CHERUB: The Fall

by Robert Muchamore

  ‘Maybe not,’ James admitted. ‘But right now it’s the only strategy I’ve got.’

  *

  James wandered back towards his room and popped in to visit Bruce along the way. He was lying on his bed with a cast over the bottom of his leg.

  ‘How’s it feel?’ James asked.

  Bruce broke into a big grin. ‘You’ll find out when Kerry catches up with you.’

  ‘I could have done with you as a bodyguard.’

  ‘Sorry, old bean. Takes me ten minutes just to hobble into the bathroom for a piss at the moment. Kevin Sumner came to visit this morning; he seemed pretty chuffed with himself.’

  ‘He’s a good kid,’ James nodded. ‘I hope he gets through basic training.’

  James’ mobile rang. He flipped it open and heard Dana’s voice.

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘Bruce’s room.’

  ‘I’m outside your door,’ Dana said. ‘We need to talk.’

  James shut his phone and told Bruce that he had to go. He smiled when he saw Dana standing in the corridor in her black CHERUB T-shirt.

  ‘Looks good,’ James said.

  ‘Yours too,’ Dana nodded.

  James felt awkward as they stepped into his room. He’d have liked time to think everything through, but he didn’t have that luxury.

  ‘Is me and you going to be a thing, or what?’ Dana asked.

  Much to James’ surprise, he knew the answer as soon as Dana asked. He’d been going out with Kerry on and off for two years and the whole thing had gone stale. They’d had a lot of good times, but it just wasn’t much fun any more.

  ‘You were there for me when it mattered,’ James told her. ‘Me and Kerry have been drifting apart almost since we got back together in April. It just took you to make me realise.’

  Dana smiled. ‘I’m kind of cranky, you know. I mean, I like being on my own quite a lot of the time and I’ve had a few boyfriends, but none of them have lasted more than a few weeks …’

  James shrugged. ‘We’ll see how it goes. No pressure.’

  ‘And Kerry?’

  ‘I’ll have to face up to her, I guess.’

  ‘I’ve not eaten since breakfast,’ Dana said. ‘Do you fancy going down for an early dinner?’

  ‘I could go for that. Then we could come back here and watch a movie or something. I’ve got …’ James stumbled. ‘You know, I just realised I don’t know what kinds of films, or music, or stuff you like.’

  ‘I read more than I watch,’ Dana shrugged. ‘Two or three books a week.’

  ‘I read a book once,’ James grinned. ‘It was about this dog called Spot and he was learning all the different colours.’

  ‘The disturbing thing is that I don’t even think you’re lying. I’ll lend you one of my copies of Lord Of The Rings.’

  James grimaced. ‘Isn’t that about twenty million pages long? And besides, I’ve seen the movies so I already know what happens.’

  ‘Do you like swimming?’ Dana asked. ‘The leisure pool, with all the slides and the water spouts?’

  ‘I could go for that,’ James nodded. ‘Kerry hates it because the little kids make so much noise.’

  ‘Doesn’t hurt to act like a kid once in a while,’ Dana smiled. ‘And if the little dudes get on my nerves I just thump ’em.’

  *

  The dining-room never got busy much before 5 p.m., but there were still enough people in the room for James to feel like everyone was staring as he stood in line with Dana. He stacked up his plate with roast potatoes and veg whilst the server cut his slices of turkey and beef.

  The choice of table was tricky. James didn’t know how he and Dana would be received at his usual table, where Kerry and all his mates sat. But on the other hand, if he let Dana lead the way to the small table at the back where she always sat on her own, it would be like sending a signal to his mates that he wasn’t part of their gang any more. On yet another hand, if he sat in the corner he’d be far less likely to encounter Kerry. On the other hand to the other hand, Kerry might be even more annoyed if she thought he was hiding from her …

  ‘Why are you standing there like a lemon?’ Dana said, as she led the way towards James’ regular table.

  ‘Do you want to sit there?’ James asked edgily.

  ‘You always sit here,’ Dana said, as she pulled out a chair. ‘You’re not ashamed of me, are you?’

  ‘Don’t be daft,’ James said.

  But it hardly mattered whilst none of the others were around. The queue for food steadily increased as James and Dana ate their roast. It was mostly little red-shirt kids. They tended to eat earlier because they finished lessons early and didn’t get as much homework as the older kids.

  Bruce was the first to join James and Dana. He was using two crutches, so one of the kitchen staff carried his tray to the table.

  ‘Seen Kerry yet?’ Bruce grinned, with all the tact of a wrecking ball. ‘Are you two an item now or what?’

  ‘We’re giving it a go,’ James nodded.

  By the time James and Dana had moved on to their chocolate trifle and brownies, the queue was out of the dining-room door. Lauren, Bethany, Rat, Andy and a bunch of Lauren’s other mates had settled at two adjacent tables and started chattering amongst themselves. James tried thinking unscary thoughts when Gabrielle and Kerry came in.

  ‘Fancy another dessert?’ Dana asked, as she ran a finger around the inside of her bowl.

  James looked over his shoulder and saw that the dessert counter was free. ‘Go on, you talked me into it,’ he said, rubbing his belly as Shak came over to the table, accompanied by the identical twins Callum and Connor.

  Dana got up to grab the extra desserts as James’ three friends sat down.

  ‘One of you sit this side of me,’ James said anxiously, as he realised that the only two vacant seats were next to him.

  ‘Why would we want to do that?’ Callum – or maybe it was Connor – grinned.

  ‘Where have you two scrotes been anyway?’ James asked. ‘You’re almost as dark as Shak.’

  ‘Down under, mate,’ the other twin said, in what was easily the worst Australian accent James had ever heard. ‘Heroin, bent cops and speedboat chases. All in a day’s work for two heroic young studs such as ourselves.’

  ‘Any chicks?’ James asked.

  ‘Aussie birds are well fit,’ Bruce said, but the twins kept noticeably quiet.

  ‘I know they are,’ James said, as Dana came back and put two desserts on the table. ‘I’ve got my own Aussie bird right here.’

  ‘One girlfriend too many if you ask me.’ Shak cringed as he saw Gabrielle and Kerry coming towards the table.

  James realised that everyone at the surrounding tables was watching as Kerry closed in. He thought she might take a swing at him with her tray, but she settled calmly in the seat next to him.

  ‘Hello James,’ Kerry said, as she took her fork and used it to stab a roast potato. ‘Hello Dana.’

  Everything went quiet for a moment and James realised that the pressure was on him to speak.

  ‘Kerry, I’m really sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings …’

  ‘Really.’ Kerry spoke calmly, but swept her hair off her face like she always did when she was angry. ‘So how long were you going to carry on with Dana behind my back before you bothered to tell me?’

  ‘It wasn’t like that, I swear,’ James said. ‘I never laid a finger on Dana until last night.’

  ‘At least have the decency to be honest,’ Kerry said. ‘I’m sick of you anyway, the bitch is welcome to have you.’

  A couple of whoops went up from Lauren’s table.

  ‘Hey,’ Dana said indignantly. ‘For what it’s worth, James happens to be telling the truth. And I don’t appreciate being called a bitch.’

  ‘Well, bitch,’ Kerry snapped. ‘I don’t care if you like it and to be frank, I don’t believe one single word out of your lying bitch mouth.’

  ‘Why don’t you b
oth calm down?’ James said.

  But Dana jumped to her feet. ‘The only reason James dumped you is because he begged you for help and you sat on your skinny little I’m so good arse and watched Eastenders instead.’

  ‘I heard what happened,’ Kerry snorted. ‘You lucked out, as per usual. It’s a miracle that you didn’t both get expelled.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Dana shouted. ‘Looks like we’re wearing the black shirts that show how stupid we are.’

  Kerry’s hand squelched into her trifle bowl. ‘Here’s what I think of your precious black shirt.’

  James watched as a mixture of chocolate custard and cream splattered against Dana’s shirt.

  ‘Oh that’s real mature, little girl.’

  ‘Have some more,’ Kerry screamed. ‘Cheating BITCH!’

  James tried to muster a smile. ‘Seriously girls, I’m not worth fighting over.’

  ‘I know you’re not,’ Kerry snarled. ‘But you both went behind my back and made me look like a fool.’

  ‘No we didn’t,’ Dana insisted. ‘That’s just some stupid rumour Lauren started.’

  ‘What was I supposed to think?’ Lauren shouted from the next table.

  ‘Stay out of this, Lauren,’ Kerry yelled. ‘Haven’t you caused enough trouble already?’

  ‘Me?’ Lauren gasped. ‘What did I do?’

  James looked up at Kerry. ‘What are you having a go at my sister for? I’m the one you’re pissed at.’

  ‘Don’t give me that smug little look, James.’ And Kerry threw the last of her trifle in his face.

  ‘Two can play at that game,’ Dana said, as she lunged towards Kerry with her palm covered in trifle. The palm hit the crown of Kerry’s head, but the trifle splattered everywhere and hit James and Gabrielle too.

  ‘For god’s sake,’ Gabrielle shouted, ‘this stuff never comes out!’

  James found himself trapped between Kerry and Dana as they tried grabbing each other around the neck. He fell backwards out of his chair, clattering into Bethany and smearing her top with a blob of cream.

  ‘Careful, moron!’

  Gabrielle hadn’t picked trifle, so she threw her lump of hot jam sponge at Dana. It shattered into about fifteen different pieces, showering Bruce and Shak.

  Annoyed about the greasy cream stuck to one of her best tops, Bethany stuck her fingers in her trifle bowl and flicked a lump at James.

  ‘I’m sick of you always having a go at my brother,’ Lauren shouted, as she threw a gravy-sodden slice of roast beef in Bethany’s face. ‘Your brother’s a bigger dick than James and I always put up with him.’

  ‘Oi,’ Jake shouted. ‘I heard that.’

  At the same moment, Bruce yelped because he had a blob of Gabrielle’s hot jam burning his bare foot and he was in no position to reach down and rub it off. But he got revenge by aiming a spoon laden with mashed-up peas and carrots at Gabrielle’s head. Unfortunately, it flew past Gabrielle and hit the neck of a girl sitting two tables across.

  A couple of little red-shirts sitting nearby had decided throwing food looked like fun and joined in. As Dana and Kerry continued trying to strangle each other, Dana got hold of the large water jug in the middle of their table and swung it towards Kerry’s head. Water sprayed several metres, soaking kids at the surrounding tables.

  And then the shout went up. ‘FOOD FIGHT!’

  Less than two minutes had elapsed between Kerry throwing the first lump of trifle and the outbreak of war. By the time James had hauled himself off the floor, there were hundreds of items of food whizzing between tables. But he only got a brief look before Bethany threw an entire roast turkey dinner in his face.

  As he frantically wiped the hot gravy off his new black T-shirt, James felt a baked potato hitting him in the back. He leaned down and – realising that he had no idea where it had come from – lobbed it the entire length of the dining-room where it thumped against one of the plasma screens.

  As the kitchen staff yelled out for order, a gang of red-shirts took control of the dessert counter. They repeatedly sank their hands into the giant tubs of trifle and hurled it as hard as they could across the canteen.

  Girls were screaming, Kerry had Dana pinned to a table, Rat was trying to pull Lauren and Bethany apart and a bunch of staff were yelling dire threats as they shielded themselves behind wooden trays. Every so often, James ducked when a particularly large piece of food came his way, but mostly he just watched in awe as total mayhem exploded around him.

  He was living through a moment that people would talk about at CHERUB for years to come and it had all happened because of two girls fighting over him.

  This was going to make him a legend.

  EPILOGUE

  James’ mission

  Following the death of DENIS OBIDIN, VLADIMIR OBIDIN spent three weeks recovering in a private Moscow clinic. Upon his return to Aero City, he moved ruthlessly against members of his security team whom he suspected of betraying his brother. More than a dozen men were tortured and several ended up dead. The CIA were forced to abandon their Aero City mission.

  After a brief feud with other family members, Vladimir took over his brother’s position at the head of the Obidins’ business empire. Denis Obidin’s widow was elected mayor of Aero City in early 2007. No other candidate dared to stand against her.

  Six-year-old MARK OBIDIN is still reluctantly learning English and is expected to be sent to a British boarding school shortly after his eighth birthday.

  The scandal surrounding LORD FREDERICK HILTON and his son SEBASTIAN HILTON M.P. broke three days after the food fight in the CHERUB dining-room. Lord Hilton was arrested whilst trying to flee aboard his private jet. Sebastian Hilton was arrested by his own protection officer on direct orders from the Prime Minister.

  Due to the complexity of the evidence against the Hiltons, it is expected that they will not face trial until late 2007. Both men are currently on remand in Belmarsh high-security prison. They are also wanted for questioning by police in the United States, Russia and several European countries.

  As the scandal surrounding the Hiltons unravelled, police arrested more than one hundred of their associates. The affair also led to the resignation of two cabinet ministers and the entire board of directors of Hilton Aerospace.

  The man and woman who followed Ewart Asker were revealed to be KATE MULHROON and JOSEPH GOSLING-BELL. The pair were private investigators who had previously been employed by MI5. They were each charged with possession of illegal firearms and received seven-year prison sentences.

  JASON McLOUD received three journalism awards for breaking the story of the Hilton scandal. He felt slightly guilty, because he had actually done little except receive an envelope. McLoud followed Madeline Cowell’s wishes and donated half of the fees for his stories and subsequent television appearances to SARAH THOMAS.

  The CHERUB ethics committee conducted an investigation into the Aero City mission, after which it put in place a number of new rules to ensure the safety of CHERUB agents. The biggest change is that cherubs are no longer allowed to work overseas without the presence of a mission controller.

  The report also criticised EWART and ZARA ASKER for keeping James Adams in the dark over the details of his investigation. In a stiffly worded rebuke the report said, ‘It is the duty of all CHERUB staff to ensure the welfare of CHERUB agents first and consider intelligence implications second. James Adams went through a traumatic experience in Russia and his wellbeing should have taken precedence over everything else.’

  The report praised JAMES ADAMS’ conduct, although he was reminded that the ethics committee exists to help CHERUB agents who find themselves having difficulty with senior members of staff. He was criticised for stealing a pool car, but the report accepted that he had been under significant mental stress at the time and said that he did not deserve to be punished in any way.

  Lauren’s mission

  After being guaranteed full British citizenship, ANNA revealed that her surname was CHAIKA. JOH
N JONES made some efforts to track down her baby brother GEORGY CHAIKA, but he was never found.

  Anna now lives with adopted parents in Scotland. Her English has improved and she is doing well in school.

  Twenty-eight forced sex workers were captured following the police raid on the brothel. Subsequent questioning uncovered details of three similar establishments. In total, more than one hundred girls aged between eleven and twenty-two were freed from sexual abuse and slavery.

  Most of the girls returned willingly to families in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. Twenty-six claimed to have no family ties and asked to remain in Britain. Despite the fact that the girls had been imprisoned for up to four years under savage conditions, only three underage girls were granted asylum. In line with government policy, the rest were treated as illegal immigrants and sent back to their own countries.

  Human rights campaigners expressed concern that these girls are likely to be recaptured and enslaved once again.

  KEITH and the bouncer knocked out by Lauren both spent time in hospital, but survived their injuries. They were tried along with ROMAN, ABBY, the receptionist and eleven other people arrested during subsequent police raids. Charged with kidnapping, human trafficking and prostitution offences, they received prison sentences ranging from eight to seventeen years.

  Subsequent raids also led to charges being made against more than a dozen other individuals in what senior Customs and Excise officers described as: ‘A major breakthrough in the battle against human trafficking.’

  Meanwhile back on campus …

  After reviewing CCTV footage of the food fight, more than fifty cherubs received punishment laps and the loss of one month’s pocket money. Several children suffered minor burns, and in a special assembly, Zara Asker reminded everyone on campus that throwing hot food could have resulted in a serious injury. She added that much more severe punishments would be handed down if the incident was ever repeated.

  The Askers’ dog, MEATBALL, has recovered fully from his throat operation, but doesn’t appear to have learned his lesson. He still eats absolutely anything.

  NORMAN LARGE continues to improve following his heart bypass operation. Although a full recovery is possible, it is uncertain whether he will be able to return to his physically demanding role as a CHERUB training instructor.