Curtain Fall: Second Edition, Disaster, Preparedness, Survival, Awakening (The Gatekeeper Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

better prepared for the grueling nine week course.
    Unlike Infantry School, Ranger School pushed John’s physical and mental abilities to the limit, and he enjoyed every minute of it. In fact, it was Ranger School that first helped him to recognize and develop his ability to process atypical information, and turn that information into something understandable and actionable. John learned that everything told a story.
    In the field, every sense communicated something useful - every texture, sight, sound, and smell meant something to him. While leading patrols through the different phases, John was so successful at avoiding the cadre set ambushes that he was questioned by the school commandant. After a lengthy and tiresome interrogation, the commandant concluded that John was either very thorough, or very lucky.
    John didn’t care about his conclusion, but he was offended by their underlying allegation that he was cheating. As if it was even possible to cheat at Ranger School, especially while patrolling. He didn’t know a single cadre member, had no inside angle on the course, and was as tired and abused as every other student, but still they suspected him of cheating. It was complete and utter crap, and it made him angry, but he learned from the experience.
    Over time, John learned that the people who confronted him the most about his abilities were either suspicious or jealous of his mind.They most often accused him of somehow “beating the system.” John accepted their scrutiny, and challenged them to disprove his observations. He refused to allow anyone to change who or what he was. He couldn’t change who he was, and he wasn’t about to let others stifle him, or his abilities.
    With his access card in hand, John palmed the reader and entered the back hall to his office. When he passed the high partition walls that separated the cubicle crowd from the windowed offices, John shortened his stride. Though the ascent on the stairs didn’t affect his heart-rate and breathing, a testament to his current level of fitness, he didn’t want to appear rushed if he met anyone in the hall. John checked the small of his back for the presence of his Sig, and managed a controlled and casual walking pace to his office door.
    Once again he palmed his ID card against the reader at his office door, and pushed the door open when the electronic lock disengaged. He wasn’t a big fan of all the electronic access gadgets, but the system proved reliable and easy to use. As long as he didn’t lose his card, he could go practically anywhere in the building, including the janitors closet. Not that he’d ever needed to access the janitor’s closet, but it was an option, and he loved options. The downside to the system was that it monitored his every move in the building. There was no such thing as privacy in the office building, but he didn’t care as long as he could carry his pistol.
    When he entered his office another automatic electronic gadget turned on his overhead lights. He closed the office door and lifted the back of his sports coat to remove the pistol. He placed the Sig in a small gun-safe attached to the inside panel of his desk and pushed it closed.
    The firm didn’t have a no-weapons policy, but John was always careful about carrying at work. He didn’t want to be the “one employee” responsible for ruining the gun rights of others, so he was careful not to let anyone see his weapon. He knew there were a few people in the firm, Rebecca for one, who were uncomfortable with the thought of guns in the workplace, so John was careful not to fuel their irrational phobia by revealing to them that he came and went armed.
    John was surprised to learn that, even in Texas, some people got very excited when they saw a handgun. It was as if they were radioactive, or something. John never did understand the fear some people had of guns. How did they think our freedom was won, he would ask himself, with ink?
    He sighed and shook his