The Second Amendment
A Novel On Surviving The Coming Collapse
an action-packed dramatic story
Author Above Average Joe
Apart from being a survivalist, fisherman and an outdoor person, “Above Average” Joe has done doctorate in engineering from MIT University and is now employed with NASA. On several expeditions, he had consulted Cosmonauts and is a staunch follower of religion. With these and more, he is also an expert writer whose works are based on practical understanding and experience of the survival situations and this is what makes his fiction job look absolutely real. He is a man of fame. From Time Magazine, Men’s Journal, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch to Mashable, he has been covered everywhere.
To learn more go to survivalacademy.co
© This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author. Copyright © 2015 Above Average Joe. All rights reserved.
Updated February 2015.
Survival Academy is an outdoorsmen’s journey to educate himself and others on how to lead, prepare and protect his family. Through the use of short stories and interactive entertainment, he provides a unique all-in-one resource for emergency preparedness information, survival tactics, escape & evasion training, the latest and greatest gear for men in their sixties who want to be self-reliant.
I always love to be emailed comments and questions. I love your feedback. If you don’t understand something in the story, please email me and I will clarify anything you want to know in the saga. You can reach me at [email protected]
PREFACE
Bordering on the lines of political reality and prepper fiction, the book compels readers to think what would happen when all hell breaks loose from almost every corner. The book has been inspired from various real-world emergency disaster situations, such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. The plot introduces a character named Dr. Perry, who’s not only responsible for saving his family, but even takes a stand to protect other human beings trapped between ‘life and death’ situations.
Summary of The Second Amendment
This book in the series takes readers to specific settings of the emergency situation, where hope seems bleak and death comes close.
When you’re confronted by this harsh reality, what you believe loses relevance, and what your eyes see becomes hard to believe. Basically, dealing with a plot of disaster, the book is a sincere effort to remind Americans that they are the ones responsible for the safety of their family.
Narrating a situation of a powerful hurricane striking the country, the story covers different aspects of this eventful happening, where political interference becomes an issue, along with the doctor’s medical and moral duty toward this patients.
The situation is chaotic, and people aren’t given a choice between life and death. Amidst such a situation, where nothing seems to provide hope or faith, Dr. Perry takes some steps to protect his family, and other human beings. Everything is interwoven in a beautiful manner.
The book is written in an easy to understand and simple language. The use of words has been judicious in defining all the events, twists and turns. Everything leads to the outcome aptly. In short, the book will win your heart, and arouse some strong questions and emotions.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Civil Disorder
Chapter 2: Piracy
Chapter 3: Flight Shock
Chapter 4: The Shock Continues
Chapter 5: The Pact
Chapter 6: Community
Chapter 7: Prepping
Chapter 8: Keep An Eye Out
Chapter 9: Resorting to Violence
Chapter 10: Assemble the Troops
Chapter 11: In The Heat of The Night
Chapter 12: Flame On
Chapter 13: Reap What You Sow
Chapter 14: Deadly Injured
Chapter 15: Playing As A Group
Chapter 16: Frustrated
Chapter 17: Hit the Highway
Chapter 18: Carrying and Dangerous
Chapter 19: Self-Governing
Chapter 20: Outsiders
Chapter 21: Executive Orders
Chapter 22: Hell Hath No Fury Like
Chapter 23: Civilian Army
Chapter 24: Getting Dirty
Chapter 25: Come Together
Chapter 26: Joint Action
Chapter 27: Doing The Dirty Work
Chapter 28: Run This City
Chapter 29: Run This Region
Chapter 30: Coming Bearing Guns
Chapter 31: Final Fight
Chapter 32: Run This State
Chapter 1
“Good night,” Benjamin gently whispered to both his sons, as he kissed them on the forehead.
He covered them with the blanket, and waited for a few seconds before he moved from the space between the beds. There was a slight hesitation as he took a few steps to leave their room. As he grabbed the flicker to turn off the lamp, he glanced at the clock on the bed side table. It said 10:05 PM. When he came in to check on the boys, they were already sound asleep. But like every concerned father would, he spent a few minutes to examine them in the dark.
“Ben! Ben!!!”
The urgency in the scream made him jolt. The sound of his own name had frightened him for the first time. It was his wife, Mary, who had been watching the news in the sitting room. Benjamin rushed down the flight of stairs to reach his wife. He was confused, worried, scared. Completely unaware of the situation, he looked in his wife’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her, gasping for air as his heart was beating fast. With this right palm on his chest, he could feel the thumping.
“Watch this…” she said, while pointing the remote control at the television set. She didn’t waste any time, and raised the volume.
The Late Night News was showing video footage of an explosion near the White House. The President was hurt, and was being flown to Bethesda, Maryland for treatment. The news continued, and the two couldn’t take their eyes off the television set.
The Vice President, Natalie Christie, spoke via a press conference from the White House following the news report:
…My fellow Americans, we’re experiencing a huge threat in the United States, with riots triggering explosions in major cities including Los Angeles, Houston, Washington DC. Sadly, the list continues to expand. The marauders are also breaking and looting establishments in downtown LA. The government is doing its best to restore peace and order. However, we still advise everyone to be extra vigilant and secure the safety of their families and homes. The threats were initially identified to be focused on the West Coast. Unfortunately, the violence has spread to other parts of the country as well…
Mary looked toward Benjamin, trying hard to examine his expression. He looked puzzled. His face was blank, and he kept staring aimlessly at one corner. There was no doubt that he was confused, and in a state of dilemma.
“Ben, do you understand?”
He neither acknowledged her question nor looked at her. He just froze, speechless. His eyes were glued to the television.
“This can’t be happening… what about the boys? Are we still safe?!”
Benjamin took a breath, and gathered all the power he could get to pinch the top of his nose bridge. He was suffering from a severe headache. “I don’t know,” he said finally.
�
��What do you mean you don’t know?”
Two weeks ago, a series of riots broke out in the West Coast, specifically in the Los Angeles area. The Perry family had contemplated on moving back to the farm where they previously lived. They moved to Southcrest in Mississippi because Benjamin had secured residency in a nearby hospital. When the News about the rios in LA broke out, Benjamin reassured Mary that they were not going to be in harm’s way. He wanted her to know that the family was far from the violence in the West Coast.
The Perry’s is a middle-class family in the South. Mary worked as a preschool teacher. After her marriage, she continued teaching for a few years. But the birth of her two kids changed her priorities, and she became a stay-at-home mother. She dearly loved her kids, and wanted to be there for them all the time. Given that Benjamin was a doctor, and had to work in irregular shifts, she thought it was necessary for her to be by the kids’ side. Until the riots broke out, the Perry family had lived a quiet, normal life in Southcrest, Mississippi. But now, the riots had spread to their once safe town.
“Ben, we’ve talked about this before,” Mary said as she slowly stood up to face him.
“Even the government faces some threat! What makes you think we’re immune from this?” she continued.
“You and the kids have to go!” Benjamin said, as if a brilliant idea had struck his genius mind. He grabbed Mary from her shoulders, and tried to give her some assurance.
“No! No! NOOOO!!” Mary insisted, shaking her head profusely.
“You know I can’t leave my job...” Benjamin said in a much calmer voice now. It looked like he was mumbling to himself. He let go of his grab on Mary’s shoulders, and turned away.
He approached the sitting room window, and looked over to the house next door. The next-door neighbors were frantically packing items into their SUV. He could also see several cars speeding by the highway. It was quite uncharacteristic of a very quaint and quiet town. The atmosphere in the town was filled with panic.
“We won’t leave without you. There is no negotiation here, Ben, you know that!” Mary said, gritting her teeth.
Tears started flowing from the corners of Mary’s eyes.
Benjamin finally looked away from the window, and turned to face his wife. “Please do… for me and for the kids’ sake,” he said with probing eyes.
Mary broke down. No words escaped her mouth.
“Please don’t make this hard for me.” Benjamin pleaded to his wife.His voice twitched a little as he fought back his own tears.
The News on the TV was still on. The Perry family could see more footage of the destruction in Los Angeles. Several injured men and women were creating havoc on the streets. The Vice President had concluded her speech, and was taking questions from the media.
Mary cringed at the footage and looked away. Benjamin, on the other hand, let out a deep sigh.
“Mary, you have to do this now. The neighbors are moving out!” Benjamin raised his voice with a hint of impatience and weariness.
“But…” Mary’s voice was cut off.
“I will be fine. Don’t worry about me. The kids are way more important.”
Mary bit her lower lip, trying to hold back more tears.
“Go somewhere safe and I will find you, I promise.” Benjamin added. Mary nodded as she could no longer hold back tears from rushing down her cheeks.
***
Chapter 2
At 6 AM the next morning, Benjamin had stepped out of the shower, and was getting dressed for work. He had been following this routine for over a decade. However, this day felt a lot different. He was quite anxious about going to work.
He managed to quietly sneak into the boys’ room to say goodbye. Both the boys were still curled up in their beds. As he didn’t want to wake them up, he entered quietly, and made sure there wasn’t any noise.
“Dad,” Justin said. He grabbed his father’s wrist as he got up from the bed. Benjamin was slightly startled. But the smile on Justin’s face gave him some sort of reassurance.
Justin, fourteen, was the older of the two boys. He was a bit mature for his age. This was the reason why Benjamin often took Justin with him on Fishing and Hunting trips. These trips strengthened the bond between the father and son.
“I heard your conversation with mom last night.” Justin’s eyes probed his father. But Benjamin could only heave a sigh.
“Please come with us, dad.”
“I can’t, Justin. You know that.” Benjamin shook his head, while trying to avoid eye contact with his son.
“But why?” Justin asked in a frustrated voice. He was very confused at his father’s insistence.
“I need to go to the hospital. There are a lot of people who need my help.”
“What about us, dad? We need you! Mom needs you!”
Silence followed. Benjamin watched the streak of sunlight make its way into the bedroom from the tiny gap in the window.
“I know you’ll be safer there in the farm…” Benjamin reassured his son, while gently tapping his shoulder. Justin just stared into his father’s eyes, and kept looking for assurance.
“I know how you feel, son. I’ve lost my father too,” he continued in between sobs. “And I nearly lost my faith...”
“But instead of letting it get the best of me, I tried to channel my energy toward my studies. I succeeded with perseverance. And that is when I realized that God has plans for everyone.”
Benjamin sat beside Justin on the bed, and grabbed a Bible that was sitting on the bed side table. It was the same Bible that was given to him by his father. Some years ago, he had passed it onto his boys. “You need to read this when you feel down or defeated. This holy book helped me get through everything,” he confided in his son. With Justin by his side, Benjamin started scanning the Bible.
“Proverbs 22:3… A wise man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” After reading the verse, Benjamin closed the Bible, and turned to his son. For a few seconds, he just smiled at him.
“As the older one, I want you to look after your brother. As the eldest, you also have to take care of your mother. You understand that?” Benjamin gently grasped Justin by the nape and brought his face closer to his own.
Justin nodded.
“Good kid,” he softly said, while kissing him on the forehead. He bid farewell to his son and hurriedly exited the room.
“Mary,” Benjamin called out to his wife.
“Yes?” she yelled out in response from the kitchen. At the time, she was preparing breakfast for the kids, while sipping from her own cup of coffee. She set the cup down on the countertop and leaned on it as Benjamin approached.
Benjamin said, “Make sure the tank is full before you leave. Also carry the extra fuel with you. In such times, it’s possible you run out of fuel and don’t find a functional gas station nearby. And the engine, make sure you check it too.” Mary nodded.
“And oh, before I forget…” Benjamin rushed to a storage room to the right of the kitchen. Mary waited on patiently.
“Take this with you,” he said, while setting down a .38 caliber gun on the countertop.
“What’s that for?” Mary asked, taken slightly aback at the sight of the gun before her.
“It’s for you and the kids’ protection. Just use it when you need to, okay?” Though Mary hesitated, she nodded anyways.
“Sssure…” was all she could say.
“C’mon, I’ll show you how to use it,” Benjamin said, picking up the gun. He asked Mary to come over to his right so she could see his demonstration.
Mary walked over slowly, looking distraught and frightened to be anywhere near the gun. “It’s okay, there is no bullet in here,” he said, realizing the fear in his wife’s eyes.
“Hold the gun with your dominant hand and grip the back strap securely. That way, you have more leverage on your grip. It will also be easier to control the gun recoil upon firing,” he gave a good
demonstration as his wife looked on.
“Then, take your other hand and rest it onto the other part of the gun grip that remains exposed. Like this.” he told Mary with both his hands on the gun. “Remember,” he pointed, “always keep your fingers under the trigger guard… until you are ready to shoot. This will keep you from accidentally firing the gun.”
“As you maintain your sights on the target,” Benjamin added, “slowly squeeze the trigger until it’s all the way to the rear.” He maintained his solid stance and turned to Mary for emphasis. “At this point, you have to focus on applying constant and increasing pressure on the trigger until the weapon fires.”
“You got that?” he asked her, as he put the gun down back on the countertop.
“I think so…” Mary said, nodding and breathing a bit heavily.
“Where did you come to know about all this?” she asked, curiously.
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