The Singularity Race Read Online Free PDF Page A

think about it, dear. I promise.”
    She said nothing. For a moment the only sound was the faint chirp of a monitor.
    He broke the silence first. “Is there water?”
    â€œIce chips.” She moved to a table beside his bed. “I’ll give you some on a spoon.”
    He let the crystals dissolve on his tongue, and then rolled the cold water around his parched mouth and throat.
    â€œThank you. What time is it?”
    â€œA little after four.”
    â€œIn the morning?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhere’s Josh?”
    â€œSandy’s taking care of him,” she said. “When I got the news, Josh was asleep and I was able to carry him next door without waking him.”
    Sandy and Don Beecham were Kayli’s neighbors and they had a boy Josh’s age.
    â€œSo, he’ll sleep through his sleepover,” Mullins said, trying to ease the tension in the room.
    â€œYes. He’ll be very surprised when he wakes up.”
    â€œHow long have you been here?”
    â€œSince ten. I came as soon as Nicole called.”
    Mullins made a mental note to thank his colleague. He would have hated Kayli to hear of his injury from some reporter. “Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? Be with Josh.”
    Kayli reached out and grabbed her father’s hand. “No, Dad. I’m going to be here with you. I want to know firsthand what the doctors say when they make their morning rounds. You’re the one who needs to sleep.”
    â€œOkay, honey.” He squeezed her hand. “Maybe I’ll just rest my eyes.”
    In less than a minute, his ragged breathing settled into a softer rhythm. Kayli loosened her grip, laid her dad’s hand on his stomach, and returned to the recliner she was using as a bed. She closed her eyes and wondered if she had pressed him too hard.
    Someone gently shook her shoulder. For a second, she thought her father must have gotten out of bed.
    â€œMrs. Woodson.”
    Kayli awoke to find a nurse standing over her.
    â€œGood morning. I’m sorry to trouble you, but I need you to go to the family waiting room for a few minutes.”
    Kayli looked at her watch. “It’s not yet five. Is the doctor making rounds already?”
    The nurse’s fingers picked at the buttons on her uniform.
    Even in the dim light, a roused Mullins could read the nurse’s face. She was nervous. Something wasn’t right. He could also see his daughter wouldn’t go without more specific information.
    â€œIt’s all right, Kayli,” he said. “Let’s let them do their job.”
    Both women turned toward Mullins, unaware that he’d been awake.
    Kayli unfolded herself from the recliner. “Okay. But I’ll stay here for rounds.”
    The nurse relaxed. “That will be no problem, dear. I’ll take you to the waiting room. This place is like a maze.”
    As they left, the nurse called over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back, Mr. Mullins.”
    But she didn’t come back.
    A few minutes later, a man entered. At first his face was lost in the shadows. Mullins could make out a dark suit and white shirt. Not the attire of a visiting physician. He moved through the room with practiced swiftness. Mullins recognized the procedure, and then he recognized the man. He’d last seen him less than a year ago standing outside the Oval Office.
    Mullins tried to sit up. “Sam? What the hell’s going on?”
    Secret Service Agent Sam Dawkins stepped to the bedside and whispered, “Damned if I know, Nails. Someday you can tell me.”
    Nails. Sam had been the last person to call him by his second nickname, the one Rusty Mullins had earned because of his penchant for Rusty Nail cocktails whenever off-duty Secret Service agents collected at a bar.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?”
    â€œWhat’s it look like?” Dawkins stepped back to the door. “We’re clear,” he said