attempted murder beef was shot in her hospital bed.’
Zara shook her head in disbelief. ‘The ethics committee can’t have realised that this gang war was so hot when they authorised the mission.’
Chloe twisted her trainer awkwardly as she addressed her boss. ‘I wrote the risk assessment, Zara. I’ll tender my resignation if you ask me to.’
‘Chloe, you’re an excellent mission controller,’ Zara said reassuringly. ‘I’m sure it won’t come to that.’
Michael turned away from the window and spoke. He was only fifteen, but he was taller than the three women and his voice carried a certain authority. ‘The Runts have declared war on the Slasher Boys, which nobody could have predicted. You can’t blame Chloe.’
‘I appreciate that, Michael,’ Zara said. ‘I’m not blaming anyone.’
‘You’re not going to pull the plug on the mission, are you?’ he asked.
Zara seemed uncertain. ‘The circumstances make it very difficult—’
‘You can’t,’ Michael interrupted. ‘We’ve been at this for two months and Major Dee is really starting to put faith in us. Besides, after today there’s no way I’m going back to campus before these gangs are hammered.’
‘Keep your voice down, Michael,’ Chloe said anxiously, as the policeman at the entrance poked his head between the doors.
‘Sorry,’ Michael whispered. ‘I’m messed up right now.’
‘I know,’ Zara said soothingly. ‘You’ve had a stressful day, Michael. But I can’t lie to you. Gabrielle is seriously injured; she might die. I’ll have to speak with the ethics committee and the Intelligence Minister and they’re likely to say that the mission is too dangerous.’
Michael groaned. ‘But we’re cherubs. We go into our missions with the best training. We understand all of the risks and we accept them.’
Zara sighed. If you asked a hundred CHERUB agents they’d all say the same thing about risks being a part of their job. But adults instinctively dislike the idea of putting kids in danger, and if Gabrielle died, the government would call CHERUB’s very existence into question.
8. PRIDE
The island had a ragged network of dirt roads, most of which had been carved out by illegal logging operations who’d stripped hardwood from the island’s interior. After setting out the canoes and safety equipment for the trainees’ morning raft trip, Dana returned the local guide to the outskirts of his village.
As she pulled away from the settlement she received a call on the satellite phone. Mr Pike had landed on the beach and didn’t fancy the five-kilometre trek back to camp, so Dana set off across the island to collect him.
The Land Cruiser was designed for rough terrain, but the roads were nothing more than shrunken gaps between trees and in places tropical storms had washed the soil away, leaving a layer of volcanic rock that set the wheels spinning and sent great jolts up her spine.
The canopy of trees blocked out the moonlight, and even inside the air-conditioned Land Cruiser Dana felt uncomfortable. She was relieved when she broke on to open sand and flashed her headlights at Mr Pike, who’d dragged a large dinghy up the beach.
‘How’s Jo?’ Dana asked, as she helped Mr Pike to lash his dinghy to the top of the car.
‘Upset, obviously,’ Pike said, as he threw an elasticised rope across the hull for Dana to knot around the roof bar.
‘Where is she?’
‘She’s at the hospital, but it’s not exactly state of the art. It’s damp and dingy and Jo freaked when she saw a lizard climbing up the wall. But the doctor spoke good English and the nurses who did the plaster were really nice. I thought it was better to leave her there to get some sleep, rather than make her cross back to the island in the boat.’
‘Is she safe?’
Pike nodded. ‘She’s in a children’s ward. It’s all families with kids.’
By this time the boat was secured and Dana pointed towards the driving seat. ‘Shall I?’
‘Sure,’ Pike nodded. ‘You drove down here, so you know the terrain better than I do.’
Dana was pleased to have a companion in the passenger seat as she fired up the big diesel engine and set off.
‘God I’m knackered,’ Mr Pike said, stretching into a yawn as they hit a bump in the road.
‘Snap,’ Dana nodded. ‘I’m not sure if training is more tiring for the instructors or the trainees. James must be shattered after that twenty-K hike.’
‘I think I’ll be sending him home with Jo in the morning.’
Dana looked surprised. ‘Can’t someone from the MI5 team at the embassy pick her up?’
‘Could do,’ Pike nodded. ‘But we’ve got four staff, two