the look on his mug.?
Fuelled by the beer, James started laughing out of control at the image of weedy little George getting crapped on.
Thatt very mature,?Sophie said, smiling wryly at her girlfriends.
Eo what do you reckon??Viv asked. T can't stand this stuffy hole. Whot up for driving out somewhere and howling at the moon? Ire got Jack Danielt and vodka in the car.?
Sophie shrugged. Teah, what the hell.?
Viv looked at Kyle and Tom, who were now snuggled up with their arms around each othert backs.
My, poofters,?Viv shouted. Aonna take a spin. You coming??
Tom and Kyle both nodded as Viv looked at James. That about you, cop killer? You up for a ride, or has Mummy gotta tuck you up early on a school night??
James didn't fancy being the odd man out amidst two couples, but he had a mission and Zara would expect him to go.
Ehe likes me home by eleven,?James grinned. But shet not around to stop me, so I'll in.?
As James stood up, Kyle passed by, heading for the toilets, and gave him a nudge that clearly meant come with me.
The toilets were nasty, with a smell that made your eyes water and an overflowing urinal that had turned the entire floor into a puddle.
MK,?Kyle said, looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody was around as he stood at the urinal beside James. Tre been working on Tom. He reckons Viv is planning to get in with another group. Itt apparently something to do with a mate of Sophiet.?
Ts it the AFM??James said, as he started peeing.
Ne says they're extremists,?Kyle said. T doubt itt the AFM itself, but all the intelligence reports say that the number of radicals out there is small, so theret a strong possibility that they're linked.?
Thatt our plan??
All we can do is hang around Tom and Viv. Keep ourselves in the picture and gradually put the idea across that we want to get involved with an extremist group too.?
Might be tricky for me though,?James said. T mean, you and Tom are practically ripping each othert kit off in there, but theret a big age gap between me and Viv. That thing with the firecracker might have been a perverse stroke of luck, but I can't see him hanging around with my fourteen-year-old butt once the novelty wears off.?
Kyle nodded as he zipped up his jeans. Tell, you know what Viv likes about you. YouEl just have to play it to the max and act even crazier than he does.?
*
It was gone eleven when Ryan and Zara arrived home in Corbyn Copse. Lauren had dozed off in the back, but woke up as Ryan tried carrying her into the cottage.
Better have a shower before I get into bed,?Lauren yawned. T stink like an ashtray.?
As she headed dozily up to the bathroom, Ryan slumped in an armchair and buried his face in his hands.
That was a total bloody betrayal,?he said listlessly. Three years in prison. Five votes out of twenty-four. They can stuff their bloody committee. I'll setting up my own thing.?
Sot while this missiont going on you're not,?Zara said firmly.
Ryan looked up, surprised. Bardon me??
Te need you inside the Zebra Alliance,?Zara explained.
That wasn't our deal,?Ryan said indignantly. T wanted the AFM out of the Zebra Alliance, but if I'll not even part of the Alliance, theret no point.?
So point for you,?Zara said. But our mission is to unearth the AFM. I want you inside that committee room feeding us information.?
Now can I go back in there??Ryan said. They utterly humiliated me.?
Ewallow your pride and do your job.?
Mr what??Ryan sneered.
Don't try my patience,?Zara snapped. T'll dead tired and Ire been listening to your voice since half-six this morning. Your parole states that you can't leave the county of Avon. If you want to pick a fight with me, IEl see you wake up in a London police cell and serve the other three years of your sentence.?
Sow we're seeing your teeth,?Ryan yelled. The British government and its crack teams of underage fascists.?
ć… yan, the AFM is out there and people are getting killed,?Zara yelled back. Tre put six months?work into this mission. Were got three agents in place, were spent two hundred and fifty grand on a house and a car and I'll missing out on my own kids growing up. Once were got solid information on the AFM, you can set up your own group with no one but your parole officer to worry about. Until then you will stick to our deal.?
Ryan twisted uncomfortably