Mako (The Mako Saga: Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Danny—having been hammered with his father’s “I did this all for you” speech since childhood—stayed behind in Tampa for junior college and a gofer position with the family business. That decision would be short-lived as, a year later—having nowhere near the grades for pre-med and all but bombed out of the job—Danny packed a suitcase, filed his Pell grant application, and headed north to join his best friend in Tallahassee. Needless to say, the move thrilled Lee, who hadn’t yet found his way into any particular circle of friends.
    Following Danny’s arrival, the two wasted no time jettisoning their identities as “high-school boys” and adapting to life as “college guys.” Setting their majors and stacking their respective schedules with as many afternoon classes as possible (Lee in history, Danny in criminology) the duo spent their nights wandering the streets of the Floridian capital city, engaging in all the usual party-centric escapades that tend to define two single guys in their early college years.
    Still, despite the fact that clubs were generally the preferred hotspots for meeting members of the opposite sex, neither of them could ever really acquire a taste for the tiny, overcrowded spaces, thumping monotonous dance music, and horrendously overpriced drinks that were generally the trademarks of such places. Though on the weekend of their 21st birthdays—which coincidentally fell a mere three days apart—clubs were officially a thing of the past when the duo inadvertently happened upon a tiny basement dive bar just off of campus. Quaintly dubbed “The Pourhouse,” they loved its smoky laid-back atmosphere, quirky roadhouse personality, and rugged rock n’ roll charm; and thus, it soon became their watering hole of choice for nearly every occasion. First impressions aside, however, neither of them could’ve ever foreseen the number of memorable nights they’d spend there, perched on scarred wooden stools behind its aging, horseshoe-shaped bar, or, for that matter, what the place would eventually come to mean to them before their time in Tallahassee was finished.
    That summer, their clique of people was doubled when they’d met Hamish Lunley, an international business student from Scotland. He, in turn, introduced them to Lincoln Baxter (or “Link,” as he quickly became known), a pre-law student from Denver, Colorado; though it wasn’t until the arrival of Mac in that second year that the circle of friends who would become so close was finally complete.
    ****
    As the hands on his office clock ticked past 11, signifying the conclusion of his morning office hours, Lee snatched his car keys from the edge of the desk and threw the deadbolt on his office door to head out for an early lunch. His next class wasn’t for another two hours, which meant he had time to kill, and taking a casual stroll through the Collins history building’s main courtyard, his thoughts remained focused on what most would’ve described as the golden age of his life. Laughing softly to himself with the metaphor, he found it difficult to argue its validity. After all, given the way in which more recent years had unfolded, who was he to disagree?
    Spotting the Jeep’s silvery frame parked under the shade of a tall oak in the corner of the faculty lot, Lee climbed into the doorless driver’s seat and turned the key.
    “Screw this job,” he thought with a final scowl at his building, as the aging engine idled noisily beneath the hood. “Just get me to tonight.”
    ****
    “Did you receive my recommendations for tonight’s protocol changes?”
    “I did.”
    “And?”
    “And I have no intention of changing anything. The program is fine the way that it is.”
    “I respectfully disagree, Doctor. I made my thoughts on this very clear during yesterday’s briefing. I am adamantly opposed to the integration of a rescue op scenario into the simulation. We’ve spent nearly a year on this project, and I’m not