Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(44)

Connor sat behind them on a picnic bench, pretending to read a book. From behind his sunglasses, he kept one eye on the open playing fields, conscious Alicia was positioned in a highly exposed area.

‘But we’re only a week away from the prom,’ reminded Paige.

‘You should think yourself lucky,’ said Grace. ‘No one’s asked me yet.’

‘Or me,’ admitted Kalila.

‘Boys our age are always shy to come forward,’ said Paige, pushing herself up on her elbows. ‘Why is that, Connor?’

Connor glanced up from his book. ‘Sorry?’ he replied, pretending not to have heard.

‘Boys are scared to ask girls out. Why?’

Connor thought about his own experiences. ‘Probably because they think the girl will say “no”.’

‘He’s got a point,’ agreed Grace. ‘There’s only one boy I’d say yes to.’

‘Who’s that?’ Paige asked eagerly.

‘Oh come on, we all know she’s got the hots for Darryl,’ said Alicia.

‘Is it that obvious?’ cried Grace, mortified by the public declaration.

‘I thought it was Jacob,’ said Kalila.

‘That was last month,’ laughed Alicia, standing up and dusting the grass from her skirt as Paige began to interrogate Grace. ‘Back in a minute. I need the restroom.’

‘I’ll join you,’ said Kalila.

Connor stayed where he was. There were  some places he couldn’t follow Alicia and, as they were on the school campus, he considered the increase in risk was minimal. Still, as Alicia and Kalila strolled off together, he checked his watch and made a mental note of the time. Then he performed another subtle surveillance sweep of the playing field and surrounding buildings.

As the two girls entered the side entrance of the science block, Connor noticed a man emerge from behind a tree and head towards the glass doors. He was wearing a green uniform and a baseball cap, its peak pulled low to shade his eyes … or possibly to hide his face.

Connor subconsciously raised his alert level from Code Yellow to Code Orange.

‘Who’s that?’ Connor asked, nodding in the man’s direction.

Grace looked up from her phone and squinted. ‘Umm … must be one of the groundsmen. Why?’

The man followed Alicia and Kalila through the doors.

‘Just wondering,’ Connor replied, alarm bells ringing inside his head. What business did a groundsman have  within the science building?

He excused himself and headed over to the science block. Hurrying, but not quite running, he cursed himself for leaving such distance between himself and his Principal. When he reached the doors, he quietly slipped inside. The corridor leading to the girls’ toilets was deserted, apart from the suspect man who was bent over near the toilet entrance.

With caution, he approached the man from behind. Connor wanted to get close enough to identify him, to find out whether he might be the same person as the one behind the kitchen door.

When Connor was a few feet away, the man looked up, startled, water dripping from his stubbled chin. His face was grimy, rough and lined by the sun. He had a large bent nose, as if it had once been broken in a fight, and a pair of hound-dog eyes that were ringed with dark shadows, indicating lack of sleep. Was this the same face? The eyes possessed a similar unsettling intensity. But Connor couldn’t be certain. He did, however, vaguely recognize the man from the ground-staff roster.

‘Sorry, I know I shouldn’t be here, but I needed a drink,’ the groundsman said in a thick accent. ‘Please don’t report me. I’ve been digging all morning and was very thirsty.’

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he turned off the water fountain attached to the wall and quickly made his way out of the science block. Connor watched him go. He realized now that he’d probably overreacted to the man’s behaviour, but told himself it was better to be safe than sorry.

‘Hanging around the girls’ toilets?’ sneered Ethan, approaching from behind. ‘Is that what English boys do for a hobby?’

Jimbo stood beside his friend, sniggering.

‘Not every day,’ replied Connor. ‘Otherwise I’d always bump into you.’

Ethan scowled at the comeback. ‘I’ve been watching you,’ he declared, stabbing a finger at Connor. ‘You follow Alicia around like some faithful puppy dog. Even attending her dance classes! What’s going on between you two?’

‘Nothing,’ said Connor, now realizing who the mysterious watcher might have been. ‘I’m just finding my feet, that’s all.’

‘Well, find them somewhere else.’

He pointed to a poster on the wall – a silhouette of a couple dancing against a glittery purple background that announced the forthcoming Summer Prom.

‘I’m taking the President’s daughter,’ he stated, puffing out his chest, ‘and I don’t want any dork getting in the way and spoiling my chances. Understand?’

Connor shrugged off the insult. Ethan might be the school’s sports star, but, considering how arrogant he was, he didn’t deserve to be Alicia’s date.

‘I said, do you understand?’ repeated Ethan, taking a step closer. ‘Or do I have to get Jimbo here to beat it into you?’

Connor suddenly found himself boxed in on both sides. The two lads towered over him, the situation rapidly escalating towards a fight.