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

He turned on his phone. Within seconds, it rang. He held the phone to his ear as he continued to walk. “Hi, Robert.”

“Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“The commercial break is ending, so keep your ear to the phone. We’ll be starting in a few seconds.”

Drew passed a stranger, wondering if she had any weed. He usually conducted interviews a little more relaxed.

Robert continued, beginning his next segment, “We have a special guest on tonight. One that I scheduled this morning, and boy, will this blow your socks off. Drew Avera has been on our show once before. He’s one of the youngest reporters ever to work for World News Network or otherwise known as WNN. By now, you’ve all heard of him. He is the one who leaked the satellite images of the structures on the Jupiter moon, Callisto, along with outing a manned mission to that moon to investigate those structures. Yes, he’s everywhere, but he’s with us tonight, being interviewed for the first time since this story broke. A story that’s consuming our entire nation. He graduated from Columbia University with a Masters in Journalism. He’s well known for documentaries on the JFK Assassination called JFK and the Unknown Files, on the coup attempt in 1933 titled Smedley Butler, the Unsung FDR Savior, and his reports on Alzheimer's, the FDA, and many other amazing news programs. But my guess is this story is going to make Drew Avera a household name. Today he has given us a half hour of his time. Drew, welcome to the show. How are you?”

Drew gnawed one of his fingernails. “I’m alright. I’m a little shaken up over all of this. I didn’t expect I’d be running from the military all night and this morning.” He wanted to get that mess out into the open.

“You were running from the military?”

“Yes, because I have more information. This morning, after chased and shot at, I sent out new images. Images which suggest the mission to Callisto isn’t merely exploratory. Tomorrow, stay tuned, because you’ll see new information on the news.”

“Here at KMWI, Sunset to Sunrise, we’re happy to be the first to bring you those images. Head on over to our website and Facebook page to take a look. Yes, folks, you saw it here first.”

“You uploaded them already?”

“Watching our website numbers climb as we speak, Drew. People want to know what’s going on. So, give us the skinny. We’re all ears.”

Drew walked and talked. “As you know, the Global Safety Administration is launching a mission to investigate the structures on Callisto. I have pictures of the technology they possess which suggests they plan to take hundreds, if not thousands of people, on this mission.”

Drew cringed. It was impossible to black out his uncle’s name on the emails he sent out earlier today. Yet, he still sent them out and he didn’t know if that was a good idea or not. “Kaden Jaxx is the source. You’ll know this tomorrow from the news networks. He’s my uncle. Truthfully, we aren’t that close, but he asked me to help him out and research this information. As you’ve seen in mine and Jaxx’s short back and forth email dialogues, he’s helping the Global Safety Administration with hieroglyph translations from the structures on Callisto. The last email I received from Jaxx got a reaction from someone or some establishment, probably the GSA, and I received an anonymous phone call. The person on the other end let me know that if I don’t stop my investigation, I’d be killed. I was also told my uncle had been killed. I can’t verify that, though, as I don’t know exactly where my uncle is.”

“Have you talked to him since that phone call?”

“No.”

“Do you think he has been murdered?”

“I hope not. I don’t know. Maybe it was just a scare tactic, but regardless, I take that phone call seriously. I’ve been threatened with a death sentence. If I can get my name out there, the probability of a death sentence lessens. And, if Jaxx is still alive, the chances of him being executed will lessen as well.”

“So, do you have any ideas as to why the GSA are keeping this a secret from us?”

“I have plenty of ideas.” He walked across the street. His heart nearly stopped when he saw a black SUV come around the corner. He picked up his pace and ducked behind a bush.

“How are they getting there?”

Drew whispered. “Just a moment.” The SUV drove slowly, beaming a flashlight in his direction. The thick bush hid him well. The SUV hooked a left on another street.

“I took pictures of a gigantic ship that I think they’re preparing to launch. I don’t know how many people and supplies can fit on that thing, but let me tell you, it can probably fit a lot. It’s that massive.”

“What are—”

“I should probably go,” Drew interrupted. “They're looking for me. I’m not safe here.”

“Okay, I understand,” Robert replied. “Thank you, Drew. You’re a true patriot. I’m sure the millions of fine folks listening tonight thank you as well. They will have a lot to think about.”

Drew hung up and felt something press on the back of his head.

“Stand up.” The man’s voice was low.

Drew did, moving slowly and deliberately. He turned around, hands up, mouth shut.

A man in a black leather jacket pointed a gun and aimed it at Drew’s forehead.

34

June 6thPortland, Oregon

Drew called up the precise memory he needed in that moment. He’d been six or seven, the TV his de-facto babysitter, his mom wandering around the house, absent-mindedly chatting to the furniture and singing to the cat. He’d seen a special on television about self-defense. In one scenario, the instructor had a student stick him up with a fake, wooden gun. The instructor held his hands out and as quick as a flash, the instructor crisscrossed his arms, one hand hitting the student’s inner wrist and the other