Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(52)

‘Not far now,’ said Alicia, oblivious to their tail. ‘It’s left here. Then just two blocks down on the right.’

They stopped at a crosswalk on the junction of 13th and W Streets. For Connor, this was the moment of truth. If Gold Tooth followed them towards the park, he knew they were in serious trouble.





The seconds counted down with excruciating slowness as Connor waited with Alicia for the pedestrian signal to turn green. A few metres behind, Gold Tooth loitered on the corner, yabbering into his mobile phone. Connor’s alert level had rocketed to Code Orange and he was ready to react at the slightest threatening move from the gangster.

The signal turned from red to green and Connor followed Alicia across the road, ensuring he was between her and Gold Tooth at all times. On the far side they bore left and made for the park. There were no pedestrians on the sidewalk ahead, so Connor risked a glance back. Gold Tooth still had his ear clamped to the mobile phone and was walking on past the junction.

‘Have you listened to anything I just said?’ asked Alicia.

‘Sorry,’ said Connor, allowing his awareness to return to Code Yellow.

‘The Meridian Hill Park is nicknamed “Malcolm X Park”. It has a thirteen-step waterfall –’

Alicia came to a sudden halt as a youth stepped out from behind a van and blocked their path. Connor cursed himself for letting his guard down. He’d been so focused on Gold Tooth, he’d forgotten about the other gang member with the crew cut. The lad was a good foot taller than Connor and his arms not only boasted tattoos, but vicious scars from numerous knife fights.

In the second that followed, Connor instinctively applied the A-C-E procedure from his training.

Assess the threat: gang member, high probability of carrying a knife or gun, one  hundred per cent certainty of an attack.

Counter the danger: priority one – provide body cover for the Principal, then …

Escape the kill zone: evacuation options (A) fight way through the threat but risk  injury; (B) turn round and retreat but danger of exposing back to knife or gun  attack; (C) take side street to next busy road and find safety in numbers.

Grabbing Alicia by the shoulder, Connor took option C and pulled her towards the side street.

‘RUN!’ he shouted, keeping himself between her and the gangster.

Alicia was too stunned to do anything but obey. Yet no sooner had they begun to flee when Gold Tooth jumped out from a nearby alley and cut off their escape route.

‘Where you going so fast!’ he said, grinning to reveal his gleaming tooth.

Connor spun to take Alicia back the way they’d come. But Crew Cut was bearing down on them from behind.

‘Yo, girl, give us the bag,’ Gold Tooth demanded.

Connor looked around. There were no other people in sight to call for help, the two gang members having picked their mugging spot carefully. Panicking, Alicia became frozen to the spot and Connor recognized the symptoms of ‘brain fade’. He, on the other hand, was already pumped with adrenalin and able to think straight.

‘Do as he says,’ urged Connor, hoping that would put an end to their predicament. It was far better to lose a fancy bag than an invaluable life.

Alicia moved as if to comply, but as she unshouldered the bag she dived her hand in. Gold Tooth grabbed the Prada bag and wrenched it from her grip.

‘No tricks, girl,’ he spat. ‘You ain’t using no mace spray on me. That’ll cost you your necklace.’

‘No,’ Alicia protested, her hand going protectively to the silver chain. ‘It was my grandmother’s.’

‘Well, it’s mine now.’

Gold Tooth snatched for his prize. Connor instinctively stepped in to protect Alicia. But Gold Tooth got his fingers round the chain. Alicia jumped back, her wig and glasses dislodging as she fought to free herself. Her long dark locks tumbled out and Gold Tooth, taken by surprise, let go.

‘What the –?’ he yelled. Then his eyes widened in recognition. ‘I know you –’

Seizing on the distraction, Connor made his move. The situation demanded an all-or-nothing approach and he drove the edge of his hand into Gold Tooth’s throat. The sudden attack cut off the gangster’s air supply. Gold Tooth’s eyes bulged as he fought to breathe. He dropped Alicia’s bag, its contents spilling across the tarmac.

Connor immediately followed up with a hook punch to the solar plexus, then a lightning-fast upper cut to the jaw. There was a bone-jarring crunch and the gangster’s gold tooth flew from his mouth. Over in less than five seconds, the final punch knocked the former Gold Tooth unconscious and he collapsed to the sidewalk in a heap.

Alicia dropped to her knees, scrabbling for her bag’s discarded contents.

‘Leave it,’ said Connor, his priority her escape.

‘Behind you!’ cried Alicia as Crew Cut now charged in.

Connor spun to face the other gang member. In Crew Cut’s hand flashed the ominous steel glint of a switchblade. Alicia screamed as she saw the knife plunge into Connor’s side.





Connor felt a sharp stab of pain in his ribs as the blade hit its mark. But the adrenalin blocked out the rest of the damage. Battling now for his own survival as well as Alicia’s, Connor fought with the fury of a tiger. He palmstriked Crew Cut in the face, stunning and weakening his opponent. Then, grabbing the gang member’s hand that held the knife, he spun himself under Crew Cut’s arm. The whole series of joints from wrist to shoulder twisted against themselves. The effect was instantly crippling. Crew Cut’s elbow hyper-extended until it snapped out of joint with a sickening pop. Crew Cut bawled in agony and dropped the switchblade. Kicking the knife away, Connor then finished off the gang member with a strike to a pressure point at the back of his skull. Crew Cut ceased screaming and crumpled to the ground.