Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,7

stitch his wound was left dangling from the gash above his brow as Jerome and the doctor’s eyes rolled up inside their heads. A foreign sensation overwhelmed them, and they, too, passed out, and then they collapsed.

With all obstacles incapacitated, the red-eyed announcer appeared in a cloud of smoke beside Sam’s motionless figure. He leaned down and whispered in the fighter’s ear. “I’ve missed you. Shall we see how long it takes before your memory returns, old friend? Can you believe the idiot doesn’t know I’m on to him? I’m far too clever for that.”

The announcer lowered his forehead to Sam’s. “I have plans for us. You simply need to be reminded of who you really are. All will be revealed when the proper moment arrives.”

The red-eyed announcer vanished with Sam’s body.

The Hometown of Shalee Adamson

Austin, Texas

SHALEE, A SHAPELY, BLUE-EYED blonde, pulled into the driveway of an old, rundown house. She rushed up to the front door and walked in without knocking, shouting in a thick, Texas accent. “Hurry up, Chanice! We’re runnin’ late! Our supper reservations are in 30 minutes, and it’ll take most of that to get there.”

A large woman sitting on the living room couch coughed.

“Hello, Miss K, how are you?” Shalee asked. “Are the pain meds still making you nauseous? Can I get you anything? You know me, gotta save the world. Might as well start with you.”

Kelly gave a chuckled cough and lifted her head as she struggled to respond. “I’m sick as a dog, darlin’ girl. Serves me right, I guess.” Again, Kelly coughed. “I should stop suckin’ on these stupid smokes.”

Kelly coughed again. This time blood spewed into her handkerchief. “Thank you for takin’ my baby with ya. She loves you to death, ya know? I can see you’re good for her. You have the kindness of an angel. I do believe you’ll save this here world someday. Yer just ornery enough to do it.”

Shalee smiled. “What kind of a woman would I be if I didn’t help? Shoot, it’s easy to love that little girl. She’s got a good spirit, and she’s downright adorable.”

“Ain’t she though?” Kelly groaned as she shifted to find a better position. “I can’t tell you how much my baby has grown since meetin’ you. That there Big Brothers, Big Sisters program is a genuine godsend. Chanice has said more than once she wished you was her real sister. She admires everythin’ about ya, and she especially loves those outfits of yours.”

Shalee pulled at the fabric of her $200 blouse, smiled and then directed her attention down the hallway. “Come on, Chanice! We need to get going! Do you have on the new dress I bought for you? It isn’t ladylike to be late, you know!”

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’ already! I got it on!” the ten-year-old yelled from the bedroom. “Mother threw up again. I’m almost done cleaning it up.”

Shalee looked around and shook her head. The house was a dump, along with the rest of the neighborhood which had been overrun by gangs. It was the kind of place she had worked hard to get out of.

Shalee’s family, a bunch of self-proclaimed rednecks, had become a statistic, a real-life tragedy. Only two of her seven brothers broke free from the dive they grew up in and made something of their lives. The rest of her siblings followed in their drunken father’s footsteps, shooting up and multiplying like rabbits. They made a bigger mess of things by adding more children to the world, and these innocent babies were growing up without proper role models.

Despite the obstacles put in front of her, Shalee had grown into a confident woman. She still lived in Austin, like the rest of her family, but had put her education to work. After graduating from the University of Texas with honors and began working on her Master’s in structural engineering. She had also landed a position with a prestigious architectural firm where she worked for the last three years. She had grown accustomed to her new life, and she was enjoying success.

Childhood poverty had taught Shalee to appreciate the finer things in life, right down to her exotic, leather, Jimmy Choo clutch. In spite of her eclectic taste for fashion, she never forgot where she came from. She often donated to local charities and sent her mother money on a regular basis—trying not to worry where she would gamble away the money.

Shalee opened the passenger door to her new, midnight-black Lexus with tan, leather