Losing Me Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Friday, December 29

  Saturday, December 30

  Sunday, December 31

  Monday, January 1

  Tuesday, January 2

  Wednesday, January 3

  Thursday, January 4

  Friday, January 5

  Saturday, January 6

  Sunday, January 7

  Monday, January 8

  Author’s Note

  More Books by Me

  Find Me Online

  Losing Me

  Spy Chronicles, Book 3

  Scarlett Haven

  Copyright © 2018 Scarlett Haven

  http://scarletthaven.wordpress.com

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Friday, December 29

  Just the two of us.

  Being the only blonde among a sea of black haired people kind of sucks when you’re trying to blend in. I don’t know what Sebastian was thinking when he decided to bring us to Seoul, South Korea, but I stand out like a sore thumb. The bad part about this is it’ll be really easy for Lex Luthor to find me. The good part is it’ll also be easy for Sebastian to find me, because somehow, we got separated at our last train stop. I really hope he got off the train, but who really knows. After spending a week in this city, the only thing I have learned is that the public transportation system scares me. A lot.

  Okay, the Lex Luthor isn’t really after me. Obviously he is a fictional character. Lex Luthor is just a code name that we’re using for the crazy guy who is chasing us down. He has some kind of strange vendetta against my father. The fact that he happens to be Sebastian’s biological dad is just a really unfortunate circumstance. But that seems to be the story of my life lately. Just one unfortunate circumstance after another. I’ve been on the run for two months now, and I have come to discover that I’m not safe anywhere.

  I reach into my back pocket to pull out my phone so I can call Sebastian, but remember that it’s not there. He had us ditch our phones a few train stops back. My phone is currently in a trash can somewhere between Gangnam and Songpa. It’s unfortunate that I have no clue where I am right now, and I can’t even ask anybody because I definitely cannot speak Korean.

  “Good idea, Sebastian. Let’s ditch our phones so nobody can track us,” I say, mumbling out loud to myself, not caring that I probably look crazy to those around me. “If I get killed because of you, I swear I will haunt you.”

  Somebody bumps into me. I don’t bother saying excuse me. I have quickly realized that people here don’t say excuse me. At first, I thought they were impolite, then I realized you honestly can’t help bumping into people. It’s so crowded, especially in the train station. Everybody is trying to get out and I’m just trying to find Sebastian.

  “Serenity, run!” I hear Sebastian yell. I can’t see him, but I take off running. I’m relieved that he knows where I am—he’ll follow me. But also, I’m concerned because he just yelled at me to run. Somebody must be chasing me, but I’m not looking back to see who.

  I push my way through the people, saying sorry as I push some of them out of my way. Once I am on the street, I take half a second to pause. I’m not sure which way to run, so I run left. I always choose to run left and Sebastian knows this about me—I like odd numbers, I like going left and I always choose tails when flipping a coin. He will find me.

  I run through the crowded sidewalks. Many people are out shopping, a few are carrying coffee cups. I try to stay clear of the larger crowds, not wanting to be a nuisance, but the fact that I’m running is drawing a lot of attention. I hear a shot go off behind me, but I still don’t slow down to look. People around me start screaming and they start running, making it harder for me to make it through the crowd.

  Crap.

  I need to hide.

  I make myself as small as possible and head inside a shop. The shop keeper says something to me in Korean, but I don’t understand.

  “Hat?” I ask, patting my head.

  “Hat. Ne, hat,” he repeats. He points to the back of the store and I try and walk at a normal pace, remembering I’m inside, but the fact that I’m not sure if the person chasing me saw me come inside has me walking double time.

  There are a lot of hats in the back of the store, but I just need it for cover. No time to be picky. I end up getting a Pokémon beanie and walk to the cash register.

  The guy tells me my amount, pointing at the screen, so I count out the cash and give it to him. He smiles and says something to me in Korean, which I still can’t understand, and he bows to me. I bow back, to be polite, then put on the beanie, shoving as much of my hair into it as I can.

  As I walk out the door, I walk into somebody.

  “Sorry,” I say.

  “Serenity.”

  It’s Sebastian.

  I let out a sigh of relief.

  “Somebody was shooting,” I say. “I didn’t look to see who.” I point at my head. “My blonde hair was making me stand out too much, so I did what I could.”

  “You did good,” he says. “Keep the hat on. I am getting us out of here.”

  He pulls a phone from his pocket and starts doing something.

  “I thought you got rid of your phone,” I say.

  “I did. This is my backup,” he says.

  “Why didn’t I have a backup?”

  “You do. I just forgot to give it to you,” Sebastian says. “Which could’ve been a disaster, but thankfully, I found you.”

  I roll my eyes at him. Of course, today is the one time we’re not prepared.

  In Sebastian’s defense, we’re usually a lot more prepared. It’s just… we have only been in South Korea for a week. A week. And it seems like no matter where we go, his dad keeps finding us. We both thought we’d have more time.

  I hear sirens off in the distance. I guess cops are finally showing up to check out what the shots were.

  “We should probably get out of here,” Sebastian says, grabbing my arm and pulling me with him.

  “Where are we headed?” I ask.

  “Airport,” he says. “I have a car picking us up five blocks from here.”

  “We’re leaving again?” I try not to sound disappointed, but I’m really tired of moving around. We never stay anywhere more than a couple of weeks it seems. No matter where we go, we are found.

  It started in Australia. I don’t know how Sebastian’s dad found us, but he did. With Nolan’s help, we were able to escape. I haven’t seen Nolan since then, but I think about him a lot.

  After leaving Australia, we went to London, then Paris, then Rome, then South Africa, China, Canada, Russia, Germany and now South Korea. I have no idea where we’re going next. It seems like there literally isn’t anywhere we can hide.

  Sebastian and I try to walk at a normal pace, so we don’t draw attention. I’m not as scared as I was because I know I’m safe with Sebastian. He will protect me—he always does.

  We walk for five blocks then Sebastian leads me over to a car parked on the side of the street. He opens the back door and motions for me to get in. I do, and he slides in beside me.

  “Airport, please,” Sebastian tells the driver, and starts to mess with his phone again. He’s probably setting up a flight for us.

  I let out a breath once the car takes off.

  We really got away.

  “That was a close one,” I say.

  “Too close,” he says; then looks from his phone to me. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah,” I say, nodding my head to assure him. I
lick my dry lips. I have been running all over and I’m scared. My mouth feels like it’s full of cotton. “That was kind of scary.”

  “When I heard the gun shot…” his voice trails off. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “How does he keep finding us?” I ask.

  “I don’t know,” Sebastian answers. “It just doesn’t make sense. Normally, if something like this were happening, I’d say there was a mole, but it’s just the two of us. Nobody else knows where we are, not even your dad. He wants it this way.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “What we always do. Run,” he says. “But this time, I’m getting a little help from a friend I know I can trust. We’re going to get some better identities, hopefully.”

  “Maybe we could go to a country where not everybody has black hair, too. My platinum blonde hair stuck out so badly back there,” I say, pulling my hat down farther, just in case. “I was freaking out, so I bought a hat. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Getting the hat was smart,” he says. “Honestly, it probably saved your life.”

  Silence falls between us as we both realize just how close to death we both were.

  “Sebastian?” I say, after a few moments of silence.

  “Yeah?”

  “Was it your dad that was after me?”

  “Yeah,” he answers.

  Sometimes it’s Sebastian’s dad. Other times, he sends other people to come after me. The times when it’s actually his dad are the worst. Sebastian seems to blame himself, even though it’s not his fault.

  “Thank you for saving me. Again.”

  “Actually, I think you saved yourself this time,” he says.

  That makes me smile.

  Maybe, just maybe, I am cut out for Spy School after all.

  When we are still a few miles from the airport, Sebastian gets a call on his phone.

  “Hello,” he answers… “What?”… “Are you serious?”… “Okay, fine.”

  Sebastian taps hard on his phone and scratches his forehead. I’ve noticed that whenever he’s nervous or upset, he does that.

  “Pull over,” Sebastian says to the guy driving the car.

  The guy does as he says and Sebastian gets out of the car, holding out a hand to help me up.

  “What are we doing?” I ask.

  “Lex Luthor is what happened,” Sebastian says. “He has guys at the airport already. I don’t know how he knew, but he has our flight plan. So we can’t go.”

  “What was our flight plan?”

  “We were going to go to Japan,” he says. “I have a friend there. He was going to help us out. But now…”

  “Plan B?” I ask.

  “I don’t have a plan B,” Sebastian says.

  “There is more than one airport in Seoul, right?” I ask.

  “Of course,” he says.

  “So, let’s make a plan B.”

  Plan B.

  Sebastian and I walk into a coffee shop and order some coffee. We’re trying to blend in, but the district we’re in doesn’t have a lot of tourists. People turn and stare at us. But none of them are Sebastian’s dad. There is no way that he can find us here.

  “So, what’s the plan?” I ask, when we sit down on a loveseat, with our coffee in hand. I’ve got some kind of soy latte thing, which is actually really good.

  This coffee shop is pretty cool. There are a lot of comfy chairs and couches around. A few people are sitting at tables with laptops, but for the most part, there seems to be a lot of couples together.

  “I was hoping you’d have something,” Sebastian says.

  “If we’re relying on me, we’re both in trouble,” I say.

  He laughs. “We are just going to have to leave from another airport. The problem is, Lex Luthor now has our fake identities, so, if we use our passports he will know.”

  “Do we have some kind of special spy school airport in Korea?” I ask.

  “We do,” he says. “The problem with that is he knows about it. He’s probably on his way there right now. There is no way we could leave from there.”

  “Okay. And there is no other airport? Like maybe the CIA or military has something that Spy School has access to?” I ask.

  Sebastian eyes widen. “Serenity, you are a genius.”

  “I am?”

  “Yes,” he says. “Now, we just need to get to the military base.”

  Oh.

  We’re actually doing this.

  “I’m not calling anybody this time. We have to be completely incognito. I don’t know how he keeps figuring out our every move, but we can’t take any chances,” Bass says. “It’s just you and me.”

  I grin. “Like always.”

  At least, for the last two months it’s just been us. With literally no help.

  Well, I imagine my dad is helping us from afar, but I don’t ever get to talk to him. Somebody has to be paying for all these hotels and flights and everything else. I know that my dad is the one funding this.

  “I have a plan,” he says. “It’s a little crazy, but if we do it right, I think we can get out of here.”

  “I’m game.”

  “You haven’t heard the plan yet.”

  “When have I ever said no to anything?”

  He laughs. “You are kind of a crazy chick.”

  “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” I ask.

  “We have to steal a car,” he says.

  Steal a car?

  “I guess there is a first time for everything,” I say. “Because, no way are we going to steal somebody’s car.”

  “It’s that or we risk it by going on a train again,” he says. “We risk getting separated in the crowd and somebody finding us. Last time, we got lucky and found each other quickly. We might not be lucky this time. Do you really want to risk getting lost in a city where you don’t speak the native language?”

  “Fine,” I say, because the thought of getting separated from Sebastian scares the crap out of me. “Let’s steal a car.”

  “Excellent,” he says, grinning entirely too big.

  “But we have to treat the car well. You know? And like, I don’t know, leave a ton of money for the owner,” I say. “Make it worth their while. And maybe a nice note.”

  “You want us to leave a note saying sorry we stole your car?”

  I nod. “Yeah. And maybe, like, your car is really nice. Here’s some money. Go buy a new hat,” I say.

  “A new hat?”

  “Or whatever they want,” I say. “I’m not here to judge their buying habits.”

  “But, out of everything in the world you could’ve chosen, you said a hat,” he says, shaking his head.

  “And what would you say?” I ask.

  “I don’t know,” he says. “Anything is better than hats, though.”

  “Whatever,” I say. “You’re just jealous that I thought of it first.”

  Sebastian suddenly jumps up from the couch, pulling me with him. I try to grab my coffee from the side table as he drags me, but we’re walking too fast.

  “My coffee,” I say, frowning. He doesn’t stop though. He just drags me towards the back of the coffee shop. “What the heck are you doing?”

  He walks into the bathroom, pulling me behind him.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “He’s here,” Sebastian says.

  “Who?”

  “My dad,” he says.

  “Are you serious?” I ask, my eyes widening. “What are we going to do?”

  “I just… need to think for a minute,” he says. “Seoul was the worst decision I’ve ever made. Never let me come to a city this big again.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “There is literally one exit here. And that’s the elevator,” he says.

  He’s right.

  This coffee shop is on the fifth floor. Everything here seems to be in a tall building.

  “There has to be a staircase,” I say. “You know, in case of a fire.”
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  “But where?”

  I look behind him and see an emergency exit map on the door. I point to it.

  He turns around to study it. “When did you become the smart, level headed one?”

  Maybe his comment should offend me, but he’s right. Sebastian is the levelheaded one. He’s always calm in these horrible situations and I am the one freaking out. For whatever reason though, he seems to be the one freaking out. Maybe it’s because we’ve seen his dad twice today. That’s got to be hard on him.

  “Okay, let’s go,” he says, grabbing my arm.

  We walk out of the bathroom. I look to my right, towards where the coffee shop is, and see Sebastian’s dad. He’s looking right at us. Apparently Sebastian sees it too, because he pulls me after him, now running towards the exit.

  I am tempted to turn around and look, but I’m not sure I want to see just how close we are to the guy who wants to kill me.

  When we walk out into the stairwell, there are a few people walking up, but we don’t slow down. Not even a little. They look at us like we’re crazy, but at this point I don’t care. I know that Sebastian’s dad will do whatever it takes to catch up with us.

  We run down five flights of stairs, and I can hear him running behind us, trying to catch up. I’m also worried that he’ll pull a gun out and shoot us. I mean, my dad did tell me not to run. He said I should shoot. But I don’t actually have a gun right now. This morning, when we left the hotel, we were just going to get breakfast and head back. Instead, we never made it back. All my clothes and belongings are in the room, and I doubt we’ll be going back to get them. It’s not the first time I’ve had to abandon my stuff in a hotel, but it still sucks.

  Sebastian pulls his phone out of his pocket and starts doing something.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “Stealing a car,” he answers.

  “There’s an app for that?”

  He doesn’t answer though. I hear a car start and he points at a red Kia Soul parked on the side of the road.

  “Get in,” he says.

  I get in on the passenger side, thankful that people in Korea drive on the same side of the road as they do in America.

  When Sebastian gets in, he puts the car in drive and we take off.

  “How did you magically start this car with your phone?” I ask. “And can anybody get that app?”

  “Brett made the app. It’s a work in progress, but it works for this car, so we’re in luck,” he says. “Now we’ve just got to get to the airport and get out of here.”