to the window overlooking downtown Denver and witnessed an army of police trucks, with several dozen armed officers on-ground.
A growing crowd of displaced people, mostly young and anonymously concealed wearing jackets, pants, hats, and T-shirts covering their faces approached several barriers. The barriers were intended to prevent people from entering "restricted" parts of the city. The police were dressed protectively. They held riot guns loaded with tear gas cartridges. One officer, gripping a large blue megaphone, shouted to the group from atop his horse.
"This is a restricted area, city occupants are not allowed to get too far from the convention center. Return to the designated areas immediately."
The crowd disregarded the officer's request, and pushed against the barriers in defiance.
"Masks!" the officer ordered. His men donned gas masks in response.
The lead officer placed his mask on then shouted again into the megaphone.
"Fire!"
Tear gas canisters launched into the air and hit within a few feet of the crowd. The smoke instantly engulfed the air, causing the protesters to fall to the ground rubbing their stinging eyes while violently coughing. Other kids pushed past the barriers while covering their faces with shirts, jackets, or whatever else they could find. The group was on the front lines now, practically touching the police officer's shields. Several ran away in fear after taking a hit or two. Others took their lickings and were knocked to the ground unconscious.
"Yes, perfect, let's go down there," Julie said, walking away from the window.
"We got lucky the first time the police came up here. They could do another sweep of the floor," Paul said.
"You said no more danger. You said everything was going to be okay," Julie started.
"And I'm trying to make it so," Paul said. "We're going, and I don't care what is happening out there. This Jeff Bryant knows where your mom is, and we're going to find him."
Paul went to the door and opened it.
"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. We'll stay out of sight, out of mind," he said in his most reassuring voice. Julie pulled the blinds shut, walked to the night stand and scribbled a note on the hotel-provided memo pad.
Went looking for you, don't leave! Love - Julie.
"Hurry up," Paul said, as his eyes shifted to both sides of the hallway.
Julie grabbed her mom's pocket-book and purple T-shirt. She took one look around the room and then joined Paul in the hallway. Whatever else left behind in the room they could rest assure that they may never see it again.
The streets outside were chaotic. Paul had reservations about going the way they came in, not discounting the fact that a team of police had recently gone through the very door they had smashed. Paul and Julie moved swiftly and carefully from the second floor hallway to the hotel lobby. Once downstairs, they heard the very real sounds of civil unrest right outside the hotel. Out on the streets, the police had effectively pushed the crowd back behind the barriers. Tear gas flowed through the air like hazy fog on an early morning. To Paul, it still looked too dangerous for them to venture out in.
"We have to look for another way out," he said to Julie, pulling her along.
They moved into the small dining area where, under different circumstances, they would be having a free continental breakfast. Just looking around the room made them both realize how hungry they were, though not a crumb of food was around. Paul spotted an emergency exit, designed to trigger an alarm if opened. Their plans for a low-key escape looked slimmer by the minute.
"We'll have to take our chances out the front door," Paul said as they circled back to the lobby.
They walked outside the dining room to see an agile team of gas-masked riot control officers storm through the front doors in hot pursuit. Paul yanked Julie away from the lobby like a rag doll and ran back to the dining area. He charged the emergency exit
A growing crowd of displaced people, mostly young and anonymously concealed wearing jackets, pants, hats, and T-shirts covering their faces approached several barriers. The barriers were intended to prevent people from entering "restricted" parts of the city. The police were dressed protectively. They held riot guns loaded with tear gas cartridges. One officer, gripping a large blue megaphone, shouted to the group from atop his horse.
"This is a restricted area, city occupants are not allowed to get too far from the convention center. Return to the designated areas immediately."
The crowd disregarded the officer's request, and pushed against the barriers in defiance.
"Masks!" the officer ordered. His men donned gas masks in response.
The lead officer placed his mask on then shouted again into the megaphone.
"Fire!"
Tear gas canisters launched into the air and hit within a few feet of the crowd. The smoke instantly engulfed the air, causing the protesters to fall to the ground rubbing their stinging eyes while violently coughing. Other kids pushed past the barriers while covering their faces with shirts, jackets, or whatever else they could find. The group was on the front lines now, practically touching the police officer's shields. Several ran away in fear after taking a hit or two. Others took their lickings and were knocked to the ground unconscious.
"Yes, perfect, let's go down there," Julie said, walking away from the window.
"We got lucky the first time the police came up here. They could do another sweep of the floor," Paul said.
"You said no more danger. You said everything was going to be okay," Julie started.
"And I'm trying to make it so," Paul said. "We're going, and I don't care what is happening out there. This Jeff Bryant knows where your mom is, and we're going to find him."
Paul went to the door and opened it.
"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. We'll stay out of sight, out of mind," he said in his most reassuring voice. Julie pulled the blinds shut, walked to the night stand and scribbled a note on the hotel-provided memo pad.
Went looking for you, don't leave! Love - Julie.
"Hurry up," Paul said, as his eyes shifted to both sides of the hallway.
Julie grabbed her mom's pocket-book and purple T-shirt. She took one look around the room and then joined Paul in the hallway. Whatever else left behind in the room they could rest assure that they may never see it again.
The streets outside were chaotic. Paul had reservations about going the way they came in, not discounting the fact that a team of police had recently gone through the very door they had smashed. Paul and Julie moved swiftly and carefully from the second floor hallway to the hotel lobby. Once downstairs, they heard the very real sounds of civil unrest right outside the hotel. Out on the streets, the police had effectively pushed the crowd back behind the barriers. Tear gas flowed through the air like hazy fog on an early morning. To Paul, it still looked too dangerous for them to venture out in.
"We have to look for another way out," he said to Julie, pulling her along.
They moved into the small dining area where, under different circumstances, they would be having a free continental breakfast. Just looking around the room made them both realize how hungry they were, though not a crumb of food was around. Paul spotted an emergency exit, designed to trigger an alarm if opened. Their plans for a low-key escape looked slimmer by the minute.
"We'll have to take our chances out the front door," Paul said as they circled back to the lobby.
They walked outside the dining room to see an agile team of gas-masked riot control officers storm through the front doors in hot pursuit. Paul yanked Julie away from the lobby like a rag doll and ran back to the dining area. He charged the emergency exit
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