Class A (7 page)

M
ISSION
 R
EQUEST

In early 2004, frustrated by the lack of success in bringing down KMG and outraged by police corruption, the government asked the intelligence service to find a way of infiltrating KMG at the highest level. MI5, the adult branch of British Intelligence, could see no reason why it would have any more success at this than the police. CHERUB was suggested as a method of last resort.

Keith Moore is close to his four children. Appropriately placed CHERUB agents may be able to befriend them and gather vital information.

M
ISSION
 P
LAN

Husband and wife mission controllers,
Ewart
and Zara Asker, will move into a house on the Thornton housing estate with their baby son and four CHERUB agents. For the purposes of the mission, the agents will be adopted children of Zara and
Ewart
. The family surname will be Beckett. To minimise confusion, everyone will use their normal first names.

P
RIMARY
 O
BJECTIVE:

Each agent has been selected to befriend one of Keith’s children, as follows:

If the cherubs succeed in making friends, they must attempt to socialise out of school and try to get inside Keith’s home, gathering information wherever possible. Each cherub will be placed in the same tutor group as the child they are supposed to befriend.

S
ECONDARY
 O
BJECTIVE
:

Many children on the Thornton estate run errands and deliver drugs for KMG associates. Each cherub should identify children who are working for KMG and try to get involved themselves. Children usually work for small-time dealers, delivering drugs to individual clients using mobile phones and pushbikes.

Evidence suggests that children who attend Keith Moore’s boxing club and make reliable couriers are promoted rapidly and given responsibility for moving wholesale quantities of drugs. If these children can be identified and befriended, they may provide information that will enable police to prosecute senior figures inside KMG.

NOTE: ON THE 13TH DAY OF AUGUST 2004 THIS MISSION PLAN WAS PASSED BY THE CHERUB ETHICS COMMITTEE BY A 2:1 VOTE, ON CONDITION THAT ALL AGENTS UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:

This mission has been classified HIGH RISK. All agents are reminded of their right to refuse to undertake this mission and to withdraw from it at any time. Agents will be at risk of violence and exposure to illegal drugs. Agents are reminded that they will be excluded from CHERUB immediately if they willingly use cocaine or any other class A drug.

*

It was breaking all sorts of rules, but Zara Asker let them take the mission briefings outside and read them in the sun. She’d made a picnic, spreading a tablecloth over the grass and covering it with sandwiches and snacks. It was a chance for baby Joshua to get used to Kyle, Kerry, Nicole and James. The eight-month-old sat under a sunshade, wearing nothing but a nappy. Kerry and Nicole leaned over him with giant grins.

‘Look at his tiny fingers, James,’ Kerry beamed. ‘He’s so cute you could gobble him up.’

James lay back in the grass with sunglasses on, thinking he looked cool and wondering how Kyle had managed to get Nicole on the mission.

‘It’s a baby, Kerry,’ he said, ‘I’ve seen one before, they all look exactly the same.’

Kerry tickled Joshua’s belly.

‘That’s James,’ she said. ‘Isn’t he Mr Grumpy today?’

‘
Ooogy woogy
woo,’ Nicole added.

Ewart was striding across the grass towards them, carrying an icebox and some bottles of soft drinks. He was a big muscular guy, with bleached hair and half a dozen earrings. He wore a
Carhartt
T-shirt and old jeans with the legs ripped off.

Zara was older than her husband. She looked like a typical harassed mum, with scraggy hair and puked-up milk on her T-shirt. Like most CHERUB staff, she was a former pupil. She’d gone to university and worked for the United Nations before returning to CHERUB as a mission controller. Kyle had worked with Zara a couple of times before. He said she was one of the best mission controllers to get. Everyone agreed
Ewart
was the toughest.

‘Hey, Nicole,’ Kyle said, swatting a fly away from his paper plate. ‘You should have seen how happy James was when he found out you got on this mission.’

James sat up, surprised by Kyle’s outburst. Nicole turned away from the baby.

‘Was he?’ she said, breaking into a smile. ‘Is that right, James?’

James was flustered. Kerry would kill him if she found out he’d paid Kyle to get Nicole on the mission.

‘That’s right,’ James spluttered. ‘I’ve never got a chance to know you, but the few times I’ve spoken to you, you’ve always seemed … nice.’

‘Thank you, James,’ Nicole smiled. ‘I was worried I’d be the odd one out because you three are already close.’

Kyle grinned. ‘And James fancies you.’

‘Piss off, Kyle,’ James said.

Kyle was one of James’ best mates, but he was always trying to con you or wind you up. Sometimes it got annoying. Zara cuffed Kyle around the back of the head.

‘I’m only telling the truth,’ Kyle said.

‘Kyle,
 
behave
,’ Zara said sharply. ‘And James, you watch your language in front of the baby.’

James could feel his face burning with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

‘I know James doesn’t fancy me,’ Nicole said. ‘Everyone knows James and Kerry have a thing going.’

‘Says who?’ Kerry gasped.

‘Yeah,’ James said defensively. ‘Me and Kerry did basic training together and we’re good mates. It doesn’t mean we fancy each other.’

Kyle laughed. ‘If you say so, lovebirds.’

‘At least I’ve
 
had
 
a girlfriend,’ James said, looking at Kyle. ‘You’re nearly fifteen and I’ve never seen you anywhere near a girl.’

Kyle looked offended. ‘I’ve had girlfriends.’

James grinned, sensing he’d put Kyle on the back foot.

‘Girls in dreams don’t count, dickhead.’

A second later, James found himself dangling in the air with
Ewart
eyeballing him.

‘Fifty laps,’
Ewart
barked.

‘What?’ James gasped.

‘You shut that filthy mouth in front of my son.’

‘He’s a baby,’ James said. ‘He can’t understand a word.’

‘But he’ll learn,’
Ewart
snarled. ‘Get over to the running track, now.’

Fifty laps of the track took two hours and left you for dead when you stiffened up the next morning. Zara intervened before James boiled over and told
Ewart
where to shove his laps.

‘
Ewart
, darling,’ Zara said gently. ‘James needs to be here while we discuss the mission. I’m sure an apology will be sufficient.’

James, still suspended in mid-air, didn’t think anyone deserved an apology, but it was better than running the laps.

‘OK,’ James said. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘For what?’ Zara asked.

‘I shouldn’t have sworn in front of the baby.’

‘Apology accepted, James,’ Zara said. ‘And Kyle, quit being smart. You’re the senior agent on this mission. I expect you to help the less experienced agents, not keep stirring up trouble.’

After
Ewart
had put him down, James straightened his clothes, sat on the grass and started piling chicken drumsticks and sandwiches on to a paper plate. Nicole shuffled up beside him and pinched a couple of his crisps.

Zara began reading notes from a long list.

‘OK, as you all know, we’re leaving first thing the day after tomorrow. Pack light. There are seven of us and it’s a small house. State schools start Tuesday, giving us a nearly a week to settle in before term starts. I’ve prepared a hundred and sixty page dossier on Keith Moore, his associates and his family, I want all of you to read it and memorise as much as you can…’

7. MOVING

It was pandemonium. They had a big moving van and a people carrier. The van was already stuffed, mostly with baby stuff like pushchairs and walkers. Kerry had five bags of clothes and junk, which James had to hump downstairs because her knee was still weak. Kyle, who was always ridiculously neat, wanted to take his clothes rail, eight pairs of shoes and his own ironing board.
Ewart
was going berserk, using language that would have earned James thousands of laps.

‘I’m only making one trip,’
Ewart
shouted. ‘So you lot better sort yourselves out.’

James was the only one who’d followed instructions to pack light. He had a backpack, with toiletries, spare trainers, a jacket and a few changes of clothes. His
Playstation
and TV had gone ahead the day before with the furniture.

Lauren came tearing around the corner towards them. She was in uniform and she was crying. It was the last thing James expected.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, bundling his sister into his arms.

Her T-shirt was sweaty and the sobs made her whole body shudder.

‘Just …’ Lauren sniffed.

James pulled her tighter and rubbed her back.

‘Is someone bullying you, or something?’

‘I’m ten in two weeks,’ she explained. ‘It’s doing my head in thinking about basic training.’

Lauren acted tough most of the time, but she couldn’t always keep the nine-year-old girl inside herself under control. Whenever there was a chink in her armour, she came to James for comfort.

‘Lauren,
 
I
 
passed training,’ James said, feeling a bit emotional himself. ‘I’d never done Karate and I could barely swim. With all the fitness and combat exercises you’ve done, you’re a million times better prepared than I was.’

Lauren dragged her wrist over her eyes. Kerry got Lauren a tissue.

‘Come on, kids,’ Zara shouted, as she climbed into the people carrier. ‘I want most of this drive out of the way before Joshua wakes up and starts screaming.’

‘I wish you weren’t going away,’ Lauren said.

‘Bethany’s going into training with you,’ James said. ‘She’ll probably be your partner. You two will do great.’

Lauren stepped back from James. Kerry gave her a quick squeeze.

‘Just think, Lauren,’ Kerry said. ‘In four months, basic training will be a memory and you’ll be able to go on missions. I’ll bet you, any money you like.’

Lauren smiled a bit. ‘Yeah. I hope so.’

‘If you want,’ James said, ‘I can probably arrange for you to visit us in Luton on your birthday. We can have a laugh.’

Lauren looked surprised. ‘Will they let me?’

‘They won’t mind. It’ll be good experience for you: getting a taste of what it’s like being out on a mission and stuff.’

‘You better go then,’ Lauren sniffled, dabbing her eyes with the tissue. ‘I don’t know what made me start crying. It just … Sorry … I feel really dumb now.’

James pecked his sister on the cheek, before saying goodbye and climbing in the back of the people carrier.

Kyle leaned out of the side window. ‘You’ll make it through training, Lauren,’ he shouted. ‘Don’t go losing any sleep.’

James pulled up the door and buckled his seatbelt.

‘Sorry I shouted, James,’ Zara said, from the driver’s seat. ‘I didn’t realise Lauren was upset. Is she OK?’

‘I think so,’ James nodded.

Lauren waved as they drove away. James’ eyes were a bit damp, but he wasn’t worried. Lauren had a good brain and she was fit. A serious injury was the only thing likely to stop her getting through basic training.

*

Ewart and Nicole travelled in the moving van with the luggage. Zara drove the people carrier, with Kyle next to her in the front. James and Kerry sandwiched Joshua’s baby seat in the back. The baby woke up an hour before they arrived. Kerry had a go at feeding him, but he screamed his head off. She passed him over to James while she hunted round her feet for a bottle Joshua had batted on to the floor.