Chris Bradford - Bodyguard - Hostage (1)

PUFFIN

Chris Bradford is a true believer inpractising what you preach. For his award-winning YoungSamurai series, he trained in samurai swordsmanship, karate, ninjutsu and earned hisblack belt in Zen Kyu Shin Taijutsu.

For his new Bodyguard series, Chris embarkedon an intensive close-protection course to become a qualified professional bodyguard.During his training, he acquired skills in unarmed combat, defensive driving, tacticalfirearms, threat assessments, surveillance, and even anti-ambush exercises.

His bestselling books are published in overtwenty languages and have garnered more than eighteen childrens book awardnominations, including shortlist for the Red House Book Awards 2009 and winner of theNorthern Ireland Book Awards 2011.

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

Chris lives in England with his wife, twosons and two cats.

For Zach and Leo

May you protect one another through life

PUFFIN BOOKS

Breathtaking action as real as itgets

Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling ArtemisFowl series

Wholly authentic the action and pace arespot on. Anyone working in the protection industry at a top level will recognize thatthe author knows what hes writing about

Simon, ex-SO14 Royalty Close Protection

Fierce fiction captivating for youngreaders

Daily Telegraph

The most exciting fight sequences imaginableon paper!

Booklist

More and more absorbing vivid andenjoyable

The Times

An adventure novel to rank among thegenres best. This book earns the literary equivalent of a black belt

Publishers Weekly

The drivers knuckles turned white ashe gripped the steering wheel of the Humvee and planted his foot hard on the pedal. Theimmense engine roared and the armoured vehicle shot on to the bomb-blasted road.

As the Humvee tore across the potholedconcrete that stretched into the distance like the cracked skin of a dead snake, the twopassengers in the back could only stare at the hellish images of a war-torn Iraqwhipping past their windows. Barren patches of garbage-strewn desert, burnt-outcarcasses of abandoned vehicles, crumbling buildings pockmarked with bullet holes, andthe haunted faces of Iraqi children scavenging among the rubble.

The younger of the two passengers, afresh-faced female diplomatic aide with styled blonde hair, wiped away a tear with anunsteady hand. The other, a tall handsome Hispanic man with strong cheekbones and deepbrown eyes as sharp as an eagles, was more composed. Yet his tense grip on theseats armrest betrayed his deeper unease.

The bodyguard alone remained impassive,strapped into the front passenger seat, his MP5 sub-machine gun acrosshis lap. Hed survived this run many times. Not that it made the drive any easier.Less than 12 kilometres long, this sweeping bend of road was the sole artery thatconnected Baghdad International Airport to the Green Zone the fortress-like militaryand governmental safe haven in the heart of Baghdad. This made Route Irish the mostdangerous stretch of highway in the world a ready-made shooting gallery for terroristsand insurgents. Any attempt to travel the route was little more than a suicidaldash.

And today the stakes are evenhigher, thought the bodyguard, glancing over his shoulder at the newlyappointed US Ambassador to Iraq. Usually the Americans arranged for a helicopter totransport senior officials between the airport and the zone, but high winds and thethreat of a sandstorm had grounded all aircraft.

The bodyguards eyes scanned theterrain beyond the bulletproof glass. In front and behind were three more Humveesthundering down the highway, forming a formidable military escort. These vehicles werearmed to the teeth with mounted M2 heavy machine guns and MK19 grenade launchers. As theconvoy raced along, the lead Humvee cleared the road ahead, barging civilian vehicles toone side if they didnt move out of the way quickly enough.

An underpass came into view and thebodyguard tensed. This was a prime spot for an attack. The bridge would have been sweptfor improvised explosive devices the night before. But that didnt meanall the IEDs had been discovered. His hand instinctively felt for the keyfob in his pocket. He carried it with him everywhere. It contained aphoto of his smiling eight-year-old son. Squeezing the talisman, the bodyguard vowed as he always did that he would survive the journey, if only for the sake ofhis son.

As they passed beneath the graffiti-scrawledbridge, he kept his eyes peeled for dickers lookouts who phoned ahead torebel fighters lying in wait. The call might trigger a vehicle packed with explosives, aroadside IED, a suicide bomber, a drive-by shooting or even a barrage of mortars androcket-propelled grenades. The bodyguard had witnessed all these assaults at one time oranother, and they always ended in tragedy.

Emerging on the other side of the underpass,he heard the driver breathe a sigh of relief as he gunned the Humvee faster towards theGreen Zone. The bodyguard resumed his surveillance sweep scouring for threats amongthe surrounding traffic, the tree stumps on the central reservation, the housing estatesto the south, and the approaching overpass and ramps of the next concrete-jungleintersection.

This isnt good,muttered the driver as their convoy began to slow to a snails pace. In thedistance the traffic had ground to a halt.

The HF radio burst into life.Tango One to Tango Three. Collision up ahead.

From the rear vehicle, the team leaderresponded. Tango One, this is Tango Three. Push on through. Use the centralreservation.

The lead vehicle approached the hold-up. Asit mounted the kerb, the bodyguards attention was drawn to adead dog lying at the side of the road. The carcass, left to rot in the sun, appearedunnaturally bloated.

Then, as their own vehicle drew closer, thebodyguard spotted a man on the overpass, talking into his mobile phone. His instinctskicked into overdrive and he reached across to yank the steering wheel hard right.Startled, the driver gave him a furious look as their Humvee veered off the highway.

A split second later the booby-trapped dogexploded, engulfing the lead vehicle in a ball of flame.