CHERUB: Man vs Beast - Robert Muchamore Page 0,5

packs would jangle if they ran, the three kids kept to a brisk walk. They cut across a squelchy corner of a football pitch, before heading into the woods that covered all of the undeveloped areas on CHERUB campus. After dealing with a tangle of undergrowth, their feet found a dirt path.

This takes longer than walking across the open fields, but nobody uses this trail except for running cross-country,?Lauren explained.

And if we do come across anyone, we can use the trees as cover,?Bethany added.

James felt slightly reassured: the girls had obviously put in a lot of thought.

Once they were clear of the buildings, Lauren broke into a jog. But they couldn't run fast because the moonlight penetrating the branches was barely enough to make out the path. James moved up alongside his sister.

Te're going right up to the back of campus,?Lauren continued, breathing heavily. 慠emember when me and Kyle were on punishment and had to dig out all those ditches??

慤h-huh.?

Most of them carry water off the farms that surround campus. They all feed into the stream that runs across the training compound. In a couple of places we cleared out ditches that join the stream inside the training compound. All that stops you getting in is a few strands of barbed wire and we can easily snip that.?

Before you ask, were checked and itt not electrified or alarmed,?Bethany added.

That about video cameras??James asked. They're everywhere. The instructors know if a squirrel farts inside that compound.?

Theret fifty-three cameras,?Lauren nodded. But they all run off a single circuit. If we pull the fuse the whole lot stops working.?

Nowr you find that out??

Martin Newman got punishment, cleaning out the administration building,?Bethany said. Te sweet-talked him into making a copy of the electrical plans for the whole of campus.?

Lauren giggled. And now youre got to go to the cinema with him.?

Ehut up,?Bethany gasped. Don't you worry. I know I promised, but IEl find a way to wriggle out of it.?

Martint gonna be so gutted,?Lauren said. Doesn't it crack you up the way one of his ears sticks out and one doesn't??

Tou can't talk, Lauren. You fancy Rat and het no oil painting.?

Both girls were giggling at their little in-jokes, which irritated James.

Make some more noise, why don't you??he sneered.

Theret nobody around,?Lauren said dismissively, but both girls realised they were being dumb and calmed down.

*

It took ten minutes?jogging along the winding path to reach the back of the training compound. The three kids had slowly increased their speed as their eyes adjusted to the moonlight.

They were in good shape and none of the trio was seriously out of breath as they pulled up beside a ditch that was about a metre and a half deep. Lauren slid a torch out the back of her jeans and shone it around.

This is the spot,?she whispered. Lames, get the waders out.?

James was relieved as he slipped the weight off his shoulders and unzipped the pack. It hadn't rained in a week, so they could find some hard ground to change their footwear, but theyr passed through a couple of boggy areas and their trainers were coated in mud.

After throwing two smaller sets of booted rubber trousers at the girls, James caught a whiff of feet as he wriggled the waders up his legs and hooked the straps that held them up over his shoulders.

Therer you get these??James moaned. They're nasty.?

Kyle had them when he was on punishment,?Bethany explained. Ne wore them every day for six weeks, so I'll not surprised they're a bit ripe.?

Mnce you get down in that ditch, Kylet smell is the last thing youEl worry about,?Lauren said, as she threw something at James.

He narrowly missed the catch, but realised it was a head-mounted lamp as soon as he picked it off the ground.

The lightt good for fifty metres, but don't use it any more than you have to,?Lauren said.

James slipped the elastic strap around his head and quickly flipped the tiny LED bulbs on and off to make sure they were working. Bethany was still struggling to get into her waders and Lauren sorted her out while James hooked on what was now a much lighter pack and set off towards the ditch.

He considered jumping into the muddy water, but it would splash up his arms and make a racket, so he took a cautious approach, sitting on the edge of the ditch with his legs dangling and gently lowering himself down.

There was a squelch as his waders sank into the twenty centimetres of mud