he’d made on this mission, it was much less likely to impress the senior staff back on CHERUB campus.
‘Wait outside the headmaster’s office, now!’ the PE teacher yelled.
Ryan reluctantly let the teacher take his arm and begin marching him towards the head’s office. Kids walking past on either size stoked Ryan’s anger by making hissing noises and chanting stuff like you’re in trouble or you’re getting excluded.
And while all that was going on, Ash and his fake package of drugs had completely vanished.
34. REJECTION
Ning got hassled by a social worker when she got back to Nebraska House, because she’d been AWOL for two days. Getting grounded would have been a pain, but luckily she was just docked a week’s pocket money and banned from a seaside trip that she had no plans to go on anyway.
Smuggling Fay into Nebraska House was easier than explaining her presence in the shower room to a nosy ten-year-old. Both girls felt better for a shower, clean clothes and a shared box of Maltesers. They watched trash on E4 and for the first time in two days, Fay relaxed enough to stop checking her phone for messages every two minutes.
Good cheer lasted until 4 p.m., when Shawn finally returned Fay’s call. The two girls shuffled up close on the bed so that Ning could hear both ends of the conversation.
‘Sorry it took so long to get back,’ Shawn said. ‘I’ve been having a lot of conversations with the boss about this. We’ve got plenty of supply right now.’
Fay and Ning both suspected that this was a ploy to bring down the price.
‘I’m not asking for fortunes,’ Fay said. ‘There must be a price you’re willing to pay.’
‘Afraid not,’ Shawn said firmly. ‘We just paid you girls a lot of money for cocaine and cash flow ain’t great since Hagar moved in on our business. You’re smart girls. If I were you, I’d ditch this gear, or ship it to your pals up north, if they’re for real. Keep your noses clean, and live it up with the cash you made already.’
Fay’s voice became tense. ‘Shawn, this is top-notch, hydroponic, high-THC weed. The quality of this stuff is the reason Hagar took all your best customers. This is your chance for a role reversal. Your crew could be selling the best gear in town, while Hagar’s got nothing but a grow house full of rotting plants.’
Shawn laughed uneasily. ‘What do you think’s gonna happen when we start putting this stuff on the street? One sniff will tell Hagar that it’s his own shit we’re selling. He’s already pissed off about the stash house. If we start selling his weed to his own customers, it’s gonna be all-out war.’
Fay snorted. ‘I didn’t realise Eli was scared. Hagar’s a wolf. If you don’t stand and fight, he’ll keep biting chunks out of your business until you’ve got nothing left.’
Shawn made a more relaxed sigh, and Fay was starting to feel like he was talking down to her. ‘Hagar and Eli are businessmen. They’ll tweak each other’s noses, but all-out war costs lives, money and brings the law down on your backs. Hagar and Eli have been known to parlay. I’ve sat in as a bodyguard and you know what they talk about? Not street hustles and gangster wars. They talk about villas in Ibiza, diamond watches and whether my boss’s new Porsche is faster than Hagar’s new Ferrari.’
‘But Hagar’s taken a big chunk out of Eli’s business.’
Shawn tutted with contempt. ‘Fay, you’re a kid. You think you’re smart because you listen to some street talk. But your sources know dick about how shit works at the top level. You’ve got as much chance of making Eli go to war with Hagar as I have of making Canada go to war with the United States.’
Fay wanted to lash out, but she was just a fifteen-year-old girl and Shawn was sowing doubts in her head.
‘Is there anyone you can put me in touch with who might buy the gear?’ Fay asked weakly.
‘I’d help if I could,’ Shawn said. ‘But Eli’s mind is set. He wants nothing more to do with you girls. I like how you girls roll, but Eli was even talking about setting up a buy, then tipping off Hagar’s crew so that they got to you first.’
‘Jesus,’ Fay said, moving the phone away from her face because she hated what she was hearing.
‘Listen to what I’m saying and stay out of trouble,’ Shawn said, before hanging up