INSURRECTION! A Drake Cody Suspense Thriller!

https://youtu.be/o5OsvGLPfKo

Check out a short song about the January 6th Insurrection

Hearing the word Insurrection these days brings forth the memory of what happened in the United States on January 6th, 2021! It is a date that most of us will never forget--nor should we! Day by day we find out more about who was involved, exactly who planned the action, and what penalty will be placed on those who were involved.

The Big Lie... Continues...

Would you like to know more about what an insurrection really means to America...to we as citizens who see such events happening? 

We know there are many groups, known as domestic terrorists who were involved that day: QAnon, Proud Boys, White Supremacists, and others such as the Oath Keepers who came dressed in militia garb and guns, with backup armory found in a nearby motel... They normally evolve when something happens that is not agreeable to specific individuals. Or, they could be just people who want to believe in "The Big Lie" that many republicans continue to support, even though it is not true... The Big Lie? The 2020 election was not a legitimate activity that resulted in the legitimate change of the president of the country.

Just how far does personal freedom go within a democracy? I can't think of anybody within my sphere of relationships that has not faced some type of problem that could have been handled better, either by a corporation or the government. When that happens, do we have the right, the duty to ourselves, to fight? Well, certainly. Yes, until at least we have tried every possible way to seek justice, or, at least peace within ourselves that we had tried.

Take, for instance, when, after over 37 years, I was suddenly without a position. I had taken out measures available to me and understood from my lawyer that to fight would cost more money than I could afford. I then proceeded to act on my own to apply for retirement... It should be noted that none within the institution, except in adversarial meetings had talked to me about options. Finally, I received a letter that my position had been eliminated...deleted...in other words, I had been fired. I just looked at the man who had hand delivered it to me and asked, why didn't you even talk to me--I've already filed for retirement. Still, I was glad, in a sad way, that I could say, I was fired without cause... Because of course, there was no reason upon which I was legally able to be dismissed... It was done purely by the bureaucratic crap that protected the institution. 

So, it was, when I retired that I immediately began another job that I came to love more than my many years where I had labored. Publishing and Book Reviewing.

But some, as many of us have come to know, are unwilling to move on--their narcissistic mindset that their self-importance is more important than anything else... including the lives of others. Thus, an insurrection occurred at the Capitol on January 6th...incited by and encouraged by our former president... and his willing supporters. This, folks, results in what has become the largest cause of deaths in America--domestic terrorism... 

Drake and the two paramedics with him were present to provide medical dignitary protection for the event’s main speaker, rocketing-up-the-polls presidential candidate, Minnesota senator Hayden Duren. The unusual addition of Drake as a hospital ER-based physician to the on-site medical team testified more to the anxiety of those up the ladder than need of his expertise. The paramedics with Drake were ninjas in pre-hospital emergency care. Russell had covered three US presidents’ appearances in the past, and Deb had seen everything in her twenty-year career. “I thought we’d be positioned closer to the senator so we could get to him quicker if needed,” Drake said. “I thought the same at my first one of these, but we need to maintain a buffer zone on these dignitary protection assignments,” Russell said. “If an explosion, weapons fire, or anything ugly happens, we can’t help the senator or anyone else if we’ve been blown to shit.” “Makes sense.” Drake leaned back, soaking up the blue sky and warm sunshine. If all went well, he could be home with Rachelle and the kids by late afternoon. “It’s definitely too nice a day to get blown to shit.” 

“America the Beautiful” began playing from the public address. A man in a suit walked on stage and approached the podium framed by the huge balloons tethered over and around it. “Welcome, everyone, to the celebration of the completion of our tremendous new pipeline!” Applause, boos, and shouts arose from the crowd. “This pipeline is not only delivering essential energy to power our country but also an inflow of jobs and money to the citizens of the state of Minnesota!” More applause and cheers with a few boos. The smiling man on the stage raised his hands. “As CEO of Fenbridge, I want to thank you and reassure everyone that we always have the environment and your safety in mind.” More boos and shouts sounded. “Without further delay, let me introduce Senator Hayden Duren. The senator was initially not a supporter of this project, but we appreciated and readily accepted the proposals he suggested. His plan reinforces our commitment to environmental safety and guarantees that the state of Minnesota’s conservation fund will receive millions of dollars every year the pipeline is in operation.” Applause came from both sides of the crowd. “Thank you.” Senator Duren smiled. “We live in contentious times, but the future is bright if we work together. Wisdom and kindness are required to—” 

BOOM! Balloons exploded outward from above the podium. Drake flinched. The senator dropped to the stage floor as people screamed. A white cloud descended from the center of the blast, enveloping the senator and stage in a dense fog. 

A second report sounded from the far side of the crowd and a larger white cloud spewed into the air. People ran screaming toward the parking area. 

“Let’s go. Our guy is in the middle of it,” Drake said...

This could be a ticket to hell. 

~~~

Author Tom Combs was one of the Americans who saw the Big Lie in action and the subsequent reactions by those who place personal freedom and lives of family beyond all else. Indeed, if you hear the story of what happened to Tolman Freid and his life, you will initially stand with Tolman, in understanding just how much he had lost--through the government process of

Eminent Domain.

In his fourth Drake Cody Suspense Thriller series (watch for more about the first three books soon), Combs creates an extremist viewpoint of the rights of Americans in relation to "the public good..." In fact, you may remember many news items about the Eminent Domain process taking private land from owners to be used to build a border wall, as demanded by the former president. Tolman Freid represents those individuals who lost land by the arbitrary acts of government officials, with no or little concern about the individuals who would be affected.

It is now 20 years later when Freid has initiated and acted to create an Insurrection against the government, citing demands related to Eminent Domain...and...more. In the state of Minnesota, Drake Cody is a physician of the ER and Cody takes the lead as domestic terrorist Freid and his crew take over the Emergency Room, after having bombed a nearby new petrochemical refinery which was being dedicated. Two different chemical bombs had been used, one of which was extremely toxic and was placed where the guest speaker would talk, a Senator who was being considered for nomination for president. He had been rushed to Memorial, as were others who had been brought in for possible exposure...

Staff members later felt guilt when they allowed Tolman Freid to walk into the ER as he posed as a federal hazardous materials oversight supervisor for the Midwest. Indeed the hospital had no equipment or procedures to prevent anybody who wanted to enter the area. So until they merged as a group within the ER, there was no way that an Insurrection was about to take place within the Memorial Hospital! 

Combs carefully presents local safety officers and support staff to show their effectiveness and expertise. The only limitations were that they had no control over what the Domestic Terrorists had planned! More importantly, I believe, was the author's effort in revealing that, while the leader of the group, might have had a justifiable complaint, once he and his crew were revealed, it was clear that (1) they had far too much experience in using instruments of destruction, including guns, bombs and chemicals, and (2) the majority of those involved really had no moral imperative and indeed, were clearly criminals even before this action was being planned. Even Freid realized that he would have to keep a close watch on his own people knowing that they would kill if anybody crossed them. Only Freid's brother, who was also an ex-con but a cult leader, would keep them under control... And as time went by, that proved to be a very difficult job. 

Cody was quick to realize that they couldn't wait for outside help. But those that remained within the ER had been stripped of any outside communication and any items that could possibly be used in defense not if...but...when...they would need to act to try to save themselves!

Only one thing might help. For whatever reason, Tolman viewed Cody as the leader of the medical team and wanted him to understand why he was right to act aggressively, killing with little hesitation or remorse for what he was doing... Tolman allowed Cody to call his wife--Freid's wife had been mentally affected by the loss that had taken place at their home years ago. Now Drake wondered how he could develop a message coded within that call to potentially coordinate inside and outside actions. But would Rachel be able to solve that message? At least he had been able to share for her to seek help...and enumerated those to whom she should go for that help...

But before that could happen, Freid had demonstrated his wrath at not getting action from the government, by blowing up an area with a dangerous acid sent out into a surrounding community! How many more had the terrorist planted before they started the events of that day?! And could they be found in time?

Cut from the headlines and placed within a site that has maximum threat to the sick and infirmed as well as the community, Tom Combs has presented readers with an excellent look into the minds of those who feel they have a right to strike back in murderous revenge for acts done against their personal freedom... For this alone, it is a must-read! 

But for a suspenseful medical thriller, this latest may be the most outstanding in helping millions of readers understand the minds and personalities of those who choose to act with extreme violence and become domestic terrorists, who are now considered the most dangerous threat to the United States...

I ask again, just how far does personal freedom go within a democracy? Many of us have seen the deep divide of those who cry Me, First! or My Opinion Above All Else! or, worse, believe the disinformation that is disseminated routinely by those who seek power with greed as opposed to seeking a way to provide support and help to those within our democracy. Consider how harshly those who've opposed wearing a lousy mask to prevent the spread of Covid have acted and we must realize! Sometimes the good of all MUST take priority over our individual concerns for personal freedom!

Democracy Cannot Stand Alone Against Domestic Terrorists!

Essentially Liberty and Temporary Safety -- by Erec Stebbins

Essentially Liberty and Temporary Safety

Benjamin Franklin,1759

“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” –Ben Franklin

"Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" is the official name of the USA PATRIOT ACT, or simply Patriot Act. This was the first in a series of laws in response to the attacks of 9/11 that sought to enhance the security of the United States in the face of increased threats from international and domestic terrorism. In seeking to increase security, there was a necessary sacrifice of freedoms and liberties, and it is this trade-off that has been at the heart of the vociferous debate about this bill, and related (and even more extreme) laws that have been passed subsequently.

 "Live Free or Die" might be a romantic mantra (and the motto of the State of New Hampshire) but Congress, and judging from polls and the lack of concerted protest to these laws, most Americans, would rather live and give up some "unalienable" rights to secure their safety. With the Patriot Act, and its subsequent renewals and amendments, US law enforcement and government agencies gained sweeping new powers over Americans and their lives and information.  

Discussions of these new powers are numerous, and I will not reiterate them here. The main point is not the use of such powers to identify and stop "the bad guys."  The dangers of giving government, law enforcement, and the military such power is the possibility, and, given the historical record, near certainty, that these powers will be abused and used against law abiding citizens to control them. That is why the US Constitution instigated a separation of powers, produced a Bill of Rights, and many of the founders were frankly paranoid about any power handed to governments.

The Patriot Act was the first stone tossed in an avalanche of security laws that have already led to abuses, been challenged as unconstitutional, and which, many argue, are antithetical to the ethos and founding philosophy of the nation.

Habeas corpus

This ancient term (dating back in English common law to at least 1305), from the Latin for "you may have your body", is a legal action through which a prisoner/detainee can be released from "unlawful" detention. Typically this would mean detention/arrest that lacks sufficient evidence/cause. It is one of the most basic of human rights, and one of the first to go when governments become tyrannical. Throwing "problematic" people into a dungeon is the most effective way to silence them and remove their threat to the ruling powers, short of killing them outright (see below for how this is now also on the American radar).  

In a nutshell, "a writ of habeas corpus" means you can't get tossed in jail without evidence or trial or appeal for release. Proponents of "indefinite detention" of suspected terrorists argue that the US Constitution does not specifically grant the right of Habeas corpus, but merely outlines the extreme case when the Congress is permitted to restrict it. This is based on the "Suspension Clause" of Article I, which states that:

"The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

Interestingly, in this over 200 year-old provision, we see the very conflict of rights and security we face today. As many have noted, the US Constitution is a "war constitution" in many ways, written under threat of violence and understanding the nature of rebellion. This clause essentially states that if the nation is invaded or there is a rebellion (as in the Civil War), Congress can throw out this right, which is essentially what it has done in such situations, and likely would be expected to do in general under such duress.

The question facing us now is this: Do we consider the threat of terrorism as "activating" this clause? Are potential terrorists in our midsts equivalent to a "rebellion" or "invasion"?  

Some obviously consider the answer to this "yes." Various laws, including the Patriot Act and others, have been interpreted by many to mean that they restrict the right of habeas corpus, and allow indefinite detention without due process. But these laws do not expressly suspend the writ. As per Wikipedia (the October 2013 version of the entry, anyway):

"Regardless of whether the writ is positively guaranteed by the constitution, habeas corpus was first established by statute in the Judiciary Act of 1789. However, in the cases of Immigration and Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr (2001),[2] and Boumediene v. Bush (2008)[3] the U.S. Supreme Court suggested that the Suspension Clause protects "the writ as it existed in 1789," that is, as a writ which federal judges could issue in the exercise of their common law authority."

One can get into a legal quagmire with all this, but the point is that, "indefinite detention" comes close to, or crosses the line of, suspending the right of habeas corpus. This means that when the government "decides" that you are a threat, you can be "disappeared," indefinitely.

Some progress in restoring the writ seemed to be had with the Supreme Court case 2008 case Boumediene v. Bush (7 years after 9/11 makes for long imprisonment) where detainees were granted by the Court the right to challenge their detention, but of course, the devil is in the details, and the detainees seem to be practically without recourse given how hard it is to have their cases even heard:

"But in the years since the decision, conservative judges on the DC Circuit have interpreted the law in a way that assumes many of the government's claims are true and don't have to be proven in court. By not taking any of these cases, the Supreme Court has ensured these stricter rules will prevail. Civil-libertarian groups say that essentially leaves detainees at Gitmo with habeas rights in name only, since the rules make it virtually impossible for detainees to win in court. A Seton Hall University School of Law report from May found that, prior to the DC Circuit's reinterpretation of the rules, detainees won 56 percent of cases. Afterwards, they won 8 percent." - Mother Jones, "Did the Supreme Court Just Gut Habeas Rights?"

Torture, a.k.a. "Enhanced Interrogation"

In the "good old days", or even in the former Soviet Union and too many tyrannical nation-states on the planet right now, once the King threw you in the dungeon because he didn't like you, he could then order all sorts of horrors to be perpetrated against your body and mind. Even for convicted criminals, the US Constitution shows where its heart lies, banning "cruel and unusual punishment."  

Enter indefinite detention of terror suspects - not convicted of any crimes via anything like due process - and "enhanced interrogation". Whenever we use euphemisms like this, you know something shady is involved: isolation, exposure to extreme temperatures, enclosure in tiny spaces, sleep deprivation, bombardment with agonizing sounds at extremely damaging decibel levels, repeated near drownings (a.k.a., "waterboarding"), religious and sexual humiliation, etc., and these are the ones that have made it to the light of day.  

It is hard to find any moral/ethical system, religion, or national constitution (including the US Constitution) that would have any support for the systematic torture of human beings: even for the nasties, tried and convicted felons. Our laws for prisons and capital punishment seek to minimize suffering. Why become the very things we are fighting?

"Many of my comrades were subjected to very cruel, very inhumane and degrading treatment -- a few of them even unto death. But every one of us, every single one of us knew and took great strength from the belief that we were different from our enemies, that we were better than them, that we, if the roles were reversed, would not disgrace ourselves by committing or countenancing such mistreatment of them.  That faith was indispensable not only to our survival but to our attempts to return home with honor. Many of the men I served with would have preferred death to such dishonor." Senator John McCain, PBS Newshour, Oct 6, 2005

It is particularly troubling that prisoners detained without trial, without due process, indefinitely, hidden from the public and light of day, can also then be subjected to torture. It is (for some) perhaps easier to dismiss it when one allows oneself the thought that it is only happening to "bad guys." What if innocents are involved? Does the government never make mistakes?  What if this power is abused now or in the future? The infrastructure and culture of torture is in place: can it be adapted to the political?

Do we trust our governments with such power?

Extraordinary Rendition

I'll just leave here a word-for-word from the Wikipedia entry:

"Extraordinary rendition and irregular rendition are terms used to describe the apprehension and extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another, and the term "torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the U.S. has purportedly transferred suspected terrorists to countries known to employ harsh interrogation techniques that may rise to the level of torture."

2012 Defense Authorization Act

This bill, signed into law by President Obama December 31, 2011, continues the troublesome march away from basic freedoms Americans have taken for granted. One could summarize the act as granting the federal government the right to arrest and indefinitely detain through military powers, prisons, and courts anyone it deemed a sufficient threat to the United States. Citizen, or non-citizen, arrested abroad or on American soil. Without trial. By the military.

While proponents argue that there are many restrictions and protections for inappropriate use of this law, the point is that even laws before this that granted far less powers to the government and military were often abused: one has to be concerned that now legalizing snatches of citizens, their arrest and detention without trial/due process indefinitely, all by the military outside of normal channels of law enforcement, could potentially lead us down a very dark path. Again, the worry is not that this power will be used to stop the monsters that kill and destroy, but that (1) the innocent will be dragged into the net, far more frequently than anyone will admit, and (2) the power will be abused for political purposes by the unethical.

Defense Authorization Act: Quotes Across the Political Spectrum

“It puts every single American citizen at risk.  We must stand up to tyranny disguised as security.” - Senator Rand Paul, (R-KY) 

"And what we are talking about here is that Americans could be subjected to life imprisonment without ever being charged, tried, or convicted of a crime, without ever having an opportunity to prove their innocence to a judge or a jury of their peers. And without the government ever having to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  I think that denigrates the very foundations of this country.” -Senator Al Franken, (D-Minn.)

"I would also point out that these provisions raise serious questions as to who we are as a society and what our Constitution seeks to protect." Senator Mark Udall, (D-Colo.)

"The constitutional right to due process is fundamental to individual liberty, and we must not sacrifice this right in the pursuit of perceived greater security. Without freedom there is no security." Senator Michael Lee, (R-UT)

"Congress is signing its own arrest warrants."  - Naomi Wolf

The Obama/Holden Doctrine

Perhaps one of the most shocking corollaries derived from the host of new security laws passed over the last decade can be summed up in the opinions put forth by Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder in 2012: namely, that the government is legally empowered to kill US citizens without due process. From Holder's speech to the University of Michigan:

"Let me be clear: an operation using lethal force in a foreign country, targeted against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al Qaeda or associated forces, and who is actively engaged in planning to kill Americans, would be lawful...'Due process' and 'judicial process' are not one and the same, particularly when it comes to national security. The Constitution guarantees due process, not judicial process."

"The President and his underlings are your accuser, your judge, your jury and your executioner all wrapped up in one, acting in total secrecy and without your even knowing that he’s accused you and sentenced you to death, and you have no opportunity even to know about, let alone confront and address, his accusations; is that not enough due process for you?" - Glenn Greenwald

While it will always be the case that there will be needs to act against real nasties in fast ways, no matter who they are, it is another thing altogether to enshrine a doctrine that some have called "state-sponsored assassination". Killing an individual is the surest way to silence them. We are putting enormous trust in the government to act virtuously, basically trusting them with our lives and the lives of those we care about. More to the point, we are putting trust not "in the government", but in specific people who often make decisions in highly secretive ways that are poorly subjected to "checks and balances". One of the main ideas behind the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is that generally we CANNOT trust people to wield such power over others.

The New Obama Math

Male + military-aged + blown up by US drone = Dead Military Combatant. More slippery slope.

To get a taste (bitter) of how this Orwellian process might go, consider the redefinition of causalities in drone strikes:

Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent. - "Secret Kill List", NYTimes, May 29, 2012

Given that the Kill Lists are all Secret, and everything I've mentioned above that makes all decisions of life and death behind closed doors, without trials, and in the hands of a few, it's the final straw that they are adding in "get out of jail free cards" to wash their hands of the death (and torture, and wrongful imprisonment) of innocents.

And the "posthumous exoneration" has got to be entered into whatever official Orwellian dictionary there is. Stephen Colbert sums it up well:

"Now, folks. Now this isn't just the president executing innocent people around the world by fiat. There is an appeals process. The men are considered terrorist unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent. In which case, I assume there is a legal process that unkills them." Stephen Colbert, Two Birds with One Drone

Dangerous Synergy

For me, it is the pattern, the working together, of all these different new laws that is the most concerning.

Think about this: it is now legal/approved/justified for the government, or specific branches of the government, to declare anyone (you!) an "enemy combatant" (or whatever terminology is used), to do this WITHOUT trial or due process, behind closed and secretive doors, authorize your "extrajudicial" arrest/snatch/rendition based on this (even using the power of the US military), throw you in a dungeon (or Guantanamo, or some other hell hole anywhere in the world), and for as long as they want (no phone call, no lawyer, no trial) where they can torture you. There is nothing you or anyone else can do about it. Or, if it's their druthers, they can simply just murder you with flying robots.  

With the recent clearance to start using drones in America, the lines between operations abroad and at home could dissolve. While there has been some push back from Congress to limit drone use, it is unclear where all of this is going to end up. The military is certainly pushing for unrestricted flights of drones in the national air space, and given the powers granted to the military to act secretly even in the US in the war on terror, the use of drones is a concern.

“Without the ability to operate freely and routinely in the NAS, UAS development and training — and ultimately operational capabilities — will be severely impacted.” - Senate Armed Services Committee, report on the FY2013 defense authorization bill

Are robot missions to spy on and eliminate enemy combatant threats on American soil a possible future? And will the determination of who those threats are and what is to be done continue to be made secretly, without due process, with "baseball cards" in the Oval Office? And if they screw up, if you and your family members are blown back to God, will all of you (males at least!) simply be marked down for future generations as "enemy combatants" anyway?

People are marching on Washington complaining that the government is too big and powerful for requiring them to pay into pension and medical trust funds.  Funny - I'd rather give the government the power to tax me and create a medical fund than to kill me without trial with a robot if they don't like me.

Why aren't people marching about the powers we are ceding to our (at present) elected officials that allow them to label us, arrest and detain us indefinitely without trial, and kill us if they decide to?

I don't know about you, but the potential for horrific abuses in this loss of rights is terribly disturbing. Is the price of "security" worth it? 

Are we secure from our own government now?

--Erec

Fictional Supermen or Genetically Created Killers?

Image via Wikipedia

"Everyone on the floor!" the first one shouted, waving
his gun. The second man barred the front double doors
with a crowbar. "Get down I said!" he screamed, shoving
one of the bankers to the floor.
Rage crouched down, his eyes moving to the elderly
couple, huddled against each other on the floor, both
terrified. He swiveled his head back toward the woman,
whose eyes met his...He closed his eyes and thought
about his gift. He had used in only once before, years
ago. Since then he'd sworn to her he would never use it
to harm another...
Bang! The shotgun went off. Startled by Rage's sudden
move, the large man had fired it inadvertently, right into
Rage's stomach...

Code of Darkness


Chris Lindberg






He was a superhero in many ways, but there was also blood-lust in him that resulted in his being over-zealous. A purse snatcher or a robber or a rapist...justice would only be served by death to those who committed a crime! It had all started when he visited the bank that Saturday morning...

Rage had noticed the woman in line, their eyes had met and briefly they had connected. So when the robbers took her hostage, Rage had offered to go in her place. Later he had been shot...

But being shot didn't stop him and as the cops were surrounding the bank, Rage followed the men who had taken the woman.

"In one blinding motion, the newcomer ripped the gun from the small man's hand then spun into a kick that connected with the large man's jaw. Larry could hear the sickening crunch as the jawbone shattered. Completing his full spin, he rounded up on the small man and punched him square in the chest, sending him flying into a brick wall. As the large man fell, he turned back to pull the woman free while kicking the shotgun from the robber's limp hand...Then before Larry could utter a word, the man leapt all the way up onto the adjacent building's roof, and was gone..."

The amazing thing about Code of Darkness is that it begins with action--all the above occurred in the first chapter--and is ongoing throughout the book! Action-packed, however, does not even begin to describe the exciting intrigue of what will occur!

Consider chapter 2, for instance, that immediately takes you into the world of Elias Todd...For most of the book, he will be referred to as Asset One, which lays the foundation for the underlying story...

Enter the Federal government...


Elias Todd was a mercenary, an assassin whose services were available to anybody that could pay his price. He was very rich...

Todd was just back from his latest job, merely slipping poison into the victim's drink, while the autopsy would show that the man had died of a heart attack. "Two hours of work, netting a half-million-dollar payout."

But they were waiting for him...and though he fought with his great strength, they had come prepared for him and filled him with three shots, connecting with Todd's neck and upper chest...he began to feel consciousness slipping away.

Colonel Nolan Hayes declared that Todd was definitely one of them as he examined the wounds from the tranquilizer darts. Asset One had been secured. And before he began to stir they began to Assemble the Box to to get him inside immediately.

Super-soldiers is not a new concept--some readers may even believe that such research has or is taking place right now. What I found compelling about Lindberg's novel was that he took us directly into the lives of three men, all of whom had been genetically altered. Now the research funding had been renewed and two assets were being hunted...

And while these three men had been living their lives, Larry Parker was living as a homicide cop in Chicago and Mira Givens was doing good work as a social worker. Both had been at that bank robbery; both had been drawn into what would become one of the worst violent events that had occurred in Chicago, and later, Virginia...and one of the best "actions" that had been covered up by those government bureaucrats who  created...plausible storylines... What impressed me most was that it was Parker and Givens, just regular people, who used their determination and intelligence to wade through everything and wound up there at the climatic end, because of their love and commitment. You'll have to read it to understand why!

A touch of fantasy and science fiction, with lots of action and suspense will ensure that readers who choose Code of Darkness will be totally wrapped up from page 1 through many hair-raising, scary, and extremely graphic scenes of what is created and done in the name of science...Not for the squeamish! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend!

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GABixlerReviews

"Dressed in full military garb, he walked with a powerful air toward the table,
ignoring all others around him, his eyes fixated on Todd the entire way, as if sizing up
a target...Todd instinctively struggled against his bindings, again to no avail...
"My name is Colonel Nolan Hayes...I am the head of Operation...Chief Asset Recovery;
part of a larger undertaking by the Pentagon called Project Safeguard."
..."Dr. Ingramov," he bellowed to his right. "You may commence with testing...
Electric shocks. Continuous currents. Pressure points. Needles, large and small.
Probes, Biopsies. All without anesthesia. Through all of it Todd kept his pain
inside of him, gritting his teeth through the agony, letting his anger build within
him. He would get an opening, he knew he would; and when it came, he would
kill them all. First Polosky, then Ingramov, and finally Hayes..."