CHERUB: Class A - Robert Muchamore Page 0,74

American socket adaptor. The phone bleeped to life as soon as it was plugged in.
‘Rip Van Winkle,’ John Jones said. ‘How you feeling?’
‘Don’t you start,’ James said. ‘How did you know about that?’
‘When it got to one in the morning and I still hadn’t heard from you, I got worried. We got a track on your mobile phone signal and realised you were driving back from Orlando. Then your mobile stopped transmitting.’
‘It went flat,’ James explained. ‘I forgot to take my charger with me.’
‘Pretty basic operational mistake, James,’ John said, tutting. ‘But I guess we have to make allowances for the fact you’re thirteen years old.’
‘I’m glad you make allowances at MI5,’ James laughed. ‘Nobody from CHERUB ever does.’
‘Anyway, I thought I’d better check you were OK, so I hid in the bushes out back and watched George carry you out of the car. You looked like you were six years old, all bundled up in his big fat arms.’
‘I’m never gonna live this down,’ James said. ‘So, apart from me making an idiot of myself, nothing much happened yesterday. What about your end?’
‘The Yanks want to help us watch Keith, but they don’t have the manpower. We think we’ve got enough evidence to convict Keith on tax evasion and money-laundering charges, but that’s only worth a two-to five-year sentence. We wanted to wait until we could bust him on drugs charges, but with no twenty-four-hour surveillance and the risk of Keith running off for good, we’ve decided to move now.’
‘Extradition?’ James said.
‘That’s right, James. Bedfordshire police will be contacting the DEA later today, asking them to arrest Keith on money-laundering charges and send him back to Britain. We have to present our evidence to an American judge before they issue an arrest warrant. It’ll take a day or so to get the paperwork together and organise the hearing.’
‘So you’re hoping Keith doesn’t leg it in the meantime.’
‘Exactly,’ John said. ‘And one final thing. I got a message from Zara. Dr McAfferty has decided to pull the CHERUB side of this operation whether or not Keith Moore is in jail. Tell Junior and Keith that Ewart’s been offered a better job and you’re all moving back to London.’
29. NIGHT
That night James ended up in Junior’s room watching a horror film on DVD. James got up to go back to his room when it finished.
‘That sofa pulls out,’ Junior said. ‘You can sleep in here if you want.’
James smiled. ‘Scared of being on your own? Think that guy with the bloody axe might come bursting through your window?’
‘No,’ Junior said defensively. ‘I just thought we could talk and stuff.’
James fetched his duvet and pillows while Junior pulled out the sofa bed. They switched the light off and lay in the dark talking. If you could have any car in the world, what would it be? What if you could live anywhere you wanted?
‘Would you stick your tongue up a dog’s arse for a million pounds?’ Junior asked.
James thought for a couple of seconds. ‘Yes.’
Junior started rolling about laughing. ‘EUGHH, James. You filthy animal.’
‘It’s OK for you,’ James said, laughing. ‘Your dad’s loaded already. But a million pounds would change my life. I’d never have to go to work. I could have a decent house and a cool car and stuff.’
‘What if you had to do it on TV and everyone knew about it?’
‘Doesn’t make any difference,’ James said. ‘A million would set you up for life.’
‘OK,’ Junior said. ‘What’s the least amount? Would you do it for ten thousand?’
‘No way.’
‘What then?’
‘I dunno,’ James said. ‘Half a million, maybe …’
An arc of light burst into the room and Keith’s head appeared in the doorway.
‘Come on, guys,’ Keith said. ‘Be sensible. It’s one in the morning. We’re going out early tomorrow and you two are gonna be wasted. Calm down and go to sleep.’
Both boys struggled to stop laughing.
‘Goodnight, Dad,’ Junior said.
‘Get some sleep,’ Keith said firmly.
He closed the door. The boys waited until they were fairly sure Keith was in his bedroom.
Junior sounded sad. ‘You know,’ he whispered, ‘if you’re moving back to London, I’ll probably never see you or Nicole again.’
‘I’ll miss you as well,’ James said. ‘You’re one of the best mates I’ve ever had.’
‘Maybe we could visit each other in the holidays,’ Junior said.
‘Maybe,’ James said, although he knew it could never happen. ‘It’s only half an hour on the train to London. You know what else?’
‘What?’ Junior asked.
‘I was looking forward to boxing against you.’
Junior thought for a