New Guard (CHERUB) - Robert Muchamore Page 0,49
as her mobile buzzed, but smiled when she saw a picture message from James on the screen. It showed the peeling frontage of accommodation hut 32 at the CHERUB summer hostel.
Just landed. Remember what we got up to in here, back in Summer 08?
Kerry zoomed the picture message as Doug walked by, bawling out someone else. She could see a tiny James, reflected in the hut’s front window, with his camera phone in front of his face and the black skinny jeans that made his bum look good. She’d never wanted to hug him so badly and her fingers hovered over the keyboard on her screen, before typing:
2 late 2 join the gang?
James was online and replied instantly. Heck no!!! RU serious?
Deadly serious.
Kerry trembled as she opened her briefcase. She tipped all the work papers on to her desk, took out her work phone and laptop. Then she replaced them with a framed desk photo of James and the bobble head Elvis and Jesus figures stuck to the top of her monitor.
She spent a couple of minutes stripping a few compromising pages from the file on the furniture factory takeover. She dropped them into an envelope, did a quick Google search and addressed it to the editor of a local newspaper based close to the Welsh furniture factory. It wouldn’t stop the takeover, but at least the bank and the billionaire wouldn’t be able to lie about the takeover benefiting the workers and local community.
Kerry stripped the ID badge from around her neck and hooked it over the monitor before stepping into the hallway. There was a photocopier at the end and Doug was there, looming over a curly-haired graduate yelling, I need those figures by yesterday!
Part of Kerry wanted to take a short run, sweep her boss’ legs and flatten his nose. Part of her wanted to say goodbye to some co-workers she considered friends. But mostly, she just wanted to be out of here.
She handed the envelope to a receptionist. ‘That needs to be sent by urgent courier,’ Kerry explained. ‘Tell Doug I’ve found an outside lawyer and I’m heading there now to sort the Kobyashi contract.’
Kerry’s brain churned as the lift took her down. Thinking about the salary she’d given up and six-figure bonus due in January. Was it crazy to quit a sought-after job for some high-risk mission halfway around the world?
The weird thing was, she’d never felt more sure of anything in her life.
27. DRAWL
‘G’day,’ Capstick shouted, in his annoying Aussie drawl. ‘I’ve got good news.’
The squat instructor stood by the summer hostel swimming pool. Ning, Ryan, Leon, Daniel and Alfie faced him in their CHERUB uniform, while two assistant instructors stood at a console nearby, working out how to retract the electric pool cover.
‘Normally, my job is to persecute you kids and get you into the best shape possible,’ Capstick continued. ‘But this is a different situation. I have twenty-eight days to prepare former CHERUB agents for a highly dangerous mission. They left CHERUB more than five years ago, and most of them now spend their days sat on fat lazy asses behind a desk. Your job is to motivate the grown-ups by showing them how far they’ve fallen off the pace. You’re gonna go on training runs with them. You’ll spar with them, play sport with them and study with them. It’s old CHERUB versus new and I want you to show no mercy.’
‘Current versus Crusty,’ Ryan suggested.
Capstick wagged a finger and laughed. ‘I like those names. So go get your swimmers on, ’cos we’re gonna start with some fun in the pool.’
‘Look at that,’ Bruce teased, poking the ripple of flab over the waistband of Kyle’s swim shorts. ‘And when did that skin last catch some sun?’
‘Screw you,’ Kyle said, as the pair followed James down a curved path running between the accommodation huts and the main pool. ‘Just because I haven’t spent the last year bumming around on some beach in Thailand.’
‘Bumming around!’ Bruce snorted. ‘Six hours’ training four days a week, plus I was teaching Muay Thai classes.’
Lauren was waiting for them. Sat on a low wall, in pool shoes and a Lycra one-piece. She had a decent tan for someone with a pale complexion. Her shoulders and arms were ripped, because motor sport puts massive strain on the neck.
‘I see a dividing line,’ Bruce told Lauren, as she stood up. ‘Those who respect their bodies, and those who gave up.’
Lauren smirked when she saw Kyle. ‘You’re actually chubbier than