The Cliff Hangers: The Quarterback (The Cliff Hangers Mystery Series Book 3) by Terry Toler

Author:Terry Toler [Toler, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-04-15T23:00:00+00:00

14

Watching the end of the Chicago Bears game was painful. Seeing the horrifying images of the rioters and looters on the streets of Chicago destroying the city on the same television screens was downright excruciating.

Rizzo had changed the channels in the VIP lounge to the local feeds. The reporters on the ground and in the air were capturing the utter lawlessness that had taken over. Several hundred rioters spilled onto the Dan Ryan Expressway including portions of Interstates 90 and 94, bringing traffic to a standstill. The violent mobs were forcing people from their cars, robbing, and beating them.

That was the way Cliff and Julia would’ve gone home.

Chicago’s downtown shopping district, the Magnificent Mile, was under siege. Looters broke windows and were ransacking a number of high-end shops. Video feeds captured untold numbers of people coming out of the stores carrying televisions, computers, expensive designer clothing and handbags, and whatever else would fit in their arms or in garbage bags.

There were unconfirmed reports of shots fired.

Helicopter crews showed fires throughout the city and suburbs. Several explosions had been heard. Rioters were throwing makeshift fire-bombs and rocks at police. An unmarked squad car was set on fire at State Street and Haddock Place. Several police cruisers were overturned and set on fire at Madison and Dearborn streets.

More unconfirmed reports said an officer was down.

Hospitals had instituted state-of-emergency protocols and were calling on all workers to come in. Ambulances and emergency vehicles could not move around the city safely and had been ordered by the mayor to stay in their stations until further notice. Cliff wondered how the injured were going to get to the hospitals.

They weren’t.

The fires were left to burn.

The injured would die on the streets.

God forbid someone had a heart attack or went into labor. He could only imagine what he’d do if it was happening to Julia at that moment.

It had to be happening somewhere. To someone.

Cliff said a quick prayer for the madness to end. Julia’s lips were moving, and she was staring off at the other side of the room. She might’ve been doing the same thing.

Hundreds of rioters flooded the streets near Millennium Park. Destroying businesses, defacing public buildings with graffiti, looting convenience stores, and wreaking havoc with unsuspecting patrons trying to leave the local restaurants and bars.

More reports of injuries in that area.

Citywide, the number of injured could grow to hundreds if not thousands and the damage to property in the billions. If the rioting wasn’t stopped soon, the death toll could become unimaginable.

Chicago looked like a war zone.

The worst part was that the police had been ordered to stand down and told not to try to stop the hoodlums.

Cliff’s lieutenant called him and warned him to stay put.

“There’s no direct route back to the station or to your house,” he said. “Any way you turn, you’re going to run into rioters.”

“Can I help?” Cliff asked. “I’m willing to man a riot line.”

“No!” he said emphatically. “Ivory Martin has ordered the police not to respond to rioters.

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