Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller by Brandon Ellis (best novels to read in english .txt) 📗

“Halt,” came an all too familiar voice.

“Slade,” muttered Rivkah.

Slade sauntered up the hill, his hand clutching a phaser, his eyes dead on Rivkah’s. He spat on the ground and wiped his lips with his wrist. “You aren’t going to bother me anymore. Today, you’re done.”

The Kelhoon backed off, giving Slade more room as he neared his target.

Rivkah suppressed a smile. “You’re in the slave and factory farming business now?” In a way, she hoped he would say no and all the visions she had of Slade taking children for this evil operation would have been just that—visions, and only visions.

“I’m in any business I damn well please to be in.”

Rivkah dug her back foot into the ground, the snow and pebbles crunching under her soles. “Let the children go and I let you live. That’s a promise.”

He stopped a few feet in front of her, his frame reverberating with adrenaline. He closed his eyes, brought his fists together, and stomped his foot.

The entire hill shook.

Rivkah gasped. “How?”

Slade dusted off his shoulders, his lips curving into a malicious smile. “Just like you, I received a transfusion of Jaxx’s Atlantean blood.”

Abdu stepped forward, ready to end Slade’s menace.

Rivkah put her hand out, stopping him. “This is between me and my old, asshole friend here.”

Slade raised his hand in the air, his fist curled as if he was grabbing someone’s neck and gripping tightly.

Rivkah’s chin rose and she lifted off the ground. She sliced her hand through his energy grip, dissipating his power. She dropped and landed on her feet. The force of her energetic slice pushed Slade down hard on his rear end.

He took a deep breath, punched the snow, then pushed himself to his feet. “Dammit, Rivkah. You’re always a pain in my ass.”

“Literally, apparently.”

Slade punched the air, sending a shock wave across the hill and into Rivkah. She lifted off her feet and flipped in the air. She landed face first and slid to a stop, her face half-buried in the snow.

Rivkah jumped up and blew the snow off her nose. “You little cheap shot. What you say we don’t use Jaxx’s screwed up energy coursing through us and fight street-style.”

Slade slowly shook his head. “I don’t hit women with my bare hands.”

“Oh, I see. You only kill innocent boys and girls or sell them as slaves.” She stood. “Why don’t you man up?” She clenched her fists and widened her stance, standing like a bad-ass woman ready to beat the crap out of this jerk.

A Kelhoon jumped from the adjoining hill, landing beside Slade.

“No,” yelled Slade. “She’s mine to take.”

The Kelhoon lifted its phaser.

Wapooo!

A blue energy bolt slammed into the Kelhoon. The soldier dropped his gun, touched the smoking hole in his chest, and took a last breath. His eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground.

Wapooo! Wapooo! Wapooo!

Slade ducked and dove, avoiding more energy bolts heading his and his Kelhoon warriors’ way.

Rivkah dashed toward Abdu. He had one knee bent, the other knee sticking straight out, using the tip of his boot to rest a Kelhoon rifle on. It was odd-looking, but the balance was as skilled as any she’d ever seen. A Kelhoon was on the ground next to him, clearly being the soldier he stole the rifle from.

Wapooo! Wapooo! Wapooo!

Abdu continued to pull the trigger, catching Slade and the Kelhoon off guard.

Rivkah grabbed Abdu’s chains and hauled him from his firing position. “Follow me.” She had spotted a cave. From her brief experience on this moon, the caverns here all had a network of veins to run through, hide or get lost in. She needed to recoup for a while and regain her strength so she could sneak into Slade’s walled city and save some kids. With Abdu alive and by her side, she stood a chance.

Human and Leonian ran down the hill’s decline, matching each other stride for stride. Together, they jumped around a massive outcropping. A few yards beyond a boulder lay Abdu’s bamboo rifle. He tossed the Kelhoon’s inferior weapon and swiped his bamboo rifle in one sweeping motion, strapping it over his shoulder. Moving his legs at a fast pace, he leaned down and grabbed a handful of hefty rocks.

Rivkah sidestepped a desolate tree and barreled down the hillside, running faster than any mortal man or woman. Abdu was by her side, photon beams and ion bolts zipping by them as they rushed toward an indentation near the bottom of the cold, rocky hill.

Rocks exploded and splintered in the air, raining down on one side of Rivkah’s body and face like sand. She glanced at Abdu. He tossed a rock far in front of them just as an ion bolt smashed into it, turning it into a thousand pieces. He was the source of the sand storm she found herself in, but that storm was keeping them alive.

“Oh, shit,” screamed Rivkah.

Up ahead, dozens of Kelhoon grunts were heading their way. Any plan to divert from the cave and keep running was now out of the question. They were surrounded on three sides. They leapt off a small ridge, ducked under another outcropping and burst headlong into a cave.

“Keep going,” yelled Rivkah. “Let’s find an exit down a tunnel vein.” That’s if, thought Rivkah, there are veins in this cavern.

They rounded a jagged corner, and thank the cave goddess above, they came upon several veins that led in multiple directions. But which one to choose?

The problem wasn’t the choosing, though. The problem was the light. It was getting darker and darker the farther they ventured through the tunnel. About now would have been good for Bogle to do her hands-on-fire thing and guide the way.

Rivkah dashed down the farthest tunnel from them with Abdu on her heels. They turned a corner, then another.

“Let me lead the way. I see better at night, anyway,” said Abdu. “Hold on to my belt.”

Rivkah grabbed his belt—a thick rope