Bodyguard: Ransom (Book 2) (34 page)

Beginner’s luck. That’s all it had been.

Connor was a fool to think he possessed the skills to be a bodyguard. It was luck that had saved the President’s daughter’s life that day. Not him. And now good fortune had turned its back on Connor. He was a captive of the pirates, the same as Chloe, Amanda and the
Orchid
’s crew. Just another hostage … another liability.

Connor clenched his fists in frustration and despair. He wanted to scream. To tear down the walls of the storage room that was now his prison. Why had he ever thought he could follow in his father’s footsteps? What had possessed him to do the very job that had
killed
his father?

And that would now end his own life.

Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.

That’s what Colonel Black had said. Well, Connor had certainly learnt the hard way not to trust his Principals. Not that such knowledge would be of any use to him now. He’d be dead within the next twenty hours – unless Mr Sterling agreed to pay the ransom. But, based on the man’s
previous track record, Connor doubted that would happen in his remaining lifetime. Mr Sterling was stone-hearted enough to gamble with his own daughters’ fate, so from his viewpoint Connor would be expendable. No wonder Emily had turned against her father.

Colonel Black and Charley would, of course, be doing anything and everything to secure his release. But he wasn’t the pirates’ main prize. He was simply leverage in the negotiations. Like the crew, his life would be sacrificed simply to prove the pirates’ resolve.

Connor’s thoughts turned to his mum and gran. How would they cope? His mum’s health was frail enough as it was. His death might even be the end of her. His gran would tough it out, like she always had through life. But he’d promised to see them both soon. And he
never
broke his promises to his gran. Connor fought back tears. He realized this would likely be the one promise that he couldn’t keep.

The door swung open and Connor looked up. Cali the stowaway appeared with a tray. Behind him stood a hollow-cheeked guard, gun slung across his chest, his mouth chewing lazily on khat leaves.

Cali put the tray down at Connor’s feet. There was a steaming bowl of brown mush along with a bottle of water.

‘Is this my last meal?’ said Connor dryly.

‘Goat stew,’ Cali replied, not meeting his eye. He stood. ‘I thought you dead.’

‘What do you care?’ snapped Connor. ‘I should’ve trusted my gut instinct on the yacht. You’re a pirate and a liar. Just like Emily.’

‘
Hadal ma jiro!
’ barked the guard.

Cali hurried out of the room and the guard slammed the door shut.

Connor eyed the goat stew, the waft of meat thick in his nostrils. Despite his hunger, he pushed the bowl away. Having seen the animal slaughtered, Connor had no appetite for it. Tomorrow he’d likely be suffering the same fate.

Connor stirred. The exhaustion of the past few days had finally caught up with him and he’d succumbed to sleep. But it was a fitful rest, full of nightmarish visions. Goats with slit throats. Decks awash with blood. Brad’s bullet-ridden corpse bloating in the sun. His own body lying next to it, quivering in a death twitch.

His nerves so on edge, Connor snapped awake as soon as he heard the lock turn. The door swung open and Cali entered.

‘You not eat,’ he said, looking at the untouched bowl of congealing goat stew.

‘I can’t stomach it,’ said Connor, ‘like I can’t stomach you.’

Cali frowned at him. ‘I come to get you.’

A cold dread seized Connor at the impending execution. Surely it couldn’t be that time already. He glanced at his watch. It was only 22:17. Twenty-four hours hadn’t passed.
Does that mean a deal has been struck?
Unlikely in so few hours. In all probability, the pirates were going to torture him to put more pressure on the negotiations.

Connor glanced into the corridor behind Cali. There was no guard in sight. Connor rose to his feet. This might be his last and only chance to escape. He could easily overpower Cali.

‘Where’s the guard?’ asked Connor, preparing to pounce.

‘I tell the guard a boat come. More khat for him. Now I guard you.’

Smiling, Cali stepped aside from the door, offering Connor no resistance and a way out.

Connor hesitated in his attack. He narrowed his eyes at Cali. No longer did he trust anyone.
Is this a trap? A cruel game to break my spirit?

When Connor didn’t move, Cali took a step forward and unslung a familiar rucksack. ‘Your bag,’ he said, his expression expectant as he offered it to Connor.

Connor cautiously took it. ‘Why are you helping me?’

Cali blinked in surprise. ‘You save my life.’

Connor recalled the moment he’d shoved Cali aside as the jug-eared pirate blasted the
Orchid
’s corridor with his AK47. ‘You were in my way!’

Cali shrugged. ‘Still save me.’

‘But you’re one of them.’

‘I
never
pirate!’ hissed Cali, bitterness in his voice.

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘I have no choice,’ said Cali, showing him his scarred arms. ‘They whip me if not.’

He glanced nervously towards the open door. ‘Guard be back soon. I hear bad things. They not release your friends. No one.’

‘What do you mean?’ exclaimed Connor. ‘Not even if the ransom is paid?’

Cali shook his head. ‘They hand them to Seven Sabres. White man order it.’

Seven Sabres? A white man?
Connor was confused, as well as troubled, by this development.

‘You’re in great danger,’ urged Cali. ‘We go now. There are skiffs on port side. We take them. We escape.’

Connor searched the boy’s eyes for any hint of deceit. But saw none. Against his better judgement, he decided he had to trust Cali with his life. After all, what other choice did he have?

Connor waited in the shadows as Cali approached the guard from the other end of the corridor. Connor recognized him as the jug-eared pirate from the yacht. He was dozing, slumped against the wall, his arms wrapped round his AK47 like a pillow. The pirate roused at Cali’s approach and stood up. He muttered something. Cali smiled innocently and produced a handful of green stems. Grunting in satisfaction, Juggs snatched the fresh khat from Cali’s grasp. As he picked through the leaves, searching for the smallest, greenest, most potent ones, Connor crept up behind.

His rescue plan relied on stealth, cunning and a great deal of luck. Cali was opposed to the idea, but Connor refused to leave the ship without Chloe, at the very least, under his protection.

Despite his nerves, Cali kept the pirate’s attention focused on him by chatting and pointing out the choicest leaves.

Connor got within ten paces … then five … three … two … He pressed the barrel of his gun into the small of the pirate’s back.

‘
Gacmaha madaxa saara
,’ said Connor, repeating the Somali phrase Cali had taught him.

The pirate froze, then dropped the khat and obediently raised his hands. Cali grabbed the AK47 before unlocking the door to the captain’s cabin. With a prod from his gun, Connor directed the pirate inside.

A middle-aged Japanese man in a creased and dirty captain’s shirt was startled from his sleep on the sofa. Switching on a table lamp, he scrambled for his glasses.

‘
Nani?
What’s happening?’ he demanded, blinking in astonishment at the teenage boy holding the pirate at gunpoint.

Connor tossed the captain a roll of gaffer tape that he’d taken from the storage room. ‘Quick. Bind him.’

Without needing to be told twice, the captain bound Juggs’ wrists, torso and ankles, and lastly taped up his mouth, pinning his ears back in the process. He then rolled him on to the floor, where Juggs lay helpless as a trussed-up turkey. The pirate, wrestling against his bonds, shook with fury when he saw that he’d been duped by a boy with a flare gun.

Connor pocketed the improvised weapon. The plan had worked; luck once more on his side.

The captain frowned at Connor. ‘I’m Captain Takayama. Are
you
the rescue party?’ he asked dubiously.

‘Sort of. I’m Connor Reeves. Chloe and Emily’s buddy-guard.’

If the captain was surprised, he didn’t show it. ‘You certainly have courage, young man. But where’s the rest of your team?’

‘This is it,’ admitted Connor. ‘Where are the girls?’

The captain pointed to an adjoining door. ‘One of them is in my quarters with Ms Ryder. The other was taken by the pirates to speak with her father.’

‘That’ll be Emily,’ said Connor as he opened the door to the bedroom. He heard someone sleepily protest in the darkness. ‘Chloe! Amanda! Get up. It’s Connor. We have to leave.’

‘Connor?’ Chloe rushed out and threw her arms round him. ‘I thought you were dead!’

Connor experienced a moment of déjà vu. He pulled away, wondering if this was
actually
Chloe … or Emily. He’d confused the twins once before and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake again – not when one was a possible traitor. He studied her face hard, then ran a hand through her hair.

‘What?’ said Chloe, smiling at his touch.

On her earlobe Connor spotted the telltale mole. He was rescuing the right one.

Connor returned her smile. ‘Nothing.’

Amanda emerged barefoot behind her. For once the supermodel wasn’t a picture of unblemished beauty. Her complexion was pale, her hair a mess and her make-up smeared from crying. ‘Captain Locke said the pirates shot you.’

‘They did. But my phone saved me.’ Chloe gave him a perplexed look and Connor added, ‘It’s a long story. Look, we have to go.’

Chloe remained rooted to the spot. ‘What about my
sister?’ she asked, her voice as fragile as glass. ‘The pirates took her.’

Connor didn’t know how to soften the blow. Nor did he have the time to do so. ‘I suspect she’s in league with the pirates. Possibly has been all along.’

Chloe’s eyes glazed over with shock. ‘That’s insane.’

‘I know,’ said Connor. ‘But when I tried to rescue her she tricked me and led me into a trap.’

Chloe went to argue but saw the harsh truth in Connor’s eyes. She sat down on the sofa, struggling to come to terms with her sister’s supposed betrayal.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Connor, laying a hand on her shoulder, ‘but you’re my priority now. And we have to get off this ship before they discover we’ve escaped.’

‘What’s the plan?’ Captain Takayama asked.

Connor explained about the pirate skiffs tethered to the tanker and HMAS
Melbourne
stationed twelve nautical miles due east. ‘It’ll be a blind run in the dark, but Cali says the skiffs are all equipped with VHF radios, fuel and water. Once we’re a few miles clear of the pirates, we’ll contact the navy and hopefully they’ll send help.’

‘It sounds suicidal,’ said Amanda. ‘Why don’t we wait until Maddox pays the ransom rather than risking our lives like this?’

‘Because the pirates never intend to release us. Cali says we’re to be handed to the terrorists – Seven Sabres.’

Amanda went deathly quiet.

Captain Takayama took the AK47 from Cali and flicked off the safety catch. ‘After nearly six months of being a
prisoner, it’s time I was a proper captain again. I must rescue my crew … 
and
yours. I know where they’re being held. And if, as you say, there’s been a fresh delivery of khat, the pirates will be distracted and off-guard.’

‘Cali and I will help,’ said Connor.

‘No, your duty is to these ladies. Get them to safety. We’ll meet on the port side. If there are any problems, just go. Don’t risk your lives waiting for us.’

With a bow of respect to Connor, the captain hurried out of the cabin.