American Exit Strategy: Book 1

by Mark Goodwin

  Jack said "OK, I'll get shotgun. I'll come by when I get back."

  "Call to give me a heads up, so I'll know it's you. Keep your head down when you get by Winn Dixie, they are going nuts over there right now. There was an officer injured while looters were breaking into the store. They won't be playing nice over there." Matt answered. "And tell Tina to come over here and wait for you if she gets scared. There is a lot of gunfire around."

  "Thanks buddy" Jack said as he hung up to complete his purchase.

  CHAPTER 11

  "To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

  -George Mason - Father of the Bill of Rights

  Sonny called Senator Randall the evening the riots started. "Dina Fitch is calling an emergency session in the Senate tomorrow to approve emergency powers to handle the riots. They are meeting tomorrow to vote on suspending firearms sales until the crisis dies down. They are also going to vote on allowing the Army to provide logistical support to the National Guard in areas where martial law has been invoked."

  Paul Randall replied "That is par for the course. Their motto is 'never let a crisis go to waste.' Every time something goes wrong, they manage to take a hole puncher to the Constitution. The problem is, there is barely an area of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights big enough for them to get a grip. This is one of the times people need to be able to defend themselves the most, and they want to suspend gun sales. I’ll book a flight out to DC tonight. I will call you tomorrow during lunch and let you know how long the vote is going to run. It will probably go late into tomorrow night, so you can just take care of things here rather than fly out."

  "Thanks" Sonny replied. "I have no shortage of things to do here. Howe is down 5 points since this morning. Even though he has little to do with this mess, the Howe Clancy connection to the EBT card processing fees is reflecting in people's opinions of him. It is his constituents that are feeling this. None of those folks were going to vote for you anyway."

  "I just got off the phone with Commanding General Allen Jefferson. The National Guard is just outside of Detroit. They have canceled plans to go inside and try to restore order. They have determined it is an unlikely objective and are now coordinating an effort to quarantine the city. FEMA will be there tomorrow to start taking refugees to camps. They will start with women and children and families. Basically, males over eighteen who don't have ID to show they live with a wife or family won't be allowed to leave the city until more FEMA camps are set up. The first one is going to be in Lansing and from what General Jefferson described, they are almost like minimum security detention centers. I would hate to have to pick between that FEMA camp and Detroit." Paul said.

  Sonny was starting to grasp the magnitude of the ordeal. "I will pray for those folks tonight. Most of them didn't ask for this."

  "Pray for folks all over Sonny." Paul added. "We are even hearing of Walmarts that are getting looted in cities all over Texas. Dallas has reported three stores that have been ransacked and one burned to the ground. The people who are doing this are cutting off their own feet. They are destroying their own communities."

  Sonny replied "Unfortunately sir, they haven't done much to build those communities. What little they have has been given through government handouts for generations. When you don't work for something, you generally don't put much value on it. "

  "Very well said Sonny." Paul replied.

  "Thank you sir, I'll let you get to work, booking that flight." Sonny ended.

  Paul said "I talk to you tomorrow. Maybe it will be a better day."

  CHAPTER 12

  "But you are a shield

  around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side."

  Psalm 3:3-6

  "I’m pulling in my driveway now." Jack said to Matt over the phone. "I ‘m going to get Tina and bring her over so you can show both of us how to work this thing. I think that it’s better than me trying to repeat what you show me."

  "Good call." Matt said. "See you in a bit."

  Jack knocked at the door, but Matt still went out the side as a precaution. It was overly precautious, but if ever there were a time to be on your toes, this was it.

  "Is your front door opening OK?" Jack quizzed.

  "Yes, but the way the peephole is situated, I can't get a very good view of my surroundings before I open it. I feel better going out the side and having the gate as an extra obstacle." he explained.

  "That’s clever thinking. I guess I don't think like that. I probably need to start training myself to be more cautious like you." Jack said very thoughtfully.

  Jack and Tina came in. Tina and Karen went to start some tea in the kitchen. They chatted about the events that were unfolding in the neighborhood and around the country.

  "So we have a gun now." Tina exclaimed. "I guess we are buying another one whenever the legal thing goes through. I don't like guns at all. They scare me, but I don't know what to think about what’s going on. Don't guns scare you?"

  "Not unless it’s pointed at me. My gun actually makes me feel quite comforted, especially today." Karen replied.

  "Have you shot it?" Tina asked.

  "Yes, we go to the range once in a while, but the range is pretty strict. Matt's cousin has a farm in Kentucky. When we go there we shoot a lot." Karen replied.

  "So would you say you are good at it?" Tina said with a bit of surprise.

  "I can hit a soda can at 25 yards with a pistol. People are a lot bigger than soda cans so, I guess I am good enough.” Karen said confidently as they poured the tea and walked back in where the guys were.

  Matt was checking out the shotgun as Jack looked over the instructions.

  "You paid more than you wanted, but you have the Cadillac of shotguns." Matt complimented. The Benelli Vinci had a camo finish with a tactical pistol grip full stock. This made it look that much more intimidating.

  The girls sat down and Matt explained the basic operation of the gun. He had Jack pull the trigger on the empty chamber several times to feel where the slack ended on the trigger before it actually released the firing pin. He demonstrated the proper stance and went over basic safety rules such as never, ever letting the barrel of a gun point at a person you don't intend to shoot if necessary. Jack picked it all up pretty quick.

  Next, Matt started working with Tina. He had to remind her not to point it at people a few times as she kept inadvertently letting the barrel drop down to his stomach or leg. Finally, he got her to be somewhat comfortable with aiming the gun.

  After the quick lesson, Matt brought out a box of #2 steel buck shot shells. "#2 shot is a good middle of the road shot. It is big enough to do some damage but there are enough pellets in there to give you a decent pattern. If you shoot someone at close range in the house with these, they are going to be splattered all over the walls and floor.”

  "Is there anything that wouldn't be as messy?" Tina joked.

  "I guess I aim for their head, right?" Jack asked.

  "Typically, you want to aim for the center of gravity. Right in the middle of their body, it is loaded with vital organs. A close range blast with this gun will be a kill shot every time." Matt explained.

  Matt began loading the weapon for them.

  "Should we be keeping that loaded? Can't we wait until we need it to load it?" Tina asked hopefully.

  "People are killing each other all of the country tonight Tina, you need it now." Matt answered softly but firmly.

  She seemed to understand. "Thanks for the lesson." she said.

  Jack said, "We will let you guys get some sleep. Thanks for everything."

  "One of us will be up all night to watch out." Matt said. "I would recommend one of you guys stay up. I'll check out the window ever so often, but it’s hard for me to know if something is going on over t
here."

  "Thanks, I suppose we will both be up all night." Jack said.

  They left and Karen walked them to the door with Matt.

  After Jack and Tina were gone, Karen said, "I feel like they didn't get it completely."

  "It will take them a while to come around." Matt said. "Why don't you try to get some sleep for a while and I'll take the first shift. I'll wake you up at 6:00 am and then you can keep an eye out while I get some sleep."

  "OK." Karen said, "but I hope we don't have to do that for long. I hate when you aren't in the bed with me."

  "If things don't calm down tomorrow, I will try to get a block watch organized." Matt promised.

  Karen went to sleep and Matt sat down in the quietness for a few minutes. His head was full of the turmoil of the day. He whispered a prayer to God.

  "Lord, our country has walked away from you. America is now so far away from your protection and your shelter. Please watch over Karen and me, God. The wolves are out tonight. Send your angels to watch over this property and to keep us safe. Hide us in the shelter of your wings. You always do. Thank you."

  Matt didn't say "Amen" as he thought of it as a sort of "signing off" with God. He didn't really have anything more to say, but he took comfort knowing the conversation line was still open.

  After he had sat quietly for about an hour or so, he got up and began to gear up for whatever was coming. He picked up an extra magazine for his Glock and stuck it in his pocket. He also opened up the Radio Scanner app on his phone. He plugged the headphones in and stuck one side of the headphones in his ear. This would allow him to listen to what was coming over the police frequency and stay aware of the immediate surroundings. Matt took the walkie talkies out of the safe as well. They weren't that expensive, he just thought if there were ever an EMP or coronal mass ejection, the walkies would be protected from the electronic pulse in the metal safe. He brought the charger base into the bedroom and let Karen know that he was setting them up in there. If he had to go outside and needed her to back him up, he would call her on the walkie. She nodded that she understood and slipped back to sleep. She was confident that Matt had things under control, so she slept hard.

  Matt scratched through the closet to find a pair of cargo pants. With a full size pistol, phone, walkie, flashlight and an extra magazine, he was gathering quite a collection to haul around. It would be nice to wear a holster and a magazine holder on his belt, but he was trying to keep a low profile right now. He took out a pair of kaki cargo pants and changed into them. He also put on his hiking boots. He checked his pockets. "I don't have a knife." He thought to himself. Why did he need a knife? He didn't really. "I am watching for intruders, I am not hiking." But he always carried a knife and didn't feel complete if it wasn't there. I guess it was a type of security blanket. He stuck a folding blade Gerber Kiowa in his pocket and started to make a round.

  The first thing Matt did was to kill the inside lights. This allowed him to crack the Venetian shades just enough to see outside without allowing anyone to see back in. He took a close look down the street. He didn't see anything. He double checked the lock on the front door, and then walked to take a look out the kitchen window. Just then, he heard something around the side of the house. Adrenaline shot to his heart. He drew his gun and shut the earphone off from the Radio Scanner that had been playing on his phone. He checked to see that the Walkie was on in case he had to call Karen. Maybe he should wake her up first. “No, I'll check it out. I'll let her sleep.” he thought. Matt switched on the light that was mounted to the tactical rail on his Glock and stepped out the door. He scanned the yard with the light. Slowly, he stepped around the side to the laundry room door. He turned the knob and pulled it open. He stepped back as he did so to draw down on anyone that might be inside. No one was there. He closed the door and locked it. He stepped around to the bike racks and something shot out from the shrubs!

  It happened so fast. Fortunately, it was only Buster, the cat from up the street. He frequented Matt and Karen's yard on occasion. From what Matt understood, Buster belonged to Chicken Elvis. The Man's first name was really Elvis. They lived in a decent area, it wasn't a trashy neighborhood. There was no community association telling you what type of flowers to plant, but you wouldn't expect people to have chickens in this neighborhood. Chicken Elvis had chickens. He also had two roosters. Those roosters were up every morning at 4:30. The nickname "Chicken Elvis" was the way they differentiated him from the guy who owned the gun store where Matt and Karen shopped. Oddly enough, the gun store owner’s name was also Elvis. As a form of soft retribution for the roosters waking him up from time to time, Matt also referred to the man as Chicken Elvis to the neighbors, even though they required no distinguishing adjectives.

  Matt thought about the cat running out from the bushes. What a start it had given his heart. What if it had been an intruder? Would he have been able to take aim and shoot? Maybe he should check the corner from a greater distance. He was overanalyzing the event. "Just keep your head and be alert. I will also come up with a few things to make this fence harder to get over tomorrow morning." he thought. As Matt walked back around, he heard the exchange of gunfire in the distance. "Somebody found more than a tomcat." he thought to himself.

  CHAPTER 13

  "Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense?”

  -Patrick Henry

  The day after the riots started, Matt's phone rang. It was his cousin from Kentucky, Adam.

  "How're you guys doing?" Adam asked with concern. "Is everything OK there?"

  "We made it through the night without any incidents, but it sounded like a war zone outside most of the night. I was listening to the police scanner over the internet and it sounds like the good guys just barely held on. The criminal element thrives on this type of volatile environment. "Matt answered.

  "You guys should pack it up and head on up here. You can have the pull- out bed in the office for as long as you need it. We have plenty of storage space in the garage for all of your stuff. Rent a trailer, hitch it to your truck and come on up." Adam said.

  "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think the roads are all that safe right now. We would have to come through Jacksonville and Atlanta to get there. There are large scale riots in both of those cities; worse than what we have here in South Florida. We are pretty well set to hunker down for a while." Matt replied.

  "Did you hear about the bill Senator Dina Fitch is sponsoring?" Adam asked.

  "Actually I just woke up. We had to take shifts last night. Karen slept ‘til 6:00 am, then she got up and stood guard and I went to sleep." Matt explained.

  Adam continued "Fitch is asking Congress to put a 'temporary' moratorium on all gun sales until the crisis is over."

  "There has been a crisis of some type for the past year. If they pass it, they will never lift it. There will always be a crisis if the government needs there to be one." Matt said.

  "I think that’s the point" Adam said.

  "How’s your brother? Does he like teaching at Berea College?" Matt asked.

  "He likes it alright. We’ll see how long that last." said Adam.

  "Why do you say that?" Matt inquired.

  "They are forbidden to date students. Wesley is 25 and most of his students are Juniors, around 20 or 21. Being off limits makes him forbidden fruit. He gets a lot of notes." Adam explained with a laugh. "He shot a big o'l buck yesterday. We'll have plenty of meat all winter. We could live off of deer meat. People who don't like it don't know how to cook it."

  "That's great, what did he take it with?" Matt questioned.

  ".308" Adam replied.

  "His .308 battle rifle! Is that legal?" Matt said inquisitively.

  "As long as it has a 5 round magazine, it’s legal." Adam said.

  "How are you guys set for ammo? This gun bill will probably start a panic buy if it hasn't already. Outdoor World was completely out of every type of
ammo last night. Empty shelves as far as the eye could see." Matt said.

  "Between us, we probably have over 5,000 rounds. Lots of .308, 5.56, .40 cal, shotgun shells, .22 LR; I stocked up after it came back on the market from the last Fitch gun bill scare. If Al Mohammad is the number one firearms salesman in America, Fitch takes the gold medal for selling the most magazines and ammo. We should really send them a “thank you” card for helping America get so prepared if it all goes to the devil." Adam said.

  "What would we do without them?" Matt said with as much sarcasm as he could stomach. "Did you guys get some extra dry goods?"

  Adam answered, "Yes. I got beans, rice, sugar, coffee, flour; we also bought several country hams. We just hung them in the cellar. You don't even have to refrigerate them. They have enough salt to last ‘til Jesus comes back!"

  "That might not be that far off." Matt added.

  "I hope it isn't far off." Adam said. "The Marines made me as tough as a bag of nails, but I wish Mandy and Carissa didn't have to grow up in this kind of world."

  Matt thought of the tragedy of all the children that had to get by in all the chaos that was going on around the world. It broke his heart. "They've got a good family. Those girls are going to be just fine. I am glad to hear you guys stocked up. Have you heard of any trouble around there?"

  "No." Adam said. "Business as usual around here. There are quite a few people on food stamps around here but from what I hear, they went to the store and used up the credits they had on their cards. They will go back when they get reloaded."

  "So they believe they will get the balance on the 15th?" Matt asked.

  "I don’t know but if they would’ve acted a fool like they're doing in Detroit, they'd got shot. I suppose that’s good motivation to behave." Adam said.

  "Detroit and London Kentucky are two different worlds, Adam." Matt said. "I'll call in a few days to let you know how things are going around here. Take care."