First Born

24. The hunt

24. The hunt

Talon
It pained my heart to leave Kara, but I had to. This was so much bigger than her or me. This was about the family. I'd discussed everything with Alessandro before I left and he was on board. His dutty was to find Shadow's location. I would just find Shadow. Lorenzo was easy to find because he still worked for the UN. Convincing him to join me would not be so easy. He was a man of morals and principles. He'd be going against his nature if he did. However, I had to try.

I found him in Hungary. Actually, Alessandro did.

"Talon De Luca. How have you been, you half breed?"

We bugged and exchanged our regular greeting.

"Good, Lorenzo. Good. How about yourself?"

"I'm the same as always. How is Nahia?"

"Nahia and I aren't together anymore."

He looked at me with interest.

"It's a long story."

"I have time."

"I suppose you do."

Over the next hour or so I brought Lorenzo up to speed.

"What you're asking of me is too much, my friend."

"I had to ask. You're one of my trusted friends who will always tell it to me like it is."

"Let me think about it for a few days."

That's all I could ask of him I guess. However I didn't have time to wait around for him because I had to get moving since Alessandro thought he had a hit on Shadow. China was the first stop on the journey. I didn't know at the time that would take up over three months of my life.  I spent two weeks in China following every lead I could, but every one turned out to be a dead end. After that I ended up in India. There I thought I had a solid lead, but again, another dead end. It continued like this through most of Asia. From there I moved on to Australia, New Zealand and even Fiji. Nothing. I was growing frustrated and I missed my woman. I would send her messages of how much I missed her and she would respond the same way. I was a afraid to call her because I knew if I heard her voice I'd falter. I'd pack up and head to Italy without finding the one person who could possibly put and end to Bastian and his family without anyone knowing what, how or why it happened.

I decided to give up on the East. I've been to all of the places where people like Shadow exist and could be found. If he was in the eastern hemisphere he would have been found already.

I looked at myself in the mirror taking in my now too long hair and scruffy beard. I liked the look, but I don't think my mother would. She'd call me and unkempt savage. I chuckled to myself and my cellphone rang making me look away. It was my brother.

"What do you have for me Alessandro?"

"I just got a solid hit on his picture."

"That's what you said the last time."

"I'm almost one hundred percent certain this time. He's in South America."

"South America? How long would it take me to get to where he is hiding?"

"If you leave today, then about three days."

"He might be gone by then."

"Let's hope he isn't."

Like Alessandro had predicted, I found myself in Manaus, Brazil three days after I left Fiji. The journey was long and hard especially since I didn't travel the conventional way.