‘What’s the problem with Code Yellow, Jason?’
Jason looked up from his laptop. Tapping his pen on the lecture chair’s writing tablet, he thought for a moment. ‘Erm … while it’s simple enough to “switch-on” and become alert, the difficulty is in maintaining that state. You can easily drift back into Code White without even realizing it.’
The colonel raised his eyebrows pointedly at Amir to ensure he got the message. ‘But with practice you can “live” in Code Yellow on an indefinite basis. Now, Charley, explain to Connor the last two states of awareness.’
‘Code Orange is a specific alert. Having noticed a potential threat, you evaluate your choices. Run, fight or wait and see, depending on how the situation develops,’ she explained fluidly. ‘Code Red is the trigger. The threat has escalated into a hazardous situation. Having made your decisions in Code Orange, you’re now acting on them.’
‘Exactly,’ said Colonel Black, pleased with her response. ‘You haven’t jumped from Code White to Code Red in a single leap, resulting in potential “brain-fade”. Since your mindset is already in a heightened state of awareness, your body can handle the rush of adrenalin. This means you can run faster, hit harder, think quicker and jump higher than you could seconds before.’
The colonel directed his gaze towards Connor. ‘In short, the Colour Code helps a bodyguard to stay in control and think clearly in a life-threatening situation.’
Connor was now glad of that early-morning run. His brain was just about ‘alert’ enough to take this information in. As Connor made notes on the laptop Amir had provided, the colonel forwarded the presentation to a silhouette of a young boy surrounded by four concentric circles. Each ring was marked with a different acronym from the outside in: RST, SAP, PES and BG.
‘In the majority of assignments, you’ll work as part of a larger adult close-protection team,’ explained Colonel Black. His laser pointer flicked to the outermost circle, RST. ‘The Residential Security Team, as the name implies, manages the physical security of anywhere your Principal’s family might stay – for example, a house, a hotel or a yacht. They’ll perform searches, monitor CCTV and check every visitor in and out. In theory, this should be the safest place for you and your Principal. On the other hand, being a fixed and known location, a residence is the most obvious target for an attack.’
The red beam moved into the SAP circle.
‘The Security Advance Party provides the next layer of protection. They travel ahead of the family, checking that routes and venues are safe. This may happen months in advance, say for a holiday – or minutes, in the case of an impromptu visit to a restaurant. Many potential attacks have been foiled by an observant SAP team. So good communication with them is essential – you don’t want any surprises when you’re out and about.’
The PES circle was now highlighted. ‘The Personal Escort Section provides a crucial layer of defence when the family is on the move. Depending upon the situation, their function may be to provide additional protection or to eliminate a threat and give you time to escape with your Principal.’
The colonel’s laser pointer spiralled in through the circles once more to reinforce their importance.
‘Each of these groups forms a cordon of defence round the Principal and their family.’ His beam stopped at the smallest innermost circle labelled ‘BG’. ‘But as a buddyguard you’ll be the final ring of defence. It’s your ultimate responsibility to shield your Principal from danger.’
The colonel directed everyone’s gaze to the large silver shield and wings hanging over the door of the briefing room. ‘Hence our logo.’
He highlighted three words etched into the burnished metal: Praedice. Prohibe. Defende.
‘Charley, enlighten Connor with our motto.’
‘Predict. Prevent. Protect,’ she recited. ‘Predict the threat. Prevent the attack. Protect the Principal.’
‘This isn’t a mere saying, Connor,’ reaffirmed Colonel Black. ‘This is our method of operation. By identifying a source of danger early, we can minimize the risk of it happening. If we put in place counter-measures, then the Principal will be better protected. Hopefully, we’ll avoid the threat entirely. For example, if your Principal is a famous young TV star, what threat could she face?’
‘A crazed fan?’ suggested Connor.
‘Very likely. Now, say this crazed fan poses a risk of stabbing to your Principal. How can we prevent this?’
‘Body armour,’ volunteered Amir.
‘Effective, but for your Principal to wear this all the time is unrealistic and impractical.’
‘Put a surveillance team on the suspected fan,’ Ling suggested. ‘That way you can track their movements and keep the Principal at a safe distance.’
‘Good. But what if the surveillance team loses the fan?’
‘Then the buddyguard keeps an eye out and provides protection to the Principal,’ said Jason.
‘Exactly. And that’s why you need to remain constantly aware – in a Code Yellow mindset. You have to be continually assessing people who come close enough to harm you or your Principal. Is the person in the crowd reaching for a knife or a gun? Or an innocent mobile phone? Have you seen them before? Do they appear unusually nervous? These are the sorts of questions you need to ask yourself.’
The colonel paused to take another sip of his coffee.
‘Here’s a different scenario: your Principal is on a skiing holiday, there’s a demonstration outside her hotel. What action would you take to ensure her safety?’
Connor thought for a moment. ‘Stay inside until the demonstration moves on.’
‘That’s one option,’ conceded the colonel, ‘but your Principal has to meet friends in the next thirty minutes.’
Unsure what to suggest, Connor looked to the others for help.
‘You could use the PES team to form a protective cordon,’ said Amir.
‘Not ideal,’ replied the colonel. ‘Any contact with the demonstration greatly increases the risk to your Principal.’
Jason put his hand up. ‘I’d leave by a rear exit.’
‘Good,’ Colonel Black agreed. ‘But your Principal’s still ended up in hospital.’
‘Why?’
‘She slipped on the icy step of that rarely used exit.’
Jason threw up his hands. ‘How could I predict that?’
‘You should be on the lookout for all dangers,’ replied the colonel. ‘This is what I like to call “salting the step”. When it comes to analysing the threats against your Principal, leave no stone unturned.’
Colonel Black gestured towards Charley.
‘As Alpha team’s operations leader – and the most experienced buddyguard among you – Charley will help you predict and prevent any threats against your Principal,’ he explained. ‘But it will be down to you alone to protect them. And over the coming weeks you’ll learn the necessary skills to do just that – unarmed combat, anti-surveillance, body-cover drills and anti-ambush exercises, to name but a few.’ He directed his attention at Connor. ‘Alpha team have already completed the introductory lessons, so you’ve a lot of catching up to do. But your martial arts experience should help.’
Draining his coffee mug, the colonel switched off the projector and gathered his papers together.
‘I’ll see everyone after break for our next session.’
Alpha team rose in respect as the colonel departed the briefing room.
Connor shut down his laptop with relief. ‘Phew … there’s a lot to take in,’ he remarked.
‘You’ve barely scratched the surface,’ replied Marc. ‘Your brain will be fried by the end of the month.’
‘That’s if he’s got a brain!’ cracked Jason.
‘Leave him alone,’ said Ling. ‘Just because yours still needs to evolve!’
Jason made a grab for her. Ling sidestepped him and danced down the corridor. As the others headed towards Alpha team’s common room, Connor hung back. Walking over to Charley, he bent down to pick up her bag.