CHERUB: Mad Dogs (15 page)

Team two will consist of James Adams and Bruce Norris. James will reprise his role as James Beckett from his 2004 anti-drugs mission. Bruce will take on the identity of James Beckett’s cousin. They will work with mission controller Chloe Blake.

Their task will be to infiltrate the Mad Dogs, initially by rekindling James’ past relationship with Junior Moore. They will live in the Bedfordshire Halfway House along with Michael, but for the purposes of the mission they must pretend not to know one another.

Due to the high risk of this mission, overall control for the operation will be handled directly by chairwoman Zara Asker, with Chloe Blake in charge of day-to-day operations.

T
RAINING
AND
P
RECAUTIONS

When the ethics committee approved the expansion of this mission they imposed strict conditions:

(1) Before being redeployed, all agents will be issued with protective equipment including body armour, easy-to-conceal knives, miniature stun guns and a small handgun for use in situations of extreme danger.

(2) The ethics committee has placed the mission on seven-day review status. This means that three members of the committee will review the progress of the mission every week. If they feel the situation has become too dangerous they will cancel the operation and order the agents back to campus.

(3) All agents are reminded of their right to refuse this mission or to withdraw at any time.

‘Here’s what I don’t get,’ James said, as he waggled his copy of the briefing in the air. ‘How can we go around with guns and body armour? We’re hardly going to blend in, are we?’

‘Actually, there’s been that many stabbings and assaults going down that most gang members are wearing protection,’ Michael said. ‘I’m not so sure about kids our age packing guns though.’

Terry Campbell cleared his throat. He was an old bloke with a bristly white beard. His job with the technical department mainly involved communications equipment, such as adapting the mobile phones CHERUB agents used to work on any network, or manufacturing listening devices that looked like personal items belonging to a target. He also dealt with weapons, physical protection and all the other equipment agents used on their missions.

‘I’m looking at issuing all three of you with sub-compact handguns that will fit under your clothing,’ Terry began. ‘I’ll get three new weapons, each one a slightly different model, then I’ll rough up the exteriors to make it look like they’re the kind of piece that you might have picked up on the street. But internally, they’ll be in excellent shape. As you’re using them primarily for deterrence, I’d suggest that you load a blank into the chamber then fill the rest of the clip with real ammunition.’

‘Small handguns aren’t the easiest to use accurately,’ Chloe added. ‘So we’ll be taking the three of you down to the firing range for a couple of refresher lessons before you head off to Luton.’

‘What about the protective equipment?’ Zara asked.

‘First off, all three of you will be issued with standard sets of body armour,’ Terry said. ‘It’s too bulky to wear all the time, but if you’re heading into a potentially dangerous situation it’s both bullet and stab proof. I’ve also got an experimental batch of this stuff.’ He pulled a small square of silvery fabric out of his jacket.

‘What’s that, a magic hanky?’ James grinned.

Terry raised an eyebrow to indicate that he didn’t find James funny, before continuing his speech. ‘This fabric is interwoven with something called carbon nanotube fibres. It’s very new, very high tech. Diamonds are pure carbon and one of the hardest substances known to man. You can think of a carbon nanotube as a thread made from diamond. The material is as light as polyester, but it will protect you from stabbing. If you get shot, the bullet is unlikely to pass through the fabric and kill, but because a bullet travels at enormous speed and the material isn’t rigid, you’ll still be absorbing a massive amount of energy and I’d expect internal bleeding and broken bones.’

Gabrielle sounded a little bit annoyed. ‘How come we’re only getting this
now
?’ she asked. ‘I might not be sitting in this wheelchair if I’d had clothes made out of that stuff.’

Terry swept the back of his hand across his face. ‘Unfortunately it’s a matter of cost,’ he admitted. ‘One square metre of carbon nanotube fabric currently costs around six thousand pounds. I’m proposing that James, Bruce and Michael each select two garments such as a hoodie and a lightweight jacket. I’ll then get our seamstress to pull the clothes apart and stitch in a layer of the nanotube fabric.

‘We’ll need around one and a half metres of fabric for each piece. That’s nine thousand pounds each, fifty-four thousand for the six and another eighteen thousand pounds on top if Gabrielle returns to the mission.’

‘That’s a
lot
of dough,’ Bruce said.

Zara nodded. ‘We do everything we can to protect agents on missions, but we don’t have unlimited resources. The only way we can afford this is by paying for it out of the research and development budget, rather than the mission budget.’

‘We’re hoping that nanotube fabric will be much cheaper once it goes into mass production,’ Terry said. ‘In five or six years, clothes reinforced with this stuff could be as much a part of a CHERUB agent’s standard kit as a lock gun or multitool is today, but right now it’s too expensive.’

Maureen smiled. ‘And whatever you do, don’t go using your nine-thousand-pound sweatshirt as a goalpost and then leave it on the grass.’

Kyle was only studying for the one A-level he needed to secure his place at university and Lauren had a free period after lunch. They met up by the main campus gates and began the ten-minute journey to Mr Large’s house.

‘Nervous?’ Kyle asked, as they walked briskly, with gloves on and breath curling in front of them.

‘A bit,’ Lauren nodded. ‘But I’ve dealt with FBI sharp shooters and paedos, so I reckon I can survive an encounter with Large.’

‘He might not even be home,’ Kyle said.

But Mr Large came to his front door in a pair of baggy jogging pants and an England rugby shirt, scratching his moustache as he stood in the doorway.

‘What?’

Lauren spoke politely. ‘We’d like to come in and talk. You know that
thing
you mentioned the other night?’

Large was smart enough to realise that they might be recording the conversation. ‘It was just a friendly chat, Lauren.’

‘We know you’re a busy man,’ Kyle said, trowelling on the irony because he knew that Large was suspended from his job and had nothing to do. ‘We’ll try not to take up too much of your
valuable
time.’

Large leaned out of the doorway and glanced left and right suspiciously before waving the pair inside.

‘Nice and warm in here,’ Lauren said, pulling off her gloves as she walked down a neatly furnished hallway.

Mr Large’s morning was spread across the living-room for all to see: a copy of the
Times
with the crossword half done, a breakfast bowl with a splash of milk in the bottom, a Crunchie bar wrapper and an American chat show blaring out of the TV.

Lauren smiled. ‘Mind if we sit down?’

Mr Large was clearly uneasy, but he scooped the newspaper off the sofa to make space for Lauren. Kyle sat in an armchair facing her.

‘What’s this all about?’ Large asked.

‘My old mate Rod Nilsson sends his regards,’ Kyle said. ‘Remember him?’

Large looked uncertain. ‘Red-headed lad,’ he nodded finally. ‘Nice boy, but he didn’t have the stomach for a second go at training.’

‘He still gets nightmares,’ Kyle said pointedly. ‘Nightmares about choking on sand and suffocating.’

‘Look,’ Large said firmly. ‘I don’t know what this is – sour grapes or whatever – but I had a job to do and I was damned good at it.’

Lauren raised an eyebrow. ‘I guess that’s one way of looking at it …’

‘And you’re going to tell the truth and stick up for me at my hearing on Friday,
aren’t
you?’

Lauren smiled. ‘The
truth
is exactly what I’m going to be telling.’

‘I just hope that everyone will be
safe
and happy afterwards,’ Large threatened.

‘Lauren tells me that you tried to blackmail her,’ Kyle said bluntly.

Mr Large suddenly looked uncomfortable. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’ he said, scowling at Lauren. ‘I haven’t met either of you in months, except for a few nights back when Lauren and I exchanged hellos on my doorstep.’

‘We’re
not
recording you,’ Lauren said. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be stupid enough to repeat what you said. But I’m not the only one who has vulnerabilities.’

As Lauren spoke, Kyle pulled a small stack of photos out of his jacket. He held up the top one, which was a flattering head-and-shoulders enlargement of Hayley.

‘Quite a nice-looking girl, your daughter,’ Kyle said casually, as he switched the picture to the back of the pile, revealing the next shot of Hayley and James kissing, with James’ fingers clutching her bum.

‘My brother certainly seems to be getting along with her, doesn’t he?’ Lauren grinned.

Mr Large gasped.

Kyle flipped to another picture, an extreme close-up of James and Hayley kissing.

‘And that was just their first date,’ Lauren added. ‘Imagine what they’ll get up to next time.’

‘I can hear something,’ Kyle said, cupping a hand to his ear. ‘Could it be the patter of tiny feet?’

‘Nah,’ Lauren shook her head. ‘Knowing my brother, he’ll just dump her and break her heart.’

‘But don’t worry,’ Kyle said. ‘You’ve trained a lot of boys on campus. They’re all fit guys and I bet that once James ditches her, they’ll all be queuing up to take a shot at your daughter …’

Mr Large didn’t know what to say or where to look.

‘Dozens of big strapping teenagers throwing themselves at Hayley,’ Lauren sighed. ‘And you know what teenagers are like. If you stand between Hayley and some boy she fancies, she’ll only end up hating your guts.’

Lauren and Kyle weren’t proud that they’d manipulated Hayley and had no intention of taking things further. But people judge others by their own standards. Hopefully Large would believe their threats, because it was the sort of dastardly scheme he might have concocted himself.

‘But of course none of this
has
to go any further,’ Lauren emphasised. ‘We’re prepared to back off, as long as you guarantee that Meatball stays safe.’

Mr Large was turning extremely red. ‘Why bring my daughter into this?’ he screamed. ‘She’s innocent.’

‘Innocent?’ Lauren snapped. ‘Is she really? And I suppose Meatball is a little doggie serial killer. Or maybe he sneaks on to campus and sells crack to the red-shirts.’

‘We have it on good authority that Zara Asker doesn’t like you, Norman,’ Kyle said. ‘Mac kept saving your bacon, but his days are over. When Lauren tells that disciplinary panel the truth, you know you’re going to be out on your arse.’

‘Especially now you’ve upset me,’ Lauren added. ‘I might even be tempted to exaggerate.’

‘You can’t do this!’ Large spluttered, sending his breakfast bowl and a couple of remote controls flying as he booted the coffee table up in the air.

The noise made Lauren jump, but she kept herself together and faked a grin. ‘Oh dear, now you’ve gone and spilled milk on the carpet.’

‘And just to make sure that you’re not reinstated, we’re going to send a petition around campus. Agents will refuse to go on missions if you are,’ Kyle added.

This was news to Lauren, mainly because Kyle had only thought up the idea two seconds earlier.

‘And we’ve already told Meryl Spencer that you tried to blackmail me,’ Lauren said. ‘Zara doesn’t know yet, but I wouldn’t expect a Christmas card from the Askers this year.’

Mr Large was going so red that Lauren was frightened he’d keel over with another heart attack.

‘CHERUB has been my whole life,’ Large bellowed. ‘I’m a training instructor, that’s what I
am
.’

‘No,’ Lauren corrected. ‘What you are is an arsehole.’

Kyle couldn’t help giggling as Mr Large stepped towards Lauren. She was a quarter of his age and a third of his size, but she didn’t flinch.

‘You’ve wrecked my life, Lauren Adams,’ Large shouted. ‘You put my back out when you hit me with the spade and knocked me into that ditch. I hardly ever drank until I found out that it helped relieve the pain. And it was the drink that made me put on weight, which gave me the heart attack, and to top it all off you now want to hammer the nail into my career—’

‘Don’t blame
me
,’ Lauren screamed back. ‘I only hit you because you were making Bethany dig a grave when she was in agony with
her
back. It all sounds a lot like poetic justice to me.’

‘Come on Lauren,’ Kyle said, as he stepped out of the armchair. ‘We’ve said everything we came here to say. It’s up to him whether he resigns now or lets himself and his daughter be humiliated.’

But as Lauren tried to step around Mr Large and leave, he placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her backwards across the sofa.

Lauren tried knocking him away with a two-footed kick, but Large was enormous and his stomach felt like concrete. Her legs buckled under his weight as he leaned forward and grabbed her cheeks, squishing her lips out of shape.

Kyle wrapped his arms around Large’s waist and tried dragging him off, but Large launched a powerful kick that sent him clattering backwards into a drinks cabinet.

‘Your fancy moves won’t work on me,’ Large grinned, as he pushed down hard, squeezing Lauren’s head against the sofa cushion. ‘Remember, I’m the guy that taught ’em to you.’

Lauren looked towards Kyle, hoping that he’d be able to find a weapon or something, but the kick had winded him and he was crumpled against the wall, clutching his stomach.

‘You won’t get away with this,’ Lauren croaked.

‘I guess I won’t,’ Mr Large agreed. ‘I guess I’ll have to resign. We’ll move somewhere near where my partner works and I’ll make sure it’s far enough from campus that your perverted brother can’t touch Hayley. But here’s the good part: just so that you never forget me, I’m gonna head next door and wring Meatball’s neck.’