Sang's Freedom - The Song Of Ghosts

22:

Chapter 22

Owen Blackbourne's POV-

Kota's name flashed across my cellphone requesting access to stream a live video feed. I clicked the link.

Kota became visible.

He was in the woods, duct tape across his mouth, strung up by his boots attached to a tree branch.

He swayed, trying to scream voice commands to his cellphone through the tape. "Mmfile Ackorne! Ckorne! Ackorne!"

I shook my head. That's what he gets for attempting to tail a mercenary...

Another call rang through from Victor, and I ended Kota's feed to answer.

(The woods Kota appeared to be in looked like the land behind Nathan's. If Victor was still in the area, I'd send him after Kota).

"This is Mr. Blackbourne."

"Owen, this is Victor. We're with one of the mercenaries. He says Sang is a ghost bird. Nate and I have been attempting to pull information up on Sang, and everything we're finding indicates she is truly a ghost."

"She has no documentation?" That was a surprise. Miss Sorenson seemed to be full of those.

"None. Her birth certificate is foraged, which leads Nate and I to believe that Sang's mother might not actually be her biological mother."

I paused. "Did you say you're with one of the mercenaries?"

"Yes," Victor said. "He wants to know if we have any leads on the location of Sang's father."

"Ask him if he ran into Kota."

"What?"

"Ask him."

"Hey, Mr. Blackbourne is wondering if you've run into Kota."

"...Glasses? Could pass as a young Clark Kent?"

"That's him."

"I strung him up by his boots."

"What the fuck did you just say?" came Nathan. The car door slammed.

"Victor. Stop him. Kota's alive."

"Nate, Owen says Kota's alive. Calm down. Okay, he's getting back in the car."

"Good." I rubbed a hand down my face. This whole Ashley Waters mess was a lot more than I bargained for, but the amount of favors our team would gain would be enough to keep us out of debt for the rest of our lives. "Hand the phone to the mercenary."

"Are you sure?" asked Victor.

"Yeah, just do it, please."

"Mr. Blackbourne wants to talk to you." There was shuffling as the phone was handed off.

"Hello?" inquired a deep voice.

"Is this the man who's been shadowing Sang?"

"In a sense, yes."

"Elaborate."

"...No."

I growled. "At least give me contact information to your superior."

"You mistake my relationship with Eli."

"So, you don't work for Eli? Your partner said you did."

"Jakob says whatever suits him in the moment," he rumbled. "I do not. Do you have any information on Paul Sorenson, Mr. Blackbourne?"