Hello all! 

OH! OH! Guess what?  If you’ll recall, I had the whole bed bug issue during July.  That mess has been cleaned up and our apartment has never looked better, and after pest control came, no new bites or signs of unwanted crawlies.  We’ve done some bed shopping, and today it finally arrived.  Yaaaaaay!!  A new Cal King is set up in our place.  I’m very excited to fall asleep tonight and not feel the hubby’s weight rolling me toward the middle of the bed.  Funny how the past two weeks, as I’ve been waiting for the new bed’s arrival, that little detail just seemed to POP and it was all I could feel when coming to bed was gravity pushing me toward him…. Anyway, the new bedspread and new curtains and new angle in which the bed is set up makes everything feel fresh and new and exciting!  And seeing a clean room feels GREAT. 

Moving on, I feel I owe you WIPpeteers an apology because I have not been good to read many of your WIpets.  That doesn’t sit well with me, and in truth, it’s why I am a little inconsistent with posting a WIPpet every Wednesday.  If I feel I am not able/willing/what-have-you to commit the time to reading your WIPpets, I feel it is improper for me to post one.  Which is why I am apologizing, because when I post and DON’T get around to the other WIPpets, it brings on the guilt wagon.

I hope you’ll forgive me. 

And to entice you, I have a little surprise. 

Meet Akira, my villain from ‘Spellbound!’

Akira!

Akira!

Ta-da!!  What do you think, huh? huh? huh?

For today’s WIP, I let the month help me choose what to give you guys.  I don’t have 27 chapters in my book to correspond with the day, so I went for month instead.  From chapter 8, I counted 27 paragraphs down, and that was a one-line piece of dialogue.  So, I counted 8 paragraphs above that, and this is what I present you with.  The scene is with the Defenders in Yoko’s POV, and she and her team mates are looking for their leader, James, who has gone missing.  

* * * *

Yoko shivered.

An ambush. . .   

What happened?

Shifting closer to Robert, Yoko watched him fiddle with his com unit.  

Not only was James not responding, but also, nor was Beta. 

That was highly unusual for Gordon’s trusty robot.  He was the Outpost’s informant, always there to respond at a moment’s notice.  Beta assisted Gordon in gathering data from the computers or addressing inquiries as well as tactical and geographical intelligence.  Beta’s silence was a first, which did not sit well with Yoko and Robert. The two of them exchanged worried expressions. 

Yoko pressed a button at the ear of her helmet, activating the communication link between com unit and the Outpost.  “Gordon, Beta nor James is responding.  What is your position?”

The Yellow and Gray Defenders waited for their commander to issue a reply, but static silence remained on the other end. Yoko could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise through the fabric of her uniform.

* * * *

For those who are reading who aren’t of the WIPpeteer clan, do forgive me.  I love that you are reading this! Thanks for stopping by my little space of internet clutter.  If you’ve got more time, stop on by to read some other Works In Progress with some fab authors of WIPpet Wednesday fun.  K.L. Schwengel hosts this weekly stew of words, and if you click on the link, you’ll see what tasty ingredients other authors add to this mix.

Happy reading all!