Excerpt – High Child by J. T. Bishop @jtbishopauthor #paranormal #suspense
Publisher: J. T. Bishop; 1 edition
Series: Red-Line, Book 5
Paperback: 383 pages
September 21, 2017, $14.95
Genre: Paranormal Suspense
Synopsis
Gifted with unique abilities, Royce Fletcher struggled to find his place in the world. Living a solitary life in the woods, he finds his quiet existence disrupted by unexpected visitors. Visitors he would prefer to avoid.
Despite his attempts to protect himself, Royce finds himself caught up in an unexpected romance, a local murder investigation, and a destiny he has little interest in pursuing.
The more he tries to pull away, the more drawn in he becomes until he must face the demons that refuse to go away. Demons that risk more than just his life, but all that he holds dear.
Excerpt
“So when should we introduce ourselves?” asked Sarna. She sat in the passenger seat of the car.
Jasper stared out the window of the driver’s side door toward the driveway of the house. They could see little. It was night and the house sat farther back into the woods. The only reason they could see anything was because the moon and the front porch light partially illuminated the home. They’d been there an hour, parked across the road, but had seen no movement.
“Soon,” said Jasper.
“How soon?”
Jasper sighed. “We can’t just barge in there.”
“Why not?” she asked. “Why are we waiting so long?”
Jasper threw a hand up. “You know why. This may take a while. We needed to acclimate anyway. Get comfortable here. Plus, it helps to watch. Study the area and him. It will help once we make contact.”
Sarna shook her head. “We’ve acclimated enough.” She rested her elbow on the car door. The window was open and the breeze blew her hair. “You’re stalling.”
His head whipped toward her. “I’m not stalling.”
“Yes. You are. You’re nervous about meeting him, aren’t you?”
He started to speak, but hesitated.
“He’s no different than you. He’s not better than you either.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
“You didn’t have to.” When Jasper didn’t reply, she asked, “What’s holding you back?”
Jasper shrugged. “I’m not sure what we’re going to say to him…what to tell him.”
A squirrel ran across the dark driveway. Sarna tapped her fingers on the window frame. “I’d say let’s start with the truth.”
Jasper started the car and took a deep breath. “I doubt he’ll believe us.”
Sarna rested her head back. “Why wouldn’t he? He’s half-human. His father is from another planet. He has unusual abilities that no one else has. I’d say he’ll be more open to us than you think. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he expected us.”
“Maybe…” Jasper ran his hand through his hair. “But he won’t know whether to trust us.”
“He can sense us just as we can sense him. He’ll know.”
Jasper raised a hand. “So we tell him everything? Right up front?”
“Wasn’t that the plan?”
Jasper stared through the windshield. “I’m having second thoughts.”
“Then let’s play it by ear,” she said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Jasper pointed a finger at her. “You let me take the lead, okay?”
Sarna widened her eyes. “What do you mean? You think I can’t handle myself?”
Jasper raised an eyebrow. “I know you can’t handle yourself. Especially after that scene at the store.”
“That guy threatened us. He deserved it.”
“He was no threat to us and you know it. You just didn’t like him.”
“No. I didn’t. Or that crazy woman that was with him. This planet has some unstable people.”
Jasper huffed. “Like ours doesn’t? Why do you think we’re here?”
Sarna didn’t answer but looked out across the dark road. “You ready to go?” she asked. “Seen enough?”
Jasper put his hand on the wheel. “Yes. I’ve seen enough.”
“Tomorrow then,” she said. “We’ll talk to him.” She shifted in her seat. “And then we get the hell out of here and go home.”
Jasper gripped the steering wheel. “Okay. Tomorrow.” He put the car in drive. “And hopefully when we leave, he’ll be with us.”
About the Author
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, J. T. Bishop began writing in 2012. Inspired by a video that theorized the meaning of the end of the Mayan calendar, J. T. began the Red-Line trilogy. The video surmised that the earth was the central hub of activity for extraterrestrials thousands of years ago. J.T. didn’t know whether that was true or not, but it did spawn an idea. What if those extraterrestrials were still here? Two years and a lot of work later, the first three Red-Line books were complete, but she’s not done. The Red-Line saga develops as she continues to write new books.
