Bodyguard: Ransom (Book 2) (38 page)

Connor was sparring with Ling in the Buddyguard gymnasium when Charley entered and announced, ‘Good news! Todd Logan and Doug Carter have been caught.’

Momentarily distracted by the news, Connor almost got his head knocked off by a roundhouse kick from Ling. He countered with a front-kick, then backed away to a safe distance. Amir rang the bell, pausing the boxing-ring timer at one minute and twenty-two seconds remaining. Connor wiped the sweat from his brow, while Ling took a slug from her water bottle.

‘Where did they find them?’ he asked, handing his towel back to Amir.

‘It took a while, but the police tracked them down to a guesthouse near Broken Hill in the Australian Outback,’ Charley replied. ‘They’ve confessed to planting the bomb. Just as you thought, Connor, Todd had attached the device after the security teams had completed their sweep.’

‘Have they said
why
they did it?’ asked Ling.

‘For the money. It was just another job as far as they were concerned.’

‘So who hired them?’ asked Connor.

Charley brought up a photo on her smartphone of a tanned middle-aged man with auburn hair. ‘Mr Joseph Ward.’

‘Mr Sterling’s business rival!’ gasped Amir. ‘The one he exposed for corporate fraud.’

‘The very same,’ replied Charley. ‘Ward blamed Mr Sterling for destroying his life and family. And he was determined to take his revenge on Mr Sterling’s family. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.’

‘But isn’t he still in jail?’ said Ling.

‘Yes. And guess where the two ex-cons both served their last sentences? Long Bay Prison. The same prison Ward is being held in.’

Amir frowned. ‘But how did Ward pay them? When I was compiling Operation Gemini’s threat report, the papers said all his assets had been seized by the courts.’

‘As you know, Mr Sterling has
many
enemies. Not that it surprises me,’ said Charley, raising an eyebrow. ‘The disgraced politician Harry Gibb funded the criminal operation.’

‘But he died of a suspected heart attack,’ said Connor.

Charley nodded. ‘Gibb had wanted revenge, for having his illegal dealings exposed by Mr Sterling’s newspapers. However, he didn’t have the necessary criminal contacts – whereas Ward did. Ward’s now been charged with
multiple
counts of attempted murder, Todd and Doug having also admitted to sabotaging the jet skis.’

Connor and Ling exchanged astonished looks.

‘Sorry, Connor,’ said Ling, holding up her gloved hands in apology. ‘Those dudes
were
in the Seychelles.’

‘Does this mean Ward was also responsible for the hijacking?’ asked Connor.

Charley shrugged. ‘He denies knowing anything about that. The Australian Federal Police are investigating further, but we may never know the truth. I tell you one thing, though: Chloe and Emily were just innocent victims in this tangle of revenge against their father.’

‘Those poor girls,’ said Amir, touching his cheek where they’d both kissed him.

‘They didn’t do too badly,’ said Ling. ‘They had Connor protecting them.’

Connor grinned – that was the closest he’d get to a compliment from Ling. He allowed himself a moment to enjoy the feeling. But already Ling had raised her gloves into a fighting stance.

‘Come on, hotshot. The round’s not over yet.’

Amir rang the bell and restarted the timer. Connor needed to be on his guard – Ling
always
won her fights. But if his recent assignment had taught him one thing, it was that Charley’s motto was true:
If you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re probably right
. So this time he was determined to win …

This is my tenth novel. And I can tell you the writing process doesn’t get any easier. In fact, I believe it becomes harder. The bar to entertain, surprise and thrill the reader is set higher each time. That’s why I continue to rely on so many people to ensure I deliver the best story I can. So I’d like to thank the following who have supported me from start to finish:

My long-suffering wife, Sarah, who has to manage the ebbs and flows of elation and despair that I experience when writing. My two wonderful sons, Zach and Leo, you are a constant inspiration for me. My mum and dad who diligently help to proofread all my drafts. Sue and Simon for helping with the boys and keeping our garden looking lovely. Steve and Sam for taking the boys swimming; and Karen and Rob for being such wonderful friends.

Charlie Viney, my agent, who has my best interests at heart all the time. Clemmie Gaisman and Nicky Kennedy at ILA. Pippa Le Quesne for her insightful advice.

My team of loyal Puffin editors: Alex Antscherl, Shannon Cullen, Wendy Shakespeare and Helen Gray.

A special thanks must go to Abdilahi Nur and his
mother for checking the Somali translation.
Mahadsanid
.

Trevor Wilson and Shelley Lee at Authors Abroad for all their diligent work in organizing my book tours around the world.

And all my good friends for their encouragement and support, including but not exclusive to Geoff and Lucy, Matt, Charlie, Jackie and Russell, the members of the HGC (Dan, Siggy, Larry, Dean, Giles), my cousin Laura and the Dyson clan (especially my god-daughter Lulu!).

Stay safe.

Chris

Any fans can keep in touch with me and the progress of the Bodyguard series on my Facebook page, or via the website at
www.bodyguard-books.com