Songbird

Chapter 13 ~ Taken

The four men in the Pit continued to discuss their current situation and the new information that had just been presented to them.

"If we can find the girl, we're golden," said the second. "But how are we supposed to do that?"

"That boy will lead us to her," said the first, nodding after where Shane just ran out. "He's clearly in love with her, so we can count on him interacting with her at some point."

"He seems like an imbecile," said the second. "He wouldn't notice us following him, surely."

"We've never been able to track Songbird before," growled the first. "He's always managed to figure out he's being followed and then lost us. This may be our chance to find a link to Songbird through someone else."

Craton spoke. "We need to think this through before doing anything rash. I don't want to miss this opportunity."

"Of course," agreed the first. "We should send someone after that boy now, shouldn't we? It would be easier than trying to find him in the city later."

"Ty!" shouted the second, his voice filling the empty concrete room of the Pit. "Follow that man that just walked out! Tell me where he lives, where he eats, where he works. Go."

A man named Ty, who had been working on the metal barricades across the room, looked up and nodded. He dropped his things and ran out of the Pit.

"That works," said the first. "Ty is our best tracker."

"He couldn't figure out where Songbird lives..." mumbled the third.

Craton rounded on the third man. "Would you like to tail Songbird? Remember what happened to the last men who did so?"

"Y-yes – I mean – I didn't mean – I'm s-sorry," stammered the third nervously, his eyes darting away from Craton's stare.

"That's what I thought," said Craton in a rumbling voice. He straightened up. "So, now we wait on Ty?"

The second nodded. "By the end of this week at the latest, we'll be able to find the girl."

City enjoyed the rest of her week. It was rather uneventful, except now that she and Jace had cleared up their issues, he made her days much more enjoyable. After his work at the gym, he would stop by Indigo and talk to City for a while. Shane was always in the corners of the room, watching from a distance with jealousy in his eyes. City hadn't spoken to him all week, but she had noticed him eyeing Jace more than usual, as if he was waiting for something to happen.

But City tried blocking out the drama between her and Shane and Jace. Instead, she focused on her boyfriend. One night, she even went over to Jace's apartment for dinner with him and his two friends. Isaac and Devin gave Jace a hard time about not bringing City over sooner, but they were all laughing to tears by the end of the night.

Jace only had a few scheduled fights left, and after that, he promised City he would be done. City had been relieved to hear that. She wanted him to be done so he wouldn't get hurt anymore.

Saturday night arrived. Audrey and City were walking out of Indigo after their restaurant shift, both grateful they had gotten out early and didn't have to work the club that night.

"So Jace has one of his fights tonight?" asked Audrey, tucking her bright blue hair into her coat's hood as she bundled up against the cold.

"Yeah, it's one of his last ones," City replied, "but I'm still nervous. I don't want anything to happen, you know?"

"He'll be fine, City. He's almost done, anyway, and then he can focus on you," reassured Audrey.

"You're right..."