Sordman the Protector

In a world where a handful of people have honed extraordinary psionic abilities, Andrew Sordman stands among the few truly developed Talents. Clad in ornate robes and guided by a blend of disciplined training, drugs, and a deep‑rooted Zen‑Christian faith, he is called upon to confront a desperate situation: a teenage girl held captive on the eighty‑first floor of the massive Hotel Mark Twain. The towering complex, a self‑contained city of eighty‑five thousand residents, becomes the backdrop for a tense showdown that tests Sordman’s resolve and the limits of his powers.

Inside a crowded beer hall, fear ripples through the hostages and their captors alike, and Sordman must decide how far he will push his abilities without the usual chemical aid. Relying on his ability to sense emotions and on the calm he draws from prayer and the physical world, he attempts to defuse the panic while wrestling with his own doubts. The first act sets the stage for a gripping exploration of power, responsibility, and the thin line between protector and pawn.