BOMBERS

  Two jet fighters screamed over head at a hundred feet and 500 miles per hour. they were so close that Santiago could feel the heat from the engines. he hadn't heard them coming and it startled and scared him both at the same time. instinctively be burrowed into the sand  bank he lay on trying to get away from the sound and what he perceived as a threat. what he didn't know was that the bombers were headed for targets inside the range. 
    below the slow moving plane appeared in the south moving toward the drop zone. Santiago hope they would hurry as he was nervous with the jets scorching his tail feathers as they passed.
   Rigsby was settled into his seat smoking a cigarret when the jets screamed by.  they had made him set up and peer out the windshield.  far off to the east there appeared explosions of dust as the jets fired on their targets inside the range.  the little plane from mexico came over the edge of the basin and circled over the drop zone. the bag was dropped and the plane headed south. rigsby started his engine and rolled out of the thicket he was parked in. opening the door he leaned out and retrieved the bag, pulling it inside and started down the road north.
   Santiago watched a moment then scrambled to his feet and retreated to his run down pick up. bt the time he got to it rigsby would be well on his way.
  Coaly and bender had just pulled off the vekhol road and was heading to the paradise well.the two jets streaked over head . coaly turned to sam with a unasked question on his face.
  ' GO AHEAD, THEY JUST CIRCLE OVER THE BUFFER ZONE THEN LINE UP THEIR TARGET INSIDE THE RANGE. THEY WONT BOTHER US. " SAM MUMBLED.
  coly shifted the truck into second gear and gained speed. just ahead , behind the paridise well plumes of dust erupted when the jets passed.
   " you sure?" he asked
   Sam set up straighter in his seat looking ahead. " damn" he exclaimed
  the jets had disappeared into the western skys their images blending into the backdrop of the javalina mountains. " keep going we will be alright."
   as they pulled up to the storage shack at the well a delapedated old pick up came careening out of the bombing range. sm and coaly watched as is roared by raising a dust cloud that drifted over them.
  " was that a little kid driving that wreck?'" sam asked
   " naw but he was a short little dude."
   sam shook his head as he pulled a gas can out of the truck to fuel the moter on the pump jack. coaly took it out of his hand shaking his head. sam found a shady place to set and watched as coaly fueled the moter, then started it. the trough was full, the storage tank filling when they pulled out away from the corrals. the moter would run until out of gas . by then the storage tank would be full. enough water to last a few days.  sam promptly went to sleep as they returned to the ranch.
   at the ranch sissy was weeding her garden when out on the road the old truck sped by a few minutes behind the black suburban.  thinking to herself she would have to mention it to sam.  a lot of activity for one morning.