna be a bit scary but ta hang on an he would git him close enuf ta bring him down. Howard pulled straight up, spiraled, rolled, dove an cum up under tha helicopter. Howard made a move an brought Belle rite next ta tha open door in tha helicopter. Walter only had a split second an them G's had him puckerd up like a green persimmon, but he made tha throw. Walter had already pulled tha pin an after 1001 he chunked tha grenade in tha open door rite in Pavel's lap. You shoulda seed tha look on hisn face when that grenade cum flyin in. That was 1002. 1003 cum after Howard banked hard left an then thar wadn't nuthin but a ball of flame. Howard landed an Walter got down offa tha wing an Buster an Jessie tole Howard that his practicein them tricks shor paid off. Walter said it shor was a rush but didn't care ta do it agin.

Mr. Holmes was called again an Devane briefed him on what dun happened. After everthang settled down, Devane left back ta Crow Creek an tha boys went ta Uncle Cecil's tha next day.
Thar was back slappin an Aunt Liz said she was aprayin with tha rest of tha folks an phone calls was made to let tha boys' folks know thay was allrite. Aunt Liz made Uncle Cecil throw steaks on tha grill an chicken fer Jessie. Uncle Cecil called Sam after supper an thay all agreed ta crank up tha drillin as soon as possible. Tha crew was a waitin fer word so drillin was ta commence as soon as thay could git tha equipment moved in.

Joe an tha boys hit on several more shallow wells when thay was approached by a feller name of Robert A. Hefner III. He wanted ta buy out Joe an tha boys with hisn two pardners, Laurence Glover an David Kennedy.
GHK Exploration would give em cash up front an sum stock in tha company plus a royalty on tha gas sold. Tha deal was ta stand with SONAT an thay was ta drill one more well tagather that Joe was bound an determined ta do. She was called tha Bertha Rogers; the deepest drilled well in tha western world at 31,441 feet. It was tha culmination of Joe's dream.

When than boys left out of Elk City ta home thay dropped off Walter an Jessie in Oklahoma City ta pick up Walter's new car he ordered. He got him one of them Lamborghini's an had Jessie ta ride long with him back ta tha house. Jessie said ta Walter he would jes like ta drive it once. Course, Walter said yes as he knowed Jessie never did drive fast. Well, Jessie pulled out on ta I 40 an let tha hammer down. Jessie throwed ole Walter so far back in hisn seat it would take ta Sunday fer him ta git outta it. Jessie topped her out bout 185 with Walter jes a squealin ta Jessie ta slow down. Jessie looked over ta Walter an said turn bout is fair play an jes don't never judge a book by its cover. Walter never dun that agin.