leave town because of it.”
“Seeing any militia folks, or Islamists?” Jerry asked.
“That’s the other thing,” Dobie said.
Chapter 02 – The Big Ear
“You’re seeing militia and Islamist folks in town? ” Frank asked.
“Not exactly. I’ve seen them going by the town, heading east,” Dobie said.
“How?” asked Jerry.
“I’d been taking some patrol jobs with my dogs,” Dobie said. “It was all I could get for my business after everything went to hell in a hand basket. One of my clients had a place right next to I-70. I’ve seen trucks going by in the middle of the night. Some have had people in Islamist garb sitting in the back.”
“Was this before or after the military base got destroyed?” Jane asked.
“After,” Dobie said.
“Wait a minute, you’re a security guard?” Jerry asked. “You carry a gun when you do that?”
“Don’t let Dobie’s looks and gentle demeanor fool you, Jerry,” Gabe said. “He’s a champion combat pistol shooter.”
“Really,” Jerry replied. “Impressive.”
“I’m a little rusty these days,” Dobie said.
“You don’t lose that ability,” Jerry said. “It’s like riding a bicycle. You bring any hardware with you?”
“Yeah, I brought all of my pistols. Don’t have any rifles.”
“What’s your gun of choice?”
“Glock 17,” he said.
“You still use 9mm?” Jerry asked. “Not much stopping power. Why not something that fires .40 S&W or .45 ACP?”
“Why deal with the recoil?” Dobie said. His eyes were lighting up. “The .45 is a great round, but none of the guns have a big magazine.”
“You can get a big magazine for .40 S&W,” Jerry said.
“True, but I like the feel of the 9mm better,” Dobie said. “As for killing power…I’ll put anybody down with a 9mm just as well as a larger round. It’s all about the placement.”
“Sounds like you should have been an officer instead of a dog trainer,” Frank said.
“Too short and too fat,” he said, chuckling. “Besides, the dogs are more interesting to me. I like pistols a lot, but I love my dogs.”
“Getting back to the problems in town,” Frank said. “How many times did you see these enemy forces heading east?”
“For the last week, almost every night,” Dobie replied. “Something bad is going to happen in Denver or beyond. I thought getting off of the radar would be a good idea. This whole area is liable to get hot.”
“You didn’t see any of these folks get off in town?” Frank asked.
“No, but I was just past the last off ramp to the east. If they made any stops, it was before I saw them.”
“What’s left in town in terms of people and supplies?” Jerry asked.
“Well, like I said, some folks are starting to take off. The big chain stores are still open, but they’re under-staffed. A lot of the mom and pop places are boarded up now - including my place.”
“How about the electronics store?” Frank asked.
Dobie laughed. “Old Jake isn’t going anywhere. I just talked to him before I left. He’s sleeping on a cot in the back of his store.”
“He’s still open?” Jerry asked.
“He was as of this morning,” Dobie said. “Why do you ask? Need something from there?”
“Yeah,” Frank said.
“Well, when you want to go, let me know and I’ll go along. He’ll be less nervous.”
“That’d be great, Dobie,” Frank said.
“Well, let’s go finish the introductions,” Gabe said. “Talk to you guys later.”
“Nice meeting you,” Dobie said, as they walked away.
“Well, what do you think?” Frank asked.
“I like him,” Jerry said.
“He’s a damaged guy,” Jane said. “You can see it in his eyes.”
“I picked up on that too, but I’m not getting a bad feeling about him,” Frank said. “I think he has some personal demons that he’s fighting.”
Jeb walked over.
“Hi, folks,” he said. “What’s cookin? I see you met our new person.”
“Yeah, we did,” Jerry said. “You?”
“He came
“Seeing any militia folks, or Islamists?” Jerry asked.
“That’s the other thing,” Dobie said.
Chapter 02 – The Big Ear
“You’re seeing militia and Islamist folks in town? ” Frank asked.
“Not exactly. I’ve seen them going by the town, heading east,” Dobie said.
“How?” asked Jerry.
“I’d been taking some patrol jobs with my dogs,” Dobie said. “It was all I could get for my business after everything went to hell in a hand basket. One of my clients had a place right next to I-70. I’ve seen trucks going by in the middle of the night. Some have had people in Islamist garb sitting in the back.”
“Was this before or after the military base got destroyed?” Jane asked.
“After,” Dobie said.
“Wait a minute, you’re a security guard?” Jerry asked. “You carry a gun when you do that?”
“Don’t let Dobie’s looks and gentle demeanor fool you, Jerry,” Gabe said. “He’s a champion combat pistol shooter.”
“Really,” Jerry replied. “Impressive.”
“I’m a little rusty these days,” Dobie said.
“You don’t lose that ability,” Jerry said. “It’s like riding a bicycle. You bring any hardware with you?”
“Yeah, I brought all of my pistols. Don’t have any rifles.”
“What’s your gun of choice?”
“Glock 17,” he said.
“You still use 9mm?” Jerry asked. “Not much stopping power. Why not something that fires .40 S&W or .45 ACP?”
“Why deal with the recoil?” Dobie said. His eyes were lighting up. “The .45 is a great round, but none of the guns have a big magazine.”
“You can get a big magazine for .40 S&W,” Jerry said.
“True, but I like the feel of the 9mm better,” Dobie said. “As for killing power…I’ll put anybody down with a 9mm just as well as a larger round. It’s all about the placement.”
“Sounds like you should have been an officer instead of a dog trainer,” Frank said.
“Too short and too fat,” he said, chuckling. “Besides, the dogs are more interesting to me. I like pistols a lot, but I love my dogs.”
“Getting back to the problems in town,” Frank said. “How many times did you see these enemy forces heading east?”
“For the last week, almost every night,” Dobie replied. “Something bad is going to happen in Denver or beyond. I thought getting off of the radar would be a good idea. This whole area is liable to get hot.”
“You didn’t see any of these folks get off in town?” Frank asked.
“No, but I was just past the last off ramp to the east. If they made any stops, it was before I saw them.”
“What’s left in town in terms of people and supplies?” Jerry asked.
“Well, like I said, some folks are starting to take off. The big chain stores are still open, but they’re under-staffed. A lot of the mom and pop places are boarded up now - including my place.”
“How about the electronics store?” Frank asked.
Dobie laughed. “Old Jake isn’t going anywhere. I just talked to him before I left. He’s sleeping on a cot in the back of his store.”
“He’s still open?” Jerry asked.
“He was as of this morning,” Dobie said. “Why do you ask? Need something from there?”
“Yeah,” Frank said.
“Well, when you want to go, let me know and I’ll go along. He’ll be less nervous.”
“That’d be great, Dobie,” Frank said.
“Well, let’s go finish the introductions,” Gabe said. “Talk to you guys later.”
“Nice meeting you,” Dobie said, as they walked away.
“Well, what do you think?” Frank asked.
“I like him,” Jerry said.
“He’s a damaged guy,” Jane said. “You can see it in his eyes.”
“I picked up on that too, but I’m not getting a bad feeling about him,” Frank said. “I think he has some personal demons that he’s fighting.”
Jeb walked over.
“Hi, folks,” he said. “What’s cookin? I see you met our new person.”
“Yeah, we did,” Jerry said. “You?”
“He came
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