Darkness Rising

PHOENIX Files. From the city streets to City Hall, from the "All American City" of Fayetteville to the "City of Oaks", (Raleigh), North Carolina is rife with crime and corruption. Law enforcement, understaffed and overextended, do their best to stem the growth of violence and vice. But when they find themselves unable to break the case, they turn to a shadowy enterprise that utilizes the unique talents of the most gifted citizens among us: PHOENIX. The organization was founded in 1972 by Lt. J.T. "Phoenix" Pierce, a veteran of the Vietnam war and a proponent of the use of powers such as telekinesis, shape-shifting, and sorcery for the good of the people. A Witness to Wrongdoing City council secretary Lalah Norris is propelled into the center of a scandal. Born of two African American parents with the panthera trait, Lalah's a no-nonsense woman who, when she finds out about the money laundering ways of the city's assistant manager Dell Christopher, will risk her job to see him pay for his crimes. Little does she know, the loss of her job will be the least of her worries. Kidnapped Twice in One Night When she refuses to be intimidated by Dell's thug, she's kidnapped and locked away. Rescue comes in the form of a mysterious Chinese man, Junjie Yu, but Lalah finds herself being taken against her will for a second time. When the night is over, she's forced to join PHOENIX, a covert organization that assists law enforcement on the Federal, state and local level through the use of shifters, sorcerers, and all manner of 'gifted individuals.' But which will be more dangerous: her new role in the secret organization, or her burning attraction to Junjie? A Beautiful Stranger When Junjie bursts in to rescue Lalah, he's just doing his job. But as soon as he lays eyes on her, he knows their association will be far deeper. She's headstrong, stubborn, and determined, but oh so beautiful. Can he guide her through her first mission safely, and will she land in his arms when it's all said and done?