Options Are Good Read online

  The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual names, persons, businesses, and incidents is strictly coincidental. Locations are used only in the general sense and do not represent the real place in actuality.

  OPTIONS ARE GOOD

  By

  JERRY D. YOUNG

  Creative Texts Edition

  Copyright 2015

  By JERRY D. YOUNG

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Published by

  CREATIVE TEXTS PUBLISHERS

  BARTO, PA

  www.creativetexts.com

  COVER PHOTO USED BY LICENSE

  CREDIT: Mitch Barrie

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  People have many options now. How and where to live. What to eat and drink. To live on a farm or in a city. To be on the grid or off. But we might not always have that option. If certain things were to happen. Certainly unlikely things. But are these things really impossible, as many say?

  -Jerry D. Young

  PROLOGUE

  Bandy Hawkins liked to have options. For everything he possibly could. It was hard sometimes on the disposable income budget Bandy worked with.

  But it was what he had to work with, and he was determined to become as prepared as he could for come what may. It was one of the reasons he liked options, which often translated into dual-use or multi-use items.

  It was also why he liked items that extended the capabilities of other items. It didn’t mean getting every option available for every main item he did get. He was very judicious in his selections. If an option didn’t really increase capability, utility, or versatility, he wouldn’t spring for it.

  So Bandy was a researcher, thinker, planner, theorist, list maker, scenario creator; and to make sure things worked as planned as often as possible, a trial and error experimenter and practice drill doer.

  CHAPTER ONE

  That was what he was doing at the moment. Running a drill to test out some new gear to make sure it performed as he believed it would. Specifically a set of MC Ace chamber adapters and MC Ace barreled inserts for some of his firearms.

  He’d decided on the weapons with the adapters and inserts in mind, getting the weapons first so he had some options ready to go.

  But the addition of .32 ACP and .30 Carbine adapters for his .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield chambered guns gave him more versatility than just the self-defense and big game hunting and sniping the two guns initially provided.

  With the semi-automatic PTR-91 in .308 he had a highly capable self-defense arm that could hunt game fairly well. With the adapters he could use other available ammunition, in single shot mode, for hunting smaller game quietly without wasting the self-defense rounds.

  It was much the same with the Remington 700 .30-06. It could fulfill some of the self-defense needs the PTR-91 did, including longer range sniping with the scope, while being primarily a big game hunting gun.

  It gave him two options for both hunting and self-defense. And as in the .308, the chamber adapters allowed for quiet taking of smaller game, down to rabbits and squirrels, all in the same rifle.

  At least that was what the plan was. The proof would be in the testing. The quietness was secondary to being accurate enough to take the small game at short range, but Bandy wanted to know just how quiet the rounds were.

  He found out that afternoon at the range. The .30 Carbine rounds were not quiet, by any means, but they were far quieter than the .308 and .30-06. And the .32 ACPs coming out of the long barrels might not match custom suppressors, but they were on a par with light .22 loads. And both cartridges were easy to reload, something that couldn’t be said for the highly recommended .22 rim fire rounds.

  As far as accuracy, only one combination was a tack driver. Fortunately that was a .32 ACP adapter in the Remington. He marked it so he would use it primarily for the hunting, with the second regulated more for practice and plinking. The other three were more than acceptable for 50-yard use.

  So he was able to do everything that many got an extra gun for, with either of the two guns he had. And in the over-all weapons acquisition plan, with a .32 ACP Beretta Tomcat as a hideout handgun, and an Auto-Ordnance .30 M1 Carbine on hand with four more planned as handout guns for inexperienced or non-shooters, the ammunition would be on hand, anyway, giving redundancy and just more options.

  The ten .32 ACP adapters for the planned five M1 Carbines worked just as well in the carbine he had, though he didn’t anticipate as much use for them, other than initial training, though they would work well as small game guns. Again, another reason not to bother with a .22 rim fire gun and therefore keep the number of guns down as much as possible and still have options and some redundancy.

  Bandy was just as pleased with the dual sets of adapters he had for a set of single shot shotguns. With a set of three H&R NEF Pardner single-shot shotguns, and five Gauge Mate adapters, Bandy could shoot any shotgun ammunition he might run across, except 3½” 20 gauge, which was rare, indeed.

  All three shotguns had screw in chokes, which made use of the different gauges and bores easier and more accurate. The 10 gauge would use 3½”, 3”, and 2⅞” 10 gauge shells, and with the adapter 16 gauge 2¾” shells.

  The 12 gauge used 3½”, 3”, 2¾”, 2”, and 1½” 12 gauge shells and with two different adapters, 2½” 24 gauge and 2¾” 28 gauge shells.

  The 20 gauge used 3” and 2¾” 20 gauge shells, and the two adapters, 2½” 32 gauge shells, and 3” and 2½” .410 bore shells.

  The set would be for loaners and to use any found or traded for ammunition.

  Another set of two guns he had set up for himself as inexpensive multi-purpose hunting guns when defense wasn’t much of a factor. Another 12 gauge shotgun and another 20 gauge shotgun. Both were Stoeger Condor Supreme 3" chamber over under barrel shotguns with single set triggers. The 12 gauge had 26” barrels and the 20 gauge 24” ones.

  Another two sets of adapters and insert barrels, one for the 12 gauge and one for the twenty gauge, turned them into adaptable hunting guns.

  Both had a .22 Hornet 18” insert barrel, and the 12 gauge a .45-70 18” insert barrel and the 20 gauge a .30-30 18” insert barrel.

  They could be set up as is, with either rifle barrel and a shotgun barrel, or both rifle barrels.

  Of course Bandy also had a Remington 11-87 semi-auto shotgun set up as a dual-purpose defensive and hunting shotgun, which would do the majority of the shotgun hunting during normal times.

  Just as the Glock 21SF and 30SF .45 ACP handguns, and the Beretta Tomcat, would fulfill their rolls of primary, backup, and hideout handgun.

  The versatility of the .45 ACP came from the fact that FMJ, JHP, shot, and flare rounds were available for it, and the Glock 30SF would use the 13-round magazines the 21SF used, as well as its own 9-round and 10-round magazines.

  Bandy’s gun acquisition program was well under way, though he didn’t have everything he wanted. Not by a long shot. The plans included an anti-materiel/long range sniper rifle, a Vigilance VR-1 .408 CheyTac suppressed semi-auto when he could afford it. Or in the interim, another Remington, this one in .375 H&H Magnum, a much cheaper and less capable option. Also as an option was a Weatherby .460 Magnum.

  Black powder capable cartridge arms in .32-20, .45 Colt, .45-70, and 12 gauge with all brass shells were high up on the list.

  To go even further back in time and technology, single shot .32 caliber, .58 caliber, and 12 gauge flintlock guns would be picked up eventually.

  Already in hand were both modern and more primitive versions of long bows and cross bows, thrusting spears and javelin throwing spears, lances, bowie knives, swords, and tomahawks; plus plenty of less than, and nonlethal weapons such as bolos and entangling nets.

  Maintenan
ce, repair, and reloading equipment was in hand for all weapons he had in stock, with the plans to get what was needed for future weapons purchases also set. Spare parts and ammunition were ongoing programs.

  And as those needs were filled, additional modern primary arms, such as the Remingtons, PTRs, and Glocks would be acquired for redundancy and simply greater capability for defense.

  But that was all simply weapons related. A very important part of Bandy’s overall plans, but by no means the primary or even most expensive one.

  It wasn’t just hardware items where he wanted options. Far from it. Even more important were planning options. They were what drove the hardware options to a large degree.

  He wanted to be able to change which existing plan to use; modify existing plans; create new plans for new information, situations, and equipment changes; and, though it seemed counter intuitive, to just abandon current plans and wing it. Though that was actually a process to develop a suitable plan as a fluid situation demanded

  He applied the same ideas for everything he did. Everyday living wise, prep wise, and financially. Finding options were automatic with him.

  That was why he was headed out again, after cleaning and securing the guns at home, that Saturday afternoon. His budget called for the addition of a bit more silver and gold to his small holdings this month.

  Even as much as they had gone up, Bandy had continued his PM buying program, adjusting the budget to allow for the higher prices. Fortunately, he actually liked Ramen noodles, shrimp flavor; though using only one-half to two-thirds of the seasoning packet, so his former dollar fifty to three dollar lunches were now only about seventy-five cents, including a bottle of his home brew root beer.

  That and a new devotion to buying everything possible on sale made up the difference. Of course, the quantity of PMs he bought was less, going for only ten circulated pre-1965 US 90% silver dimes, four like quarters, one US Silver Eagle one ounce bullion coin, or a tenth ounce US Gold Eagle bullion coin at a time.

  So Bandy spent the afternoon checking the coin shops and pawn shops he used when buying the PMs, always for cash, and so far without having to give his name, despite the new reporting requirements.

  Though the retail prices were holding in relation to the spot prices he got from Kitco, actually finding the coins was becoming more difficult. But a tenth ounce Gold Eagle was secure in his pocket when he went home. He added it to the partial tube in the small safe.

  After a light supper and then his limit of a second bottle of his root beer for desert, Bandy got on the internet and caught up on the prep forums he was a member of, and checked for possible sales at the online supply stores he occasionally used.

  Nothing much to comment on, and no new sales, so Bandy read the one new prepping short story he found, and then went to bed.

  His work week was Sunday through Thursday, with Fridays and Saturdays off, usually. But he did get a lot of overtime. The company wasn’t too bad to work for, but there was still quite a bit of turnover, which often meant a double shift, or an extra shift, on a semi-regular basis. That helped the budget tremendously, though he never counted on it.

  It turned out that it was one of those double shift days. The new guy on the warehouse floor didn’t show up at shift change that afternoon, so Bandy offered to cover it, as he usually did.

  One of the things the place did have was a decent break room, and a locker room, so Bandy was able to keep some extra food, a change of clothes, and some preps at work without it being a problem, so the doubles were no problem for him.

  Especially the swing shift. It was almost always fairly light duty, which was one of the reasons why the new guys were usually assigned to work it, as they got less pay than the heavily worked day shifters, and very seldom where there any complex loadings to do.

  Graves, on the other hand, while there wasn’t much loading done, was when the incoming products were unloaded and placed in the warehouse, and a detailed inventory done. That one Bandy didn’t much like to cover, but he did when needed.

  And he did get full double time for anything he covered. So, tired, but happy, Bandy went home after eleven, went to bed and slept soundly.

  It was the only overtime of the week, but Bandy didn’t let the time he wasn’t working be unproductive. He wasn’t a great gardener, though he was good with trees and bushes. But Bandy was determined to build and equip a greenhouse at his place to supplement his small, specialized garden, the perennials he grew, the fruit and nut orchard, the mini-vineyard, ground fruits, and other food producing plants he grew.

  The garden was fairly specialized, in two ways. One, Bandy grew mostly what he considered soup and stew vegetables. Potatoes, sauce tomatoes, carrots, sweet onions, celery, sweet peas, and sweet corn. He grew turnips and leeks for similar reasons.

  And two, Bandy grew cereal grains in his garden in addition to the corn. Not a lot. Just three kinds of wheat; plus rye; oats; and rice, irrigated, not flooded. And only enough to furnish his yearly needs, plus a years’ worth to put into long term storage.

  He’d acquired a taste for fresh and pickled vegetable salads, and wanted the greenhouse for Riesentraube tomatoes, cucumbers, some summer squash, cauliflower, radishes, and baby corn. Most he would grow with a Verti-gro aquaponics system that incorporated fish tanks placed in a small building at one end of the greenhouse that would also house rabbit hutches, worm beds, and a large mushroom cabinet.

  The corn for the baby corn, the radishes, and cauliflower would be grown in raised beds in the greenhouse, but the beets he would add to the outside garden.

  All of his free time that week was spent in his large back yard, preparing the site for the greenhouse and support building. One of his requirements that went in with his beliefs about options was that anything he built or had built, be built with longevity in mind. He built with the intention that the structure would outlast him, and hopefully, several additional generations.

  So the work went a little slowly, but the greenhouse was solid, with deep, strong, reinforced concrete foundations; quality galvanized steel framework; and triple wall polycarbonate panels. The support building, like Bandy’s house, was reinforced ICF and CMU construction.

  It would be some time before the greenhouse was ready, equipped, and in service. Before winter, but not much before. But Bandy was on it, and when he got started, it was only a matter of time before he completed a project.

  One of the things that would delay the completion was the expense of acquiring the independent solar power and battery system to run the aquaponics pumps, the fans, grow lights, and other systems for the greenhouse.

  But the components were all in the budget, and Bandy knew how to handle a budget. Which he was looking at a couple weeks later. He had many budget line items. And of course some of them were savings and emergency funds, and a couple of funds for high ticket items that had quite a bit of cash in them available.

  And then there was the relationship line item. He’d been faithfully putting in a few dollars every paycheck into that fund. And hadn’t pulled any out to speak of. His social budget was smaller, and he used a little from time to time to get a drink with the guys, or go to an event, or something, but finding a woman he thought he might consider a relationship with wasn’t going well.

  Bandy almost revised the budget, to drop the relationship fund and spread it out in several others that he really wanted to expedite. But when he shut off the computer, he was still without a relationship, but he did still have a budget for one.

  It is amazing how things can work out. Almost a foreshadowing aspect to life. Ana-Bella Sheridan walked into Bandy Hawkins’ life the following week. Drove, actually. She was a hotshot truck driver running mostly emergency loads to the oil patch in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.

  This run she was just doing a friend a favor. After some items that as soon as Bandy saw the pick order, he realized were quite probably destined for a survival shelter of some type. Somewhere.

  The war
ehouse wasn’t a survival store by any stretch of imagination, but it handled several hundred thousand items, from tiny screws and washers up to one inch thick hard steel plate. That included some retail products, in addition to mostly commercial products.

  Framing steel, small commercial appliances, some blowers and pumps, several kinds and sizes of steel plate, rebar, concrete finishing tools, fastening materials, insulation, commercial triple bunks; pipe, wiring, and duct with appropriate fittings and tools; and several more items that would all be useful in a fallout and blast shelter more so than in a tornado or simple disaster shelter.

  Bandy saw the pick order long before he saw Ana-Bella. He had to suddenly revise what impressed him the most. That pick order was something. But Ana-Bella Sheridan was something else.

  And Bandy couldn’t quite figure out what. She was pretty, but not a stunning beauty. Kind of tall, but not as tall as him. Very slim, top to bottom. And really long legs. In tailored khaki cargo pants that didn’t quite fit like a glove, but came close. The pants were tucked into tall brown leather shotgun boots with Vibram soles.