I want to thank you for your interest in the Tyrant series. If you're not familiar with the series, then you took a chance on me; and for that, you must be commended. I must tell you in advance that I am not politically correct. I am very passionate about individual liberty and feel that there is no place for political correctness where the First Amendment has secured for us the right to freely express ourselves. That being said, I wrote the Tyrant Series because our goverment is out of control. I watch, listen, and research; the result is the storyline you have in your hands. Tyrant is based on factual researches and includes fictious stories based on tyrannical matters of fact. Some of these include RFID chips, the Utah Data Center, every executive order that is listed in the epilogue of The Rise, Agenda 21 and the population cap, and a few others. These tyrannies are not tied to one political party, but have proven to be a thorn of the system itself. The government is too big. Tyrant was written to bring awareness to the fact that our government has become too large and thereby made itself vulnerable to tyranny. Tyranny begets tyranny; each president inherits a larger government from his predecessor and feeds its thirst for power over the people.
The Whiskey Black book set is comprised of the entire collection of three novels (The Rise, Main Core, Endgame), five short stories (Tori's Journey), and a novelette (Acts of Defiance). The books are not placed in the order in which they were written. I decided to place them in the order in which the story progresses, chronologically. You may notice in the copyright pages that the years are not chronological. That is because I wrote Acts of Defiance between Main Core and Endgame, however, Acts of Defiance was written to be a prequel to the trilogy. Therefore, by reading Acts of Defiance first, you have the framework for the main storyline, otherwise known as the Tyrant Trilogy. Tori's Journey started as a single short story, but the fans wanted more Tori, so I added four short stories to the first and made it a collection of short stories. Since I wrote these prior to Endgame, I was careful not to reveal any spoilers from the main storyline, however there are hints and clues about what is happening after the trilogy, so if you wish to read Tori's Journey last, it is safe to do so. Beginnings is a short story that begins two months after the starting date of The Rise; the rest of the stories ocurred after the events of the trilogy.
Thanks again, for your purchase of the Whiskey Black Box Set. Please leave a kind review, as they are the bread and butter of every author's success.
If you desire to stay up-to-date on my future works, please register for my monthly mailing list at www.ldouglashogan.com.
To purchase my non-fiction book Oath Takers, please follow this link.
Table of Contents
ACTS OF DEFIANCE
TORI'S JOURNEY
BEGINNINGS
HOME
LEFT FOR DEAD
BUBBA
AN UNLIKELY FRIEND
THE RISE
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
CHAPTER XXV
EPILOGUE
MAIN CORE
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
ENDGAME
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACTS OF DEFIANCE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2016 L. Douglas Hogan
No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
All rights reserved.
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty is the greatest truth ever fabricated.”
— Sergeant First Class Thomas Damm, US Army
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and gospel of envy.”
— Winston Churchill
PROLOGUE
Over the past several decades, American tax dollars had been funding an ever-increasing amount of welfare programs. The programs continued to grow with the population, as did the tax dollar, so that they could be sustained.
By 2031, more than half of all Americans were dependent upon state and federal programs for food, water, housing, and utilities. With the ever-increasing number of people dependent upon these nanny programs, it became impossible for politicians who disagreed with them to win elections. Once more than half of all voters were dependent upon them, they became slaves to the party that promoted them.
With the southern border of the United States unsecure, wave after wave of undocumented aliens flooded into the system. These, too, became recipients of the welfare programs.
Mexicans, fleeing their homeland to find a means of survival, were not the only people crossing the border. For years, Islamic extremists, also known as jihadists, crossed with them.
These jihadists saw a weakness to exploit in the now fiscally destroyed America. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they waged their war on American soil, blending back into society after each attack. Political correctness became America’s worst enemy; refusing refuge for undocumented aliens meant giving way to Islamic extremism.
With law enforcement’s hands being tied from their efforts to profile, terrorism existed in and among the people of the United States.
When the people saw the government’s inaction, they rose to the occasion to take matters into their own hands. They were quickly labeled as domestic terrorists by their own government and were soon a means to bring about more executive action by the President.
Cursive was removed from the educational curriculum, rendering most Americans with the inability to read the US Constitution, a document written in cursive. Legislation against gun manufacturers and ammunition manufacturers had put them out of business. The First Amendment freedom of expression was redefined as hate speech and punishable by law. Cameras and recording devices blanketed every city block, under the guise of protection, crippling the Fourth Amendment right to privacy.
With the Middle East Jihadist War in full swing, President Adalyn Baker called home America’s armed forces. Street violence was escalating, joblessness was well over ninety percent, and Lady Liberty was taking her last breath.
&
nbsp; Before the Flip
Murphysboro, Illinois, Friday, July 11, 2031
Stephen was sitting at the right end of the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table, flipping through the channels with his TV remote in hand. Realizing his work boots were still on, he pulled his foot in to release the bootlaces, which had firmly been tied into place that morning. Years of tightly fastening his bootlaces around his ankles had caused a very distinct indentation around both of his legs, just above the ankles and under his calves. He was reminded of his service to country every time he took his work boots off. He was self-aware of the appearance and always felt insecure about the funny-looking formation. A shower was most definitely in order, but he had a tendency to relax for a few minutes before jumping into the tub.
“Steve!” his wife, Sam, said, walking into the front room as she covered her nose and mouth and added, “Don’t you smell that?” referring to the pungent odor of Stephen’s smelly work socks and boots that were still fresh from his hot summer factory job.
Stephen just smiled at her before pulling his socks off and wadding them each into a ball-shaped mass.
“Don’t you dare!” she said, ducking back into the corridor and heading towards the kitchen. She made it two steps before she felt one of them hit her in the small of her back. “You’re disgusting,” she jokingly said, kicking it back into the front room.
Stephen feigned throwing the other sock at her. She kept flinching in anticipation of getting hit with another dirty sock. She wanted to run away, but was enjoying the playtime. Grossed out by the dirty sock she had kicked back into the front room, she cupped her nose shut and picked the sock up in a pinching motion with her index finger and thumb.
“If you come at me with that sock, you’re going to get this one in your face,” he warned.
Sam kept inching toward Stephen with her back toward him, hoping not to get a sock in the face. In one fluid motion, Stephen reached out to grab Sam from behind.
She screamed.
Stephen pulled her onto the couch with him. Instead of following through on his threat to shove a smelly sock in her face, he cuddled with her.
“What’s for dinner, babe?” Stephen asked, making munching sounds in her ear.
“Potatoes au gratin.”
“Argh, we had that yesterday,” he said, letting go of her.
Sam rolled over on the couch to face Stephen. “I know, but they’re not letting us pick out the goods anymore. We get whatever they give us.”
“How did it even get this bad? I mean, I know how it did, but it’s just stupid that we let it get this bad.”
Sam stroked Stephen’s hair. “Hon, you work fifty-six hours a week at the government’s wheat plant, not counting your Guard duty, and we’re barely making it, but we are. As long as we have each other, we’re going to be okay.”
Sam looked deep into Stephen’s eyes and saw his concern. She loved rubbing her hands across his military-style high and tight. “I’m doing everything I can to get a job that can help pitch in around here.”
Stephen pulled Sam in close to his chest and nestled his face in her hair. “You’re doing everything I need from you already. If we can’t make it off of two government incomes, we probably won’t be able to make it off of three.”
Stephen enjoyed having Sam at home as a housewife, but never restricted her to that lifestyle. But he always made it known to her that it was preferred over her leaving home to work. Their daughter, Evan, was in second grade, and Stephen felt it was difficult enough scouring through her homework to make sure the government-provided propaganda wasn’t going against their family values. With Sam working, it would mean both Stephen and Sam would be too tired to assume the responsibility of proofing the homework.
“So how did it go down today at the food lines?” Stephen asked.
“Same as usual, only this time, they handed me yesterday’s dinner. Actually, they didn’t have the usual assembly-line structure they used to have when they bagged our goods.”
“If I wasn’t working for the Guard, we probably wouldn’t be eating at all.”
“Hon, your commitment to God and country paid off. We are much better off than they are,” Sam said, raising the blinds to let the hot summer sun flood into the room.
Standing outside, mobs of people assembled themselves outside of the government buildings, hoping to fill their empty bags with food handouts. Many of them were holding signs expressing what used to be a protected first amendment freedom of expression. Those rights had been unconstitutionally abolished when crowds were randomly being arrested under the guise of unrest.
Stephen and Sam were looking out of the window when several black armored government trucks pulled in. The mobs of people broke up, many of them disappearing between the buildings, but others were caught by the police and handcuffed; each of them were forced into the back of windowless trucks, where they were whisked away.
“They were peacefully protesting,” he said with frustration apparent in his voice.
“Honestly, I can’t remember a time when the police weren’t breaking up peaceful protests,” she countered.
“I do. It was before the Muslims got their jihad. Every time a crowd grew large enough to draw media attention, some extremist would blow himself up or send a brainwashed Muslimah to do the dirty work.”
“I can’t remember the last time I saw any media coverage on it.”
“That’s because the government’s been in bed with the media since the Clintons.”
Their conversation was interrupted when the news channel’s coverage of the Jihadist War switched from an imbedded reporter in Iran to a cameraman’s view of a podium. Centered on the podium was the Seal of the President of the United States. Sam saw it first. Tapping Stephen on the shoulder, she said, “Hon, look.”
“What now, more executive orders?”
“Shhh,” Sam said, interrupting Stephen. “President Baker’s coming out.”
It wasn’t like Sam to shush Stephen. She was a very timid wife, despite her fun-natured personality. It took Stephen by surprise when it happened. He was still tired from his long shift, so he snapped back uncharacteristically.
“Don’t shush me.”
Sam just looked at him, surprised that he had snapped back at her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, realizing that the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
“It’s okay.”
They both turned their attention back to the television, where Adalyn Baker was now standing at the President’s podium. Spanning the breadth of the bottom of the screen were the words STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS.
“People of the United States, last year we experienced an economic collapse, which was the result of the Republicans’ war on terror, a war which was drummed up by hypotheticals and scare tactics used by their right-wing conspirators. The country was still in a recession from the previous two decades of war. It was at this time I pulled the majority of our resources out of the Middle East conflicts and turned our budget towards more important issues, those being the welfare programs which are currently sustaining over ninety percent of you. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. Now, as we look down the precipice of another collapse, the collapse of an antiquated form of democracy, we must embrace a new set of truths: that we, as a society, must take from each according to his abilities, and give to each according to his needs.
“Several months ago, I signed an executive order authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enforce a mandated identification system. This system has been in use for several years now with our military men and women. The Radio Frequency Identification system allows for quick, manageable, and sustainable means to make transactions in a fair and meaningful way that does not exclude the needy or favor the wealthy. With this program in place, every American will be equal and class warfare will become a thing of the past. As a part of this executive order, thousands of RFID stations have been set up in virtually every jurisdiction on the county l
evel. In order for this program to work, America needs you to play your part. Every American will be required to report to their county authority to receive a subdermal implant, free of charge. The implant is tiny, the size of a rice grain, and will enable you to buy, sell, and trade. Together with our European allies, we are joining economies and laying the groundwork for a one-world currency, and ultimately, a one-world economy. In our nation’s history, never have we seen such a bright future. France, Italy, China, Japan, Germany, Russia, and Australia have already begun the implementation of this program, and have taken the lead in a forward direction.
“Unfortunately, we are expecting to be met with resistance right here in the United States. No doubt, there will be extremists on the right that will call this tyranny or some other derogatory and antiquated term. However, you must keep in mind that these domestic disturbance instigators are in the minority and are of no relevance. This program will succeed because it is the will of the people, which brings me to my next point.
“Due to the rise in numbers of domestic terrorists, otherwise known as militias, and the escalation of unfortunate events, which occur at their every appearance, I am reluctant but forced to invoke several existing executive orders. We have received word of several instances of insurrection against the current elected government. I feel that our national security is at risk and that these minority groups pose a substantial risk to vital resources. Therefore, I am invoking Executive Order 10997, which will provide the people with government-controlled resources, such as petroleum products, electricity, etc. To prevent our farmers from falling victim to these groups, I am invoking Executive Order 10998, to provide government oversight to all agricultural assets. In order to assure that these individuals do not interfere with the application of the RFID program, I am invoking Executive Orders 10999 and 13603, suspending all unauthorized transportation and providing government-supplied water. The government will be the sole distributor of all materials until I deem it safe to lift the government seizures. This will ensure unaltered and continued continuity of care to all citizens under my care.
Whiskey Black Book Set: The Complete Tyrant Series (Box Set 1) Page 1
