Fugitive Read online

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  CHAPTER 41

  CHAPTER 42

  CHAPTER 43

  CHAPTER 44

  CHAPTER 45

  CHAPTER 46

  CHAPTER 47

  CHAPTER 48

  CHAPTER 49

  CHAPTER 50

  CHAPTER 51

  CHAPTER 52

  CHAPTER 53

  CHAPTER 54

  CHAPTER 55

  CHAPTER 56

  CHAPTER 57

  CHAPTER 58

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  READ MORE

  Chris Bradford is a true believer in ‘practising what you preach’. For his award-winning Young Samurai series, he trained in samurai swordsmanship, karate, ninjutsu and earned his black belt in Zen Kyu Shin Taijutsu. For his new Bodyguard series, Chris embarked on an intensive close-protection course to become a qualified professional bodyguard.

  His bestselling books are published in over twenty languages and have garnered more than thirty children’s book awards and nominations.

  Before becoming a full-time author, he was a professional musician (who once performed for HRH Queen Elizabeth II), songwriter and music teacher.

  Discover more about Chris at www.chrisbradford.co.uk

  Praise for the Bodyguard series:

  Brilliant Book Award 2014 – Winner

  Hampshire Book Award 2014 – Winner

  ‘Bone-crunching action adventure’

  Financial Times

  ‘Breathtaking action … as real as it gets’

  Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl series

  ‘Bradford has combined Jack Bauer, James Bond, and Alex Rider to bring us the action-packed thriller’

  Goodreads

  ‘Wholly authentic … the action and pace are spot on. Anyone working in the protection industry at a top level will recognize that the author knows what he’s writing about’

  Simon, ex-SO14 Royalty Close Protection

  ‘A gripping page-turner that children won’t be able to put down’

  Red House

  ‘Will wrestle you to the ground and leave you breathless. 5 Stars’

  Flipside magazine

  ‘A gripping, heart-pounding novel’

  Bookaholic

  Books by Chris Bradford

  The Bodyguard series (in reading order)

  HOSTAGE

  RANSOM

  AMBUSH

  TARGET

  ASSASSIN

  FUGITIVE

  The Young Samurai series (in reading order)

  THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR

  THE WAY OF THE SWORD

  THE WAY OF THE DRAGON

  THE RING OF EARTH

  THE RING OF WATER

  THE RING OF FIRE

  THE RING OF WIND

  THE RING OF SKY

  Available as ebook

  THE WAY OF FIRE

  For all my Bodyguard fans –

  stay safe!

  Warning: Do not attempt any of the techniques described within the book without the supervision of a qualified martial arts instructor. These can be highly dangerous moves and result in fatal injuries. The author and publisher take no responsibility for any injuries resulting from attempting these techniques.

  ‘The best bodyguard is the one nobody notices.’

  With the rise of teen stars, the intense media focus on celebrity families and a new wave of millionaires and billionaires, adults are no longer the only target for hostage-taking, blackmail and assassination – kids are too.

  That’s why they need specialized protection …

  BUDDYGUARD

  BUDDYGUARD is a secret close-protection organization that differs from all other security outfits by training and supplying only young bodyguards.

  Known as ‘buddyguards’, these highly skilled teenagers are more effective than the typical adult bodyguard, who can easily draw unwanted attention. Operating invisibly as a child’s constant companion, a buddyguard provides the greatest possible protection for any high-profile or vulnerable young person.

  In a life-threatening situation, a buddyguard is the final ring of defence.

  Gripping the stick tightly, Connor Reeves smashed the silver-masked wrestler in the belly as hard as he could. The wrestler spun round, reeling from the blow.

  ‘Dale! Dale! Dale!’ screamed the crowd in Spanish, urging him to hit again.

  As the wrestler swung back at him, Connor wound up for a second strike. His devastating blow split the wrestler’s stomach open, causing his guts to spill out across the tiled floor. The crowd cheered and Connor was almost knocked over in the rush as everyone surged forward. Peeling off his blindfold, Connor was astonished at the excitement a piñata could generate, even at a fourteenth birthday party. Then again he’d only ever imagined fruit and sweets to be stuffed inside the papier-mâché figure, not fistfuls of dollar bills, gold bracelets, glittering necklaces and sparkling rings! But this was Mexico and the party was being held by a super-rich business tycoon.

  ‘That’s a powerful swing you have there, Connor,’ said Carlos Silva, the birthday girl’s father, his English smoothed out by his Latin American accent.

  Connor shrugged and, by way of an excuse for his surprising strength, replied, ‘I’ve played a lot of cricket, Señor Silva.’

  ‘Well, you certainly hit El Santo for six!’ Carlos gave a rolling laugh and nodded at the effigy of the famous silver-masked Mexican wrestler, now hanging forlorn and battered from the ceiling. ‘Tradition says the piñata symbolizes the devil. You have to hit him hard to make him let go of all the good things he’s stolen. The devil has clearly stolen a lot from you!’

  Connor responded with a bittersweet smile. There was more truth to the tycoon’s words than the man would ever realize. He wished that hitting the piñata could bring back his father, who’d been taken from him when he was just eight years old, killed in an ambush while protecting the US ambassador in war-torn Iraq. And now the devil seemed intent on taking his mother too. She was battling the advanced stages of multiple sclerosis. Only his gran seemed to defy the devil, soldiering on despite her ageing years and a failing hip.

  Connor offered the piñata-buster back to his host.

  ‘No,’ insisted Carlos. ‘Keep it as a reminder of defeating one of the greatest legends in Mexican sport.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Connor, slipping the rainbow-striped stick into the back pocket of his jeans.

  The tycoon patted him firmly on the shoulder. ‘Enjoy the party, my friend.’

  As Carlos wandered off, joining his wife on the veranda to watch dusk settle over the haze of Mexico City, a boy with slick black hair, bronzed skin and a swagger straight out of a hip-hop music video approach
ed Connor. He wrapped an arm round Connor’s shoulders. Eduardo was the son of a high-ranking Mexican politician and the Principal whom Connor had been assigned to protect. The boy already had two muscle-bound security guards accompanying him wherever he went, but Connor was his ‘invisible shield’ – the teenage bodyguard no one suspected. Despite Connor officially protecting Eduardo, the two of them had hit it off the first day they’d met and over the past few weeks had become firm friends.

  ‘Hey, didn’t you get anything from the piñata?’ asked Eduardo, a clutch of cash and candy in his own hand.

  Connor shook his head. ‘Too busy hitting the devil.’

  Eduardo unwrapped a bright orange lolly and popped it into his mouth. ‘Well, you sure missed out.’

  ‘No, he didn’t!’ In a glittering white dress and her long honey-brown hair braided with miniature red roses, Maria left no doubt about the identity of the birthday girl. ‘Connor, I saved this for you …’ With a coy smile, she fastened a gold-chain bracelet around his wrist.

  ‘Err … thanks!’ said Connor, unsure how to respond. ‘That’s really something.’

  ‘It should be,’ said Eduardo, rolling the lollipop from one cheek to the other. ‘It’s solid twenty-two carat gold!’

  Not your standard party gift then, thought Connor. But he knew such extravagance shouldn’t have really shocked him. Now on his fifth assignment, he’d witnessed many flamboyant excesses of wealth. When protecting the sons and daughters of the elite and super-rich, it simply came with the territory. Yet he felt uncomfortable accepting a gift worth thousands of dollars. He unclipped the bracelet. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t take this. It’s too much.’

  ‘Sure you can,’ Maria protested. ‘It’s my party and I can give gifts to whoever I want.’ She fixed him with her bewitching brown eyes. ‘You don’t want to upset the birthday girl now, do you?’

  Shifting uneasily on his feet, Connor put the bracelet back on. ‘Of course not –’

  Suddenly a thumping Latino beat blasted from the terrace’s sound system and the disco lights flashed and spun overhead.

  ‘Come on, let’s dance,’ said Maria, grabbing Connor’s hand and dragging him on to the terrace with the other guests.

  Connor glanced helplessly back at Eduardo. He was keenly aware that he should stay at his Principal’s side. But Eduardo just laughed as Maria’s girlfriends surrounded Connor in a circle, preventing his escape. Each girl began to dance with him in turn and Connor found himself flattered by all the attention. Checking on Eduardo again, he reassured himself with the fact that the house and grounds were secured by high walls and razor wire as well as CCTV and numerous security guards. His Principal was as safe as he could be, as long as he stayed within Connor’s line of sight.

  With one eye on Eduardo, Connor danced with Maria and her friends late into the evening. With each song, the birthday girl drew a little closer and Connor found himself getting into an awkward predicament. When the DJ put on a slower track, Maria appeared to be plucking up the courage to make her move, wrapping an arm round his waist and …

  The delicate moment was thankfully interrupted by a call on Connor’s mobile. He glanced at the screen. It was Charley.

  Excusing himself, Connor headed over to the veranda, leaving the birthday girl with a wounded frown. He answered the video call and Charley’s warm wide smile appeared on the screen. Her head rested against a pillow, her corn-blonde hair poking through a tight wrapping of bandages.

  ‘Hi, Connor,’ she said, her voice soft and weary. She caught the thumping sound of the disco and the flashing of strobe lights in the background. ‘I’m not interrupting you, am I?’

  ‘Of course not,’ Connor replied, overjoyed to see his girlfriend. Between his assignment and her spinal treatments, they hadn’t spoken for nearly a week. Charley was in China undergoing pioneering surgery and intensive physiotherapy for the spinal injuries she’d sustained on a mission that had gone terribly wrong. For the past two years she’d relied on her wheelchair for mobility after being paralysed from the waist down. Not that she let it stop her from doing anything: she was operations leader for Alpha team and one of the most experienced recruits in the whole Buddyguard organization. ‘How did the surgery go?’ he asked.

  ‘I still feel a little groggy and I’m having a few odd dreams, but the doctor says the implantation was a success. I’m starting physio now that I’ve recovered. There’s a long road ahead but the doctor’s very hopeful.’

  ‘That’s great news –’

  ‘Connor, come back and dance!’ implored Maria, appearing at his shoulder.

  Charley’s brow furrowed. ‘Sounds like you’re having fun.’

  Connor responded with an awkward smile. ‘Birthday party,’ he explained. ‘My Principal was invited by Maria, one of his school friends.’

  ‘Well, I think the school friend wants a dance with you,’ said Charley, her voice tight.

  ‘Charley … you’re the only one for me,’ Connor reassured her. And that was the truth – he’d never met a girl like Charley. She was everything to him. ‘I’d never betray you. Besides, you’d kick my arse if I did!’

  Charley let out a laugh. They both knew that was true. Charley was a force to be reckoned with when it came to unarmed combat sessions – many a recruit had learnt the hard way not to underestimate her abilities just because she was in a wheelchair.

  ‘And after your therapy,’ Connor went on, ‘I’m sure it won’t be long before I’m dancing with you –’

  He flinched as a deafening explosion ripped through the air.

  Connor looked around for Eduardo as the sky lit up overhead. Screaming, Maria and her friends rushed towards the veranda.

  ‘Problem?’ asked Charley, her expression now tense and alert.

  ‘No, just fireworks!’ Connor laughed with relief, locating his Principal by the balustrade. ‘It’s the end of the party. I need to get my Principal home.’

  Charley relaxed back against the pillow. ‘Well, stay safe. I miss you.’

  ‘I miss you too,’ said Connor, touching her face on the screen before signing off.

  Fireworks coloured the sky in showers of sparkling red, blue and gold. The guests oohed and aahed as rockets whizzed high, and firecrackers burst in glorious rainbows of shimmering light. Then, with a final ear-splitting boom, a galaxy of falling stars marked the end of the celebrations. The guests collected their belongings and headed to their respective drivers.

  Connor, putting on his jacket and resuming full bodyguard mode, kept close to Eduardo. While the mansion compound was a safe zone, the streets of Mexico City were a potential battlefield, the city known as the kidnap capital of the world. Drug cartels and criminal gangs regularly targeted the families of the rich and powerful, ransoming hostages for ever-increasing amounts of money. Such high-level risks made this assignment particularly hazardous. Yet, three weeks in, the worst Connor had experienced so far had been sunburn and a few mosquito bites.

  ‘You looked like you enjoyed the party,’ said Eduardo, grinning as the two of them ambled down the floodlit drive, escorted by his two wide-necked, gun-toting bodyguards.

  ‘Absolutely,’ Connor replied, his new bracelet jangling on his wrist. ‘You’ve got some very generous friends.’

  Waving goodbye to the birthday girl, Eduardo nudged Connor. ‘Well, Maria definitely likes you.’

  Connor glanced back. Maria waved at him, her dark eyes smouldering. He raised a tentative hand in farewell and she blew him a kiss.

  ‘She’ll be wanting your phone number next,’ said Eduardo with a wink.

  Connor’s thoughts turned to Charley. ‘I’m already spoken for.’

  Eduardo shot him an astonished look. ‘Surely she can’t be as gorgeous as Maria?’

  Connor simply smiled.

  Eduardo laughed. ‘Well, if that’s the case, I’ll have to become a buddyguard myself. Your kind attracts all the best girls!’

  Exiting the main gate, they headed over to the awai
ting SUV. The number of guests had meant their vehicle was forced to park on the other side of the street. This was by no means ideal. From a security point of view, it left them exposed to potential danger for longer than was necessary. Connor instinctively heightened his awareness and scanned their surroundings. Blacked-out SUVs lined the road on either side. The traffic itself was light and posed no obvious threat. Besides the departing guests and their bodyguards, there were few other people on the street and none that raised any immediate suspicions. Yet Connor wouldn’t relax until they were back safe and sound at his Principal’s villa.

  Flanked by their own heavyweight security, Eduardo and Connor waited at the kerbside while a blue-and-white telecom van passed by. The driver inside caught Connor’s eye and Connor noted that he was wearing a white pollution mask. Understandable in a smog-filled city, thought Connor, although surely the driver’s got to have air-conditioning …

  ‘I’m starving after all that dancing,’ said Eduardo. ‘Let’s stop off on the way home and grab some tacos –’

  Suddenly the van screeched to a halt in the middle of the street, the back doors flew open and five masked men leapt out, wielding assault rifles.

  Eduardo’s two bodyguards drew their weapons, but were taken down in the first hail of bullets. Connor – his sixth sense triggered by the pollution mask – had already shoved Eduardo to the ground and was crouching in front of him as more rounds zinged overhead. The security personnel for the other guests returned fire. They killed one of the gunmen and wounded another. But their only priority was to save their own Principals. Eduardo wasn’t their concern at all.

  Retreating to their vehicles, the bodyguards were eager to make a quick getaway from the kill zone. And with Eduardo’s security detail dead, that left the two of them to fend for themselves, Connor now his Principal’s sole source of protection.

  Connor glanced back and cursed. The gates to the compound had been automatically sealed shut against the attack. That meant they were cut off from their nearest escape route. This left them just one option of survival – their bulletproof SUV.

  ‘Keep your head down,’ Connor instructed as he thrust Eduardo behind the shelter of a parked car. Peering through the side window, Connor saw the masked gunmen closing in. He was stunned at the bold and brutal nature of their ambush. Targeting a secure compound with multiple armed bodyguards, the attackers were taking a serious gamble. But their audacious assault meant this was an all-or-nothing mission. They clearly had a specific target in mind … and, considering both Eduardo’s bodyguards had been shot dead in the first few seconds, Connor could only assume that target was Eduardo.