CHERUB: Class A - Robert Muchamore Page 0,84

in the canteen, copying homework, that kind of stuff.
‘It was so funny when Kyle got back from ditch-clearing last night,’ James continued. ‘You know how he’s always immaculate? His uniform was plastered in mud and it smelled so bad. A lot of the water in those ditches runs off the farms around here. It’s all full of cow and pig manure, and god knows what else.’
‘Serves him right for taking drugs,’ Kerry said.
‘Give over, Kerry, all he did was take a puff on a joint. He would never have got caught if Nicole hadn’t collapsed.’
‘I don’t care,’ Kerry said. ‘If something’s against the law, you shouldn’t do it. Especially drugs.’
James started to laugh.
‘What’s funny?’
‘You,’ James said. ‘You’re always such a goody two shoes.’
Kerry jabbed a finger in James’ ribs.
‘What was that for?’
‘I’m not a goody two shoes.’
James grinned. ‘Little Miss Perfect.’
‘Take that back or I’ll make you sorry.’
James mocked her voice. ‘Take that back or I’ll make you sorry.’
‘Don’t start repeating what I say.’
‘Don’t start repeating what I say.’
‘That’s it, James,’ Kerry said angrily.
‘That’s it, James.’ James leaned forward and planted a cheeky kiss on Kerry’s face. She broke into a smile.
‘I knew you weren’t really mad at me,’ James giggled. ‘I’m too delightful.’
He stopped giggling when he realised it wasn’t Kerry’s nice smile. It was her evil smile. She jabbed James in the ribs again, then used the moment while he was in spasm to wrap her arm around the back of his neck and wedge him into a headlock under her arm.
‘Still goody two shoes, am I?’ Kerry grinned as she tightened her grip.
‘No,’ James croaked.
‘Quite sure?’
‘You’re not a goody, Kerry,’ James squirmed. ‘Just … Please … Let me go.’
Kerry let James loose. As he straightened up, James couldn’t help but see the funny side of being effortlessly humiliated by a twelve-year-old girl wearing pink and white striped socks with penguins embroidered over the ankle.
Kerry got off the bench.
‘Where are you going?’ James asked.
‘Romantic stroll,’ she explained, as she marched towards the trees. ‘Are you coming or not?’
*
After their walk, James, Kerry and a big bunch of other kids spent Sunday evening at the bowling alley in the nearest town. They got beaten three games to two by the identical twins, Callum and Connor. James and Kerry had a total laugh. James had never felt so relaxed with a girl before. Now he’d asked Kerry out, it seemed dumb that he’d spent so long finding excuses not to.
James lay awake until gone midnight. His body was still running on Miami time and it was early evening over there. He tucked his hands under his head and stared at the shadows on the ceiling.
He wondered how Junior was doing in hospital and got pissed off when he remembered that April still had his Nike watch. But the KMG mission already felt distant, like part of some other kid’s life. James Beckett was no more. James Adams felt warm and comfortable under his duvet. He realised he was the happiest he’d been since his mum died.
James thought about life on campus. He knew the quickest routes around every building. He knew everyone’s names. Which kids not to start a conversation with in the lift because they’d bore you to tears. Which teachers would have a laugh with you and which ones would hammer you for the tiniest little thing.
James knew there would always be mornings when he woke up and didn’t want to get out of bed for two hours’ combat training, or a brain-numbing double history lesson. But when he pulled on his uniform and walked down to breakfast, he knew most other kids looked at him with respect. Whenever James got to the dining-room and looked around for a seat, there were always a few tables where he could sit amongst friends, spreading the latest gossip and winding each other up.
A year earlier, CHERUB campus had been a bunch of strange faces, winding corridors and scary teachers. Now it felt like home.

EPILOGUE
KELVIN HOLMES was sentenced to three years’ youth custody for conspiracy to supply drugs. Most of the younger boys who worked as delivery riders for KMG got off with police cautions and supervision orders. A few who had previous drug convictions received 3–6 months in youth custody.

Without funding from Keith Moore, the JT Martin youth centre and boxing club closed its doors for the final time after the 2004 Christmas party. No charges were brought against KEN FOWLER, who died of a heart attack a few months later.

MADELINE BURROWS, the nice lady who called James with his deliveries, got a five-year prison sentence, as did her younger brother JOSEPH BURROWS (Crazy Joe). Over 130 other members of KMG received prison sentences as a direct result of the MI5 surveillance operation on Thunderfoods.

Dinesh’s dad, PARVINDER SINGH, received a twelve-year prison sentence. DINESH SINGH and his mother moved away, to live near relatives in south London.

KEITH MOORE spent over a week being interviewed by DEA officials at their headquarters in Washington DC. Keith was bitter about the Lambayeke cartel’s brutal attempt to steal his money and provided a mass of information that led to the immediate seizure of $130 million in drug money and the arrest of several senior figures within the Lambayeke organisation.
Keith was later flown back to Britain, where he pleaded guilty to numerous charges relating to money-laundering and drug-trafficking. The judge sentenced Keith to eighteen years in prison and recommended that he should not be considered for early release until he had served at least ten.
The police have uncovered £12 million of Keith’s personal fortune, but he is still believed to have at least another £40 million in secret bank accounts.

JUNIOR MOORE fully recovered from his injuries and flew back to Britain. Shortly afterwards, he was expelled from Grey Park school for persistent truancy. His mother said she was ‘sick of his behaviour’ and didn’t want him ending up like his father. She found him a place at a tough boarding school that specialises in dealing with difficult boys.

APRIL MOORE quickly grew tired of James Beckett not responding to her text messages and e-mails. She returned James’ best watch to the address where the Beckett family had supposedly moved and it was eventually forwarded to CHERUB campus. When James opened the envelope, he found his watch had been hammered into a dozen pieces. It was accompanied by a note reading: ‘You could at least have had the decency to dump me to my face. Hope you die slowly, April.’

JOHN JONES announced he was leaving MI5 after nineteen years’ service. He has accepted a new job as a CHERUB mission controller.

EWART & ZARA ASKER are expecting their second child in April 2005.

NICOLE EDDISON now lives with two retired cherubs on a farm in Shropshire. She has two young stepbrothers who she adores and a boyfriend called James. She attends twice-weekly counselling sessions and is slowly coming to terms with the loss of her family.
Dr McAfferty’s beloved mission preparation building is on schedule to be completed in February 2005. He conducted a review of Nicole’s recruitment to CHERUB, to see if any mistakes had been made. His report reached the following conclusion:
‘If anything, the tests Nicole Eddison completed before being asked to join CHERUB show that she had an above average chance of becoming a successful agent. Unfortunately, no recruitment test yet devised can account for all the complexities of human nature. It seems likely that a small number of unsuitable candidates will be recruited into CHERUB for as long as the organisation exists. All we can do is remain vigilant and try to keep this number to a minimum.’

A few weeks after James returned from Miami, AMY COLLINS left campus to live with her brother in Australia. James was part of the crowd that waved her through the departure gate at Heathrow airport.

It took KYLE BLUEMAN and LAUREN ADAMS two months to clean out all the ditches at the back of campus. Kyle was suspended from missions for another four months. Lauren re-entered basic training, with her daily countdown paper in her pocket and a grim determination to make it through no matter how tough Mr Large tried to make it.

After a few weeks back on campus, KERRY CHANG was sent to Hong Kong on a mission that looked set to last several months. James and Kerry are exchanging daily e-mails and occasionally speak to each other on the phone.

JAMES ADAMS used his time on campus to catch up on schoolwork. He has recently started studying for GCSE exams in three of his strongest subjects, has begun regular weight training, and narrowly failed a second-dan black belt grading in Karate class. He expects to be assigned to another undercover mission in early 2005.