The Chronicles of Protan (Book 1): The Shadowed Man

Chapter 28

“Have you received the signal,” Yung demanded, his tone frustrated as he walked amid the rest of technical support as they scrambled nervously at the cave’s end. Most equipment had been packed with the purpose to be moved, yet the portal vectors remained, and a single technician sat typing frantically on a terminal, while a few others reconnected and configured cables and connections as they argued amid each other under their breath.

“Oyabun, the point team has not checked in,” a supervisor said checking his radio. “Vectors are set but we still await connection.”

“You incompetent humans,” he hissed shoving a technician out of his seat. “Must I do everything myself!” He fiddled with the computer terminal unitl he lost his patience, slamming his hands to the desk and he rose to stand before the portal vectors.

Yung breathed as he gazed furiously ahead at the two vectors facing each other and the stone wall that ended the cave about ten metres back, a light hum emanating from them as the technicians properly configured the cabling. Yung raised his arms, the power starting to vibrate from the palms of his hand.

A shuffling came from behind him, and the rest turned to the sound. “They are here,” said the supervisor after a few moments. “Take your positions.”

They each moved with a calculated precision into an arced formation moving away from Yung to cover the area that had barriers to protect the portal generator. Yung continued to face the vectors, his hands open at his sides and eyes slowly shutting. As the humming emanated louder and consistently from the vectors, the technician slammed a key with his index finger, and said in a low tone: “It is ready. Signal being bounced.”

He rose gradually, eyes toward the darkness of the tunnel that led toward their position.

*

Protaneased his breathing, attempting to block out the imminent violence and death about to surround him. The darkness of the cave all but suffocated him as he crouched with the rest of the Alpha Team, Stone and the Japanese man trailing a distance behind as Elina nursed the man’s wounds.

He had kept his anxiety to himself on the previous occasion whenLayla demanded he followed her through the portal to Tokyo. There, he masked his fear of the probable violence as much as he could, yet his internal boundaries and conflicts clashed continuously that night; with all that had transpired until then, it was a matter of time before the fear surfaced. It was evident in his inability to follow through with sending Yakuza to the afterlife. It was a strange moment, as he believed with every breath in his body that he would react differently.It was something he still wrestled with in his mind, struggling to understand the unusual conflict he encountered within him.

Thus far, very little kept him from running. To make for the exit of the cave was a dominant thought that sat as an aching throb in his mind. He could see little to no reason to continue on.

Voices sounded faintly ahead, a language identical to that of the young man he and Stone had found. Protan knew then that they were once again close, and found his right hand beginning to shake vigorously. He used all of his mental ability to stay his calm, and as he shook off the quiver, he found the same anxious nerve rebounding and taking full effect in his head, causing an instant migraine; he threw the same hand to his head in an effort to ease it, massaging it away. He was thankful then that little could be seen by anyone else.

Then, he heard it.

The sound of the voice ahead. It was of the Earth Realm language he did not know, but it was unmistakable. The voice inflicted that sting of rage withinthat surfaces after a brief pause to gather oneself. He felt the sensation burn inside of his chest, and quickly dissipate into adrenalin that coursed through him; the feeling swam as a stream of flame within his blood.