CHERUB: The Fall - Robert Muchamore Page 0,44

are Luke, Seb and Oonah, and you’re going to be upstairs sharing a room with Anna.’

Lauren gave the three little kids an awkward wave as they glanced away from the Playstation to acknowledge her.

‘And you must be John Clarkson,’ Madison continued, as she reached out to shake John’s hand.

‘That’s right,’ John lied.

‘Have you worked at Croydon social services for long?’ Madison asked.

‘I’m retired actually,’ John said. ‘I’m doing a few weeks’ cover for someone on maternity leave.’

‘Well, feel free to stop in the kitchen and make yourself a cup of tea. I’ll show Lauren up to her room.’

John shook his head. ‘I’d better get going. I want to watch the four o’clock match on Sky.’

As Madison stepped out of the room, John made a telephone shape with his hand and mouthed the word later to Lauren.

As Lauren and Madison jointly carried the big case up to the first floor, the house parent began explaining various rules and rotas and asked if there were any kinds of food she particularly liked.

‘And this is your roommate, Anna,’ Madison said brightly as they stepped into a comfortable-looking bedroom with a giant black stain in the middle of the carpet. ‘I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. If you’ve got any questions, I’m just downstairs.’

The two beds were space savers, with wooden ladders leading up to the sleeping area. There were child-sized wardrobes, chests of drawers and pull out desks underneath.

‘Hey there,’ Lauren smiled, as she went up on tiptoes and peeked at Anna.

Anna sat on her bed playing with a bead necklace kit. There wasn’t much of her. She was ten centimetres shorter than Lauren, with a tiny waist, china white skin and fragile hands and feet. Lauren was chunky like her brother and imagined that she’d be able to lift Anna over her head as she might have done when playing with a toddler.

When Lauren had to read some massive computer hacking textbook, or found herself melting on some brutal training exercise in high summer, she used to consider quitting CHERUB. But she knew it was worth it when she saw someone like Anna and realised that her mission might help save her and other girls just like her from being abused.

‘You stare for?’ Anna stuttered. She’d only been learning for a few weeks, so her English was pretty terrible.

‘Sorry,’ Lauren said, before switching to Russian. ‘You sound Russian.’

Anna brightened up as she turned to face Lauren. ‘Do you speak Russian?’

‘Not much since I moved to England, so I’m out of practice, but my father was Russian. I lived there until three years ago.’

‘Amazing,’ Anna grinned, as she clapped her hands together. ‘I only speak when the translator comes and then all they talk about are my problems, so I don’t answer.’

‘I know that feeling,’ Lauren nodded. ‘The carers just keep going on and on. Sometimes I just want to stick my iPod on and tell them to get stuffed.’

Anna burst out laughing. ‘I can’t believe you’re a Russian.’

‘I can practise my language with you,’ Lauren grinned. ‘What a weird coincidence …’

18. TRAINING

It was late Sunday night and James was back at campus. He was watching TV in bed when Lauren called.

‘Yo, bitch,’ James grinned. ‘How’s it hanging?’

‘Not bad, gay boy,’ Lauren said softly. ‘The girl I’m supposed to be chumming up seems nice, but she’s really quiet. I spent the afternoon showing her how to make Scoubidous.’

‘Why are you whispering?’

‘I’m in our bathroom, Anna’s in the next room. Did you make up with Kerry?’

‘Pretty much,’ James nodded. ‘I think she cut me some slack ’cos it was my birthday bash.’

‘And how was the spa?’

‘Good,’ James grinned. ‘This gorgeous woman gave me a massage and it was bloody hilarious because Bruce got this dirty great fat bloke with hairy knuckles. Then we all got kicked out of the steam room for throwing buckets of cold water around. And then I saw this beauty therapist and she put this mud pack on my face and gave me a manicure.’

‘I can’t believe I missed it,’ Lauren moaned. ‘I’ve always wanted to go to one of those places.’

‘You know how my nails are usually all broken and dirty? They’re all neat and shiny now and she gave me some tips and a bottle of this special lotion to put in the bath. It’s supposed to dry my skin out and stop me from getting spots.’

‘So all you boys enjoyed it?’

‘Except Bruce,’ James laughed. ‘I didn’t expect to, but I’d definitely go again if someone else