Teaser Tuesday - Mystic Taxi

In this excerpt from Mystic Taxi, the villain finally makes his evil intentions known to his pawn.

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Max stood a little straighter. "I won't help you commit genocide."

The smile slid slowly from Jasper's face. "I'm afraid you have no choice."

Now the boy's over-sized head turned red, his brows furrowed in anger. "You can't make me do anything I don't want to do."

"You're mistaken, son." Jasper snapped his fingers and two large spawnsters, one with rat-like features and the other more lionesque with horns, entered the ballroom carrying two machines that looked like giant typewriters.

Max pointed at them, his finger shaking. "Those are my father's inventions! They're his D-Mail machines."

"Is that what they're called?" Jasper motioned the two men to set the machines down. "Fascinating. Your father has made some amazing creations."

The boy looked frightened, as well he should. "How do you know about my father's creations?"

"Because they're mine now." He turned to his goons, hands on hips, and demanded, "Report."

"The entire building is probably ash and rubble by now," the ratty spawnster said.

"And Vernon Paine?" Jasper asked.

Ratman shrugged. "Didn't see him come out. I assume he went down with his ship."

"No!" Max yelled, and lunged for Jasper, but the lionman grabbed him, picked him up, and slammed him into the reclined chair. Max was undeterred. "Where's my father. I demand to see him. Now!"

"He's dead," Jasper said, enjoying the taste of the word on his tongue. "And your grandmother is next on my list."

Max's eyes filled with tears, but he did well at holding them back. He even held his tongue. What could he say? His entire family was gone. Well, almost gone. Two down, one to go. Henry wasn't much longer for this world if Jasper had his way.