• CHASED

    Prologue

    The wind whipped my body. My hair flew wildly behind me. Branches snapped at my arms and feet, creating pain that flared throughout me. But I didn't stop running. No. I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop. Not after what they had done to me. Not after someone precious to me died because of them.
    I have to run away. Get away from him. Get away from that one traitor that I thought I could trust on. The traitor that I had loved so dearly. Tears trickled down my face, but I don't wipe them away. It is proof for me that I had to forget about him. This wasn't a game of 'kill or be killed'. This game didn't have any option. This was a game of 'run to survive'. There's no choice for anyone to make. It's the only way to remain alive.

    ~~
    Chapter One

    2241 hour
    Tokyo, Japan

    At this hour, most kids would be expected to go to bed by their parents. Most kids listen to them. But I'm not one of them. Tonight, I escape. I mean, when you have the chance, who wouldn't?
    Checking that my mom was sleeping sloundly and my messenger bag was at my side, I silently left our room, and walked outside of the hotel. Outside was a view of shining lights filled with buildings, busy traffic, people talking on their phone about their day, and what normally looked like a Japanese night. Peaceful.
    I sighed happily. Freedom was something you experience with happiness and content. Since, usually, it doesn't last long.
    Walking towards the noodle store, nearby, I heard a series of sirens and a man yelling into his cell:
    “--Motte kaerimasu...Chotte matte, chotto okashii n desu!...~sigh~ Wakatte imasu. Ii desu. Ja mate.”
    ' I'll take it with me...Wait, it's no good!...~sigh~ I know. Okay. See you later.'
    Whatever the man was talking about, it seemed really important, since his tone of voice was serious and he had a straight-and-serious face on.
    When he turned his face towards me, I immediately looked away and walked faster. I wasn't related to whatever he was talking about. But somehow, I sensed that his gaze was on me, noticing my every move.
    Walking in to the noodle place, I said out loud:
    “Sensei, you here?” I looked for my teacher, yet his sight was nowhere to be found.
    “Sheesh. You always got to make a loud entrance? And call me Sensei-sama. I have a reputation, too, you know.” Turning around, I saw him sitting in a table of two, bottles of sake filling the table quickly.
    Smiling, I went and sat on the chair across from him, and looked at him closely.
    With his shaggy brown hair and goofy-looking clothes, you would expect my 35-year-old japanese sensei to be a drunkie. But I knew better.
    “Want a bottle?” he offered. I shook my head. But I leaned in closer.
    “You got the docs I asked?” I whispered. He winked.
    “Yeah. Anything for my lil'student.” He ruffled my hair and swiftly passed me a small USB at the same time.
    “Thanks. You're the best, Takeda.” He roared in laughter.
    “Haha! Of course I'm the best! I hear that everyday. And it's Sensei-sama to you, Charmain.”
    With that, he left the place, waving good-bye. Immediately, I took out my PC from my messenger bag and plugged the USB in.
    “Ding!”
    In that moment, the screen was blank, except a box saying to enter the code. I entered in 'DHaSulhG86'.
    “Beep!”
    The blank screen was gone, and was replaced with windows of government officials, cases, rules, profiles, and such.
    I quickly went to profiles. I only had two minutes left before the firewall would notice I hacked into government things.
    I searched up 'Amu Momomiya'. There was a picture of a japanese girl with brown curly hair, face looking innocent. But her records didn't say so.
    “Are you sure you want to delete the following information?”
    Yes, I thought, the exact same moment I pressed the button. And it happened.
    An unsolved case appeared on my screen suddenly. It was about a young girl, who is said to have comitted suicide. Her body was found, but one of her arm was missing. No facts backs her suicide.
    This case was unordinary. There was something wrong with it. I looked at the time when it happened. I widened my eyes. Eight minutes ago.
    Suddenly, a siren went off on my PC. My time was up. They figured out I hacked it.
    Cursing, I quickly copied the case file. Then I completely erased everything from my PC, to my motherboard. I yanked out the USB and placed it inside my pocket.
    Running outside, I tucked my PC into my bag and ran as fast as I could. As Sensei said, leave no tracks behind, even one small detail. That's the way of spy operatives.
    As sirens approached the noodle shop, which was now 8 blocks away, I walked and stared at the shop as if curious as to what happened, but had busier things to do. When I was far enough, I sighed. I wasn't able to pull off the records from my alias for Japan.
    I then looked at the USB. Even if I wasn't able to do that, I was able to copy this case.
    I'll tell Tori next thing in the morning, I promised myself.
    What I didn't know was that someone else, somewhere else, had promised himself one dangerous thing.
    I'll stop that case before it can even start. No one should know about the girl. Kamira orders it.
    ~~