RISE OF TYRANNY
BOOK ONE IN
FORGOTTEN FORBIDDEN AMERICA
THOMAS AWATSON
Copyright © July 2015 THOMAS A WATSON
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
EDITED BY AMANDA SHORE
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COVER ART BY CHRSITAIN BENTULAN
http://coversbychristian.com
This book is a work of fiction. People places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the written consent of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
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Acknowledgements
Hello again to all my readers. I never dreamed that one day people would refer to Thomas A. Watson as a writer. All my life I have read books and have been told I tell good stories. Low and behold I’m now writing those stories.
First let me say thank you to my wife, Tina without you to support me and your encouragement, my writing never would have taken place. It is very true, a book can’t be written without support from others and to Tina, thank you.
Next my beta readers, thank you for your valuable input and Cora, I promise you’ll always stay one. My beta readers have to read the story in its rawest form complete with mistakes. Many of them now can actually read the stories and automatically know what a sentence should mean. To my ARC readers (and yes to everyone, Cora is one on them as well) thank you for taking the time along with the beta readers to read the stories more than once and give feedback.
To Amanda my editor, thank you. From my post apocalypse to fantasy, you have read them all and thank you for your feedback. Tina and I were very happy when you said ‘Tommy’s grammar is getting better.’ To everyone else, my southern grammar still gives her fits, just not big ones anymore. Amanda, I have to say with all my books you have edited if anyone talks about weapons around you now, you can correct them.
To my artist Christian Bentulan, thank you for bringing mine and Tina’s vision of cover art to life. Your work is excellent.
Next, to you the reader, thank you for reading my stories and for all your feedback. Yes the next book in this series is ready but until this book stands on its own, I have to wait before we can publish it. Hope you enjoy this story and again, thank you for your support.
Without further ado I present, Forgotten Forbidden America: Rise of Tyranny.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Credits
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
About the Author
List of Watson’s Books
List of Abbreviations
Chapter 1
Grabbing the towel off the handrail of the treadmill, Nelson wiped the sweat off his face. He looked down at the display and saw he still had eight minutes to go and put the towel back, fighting the urge to cuss at the damn treadmill. Hearing the treadmill beside him increase in incline, he looked over at his wife Michelle at a full sprint at maximum incline. Disgusted, Nelson looked down at his slow jog with no incline then reached up and turned up the speed of his treadmill. His man card demanded no less.
“Baby, you worked out legs today,” Michelle huffed. “Keep on, and you’ll pay for it.”
Picking up his speed, Nelson glanced over. “No pain, no gain,” he grinned as his legs informed him they were on the verge of collapse. Shaking her head, Michelle smiled and concentrated on her breathing.
Nelson looked at his wife running on the treadmill. Her shoulder-length, brunette hair was pulled up in a ponytail, swinging wildly as she ran. With a grin, he dropped his eyes to her athletic body. Michelle was a head shorter than his six feet with a medium build and no body fat. He was still amazed she had given birth to their third child just nine months ago.
“You keep staring at me, and you’ll trip,” Michelle warned, never looking over.
Nelson grinned as he turned forward. “Well, you shouldn’t look so good then.”
Michelle grabbed the handrails and moved her feet off the treadmill onto the sides as she looked over at him. “Keep on, and we will be late for work.”
Grabbing the handrails, Nelson lifted himself off the treadmill. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
“You’ll get in more trouble for being late than I will,” she laughed.
Reaching up, Nelson turned off the treadmill. “I’ll write myself a note for work,” he smiled.
Turning off her treadmill, Michelle shook her head, glancing at her husband with a mischievous grin. “We have an audience.” As if on cue, a giggle sounded in front of them. They glanced down to see Devin, their youngest at nine months old, sitting in a swing, watching them, chewing on his fist.
Turing back, Michelle watched Nelson grab his towel and start to wipe off. She admired his body with thoughts of how to get Devin to take a quick nap. Nelson was very well-defined yet not overly musclebound like their friend Matt. Grabbing her towel, she leaned over and kissed him. “Better be glad Devin is awake or I’d hurt you today,” she smiled, climbing off the treadmill.
“Hey, let the kid cry out here. We can go to the steam room,” Nelson offered, climbing off the treadmill with wobbly legs.
Michelle looked down at Devin. “You hear what Daddy said?” Devin grinned with drool running out of his mouth as he pulled his fist out.
“Devin, Daddy will give you twenty dollars if you get your brother and sister up and ready for daycare while he talks to Momma,” Nelson offered, walking over, and Devin laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You are bad,” Michelle chided and picked Devin up.
“You’re done?” Nelson asked, shocked.
“No, I’m going to get in the Jacuzzi but not the damn steam room,” she said, walking over to the other side of their small gym. It was only a three-hundred-foot-square building, but it was packed with weights and machines. In one corner was a Jacuzzi, and in the other was a small steam room.
Nelson shook his head, watching her take off her shoes and clothes, climbing in the water wearing only a thong and sports bra. “That is wrong on so many levels I can’t even start,” he muttered and walked over to the steam room then turned it on.
“You didn’t have to look,” she smiled, watching him strip down.
“Yeah, like I’m really going to turn my head when my sexy ass wife strips,” he mumbled.
“Language,” Michelle snapped.
Turning around and heading to the steam room, he grumbled, “I didn’t say it loud.”
“I heard it,” she chuckled.
As he opened the door, Nelson looked over his shoulder at Michelle holding Devin as he splashed in the bubbling water. “Not my fault you have bionic ears to go with your fine ass,” he snapped and jumped in the steam room, quickly closing the door before Michelle could respond.
Laughing, Michelle looked down at Devin. “Daddy’s going to get a spankin
g,” she told him. Devin squealed and splashed the water. Leaning back, keeping Devin on her lap, Michelle looked over at the front wall. A poster-sized picture of her and Nelson hung there. It was one of three. The other two were eight by ten: one in the den surrounded by pictures of the kids and the other in their room.
The picture showed both dressed in U.S. Army digital camo with full combat gear and their MP arm bands on. It was the first time they met. They were both serving their first tour in Iraq in different MP companies. She could remember the day very well.
She had been in the Army a year, and Iraq was Nelson’s first assignment. She was a specialist, and he was a private first class and swaggered up to the gate to relieve her. “Specialist, I’m here to relieve you,” he had said with a Texas drawl and smiled with attitude, adjusting his combat vest.
“You seem awful sure of yourself, Private,” Michelle had snapped.
Grabbing his sunglasses, Nelson put them on. “Specialist, for you, I’d kill kittens and people and everything in between.” He had grinned, making Michelle laugh. One of Nelson’s buddies came over, asked them to stand side by side, and took their picture.
That was the start of their relationship, and Nelson got a copy of that picture and gave one of the poster prints to her on their wedding day. “About the only good thing to come out of that stupid ass war,” she mumbled and cringed. “Sorry, Momma cussed,” she said, looking down at Devin, who was fighting the bubbles.
He looked up with a blank stare, wondering why the bubbles weren’t surrendering. Then, letting out a yell, he continued his battle against the evil bubbles that were trying to take over his world. “Momma can’t be mean to Daddy about cussing if she does it.” She laughed, watching the battle against the bubbles.
Hearing the steam room door open, she turned to see a wall of steam roll out and Nelson emerged from it, gasping for air. “You know, baby, you can turn it down,” she giggled, getting a mouthful of water from Devin’s battle against the bubbles.
“What fun would that be?” he said, walking over and climbing in the tub with them as Michelle coughed out the water Devin had splashed in her mouth. “When he is at war with the bubbles, baby, you have to keep your mouth closed.”
She looked up, narrowing her eyes. “Well, you take him then,” she said, handing over the bubble-battling baby.
Reaching out, Nelson took Devin, who never stopped the battle. “That’s it, son; don’t let the bubbles win.”
Not even replying, Michelle dropped down to her chin in the water, relaxing as the jets of water racked her body. “Have you thought about joining me next weekend?” she asked.
Nelson looked up with a straight face. “Ah, if you mean to cheer you on, then yes, I’ll be there with the family. If you mean running in that marathon with you and Ashley, forget it,” he said. “You can run across Missouri with Matt’s wife while we take care of the kids.”
Not able to help it, Michelle chuckled. “You’ve only run two marathons with me.”
“One was the Iron Man, and I finished before you and had to be carried back to the motel room,” Nelson replied. “That wasn’t my idea of a Hawaiian vacation—attempting to commit suicide by exhaustion. I wanted to sit in a chair on the beach with drinks that had little umbrellas. But no, I had to swim, bike, then run. I didn’t get feeling back in my legs until the end of the week.”
She shook her head. “When you run, the object is to enjoy the run, not kill yourself.”
“The object is to win or drop from exhaustion as you try,” Nelson snapped.
Moving over to the reclining bed mold in the Jacuzzi, she giggled. “Well, you did come in the top ten.”
“And couldn’t move for a week,” he mumbled. He looked over at the front wall at their picture. “You were like that once.”
“Sure was. Then, I grew up. I only push myself to prove something to me.” She laughed with her eyes closed.
Holding Devin further away from him as the battle increased, Nelson chuckled. “I know you’re smarter and prettier than me, but you don’t have to rub it in.”
“Ha!” Michelle laughed. “This from the man who maintained a 4.0 GPA in college and has every woman around him gawking with lust.”
Looking up in shock, he answered, “They don’t look at me with lust.” Michelle just stared at him. Seeing the look, Nelson cringed. “Do they?”
“Why do you think I had a talk with Jenny at the church picnic last week?” Michelle asked.
“She was just jumping on my back like the kids were,” Nelson answered honestly.
“Huh,” Michelle scoffed and leaned back. “She wanted to throw you down and use you like a cheap toy.”
Startled, Nelson coughed and pulled Devin back to his chest so he wouldn’t let his son sink. “I’m sure she wouldn’t do that at a church picnic,” he finally offered.
“That skank could’ve cared less where she was at,” Michelle said.
“Well, Jenny was doing the same thing to Matt,” Nelson sang out like a kid.
“Yep,” Michelle said, “that’s why Ashley went with me to have a talk with the little minx.”
Nelson moved over and kissed Michelle. “It doesn’t matter. You’re my one and only woman,” he said, grinning. “Even if you torture me walking around like that knowing I can’t take you down with the kids around.”
“Baby, you’re in the mood even if I wear a burka.” Michelle giggled and sat up, wrapping her arms around him and Devin.
“Hey, I know what you look like naked.” He smiled, wiggling his eyebrows.
“That’s why you’re my alpha male,” Michelle whispered as she kissed him, and Devin covered them both with splashes as he let out screams of frustration, slapping at the bubbles. “Your son is insane.” She pulled back, wiping her face.
Turning his face away from the torrent of water, Nelson said, “He is trying to protect us from the evil bubbles.”
Standing up, Michelle turned off the Jacuzzi, and the bubbles stopped. Devin looked up in wonder and smiled, raising his hands, laughing in triumph. “Why you teach that to our kids, I’ll never know,” Michelle said, getting out as Devin babbled his victory.
Spinning Devin around, Nelson kissed and hugged him tight. “You got the evil bubbles!” he shouted, making Devin laugh and squeal.
Grabbing a towel, Michelle laughed, watching the two. Wrapping the towel around her, she grabbed another and held out her hands. “Well, when bubbles try to take over the world, our kids will be way ahead of the power curve.”
Nelson passed Devin to her and climbed out. “Getting back to people gawking,” he said, grabbing a towel, “you get upset when I want to say something to men who are undressing you with their eyes.”
“They don’t hang all over me,” Michelle said, drying Devin off. “I don’t say anything to you unless someone touches me,” she said, grabbing a diaper.
Looking up at that remark, Nelson snapped, “You damn well better not let someone touch you. You are mine.”
“That’s one of the reasons I have you, baby.” She smiled, putting on Devin’s diaper. “They can look but not touch, and if they do, you damn well better do something to them.”
Dropping his towel, he growled, “That’s why I work out. Touch my toys, and I’ll break ya.”
Michelle laughed. “Same here, baby.”
They walked out hand in hand as Devin babbled about his battle with the bubbles. “You ready for the competition this weekend?” Nelson asked.
“I hate three gun,” Michelle mumbled.
“You do very well at it,” Nelson replied, letting go of her hand and putting his arm over her shoulders as he closed the door to the gym. The small building sat in the very back corner of their five-acre lot beside the cyclone fence.
Adjusting Devin on her hip, Michelle sighed. “I don’t like running and shooting. I enjoy both sports but not together. Let me either run or shoot.”
“So you don’t want to go?” he asked.
“
Are you kidding?” she snapped, glaring at him. “I’m winning this one.”
He laughed at Michelle’s attitude toward competition. “I have every confidence in you,” he said and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
Michelle turned away, looking at the house as they crossed the yard. Another small building stood off to their left just a bit larger than the gym that served as a shop and storage area. The house was small by other people’s standards. It was only fifteen hundred square feet, three bedroom, two bath, with a two-car garage.
Their neighbors and friends had monster houses, some three times as big and more importantly three times as expensive. Nelson was a district manager for a national sporting goods chain in Springfield, and Michelle was an operating room nurse at the local hospital. With both of their salaries, they could easily afford a bigger house but didn’t want to be swallowed by debt.
The house and property was paid for. The only true bills they had were utilities. But even those were managed as they tried to save every penny to spend on things they wanted and needed. Since both had seen war in Iraq, they had no misconceptions. Shit happened. Many people didn’t realize Iraq had skyscrapers and massive public work projects. It wasn’t Afghanistan. The most advanced city in Afghanistan would barely compare to a remote village in Iraq.
When they were still in the army, Nelson and Michelle talked about always staying prepared. Then, watching the politicians start punishing the warriors for fighting a war Washington sent them to, Nelson and Michelle grew very weary of the government. Not of America, for they loved their country, but of those in power they feared, elected and unelected.
“You have a busy day today?” Michelle asked as they reached the back patio.
Looking in the sliding glass doors, Nelson smiled at the two Rottweilers standing there, panting at them. “Yeah, we have to lay out the new additions to the fall hunting line,” he said, opening the door, and the two Rotts sat down and continued to pant at them. “Zeus, Hera, go potty,” Nelson said, pointing outside, and the two massive dogs walked past them and shot out into the yard.
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