Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(56)

Alicia looked thoroughly unimpressed by his second clumsy attempt at asking her.

‘Sorry,’ she replied and faked an apologetic smile. ‘I’m already spoken for.’

Connor glanced over in surprise. This was news to him. And judging by the reaction of her girlfriends, news to them too.

‘What?’ exclaimed Ethan, disbelief written all over his face.

Alicia looped her arm through Connor’s. ‘My knight in shining armour is taking me.’





Ensuring he was alone in the rear kitchen, Malik switched on the untraceable mobile phone he’d acquired from his contact. Then he dialled the number he’d committed to memory. Answered on the fourth ring, there was a burst of high-pitched squealing and electronic chatter as the scrambled signals synchronized with one another.

A digitally enhanced robotic voice spoke.  ‘Answer?’

‘All war is deception,’ replied Malik, quoting the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, as dictated by his contact instructions.

‘Proceed with your update.’

Malik had no idea of the identity of the person on the other end. Nor did he ever want to know. Anonymity was critical for the isolation of each cell – and even more so for the central cell. They had contacted him first. They had proposed the plan. And they had given him the means to carry it out. But he would be the one to receive all the glory. He would be seen as the leading light. And the rest of the Brotherhood need never know of their existence or the part the central cell had played. That had been the deal.

‘The egg has been laid in the nest and is ready to hatch,’ replied Malik. ‘All units are set to go.’

There was a pause on the end of the line.

‘Has the operation been  compromised in any way?’ asked the robotic voice.

‘No,’ stated Malik with absolute certainty. ‘The sleeper has not awoken.’

‘Then execute operation without  delay.’

Malik’s hand holding the phone began to tremble in anticipation. The time had come to make history.

‘One question,’ he said, sensing the receiver about to hang up. ‘My final payment?’

Another pause. ‘When the operation  succeeds, you’ll be justly rewarded.’

Malik grinned at the thought.

‘Is that all?’ said the voice, a trace of impatience detectable in its manipulated tone.

‘Yes.’

‘Then this will be our last  communication.’





All eyes turned towards Connor and Alicia as they made their entrance into the school prom. It was the first time Connor had worn a tuxedo and black bow-tie and he was enjoying the James Bond look. It seemed appropriate for a bodyguard. Next to him, Alicia looked truly stunning in a flowing red silk dress, her long dark hair adorned with a cascade of miniature roses. And Connor couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride as he walked across the school gymnasium with the President’s daughter on his arm.

The gym hall had been transformed into a glittering ballroom, festooned with purple and white streamers, flashing spotlights, lasers and a huge disco ball that dazzled like a diamond in the centre of the room. On stage a live band was playing and the dance floor was already abuzz with students celebrating the end of term. Around the edge, tables were laden with food for a buffet.

‘You look gorgeous,’ gushed Paige, welcoming Alicia and Connor to their table.

‘So do you,’ replied Alicia. She stepped back to admire her friend’s champagne-coloured gown.

‘This is Steve,’ said Paige, introducing her date, a tall handsome boy with cropped black hair and a chiselled jaw. ‘He’s from Sidwell Friends School.’

Alicia smiled warmly. ‘So  you’re the Steve that Paige has been hiding from us.’

‘Must be,’ he replied with a laugh. ‘Unless she’s hiding any others?’

Paige playfully bashed him on the arm with her purse. Then she leant close to Alicia’s ear and with an impish grin revealed, ‘Steve’s in the senior year!’

Alicia raised an eyebrow both in surprise and approval.

Connor nodded in greeting to the older boy and introduced himself. Steve was just one of many new faces in the hall, the prom being open to student guests. This fact in itself presented an additional security problem for Secret Service, especially since the school principal had deemed it inappropriate to search attendees on arrival.

Already seated round the table were Grace and Darryl, a laid-back boy from their year whose father was the ambassador for Barbados. He raised his hand in respectful acknowledgement of Connor, while Grace hugged Alicia. Kalila sat next to them with her date – another face Connor didn’t recognize – an older Arab lad with sleepy eyes and a sour expression suggesting he didn’t want to be there at all.

As Alicia and Kalila kissed cheeks, Connor heard them whisper.

‘So who’s your date?’ asked Alicia.

‘Fariq,’ Kalila replied. ‘A friend of the family and the only one my father would approve.’

Connor went over to say hello, but after a few attempts at conversation he gave up with the monosyllabic guest. Connor pitied Kalila. She deserved a better date than this bore.

The band began to hot up and more students joined the party.

‘Come on, let’s dance!’ suggested Grace, grabbing hold of Darryl’s hand.