Hostage (Bodyguard #1)(69)

‘GET IN!’ yelled Agent Walker, shoving Alicia into the back passenger seat.

Connor dived in after her, pushing her down into the footwell to shield her from the deadly shots.

‘Stay there,’ Agent Walker ordered. He went to slam the door shut, but another blast of bullets ripped across the 4×4’s bodywork. The agent grunted in pain and blood splattered the interior. He slumped forward on to the seat, jamming open the door.

Connor turned to Alicia and saw blood on her too. ‘Are you hit?’ he asked.

She mutely shook her head, unable to take her eyes off the murdered agent. Connor couldn’t allow himself to think about the man’s sudden and violent death. This was a Code Red situation. He had to focus all his attention on getting Alicia out of the ambush alive.

The gun battle raged on. The driver jumped from the immobilized 4×4 and joined the last of his team in returning fire. Connor risked a glance through the tinted windscreen. The enemy had secured good cover, firing from behind the car park’s concrete barriers. The two agents, on the other hand, were in the open, the immobilized bulletproof vehicle their only protection.

Connor ducked as the windscreen thudded under the impact of more rounds. But the bullet-resistant glass held. Then there was an agonized cry as a third agent was downed.

‘Radio for back-up!’ Connor shouted to the driver.

‘Radio’s dead,’ he replied grimly, firing off another shot. ‘And I’m fast running out of ammo.’

‘Then we’ll have to make a break for it,’ said Connor, realizing their chances of survival were dwindling. He didn’t know what the enemies’ intentions were – kill or kidnap – but he couldn’t allow either to happen to Alicia. Peering through the window again, he hunted for a possible escape route. Their only option lay in heading back the way they’d come. But the path was totally exposed for about twenty metres until it reached the treeline. Any escape attempt would be little more than a suicidal dash.

Then Connor remembered his backpack.

‘What are you doing?’ asked Alicia as he hurriedly removed his pack.

‘Making a shield,’ Connor explained, unzipping the panel to double its length. ‘It’s bulletproof.’

‘I’ll give you covering fire,’ said the driver, acknowledging Connor’s intention.

‘What about you?’ asked Connor.

‘Just get Nomad to safety.’

Connor gave him a single grave nod in acknowledgement, conscious of the sacrifice this unknown agent was about to make for them. ‘We’ll head for the trees. Are you ready, Alicia?’

She glanced out of the door. ‘We’ll never make it,’ she said.

‘Imagine you’re racing to the finish line in the four hundred metres,’ said Connor.

Alicia managed a strained smile. ‘OK, but I’m never usually shot at!’

She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the perilous sprint.

‘On my mark,’ said the driver. ‘Three … two …’

Gripping the handle of his backpack, Connor prayed the liquid body armour would do its job.

‘… one … GO!’





The driver blasted the enemy with a storm of bullets from his sub-machine gun. Clambering over Agent Walker’s body, Connor bolted out of the car with Alicia. He kept the backpack shield high to protect them as they ran. With his other arm he held Alicia close by his side so she was always in his cover. Their feet pounded in unison across the gravel path.

‘Whatever happens, don’t stop!’ ordered Connor.

They were halfway when they heard the driver’s gun give out. There was a rapid return of fire and a pained cry.

But Connor daren’t look back.

‘STOP OR WE’LL SHOOT!’ shouted one of the gunmen.

They had just 10 metres to the treeline – 8 … 5… The ground beneath their feet spat dirt as a spray of warning fire cut across their path.

Alicia screamed but Connor urged her onwards. They were almost there when a barrage of bullets struck the backpack. The brutal impact knocked Connor off his feet. They stumbled the last few metres before collapsing together behind the trunk of an elm tree.

‘Are you all right?’ Alicia gasped, realizing he’d taken the full force of the hits.

‘Yes …’ Connor managed to reply. His shoulder felt bruised, but the liquid body armour had stopped the rounds from doing any lethal damage.

Masked gunmen now emerged from behind the concrete barriers and advanced on their hiding place. One of them fired high into the treeline.

‘STAY WHERE YOU ARE!’ he ordered.

‘What do we do now?’ asked Alicia.

Connor realized the gunmen intended to kidnap her, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered with warning shots. But they’d equally shown their willingness to use deadly force to achieve their aims, even if it meant wounding Alicia and killing him. Their situation was desperate whatever decision he made.

‘We keep running,’ he replied, scrambling to his feet.

With the body armour now slung over his shoulder to protect their backs, Connor shepherded Alicia deeper into the cluster of trees. The gunmen gave chase. Connor weaved in between the trunks, hoping to prevent a clear shot. There was a burst of gunfire. Bullets whizzed past, taking out chunks of bark. Splinters rained down on their heads as the two of them powered on. Then, as they approached the main road of Ohio Drive, the trees thinned out and they lost their cover.