Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller by Brandon Ellis (easy to read books for adults list txt) 📕

He shook his head. Everything was dim, yet very foreign. God, he just needed a toke.

“Where the hell am I?” His heart beat fast while his brain tried to adjust and bring some memory to the surface. He relaxed. “Thank God.” He was in his room, deep in Anderle’s fake White House or whatever that hacker, president-wannabe ass-hat wanted to call this underground base.

A small night light lit the corner of Mya’s bed. Her heavy breaths told Drew that she was fast asleep, hopefully not dreaming about being a prisoner here, about longing for her father, about this Chinese soldier sleeping on the stool next to the door, his head back and against the wall, his mouth open, his eyes closed.

Wait. The guy was asleep.

“It is time.”

Drew caught his breath, startled, and looked around. He whispered, “Mom?”

“Go.”

He knew exactly what she meant. He always knew what she meant. She was written in his DNA. He couldn’t not understand her if he tried. Drew slowly pushed the sheets off and put on his slippers, courtesy of Anderle. He grabbed his wallet off the bedside table and pulled out a credit card, slipping it in his hands, eyeing the sleeping guard.

The guard didn’t move.

He put the wallet back on his bedside table and tiptoed to the door. He held his breath, his hip next to the grunt’s face, and cautiously turned the knob. Anderle had said he, “wasn’t a prisoner, but an honored guest.” The door to his room would never be locked. Drew had no clue how long that promise would last, but he would at least take advantage while he could.

He glanced at the guard, curling his lips under his teeth, biting his lips together. He turned the knob more and glanced at him again.

He opened the door a crack. It creaked. The guard stirred, opening his eyes.

Drew stood still, eyes wide. He held his breath.

The soldier smacked his lips together and leaned his head to the side, his eyelids falling, falling, falling, and closed.

How the guy hadn’t seen him, Drew didn’t know. He looked up at the ceiling, thanking the Goddess—Mary Jane.

The soldier’s breathing slowed, his mouth opening, sending a slight snore across the room.

He opened the door another crack. No sound.

Good. He opened it a bit more and peeked through.

He quickly ducked back in, keeping the door ajar.

A guard, leaning up against a wall a few meters away, stood next to a portrait of George Washington, his rifle by his side. He was bobbing his head, earbuds in his ears, listening to a torch-song warbler.

Drew shot a look back at the guard sleeping on the stool. How in weed’s glorious name was he going to get out of the room, let alone stroll down the hallways to the fake oval office?

Drew looked back through the opening between the door and the frame. A click-clack of boots sounded through the corridor and the guard in the hallway stood more erect, quickly taking his earbuds out, shoving them into his fatigues.

General Yu walked up to the guard and leaned in, quietly saying something in his ear, the general’s face beet red. The guard quickly nodded, fear visibly washing over him, his arms becoming more rigid. Yu stepped back, his nose crinkled, looking the young man up and down with disdain. He held out his hand and the soldier reached into his pocket, pulling out the earbuds and handed them to Yu.

Yu spit in his face and grasped the man by his shirt, pulling him forward and shoving him down the hall, releasing his grip a moment later. The soldier hurried away and out of Drew’s line of sight. Yu took his place, resting his hand on his holstered semi-automatic and leaned back against the wall.

Sneaking out tonight wasn’t going to happen. Being under surveillance twenty-four-seven sucked ass. If he could just take a peek at Anderle’s computer, find out why Mya’s father was such a pest to Anderle and the General, and exactly what Mya’s dad was doing to be such a nuisance, then maybe he’d have the answers he needed. Then again, it could be yet another rabbit hole.

He touched the door, about to shut it.

“Don’t give up, Drew.” It was his mom’s voice. He stuck his index finger in his ear and wiggled it, not that that ever helped. It was an odd feeling hearing his mother. Sometimes it was as if she stood right next to him, talking in his ear. Being a stoner, he was not a stranger to wigging out, but hearing dead people was out there, man.

“Just, go, Drew. Go.”

He opened the door a few inches more. If he wanted, he could turn and slide through it. He took another glance at the guard in his room. The guy’s chest rose up and down, his breathing slow and calm. God, how Drew would love to sleep that soundly someday.

He took another peak through the opening between the door and sucked in a breath. General Yu was gone. It was as if he had vanished. Drew hadn’t heard the click-clack of his shoes. He hadn’t seen the guy walk away. For all he knew, the bastard got on a magical carpet and flew off.

It was too good to be true.

“If you don’t get your ass in gear, I am going to kick you from here to kingdom come.” Mom wasn’t messing around. She meant business.

Shit. He had to do it. He had to go. Maybe this was his opportunity. His only opportunity.

He turned, sliding his body through the opening and slowly closed the door. It groaned on its hinges, just as it shut. He paused, not moving a muscle.

No alarm sounded. No guard in a foreign language told him to stop. Most importantly, no general was in his ear, telling him he’d cut his throat.

He walked in the opposite direction to where Yu had stood, sweat dripping like a faucet down from his armpits.

He rubbed his thumb and index finger on the credit