Death Row {GB&SB} {O.H}

Chapter 6 - "The Missing Piece"

Chapter 6
"The Missing Piece"
Lucian Taylor

I was in a state of shock. From the moment my eyes landed on her to when I got back to Kota's. Never would I have imagined that I would find a gorgeous, tiny girl hiding in Sorenson's attic space.

I didn't why or how she ended up there, but I was for sure going to find out. I felt bad completely ignoring her plea to forget about her, but the truth was, I couldn't forget. Even right now, I was daydreaming about those beautiful, haunted green eyes of hers.

Snapping back into reality, I entered Kota's house through the back door and headed into the living room. Kota, Nathan, and Axel were waiting for me.

Axel nodded when he saw me. "Good, I was hoping you wouldn't be stuck in there all day."

"So?" Nathan asked, eyebrows raised. "What did you find in there? What's Sorenson hiding?"

"You'll never believe me," I shook my head.

"Luke, what's wrong?" Kota demanded.

"I found a girl hiding inside the attic," I said, waiting for their reactions.

Axel's face blanked out, Kota's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and Nathan's jaw went slack.

"Yeah, those were pretty much all my reactions at once when I saw her in there," I nodded.

"What the hell? How...?" Nathan spluttered.

"I have no idea, but before I tell you the rest, I think the others should be here too," I told him.

"Yeah, we should get back and report what we found," Axel agreed.

With that said, we all got in the car and drove back to my house.

The other ten were making calls, looking through files, and on the computers. Just wait until I drop this bombshell on all of them.

Mr. Blackbourne noticed us first. "Did Mr. Sorenson arrive back at the house?"

Kota nodded. "We were able to get out in time. Well, everyone except Luke."

Everyone's eyes turned to me.

"I found something. Actually, someone," I stated. "We looked behind the bookshelf Axel noticed and found an attic space. When I went inside, I found a teenage girl hiding."

All chaos broke loose. North started shouting, Gabriel cursed out a storm while Raven did in Russian (I think), Mr. Blackbourne was yelling for silence, and everyone else was in their own versions of shock and confusion.

"ENOUGH!" Mr. B screamed. All ten of them finally settled down and sat back in their seats. "Mr. Taylor Senior, please continue."

I cleared my throat. "Right after I found her, Sorenson and his daughter got home. I told Axel to go and I stayed with her. We waited in the attic for a while until she led me out. We stopped at Marie's bedroom and I think she was listening to see if she was okay. Then before we went downstairs, she whispered for me to step where she did. She knew where every creak was and how to avoid them. She would be the perfect partner for pranking," I murmured the last part. At my brother's glare, I smiled apologetically. "Anyway, when we got to the living room, I hid behind the wall while she talked to Sorenson. He asked if she had taken care of her injuries and that he wouldn't take her to the hospital if she needed to go. She promised that she wouldn't let it get that bad. Sorenson then told her that she had to stay in the attic space full time in order to keep anyone from finding her. When she asked for some food and water, he said to bring some up with her so she would only have to come out at the minimum of times. He went out to get the mail so she got me through the porch door to the backyard and explained to go through the woods to get to the other side of the street. She was about to go back inside but I stopped her and asked who she was. She only told me her name--Sang."

"Sang? As in I sang a song?" Kota asked to clarify.

"Yeah, Sang," I replied. "Then she begged for me to not come back, that Sorenson couldn't know we were there. She told me to forget about her and that she didn't exist. Sang also said "Don't tell Mr. Toma I was in the attic, no one can know about me"; those were her exact words. She pushed me back and told me to go before Sorenson got back as she hurried into her house."

"What the fucking hell?" Gabriel flung his arms up in exasperation.

"That's what I said," Nathan sighed. "What I want to know is why Sorenson is so afraid of other people seeing Sang. Who is she? And how did she know about Axel?"

"I think..." I swallowed. "I think she's the girl Erica saw the night of the murder. The injury Sorenson was talking about might've been a gunshot wound. The third bullet had to go somewhere."

"Did she appear to be in any pain? Did you see any of the injuries?" Doc asked in full doctor mode, his expression serious.

I shook my head. "I didn't see anything, but the way Sang moved... she was slumped forward a little and her hand sometimes drifted towards her stomach. I could also hear her breath was close to a wheeze. Maybe a broken rib or something."

"Hmm," Doc hummed, eyes squinted in concentration. "If she's hurt or she was shot, Sang needs to be treated immediately. She could get an infection or worse."

"Then we'll have to go back and talk to her," Axel decided.

"I'm not sure she'll want to," I winced as I said it. Everyone stared back up at me with confusion.

"What are you taking about?" Corey asked. "Why wouldn't she?"

"I think she's afraid of Sorenson," I explained. "The fear in her eyes when she said that no one could know we were in the house... I think she also meant that something bad would happen to her if Sorenson knew. She could've told him I was there, but she helped me get out. That might only be a one time thing for Sang. The way she acted... I can't explain it, you had to have seen her."

"How did she act?" Raven crossed his arms over his chest.

I sighed. "Sang was so desperate and... god, she's so tiny. Her eyes looked so haunted, it was a look we all could recognize. She obeyed everything Sorenson said without question or complaint. I think she's been hiding from the world for a long time, maybe her whole life."

"Shit," Brandon ran a hand through his hair. "We don't even know who this girl is? We know that Sorenson has ties with the Serpent gang, who knows what else he could have his hands in?"

"Like sex trafficking?" Victor whispered, a pained look on his face.

"It wouldn't surprise me, but that could mean Sang was most likely involved in that," Axel said. "She could've been conditioned and abused to stay obedient to the one who owns her. If we try to make her talk, she might remain loyal to Sorenson."

"These are only theories, we don't have any concrete evidence of who this girl is," Mr. Blackbourne shook his head. "However, she could be the missing piece we've been looking for. Whether she talks or not, she needs our help and we can't just walk away like she was never there in the first place. We need to get her out of there."

"Agreed," Silas spoke up for the first time.

"Then we will," Axel said.

Well, this was either going to be a really good idea or a really bad idea. There's only one thing to do in this situation-- eat chocolate. I wonder if North found my stash yet. I hope not, because I'd love to share some of it with Sang. Maybe Mr. B's right, she could be the missing piece.

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