Charley said nothing. Big T suppressed a knowing grin.
‘She’s a psycho! A wild cat! She broke my finger!’ bawled Gonzo as he was bundled into a police car. ‘You should be arresting her, not me!’
The officer in charge snorted. ‘Why is it that killers always think they’re the victims?’
He shrugged and strode away to his car.
Charley glanced up at Big T. ‘Leave it to the professionals? What am I then?’
‘You’re the real thing,’ Big T replied. ‘Just a pity you didn’t break all his fingers.’
Charley responded with a strained smile.
‘Hey, I certainly would have!’ admitted the veteran bodyguard. ‘Now, come on – we should update the others.’
Charley followed Big T back through the maze of corridors to the artists’ lounge. The atmosphere among the band and road crew was subdued, though there was a buzz as Charley entered the room. She heard whispers of ‘Did she really catch the killer?’
Kay, Terry and Zoe were embroiled in a heated discussion in the tour manager’s office.
‘It could so easily have been Ash!’ said Kay fiercely.
‘Just be thankful Brandon’s been recaptured,’ replied Terry. ‘At least he’s no longer a threat.’
‘But we were looking for the wrong guy! And now Ash is locked up in a mental ward! How did we ever make that mis–’ She broke off as Big T knocked at the door and entered.
‘Charley! Are you all right?’ Kay asked with genuine concern as Big T closed the door behind them.
‘Just about,’ Charley replied, still feeling the throb in her gut where Gonzo had kicked her. ‘That rat Gonzo tried to shoot me with his camera, literally.’
‘Gonzo’s a murdering scumbag,’ declared Big T. ‘But he’s now where he belongs. Behind bars.’
‘What I don’t understand is why Gonzo would want to kill Ash in the first place?’ said Zoe incredulously.
‘He needed the money,’ Big T replied.
‘What money?’ said Terry.
‘The fees he’d earn from his photos,’ explained Big T, ‘to pay off his gambling debt to the mob.’
‘If that’s the case, why wasn’t Gonzo identified as a threat before?’ demanded Kay.
‘He was,’ said Big T. ‘None of us ever imagined, though, he’d go to these lengths to engineer a “unique” photo. He’d bugged Ash’s hotel room, tried to incite him to violence, even caused our car crash in New Orleans – I traced the registration plate of the motorbike back to him. But these tactics are typical of the paparazzi. And, after photographing the fire in San Francisco, it seems he was inspired to murder by Brandon.’
‘Brandon?’ exclaimed Kay.
‘Yes,’ said Charley, joining in the discussion. ‘It bothered me that Gonzo was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was as if he knew about the accidents in advance. We suspect he and Brandon made a deal. Brandon set up the accidents and Gonzo captured them on film.’
‘So, when Brandon was caught, Gonzo took things into his own hands,’ continued Big T. ‘You see, to kill Ash would be the ultimate pay-off in terms of a money shot. It would be like catching the moment John Lennon was murdered.’
‘But he’d be killing the golden goose,’ remarked Terry.
Big T nodded. ‘Yeah, but he’d have made his fortune. Photos of Ash dying would have been sold around the world and earned him millions.’
‘And how is Ash?’ asked Charley. In all the craziness, she’d yet to ask about him. ‘I need to see him.’
‘I gave the clinic a call, but it’s out of office hours,’ replied Kay. ‘The night-duty nurse had an emergency number for the doctor in charge, so I’m waiting for a call back.’
At that moment her mobile rang. She snatched it up and listened. ‘You’re absolutely certain?’ she asked, before listening some more. ‘Thank you, Doctor.’
Frowning, Kay put her phone down. ‘The doctor says the client was escorted to the airport, checked in and taken through to the departure lounge. But it appears he never got on the flight to England. What’s really odd, though, is the doctor insists the tattoo was on his right arm. They definitely had Pete, not Ash, in their care.’
Charley stared at Big T. ‘So where’s Ash?’
‘No more encores? You’ve got to be kidding. This is my third!’ yelled the teen rock star, running back on stage to ear-splitting screams and thunderous applause on the final night of the Indestructible tour.
And what a perfect name for the tour it is, thought Charley. For someone who’d been threatened with death, almost crushed by a spotlight, electrocuted by a mic, trapped by a hotel fire, thrown off the stage, and finally tied up and blindfolded by his doppelgänger, Ash had an amazing resilience – fuelled, it seemed, by the undying devotion of his fans.
After a frantic search of the Staples Center, they’d found Ash bound and gagged inside a locked wardrobe in his dressing room. He’d been in the venue the whole time. According to Ash, Pete had caught a flight down to LA and then taken a taxi to the Staples Center. After conning his way into the venue as ‘Ash’, he’d waited for Ash in his dressing room. Ash had been taken by surprise, tied up and shoved in the wardrobe by Pete.
On his release, Ash had been furious. But when he discovered Pete’s fate he was first shocked and then thankful that his decoy had saved him from that fatal shot. After hearing about Charley’s encounter with Gonzo, his concern focused on her, but Charley assured him she was fine. She was his bodyguard and it was all part of the job.
Kay had launched a demonic investigation into how Pete slipped past security, but gradually calmed down once she knew that Ash was alive and well. With Brandon back in custody, Gonzo behind bars and Pete lying in a morgue, Ash was no longer the target of any known death threats. All the same, everyone on the security team remained alert and on edge for his final concert.
Miraculously, the gig went well – with just one small hitch at the end.
‘I’ve got no more songs!’ Ash admitted, spreading his arms wide in apology to his insatiable fans.
There was an arena-sized groan.
He smiled. ‘Perhaps … I do have one more.’
A huge cheer rocked the venue.
‘It’s brand new. Not even my band has heard it,’ said Ash, perching on a stool and taking an acoustic guitar from a roadie. After a strum to check it was tuned, he reached out to adjust the mic stand … and stopped himself. He glanced offstage at a small group of sound technicians. ‘This one’s earthed, isn’t it, guys?’
Like a group of dutiful meerkats, they all nodded their heads, then laughed at Ash’s joke.
‘This song is inspired by a very special girl in my life,’ Ash announced. ‘It’s called “Angel Without Wings”.’
The audience hushed into near silence as Ash plucked a bittersweet melody from his guitar. With a soulful voice that belied his young age, he began to sing. ‘Time will heal yet memories scar, when the hurt’s so deep, a bridge too far …’
Once more Charley felt her eyes well up with tears and her throat constrict.
‘In times of trouble, I need a helping hand. I look for you, breathe for you, have a need for you …’
Ash looked in Charley’s direction. His eyes met hers as he sang the chorus.
‘You lift me up, lift me up. Make all my troubles fade away …’
For Charley, the whole arena faded to nothing. It was as if Ash was singing only to her. And only she mattered.
‘There stands my angel without wings. Who needs wings … to be an angel?’
‘That’s a number-one hit!’ declared Kay, hugging Ash as he joined them in the artists’ lounge for the after-show party. She was beside herself with excitement. ‘We must get you in the studio as soon as we’re back. It’s all about the moment – and you’ve captured it!’
Charley was equally overcome with emotion. Still reeling from being serenaded to with her very own song, she walked alongside Ash as if floating on air. For the first time in years, her heart felt full – untroubled, complete, at peace.
But she wouldn’t get a moment alone with Ash to thank him for quite a while yet. Band members, road crew, invited guests and media were all lined up to congratulate and compliment him. Ash beamed and nodded his thanks, basking in the praise. After all the storms he’d weathered, Charley felt he deserved his time in the sun.
Stepping away from the throng of well-wishers, Charley spotted Jessie standing alone and apart from the others. The fan-club organizer had been quiet and withdrawn ever since Charley had accused her of trying to kill Ash. The two of them had not spoken a word to each other since. Realizing there’d never be a good time to apologize with the tour ending, this seemed like the best opportunity. Steeling herself, Charley went over to the buffet table, picked up a plate and pretended to browse the food on offer. Oriental spring rolls, gourmet pizza slices, fancy sandwiches, chicken-satay skewers and other delicacies all surrounded a massive tiered cake decorated with candles and the word INDESTRUCTIBLE in icing.
‘Hi, Jessie,’ she said, as lightly as she could.
Jessie ignored her.
‘Listen … I’m sorry for what I said.’
Jessie shot her a hostile stare. ‘Oh, you’re sorry, are you? A little late for that.’
‘Please understand –’
‘No, I understand all right,’ Jessie snapped, rounding on her. ‘It’s not enough for you to steal Ash’s heart. You have to break mine too.’
‘That wasn’t my intention.’
‘Wasn’t it? You accused me, of all people, of trying to kill Ash!’ she said, her mouth twisted into a furious snarl. ‘Ever since we met, you’ve wanted me off this tour. When Ash was upset, you pushed me away. You hogged him to yourself.’ Charley saw Jessie pick up a large knife from the buffet table. ‘You’re always following him around, never letting him out of your sight. Wherever he goes, you go! You’re like his shadow. The poor guy can’t even breathe without you at his back. I don’t know how he stands it.’
Charley took a step away. ‘I said, I’m sorry. I was just doing my job.’
‘Job? Being Ash’s girlfriend isn’t a job!’ exclaimed Jessie in outrage, waving the blade in Charley’s face. ‘And from what I’ve seen you haven’t a clue what PR is either. What I do for Ash is a proper publicity job. I’ve slaved on his fan website night and day, built up his following in this country from nothing. I’ve never asked for thanks. Never asked for anything. I do this because of the love I carry in my heart for him. But still he loves you more. He even writes a song for you!’
She thrust the tip of the knife accusingly at her. Charley didn’t like where this was going and reached for her mobile phone.
‘It doesn’t surprise me you’ve had death threats,’ Jessie went on, still waving the gleaming blade around. ‘You deserve all the hate you get online. I just wish I’d written some of it. Cos that’s how I feel about you!’
As Jessie raised the knife, Charley thrust her iStun into the girl’s gut. Jessie’s whole body convulsed and jerked as three million volts of electricity coursed through her system. The shock was too much for her and she passed out, dropping to the carpet in a heap.
People were quick to notice and Ash came dashing over with everyone else. ‘What’s happened to Jessie?’ he asked.
Not wanting to make any more of a scene, Charley quietly pocketed her phone and shrugged. ‘Jessie must have been … overcome by your performance. She just fainted.’
‘Poor Jessie,’ said Ash, as Big T knelt down beside the unconscious girl and tried to revive her. ‘She was so looking forward to cutting the end-of-tour cake with me.’
‘You stunned her for trying to cut a cake!’ Jason exclaimed during her video call to Buddyguard HQ the next morning from her hotel room on Sunset Boulevard. He laughed. ‘I got away lightly with a dislocated finger then.’
‘You won’t ever forgive me for that, will you?’ said Charley, her cheeks reddening with shame at her over-reaction in using the iStun – the fangirl might have been angry with her but not to the point of murder.
‘Hey, I deserved that,’ said Jason. Charley saw him glance round the briefing room, then lean closer to the webcam. In a lowered voice, he said, ‘Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot, Charley, and we haven’t exactly been best of friends, but I think it’s time I gave you an apology.’
‘For what?’ asked Charley.
‘For being an arse!’
Charley was rendered speechless by his stark self-assessment.
‘I was …’ Jason seemed to struggle for the right words, ‘wrong to assume just cos you’re a girl you’d be no good as a bodyguard. After seeing you in action on this operation – palm-striking guys, resuscitating Principals and taking down not just one but two maniacs – it’s obvious you’re more capable than any of us boys.’ He smiled. ‘Can we start over?’
Charley realized how much Jason must have swallowed his pride to admit this. And, despite their history, she found it easy to forgive and forget. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘And I’m sorry for dislocating your finger.’
‘No worries, they still all work.’ Jason wiggled his fingers in front of the camera. ‘Besides, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so tough on you during training.’
‘Yes, you should,’ Charley said, to his surprise. ‘It was your fight-or-fail attitude that pushed me to go beyond my limits. I’ve a lot to thank you for. The fact you didn’t make any allowances for me during training prepared me for the real world – a world that makes no allowances whatsoever.’
‘Well, if I’d have known that,’ said Jason, grinning, ‘I’d have been an even bigger arse!’
Charley laughed. ‘No, you’re big enough as it is.’
‘Thanks! And you’re one kick-ass bodyguard,’ he replied warmly. ‘I’m proud to be on your team. Well … until I get my own team!’
‘Is that still happening?’ she asked. Having bonded with Jason at long last, the thought of splitting up the original team saddened her.
Jason nodded. ‘As soon as you return from this assignment.’ He glanced off-camera, then back at her. ‘Hey, the colonel wants to speak to you.’
Jason left his seat and Colonel Black’s craggy face appeared on her screen.
‘Outstanding work, Charley. It seems your suspicions were right about Brandon and Gonzo,’ he said. ‘The police have found evidence of coded text messages on the pap’s phone. They contain times and locations that match the accidents and attacks on Ash.’
‘I knew it!’ said Charley.
‘It certainly explains how Gonzo popped up at every disaster on this tour,’ Colonel Black continued. ‘And you’ve done well to keep Ash alive through it all. Operation Starstruck has been an unexpectedly tough assignment. But, as you’ve discovered, fame is a killer.’
Once known as the Riot House, the hotel on Sunset Boulevard was a legend among rock stars. In the 1960s and 1970s, it held the likes of The Doors, The Who and The R
olling Stones. Led Zeppelin would rent as many as six floors and stage motorcycle races in the hallways. The Who’s Keith Moon threw a TV out of the window, setting a trend that John Bonham, Keith Richards and countless other rock gods followed. Lemmy of Hawkwind wrote the classic track ‘Motorhead’ in the middle of the night on one of the hotel balconies. Jim Morrison even hung from a window once by his fingertips, causing a traffic jam in the street below. The Riot House was the place to hang out and party.
Tonight it hosted the official Indestructible end-of-tour party. The rooftop pool and bar were buzzing with celebrities, models, musicians and movie stars. Roadies wandered around wearing T-shirts saying I SURVIVED A WILD TOUR! And security was so tight that even the most famous faces had to produce ID and guest invitations.
Charley, in a strapless white top and black leather jeans, stood with Ash by the pool when suddenly there was a scream from the men’s toilets. The bassist came dashing out, his trousers round his ankles. He shuffled to the bar, grabbed a handful of ice and shoved it down the back of his pants. Everyone stared in stunned silence at the musician’s bizarre behaviour as his pained face melted with relief, then turned to anger.
‘Who laced the toilet paper with chilli powder?’ he demanded.
A ripple of laughter spread among the guests.
Ash turned to Charley. ‘It wasn’t me, but I wish I’d thought of that.’
Charley, fighting to keep her expression straight, replied, ‘He should probably put yogurt on it.’
Ash narrowed his eyes and studied her. ‘I think I’d better watch my back from now on.’
Charley laughed. It had been a long time coming, but she’d finally got her revenge for their prank on her at the start of the tour. She couldn’t bring herself to set up Ash, but the band members were still fair game.
Bodyguard: Target Page 29