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

Jaxx jumped back into his body and opened his eyes. He took in a deep breath, filling his lungs. He bent over, his head spinning like a slow-moving top. He shook his head, doing his best to get his bearings about him.

When everything halted and his senses came back to full awareness, he stood erect.

Fox was on the floor as still as a sleeping baby.

“Fox?”

Fox blinked his eyes. “What?” His voice was tired, faint, and pissed off—like the Fox he knew.

“Get up and go. Find Rivkah.”

Fox stood, rubbing his head. He lost his balance and leaned against the wall. “Where the hell am I?”

“You were being mind-controlled by the Kelhoon.”

He glared at Jaxx. “You’re being mind-controlled if you think they could ever do something like that to me.” He squinted. “Why are you in a cage?” He looked around, clearly disoriented.

“Fox, I need you to listen to me.”

Fox stumbled like a drunk man, barely managing to stay on his feet.

“Go find Rivkah. But the moment you leave this makeshift jail cell, I need you to act like you’re still controlled by that Kelhoon device.”

“How?” Fox waived his arms around, catching himself from toppling over. “Was I drugged? What’s going on with me?”

“Trust me. Leave this place and sneak out of this Kelhoon base. In the meantime, I’ve got to talk with Kajka Okbak some more.”

“Who?” Fox thought for a moment. “The Kelhoon leader? Are you out of your gourd?” Fox leaned against a wall and slid down it, arms crossed at his stomach. He yawned. “You’re dreaming.” He shook his head, yawning again. “You’re pulling my chain. We’re not in a Kelhoon base.”

The door clicked and creaked as it slowly opened. A Kelhoon with a rifle made his way in. Fox’s eyes went wide and he stood, confusion turning into anger. His energy signature said he wanted to pummel every inch of the Kelhoon warrior.

“Fox, no, I won’t tell you where Rivkah is,” said Jaxx. “I’m not going to turn against the Atlanteans or the Humans. You can’t force me.”

Fox unholstered his phaser and aimed it at Jaxx. He clenched his jaw and flexed his neck, exaggerating his next words. “What the hell is going on, Jaxx? Whose side are you really on?”

13

E-Quadrant, Solar System - Whitefish, Montana

Carl lay on his back with his hands in front of his face. Purple blood dripped from his shaking fingers and to his chest. “What’s all over me?” He was wide-eyed, helpless, like a scared child.

Drew sat on the cement floor, looking at the locked door, grateful that it was indeed locked. But truly, if someone wanted to get inside this basement room, what good would a lock do? Nothing.

He stared at Carl, watching the purple liquid drip all over the big guy. “It’s blood, Carl.” Drew rubbed the back of his head, pained from the fall down the stairs, topped off by Carl landing on him.

“Blood?” Carl’s lips quivered. “From what?”

Megan fetched a towel out of the closet and tossed it at Carl. “You just shot an officer, I think.”

Carl sat up, the purple liquid slipping off of his face, arms, and chest like goo. “That wasn’t a military man, Megan.” His face was stone cold. “Drew, did you see that thing…change?”

Drew nodded his head. He saw a military officer, or whatever the guy’s rank was, shape-shift into some type of alien Being, not once but twice. “We need a chair.” Drew grabbed the wooden chair from the corner. Maybe placing that on the inside door knob would make it that bit harder to break through the door. “No, screw that. Do you have cement bags? Anything to put in front of that door? If someone wants to get in here, the locks on the door won’t hold.”

Megan jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

Drew spotted bags of rice, beans, and flour lined on shelves against a far wall. Outside, the alarms blared. He’d been so busy ogling the alien, he hadn’t noticed that the alarms were back, louder than ever.

Megan nodded. “The alarms must have shorted out there for a while.”

Carl didn’t acknowledge them or the alarms. He was trapped in his own world of panic.

Drew fast-walked to a shelf, pulled off a bag of rice and carried it over to the door. Megan followed him. Drew dropped the bag at the base of the door and stopped. “Carl, we need your help. Move it, man.”

Carl sniffed the blood on his hands. “I’ve smelled human blood and this isn’t human blood.”

Drew bit back the urge to say something sarcastic. The man was in shock. The fact that the blood was purple seemed not to have landed.

Megan dropped a bag of beans on top of the rice in front of the door. She paced over to Carl and gave him a gentle kick. “Get up, Carl.”

Carl got up, cement dust sticking to his hands. He used the rag and wiped it off. “I bet that’s what Mya is…an alien.” His face was emotionless, his mouth slightly gaped. “We have to kill her.”

Drew dropped another bag of rice in front of the door. He put his hands on his hips. “You have to what?”

Carl looked around. He couldn’t or didn’t want to make eye contact with either Drew or Megan. “I’ve smelled human blood before. My dad’s. It was a hunting accident.” He thought for a moment, his eyes blank, as if remembering that day. He shook his head and returned to the present. “I bet Mya’s blood smells like this purple blood. Her blood is probably purple too.”

Drew stiffened. “Where is your rifle, Carl?”

Carl pointed, his eyes dull. “Over there.”

Drew followed Carl’s pointed finger. No rifle.

He looked around, then eyed it lying near Carl’s feet. Drew walked over and quietly picked it up. He stepped back and aimed it at Carl. He cleared his throat. “Now, listen Carl. You touch a hair on Mya’s head and I’ll end