Hijack, p.1
Hijack, page 1
Also by Chris Bradford
The Bodyguard series
Book 1: Recruit
Book 2: Hostage
Book 3: Hijack
Book 4: Ransom
For my godparents, Ann and Andrew:
Thanks for looking out for me all my life.
PHILOMEL BOOKS
an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
Copyright © 2014, 2017 by Chris Bradford.
First American edition published by Philomel Books in 2017. Adapted from Ransom, originally published in the United Kingdom by Puffin Books in 2014.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
Philomel Books is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
Ebook ISBN 9781524737023
American edition edited by Brian Geffen.
American edition design by Jennifer Chung.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover illustration © 2017 by Tracie Ching
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CONTENTS
Also by Chris Bradford
Title Page
Dedication
Copyright
Epigraph
Previously on Bodyguard . . .
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Excerpt from Bodyguard Book 4: Ransom
Acknowledgments
WARNING: Do not attempt any of the techniques described within the book without the supervision of a qualified martial arts instructor. These can be highly dangerous moves and result in fatal injuries. The author and publisher take no responsibility for any injuries resulting from attempting these techniques.
“The best bodyguard is the one nobody notices.”
With the rise of teen stars, the intense media focus on celebrity families and a new wave of millionaires and billionaires, adults are no longer the only target for hostage-taking, blackmail and assassination—kids are too.
That’s why they need specialized protection . . .
GUARDIAN
Guardian is a secret close-protection organization that differs from all other security outfits by training and supplying only young bodyguards.
Known as guardians, these highly skilled kids are more effective than the typical adult bodyguard, who can easily draw unwanted attention. Operating invisibly as a child’s constant companion, a guardian provides the greatest possible protection for any high-profile or vulnerable young target.
In a life-threatening situation, a guardian is the final ring of defense.
PREVIOUSLY ON BODYGUARD . . .
“Bodyguards are the modern-day samurai warriors,” declared Colonel Black, clicking up an image of a Japanese swordsman on the overhead projector. “Like these ancient warriors, the bodyguard’s duty is to protect their Principal above all else.”
To fulfill that duty, new Guardian recruit Connor Reeves gets a crash course in unarmed combat . . .
“Have you heard of Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch?”
Connor nodded.
“Well, this is the one-inch push.”
With barely more than a flick of his wrist, Steve palmed Connor in the chest. Taken completely by surprise, Connor staggered backward and then collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. A concussive wave of pain spread through his lungs, and his chest felt as if it had imploded.
“Effective, isn’t it?”
After only ten weeks of training, Connor is shocked to be assigned his first mission—to protect Alicia Mendez, the US president’s daughter . . .
Marc whistled through his teeth in awe. “Better you than me, Connor.”
“Yeah,” agreed Ling. “You’re going in at the deep end!”
Connor thought there had to be some sort of mistake. “They’re right, Colonel. I haven’t even done a test operation yet.”
The colonel looked him in the eye. “I won’t lie to you, Connor. This is the highest-profile assignment the Guardian has ever been involved in. For us, we’re taking a huge gamble. For you, it will be a baptism of fire.”
But Connor’s mission is complicated by an impulsive Principal . . .
“Care to join me on a little adventure?” whispered Alicia, a mischievous grin on her face.
“What do you mean?” asked Connor.
Alicia glanced toward an emergency exit at the back of the store.
Immediately grasping her intentions, Connor replied, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Oh, don’t be such a killjoy! Even a soldier’s son must have broken the rules.”
“Your father wouldn’t be happy.”
“I don’t care what he thinks,” she shot back. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Little does Alicia know that a terrorist sleeper cell has been activated, its mission to take the president’s daughter hostage . . .
“Eagle Chick has taken the bait.”
“All according to plan, then,” said Malik. “And you’re certain her messages have been blocked?”
Bahir nodded with a self-satisfied grin.
“Good work, Bahir. You certainly excelled in the task I set.”
He looked over at Hazim in the driver’s seat. “And well done, Hazim, for planting the bug in the first place.”
Hazim managed an anxious smile as Bahir announced, “Target is five minutes out.”
But the terrorists didn’t plan for Connor Reeves as her guardian . . .
“We’ll never make it.”
“Imagine you’re at a track meet racing to the finish line,” said Connor.
Alicia managed a strained smile. “Okay, but I’m usually not shot at!”
She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the perilous sprint.
“On your mark,” said the driver. “Three . . . two . . .”
Gripping the handle of his backpack, Connor prayed the liquid body armor would do its job.
“. . . one . . . GO!”
And when the stakes become life or death, Connor is determined to protect Alicia . . . no matter the cost . . .
Connor sensed the tight knot of terror in Alicia’s heart at being left to cope on her own.
“I won’t leave you,” he said.
“But you might not have a choice.”
Connor held Alicia close. “I made a promise to your father that I’d protect you, just like my father protected yours. And I will . . . on my life.”
Now Connor embarks on his second thrilling assignment . . .
PROLOGUE
The girl felt the cold hard barrel of a gun thrust against the back of her head.
“Kneel,” ordered the man, his voice as dry and cruel as the desert wind.
With no choice but to obey, the girl blindly sought the floor. The dusty rag around her eyes let in only glimpses of light, its fraying cloth reeking of stale sweat. She winced as the dirt floor grazed her bare knees and drew blood. Then, hearing the ominous click of a round entering the gun’s chamber, her body instinctively stiffened.
Her captor leaned in close. His breath, a bitter mix of coffee and nicotine, was warm and familiar in her ear. “Farewell, my little sparrow.
So this is it, she thought with a numbness born out of exhaustion. After weeks of uncertainty and too many sleepless nights to count, she was beyond caring. Beyond even fear. In truth, her heart almost welcomed the end to her ordeal.
But, as she waited for the inevitable bullet, a small voice of fury rose within her.
Why have I been abandoned like this? Why hasn’t the ransom been paid? What’s gone wrong?
Despite all the promises and hopes she’d clung to, she was going to die. A bullet through the head. Her body dumped in the desert.
“Get it over with,” she muttered, willing her executioner to pull the trigger and end her suffering.
Silence.
No click. No bang. Not even a reply. Only the buzz of flies circling in the stifling heat.
What’s taking him so long? Is this another one of his mind games?
A bead of sweat rolled from beneath her blindfold and down her grime-covered cheek.
“Lost your nerve, have you?” she croaked, her voice quavering as her impatience turned to frustrated anger. Still no answer.
With a trembling hand, she removed the rag. Blinking away the dust, she discovered she was alone . . . abandoned in the center of a single-room mud-brick building. A makeshift wooden door barred the only entrance through which beams of sunlight speared the darkness.
Should I try to escape? But she had no idea what lay beyond the doorway. Her captor? The barrel of a gun? Most likely miles of unbroken desert—
Suddenly the door burst open and she was dazzled by the glaring African sun. A shadow passed across her face as a huge man filled the doorway. Dressed in khaki army fatigues and his finger primed on the trigger of an assault rifle, he swiftly scanned the room for threats before his gaze targeted her.
“Emily Sterling?” the soldier grunted.
Her throat too dry to reply, Emily managed a weak nod.
The soldier thumbed his radio mic. “Yankee Four to X-ray, hostage found alive, I repeat, alive.”
Scooping Emily up in his arms like a fragile doll, the soldier carried her to the door.
As the realization of her rescue hit her, Emily began to sob uncontrollably.
“It’s over,” promised the soldier. “You’re safe now.”
No, thought Emily as her tears dripped onto the man’s shirt. I’ll never be safe again.
1
“Keep your head down!” Connor shouted as a barrage of bullets raked the brick wall.
His Principal had gone into shock and kept trying to bolt from their hiding place. But that was the worst possible reaction the boy could have. A casual stroll down the street had turned into a bodyguard’s nightmare, and now they were pinned down in a well-planned ambush.
Connor knew his next move would be crucial. In his head, he ran through the A-C-E procedure . . .
Assess the threat. Two shooters. One in an alley. Another behind a tree. Intention to kill, not capture.
Counter the danger. His first priority was to find cover and secure the Principal. But the low brick wall they had hidden behind provided only temporary protection. As soon as the shooters repositioned themselves, he and his Principal would be exposed again.
Escape the kill zone. Easier said than done!
Connor tapped his mic. “Alpha One to Control. Request emergency EVAC.”
His earpiece burst into life and he heard Charley, Alpha team’s operations leader, respond, “Alpha One, this is Control. Backup on its way. Three minutes out.”
Three minutes? thought Connor. They’d be dead meat in that time. And, without any firepower of their own, they were defenseless. Connor needed an exit strategy . . . and fast.
Covering the Principal with his body, Connor peeked over the wall and scanned the immediate area. A clump of bushes off to their right gave some visual cover for an escape but no physical protection from gunfire. A car parked farther down the street provided little hope; he was too young to know how to drive, let alone how to hot-wire a car! He looked at the building behind them—a small warehouse with offices attached. The back entrance was only thirty feet away, but it was across open ground. Checking on the enemy’s progress, Connor saw that the shooter behind the tree was advancing to get a clear shot. He had no choice but to risk it.
“Move!” he growled, seizing his Principal by the arm and sprinting toward the warehouse.
Keeping his body close, Connor shielded the boy as the enemy opened fire. Bullets whizzed past. One almost clipped his ear. Their feet pounded across the pavement, and whether through speed or pure luck, they made it to the entrance unharmed.
Connor yanked on the handle.
“NO!” he cried, tugging furiously at the locked doors.
He spun around. They were now sitting ducks. Connor shoved his Principal into the shelter of a large wheeled Dumpster. The boy tried to run on, crying, “I don’t want to die!”
“Stay down,” Connor ordered, pushing him to the ground. Then through clenched teeth he added, “Amir, you’re not making this any easier for me.”
“Sorry,” replied his friend, offering a flash of a grin from behind his safety goggles. “But I’m supposed to be a panicking Principal.”
“Well, panic less,” Connor pleaded as several bullets thudded into the metal bin.
Amir flinched and covered his head with his arms. “A bit difficult under the circumstances, don’t you think?”
Richie, who was playing the part of the first shooter in the training scenario, had left his position in the alley and was unleashing a hail of paintballs from his assault rifle. So was Ling, the other shooter, who by now had reached the far end of the low wall. If either of them managed to hit Amir with even a single paintball, Connor would instantly fail the exercise.
Ever since his successful assignment protecting the American president’s daughter the month before, the rest of Alpha team had been impressed but also a little envious of his newly acquired status. The only other person on the team to have earned a gold Guardian badge was Charley—and she truly deserved it, whereas he was just a first-time rookie.
That’s why certain fellow guardians had made it their mission to test him to the limit—in Ling’s words, “to make sure Connor doesn’t get too big for his britches.” Although Connor had no problem with a bit of good-natured teasing, deep down he questioned whether his first assignment had just been beginner’s luck. It was true his father had been in the Special Air Service, a unit of the British Special Forces, and been one of the best bodyguards on the circuit. But that didn’t mean Connor was made of the same stuff. For his own peace of mind, he needed to prove himself . . . beyond a doubt.
Connor clicked his mic again. “Alpha One to Control. Where’s my pickup?”
“Alpha One. Thirty seconds out. Maintain position.”
As more paintballs thudded into the bin and splattered the pavement at their feet, Connor wondered, Do I have any other choice?
Richie closed in, setting his sights on Amir. Connor pressed Amir farther down behind the Dumpster. Paintballs rattled off it like hailstones. A black 4×4 Range Rover roared down the road, its tires screeching as the driver braked hard and spun the armored vehicle to form a shield against Richie’s attack. The paintballs now pinged harmlessly off the bodywork.
But that still left Ling as a threat. With fifteen meters of open ground between them, she couldn’t miss her target. Connor realized he was in a no-win situation. Whether they ran or stayed put, one or both of them would be shot down.
Then Connor had an idea. Kicking off the Dumpster’s brakes, he grabbed Amir and shoved the huge container with his shoulder.
“What on earth are you doing?” cried Amir as the wheeled Dumpster began rolling down the path toward the Range Rover and Connor pushed him ahead to stay covered.
“Getting rid of the garbage,” replied Connor with a grin as the Dumpster resounded with the furious impact of Ling’s paintballs. The Dumpster was picking up speed now, and Connor and Amir had to sprint alongside it to stay shielded from Ling’s assault. Then the Dumpster struck the wall and came to a dead stop. Having lost their only cover, the two of them made a final mad dash for the Range Rover.
