New Guard (CHERUB) - Robert Muchamore Page 0,61

presence will be light.’

James was no military strategist and looked confused. ‘Why light if it’s at the centre of their territory?’

‘Military forces usually defend the edges of their territory,’ Capstick explained. ‘There’s no enemy to fight in the middle.’

Tovah continued. ‘Israeli intelligence tells me that the border with Turkey is open. Main highways are damaged but passable and they can put me in touch with a driver who knows Tall Tamar and can find us a place to hide out until our targets arrive on the scene.’

‘Why is Israel so keen to help free two British hostages?’ Capstick asked.

Tovah smiled. ‘Islamic State wants to destroy the state of Israel. Illegal oil is Islamic State’s biggest source of income and taking out Sachs and Yuen will greatly diminish their capacity to keep it flowing.’

‘Makes sense,’ Capstick said.

James cleared his throat. ‘So, just to be absolutely clear, you’re both saying we can call in the drone strike on the well at Tall Tamar and get this mission started?’

Tovah and Capstick looked at one another and laughed.

‘This is risky shit,’ Tovah said. ‘But we’re as ready as we’re ever gonna be.’

While James planned, the five Currents and three other remaining Crustys followed breakfast with a six-kilometre run around the island. The end point was a clearing on a seaside cliff, where the training assistants had dropped ten dirt bikes, ready for a ride back.

But as the sweaty runners got to the bikes, they realised that the training assistants had sabotaged them. Back wheels missing, drive chains removed, and several bikes looked OK but didn’t start for less obvious reasons. Race driving had turned Lauren into a reasonable mechanic and she helped to get Bruce and Kyle on the road. As she fixed a locked brake disc on a third bike for herself, she realised that the five Currents were all stumped.

Although the idea was for the presence of the five young agents to motivate the older ones, the teens were learning too and after four weeks, team rivalries had mellowed.

‘You haven’t got a clue, have you?’ Lauren teased, approaching Ryan as the sound of Bruce and Kyle’s bikes faded. ‘We’ve had two lectures on bike mechanics.’

Ryan looked sheepish as he held up oily fingers. ‘Maybe I didn’t pay as much attention as I could have. I can see the back wheel is out of alignment, and the fuel line is loose, but I can’t see where this tube goes.’

Lauren laughed as she tapped her fingers under the seat. ‘There’s nothing to plug it into because the fuel tank is missing.’

‘Oh,’ Ryan said dopily. ‘So I won’t be able to get this one going at all?’

Now Lauren was cracking up. ‘Without a fuel tank, I don’t think so.’ She pointed at another bike. ‘Take the fuel line from your bike, fit it to that one and put some air in the back tyre. You should be OK after that, but check the brakes just to be certain.’

Alfie spoke as Lauren turned back to the bike she’d just fixed for herself. ‘Would you please mind helping out here?’

‘Oooh, aren’t we suddenly so polite!’ Lauren said. ‘What about when the seat broke in my plane and you said it was because I have an arse wider than the Grand Canyon?’

‘Just joshing,’ Alfie said. ‘You know I think you’re great, Lauren.’

Lauren tutted as she looked around. ‘You’re all hopeless,’ she moaned. ‘Daniel, it looks like the electronic ignition is loose and needs screwing back in. Ning, you need air in your tyres and clean the crap out of the jammed rear brake. Leon, that lightning bolt on the speedometer means your battery is flat, but you’ll generate enough charge to start if you roll her uphill and push off from there.’

Lauren moved towards her own bike and gave it a kick-start.

‘What about me?’ Alfie asked.

‘Your problem,’ Lauren said, flicking up one cheeky eyebrow. ‘My Grand Canyon ass is out of here.’

Lauren hoped Alfie would end up having to run back and was disappointed when she arrived and found Ning close behind, with Alfie riding pillion. Everyone headed into the gym, expecting Capstick and McEwen to be waiting, for some kind of gruelling combat workout. Instead, chef had laid out tables with lasagne, and two ancient rear-projection TV sets had been wheeled in. One was rigged up to a PS4 ready to play FIFA16, but Lauren was seriously excited to see the second one, linked to an ancient Sega Megadrive.

‘Oh my god, it’s Ecco the Dolphin!’ Lauren blurted.