Back again after a quiet month, and with new Jasper content for Weekend Writing Warriors.  This picks up immediately after this scene with Dex and Lilith in the abandoned park.

It’s simple and fun. Sign the linky list with your name, blog url and email address on Mondays, 8:00 AM EST. Each week, the list remains open until Saturday, 11:59 PM. Then on Sunday, post 8 sentences from a current writing project, published or unpublished. Visit other participants and offer opinions, critiques, support. Writers hanging out with writers, a good time with a great group of people.

Previously, Dex confided in his wife all of the doubts that he had about his new promotion and the case assigned to him.  Mayor Calvin is playing a game with him, he feels, and it wasn’t likely to end well.

“What am I going to do now, Lil?  No matter what, I’m not safe.  And neither are you or Natalie.”

Lilith swung backward, thinking for a moment.  The corroded chain squeaked as she moved.  “The way I see it,” she finally said, “If you’re in danger either way, you might as well do whatever serves your conscience better.  Which option does that for you?”

“I was hoping for an option that saved my life.  I’m no good to anyone dead.”

I’ll continue this scene next week.

This Weekend Writing Warriors excerpt comes from Jasper City, about an outlaw bent on revenge and the captain appointed to stop him.

Earlier excerpts revealed a more than casual connection between Cynthia Madden and the outlaw Edward Jasper.  What happened when the two of them met?  Cynthia was full of questions, and Edward had a story to tell.  This is part of it:

(First line is spoken by Edward.)

“[Mayor Jasper] didn’t want me dead. He just wanted to make me into an outcast.” 
“It would have been easier to kill you,” Cynthia said without thinking. “But I’m not saying that he should’ve done it.” 
“I know what you meant. Still, it would have been difficult for him.” 
“And why is that?” 
“Would you be able to kill your own brother?”

This is another excerpt from Jasper City, about an outlaw seeking revenge against his brother and the man appointed to stop him.

Last week’s excerpt mentioned photographic evidence that Cynthia was in league with Citizen 71/Edward.  Turns out that Dex previously received these photographs courtesy of an informant.  Significant snipping was required here:

This excerpt is from Jasper City, about an outlaw seeking revenge against the Mayor who overthrew him and the Captain of the Guard sent to stop him.

In previous excerpts I’ve alluded to a relationship between Dex, Captain of the Guard (his title in earlier drafts was General.  That has changed.) and Richard Madden’s daughter Cynthia.  Cynthia’s escape from the Guard following the bombing of the Madden residence, and her future involvement with outlaw Edward Jasper/Citizen 71, further complicates relations between the two of them.  But what happens when the two of them are reunited?

“You think too little of me,” he told her as he [handcuffed her.]  “We broke up, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have cared whether you were hurt.  I worried for days for your sake.  I made it a priority to find you.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered not only that you were with Citizen 71, but romantically involved with him.”

“You can’t know that.”

“What, you don’t think we have eyes around the city?  I’ve seen pictures of you two.”

This comes from Jasper City. Tag line: An outlaw seeks revenge against a city’s tyrant Mayor, while the man appointed to stop him begins to doubt the merits of his cause.

Throughout the story, Edward is often referred to as Citizen 71.  But why is he considered an outlaw?  This excerpt explains it:

The Mayor handed Dex a file, which he opened. Dex was greeted by the mug shot of former Mayor Edward Jasper and a list of charges: 

• Multiple counts of murder, including his wife Michelle Jasper, children Julie and Thomas Jasper, and several Generals over the past six years; 
• Three counts of kidnapping in the abductions of street children known as “Philip,” “Timmy,” and “Dot;” 
• Several counts of arson and vandalism; 
• Two recently added charges of arson in the bombing of Officer B-39’s home and the kidnapping of his daughter Cynthia Madden. 

Upon reading the final charges, Dex’s blood ran cold. 

“You can see why I needed to recruit someone immediately,” Mayor Calvin said.

This comes from Jasper City.  Tag line:  An outlaw seeks revenge against a city’s tyrant Mayor, while the man appointed to stop him begins to doubt the merits of his cause.

This comes from Jasper City.  Tag line:  An outlaw seeks revenge against a city’s tyrant Mayor, while the man appointed to stop him begins to doubt the merits of his cause.

I’m introducing some new characters today:  Thomas Quinn or Citizen C-214 works as an informant for Dex, collecting information regarding Citizen 71 without alerting the Mayor.  Mary is one of his sources.

Mary began with a disclaimer:  “I don’t know how much of this you’ll be able to use.  But it could be big.”

“Talk to me,” Thomas said, patting the seat next to him.

Mary claimed her seat.  “B-39 had an argument with Mayor Jasper before the bombing, and it was heated enough that the Mayor sent him home.”

“What was it about?”

“The new General,” she said.  “B-39 didn’t think McMahon was a a good choice.”