Free Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival by Joe Nobody

positive reaction to the senator’s announcement. The volume of telephone and email traffic regarding the interview was unprecedented. The website for The Department of Homeland Security crashed due to excessive traffic from those trying to apply for the new jobs. Many people simply offered to volunteer.
    The powerful people in Washington are connected by the world’s most advanced intelligence network, and it doesn’t belong to the CIA or the NSA. Social media, internet, text, email, and cell phones all became hyperactive as information was instantly shared throughout the city. Press offices, think tanks, lobbyists, and elected government officials all received constant updates. It didn’t take long before everyone knew Senator Bose had connected with the American people on a level not seen since 9/11.
    The only people who were unhappy about the entire concept were the Hispanic political organizations and the Mexican government. Of course, the ACLU and other liberal organizations immediately protested the senator’s anticipated bill. The phones of the Hispanic groups were hot with activity trying to call in favors, making threats and organizing protests.

North Houston Suburbs - August 3, 2015
    Bishop had been sitting up in bed watching the senator’s news conference. Not good , he thought.
    After watching the commentary , he decided that Terri was just going to have to trade him in for a new model because he could not stay in bed one minute longer.
    He got up and found that the more he moved around, the better he actually felt. He showered, dressed, and brushed his teeth. He had just polished off his third peanut butter and pickle sandwich when he realized he needed something to occupy his mind.
    Initially, he tried to work out, but the pain in his ribs made him rethink that idea. Bishop headed to the garage and his beloved workbench. When Terri and he had been looking for their first home, there were just a few criteria that were really important to Bishop. The first was that he wanted a house that afforded a little privacy – something very difficult to accomplish on their limited budget. The second and most important feature was having a good area for a workshop.
     
    When Bishop returned from the Army, he had decided to take his limited savings and relocate to Houston. After all, his degree had been chosen specifically for a career in the oil industry, and Houston seemed a logical choice to find a job. He quickly found that every person on earth with any sort of engineering degree was in Houston with the same idea. As one headhunter put it, “Every waiter and burger flipper in Houston is a petroleum engineer.”
    After a few months of searching, Bishop was still unemployed and running out of money. He had been going to the Veterans Administration and using their job placement service when he noticed a small note on the bulletin board:
    HELP WANTED – Public rifle range has an opening for a safety/range officer . Must have firearms experience and be able to work weekends. Military training/experience a plus.
    Bishop took the note down and called the number before reaching the parking lot.
    Northside Gun and Range was not far from his apartment . He was connected with the owner, Richard, who asked if he could stop by that afternoon. Bishop had a job.
    The pay was only a few bucks above minimum wage, but Bishop needed to work and did his absolute best . It wasn’t long before Richard came out to the range and asked Bishop if he could come inside and work the gun store as his regular man had called in sick. Bishop really impressed the customers with his knowledge of firearms. When he got his next paycheck, he noticed it was higher than normal. When he mentioned the error, his boss said, “You sold three guns last week. That’s your commission.”
    Eventually Bishop approached Richard and asked if he had a minute. “Sure, what’s on your mind?”
    “You know the economy keeps getting worse and the range