Babylon a serial by Martin Slusser

JANISSARY PROJECT: Book VII. The saga of Benny Grey continues in the suburbs of Washington, DC. After  the story takes its twists and turns, we discover that "Sweet Bottom" has an unexpected surprise for Benny.

Babylon -- Part 1 JANISSARY PROJECT: Book VII - The Uohali Red Sun was in one of the worse parts of any city Benny ever saw. He thanked the woman, Downey, and ate a meal with her.

Fire Erupted - The side of Benny’s hand crushed the agent’s throat. Small gurgling sounds came from the agent. He gagged, his eyes wide in the light of his lamp. One hand on his collapsed throat, he reached for Benny. Benny stepped away from the groping hand. With a small grunt, the man went to his knees. Water splashed up, and Benny took the light from him. The agent slid down, eyes staring, his mouth forming words he would never utter.

Dog Crap - Benny came to a darker side of town, empty of life. Even the trash was old, overgrown with dwarfed kudzu and young trees. The insect shell of an ancient convertible had a forest of sweet gum rooted through its floor.

Deja-vou all over again - And here he was. He glanced at the top of the wall that surrounded Senator Griffin’s D.C. mansion and smiled at the addition of matte-black spikes.

The beauty of evil - He stalked her, making a feint to the left and Nina dived to the right, and then he was there, arms around her a loose band, warm on her back, gently stroking, teasing Nina. She sighed a moan and leaned into him.

We may not be too late - On the dew-wet grass by the poolside, McNary grunted. He strained against the belt. A security guard stumbled, yawning, around the pool. The man gaped at McNary.

A whip - At the rage smoldering in Griffin’s eyes, Benny took to heart the old saying, It’s better to be a live jackal than a dead wolf. It was one thing to go into the joy of a brawl and get the stuffing kicked out of you - you roll with the punches, baby - but totally another to come under the fists of an enraged father.

Dohi:yi, ayotli - Stiffening, Benny wanted to shout, I’m not a priest. I’m not even a man. No man runs out on a pregnant woman.

I have won - He tore down Route 22 and up the off-ramp. Smog-choked and ugly even at this distance, Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, lay sprawled in all her aging glory. Much of North Philly was eaten up first by the college, then by the estates of drug lords. The New Government took care of both, closing the colleges that spawned it and then burying the drug lords it no longer needed. More row houses were built during the first few years of the People’s Freedom, then everything slid into a new decay.