Bodyguard: Target

by Chris Bradford

  He stopped in front of Jason. Broad-chested with bulging biceps and an anvil jaw, Jason was the largest of the recruits.

  ‘The principle is simple,’ said Steve, indicating for Jason to grab his T-shirt as if to assault him. ‘For instance, a wrist will rotate only so far. So, by manipulating it and using the attacker’s own momentum to force it beyond normal movement, you can control and disable that person. Jason, take a swing at me.’

  Still holding his instructor’s shirt, Jason chambered his right fist to let loose a roundhouse punch. As the strike arced towards him, Steve gripped Jason’s left hand between his thumb and forefinger, twisting it back the other way. As he spiralled the wrist to breaking point, Jason instantly abandoned his punch and doubled over in pain. Steve followed up by firmly pushing the back of Jason’s knuckles towards his elbow. With his arm locked out, Jason had no option but to drop to the floor where he lay writhing like a speared snake.

  Charley decided that was a technique she needed to learn – if only to put Jason in his place.

  ‘If I applied a touch more pressure, his wrist would snap like a twig,’ Steve explained matter-of-factly. ‘But to the casual onlooker it would appear I’ve done relatively little. So it maintains the principle of minimum force, which keeps me within the law. And if the attacker has a broken wrist it’s attributed to their own force when resisting, not through any brutality on my part.’

  He released Jason, who shook the ache from his wrist and stood back in line.

  ‘For me, this is what makes martial arts so essential for a bodyguard: the ability to control people with the illusion of minimum force.’

  ‘But what if someone has a knife?’ asked Blake. ‘Surely we have to do more than a basic wrist lock.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ said Steve. ‘But the principle of NRP always applies. Any self-defence must be necessary, reasonable and proportional to the attack. So, if someone has a knife, you have every right to break that attacker’s arm. However, if the potential threat is simply an over-enthusiastic fan, you can’t go around decking them.’

  ‘That’s a shame!’ Jason remarked.

  Steve shot him a hard stare. ‘Maybe so, but we don’t want any of you appearing on a tabloid front page with your fist slamming into a fan’s face while your Principal looks on in horror. Remember, you’re protecting the Principal’s image as well as their safety … and our organization’s covert status.’

  He beckoned Blake to step forward.

  ‘That’s why I’m going to show you how to take down an opponent with just your fingertips.’

  Charley edged forward in anticipation with the rest of the recruits.

  ‘The jugular takedown is an excellent self-defence technique,’ explained their instructor, ‘especially if the aggressor is trying to strangle you from in front.’

  Steve nodded to Blake to reach up and put his hands round his muscled neck in an imitation attack.

  ‘First, locate the notch at the base of the throat, just above the collarbone,’ he instructed, spearing the tips of his right hand and resting his middle finger on Blake’s soft depression of skin. ‘At the same time, slip your other hand behind the attacker’s neck to gain control of their body. Finally, push in and down, hard, aiming towards the ground behind your attacker’s feet.’

  Steve’s move was so quick and Blake’s reaction so sudden and extreme that Charley barely had time to blink before Blake was on the ground, choking and gagging. It was as if their instructor had cut the strings of a puppet.

  ‘If necessary, you can follow up with some disabling strikes before making your escape,’ Steve went on, mimicking a punch to the kidneys and groin. ‘I guarantee this jugular takedown will drop any individual, however big or ugly they are.’

  ‘And Blake sure is ugly!’ teased Jason.

  ‘Take a look in the mirror, dingo head,’ Blake rasped as Steve helped him back to his feet.

  ‘I did but you’d already cracked it,’ replied Jason, much to the amusement of the class.

  ‘Cut the banter!’ barked Steve. ‘Now pair up and practise.’

  Charley felt like a lame duck, standing alone as the other recruits buddied up. Being the only girl, it seemed she was the last choice, the weakest player on the team. Furthermore, all the other recruits had arrived with some combat training, whether it was David’s military experience, José’s street-fighting skills or Jason’s junior championship boxing title. All she could claim were a few months of women’s self-defence classes.

  Blake looked at her. ‘Want to partner up?’

  ‘Sure,’ said Charley, relieved to be asked. She noticed he was still rubbing his throat. ‘Are you all right?’

  Blake nodded, then snaked a hand behind her neck to perform the technique on her. ‘I warn you – it’s a shock when it happens.’

  ‘Fine, I’m read–’ Blake’s fingers thrust into her jugular notch and shut off her windpipe. An awful gagging sensation caused her body to fold in on itself to escape the crippling discomfort. One moment she was standing. The next she was sprawled on the floor.

  ‘Effective, isn’t it?’ said Blake, offering his hand to help her up.

  Charley could only nod as she fought back the desire to vomit. Now it was her turn to inflict the technique on Blake. Clasping his neck with one hand, she placed the tips of her fingers in the notch above his collarbone and pushed. Blake grimaced and gagged slightly but didn’t drop to the floor. His knees didn’t even buckle.

  Charley frowned. What had she done wrong? Their instructor made the technique look so easy.

  ‘In and down,’ Blake reminded her.

  Charley nodded and tried again. This time Blake flinched violently and crumpled under her thrusting fingertips. With surprisingly little strength, she forced him all the way to the ground.

  ‘That’s … it!’ Blake gasped, his eyes bulging in pain.

  Charley smiled and let him go. The jugular takedown was that simple after all.

  ‘Ready yourselves for the Gauntlet!’ announced Steve.

  With nervous reluctance, Charley joined the others at the edge of the hall as they suited themselves up in sparring gear – gloves, shin pads, gumshields and headguards. This was the part of the lesson that she least looked forward to. While the other recruits seemed to relish the challenge of the Gauntlet, for Charley the gruelling experience just emphasized how far out of her league she was. Surrounded by bigger and stronger opponents, she was like a lamb among lions.

  ‘Ladies first,’ said Steve, indicating for Charley to take up position at the head of the two rows.

  Charley braced herself for the walk of pain that was the Gauntlet. Its purpose was to test their developing martial arts skills in preparation for an assault in the real world. She simply had to get from one end of the sports hall to the other … in one piece.

  The first time Charley had faced the Gauntlet she’d almost fled the hall. The prospect of fighting nine adrenalin-fuelled boys each in turn had been daunting to say the least. But Steve had talked her through it, offering instruction at each attack. After a month’s training, though, he evidently thought it was time she walked the Gauntlet alone.

  Heart thumping, Charley took her first step. The hall seemed to stretch on forever while her opponents multiplied like gremlins. Almost at once Blake grabbed the sleeve of her T-shirt. He raised a fist and Charley hesitated, her mind racing through the techniques they’d been taught.

  ‘Thumb compression,’ whispered Blake, fist hovering in mid-air.

>   Grateful for his suggestion, Charley grasped his hand on her T-shirt. Catching hold of his thumb, she squeezed it as if she was gripping a pair of pliers. Blake winced as his thumb joints were compressed. He dropped to his knees in submission.

  ‘Nice choice of technique,’ remarked Steve. ‘Subtle yet effective. But, gentlemen, don’t hold back just because it’s Charley. The enemy won’t.’

  The next recruit took their instructor at his word and launched a left hook that caught her across the jaw. Although the gloves and headguard took the sting out of it, the punch still hit hard and her head rang like a temple bell, stars sparking before her eyes. As she staggered backwards, a second blow struck her in the ribs, winding her. Charley instinctively curled up, shielding herself with her arms and elbows. More punches rained down.

  ‘Come on, fight back!’ urged the recruit.

  Charley reeled from his attack. Her brain jarred by the first punch, she couldn’t think straight.

  Seeing her struggle under the onslaught, Steve called out, ‘Stun then run!’

  A technique from a previous lesson flashed in her mind. Charley flung out her hand in a wild arc, aiming a ridge-hand strike towards the boy’s neck. Steve had told them this was one of the best targets to temporarily disable or drop an opponent. A single sharp blow could cause involuntary muscle spasms and intense pain, while a powerful one focused just below the ear could result in unconsciousness through shock to the carotid artery, jugular vein or vagus nerve. It was the ideal target for a ‘stun then run’ counter-attack.

  The edge of her hand impacted against the boy’s nerve and he lurched sideways, the blow disorientating him enough for her to get away.

  But Charley had barely recovered from that attack when David rushed at her with a rubber knife. She instinctively blocked the weapon with her forearm. It was a messy defence, and if it had been a real knife her arm would have been cut to shreds. He went for another attack. Charley lashed out and punched him in the face. He backed off. But Charley knew that in real life she’d be the loser.

  ‘Don’t punch – palm!’ Steve instructed her. ‘Remember, palm strikes are just as effective as closed fists, without the risk of damaging your hand. Also the strike looks less violent in the eyes of the public. Never forget someone is always watching or filming your Principal and consequently your every move too.’

  Charley had just enough time to absorb this advice when she was grabbed round the throat by José. In this instance, with the jugular takedown still fresh in her mind from earlier in the lesson, Charley jabbed her fingers into José’s windpipe. A sharp thrust towards his feet and he dropped to the floor like a stone.

  ‘Excellent!’ praised Steve. ‘That’s the sort of response I’m looking for.’

  Charley felt a rush of accomplishment. Finally a technique that worked for her! With four down and only five to go, her confidence began to rise. But she wasn’t allowed to relish the moment for long. Jason came up behind and seized her in a reverse chokehold.

  ‘Let’s see you escape this,’ he hissed.

  Charley struggled in his grip. She knew the first thing she had to do was to twist her head in the direction of the attacker’s elbow to relieve the pressure on her windpipe. But Jason was too strong. Charley couldn’t breathe … at all! His bicep pressing on her carotid artery, her head began buzzing. She clawed at his arm, trying to loosen his grip. She elbowed him in the stomach, but to no avail. Within seconds, all the fight went out of her and darkness seeped into her vision …

  ‘Did you have to strangle Charley till she blacked out?’ cried Blake.

  ‘Steve said don’t hold back,’ Jason replied, his tone defensive. ‘Anyway, it was for her own good.’

  ‘How’s that?’

  ‘If she can’t fight me off, what chance does she have against a real attacker? We’re not playing games here, Blake. There are no second chances. If you get it wrong on an assignment, you’ll be coming home in a body bag. I mean, what was the colonel thinking when he recruited a girl?’

  ‘Don’t let Jody hear you say that,’ warned José.

  ‘Jody’s different. She’s an instructor. She knows what she’s doing. Charley doesn’t seem to have a clue. Don’t forget it was her fault we didn’t spot that second casualty during the first-aid assessment. If it weren’t for Charley, we’d be passing all our assessments.’

  ‘That’s unfair,’ said Blake. ‘Charley did her best.’

  ‘Come on, she virtually talked you to death!’ said Jason. The others laughed.

  ‘It’s important to reassure the patient,’ Blake replied evenly.

  ‘Yeah, I bet you’d like Charley to reassure you,’ teased David.

  ‘Leave it out!’ said Blake, obviously embarrassed.

  ‘Well, she certainly didn’t hesitate to give you mouth-to-mouth!’ sniggered José.

  Charley had heard more than enough. Grateful as she was for Blake’s defence of her dignity, she now knew the team’s true opinion of her. As the boys continued with their banter in the adjacent changing room, she quietly closed her locker and headed for the door. She’d been in two minds whether to join the team for dinner anyway. Now she’d lost her appetite entirely.

  Escaping the old Victorian school building that housed their training facility, Charley tramped across the gravel forecourt and wandered the grounds aimlessly. She discovered an old well and perched herself on the lip, her slender legs dangling over the fathomless black hole. Tossing a stone in, she watched it tumble then disappear. A few seconds later she heard it plop into the unseen water below.

  Charley contemplated the void beneath her feet. If she’d been in this dark mood back home in America, she’d simply have gone surfing. But there were no waves within a hundred kilometres of Buddyguard’s remote headquarters. Here it was all sheep, craggy hills and bleak rain. She wasn’t even sure if Wales had sun! The place was a far cry from the warm beaches and glistening waters of California.

  Charley had hoped that Buddyguard would be a fresh start for her. So had her foster-parents, who’d readily agreed to the colonel’s proposal – sold to them as an extension of the peace corps. Jenny had declared that volunteer work was the best thing for a wayward teenager like Charley and had even helped pack her bags.

  But after four weeks of intensive training Charley was still struggling to clear the start line. Aside from martial arts and advanced first aid, she was required to learn about foot formations, body-cover drills, Cooper’s Colour Code, threat assessments, operational planning, world affairs, hostage survival and a whole raft of other security topics that left her head spinning. Then there were early-morning runs up the Welsh mountains, followed by gruelling gym sessions and daily combat classes. On top of all this, she was expected to complete her normal school studies. The learning curve wasn’t so much steep as vertical!

  Charley realized she may have caught the once-in-a-lifetime wave, but she was already on the verge of wiping out. Jason was right: what had Colonel Black been thinking when recruiting her? And why hadn’t he told her that she’d be the only girl recruit?!

  Hearing the crunch of gravel, Charley glanced over her shoulder to see Jody heading her way.

  ‘Hey, Charley,’ her instructor called cheerily. ‘Bugsy said he’d spotted you by the well. Are you OK?’

  Charley shrugged. ‘Yeah, fine.’

  Jody wiped the dirt from one of the well’s granite stones and sat down next to her. ‘You don’t look fine.’

  Charley stared into the black abyss of the well and said nothing.


  ‘I heard you passed out in Steve’s class. You’re not suffering any ill effects, are you?’

  Charley shook her head.

  ‘Then what is it? You can talk to me, you know.’ Her instructor’s tone was soft and sympathetic. ‘Us girls need to stick together.’

  After almost a minute’s silence, Charley thought she might as well come out with it. There was no one else she could talk to. ‘I’m not cut out to be a bodyguard.’

  Jody blinked. ‘What on earth makes you say that?’

  ‘I’m not saying it. The rest of the team are.’

  Jody frowned. ‘Those boys are simply intimidated by you.’

  Charley let out a humourless laugh. ‘Yeah, right. I don’t see them making so many mistakes.’

  ‘Well, I do. All the time. You’re barely a month into training. It’s bound to feel tough.’

  ‘But everything seems to come more naturally for the boys.’

  ‘Don’t you believe that!’ scoffed Jody. ‘They’re struggling just as much as you are. They simply won’t admit it.’

  ‘But I don’t have their advantage of size or strength. Jason’s right. If I can’t beat him, what chance do I have?’

  ‘That’s why you need to be in good shape and in the gym every day.’

  Charley made a face. ‘I don’t want to become some butch bodyguard.’

  ‘You don’t have to. Look at me.’ Jody spread her slim, well-toned arms and displayed her slender yet strong physique. ‘You can be a rose yet still have thorns. Did you know that Wing Chun – the martial arts style Steve is teaching – was developed by a woman?’

  Charley shook her head.

  ‘Well, remember that when you’re training against the boys. Bodyguarding is far more about brains than brawn.’ She tapped a finger to her temple. ‘So next time fight smarter, not harder.’