His anger burned enough to momentarily disrupt his concentration, but he soon had the indefinite shadows back into view. He saw no further detail, but he could at least monitor their movements.
As Sam quieted his ears, the nature of the information he was receiving from the four dark shapes changed. It all seemed meaningless—garbled data missing the beginning or the key portion that could unlock the meaning of the message. But it was information and information meant intelligence.
Sam tried a different approach. He stopped trying to listen or view their thoughts as one would hear or read language. Instead, he attuned his senses to their hearts. These Nephloc had been well trained. They were masking their thoughts—or else someone was masking the thoughts for them. They could not, however, hide their feelings, their pure evil intent.
There was something else that Sam sensed… fear.
Sam whispered into Marcus’ ear, “They want confirmation Suteko is here and alone. They sense a trap.”
Suteko looked up at Marcus. He signed a message to her. She nodded and began singing, slowly and softly. It was a Japanese lullaby just loud enough to penetrate the door in front of her.
Mori no fukuro ga iimashita
Watashi wa mori no mihari yaku
Kowai okami, Kitsune nado
Kosasenai kara ne ne shina
Gorosuke ho ho Gorosuke Ho
Sam was enchanted by Suteko’s voice and the Japanese words, very few of which he understood. He knew it had something to do with an owl in the forest standing guard against terrible wolves and foxes. He knew the Nephloc were listening and were likewise interested in the sound. He just hoped they didn’t know about the owls watching and waiting for the foxes.
He began to see movement in the patterns and shapes on the map in his mind.
The Nephloc were responding to her voice. It was working.
Then, Sam’s muscles tightened. He could sense that they were counting down. Marcus and Ian looked to Sam as he held up five fingers and folded one for each second that passed.
He closed his fist.
A TEMPORAL TRUST
Book Two in the Temporal Series
Click here to view in Amazon
Thank you for reading.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed The Temporal. If you did, would you mind rating it at your favorite online bookstore? I’m sure you know ratings and reviews make a tremendous difference.
I would love to hear from you. If you have any opinions/advice/questions about The Temporal or would just like to chat, please don’t be shy.
—CJ Martin
March 2013
cj@KotobaInc.com
About the Author:
CJ Martin, originally from Florida, spent several years in Japan learning the language and soaking up the culture. Many of his stories draw from this experience.
The Tanaka series of short stories and novels explore one Japanese man’s desire to protect his family and end the cycle of violence prompted by a group of revenge-minded yakuza. Betrayal, murder, timeless friendship, and family secrets abound, delving deep into Tanaka’s past.
Tanaka, Sons of Redemption is due out Fall 2013.
The Temporal is a supernatural thriller about a group of people with special, almost super-hero abilities, and a dark group of creatures called the Nephloc. Book two of the Temporal series, A Temporal Trust, is available now.
Please visit http://www.CJMartinBooks.com for updates.
Please contact the author at cj@kotobainc.com or visit his blog at: http://cjmartinbooks.com
Your comments and questions are most welcome.
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A TEMPORAL TRUST
Book Two in the Temporal Series
Click here to view in Amazon
Table of Contents
THE TEMPORAL
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
PART II Kaileen
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Epilogue
About the Author: