CHERUB: Brigands M.C. - Robert Muchamore Page 0,49
swimming and the walk across campus in bright sunshine.
The argument with Rat was doing her head in. They’d been together almost since they’d first met three years earlier. This was their biggest row ever, but Lauren wasn’t sure if they’d really broken up for good. She didn’t think she’d shown any particular fondness towards Dante, but wondered if she had flirted without meaning to because she’d liked him from the morning they’d woken up on campus together and she dug his muscular frame and exotic red hair.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ Lauren said, dumping her wet swimming stuff in the doorway and quickly shaking hands with Neil and Ross.
‘OK,’ Chloe said. ‘James, Lauren and Dante have all read a lot of background information on the South Devon Brigands over the last week. Ross has brought a lot more information with him which you’ll need to study and he’s going to brief you on the nature of the mission.’
Ross got up from the sofa and propped himself on the corner of Chloe’s desk. ‘I think you’re all aware of the basic situation,’ he said brightly. ‘We’re ordering a large shipment of arms through a man named Sealclubber who is the president of the London Brigands chapter. We’re hoping that such a large shipment will stretch the resources of the South Devon Brigands and in particular their weapons-dealing business. Originally it was Neil’s job to get himself involved in the deal, but his cover was blown so now that job falls to you three.’
Chloe interjected. ‘Obviously, Neil was going to try and get involved with the Brigands themselves. You three will have to penetrate the smuggling operation in a less direct way.’
Ross nodded. ‘First James. You’re going to be seventeen. You’ll have an unreliable motorbike, that gives you plenty of excuse to hang around with the motorbike dealership located in the retail development near to the Brigands clubhouse. Hopefully, a groovy young cat such as you shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting involved with other young bikers who hang around the fringes of the Monster Bunch and Dogs of War gangs.’
‘Those two gangs have a much younger membership and are much easier to infiltrate than the Brigands themselves,’ Neil explained. ‘Rather than trying to join, concentrate on the dodgiest young characters who hang around the gangs. I know for fact that some of those lads earn money doing the Brigands’ dirty work, whether it’s selling marijuana to the local school kids or going across country on a train to deliver a handgun to someone in London or Manchester.’
James nodded. ‘Do you reckon I’ll have time to join a gang?’
Neil shook his head. ‘We’ve already set the wheels in motion for our gun purchase. We’re going to get our undercover buyer to say he’s having cash problems and delay his purchase for a few weeks, but we can’t mess Sealclubber around forever. Your job is to try getting information as quickly as possible. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll pull the whole operation.’
Ross took up the story. ‘Lauren and Dante are going to attack the problem from a different angle through the Führer’s son Joe. Dante’s job is to become Joe’s best friend …’
‘Again,’ Dante interrupted. ‘He was my best mate for years.’
Ross nodded. ‘Lauren’s job is the same, but hopefully she’s going to appeal to Joe as potential girlfriend material.’
‘Unless he’s gay,’ James grinned. ‘In which case Dante will have to try snogging him.’
‘Gross,’ Dante complained.
‘James, be serious,’ Chloe said firmly.
‘OK,’ James smiled. ‘A serious question. We know that the Führer is a criminal who’s stayed out of trouble for years. He wasn’t even charged when he wiped out Dante’s whole family. What makes us so sure that his fourteen-year-old son is going to know anything about his dodgy dealings?’
Neil answered. ‘We know the Führer is close to his younger son. Who knows if Joe flaps his mouth too much when you give him a couple of beers? Or if he mentions something he shouldn’t when he’s trying to impress a girl?’
‘We can give it a go,’ Lauren nodded. ‘What about electronic surveillance? You know, if we get in his house, or the Brigands clubhouse and plant bugs and stuff ?’
Ross shook his head. ‘It’s a dead end. We’ve had electronic surveillance in place for over two years. The Brigands speak in codes when they use a telephone or have a meeting in the clubhouse. But anything sensitive gets discussed face to face, usually in some field out in the open.’