Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Brandon Ellis (ebook reader for comics txt) 📖

He was a genius with a photographic memory. He had the directions in the forefront of his mind, plus every direction he’d ever read was filed away in his mind to be conjured up whenever needed.

“Drew?”

Drew jerked back, his mind intent on the drive and not the girl’s questions. “What?”

The girl looked up at him, eyes wide and angelic. “Will Mom be there when I see my dad?”

The freeway was long, uncomfortable, unknown. A car could come out of nowhere and try to get him to pullover for God knows what, or a Chinese jet could pick him off, or a bullet could shatter through the side window at any time. This wasn’t the United States of a few months ago where he was relatively safe—relatively. But this girl’s question trumped it all.

He cleared his throat. “Mya? I don’t want to lie to you. Your mom won’t be coming to see you.” He glanced at her for a moment, his heart seeping up to his throat. “And I don’t know how to get a hold of your father.”

Mya looked down at her fiddling hands. “What do you mean? You said my mom and dad were going to see me.”

Drew blinked a couple of times. The sweat rolled down his sides and soaked his belt. “Well, you see, I was scared and because I was scared, I lied. I didn’t want you to have a hard time while I was trying to keep us safe, so I made all that up.”

Mya kept her head down. “Oh...” she started to shake and tears welled up in her eyes.

Drew rubbed her back. “I will try to find your dad.” He shook his head. “No, I will find your dad.” He couldn’t believe his last statement. How would that be possible?

She grabbed his arm and squeezed it tight, leaning her cheek against it. How quickly she trusted him, how quickly she knew what he was saying would be true. “Mommy, too?”

He wanted to pull his arm back, he wanted to tell her how horrible life was and to be ready, because it’s going to get worse. He wasn’t a pessimistic guy, he was a realist leaning toward ridiculous optimism. He had this mindset that he could get anything accomplished that he wanted to, and he usually did, no matter how many different paths and windy roads he had to go onto to meet his accomplishments.

He peeked at his rear-view mirror. No one in sight. He pushed the volume button, turning on the radio. Static. He upped the dial, zipping through station after station. All static.

What else could he do to avoid the question?

He took a deep breath. “Mya? Your mom died.”

Mya released her grip and Drew brought his hand back, resting it on the middle console. Mya looked out of the passenger window, watching the trees pass by on the freeway. “What does die mean?”

How did she not know what death was? This wasn’t going to be easy. “When someone—” He slammed on the breaks, the wheels screeching a whine he’d only heard in movies, black rubber smoke trailing behind them.

Four cars—police cars—and a heavy SWAT-looking vehicle were lined across the freeway. Men in uniform stood in front of the car. Police rifles rested in their hands and across their arms. They spread out the moment they heard the screeching from Drew’s car.

Drew twisted the wheel as the car abruptly slowed, fish tailing, the back end skidding and nearly turning the car around. It came to a sudden halt. Smoke rose from the tires and surrounded the car.

Drew patted down Mya. Seeing no blood, he checked her eyes. She was awake, alive, and just as astonished as him. “Are you okay?”

She slowly nodded, her mouth curling downward. Drew’s hand was still on her chest, her heart beat rapidly against it.

“Sit still. That’s the police. Maybe they know what’s going on or where your daddy is.” Drew opened the door and stepped out. He eyed a police man with short hair, nice and tidy, mid-fifties, police-issue trousers and short sleeve shirt. He was clean shaven, although he had missed a spot. Several other policemen stood by him, all walking slowly in Drew’s direction.

Drew put his hands out, showing them he wasn’t someone to be wary of. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting a barricade.”

A policeman held his hand up, stopping the rest of the advancing police, then spoke, “In a different time, you would have been cited. Where are you trying to get to, son?”

“Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.”

“Why?”

Drew pointed behind the police man. “It’s just fifteen-minutes that way.”

The policeman gingerly looked behind him, as if that was a surprise to him. “I see. What for?”

“To meet with my friends.”

“What for?”

“For...uh...safety.”

“I’d suggest you turn around. The next city over is quite accommodating.”

Drew jabbed a finger over his shoulder. “Which one?”

The policeman flicked his nose with his thumb. “Piney Woods.”

Drew looked over his shoulder. Mya was in the car, watching Drew’s conversation. Drew looked back and eyed the policemen. They were standing patiently, though not happily. “If you guys part your cars, I can just drive on by.”

“Please turn around, Sir.” All policemen, as if they were part of a perfectly synchronized flock of flying birds, pointed their rifles at Drew. “I’m not going to ask again.”

Drew raised his hands. “All right.” He slowly backed up, then turned around, cautiously making his way to his car. Mya was in a ball on the front seat, hiding.

Thrum. Thrum. Thrum. Thrum.

Drew twisted around and faced the police, his eyes trained to the sky. A helicopter. The policemen, however, were in front of their cars, leaning against them, as if nothing was happening out of the ordinary.

The helicopter descended. The first rush of rotor blade wind slammed against Drew.

It lowered toward the police vehicles.

“Watch out. Just above you,” yelled Drew. How could the police officers not see the helicopter?

The helicopter’s landing skids were now a few inches from the top of the cars. It moved lower, its skids passing through the cars