Free Dark Titan Journey: Wilderness Travel by Thomas A Watson Page B

crosshairs apiece,” the Beard said.
    The deputy walked over with his hand on his pistol and looked at Nathan. “I’ll have you lay that on the deck. All weapons are to be collected county wide,” he said.
    “I’ll lay your ass on the deck first. I’m a POST-certified officer. Any action against me will be viewed as a hostile act and I’ll cut you in half,” Nathan said and the officer jerked upon hearing the words.
    “You’d shoot a fellow officer?” he asked incredulously, taking his hand off the pistol.
    “For following a law like that, in a heartbeat. Then as I stepped over your corpse I’d take a piss,” Nathan informed him.
    “I’m just enforcing the law,” he told Nathan.
    “No, you’re enforcing fascism. I took an oath to stand against that. It’s called the Constitution. If I’m not mistaken you did as well,” Nathan said.
    The officer looked at the group behind Nathan. “We are impounding these vehicles. All working vehicles are to be turned over immediately. You will be compensated,” he told the group, who started mumbling.
    “You can’t do that. I bought them and they are keeping them for me,” Nathan said and the officer looked at him hard.
    “You must be wantin’ some today,” the officer said, squaring off to Nathan.
    “Looks like I’m fixin’ to get some,” Nathan said with a southern drawl, watching the officer closely as his radio went off. It was calling all officers to a large shootout in town. “Looks like someone didn’t want to give up their shit,” Nathan said. “Your move, leave or die,” Nathan said casually.
    “Oh, I’ll be back,” the officer said, turning around and jumping into his truck. He punched it, throwing dirt up as he sped toward town.
    Relieved he didn’t have to start the day off with a shootout, Nathan turned around. “I think you guys need to call it a day and get the hell out of here,” he told them.
    “We heard and thanks for that. I think he’d have tried us,” the Beard said. “You need a lift?” he asked.
    “Which way you going?” Nathan asked, and the man pointed north. “No, we’re heading west. You hurry and get out of sight,” Nathan said as the rest of the crowd loaded up their stuff.
    “You too and be careful,” the Beard said as Nathan led his group across the highway. As they started down the road the two trucks pulled out, heading north and picking up speed.
    They were a mile down the road when Jasmine moved up beside him. “You were going to shoot that cop, weren’t you?” she asked.
    “Better believe it,” he said without hesitation.
    “He’s a cop like you! You are a cop, right?” she asked.
    “Yes I am, and have been for over fifteen years. But you don’t take guns from people in times like this. If you’ve seen what you said you’ve seen, then you should understand.”
    “But if they got all the guns then it would be better,” she said slowly.
    “First, it’s impossible to get all the guns. But let’s say just for argument’s sake they could. That means a man that is three hundred pounds can grab you, throw you down, and do what he wants. You can’t stop him without a gun,” Nathan told Jasmine. “Think about it, if they are bigger and stronger than you, what options do you really have?”
    “That’s what the police are for,” she said.
    “No, we show up after the crime has occurred and try to catch the criminal. The only reason we are here is to enforce the law and generate revenue. That means it has to be broken first. We can’t do anything till the criminal commits a crime. If you had a gun and the man threw you down and you shot him, you stopped a crime you thought was going to happen. If I tried that I’d be in prison,” he said then looked at her. “This is all before now of course. If I think someone is going to do something to me or these two, I poke holes in them with this,” he said, holding up his rifle.
    “What about me?” she asked.
    “I’ve already taken steps