Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(20)

Rubbing his chest, Connor managed a small grunt of acknowledgement. These skills were on a totally different level from his kickboxing and jujitsu training.

While Connor recovered, Steve explained the workings of the technique. ‘Like a coiled-up spring, you drive your body weight through your arm and into the person’s chest. This move can be as powerful as a punch, but you appear to be doing hardly anything. So, if your victim complains, what are they going to say?’ Steve put on a whiney petulant voice. ‘He pushed  me, Officer!’

The class laughed at this. Then, putting on chest pads, they began practising the two techniques on one another. Connor was partnered with Jason.

‘That looked like it really  hurt,’ said Jason with the trace of a smile.

‘Felt like he cracked a rib,’ Connor replied, still rubbing his chest.

‘Well, I’d better let you go first then. Give you time to recover.’

Connor got the distinct impression Jason was implying he was weak, rather than making the offer out of any friendly concern. Just  you wait, Connor thought, holding out his arm to fend off his partner.

Jason strode forward, utterly confident of overpowering Connor. Then he grimaced in pain and frustration as he failed to push past Connor’s finger.

‘So it really does work!’ he exclaimed.

‘Oh yes, but not as much as this,’ replied Connor, copying his instructor’s movements for the second attack. Letting his arm flex like a spitting cobra, he one-inch-pushed Jason in the chest.

Even with the protective pad, Jason grunted in shock and doubled over.

‘I see … what you mean,’ he groaned.

‘Sorry,’ said Connor, surprising even himself with the force of the strike.

‘Don’t worry … mate,’ said Jason, standing upright. ‘Now it’s my turn!’

Jason didn’t bother with the single-finger technique. He went straight to the one-inch push. Connor flew backwards, barrelling into two students from Delta team.

‘I like this attack,’ said Jason, cracking his knuckles. ‘Move over, Bruce Lee!’

Apologizing to the two recruits, Connor returned to face his partner. Although his chest throbbed madly, he tried not to show any pain.

‘Not bad,’ he wheezed – then one-inch-pushed Jason.

Jason fell flat on the floor. Gasping for breath, his face contorted in fury, he leapt to his feet and immediately took his turn, striking even harder this time. They continued to exchange pushes, their chests becoming more bruised and battered with every attempt to outdo one another. Then, without warning, their training suddenly escalated into a full-blown fight and Connor found himself tussling with Jason on the gym floor.

Two meaty hands seized them by the scruffs of their necks and pulled them apart. Their instructor lifted them off the ground until they were at his eye level.

‘Anger is only one letter away from danger,’ Steve warned them sternly. ‘Control your anger, otherwise anger will control you and you’ll lose focus. As a buddyguard, you want to fight smarter not harder. Do you two understand?’

Chastened, Connor and Jason nodded their heads in response.

‘Good. Now shake up and make up,’ he ordered.

Still dangling off the floor, Connor offered his hand to Jason. He had no idea who’d started the fight, but he knew the last thing he needed was an enemy in the team. ‘Sorry. Looks like we got a bit carried away.’

After a moment’s hesitation the other boy shook it. ‘No worries. At least we’ve battle-tested the technique!’ he grinned.

With the apologies made, their instructor seemed satisfied and dropped them both to the ground.

‘Well, now you’ve  mastered the one-inch push,’ he mocked. ‘We’ll finish with one last technique – the head twist.’

This time Steve selected a tall lad from Delta team for his demonstration.

‘Again, there is very little to this defensive attack. That’s what makes it effective. Lift the chin, twist the head and simply push down.’

Steve grabbed the boy’s jaw and, in an effortless push and twist, he collapsed the boy like a concertina.

‘Basically, where the head goes, the body follows,’ he explained.

Connor was impressed – the move utilized the same principles as jujitsu in exploiting the weaknesses of the human body. With it, he should be able to take anyone down in a few seconds.

‘That’s fine if you’re similar heights. But how’s Charley going to manage that one?’ questioned Amir, indicating her disadvantage.

Before Steve could answer, Charley rolled her chair over Amir’s toes. He squealed in pain. She punched him in the stomach and he doubled over. Then she grabbed his head and twisted him to the ground.

‘Very easily,’ replied Charley, as Amir lay bowed and defeated at her feet.





Connor looked into the sports shop window on the second floor of Cardiff’s Queens Arcade. He barely noticed the display of Nike trainers on sale. Instead, his eyes were focused on the reflection in the glass. A steady stream of people was passing behind him. Most, if not all, were innocent shoppers. But among that Saturday crowd someone was following him. He didn’t know who yet, but he was determined to find out.

Walking on, Connor headed down the escalator to the ground level of the shopping centre. He crossed the polished tiled floor and stopped beside the information sign. Pretending to be lost, he examined the map, then casually glanced around. As his eyes swept the atrium, he scanned the faces of the people descending the escalator: a blonde-haired woman in a green jacket … a harassed-looking mother clasping her toddler’s hand … two teenage girls plastered with eyeliner and lipstick … a man on his mobile phone –