CHERUB: Brigands M.C. - Robert Muchamore Page 0,63

his face. ‘Black is sexy! You know what I’d like to do? I’d love to get up close to you on your bed and . ..’

James stopped talking abruptly as Lauren burst in through the open door. ‘Stop talking dirty to your girlfriend and get downstairs.’

‘Gotta go,’ James said, sliding his phone shut and glowering at Lauren. ‘Haven’t you heard of knocking?’

Lauren grinned. ‘Haven’t you heard of closing your door when you’re playing with yourself?’

‘I was on the phone,’ James protested.

‘Chloe wants a conference downstairs before me and Dante go off to school.’

James put on jeans and a T-shirt and was surprised to find Chloe at the stove making scrambled eggs.

‘We’ve been here six days now,’ Chloe said, as she took the egg off the gas ring and grabbed four plates from the cupboard. ‘I need progress reports. Lauren, Dante, what’s the situation with Joe?’

‘Friendly,’ Lauren said. ‘I’ve been making my move. He doesn’t have a girlfriend, so I’ve been putting myself in the frame. He’s mouthy, but I get the feeling that he’s actually quite shy around girls.’

‘The weekend’s coming up,’ Chloe noted. ‘Maybe it’s time to go for broke and ask him out.’

Lauren nodded. ‘I’m thinking the same way. The tricky part is picking a moment when he hasn’t got sixteen gormless mates surrounding him.’

‘Well make that your priority,’ Chloe said. ‘Remember, this mission needs to move quickly. I’d rather we took a few risks and blew it than not take any and guarantee that we achieve nothing. What about you, Dante?’

‘Getting closer to Joe is difficult,’ Dante said. ‘I’m not in his class. I’ve had a couple of conversations but he’s a popular kid and it’s hard to force it.’

Lauren helped Chloe bring four plates of scrambled egg on toast across to the breakfast bar.

‘You’re spending a lot of time with Anna,’ Chloe said bluntly. ‘Is that for the mission’s benefit, or yours?’

Dante looked ticked off. ‘I’m having a good time Chloe, but in case you’ve forgotten I’ve got more incentive to make this mission work than any of you.’

‘Point taken,’ Chloe said, holding her hand up defensively. ‘What I’m wondering is, can we use your relationship with Anna to help Lauren get closer to Joe? For instance, what if you whisper in Joe’s ear and say that you think Lauren likes him. Then you can arrange some kind of double date, or a shopping trip. If you want to do something on the weekend I’d be available to drive you to the shops in Exeter, or the cinema, or something.’

‘That could work,’ Lauren nodded.

‘OK, that’s your job for today at school and the weekend,’ Chloe said. ‘Now James, what about you?’

James shrugged. ‘I go to sixth-form centre, some nights I’ll hang about with them at Marina Heights or go to the beach. If I had six months I’d be confident that I could make some connections and work my way up to the fringes of the Brigands organisation. But you want it done quickly and you’ve got me fighting with one arm tied behind my back.’

Lauren groaned. ‘Don’t start on about that bloody Kawasaki again.’

‘What about Nigel?’ Chloe asked. ‘He deals drugs. We know that the Brigands control the drug trade around here. Can you find out where he buys from?’

‘Eventually,’ James nodded. ‘But you can’t ask questions like that after four days. And why would I be curious when I’ve had to keep telling him that I don’t smoke dope?’

‘What if there was a buy going on?’ Dante asked. ‘You know, you mention some friends you had in London who’d be interested in buying some of Nigel’s good shit. Either he wants to handle it himself, or he puts you in touch with someone higher up the chain.’

‘Could work,’ James agreed. ‘I’d only be making a contact with someone slightly further up the chain, though. Probably a junior member of the Monster Bunch who supplies weed to a few other kids like Nigel. I still say if we’re looking for fast results our best bet is the option I gave you on Monday that you’ve sat on all week.’

Lauren tutted. ‘James, you’ve wanted a flash motorbike since you came back from Arizona three years ago. That’s all this is about.’

‘Crap,’ James said, close to losing his temper. ‘I’ve explained how it works. We turn up, Chloe makes it clear that she can’t afford the bike unless I get a part-time job. Rhino talks to Teeth who sets me up with some crummy job working at