Junior again and use him to get all the information I can on the Mad Dogs?’
‘If you’re willing to accept the mission,’ Zara nodded. ‘It would all be routine but for the gang war and the risk of further violence. Michael will be on the same mission, but he’ll be inside a rival gang so you’ll have to keep apart. And to be on the safe side, we want you accompanied by another agent who can cover your back.’
James nodded. ‘If anyone’s going to be covering my back, I’d ask for Bruce Norris.’
Zara hummed uncertainly. ‘We’re careful about the missions we use Bruce on. He isn’t the most mature fourteen-year-old.’
‘No disrespect,’ James said warily, ‘I know you’re the boss, but I think Bruce gets a bum rap. He used to act babyish sometimes, but he’s really changed over the last year or so. He’s filled out, he’s less moody and I think going out with Kerry has really made him grow up.’
‘And there’s no friction because he’s seeing your ex-girlfriend?’
‘Me and Kerry fancied each other like mad, but it never really worked between us. She’s still upset because I dumped her, but she seems happier with Bruce than she ever was with me and I’m a million times happier with Dana.’
‘Your self-defence skills aren’t bad,’ Zara said thoughtfully. ‘But I can see the benefits of having someone with Bruce’s combat ability on a mission where some kind of physical confrontation is likely. And despite a few people saying he’s immature, he earned his navy shirt and I don’t ever recall him doing much wrong on any of his missions.’
James grinned. ‘So, do you want me to tell him, or what?’
‘Not yet,’ Zara said. ‘I’d better run it by Chloe and Maureen to make sure they’re happy, but I’m inclined to agree that Bruce is a good choice.’
15.SNEAKS
James wasn’t the only one who’d got up early. Lauren crept into Rat’s room and leaned over his bed until her lips almost touched his ear.
‘COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!’
Rat jolted so hard that he thumped his skull on the headboard. He rubbed the injury as he sat up and glowered at Lauren.
‘What was that in aid of?’
Lauren was killing herself laughing. ‘I wish I’d videoed that on my mobile. The look on your face …’
‘What time is it?’
‘Almost seven,’ Lauren said. ‘You’d better start getting ready. I’ve got a lesson at eight-thirty and we’ve got to have breakfast.’
‘I hate getting up,’ Rat groaned, picking a lump of sleep off his eyelid as he swung out of bed dressed in boxers and socks. It took him thirty seconds to pull on his trousers and a grey CHERUB T-shirt and slide his feet into his boots.
‘Ready,’ he announced, slapping his thighs as he stood up.
Lauren was stunned. She’d spent longer than that doing her hair. ‘Don’t you want to comb your hair, or clean your teeth?’
‘Can’t be arsed at this time,’ Rat said, as he grabbed a watch off the window ledge and slid it over his hand. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Is that all you ever do when you get up in the morning?’ Lauren said, as they set off down the corridor towards the lift.
‘Sometimes I’ll take a shower, but I’ve got combat training at half nine. I’ll be all sweaty afterwards so what’s the point?’
‘Mr Hygiene rides again. You’re such a boy.’
Rat tutted. ‘Do you want me to help you? If I’m not clean enough for you, I’d be happy to crawl back under my doona.’
‘You were all in favour of getting Large back last night,’ Lauren pointed out, as the lift doors parted.
‘Still am,’ Rat yawned. ‘But you know I hate getting up early.’
Two other kids made a dash along the corridor and stepped into the car behind them, so they couldn’t say any more as they rode from the eighth floor all the way down to the basement archives.
Agents rarely used the archives and this was the first time Rat had seen them. The main building on campus was thirty years old, and while the offices and accommodation above had been refurbished, the basement was still decked out in its original 1970s furniture, with avocado-green fittings and threadbare carpet tiles.
The lift opened into a corridor with double doors at either end. To the left was the library, but Rat was attracted to the large space on the right which contained a mainframe computer the size of two dozen fridge-freezers. It was surrounded by racks of giant data tapes and looked like something out of an old sci-fi