The Bodyguard (Hosie)

Chapter 27

Getting out of her seat, Hope raised her arms above her head and stretched. She shook out the tension from her muscles and jogged about in the room she'd been holed up in for the past two hours. Things were getting boring but she couldn't lose focus. It was always when people let their guard down that danger would strike. Hope couldn't afford to let it happen. She would never forgive herself if her client's daughter was harmed because of her failure.

The street was empty at this time of the night. A quick scan revealed nothing. Feeling stiff as a steel pole, Hope sighed and did more stretching exercises to maintain her readiness to act at a moment's notice. She was reaching for her foot when she caught sight of movement on one of the security monitors. Abandoning her stretching immediately, Hope scanned the six monitors she'd set up in the room.

"Damn," she muttered. There were not one, not two, not three, but four men moving stealthily towards the house and scaling the wall. She had little time to get there but she stopped to send a text message to her client and his daughter; 'Lock yourself in the bathroom now'. Then she spent a few more precious seconds to call for police reinforcements.

Taking another glance at the monitors, Hope saw the security present at the house apprehending one of the men and was somewhat relived. But that didn't lessen her worry for her client's daughter, and even before she was done with the call, Hope was racing out the front door and onto the dark street, weapon in hand as she gave the police the address of the house.

Call finally done, Hope could hear her heart thudding away in her chest as she sped across the street and up the slope to the house. She could also hear scuffling in the distance as she scaled the wall, which added to the adrenaline that was pulsing through her veins. Her phone vibrated in her pocket but she didn't have time to check it. Her top priority was to get to her client's daughter's bedroom.

Based on what she last saw on the monitors, the west side of the compound was covered by the existing security guards on the property, so Hope turned to the east side, bearing in mind that her client's daughter's room was on the east side anyway. Owing to the patrols and scouting done prior to this, Hope knew her way around the compound like her own home even though there was little light to help her find her way. Her route to the east wall was undisturbed which meant the intruders would be entering from the west or front door and making their way to their target through the house. So if her assumptions were correct, she had some time to climb up to the second level and get to her client's daughter's bedroom.

Hope wasn't concerned with apprehending the men. Her only aim was to protect the woman she was hired to guard. And the quickest way was up. Hope sheathed her weapon as she looked up the wall, mapping her way into her destination. Then, she backed up a few steps, did a short sprint and launched herself into the air with a foot pushing off the bench that was against the wall. She stretched her arms and fingers, barely managing to grab hold of the ledge above. Without breaking the momentum, Hope ran up the wall, each foot toeing up so that she was able to pull herself up and get a knew on the ledge.

When both her feet were secured on the ledge, Hope pressed her back against the wall and crab walked her way to the window. Thankfully, it was left open, the curtains flapping in the light breeze of the night. A quick check inside the room revealed its emptiness. Clearly, the intruders had yet to get here. But where was the woman she had to protect?

Hope entered through the open window and headed straight for the bathroom. If her text message had been read by her intended recipients, there would be where she could find the woman. The door was locked when she tried to open it. Good.

"Come out now. It's me, Hope. I'm here." Hope shouted through the door.

"Hope? Is that you?"

"It's me. Hope. Open the door." Hope was unprepared for the rush of emotions that hit when she saw her client's daughter's tearful face. Her arms reached for the woman of their own accord and Hope pulled her into a tight embrace. "You're safe. Thank God, you're safe."