the operation. Emily would think him a total idiot –
But he was snapped out of his thoughts when Emily’s laughter suddenly turned to a scream.
The attack happened so fast – and so unexpectedly – that for a split second Connor failed to react …
Then his bodyguard training took over. Seizing Emily’s shoulder with his left hand, he wrenched her away from the threat and stepped forward to shield her with his body.
The inline skater was a blur as he barrelled into Connor. The man grabbed Emily’s Gucci bag and attempted to rip it from her shoulder. His forward momentum spun Connor and Emily round, almost pulling them off their feet.
In an effort to break the skater’s fierce grip, Connor drove his knuckled fist into the tendons of the man’s wrist. The skater, a bare-chested brute with a roaring lion tattoo on his bicep, grunted in pain but hung on tenaciously. Spinning them round again, he caught Connor across the jaw with his elbow. Connor’s head rocked back and he tasted blood. The skater yanked at the bag and the strap snapped. Emily tumbled to the ground, Connor sprawling on top of her.
‘Are you … all right?’ Connor gasped as he watched the mugger skate away, his loot in tow.
She nodded, then stuttered, ‘M-my bag …’
But the high-speed thief didn’t get far.
Ling, who’d witnessed the attack from a distance, snatched a board from a passing surfer and swung it hard at the escaping thief. The edge slammed with full force into the man’s gut. A pained exhalation burst from his lungs and he lost his grip on the bag. Nosediving into the concrete, the skater careered across the path and into a nearby tree trunk.
But no sooner had Ling dealt with this attacker than a second skater charged in Chloe’s direction.
‘Watch out!’ Connor bawled at the top of his lungs. But Chloe just stood there, wide-eyed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
The skater, a dome-headed black man with wrap-around shades, sped towards her with the force of a battering ram. With only seconds to react, Ling discarded the surfboard and launched herself into his path. Small as she was, she collided hard enough to knock him off course. They both struck the concrete sea wall and toppled over the side. Pile-driving into the sand below and crushing a child’s sandcastle, Ling and the skater fought to disentangle themselves.
Meanwhile, Connor rushed over with Emily to her sister in readiness to protect them
both
if he had to.
‘Stay close to me,’ he ordered the girls, as Ling and the skater battled it out on the beach.
Wrestling in his grip, Ling flipped her head back, catching the skater under the chin. His teeth rattled in his skull and he roared in fury. Shoving a large hand into Ling’s face, he pushed her away, rolled on top and used his weight to crush her. Ling was pinned but Connor couldn’t go to her rescue.If he did, he’d be leaving both their Principals unprotected.
He needn’t have worried, though. As the man attempted to subdue her, Ling reached down and pinched a nerve point in the middle of his inner thigh. He yelped like a kicked dog and leapt off Ling as if he’d been electrocuted.
‘Leave me alone, you wild cat!’ he shouted, shocked by her combat abilities.
As Ling flipped to her feet and advanced on him, he snatched in desperation at a handful of sand and threw it into Ling’s face. Too close to avoid the attack, Ling staggered away, half-blinded. By the time she’d wiped the grit from her eyes, the skater had stumbled along the beach and up the steps to the boulevard.
Stunned beachgoers stared at the four teenagers, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
‘Are you OK?’ Connor called to Ling.
‘Yes,’ she replied, still spitting sand. ‘Are the twins safe?’
Still buzzing with adrenalin, Connor scanned the area for further threats. Just because they’d fended off this attack didn’t mean the danger was over.
‘Yes, it seems all clear.’
The
But he was snapped out of his thoughts when Emily’s laughter suddenly turned to a scream.
The attack happened so fast – and so unexpectedly – that for a split second Connor failed to react …
Then his bodyguard training took over. Seizing Emily’s shoulder with his left hand, he wrenched her away from the threat and stepped forward to shield her with his body.
The inline skater was a blur as he barrelled into Connor. The man grabbed Emily’s Gucci bag and attempted to rip it from her shoulder. His forward momentum spun Connor and Emily round, almost pulling them off their feet.
In an effort to break the skater’s fierce grip, Connor drove his knuckled fist into the tendons of the man’s wrist. The skater, a bare-chested brute with a roaring lion tattoo on his bicep, grunted in pain but hung on tenaciously. Spinning them round again, he caught Connor across the jaw with his elbow. Connor’s head rocked back and he tasted blood. The skater yanked at the bag and the strap snapped. Emily tumbled to the ground, Connor sprawling on top of her.
‘Are you … all right?’ Connor gasped as he watched the mugger skate away, his loot in tow.
She nodded, then stuttered, ‘M-my bag …’
But the high-speed thief didn’t get far.
Ling, who’d witnessed the attack from a distance, snatched a board from a passing surfer and swung it hard at the escaping thief. The edge slammed with full force into the man’s gut. A pained exhalation burst from his lungs and he lost his grip on the bag. Nosediving into the concrete, the skater careered across the path and into a nearby tree trunk.
But no sooner had Ling dealt with this attacker than a second skater charged in Chloe’s direction.
‘Watch out!’ Connor bawled at the top of his lungs. But Chloe just stood there, wide-eyed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
The skater, a dome-headed black man with wrap-around shades, sped towards her with the force of a battering ram. With only seconds to react, Ling discarded the surfboard and launched herself into his path. Small as she was, she collided hard enough to knock him off course. They both struck the concrete sea wall and toppled over the side. Pile-driving into the sand below and crushing a child’s sandcastle, Ling and the skater fought to disentangle themselves.
Meanwhile, Connor rushed over with Emily to her sister in readiness to protect them
both
if he had to.
‘Stay close to me,’ he ordered the girls, as Ling and the skater battled it out on the beach.
Wrestling in his grip, Ling flipped her head back, catching the skater under the chin. His teeth rattled in his skull and he roared in fury. Shoving a large hand into Ling’s face, he pushed her away, rolled on top and used his weight to crush her. Ling was pinned but Connor couldn’t go to her rescue.If he did, he’d be leaving both their Principals unprotected.
He needn’t have worried, though. As the man attempted to subdue her, Ling reached down and pinched a nerve point in the middle of his inner thigh. He yelped like a kicked dog and leapt off Ling as if he’d been electrocuted.
‘Leave me alone, you wild cat!’ he shouted, shocked by her combat abilities.
As Ling flipped to her feet and advanced on him, he snatched in desperation at a handful of sand and threw it into Ling’s face. Too close to avoid the attack, Ling staggered away, half-blinded. By the time she’d wiped the grit from her eyes, the skater had stumbled along the beach and up the steps to the boulevard.
Stunned beachgoers stared at the four teenagers, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
‘Are you OK?’ Connor called to Ling.
‘Yes,’ she replied, still spitting sand. ‘Are the twins safe?’
Still buzzing with adrenalin, Connor scanned the area for further threats. Just because they’d fended off this attack didn’t mean the danger was over.
‘Yes, it seems all clear.’
The
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