CHERUB: The Fall - Robert Muchamore Page 0,14

the situation under control when he got back to the camp.’

‘I got the others to pack up the tents and everything,’ Lauren nodded. ‘Fortunately, Arif got back from the supermarket just after the vet left and we managed to clear out before we had police and social services on our backs.’

‘I reckon you’re a natural leader,’ Zara smiled. ‘I can see you in politics or running a big company some day.’

‘Politics is boring,’ Lauren said, smiling back uneasily. ‘I certainly didn’t feel like a leader. The whole thing was pretty chaotic, to be honest. Especially when that old granny started freaking out on me.’

Zara smiled a little. ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you, we had to take Meatball to the vet.’

‘Is he OK?’ Lauren asked anxiously.

‘He wasn’t eating properly, which is hardly surprising because the vet found four of Joshua’s Lego bricks lodged in his throat. He’s recovering, but I have to keep telling Joshua not to leave toys all over the carpet.’

‘That dog will eat anything,’ Lauren giggled.

‘You know, you’re still welcome to come over and take him for walks any time you like.’

Lauren nodded. ‘I will, but I’ve had masses of homework and I’ve been spending quite a bit of time with Rat.’

‘I see,’ Zara said, and grinned knowingly.

They passed the fountain and went up the steps and into the main building. It was a short walk through reception to Zara’s office. The previous chairman, Dr McAfferty, had lined the room with his collection of books, but Zara had yet to settle in. She’d only found time to put up a few family photos and the room looked bare.

Lauren felt a chill as she spotted James’ girlfriend, Kerry Chang, sitting on a chair in front of the desk. She had tears streaking down her cheeks.

‘James is missing,’ Kerry sobbed. ‘He might … He might even be dead.’

Lauren felt like a bomb had gone off inside her skull as her limbs went numb and a great ball welled up in her throat. She grabbed on to a chair to keep herself steady.

‘Sit down and I’ll explain as best I can,’ Zara said, as she guided Lauren into one of the leather chairs. ‘James’ mission was in a northern Russian town known as Aero City. The local oligarch is a man called Denis Obidin. He owns all of the production facilities, most of the land and housing and he’s even the city mayor.

‘MI5 suspects that Obidin is selling missiles and other sensitive technology to rogue governments and terrorist groups, but he has powerful friends in Moscow and the Russian government has consistently turned a blind eye.

‘James was working alongside two MI5 operatives. They aimed to set up a deal to buy some missiles and record evidence of every step in the transaction. Faced with such damning evidence, we were hoping to force the Russian government into taking criminal action against Obidin.

‘James’ role in the mission was regarded as low to medium risk,’ Zara continued. ‘Our biggest problem was infiltrating Obidin’s compound and planting listening devices inside. Our MI5 team found out that Denis Obidin was planning to send his only child to a posh English prep school. The boy was having English lessons with a local teacher, but he was struggling. So we flew James out to act as the MI5 agents’ nephew, using some kind of background story about James staying with his aunt after his mother had a nervous breakdown.

‘Not long after James arrived, the aunt and uncle casually suggested to Denis Obidin that James give his son some informal English lessons. Obidin took the bait and James spent a few weeks giving the boy extra English practice after school. At the same time, he learned the layout of the house and began dropping some of our new pinhead-sized listening devices around the place.’

‘So what went wrong?’ Lauren sniffed, as Kerry reached across the desk and gave her a tissue.

Zara shrugged. ‘We’re not sure. All we know is that James’ aunt and uncle were scheduled to go to Obidin’s house for an important meeting late last night. According to other sources MI5 has within Aero City, a violent row erupted inside the meeting and Denis Obidin was killed.

‘Obidin’s brother Vladimir – who is also the local chief of police – set off from the compound with four other men to capture James and search the apartment where he was sleeping. According to some other Brits who live in the same building, there was a struggle. Several of Obidin’s