Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(54)
‘Short of implanting a GPS tracker, there’s not much we can do about that,’ Dirk said. ‘The panic alarm pinpoints her position, but only when she triggers it.’
President Mendez frowned and sighed. ‘I take your point. And she certainly won’t accept any further invasion of her privacy. Once again I must apologize for my daughter’s wayward nature. Like her mother, she needs her freedom. But there’s one matter I need clarifying. Who actually tackled the two gang members?’
Dirk was slow to answer, clearly reluctant to give Connor any credit. But Kyle spoke up.
‘The two threats were eliminated before our arrival, Mr President,’ he replied. ‘By Connor, in fact.’
Connor looked over at Kyle in surprise. He’d not expected the agent to back him up, especially with his boss present. Nor apparently had Dirk, whose jaw fell open in disbelief.
President Mendez gave a satisfied nod, as if he’d almost expected that answer. Striding over to Connor, he laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘Well, Connor, you’ve certainly lived up to my expectations. I knew I could trust in a Reeves bodyguard. Keep up the good work.’
‘Aren’t we all missing the point here?’ interjected Dirk. ‘We were lucky this time, but we can’t risk this happening again. Ever.’
‘Perhaps the shock of the mugging will convince Alicia of the necessity for Secret Service?’ suggested George. ‘Maybe she won’t be so eager to fly the nest now.’
‘I sincerely hope so,’ Dirk replied. ‘But we can’t guarantee it. And we can’t have anyone on the team going along with her escapades.’
The director stared at Connor, making it known that he blamed him for the fiasco.
‘But, Dirk, this is precisely the reason we hired Connor in the first place. He should be congratulated, not criticized,’ said President Mendez. He held up his hand to prevent any further protests from the director. ‘Let me have another word with Alicia. And hopefully this will be the end of it.’
With a weary shake of his head, he walked back to the window and gazed out at the Rose Garden.
‘Sometimes, I think bringing up a teenage daughter is harder than governing the country.’
That evening Connor pounded the punch bag in the White House gym. Now that the adrenalin rush from the attack had faded, the harsh reality of what had happened hit home. Only with hindsight did he realize how close he’d come to serious injury and even death. He may well have dealt with both gangsters and protected Alicia, but he’d still got stabbed in the process. And he found himself agreeing with the Director of the Secret Service – next time he might not be so lucky or be wearing his stab-proof shirt.
That thought made him train harder. He pummelled the bag. Jab, cross, jab, hook! His hands began to tremble under the effort. But he had to ensure his combat skills were up to scratch. From now on, he vowed to do extra martial arts training every morning. Not just for his own safety, but for Alicia’s too.
His phone rang. Pulling off his punch mitts, he picked it up and saw the Buddyguard logo flashing for a video call. He pressed his thumb to the screen and Charley’s concerned face appeared.
‘Are you all right, Connor? You missed your report time,’ she said.
‘Just overshot on my training, that’s all,’ he replied, wiping the perspiration from his brow with a towel.
Charley saw straight through his attempt at bravado. ‘I know what happened, Connor. Secret Service got in contact when they were trying to locate you and Alicia. Next time, don’t switch off your mobile. I can’t find you otherwise.’
Hearing the edge of concern in her voice, Connor said, ‘Sorry, my fault. I made some serious mistakes today.’
He sat down on the weight bench and retold his version of the events: his decision to follow Alicia and not to inform Secret Service; allowing her to take his mobile and switch it off; his stupidity in forgetting the second gangster; and his failure to defend himself properly.
‘Don’t be so hard on yourself,’ said Charley, trying to comfort him with a smile. ‘You should be proud of what you achieved. The bottom line is Alicia’s alive and unharmed thanks to your quick reactions. And Colonel Black issues body armour precisely for those moments when we’re overwhelmed or taken by surprise.’
Connor felt better hearing this from Charley. Since she was the most experienced member of the team, he valued her opinion. So he decided to bring up the other issue that had been gnawing away at him since the start of the operation.
‘I’m getting to like Alicia,’ he admitted, then saw Charley’s lips tighten in disapproval. ‘As a friend,’ he hastened to add. ‘Which is why I’m finding it hard not letting her know who I really am.’
‘It’s for her own safety, Connor,’ Charley reminded. ‘You’ve just proved today how valuable your presence is.’
‘But doesn’t this go against the very principles of being a bodyguard? Colonel Black’s always stressing how important integrity and honesty is to our job.’
‘Yes, it does,’ admitted Charley. ‘But sometimes due to the nature of an operation, a buddyguard has to remain covert – even to their Principal. Your role is to protect Alicia, but it is the President who is our client. We’re required to comply with his instructions, and that means concealing your true purpose.’