If you haven’t read Matthew’s recap of chapters 1-17, you are really missing out. Unfortunately, despite his valiant efforts, I still have no fucking idea what is happening in this book.
Jake didn’t appear in chapters 18/19. Instead, Matthias Foster pretends to be an innocent new hire at the college before he IMMEDIATELY murders the current groundskeeper. The rest of the groundskeeping crew show up and Foster tricks them into the garage where he and the rest of his goonies murder them and steal their uniforms.
In chapter 19, Pierce (the “not all liberals” example Trigger Warning is graciously allowing AKA Jake’s black friend who is also passionate about rational thought and THE TRUTH. At the expense of his liberal street cred, he helps Jake out by posting an unedited video of one of Jake’s several hundred fights. This video shows that Jake was acting in self-defense.)
Trigger Warning Chapter 20:
The chapter opens with Cal Granderson (whomest the fuckest?) placing a parking ticket on an SUV. We get a long-winded explanation about the satisfaction this gives Granderson as the driver is ruining the environment. Said driver shows up and insists this is a mistake because he was only parked for a second to make a delivery. Things escalate so quickly that I had to read the following scene no less than ten times.
“It’s not a technicality,” Granderson said, making an effort not to snarl. “The law is the law.”
“Fine, fine.” The guy raised his hands, palms out, and patted at the air in a placating gesture. “I’ll pay the damn fine—”
The stun gun came out of the holster as Granderson’s eyes widened and he started to breathe harder. “Lower your hands!” he screamed. “You’re assaulting an officer of the law! I’ll take you down, you son of a bitch!”
“What?” The guy backpedaled faster. “No, no! I’m not assaulting anybody—”
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 152). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
I really thought the driver had pulled a stun-gun out because this scene is just so bananas. Granderson, whose POV we are in, notes that the man is making a placating gesture so I was just not expecting him to LOSE HIS SHIT AND BRING OUT HIS OWN STUN GUN.
It’s super interesting to me that even in Granderson’s POV, it reads more like he’s a robot whose programming has gone haywire rather than someone with even a sliver of motivation for his gross overreaction.
Granderson’s boss shows up and tells him to chill. He defuses the situation, and struggles to tell Ganderson why he’s clearly fucking terrible at his job and instead sends him to patrol the library.
“Library duty?” Granderson snorted. “Nothing ever happens on library duty.”
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 155). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
Famous last words!
“That’s the way I like it. It’s a good thing when nothing happens.”
Granderson supposed that from a law-enforcement standpoint, that was true. He sighed and nodded with obvious reluctance.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (pp. 155-156). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
Wait from what other standpoint would that be untrue?
As Granderson heads towards the library, he exposits his whole backstory to us for some reason. Basically he’s betraying his heritage by being a cop and part of the establishment. What a complicated guy.
Since then, he had often felt like he was two people: cop on the outside, devoted to the rule of law; free spirit on the inside, wishing for that brighter day when all people would live together in peace and harmony like his grandmother had dreamed of.
For that to ever happen, the fascists on the right of the political divide had to be brought under control, or even gotten rid of, permanently.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 157). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
You see, he’s just so liberal that he’s gotta pull out that stun gun whenever he can. For that brighter day!
It could happen, too, once everybody understood and accepted that the only people in this world who ought to have guns were the police and the military. The Second Amendment had to be done away with and all the firearms in private hands confiscated.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 157). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
Sir, how long is this fucking walk to the library taking? I do not need to know who raised you and also all your opinions on the Second Amendment at this juncture.
He would have a Glock or a Sig on his hip instead of some stupid stun gun. And when anybody tried to cause trouble, like that Jake Rivers, they’d be sorry. They’d be real sorry.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 157). Kensington. Kindle Edition.
The truth is that liberals want the guns they just want to be exclusive with them.
Also, where IS Jake? Is he okay?
The chapter ends with Granderson telling us he has an amazing heart and beats up anyone who disagrees. My hero?
Was the scene with the stun gun supposed to be funny?
I think yes in the same way that the rest of the book is supposed to be funny–like LOL LOOK AT THOSE HYPOCRITICAL LIBERALS?!?!? AMIRITE LOLOLOL
The implication that the left wants cops to be able to shoot people with impunity is so absolutely bonkers, does this author have internet access
William Johnston’s (niece’s?) hot take: cops are secretly leftist and hate the second amendment??? All the cops who shoot innocent, unarmed people are the LIBERAL ones on the force, of course! Police brutality can be swept neatly under the rug when you look at it like that!