American Exit Strategy: Book 1 by Mark Goodwin Page A

He had used his subcompact Ruger LC9 as his concealed carry weapon and she had been carrying her Kel-Tec .32 auto. From now on, they would be wearing looser clothes and carrying the Glocks. Different times call for different tactics. The new 'nightstand' guns would be the Mossberg 12 gauge for her and the AR-15 for him. They were all equipped with tactical lights. Matt topped off three extra 30 round magazines for the AR-15 and set them on the nightstand.
    There was a knock at the front door. Matt looked out the front window for a car in the driveway. He didn't see one. He walked past Karen and put a finger over his lips to signal to be quiet. He drew his pistol from the back of his jeans and signaled for Karen to go to the bedroom to get a weapon. They had been over this few times, so she knew exactly what to do. He walked to the side door which would allow him to surprise the person at the front door. The locked gate was between the side door and the front providing a safety zone that would slow down any would be home invader. With one hand he opened the door while concealing the loaded Glock in the other still inside the doorway. It was only Jack, the next door neighbor.
    "Jack!" he yelled which also signaled to Karen that everything was OK. "I'll be right out." He stuck the pistol back into the small of his back. Matt walked back to the front door and opened it.
    "What's happening?" Matt said cheerfully.
    "I just wanted to give you a heads up." Jack said. "I went to Publix and it was chaos. The police were there arresting people left and right, but they couldn't get a handle on it. It was like everyone thought the end of the world was coming or something. I finally got in there and there wasn't much on the shelves. I just started filling my cart with whatever. I got hotdog buns but there were no hot dogs or any other meat left. I got some pasta sauce but no pasta left. I bought some mixed fruit jelly because that was the only flavor left. There was nothing on the shelves. This is worse than before a hurricane. Then I tried to go to Winn Dixie to see if they might have a few more items. They were closed and there were two cop cars parked in front of the doors with their lights on. I didn't see any action in there like it was a crime scene or anything, it was just closed. There were several people standing around yelling at the cops, but they just stayed in their patrol cars. They kept calling over the loud speaker for the people to disperse. But the people would back up a few yards then start closing back in. I have never seen anything like it. I’m going to try to get a pistol tomorrow."
    "Well, there is a three day wait on handguns; you should probably pick up a shotgun too. That will cover you ‘til you get the pistol." Matt said.
    "Wow, I don't really want two guns. Three days, huh? I don't know. I'll think about it tonight." Jack replied.
    "Outdoor World is still open; you could pick up a shotgun right now." Matt said. "People might be scrambling for guns tomorrow like they are scrambling for groceries right now."
    "OK, I think you're right. Can you ride over there with me?" Jack asked.
    "I can't leave my wife here with all of this going on. I certainly don't want to say I told you so, but I have tried to talk to you about this stuff before and you blew it off. I can't put myself at risk because you failed to prepare. I’m not judging you; I am just telling you how it is.”  Matt said sympathetically but firmly.
    "What can I say? You're right and I don't blame you at all. Can I at least call you when I get there if I have any questions?" Jack said with concern.
    "Absolutely" Matt replied with a smile.
    Jack left and Matt joined Karen on the couch to watch the coverage of Detroit. The Sun had just set and aerial footage showed fires all over the city. There were reports of several shootings, carjackings and massive looting. Cops had lost all control and the criminal element knew it. They were running wild.
    "So