technical department, Terry handled tasks from fixing the espresso machine in the staff lounge to preparing specialised equipment for missions and writing the software that integrated the hundreds of CCTV cameras and sensors that protected campus from intruders.
Terry was passionate about encouraging bright youngsters to become engineers and in his spare time he ran projects with groups of CHERUB agents. Over the years he’d helped teams of youngsters make everything from motorised gliders to solar-powered drinks coolers.
‘Listen up,’ Terry said, addressing the whole crowd. ‘I’ve done some weight and power calculations and these carts could easily top a hundred kilometres an hour. Racing at that sort of speed in golf buggies isn’t exactly safe, so instead of racing wheel-to-wheel we’re going to do a time trial and see who can make the quickest run from this car park here, across campus to the lot behind the dojo and then back again via the main building.’
A disappointed groan rippled through the crowd.
Lauren mumbled to Bethany, ‘That’s so lame. I only turned up in the hope of seeing fireballs and carnage.’
It took almost twenty minutes for Terry to spread sentries along the improvised circuit to make sure that nobody got mown down by one of the souped-up golf carts. As the race drew near, more kids and staff had come out to the garage and groups stood at various points around the circuit.
Wearing a crash helmet and flameproof overalls, Rat shook hands with fourteen-year-old Stuart Russell, who was driving the rival cart.
‘I hate Stuart,’ Bethany said. ‘Why are his front teeth so big? He looks like he’s been gnawing at a tree trunk.’
Lauren grinned. ‘Shakeel’s captain of the other team, but I guess we’ve got to support James, Jake and Rat.’
‘They’re our boys,’ Bethany nodded, before taking a deep breath and bellowing with all her might: ‘Come on Teeeeeeam Rat.’
Rat climbed into his cart. Andy helped him do up the three-point safety harness as Bethany’s chant set off a round of jeering in the crowd. It was hard to judge, but James’ team seemed slightly more popular.
‘Win and I’ll flash you my tits!’ Bethany shouted.
Lauren laughed. She’d forgotten how outrageous Bethany could be when she got carried away. From behind, a girl called Tiffany – who used to be a friend until Bethany dropped her iPod in the bath – shouted, ‘Who’d want to see your flabby bod, Bethany Parker?’
Within a second Bethany had stormed over to Tiffany and was right in her former friend’s face. ‘Do you want a smack in the gob?’
Tiffany put her hands on her hips. ‘Try it. See where it gets you.’
So Bethany did, and the crowd’s attention turned away from the imminent race towards the two thirteen-year-old girls rolling in the gravel. Both were skilled martial artists, but that didn’t stop it turning into an old-fashioned cat fight, with the pair grappling one another, churning up the tiny stones, yanking hair and clawing with long nails.
‘Dirty cow,’ Bethany screamed.
‘You can talk you boy-crazed slapper,’ Tiffany screamed back.
Jake grinned at James. ‘I love watching girls fight, they’re so funny.’
After thirty seconds, Bethany’s recent lack of fitness and combat training began to tell. She gasped for air as Tiffany pressed her knees on Bethany’s shoulders and avenged the opening punch in the mouth.
Lauren realised that her friend was about to get hammered. She charged in and grabbed Tiffany around the waist. Meanwhile, Terry Campbell had ploughed into the crowd with his two team captains behind him.
‘Pack it in you two,’ Terry shouted, as Lauren dragged Tiffany away.
James and Shakeel grabbed Bethany as she stood up, but she tried to charge at Tiffany.
‘Lemme go,’ Bethany snorted. ‘I’m gonna rip her eyeballs out.’
Tiffany didn’t regard her opponent’s best friend as a neutral, and she flailed about trying to kick and elbow Lauren until a couple of older girls grabbed hold and told her to calm down.
‘Stop being so bloody stupid,’ Terry Campbell shouted, as Bethany and Tiffany shot evils at each other through the fading sunlight. ‘Any more of this nonsense and I’ll report both of you to the chairwoman.’
Tiffany wagged her finger. ‘You’re lucky your pal saved you. Five more seconds and I would have busted your jaw.’
James still had his hands gripping tightly under Bethany’s armpits, and he pulled her back as she reared forwards and snarled, ‘Hardly surprising, Tiffany. Your big butt weighs more than my whole body.’
‘Stop it,’ James ordered. He let Bethany go, but as he did so he gave her a sideways shove to