Hinovel
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Summary
PROLOGUE : ️️ Brat, lazy, smartass, troublemaker call her whatever you want, one thing’s for certain. Eighteen year old Kestrel Seran is a magnet for trouble. But when her sister goes missing somewhere in the Himalayan mountains, Kes will do whatever it takes to find her. The plan is simple : Find Arianna and get her home. Screw the rest. Simple, right ? Now Kes finds out that she’s screwed up in the most spectacular fashion. She’s gotten herself involved neck deep in the Shadow Circle, a four hundred year old crime organisation that controls half the illegal activity in Asia and some parts of the western world. Oh, and the FBI. She’s also pissed off the FBI. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she’s not alone. A really hot assassin called Kaito, who puts the ‘ass’ in ‘assassin’, a spy who hates her guts and a hacker who has an annoying habit of pissing off powerful people become her only allies. Well…when life gives you a bunch of dumb options, just pick the dumbest and enjoy the ride. If you like powerful secret societies, hot assassins and lazy females with the mindset of a criminal mastermind, assassinations, this book is for you
01
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a really bored girl with above average intelligence must be in want of trouble.
I’m here to tell you that the aforementioned truth is not the truth. Trouble is a magnet for bored girls with above average intelligence. But of course my sister, Arianna, didn’t want to hear any of it after she came home from the parent-teacher conference with a sour look on her face.
« Hi ! » I chirped.
« We need to talk, » she said in a threatening tone, brushing her sleek blonde hair out of her face. Arianna was a classical beauty. She had long blonde hair, porcelain skin and sharp blue eyes, exactly like mother. Me, on the other hand ? I took more after my Israeli father. I had tanned skin and thick dark hair. Sometimes people would ask if I was adopted whenever I was out with Ari and mother.
« Are you positive ? Maybe we can talk later ? » Like when there isn’t any steam shooting out of your ears.
She huffed. « So I met your teachers, » she said.
« I assumed you would, » I nodded. « That’s what parent teacher conferences are held for. »
« Don’t act smart now, » she warned.
« Who said I’m acting ? » I asked with a tone of false incredulity.
She sighed, « The teachers did mention you had an ego problem and a superiority complex. »
I only shrugged in response. It was probably true. Sadly, I didn’t really care enough to dwell on it.
« So we need to talk about your little adventures in school, » she said.
« I’m a legal adult, » I said, slightly annoyed. « Stop babying me. »
« No legal adult carries powerful magnets into the physics laboratory. Want to explain that first ? » She asked, putting her hands on her hips.
« Oh, yeah. It was a prank, nothing major. Nobody even got hurt so I don’t really understand why you guys are raising a hue and cry about it-«
« Why did you do it ? » She asked with exaggerated patience.
« I was bored, » I admitted. It was funny though, every instrument that came in the magnetic field went haywire. I nearly giggled as I recalled the students and the teacher scurrying across the lab to find an instrument that worked. Some guy thought there were ghosts too.
Well, I always believed that if life wasn’t entertaining enough, you’re not living it right.
« And you thought the best way to entertain yourself was to mess with an entire class ?! » She demanded.
« Well…yes, » I answered. « How can you not find something like that entertaining ?! »
Ari’s palms curled into fists. « You can’t keep doing stuff like this, Kes ! You’ll be off to college in a few months ! You can’t keep acting this immature ! »
« I’ll mature when I’m in college. Why not enjoy till then ? » I countered. « And it wasn’t really my fault, what do you expect if you leave a bored kid with above average intelligence in a physics lab-«
« Above average, huh ? You’re being modest, » she said sarcastically.
« Glad you appreciate my efforts, this entire thing is too tiring. Lowering my intelligence to fit social acceptance criteria can be quite taxing, » I said drily.
« That’s why I put you in sociology, not that it worked, » she said.
« I thought sociology was about how to get along with people, » I admitted.
« You’re the only one who would need a class to tell her how to get along with people, » she sighed.
« They have classes for that ? »
« They’re called correctional facilities, » she said.
« Ah, okay, no, » I replied.
« Your sociology teacher claims to never have seen you in her life, » she continued. « And then she proceeded to show me your exam papers. »
I winced. « Did she now ? »
« Yes, the best one was the test last week-«
« Don’t remember, » I said.
« There was a question in which you had to describe a system where everyone in the society contributed for its welfare-«
« Still don’t remember, » I told her.
« You should. Your answer was ‘Communist Russia’. »
« Still don’t remember, » I repeated.
« Pretending you don’t remember doesn’t mean you never did it, » she snapped.
I let out a heavy sigh. This was Arianna whenever I was in trouble. Accuse, reason, realize nothing was going to change and repeat. At least the accuse part was done with.
« Kes, look I’m leaving for the middle of nowhere tomorrow, you need to take care of yourself. Three days, is that too much to ask ?! » She demanded.
« I’ll be fine, Ari. I can handle myself, » I told her.
« Oh really ? »
« Just because I act immature at times, doesn’t mean I’m brick stupid, » I reminded her.
« I know, and that’s what scares me, » she confessed.
« Why ? »
« Because you tend to get overconfident at times and that is dangerous, » she told me.
« I won’t, » I said. « I can manage three days, thanks for the vote of confidence, sis. »
« Do you want me to stay back ? » She asked.
« No, » I grumbled. « It’s fine, I’ll call you before I act on anything, » I promised.
« I may not have reception. »
My jaw dropped at that. « Ari ! »
« What ?! It’s in the middle of the Himalayas, what did you expect ?! » She said defensively.
« Ari ! »
« You’re the one who tells me to live a little because life is short ! » She said.
« Doesn’t mean you shorten it ! » I yelled. « It’s the Himalayas man, God knows what all can happen. Do you know that area is prone to landslides ?! »
« Kiddo, you’re overreacting. I’ll be fine, » she insisted.
« Now who’s behaving irrational ?! » I pointed out.
« Even if I had reception, there’s nothing you could do. Plus Cavilleri will be there too, » she said.
« You’re Mafia ex ?! » I demanded. « Ari ! » What in the name of God was wrong with her ?! She was supposed to be the rational one !