Chris Bradford - Bodyguard - Fugitive (6)

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 childrens 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

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 hes writing about
Simon, ex-SO14 Royalty Close Protection

A gripping page-turner that children wont 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

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.

Thats 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 childs 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 wrestlers 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 piata could generate, even at a fourteenth birthday party. Then again hed only ever imagined fruit and sweets to be stuffed inside the papier-mch 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.

Thats a powerful swing you have there, Connor, said Carlos Silva, the birthday girls father, his English smoothed out by his Latin American accent.

Connor shrugged and, by way of an excuse for his surprising strength, replied, Ive played a lot of cricket, Seor 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 piata symbolizes the devil. You have to hit him hard to make him let go of all the good things hes stolen. The devil has clearly stolen a lot from you!

Connor responded with a bittersweet smile. There was more truth to the tycoons words than the man would ever realize. He wished that hitting the piata could bring back his father, whod 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 piata-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 approached Connor. He wrapped an arm round Connors 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 theyd met and over the past few weeks had become firm friends.

Hey, didnt you get anything from the piata? 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 didnt! 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