Traitor by Chris Bradford

Author:Chris Bradford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2018-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

22

Ash was certainly a trouper. Despite a sore throat from smoke inhalation and another failed attempt on his life, he was resolved to perform for his San Francisco fans at the Oakland Oracle Arena that night. He burst onto the stage with a kamikaze-like energy, his gravelly voice more than suiting his style of rock music. As Charley watched him literally rip one of his guitars apart during a solo, then set it on fire, she wondered if Ash’s third brush with death had tipped him over the edge. He was acting as if this might be his last ever concert on earth.

Then again, she thought, his extreme performance might be his way of letting off steam. Whatever, this gig was jaw-dropping, and his fans, sensing Ash’s desperation, were going wild for him.

Behind the scenes, Kay had taken up the reins alongside Terry as tour manager, her presence an iron rod to the band and crew alike. Nothing was being overlooked in terms of stage management or venue security. Everything had been triple-checked. The gigs were being run like a military operation.

But Charley knew someone had slipped the net.

The newspaper threat she’d received couldn’t be clearer. The fire had been a premeditated attack on her and Ash. And if she needed any more proof, she’d subsequently read in a news report that the arson investigators had found the burned-out remains of a housekeeper’s cart wedged behind the fire door on their floor of the hotel.

Charley had harbored a tiny hope that the message on the mirror had been a prank, a hoax or at the most a knee-jerk reaction by a jealous fan at the Dallas concert. But she could no longer delude herself.

The homicidal maniac was on the tour with them.

How else could that person know the hotels they were staying at, discover which rooms she and Ash were in and pass unquestioned through their security checks?

In order to carry out the crimes, the culprit had to have access backstage, to the hotels and to the tour bus. Only somebody with an official pass could move unseen and undetected. The idea of it chilled her blood and made her more paranoid than ever.

The enemy was definitely within!

Charley had her suspicions who the perpetrator might be, but no direct proof. The envelope with its newspaper clipping was now in the pocket of her jeans. She hadn’t yet told Big T or Guardian about it. She knew that Colonel Black would instantly pull her off the assignment, and she didn’t trust anyone else, not even Big T, to keep Ash safe. She had to see this assignment through to the end. It was her duty.

Besides, if the maniac was who she thought it was, then she could handle them easily enough when they showed their hand. But when would that be? And would she be in the right place at the right time to stop them?

Any mistake, delay or miscalculation in her reactions could result in Ash’s death.

Charley remembered the tattoo on Big T’s inner forearm.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.