...“We’re ready,” said Ty.

“Ready for what?” asked Linda.

“A little fun,” Ian said.

“When you say that I get very nervous. What are you up to?” Linda said.

“Watch,” he advised and swooped low over the store, he spoke to Ty over the intercom, “Mr. Eden, Initiate Operation Roto Looter.”

Ty pulled an M-16 out from under a blanket and shoved in a clip, “Initiating,” Ty answered.

“This is unauthorized!” she shrieked.

“There are times,” the Skipper of the helo Prancer commented, “you gotta say…,” and with that Ty put down a three round burst smack dab on the looters.

“Stop this! You can’t!” Linda hysterically yelled as Ian and Ty laughed. Another burst then another and another. She thought, they’re out of their minds! We’ll all go to prison for this! Omigod! They’re laughing harder!

The shots ceased for a second and then she noticed. The looters had all dropped their booty and were running away like bats out of hell. But, no pings from the shots. The way Ty was aiming, she should see and hear the shots hit either pavement or see looters go down.

Nothing, no dust, no fallen bodies…those sons of bitches…

“You bastards! You butt pirates! You’re firing blanks, aren’t you!?!”

Through his laughter, Ian wiped away a tear of glee, “I...I...hold on…I can’t stop,” and he lapsed back into euphoric mirth. He turned the helo back towards the highway.

She balled up her fist and hit him hard in the shoulder.

“Okay…okay…,” he gained semi-control, “Of course they’re blanks you ringknocking simpleton!”

“The look on your face when I opened up on them!” said Ty.

“Very funny laughing boy,’ she said and smirked in spite of herself, “What if one of them caught our tail number?”

“This ain’t my first rodeo Honey. What are they gonna do? Call the cops and say, ‘Hey, I was looting a Best Buy when…’It’s like seeing your priest in a whorehouse.”

“ Anyway,” said Ty,” if you gotta eat, no problem, take it. If you need diapers or water, you should go get it no matter what when it’s bad like this. You sure as hell don’t need plasma televisions and CD players to keep your family safe and fed. Do ya?”

“Why didn’t you two tell me?”

“Because you are such a straight arrow you would have whined and bitched the whole way here. Look how you…,” and he began to break up again.

“I lost it because I thought you two were gunning down unarmed civilians!”

“ You cost me five bucks.”

“What?”

“Bet our pal here you’d figure it out before the second burst. You didn’t.”

“Man, sweetest fiver I ever won,” Ty grinned.

“Before you start pouting in that cute way of yours, yes, you would have bitched, but you would have come along and eventually gotten in the spirit of it. I know that or you wouldn’t be sitting in that seat,’ he said and winked at her.

“Jerkoff,” she laughed.

“Crack whore,” he responded.

“Fake cowboy.”

“Cousin It.”

“Registered Libertarian.”

“Child of the Corn.”

“Passive aggressive douche.”

“Product of affirmative action.”

“Sissy boy.”

“Girl pilot.”

“Police pilot.”

“Whoa! That’s too far!”...