Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(51)
‘Umm … whatever you’re having,’ he replied, not even looking at the menu.
‘Two chilli dog specials with large Cokes,’ said Alicia.
With a tired smile, the waitress took their order, then went back to the hatch and handed it to the chef.
Connor glanced along the counter. An old man in a brown polo shirt sat eating a hot dog. Next to him a young African American in ripped jeans and a white T-shirt was picking at a tray of fries. As he dipped several in the ketchup, he casually eyed Alicia’s Prada handbag lying on their table. Connor realized that, although Alicia might be able to disguise who she was, she couldn’t disguise her wealth or social status. It was obvious they didn’t belong in this establishment.
Leaning forward, Connor whispered to Alicia, ‘I’d keep your bag beside you.’
She took his advice without protest. And Connor relaxed a little when the young man directed his attention back to his food. The waitress returned and dumped two hot dogs drowning in mustard and chilli, along with a pile of cheese fries and two bucket-sized Cokes. Connor was slightly taken aback at the size of the hot dog – it was well over a foot long.
‘Enjoy!’ said the waitress, almost as if it was a command rather than a wish.
The two of them tucked in. After just one bite, Connor had to admit that it was the best hot dog he’d ever tasted … then the roof of his mouth was almost blown off by the heat of the chilli.
Alicia laughed as she saw tears streaming down his face. ‘I warned you they were hot!’
Spluttering, Connor grabbed his Coke and chugged down several mouthfuls.
Once he’d recovered enough to speak again, Alicia began to quiz him on his life back in England – where he lived, which school he went to, his parents, which countries he’d been to, whether he’d met the Queen and so forth. Connor gave his answers as truthfully as possible without revealing his double role. He didn’t like deceiving Alicia, it wasn’t in his nature, but he understood why it was necessary.
Finishing off their meal, they both leant back in the booth and gave a contented sigh.
‘That was an awesome hot dog!’ said Connor. ‘Even with the chilli.’
Alicia nodded in agreement and wiped her lips with a paper serviette. ‘And do you know what’s even better?’
Connor shrugged.
Alicia lowered her voice. ‘This is the first meal I’ve had outside the White House with no one looking over my shoulder.’
At that moment, the door opened and two Latino youths entered. Dressed in baggy jeans and white sneakers, with tattoos up their arms and red bandanas around their heads, they appeared to be local gang members. One of them, boasting a gold front tooth, stared hard in Connor’s direction. Connor immediately averted his gaze. He didn’t want to antagonize them in any way. But as they took two stools at the counter Connor kept them in his line of sight. The other gang member, sporting a crew cut, eyed up Alicia with an appreciative sneer before turning to place his order.
Troubled by their presence, Connor suggested to Alicia, ‘Let’s make a move.’
‘You mean go back?’
‘It might be a good idea. Kyle and the others must be going crazy by now.’
Alicia groaned. ‘Not yet. I’m enjoying myself too much. Let’s go up to Meridian Hill Park. It has a great view of DC and every weekend there’s a drumming circle.’
She waved to the waitress for the bill. Connor reached for his wallet.
‘No, I’ll pay,’ Alicia insisted, pulling a Platinum American Express card from her purse.
The waitress raised an eyebrow in surprise. ‘No cards,’ she said, thumbing towards a scrappy sign above the till stating CASH ONLY.
Alicia sifted through her purse and pulled out a 100-dollar bill.
‘Don’t you have anything smaller?’ asked the waitress.
Alicia shook her head. ‘Sorry.’
With poorly concealed irritation, the waitress took the money. While they waited for their change, the two youths at the counter sipped on their Cokes but didn’t order any food. Connor’s sense of unease grew.
The waitress returned and managed her first genuine smile when Alicia left a hefty tip.
‘Come back soon,’ she called.
Unlikely, thought Connor as they stepped on to U Street.
Turning right, Alicia headed north again on 13th. But they’d only gone one block when Connor had the distinct feeling they were being followed. Pretending to watch a car pass by, his eyes swept the road and sidewalk. Among the scattering of pedestrians, he instantly recognized the Latino youth with the gold tooth walking several paces behind, nonchalantly slurping on his Coke. Connor told himself it could be pure coincidence. The lad probably lived nearby. But, to leave no doubt, Connor decided to employ some anti-surveillance techniques.
‘Let’s cross the road,’ he suggested to Alicia. ‘Stay out of the sun.’
‘Sure,’ said Alicia.
At the next junction, they switched to the other side. Connor snatched a look over his shoulder.
Gold Tooth had crossed the road too. Connor felt his heart rate increase. ‘Mirroring’ was one of the key signs. But this could still be an innocent matter of circumstance.
‘Hold on, Alicia, my shoelace has come undone,’ said Connor, bending down.
As he pretended to retie his lace, he glanced behind. Gold Tooth had also stopped, appearing suspicious as he hung around a parked car. But then he finished his Coke and dumped it in a trash can.