A Thousand Years of Darkness: a Thriller Read Online Free PDF Page B

Amendment guarantees during this crisis.
    “We have hard-core, Rightwing elements declaring war on the United States of America,” he warned. “It’s a crisis with which we must contend firmly before it erupts into anarchy.”
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Tulsa
     
    Regaining consciousness, Detective James Nail opened his eyes to subdued lighting, lime-green walls, a muted TV on a stand, and the smell of hospital disinfectant. He attempted to sit up. Lacerating pain behind his eyes knocked him back in bed. He lay trying to blink away explosive star flashes of light.
    His eyesight returned after a few moments. Lieutenant Jack Ross approached the side of the bed. He was still in uniform and appeared thinner and even more solemn than usual.
    The bandages encasing Nail’s skull felt tight enough to restrict brain function. He attempted to speak. Nothing came out.
    “A bullet grazed your skull,” Ross explained, standing above the bed. “You’ll be all right in a couple of days.”
    “Jamie?” Nail finally croaked.
    Ross seemed unwilling to go there.
    “ Jamie?”
    Another explosion of pain behind his eyes. Lieutenant Ross rested a hand against Nail’s chest. He slowly shook his head. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t have to.
    The detective turned his head away and lay staring at the ceiling until dawn. For many years he had seen survivors of murder victims fall apart, wounded beyond recovery, some even committing suicide, others living the rest of their lives as though they were also dead. Had Connie thought to check on him, she would have found a man more emotionless than ever. Long ago he had learned that the way to cope with tragedy was to not think about it. Blocking off the mind was an old cop’s trick learned from the mean streets of the city.
    Lieutenant Ross kept vigil from his chair across the room while cops came and went in ICU. They stepped up to Nail’s bedside and looked down at him. Most touched his arm or squeezed his shoulder. Nail barely noticed. The black cop known as Big C stood by his bedside for a long time.
    Nurses entered to examine the patency of his IVs and take vitals. A doctor making rounds looked over his chart on the computer monitor.
    “Does he know?” the doctor asked Ross.
    The lieutenant nodded. The doctor left.
    A sullen red sun rose out of a gray dawn to cast reluctant rays through the hospital windows. Lieutenant Ross jerked awake when sunlight touched his face. He got up to pull the shade.
    “Leave it,” Nail said.
    They were the first words he had spoken since he learned of his daughter’s fate. He continued to stare at the ceiling. Ross walked over.
    “I went by Connie’s house as soon as I could,” he said.
    Nail knew his ex-wife would blame him, irrationally.
    “What do we know about the perps?” he asked in a voice as hard as kerosene.
    Ross took a deep breath. “You want me to turn on the TV news?”
    “I want you to tell me what we know.”
    “I’ve seen more evidence at a drive-by shooting,” Ross said. “We found the helicopter and News Chopper Bob’s body abandoned at Riverside Airport, along with two SAWs and spare ammo. The chopper was apparently hijacked an hour before the incident. There aren’t any witnesses. The airport was closed for repairs and workers given the day off to go to the Tulsa County Fair. That’s about it. TPD is out of the loop. The Feds are conducting the investigation.”
    Nail’s eyes narrowed.
    “They’re already blaming Rightwing militia terrorists,” Ross said. “They’re saying the Defenders did it.”
    “Baer’s dead, right?”
    “Baer got in the way. At least that’s the spin.”
    “What do you think?”
    Ross shrugged. “I wouldn’t believe the earth is round if it came from Kimbrell.”
    “Can you get me the files?”
    “Tulsa Police has been ordered to stay out of it.”
    “Jack, they killed my daughter.”
    “Kimbrell wants to question you when you’re able.”
    “Screw him.”
    “James, you’re