New Guard (CHERUB) - Robert Muchamore Page 0,31

liked knowing more than his brother. ‘You can’t decrypt 512bit, Dumbo.’

James nodded. ‘A brute force decryption of the data on the hard drive would take decades, even using the fastest computers. But the key vulnerability of very complex encryption systems is that someone somewhere has to know what the encryption key is.’

Now John began speaking. ‘While James has been concentrating on the laptops, I’ve been doing more research into Trey Al-Zeid. Local community police have been interviewed. They backed Oli’s suggestion that Trey is involved in some sort of racket that makes threats and extorts money from local taxi companies, shops and landlords. What they’re less clear on is where this money goes.

‘There’s talk in the community that the money goes to support militant Islamic groups in North Africa and the Middle East. Others say this is all smoke and mirrors and that Trey is part of a regular organised-crime-style extortion racket.’

‘You’re much less likely to mess with your local extortion racket if you think they might have links to serious terrorists,’ James explained, before John continued.

‘Trey’s father owns one of the biggest taxi businesses in Birmingham and is believed to have something to do with the extortion racket, but the real kingpin is a man who everyone seems to call Uncle. He has been photographed at community events over the past few years, but he does a good job hiding his name.’

Leon nodded knowingly. ‘Oli said something to Trey about upsetting Uncle when he stole the laptops. So whatever info is on that laptop must give us a clue about who Uncle is and where the extortion money goes.’

James and John both nodded.

‘I think we can safely say that the recruitment element of this mission is dead,’ James said. ‘Oli is clearly smart enough to be a CHERUB agent, but he’s just …’

James couldn’t think how to phrase it correctly in front of his boss, so Daniel finished the sentence for him.

‘Oli is the most loathsome kid I’ve ever met.’

James nodded in agreement. ‘You rescued Oli from Trey’s grasp, but I think we can assume that Trey might come after him again. So, we’re going to arrange for him to be given a new surname and moved to a foster home at least a couple of hundred miles from here.’

‘Can’t we just do the world some good and shoot him?’ Daniel suggested cheekily.

‘I wish,’ James grinned. ‘Especially as I’ve got to find a good foster home and do all the paperwork for his transfers.’

‘So we’re staying for at least a while longer?’ Leon asked.

James nodded. The twins smiled because it meant that they got out of more heavy drill back on campus. But Daniel had another realisation.

‘I put staples in Trey’s leg and stole his gun.’

‘And we took the six hundred Oli made from the laptops,’ Leon added.

Daniel nodded. ‘So we’re not exactly flavour of the month.’

James and John both erupted in smiles.

‘We’ve gotta do a bit of work on getting you back into Trey’s good books,’ James said. ‘Don’t worry, I have a few ideas.’

18. BROTHER

Gurbir yelled as Rhea strode past his office, long legs and a school uniform that violated at least ten regulations.

‘What I do now, Gurby-kins?’ Rhea asked, contemptuously popping bubble-gum as she leaned in the doorway. But her expression turned for the better when she saw a handsome seventeen-year-old, sat in a plastic chair with a bright yellow North Face pack resting between his legs.

‘This is Ryan,’ Gurbir explained. ‘I have a few calls to make, would you mind showing him to room thirteen?’

‘Oli’s room?’ she asked.

‘Oli has been placed with a foster family some distance from here,’ Gurbir explained.

Rhea flicked an eyebrow. ‘Good riddance to the little shite.’

Gurbir half smiled as Rhea beckoned Ryan with a purple fingernail. ‘You coming then?’

Ryan slung the yellow pack over his shoulder and grabbed a duffel bag. He eyed Rhea as she led him through the dining area, slightly put off by her cigarette smell.

‘Like your jeans,’ Rhea said.

‘Cheers,’ Ryan said. ‘Diesel. Bought ’em with my birthday money.’

‘I like it when they’re tight enough to see a crotch bulge,’ Rhea said, then as Ryan looked down at himself in a state of panic, ‘Joke!’

‘Been here long?’

‘Too long and still another three months on secure,’ Rhea said, as she kicked the half-open door of Oli’s old room. It had been vacuumed and clean sheets put on the bed, but Oli’s Aston Villa posters had stayed on the wall.

The bed bounced as the big pack hit the mattress.

‘Maybe I’ll