RE CHoke

Cowbar, I should have been more clear. The problem is the term Choke. In the case of this chapter, Chinwe was "choking" Saul. We hear him cough and sputter. In my mind, someone with training should not be seriously bothered by it. If they feel really uncomfortable with it, turing the head to a shoulder does a pretty could job opening the air way.

To make sure we are on the same wavelength, what you describe is what I call a throtle. I have seen people tap-out. I have seen experienced black belts try to fight it off and pass out in freestyle sparring with no ref.

So, in my opinion the objective of a "choke" hold is not to choke but to throtle. I hear Saul choke and with the other events leading up to it and I think poorly trained attacker.

knife
I do not know where the knife is either. In chapter 24 I think he is using fists to pound the downed maller. My guess is if he was using a knife we would hear some snicks or slurps and gurgles.

Prison
When Saul, lizzy and Burt (I miss Burt) are out for the tanker Burt says it is a federal prison when Lizzy asks Saul if that is where he was held. With the null response from Saul, we do not know. The chances are pretty damn small, but maybe in some sort of over-population a local federal will take state prisoners. I do not know. Saul is the one who brings up going to a prison to hold up, right?

And here I go again...

Lizzy and Todd come to the door. Michael yells for help. Angel gets to the door and has to go back because he forgot the keys. Angel has time to run from his room to michael, back to his room and then back to Michael again. When Michael first yells, I think I heard Saul reply. This begs the question: WTF, Saul?

He is not calling his mom
I do not think a conversation with his girl would be so deep that he would not go to Michael' aid.
I do not think he is afraid.

Talking to someone else who survived the day? Now that most of the cell phone users are dead and the cell towers and exchanges are still powered he could probably get through to someone.

but whom?