‘No,’ Chloe said definitively. ‘Wait until we’re out of Luton. I want to get as far out of this godforsaken hole as I can.’
‘And never come back,’ Bruce added.
48. SIN
It was eleven o’clock when James arrived back on campus and closer to midnight by the time he’d ditched his paper suit and cleaned up. Dana was asleep, but he was desperate to see her.
‘Hey,’ James said softly, as he sat on Dana’s bed and reached across to dab her on the chin. She always slept in the far corner of her double bed, with her face buried and a shoulder touching the wall.
James got a rush as she opened her eyes and gave an involuntary smile. She shuffled across the bed and gave him a toothpasty kiss.
‘How did everything go today?’
‘Not great,’ James said wearily. ‘I ended up robbing an airport, our informant seems to have stitched us up and made off with half a million quid’s worth of cocaine and the cops didn’t arrest half the people we were expecting to.’
‘I saw the robbery on the news,’ Dana yawned as she sat up. ‘It goes like that sometimes, mate. In fact, in my case I think it’s gone like that a bit too often.’
‘Listen,’ James said. ‘I’ve got something to tell you. Kind of a confession.’
Dana cracked a giant smile. ‘Who was she? Not April Moore again?’
James was taken aback by the casual response. ‘It wasn’t April but, I mean … How can you put it like that?’
‘I know what you’re like,’ Dana explained. ‘Your eyes are out on stalks every time something goes by in a short skirt and I’m a realist: you were gonna get up to something on a mission sooner or later.’
‘But that’s not really me,’ James said. ‘Well … I was like that when I was with Kerry. But I cheated on her loads of times and it ended up that there were all these lies between us; and Lauren blackmailing me and people making comments behind my back. It got so that I could hardly look Kerry in the eye. I hated all the lying and I was never going to cheat on you.’
Dana looked confused. ‘But you did anyway?’
James wrung his hands together. ‘Well here’s the thing. I was kind of…Well…I sort of accidently had sex with this guy’s daughter.’
Dana’s mouth dropped before she burst out laughing. ‘Accidentally,’ she hooted. ‘What, you were strolling along minding your own business when you tripped over and landed on a naked girl?’
James was completely thrown. He’d expected tears and violence.
‘It wasn’t like that,’ James said. ‘I was having a bath. She threw off her clothes and climbed in with me. She was pretty sexy and … I mean, let’s face it, no guy is gonna turn that away.’
‘OK, you’ve confessed,’ Dana said icily. ‘What now?’
Now that she’d stopped smiling, James could see the hurt in her eyes. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I was stupid and I swear it’ll never happen again. You can do anything you like to me. I mean, if you feel like hitting me you can hit me. Or I’ll buy you dinner, or write one of your essays – anything. Just please give me another chance.’
‘Does anyone else know?’ Dana asked.
‘Bruce overheard, but he’s sworn to secrecy.’
‘So you didn’t rush up here to tell me before I found out some other way?’
James shook his head as he stepped off the bed and held his arms out wide. ‘Take a swing,’ he said. ‘Break my arm, kick me in the nuts; I totally deserve it.’
‘No,’ Dana said thoughtfully. ‘You only want me to hurt you to appease your guilt. You want me to do a Kerry, and go mental and throw stuff at you and punch you and call you every name under the sun. Then you think we’ll kiss and make up and go on exactly like before. Well I’m sorry, but I’m not giving you the satisfaction.’
James felt his heart sink. ‘You’re dumping me?’
‘Did you hear me say that?’
‘I don’t know what you’re saying,’ James said, holding his hands to his head. ‘You’re acting all weird. Can you at least tell me how you feel, or something?’
Dana scratched her nose. ‘I don’t know … Hurt, confused. I can’t just forgive you, but I’m impressed that you were honest when you didn’t have to be. You wouldn’t risk it unless you actually cared about me.’
‘I hated all the lies between me and Kerry,’ James explained. ‘I don’t want it to be like that with you.’
Dana rubbed a spot on the bed. ‘I could do with a cuddle.’
James had a tear welling up as he sat down and pulled Dana tight. ‘I’m really sorry,’ he said. ‘I missed you while I was away and I was so scared that you’d ditch me.’
Dana whispered as her cool fingers slid under James’ T-shirt. ‘You’re fifteen, I’m sixteen, pretty soon we’re going to be doing more than kissing on this bed …’
‘How about now?’ James grinned.
Dana gathered the fat on James’ back and dug in her thumbnail. ‘I wouldn’t push your luck right now.’
‘I’m a pig,’ James admitted, holding up his hands as Dana pushed him away. ‘Sorry.’
‘Here’s the thing,’ Dana said seriously. ‘If this girl goes around jumping into baths with people she hardly knows, I’d say she’s probably slept with quite a few. She might have given you more than you bargained for.’
James shook his head. ‘I’m OK, she gave me a condom.’
‘Well it’s better than nothing,’ Dana said. ‘But condoms aren’t a hundred-per-cent effective and they don’t do anything to prevent crabs or lice. You’d better make an appointment and get yourself checked out.’
‘Dana, come off it. I mean, she’s our age and we only did it once—’
‘You only need to do it once.’
‘But I’m under sixteen,’ James protested. ‘If I go over to the medical unit I’ll get busted.’
‘It’s confidential,’ Dana said.
James groaned. ‘Fine, I’ll make an appointment in the morning.’
‘Good,’ Dana said. ‘But I’ll be going with you to make sure you don’t chicken out.’
‘Why would I chicken out? I’ve had blood tests before.’
‘I’m not talking about the blood test,’ Dana smirked. ‘Remember that video we watched in class? The big long cotton bud that they have to stick up your pee hole to take a swab?’
‘You what!’ James spluttered.
‘You probably didn’t see it,’ Dana continued. ‘Every boy in the room had their eyes shut for some reason …’
‘That looked really painful,’ James winced.
‘It’s up to you, dearest,’ Dana said. ‘But we’ve almost got carried away a couple of times and I’m not taking stupid risks, so you can have the test, or you can get yourself a new girlfriend.’
‘I guess,’ James nodded sheepishly. ‘It’s only pain, right? And I probably ought to anyway.’
‘It’s just a pity they don’t let people watch,’ Dana smiled. ‘I’d be able to make a mint selling tickets.’
EPILOGUE
Following his arrest, SASHA THOMPSON spent eleven days in hospital recovering from his gunshot wound. The body armour almost certainly saved his life. He later faced criminal charges for armed robbery, possession of firearms, stealing a motor vehicle, incitement to riot and criminal damage, and was sentenced to fourteen years in prison.
DAVID KEMP (AKA WHEELS) was captured whilst trying to board a ferry to France with a suitcase containing $250,000. He was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, vehicle theft and using a false passport, and sentenced to four years in custody. He will serve the first part of his sentence in a young offenders’ institution.
SAVVAS THEOKELSIS suffered brain damage, caused by a lack of oxygen as he lay trapped in the door of the truck. The Crown Prosecution Service tried to bring charges, but a judge ruled that he was unfit to stand trial.
Savvas now has severly reduced mental capacity and is looked after by his mother and younger sister. They have lau
nched a bid for financial compensation, claiming that police officers kept Savvas in an airport holding cell for four hours before he got proper medical attention.
KELVIN HOLMES was questioned in connection with the robbery of the hard front. Despite fingerprint and DNA evidence, all the charges were dropped when the dealers he’d held hostage refused to give evidence. Fearing reprisals from the Slasher Boys, Kelvin left the Luton area and is now believed to be living in South London.
Nine other members of the defunct Mad Dogs crew received prison sentences of between three and twelve years for offences relating to the airport robbery. ALAN ‘RIGGSY’ RIGGS received a nine-year sentence.
Police are still seeking four suspects, including the brothers TIM and TONY KRUGER, along with more than one million dollars belonging to the United States government.
The Crown Court threw the book at JUNIOR MOORE. He was charged with armed robbery, possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine, resisting arrest and violating parole. He got a seven-year sentence, the maximum that can be handed to someone under the age of sixteen.
The sentencing judge asked that Junior be given a priority placement on a treatment scheme for youngsters with drug and alcohol problems. Unfortunately, funding for these schemes is limited and priority is given to youngsters serving shorter sentences.
DeSHAWN ANDREWS (AKA MAJOR DEE) was questioned in the aftermath of the warehouse riot, but released without charge. Over the following months he masterminded an increasingly bloody gang war between the Slasher Boys and Runts. One casualty of the war was the Green Pepper café, which was gutted in an arson attack.
In mid 2007 several of Major Dee’s closest associates were arrested in connection with the murder of AARON REID and two other teenage boys. Fearing prosecution, Dee fled the country and is believed to have returned to his native Jamaica. He is currently wanted for questioning in connection with eleven murders.
SIMEON BENTINE is now believed to have masterminded the operation to steal the cocaine from the drums of cooking oil, under the noses of the police, Mad Dogs and Slasher Boys. He successfully sold on the cocaine and escaped Britain, but associates of Major Dee eventually caught up with him. His mutilated body was recovered by the Jamaican police.
NORMAN LARGE and his adopted daughter HAYLEY now live seventy kilometres from CHERUB campus. Norman has worked as a security guard and a shop assistant. His application to train as a prison officer was turned down due to his heart problems.
After his savage beating at the hands of Sasha Thompson, ill health forced CHRIS JONES to resign both from his council seat and from his day job as a science teacher. He continues to have difficulty with his vision and is partly paralysed down his left side.
CHIEF INSPECTOR MARK RUSH remains in charge of the Bedfordshire anti-gang taskforce. Despite the failure of the grand scheme to capture the Mad Dogs and Slasher Boys in one swoop, Rush regarded the demise of the Mad Dogs as an important step forward in the battle against gang violence.
An investigation into how Sasha Thompson learned of the police raid on the warehouse uncovered links between the Mad Dogs and two administrative staff within the anti-gang taskforce. Both were dismissed after a disciplinary hearing, but there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges.
The CHERUB ethics committee wrote a lengthy report on the anti-gang mission. Although they praised the four young agents for their commitment and bravery, CHLOE BLAKE and MAUREEN EVANS were criticised for underestimating the dangers involved.
After leaving CHERUB campus, KYLE BLUEMAN spent seven weeks living with Meryl Spencer. He set off on a round-the-world holiday with his old friend Rod Nilsson. When he returns he will begin studying law at Cambridge University.
Zara Asker has forgiven Kyle for the incident with Norman Large and agreed that he can visit his old friends during the holidays and earn some money helping out around campus.
DANA SMITH made the clinic appointment for JAMES ADAMS. The examination was more embarassing than painful and the results were all clear.
LAUREN ADAMS is unhappy about being suspended from missions but gets on with most of the young red-shirts she has to look after each evening. However, there are a couple who she’d quite happily crack around the head.
GABRIELLE O’BRIEN’s fitness continues to improve. She is now jogging regularly and has begun non-contact combat training in the dojo. Her relationship with MICHAEL HENDRY remains as close as ever.
Chairwoman Zara Asker was impressed with the quick thinking BRUCE NORRIS showed to preserve the evidence inside the van and with the rest of his performance throughout the anti-gang mission. He was awarded the black CHERUB T-shirt.
READ ON FOR THE FIRST
CHAPTER OF THE NEXT CHERUB
BOOK, THE SLEEPWALKER.
1. BACK
Bethany Parker had been away on a mission for eight months, which was long enough for plenty to change on CHERUB campus. There was a line of freshly planted saplings along the path that led to the main entrance, new floor tiles in the main building and an enormous satellite dish in the gravel outside the mission preparation building.
But it was the other cherubs that really made Bethany feel like she’d missed out: girls had different hairstyles and cute boys had succumbed to acne; there were qualified agents she’d never even seen and new red shirts who seemed impossibly tiny.
As she stepped out of the lift on the ground floor, Bethany spotted the handler Meryl Spencer. The athletically built Kenyan broke into a warm smile.
‘Nice tan, Bethany. We’ve been hearing good things about you.’
Bethany was slightly embarrassed by the compliment. ‘Thanks Miss … I’m looking for Lauren, have you seen her around?’
‘She’s probably over by the vehicle shop. There’s supposed to be some kind of race, or something. I expect your brother Jake will be up there too.’
Bethany felt guilty as she realised she’d prioritised finding her best friend over her kid brother. After jogging down a short corridor, she stepped through the back doors of campus’ main building and ran down the path between the all-weather tennis courts. Her combat trousers and boots felt clumsy after eight months in parts of Brazil and the United States where she’d rarely worn anything heavier than shorts and sandals.
The sun was dropping below the horizon as she crossed the deserted playing fields. Orange light pierced the trees and made her squint, but being back on campus felt good. The cool evening air was a change from humidity and she deliberately ran through the muddiest part of a goalmouth because she felt more at home with a bit of CHERUB campus stuck to her brand-new boots: after a struggle she’d discovered that her old pair didn’t fit.
‘Lauren,’ Bethany shouted, as she came over the brow of a slight hill. Down below, a crowd of thirty kids were gathered in a car park. They mostly faced towards a squat workshop with aluminium sides. The three sets of hangar-style doors along the front were open. Inside were brightly lit workstations covered with tools and four cars in various states of disassembly.
All vehicles in the CHERUB fleet got upgraded in this workshop: stiffer suspension, satellite tracking, performance-tuned engine, plus tinted glass and subtly altered controls to make life easier for under-aged drivers. To ensure the highest standards of reliability, routine servicing and repair work was also done on campus, along with occasional special jobs such as fitting a car with a hidden compartment, or installing listening devices.
Quite a few people turned to see who was shouting. Lauren Adams gasped as she recognised her best friend. She backed out of the crowd and charged up the hill to give Bethany a hug.
‘My god,’ Lauren screamed happily, as the two girls pulled each other tight. ‘I didn’t even know you were back. Why didn’t you text me?’
Bethany smiled and made a little squealing sound. ‘I wanted it to be a surprise.’
‘When did you get back from Brazil?’
Bethany looked at her watch. ‘Our jet landed at the RAF base down the road f
ive hours ago, but I had to go straight into an emergency debriefing with Maureen Evans and then I had to see the chairwoman.’
Lauren looked at her friend’s navy CHERUB T-shirt. ‘Promotion too. Well done!’
‘Zara told me I deserved black,’ Bethany said. ‘But you only get that for outstanding performance on more than one mission, no matter how long you’re away.’
Lauren nodded sympathetically, though she was secretly pleased that she still outranked her friend. ‘So how was the mission?’
‘Hard work, but we took care of business in the end. How about you, are you still suspended?’
Lauren shrugged. ‘I spent a few days doing security tests on RAF bases, and I helped a pair of new agents settle into a mission over in Northern Ireland, but I’m still banned from going on any big missions of my own for another month.’
‘I brought you back a present, but I thought I’d save it for your birthday next week,’ Bethany said, before stopping to give a curious look at a small girl dashing up the hill towards them.
‘This is Coral,’ Lauren explained, as the six-year-old sidled up to her. ‘When I got punished I had to go and help out in the junior block. You know, putting the little red shirts to bed and reading them stories and stuff? But I enjoyed it, so I still go over there to help out and I get enough learning credits out of it that I don’t have to do stupid dance or drama lessons any more.’
‘Cool,’ Bethany smiled. ‘Though I’ve never understood what you’ve got against drama classes.’
Lauren tutted as Coral slid her hand in Lauren’s trouser pocket and shyly nuzzled her leg.
‘Drama’s so moronic,’ Lauren moaned. ‘Remember that time Mrs Dickerson had us waving our arms around pretending to be trees for a whole hour?’