Written by Erica Rose Jackson I've been a little behind on these excerpt blog posts and I apologize for that. Fortunately, with this one for my newest release Magic City Murders, I'm all caught up. I hop you enjoy. String of Murders Shakes Up Bham By Arika Romano Over the past week with less than a month to go until from Christmas, three people have been brutally murdered in Birmingham, Alabama. This vigilante has been knocking their victims unconscious, stripping them of their clothes, and then slitting their wrists. Our killer has chosen a violent way for their victims to leave this world. Each of these victims (if you can call them that) were recently acquitted on charges of violent crimes within the justice system. In fact, our killer leaves behind a calling card to let us know when the injustice occurred. There have been three so far: Without any leads regarding which types of criminals this vigilante is after, there is no telling how many people will be slayed before this person is either caught or killed. So far acquitted victims Mason Scott, Samuel Young, and Anna Allen have been slain. If you have any information on this, nearly, serial murderer please share your knowledge with the police. We will keep you up-to-date with everything we learn as this story continues to develop. Stay safe, Birmingham. Arika finished her blurb on the vigilante killer and emailed it to her editor before she leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms behind her to realign her back. It only took a few minutes before Arika saw her editor waving her into her office. Arika sighed as she stood and made her way into Jackie’s space, closing the door behind her. “Do you want me to rewrite my blurb on the Birmingham vigilante serial killer?” Arika asked, starting the conversation. Jackie shook her head, “No, the story is great. I called you in here because I have an assignment for you, one that will take you right into the depths of this case…” She let her words linger to entice Arika’s interests, not that she needed it. Arika smiled, coyly, “Alright, you have my attention. What’s my assignment?” she inquired, genuinely interested. “I’ve made a few calls and gotten you in with the lead detective on the case,” Jackie began to explain, “He’s also a trained forensic psychologist so he should be able to give you great tidbits for upcoming stories. You’re to meet Detective Richard Riker at the precinct in one hour. You’ll be shadowing him until the case is solved which means excellent content to share with our readers. Do you have any questions?” She followed her explanation of Arika’s story with an open ended question. Arika took her turn to shake her head, “No ma’am, that sounds good to me. I’ll gather what I need from my desk and head over to the precinct to get started, unless there was anything else you think I need to know for this story…” Jackie dismissed her, allowing Arika to walk back to her desk and grab the essentials: a notebook, a recorder, a few pens, her phone, and her tablet before she left her office and made her way to the precinct where Detective Riker worked. Arika arrived at the precinct twenty minutes early and flashed her press credentials to the officer at the desk while explaining that she was supposed to be working exclusively with Detective Riker. The officer instructed Arika to take a seat and that Riker would be with her in a few minutes, at most. Arika did as she was told and sat down in one of the seats in the waiting area waiting to meet her. She had no idea what to expect as she tried to imagine what the detective would look like while comparing those images to each person who entered her line of sight. “Arika Romano?” her attention was diverted when she heard her name coming from a voice in the opposite direction from where she’d been observing everyone. The voice was deep and playful in a way that made her think he could be trouble. She turned in the direction of the voice and raised her hand, “I’m Arika Romano,” she confirmed as she took in the sight of the man who matched the voice. Arika found herself in the presence of a tall and in incredibly good shape gentleman with piercing blue eyes and thick, brown hair, checkered with salt and pepper in a very prestigious and mature way. He also had a full beard and mustache. Everything about him was perfect in her eyes. Detective Richard Riker was dangerously her type. She was distracted by him, instantly because of her attraction to this man she’d never met. She attempted to shake off her feelings as she stood to greet him with her hand outstretched. “I’m Arika Romano,” she began, “I assume you’re Detective Riker?” The attractive man nodded, “That I am, but you can call me Riker, everyone else does,” he introduced himself as he took her tiny hand in his own large one. Even the smallest connection of their handshake sent shivers down her spine along with chills throughout her entire body. “It’s nice to meet you,” she finally said, breaking the silence that had developed between them, “I’m just here to shadow you. Please, continue with your work as if I’m not even here.” A sly grin crossed Riker’s lips as he replied with a flirty tone dancing in his voice,“That’s going to be hard to do when you look the way you do, but I’ll do my best.” He changed the subject as he continued, gesturing for her to follow him, “Based on the previous kills, we have around twenty-four hours until the next victim falls,” he shared as they entered the main room where he’d clearly been working this case with his colleagues late into the night, possibly nights before. Arika took a seat at one of the empty desks in the room and began to pull out what she’d need to take notes and begin working on her story. Riker joined her side again, quickly, after updating the others on her presence in their work area. “What have you gathered from these killings so far?” he asked, genuinely wanting her opinion on the matter since he and his team were currently grasping at straws, though he’d hate to admit to that fact. Arika pushed away her notes as she turned to face him, wishing at the same moment that his eyes didn’t draw her in so easily. “All I’ve been able to gather so far is that this killer is acting as a vigilante since their calling cards share the date that the victims were acquitted by a jury. That’s all I’ve been able to gather so far. From what I’ve researched, there’s no connection between the dates left behind and there’s no specific crime our killer is punishing these people for,” she explained. “That’s very good,” Riker commented after she finished her initial evaluation of the cases, “You’ve figured out more than most of my team in half the time. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about having a journalist tag along, but maybe they sent me their best. We’re about to wrap up for the day. You should go home. Leave your cell number and I’ll call you if any developments arise,” he offered as he half sat/half leaned against the corner of the desk where she’d set up her things. Arika nodded as she wrote down her cell number and replied, “That sounds good to me. Don’t hesitate to call me back in,” she shared. “I want to get everything I can on this story which means I need to see everything I can, even if that includes new victims,” she added, causing him to nod as he took her number and she started her journey home where she hoped her roomate and best friend would be waiting for her.
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Written by Erica Rose Jackson
“Babe, is our trip finalized?” Darcy Robertson asked her husband as she zipped up her suitcase after adding the last items they’d need for their next ghost hunting adventure. She made sure they had salt, crucifixes, holy water, a rosary, and a Bible. Bill glanced up from his desk with a nod, “Yes, my love, it is. I’ve got our long weekend planned down to the minute including some romantic rendezvous,” he added with a seductive wink. She let out a small giggle, “Have we been married for so long that we need to plan out our romantic time?” she joked in response to his comment. He stood and sauntered toward her until he could wrap his arms around her waist, placing soft kisses along her neck before replying, “I certainly hope not,” he clarified, “I merely meant that I made sure to include some events that weren’t related to our ghost hunting podcast, if that’s alright with you?” he inquired as he placed his lips to hers. She pulled away from his assault, “Of course that’s alright with me. I was only teasing,” she added with a smile as she ran her hands into the short, white, curls on the back of his neck, “Are you ready to hit the road or did you have something else in mind?” she whispered as she moved her lips next to his ear, sending a shiver down her own spine. Bill let out a sigh before he responded, his smooth, velvet voice affecting her just as much as it had on the day they met, “My dear, I wish we had more time. But, alas, we need to hit the road. We’ll have plenty of time for what’s on your mind once we reach Charleston,” he added in a whisper, sending a second set of chills down through her body. “I’ll be holding you to that, Mr. Robertson,” Darcy stated as she pulled herself from his grasp. They packed up their SUV and started their drive from Nashville to Charleston while Darcy’s mind wandered back to the first time she’d met her husband and soulmate. Three Years Earlier… Darcy Carazza parked her rental car just outside Lafayette Square Park in Washington, D.C. for a ghost tour, her fourth city since she’d started her research on the paranormal and supernatural. She walked to the group and, naturally, took in each of the people who’d be going on this adventure with her. One person, in particular, caught her eye. Darcy noticed an older gentleman among the others donned in a dark sweater paired with black dress pants. He had well-kept blonde/white hair and blue eyes that she imagined could pierce anyone’s soul if they dared to stare into them for long enough. She, suddenly, wished she’d chosen a cuter outfit then the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing as she noticed the man’s eyes scan the crowd and land on her. Darcy took a deep breath as she saw the stranger approaching her. Once he was standing right beside her, just as the tour began, he introduced himself, “I’m Bill Robertson,” he shared, “I’m behind the podcast ‘Ghost Tours: Fact or Fiction’. What’s your name, beautiful?” he questioned, his tone flirtatious causing her to smile to herself. The pair started walking with the rest of the tour group as she answered, “I’m Darcy Carazza,” she introduced herself, “And, I don’t run a podcast, but I’d like to. My only reason to be here is to continue my research on different haunted cities to find out if any of this supernatural stuff is real,” she explained. Bill reached out and placed his hand on the small of her back, “Would you like to grab dinner with me when this is over? We can go over our findings or just get to know each other better, your choice,” he propositioned her for a date as the tour guide rambled on about different spirits that supposedly haunted the park. Darcy couldn’t suppress her smile as she felt her cheeks blush from even the smallest physical contact, “I would like that very much,” she replied before she placed her finger to her lips and continued, “But, we should probably pay attention until then.” Written by Erica Rose Jackson (Previously in the ‘Super Friends’ Series)
Chapter 12 Six Months Later Reid and Barton were out on an assignment while Rose and Jay welcomed two more potential heroes into Brentwood Labs. Jay’s friend Bruce Osborn had recently married a younger woman, Remington Doyle, and they seemed like a good fit for his newest chemical compounds. “Thanks for coming, guys,” Jay greeted the couple as they were escorted into the lab. The two couples exchanged hugs and pleasantries before getting to the business side of their visit. “So Jay,” Osborn began, “What is this proposition you have for myself and Remington?” Rose jumped in with the answer, “Bruce, I’m not sure if you know this or not, but Jay was Omega.” The surprise on Bruce’s face gave her her answer. She continued, “When he wasn’t able to continue being a superhero, he began creating chemical compounds to give new people the abilities they’d need to keep this city safe. I’m Resilience,” she revealed, “My friend Reid is Disturbance and her boyfriend is Archer. Would you two be interested in joining our rag-tag team of super friends?” Remington answered first, “I’m definitely interested. What kind of powers are available?” She looked at her husband, placing her hand comfortingly on his lower back, “Doesn’t this sound like fun?” Bruce shrugged, “I’m not sure yet, doll. What are the superpowers we have to choose from? Or, will we have the same power?” Jay replied, “I have two options,” he began as he gestured to the flasks beside him, “The green one gives the power of super strength and super speed. Whoever drinks this one, though, will experience a Jekyll and Hyde type of situation. The powers will only work during one of the two personalities.” He pointed to the clear liquid, “This one gives the ability to pause time. You two can choose either one. I’ll give you a moment to choose.” After a few minutes of silence as Remington and Bruce whispered to each other, the couple had their decision. “I’ll take the green one,” Bruce announced to get Jay and Rose’s attention, “Being a hero seems like a great thing, but I don’t want to put Remington through some of those side effects you mentioned.” Jay nodded, “That sounds wonderful,” he answered with a smile as he picked up the flasks handed the one with the green liquid to Osborn and the one with the clear mixture to Remington. The couple each drank the contents of their individual flasks before they passed them back to Jay. “How long does it take to know?” Remington asked as she suppressed a gag from the flavor. Jay replied, “The longest possibility is twenty-four hours, but you should notice a difference before the night is over. Do either of you have any questions? I’d like you both to come back here tomorrow around this time so I can run a few tests.” “We can do that,” Bruce replied as he took his wife’s hand, tenderly, “We’ll see you tomorrow.” With that Remington and Bruce heeded home to wait and see if they had superpowers. Chapter 1 Backtracking Two Months before the end of Disturbance… “Who was that on the phone, baby?” Remington asked as her husband placed his cell phone back onto the island in their kitchen. Bruce glanced up from his freshly poured glass of scotch, “It was an old friend of mine, Jay Allen. He’s a fellow scientist but he opened his own lab here in town. He has a proposal for the two of us,” he began to share the details of his short call, running his hand through his thick, auburn hair. She jumped off the barstool she’d been sitting on and moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, “What kind of proposal Mr. Osborn?” she inquired. Bruce rarely spoke about his days working in science so she wasn’t surprised she hadn’t heard of this Jay Allen before. “He wanted to know if we’d like to become heroes,” he answered her inquiry, “But, that’s all he said. I’m not sure what his request entails or how serious he was about it. Jay would like us to meet him at his lab in two months so he and his wife, Rose, can explain things in more depth and we can make our decision. I’m not sure what to think,” he added, expressing his confusion over the entire interaction. Osborn’s emotions were always visible in his eyes if you knew what to look for. Remington moved around to face him before she placed a tender kiss to his lips, “What do you want to do? It can’t hurt to go hear them out, can it?” He rested his forehead against hers as he replied, “I suppose not if that’s what you’d like to do. I’m happy with whatever decision you think is best,” he shared with a soft smile. Remington leaned back, away from his touch, as she pulled her dirty blonde locks into a high ponytail before she responded, “I think we should see what it’s all about.” Osborn lifted her onto the island and moved between her legs before he whispered, “Then, that’s what we’ll do,” he agreed and then took her lips with his own in a passionate kiss. At the end of Disturbance… Remington and Bruce went back to their home after drinking the vials of liquid at Brentwood Labs to wait and see if anything was going to happen. “I’ve got a steak and some burgers in the fridge,” she began as they settled in their kitchen, “Do you have any preference on dinner?” Osborn started to shake his head but replied instead, “Let’s do the steak. I’ll get the grill going,” he stated as he exited the room to their deck to start their grill. She placed the meat into a casserole dish and added seasoning and marinade to it, getting it ready to cook. Bruce walked back in and gestured for her to hand him the dish. As she passed it to him, his grip wavered and their dinner began to fall towards the ground. Remington blinked as she thought about stopping it midair. When she opened her eyes, she saw her husband frozen in place and their dinner in midair. She moved and placed it back into the dish before blinking again, hoping to undo what she’d done. “That was a close one,” Osborn replied as he looked at the dinner safely on the island and not spilled on the floor where it was headed, “How did that happen?” he inquired, curiosity lining his tone. Remington shook her head, “I’m really not sure. I closed my eyes and wished the food wouldn’t hit the ground and when I opened you and everything else was frozen. Maybe you should try and test out your new super strength/speed,” she suggested. “I’m not even sure how to test it,” he responded as he marveled at her new ability. She smiled, proudly, “Maybe, you have to think about it like I did,” she encouraged him, her smile spreading to her eyes. Bruce closed his eyes and thought about being strong enough to lift their car before he walked out to the driveway and attempted his own wish. Remington followed him and squealed with glee as she watched him lift their car from the driveway. “It worked!” she stated with a triumphant giggle, “Should we tell them now or wait until tomorrow?” Osborn shook his head as he moved toward her with a look in his eyes she’d never seen before. He lifted her with ease and carried her to their bedroom, tossing her onto their bed. “I think the news can wait until tomorrow,” he stated with a mischievous grin crossing his lips as he moved on top of her. 6 Months after Disturbance… Rose walked into Brentwood Labs to find her husband, Jay, hard at work on one of his many experiments. “Hey Omega,” she used his old hero name to grab his attention, “Do you have a minute to spare for your wife?” Jay looked up, wearing a warm smile, “I suppose I should have warned you about how lonely the life of a scientist’s wife could be. What’s on your mind?” he asked as she turned his attention to his wife. Rose smiled as she reached him and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I knew what I was signing up for. I just had some news that I thought you might be interested in,” she teased the purpose of her visit as she looked into his eyes. “And, what’s that?” he inquired, his smile causing his crows feet to shine. She leaned in and placed her lips to his, before releasing him and replying, “Well, I thought you’d like to know that we’re pregnant,” she announced. Jay’s face gave away his shock, “Are you sure?” Rose pulled out a test from her back pocket and shared it, “I’m pretty sure.” “This is fantastic!” he exclaimed as he resumed the kiss she’d teased moments earlier. Written by Erica Rose Jackson One year after the epilogue in Resilience Rose walked back into Brentwood Labs after another successful mission to find her husband, Jay, tinkering with a chemical compound she’d never seen before. “Hey babe,” she announced her presence, “What are you working on?” she inquired, genuinely curious. She wanted to wrap her arms around him from behind but she resisted, afraid she’d mess up his experiment, or cause him to spill it. He glanced up from his work, adjusting his glasses, “I trust your mission went off without any incidents?” She laughed, “Yes, I got the bad guys and no one got hurt. Now, what is that?” she repeated her question while pointing at the vial of purple liquid in front of Jay. “I’ve begun to think that it may be beneficial to have a team of heroes with different abilities. This is, hopefully, a serum designed to give someone the skill to control the weather. Any chance you have a friend brave enough to try it out?” he asked, knowing all of his friends were probably too old to join a super team. Rose leaned back against the table as she thought over her husband’s request. After a few minutes of silence, she answered, “I’m not sure I have enough friends to help you create an entire team of super friends but I can think of one who might be game for this. Her name’s Reid Monroe and she lives here in Nashville. Do you want me to ask her out to dinner and see if she’d like to come become a science experiment?” she teased a bit at the end, earning a smirk from Jay. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like that very much,” he replied before he added, “Wouldn’t you like to have some backup out there?” Rose nodded, “Of course, I would. And, you know that I wish it could be you but I understand why it can’t be.” She pulled out her phone, “I’ll shoot her a text and ask her if she wants to have dinner with me tonight at The Stillery, as long as you can spare me for a night,” she teased him again, knowing he’d be too wrapped up in his work to join her for dinner. “You know I’d rather spend the evening with you, but I have a lot of work to do here at the lab,” he responded, hoping she wouldn’t be too hurt by his explanation. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I was just playing with you, my love, though it might make sense to put up our Christmas tree here since it’s where we spend most of our time. You know, it’s only three weeks away,” she leaned in and stole a quick kiss. “I’ll see you at home later, deal?” “That sounds wonderful,” he whispered before he stole a kiss, before he added, “Be safe out there, Resilience.” She gave him a wink, “I always am.” Reid Monroe was sitting at her desk when she got the text from Rose inviting her to dinner. She sent back an enthusiastic ‘yes’ before she returned her focus to her work. Once her day ended, she headed straight to The Stillery where she found Rose waiting for her in the parking lot. The women greeted each other with a warm embrace before they went inside and got a table. “How have you been?” Reid asked after they ordered their drinks, “I haven’t heard from you much since you met Jay.” Rose smiled, “I’ve been good. Sorry I’ve been pretty MIA for the past three years, but that’s actually part of the reason I asked you to dinner tonight. How’s everything been in your neck of the woods? Any romance news?” Rose suddenly realized how long it had been since she’d shared girl talk with anyone. Reid shook her head, “No, I’ve been so busy with work that I’ve had zero time to devote to my personal life. I’m curious about how your relationship with Jay has something to do with our dinner though, spill,” she added, almost ordering while looking Rose straight in the eyes. “Well, I was hoping we would catch up more before I revealed my ulterior motives but it’s not looking like that’s going to be possible,” Rose paused when their waitress returned to take their orders. Once the waitress walked away, Rose continued, “Here’s the thing, I’m Resilience,” she revealed her superhero identity causing Reid’s jaw to drop. Reid took a moment to gather herself before she replied, “You’re a hero with super strength? How?” “My boss asked me to steal something from Brentwood Labs and I spilled some on myself,” Rose began to explain, “That’s how I got powers. Jay is working on something new and he asked me if I knew anyone who might be interested. You’re the first person who crossed my mind. So, would you like to have the power to control the weather?” she asked, still wishing they’d spent more time on small talk before getting into her motivation behind their dinner. “What?” was all Reid could muster, “I’m sorry but this is a LOT to take in. Why do you think I’d want to become a superhero? I just explained how busy my life is with only my work calculated into the equation.” Rose could tell she’d really overwhelmed her friend. “Listen,” Rose started, “you’re right, this is a lot. Why don’t we just enjoy our night and you can sleep on my offer and get back to me tomorrow? You don’t have to do it, but I really think you’d find my work extremely fulfilling and I know you’d be good,” she said her last words on the matter and the two women moved back to general conversation until they parted ways at the end of the night. Reid crashed onto her bed once she got back from dinner, her mind racing over the prospect of becoming a superhero like her friend, which she’d just learned about. Written by Erica Rose Jackson Here is an an excerpt from part one of my superhero trilogy. I truly hope you enjoy it. Rose Carano was a Private Investigator for a large law firm in Nashville, TN. She worked directly under Benjamin Walters, one of the firm’s named partners. Rose could tell Mr. Walters had bigger dreams for himself then being a lawyer, but she wasn’t quite sure what those dreams entailed. “Rose, can you come here for a moment?” she heard Benjamin’s familiar voice calling her from inside of his office. She stood from her desk and walked through his door, taking a seat across from him, “What can I do for you, boss?” she asked. Benjamin Walters was an attractive man and he’d made his interest in her known, on more than one occasion, but she wasn’t attracted to him, no matter how many advances he made. She shook off her thoughts as she focused on what he was explaining. “I’ve finally discovered the secret identity of Onyx,” he began, “His name is Dr. Jay Bristow and he is the head researcher at Brentwood Laboratories. I need you to go there and steal some of the compound he’s created to give himself super strength,” he finished, his eyes twinkling with delight like a child on Christmas morning. She nodded, “I’m on it and I’m assuming you’d like me to do this tonight?” she questioned, though she already knew the answer. His lips curled into a large smile, “You know me so well. I’d like you to have the sample for me by tomorrow morning.” “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Rose replied as she stood from her seat and left the office to make her trip over to Brentwood Labs. Rose drove to the lab and waited until night fell before she made her way inside. She picked the lock, with ease, and slipped inside starting her search for the chemical compound her boss was after. She walked through the long halls until she stumbled on a room filled with different vials and test tubes containing God knows what. She entered the room and started looking for something labeled ‘super strength’, as if it would be that easy. Rose didn’t see anything with the obvious label she’d hoped for, but she did come across a batch with a note for Dr. Bristow only. She grabbed one vial and stuffed it into the hidden compartment inside her wallet before she started to leave and slipped on another substance, taking the tray of Dr. Bristow’s concoction down with her. She felt liquid spilling over her body as the room around her faded to black. When she came to, Rose was greeted by the sight of an older man watching over her. He had dark grey hair, well kept, and glasses covering his blueish grey eyes. She noticed his full lips but, also noted, how perfectly they fit his face. He was wearing a hunter green button down and she found him immensely attractive. She shook those thoughts away as she realized she’d been caught and took a deep breath to try and create a story that didn’t lead back to Benjamin Walters. The man noticed she was awake, “Welcome back,” he greeted her, warmly, “I’m Dr. Jay Bristow and I’d very much like to know what you were doing in my lab,” he questioned her without even asking, but demanding. He went on to add, “You suffered a nasty concussion from your fall so I hope it was worth it.” Rose tried to sit up but he gestured for her to continue laying back. She took a deep breath, “I’m an investigative reporter,” she began her lie, “And, I’ve been looking into the secret identity of Onyx. My leads brought me here. I was looking for you,” she pretended to confess as she started to feel the pain in her head throbbing. Dr. Bristow laughed to himself as he responded, “I’m an old man so I’m hardly the hero saving people around Nashville. If you’re feeling up to it, you may leave,” he shared to her surprise. “You’re not going to turn me into the police?” Rose asked as she sat up to gather her things. Dr. Bristow shook his head, “I have much more important things to deal with than a trespasser. I’m assuming you can find your way out,” he added, with a hint of snark. She nodded as she left the lab and raced back to work to drop off the hidden vial before she headed home for the night. |
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