armour? We’re hardly going to blend in, are we?’
‘Actually, there’s been that many stabbings and assaults going down that most gang members are wearing protection,’ Michael said. ‘I’m not so sure about kids our age packing guns though.’
Terry Campbell cleared his throat. He was an old bloke with a bristly white beard. His job with the technical department mainly involved communications equipment, such as adapting the mobile phones CHERUB agents used to work on any network, or manufacturing listening devices that looked like personal items belonging to a target. He also dealt with weapons, physical protection and all the other equipment agents used on their missions.
‘I’m looking at issuing all three of you with sub-compact handguns that will fit under your clothing,’ Terry began. ‘I’ll get three new weapons, each one a slightly different model, then I’ll rough up the exteriors to make it look like they’re the kind of piece that you might have picked up on the street. But internally, they’ll be in excellent shape. As you’re using them primarily for deterrence, I’d suggest that you load a blank into the chamber then fill the rest of the clip with real ammunition.’
‘Small handguns aren’t the easiest to use accurately,’ Chloe added. ‘So we’ll be taking the three of you down to the firing range for a couple of refresher lessons before you head off to Luton.’
‘What about the protective equipment?’ Zara asked.
‘First off, all three of you will be issued with standard sets of body armour,’ Terry said. ‘It’s too bulky to wear all the time, but if you’re heading into a potentially dangerous situation it’s both bullet and stab proof. I’ve also got an experimental batch of this stuff.’ He pulled a small square of silvery fabric out of his jacket.
‘What’s that, a magic hanky?’ James grinned.
Terry raised an eyebrow to indicate that he didn’t find James funny, before continuing his speech. ‘This fabric is interwoven with something called carbon nanotube fibres. It’s very new, very high tech. Diamonds are pure carbon and one of the hardest substances known to man. You can think of a carbon nanotube as a thread made from diamond. The material is as light as polyester, but it will protect you from stabbing. If you get shot, the bullet is unlikely to pass through the fabric and kill, but because a bullet travels at enormous speed and the material isn’t rigid, you’ll still be absorbing a massive amount of energy and I’d expect internal bleeding and broken bones.’
Gabrielle sounded a little bit annoyed. ‘How come we’re only getting this now?’ she asked. ‘I might not be sitting in this wheelchair if I’d had clothes made out of that stuff.’
Terry swept the back of his hand across his face. ‘Unfortunately it’s a matter of cost,’ he admitted. ‘One square metre of carbon nanotube fabric currently costs around six thousand pounds. I’m proposing that James, Bruce and Michael each select two garments such as a hoodie and a lightweight jacket. I’ll then get our seamstress to pull the clothes apart and stitch in a layer of the nanotube fabric.
‘We’ll need around one and a half metres of fabric for each piece. That’s nine thousand pounds each, fifty-four thousand for the six and another eighteen thousand pounds on top if Gabrielle returns to the mission.’
‘That’s a lot of dough,’ Bruce said.
Zara nodded. ‘We do everything we can to protect agents on missions, but we don’t have unlimited resources. The only way we can afford this is by paying for it out of the research and development budget, rather than the mission budget.’
‘We’re hoping that nanotube fabric will be much cheaper once it goes into mass production,’ Terry said. ‘In five or six years, clothes reinforced with this stuff could be as much a part of a CHERUB agent’s standard kit as a lock gun or multitool is today, but right now it’s too expensive.’
Maureen smiled. ‘And whatever you do, don’t go using your nine-thousand-pound sweatshirt as a goalpost and then leave it on the grass.’
19.SHOWDOWN
Kyle was only studying for the one A-level he needed to secure his place at university and Lauren had a free period after lunch. They met up by the main campus gates and began the ten-minute journey to Mr Large’s house.
‘Nervous?’ Kyle asked, as they walked briskly, with gloves on and breath curling in front of them.
‘A bit,’ Lauren nodded. ‘But I’ve dealt with FBI sharp shooters and paedos, so I reckon I can survive an encounter with Large.’
‘He might not