‘Hey there, Ryan,’ Ted Brasker said warmly.
Ted was a big grey-haired Texan, and Dr D’s deputy at TFU. Ryan knew Ted well because he’d been another of Ryan’s fake fathers during the first phase of their mission to destroy the Aramov Clan.
The other person in the room was Ethan Aramov. The same age as Ryan, he was the grandson of Aramov Clan head Irena. He now lived with Ted under protective custody, because his uncle Leonid wanted him dead.
Ethan was weedy and felt jealous when he saw Ryan’s chest. ‘You’ve been working out,’ Ethan noted.
‘You hungry?’ Ted asked. ‘How you feeling?’
‘Like shit,’ Ryan said, relieved to be amongst friends as his eyes were drawn to a huge LCD screen showing the news. ‘What’s the latest?’
‘Ten trucks,’ Ethan said. ‘Two didn’t get out of Oak Ranch. Four have been found without incident, one exploded killing six people at an intersection. One hit its target, ripping up half of a shopping mall in Atlanta.’
‘Crap,’ Ryan said. ‘Lots of dead?’
Ethan shook his head. ‘All the malls within striking range have been ordered to close. The only casualties were a security guard and two teenagers making out in the empty parking lot.’
‘And the last two trucks?’ Ryan asked.
‘They’re keeping us worried,’ Ted said. ‘The whole country’s on the lookout for 2012 model GMC Savannah trucks, painted with the logos of major retailers. To have stayed out of sight this long they’ve either pulled into a garage somewhere or transferred the explosives to another vehicle.’
‘So IDoJ still has two tonnes of high-explosive on the loose,’ Ethan added.
Ryan had assumed it was morning, but the clock on the TV put the time nearer to three in the afternoon.
‘That was quite a sleep,’ Ryan noted. ‘I need a shower, but all my clothes are disgusting.’
‘You can borrow some of mine,’ Ethan said. ‘We’re the same height. Only thing is my feet are smaller.’
‘Guess we’ll have to buy you some sneakers,’ Ted said, as he handed Ryan a glass of iced orange juice. ‘But it won’t happen today. There’s not a shop open within a thousand miles of here.’
‘Thanks,’ Ryan said, sipping the orange before looking across at Ethan. ‘So how’s Texas working out for you?’
‘I’m enrolled in a nice private school,’ Ethan said. ‘Rules and uniform piss me off, but I’ve got a couple of decent mates. I’ve also taken up the drums and I’m the best player on the chess squad.’
Ted snorted. ‘Still haven’t persuaded him to try out for the football squad.’
Ryan smiled at the idea of Ethan’s scrawny bod on a football field. ‘What about your grandma Irena? Have you visited her?’
Irena Aramov had controlled the Aramov Clan for more than thirty years, but she’d allowed Dr D’s TFU unit to take her operation over, on condition that she was given immunity from criminal prosecution and was allowed to travel to the USA to receive an experimental cancer treatment.
‘Been up to New York to see her a couple of times,’ Ethan said. ‘Treatment worked for a while, but she’s crashing again. I don’t think she’s got long now. Last time I was up there she barely knew who I was.’
Ted put a hand between Ryan’s bare shoulder blades and spoke firmly. ‘I’m real sorry about Kazakov. He was a good guy.’
‘He was,’ Ryan said sadly.
‘So,’ Ted said, trying to break the silence, ‘you still a pancake man?’
Ryan had fond memories of Ted’s pancakes and edged into a smile. ‘Blueberry?’
‘I can dig out some blueberries,’ Ted said. ‘You go get yourself cleaned up. Ethan will lend you some clothes, then you can fill your face while we work out what happens next.’
16. CONFERENCE
After being interrupted for the announcement on Friday afternoon, the advanced driving course had continued through the weekend and Monday was the final day.
Ning felt nervous as she sat in front of campus’ main building at the wheel of a large but badly mauled Opel saloon car. It was ex-police, with the high-vis stickers still along the side and filler in the roof where the flashing blue lights had once been bolted through.
James was in the front passenger seat, looking round impatiently with a clipboard resting on his lap. ‘Have you seen Alfie this morning?’
‘At breakfast,’ Ning said. ‘He went upstairs for something he’d forgotten, but that was ages ago.’
‘I sent him a text,’ James said, as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard. ‘If he’s not here in four minutes … ’
But Alfie came charging out of the main building before James finished his sentence.
‘Sorry,’ Alfie blurted, as he climbed in the back. ‘Got collared by my science teacher. The dickhead wants me to redo a whole bunch of work because it’s sloppy.’
James should have been annoyed, but he’d spent plenty of time hiding from teachers who were after him for homework when he’d been a cherub.
‘Who needs to know about molecules anyway?’ Alfie asked. ‘I’ve got my career all mapped out.’
James laughed. ‘And what’s that?’
‘I’m gonna be a professional rugby player, but if that fails I’ll become a porn star.’
‘Very sensible,’ James said, as Ning smirked.
‘Oh,’ Alfie added. ‘And they announced on the news that the FBI raided some warehouse. Found the last of the explosives and they reckon they’ve busted IDoJ’s top man in the US.’
‘Good,’ Ning said. ‘Means Kazakov didn’t die for nothing.’
‘OK, that’s enough distractions,’ James said. ‘Bruce, Leon and Grace left ten minutes ago. Have you both read the briefing?’
Ning and Alfie nodded.
‘You’re going to be tested on everything you’ve learned over the past four days,’ James said. ‘Drive fast, but always put safety first. Today won’t be easy, but you’re both good enough to pass this course.’
‘Slay them, Ning,’ Alfie said, as he buckled his seatbelt. ‘Also, please try not to kill me.’
‘Same to you,’ Ning said, smiling warily as she started the engine, dropped the handbrake and pulled off in first gear.
There were often little kids running around, so campus had a strict 10mph limit. Ning rolled down the gravel path that led from the main building to the security gate, but James told her to pull over before she got there.
‘What?’ Ning asked.
James tutted. ‘This is really basic. What do you do when you get into a strange car?’
‘Check that the car is mechanically safe from the outside. Check mirrors, familiarise yourself with the controls.’
‘Right,’ James said. ‘How far are we driving?’
‘You said thirty miles.’
James pointed to the fuel gauge. ‘Is that going to get you thirty miles?’
‘Oh,’ Ning said, when she saw the gauge on empty. ‘Shouldn’t the red warning light be on if it’s that low?’
‘It should,’ James agreed. ‘But this car is twelve years old. What did I tell you about old cars?’
‘Old cars are shit,’ Alfie said. ‘You can expect everything to go wrong.’
‘Exactly,’ James said. ‘The warning light could be faulty. Or the fuel tank might be brim full and the gauge itself could be faulty. But you set off without any awareness of a possible critical fuel problem.’
Ning looked sour. ‘So do I lose a mark for that?’
‘One mark,’ James said. ‘Eight more and you fail the course.’
‘So, I should check the fuel tank, or what?’ Ning asked.
James gave Ning a stern look. ‘This is the final test. You’ve read the briefing, I’m not making any decisions for you.’
Alfie decided to help Ning out. ‘I’ll look in the back and see if there’s a spare fuel can. You see if you can look into the tank and check the fuel level.’
‘That’s more like it,’ James said, as the
pair jumped out of the car. ‘But make it snappy.’
Ning was back a couple of seconds later, fumbling around hunting for the fuel flap and boot release buttons.
‘I’m just nervous,’ she told James anxiously. ‘I always mess up tests like this.’
‘Funnel and petrol!’ Alfie said triumphantly, as he pulled a metal can out of the trunk. ‘Do I get a bonus mark for saving Ning’s butt?’
‘You’ll have a bonus mark on your butt if you don’t watch it,’ Ning growled, as she unscrewed the car’s fuel cap and dropped the funnel in.
Amy Collins passed the battered ex-police car as she made the final approach to CHERUB campus, with Ryan in the back. They parked by the helipads at the side of the main building and headed straight to a conference room on the first floor.
Chairwoman Zara Asker was at the head of a big oval table, along with husband and Chief Mission Controller Ewart Asker, Chief Handler Meryl Spencer and semi-retired Campus Psychiatrist Jennifer Mitchum.
‘All the big wigs,’ Ryan noted, feeling a little intimidated as he sat in a swivel chair and poured water from a glass jug.
‘How are you feeling?’ Meryl asked, as Amy sat across the table opposite Ryan.
‘Could be worse,’ Ryan said. ‘I met Amy at Heathrow Airport last night. But it was late, so we booked into a hotel and drove up this morning.’
‘Jet lag?’ Ewart asked.
Ryan nodded. ‘Kyrgyzstan, China, and then America is a thirteen-hour time shift. Then back here which is another seven-hour shift. My body has no idea what time of day it is.’
‘Besides your disorientation, how are you feeling?’ Jennifer Mitchum asked. ‘Seeing your mission controller die must have been distressing. Especially after you’ve worked with him for seven months.’
Ryan nodded. ‘When my mum died I felt so bad, and I thought the sadness would never end. But it did get better.’
‘Yes,’ Jennifer said. ‘Understanding the grieving process really does help.’
‘I also wonder if I could have saved him,’ Ryan said. ‘Like, I tied our guard up. But that took ages, and if I’d killed him I probably would have got to the car before the guard got found.’
Ewart Asker smiled. ‘You can play what if games your whole life. Maybe if you hadn’t tied the guy up, you would have got to the parked car sooner, but an armed guard could have been out there having a cigarette break and you’d have been killed when you got there.’
‘Feelings of guilt are completely normal,’ Jennifer Mitchum said. ‘But you didn’t intentionally do anything that led to Kazakov getting killed and that’s what you should focus on.’
Ryan nodded, before Zara spoke. ‘Ted Brasker tells me that you’re very keen to go back to Kyrgyzstan and resume the mission. I must say, I have concerns about this.’
Ryan sat bolt upright. ‘There’s nothing wrong with me,’ he said defensively.
‘I’m not saying that there is,’ Zara replied. ‘But you’ve been away from campus for seven months. You’ve lost out on your education; you must have missed your friends. I know you feel that you have unfinished business at the Kremlin, but as chairman, my duty is to put agents’ wellbeing first.’
Amy spoke next. ‘I do think Ryan would continue to be useful at the Kremlin. I’m living on the top floor, watching over Josef Aramov and basically pulling strings to run Aramov Clan operations. Ryan and Kazakov have been feeding back really important information about the mood of people lower down the organisation.’
‘There must be other ways of doing that,’ Ewart said. ‘Cherubs are only supposed to operate in situations where adults can’t. There must be dozens of people inside the Kremlin who’d make willing snitches.’
‘I have other sources,’ Amy confirmed. ‘But Ryan and Kazakov were the only ones I could totally trust. The mission could certainly continue without Ryan. Although as we all know, kids tend to be less cagey than adults, and Ryan has already picked up a lot of information from people he goes to school with.’
‘I can really help,’ Ryan said. ‘And it’s not like I’m in massive danger at the Kremlin.’
Handler Meryl Spencer looked at some of Ryan’s mission notes. ‘I don’t want to make Ryan uncomfortable, but I can’t help but feel that part of Ryan’s reason for wanting to return to the Kremlin has something to do with this girl, Natasha.’
Ryan squirmed with embarrassment as everyone looked at him. ‘First off, her name’s Natalka, not Natasha. Second, I don’t see that my love life is any of your business.’
Zara spoke firmly. ‘Ryan, this meeting isn’t about your love life, but it is about your wellbeing. If you have a strong emotional bond with someone at the Kremlin, it obviously affects your willingness to return to the mission in Kyrgyzstan.’
‘There’s not that many people my age at the Kremlin,’ Ryan said. ‘Natalka’s nice. We hang out and stuff.’
‘Would you say you loved her?’ Meryl asked.
‘I like her a lot,’ Ryan said. ‘We spent most evenings together.’
‘Have you been physically intimate?’ Meryl asked.
‘I haven’t shagged her if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Ryan said irritably, feeling really uncomfortable discussing this in front of five adults. ‘We’ve kissed and stuff, obviously.’
‘Do you think you’d want to go back to Kyrgyzstan if it wasn’t for Natalka?’ Zara asked.
Everything Ryan had said up to this point was either the truth or close to it, but now he told an outright lie. ‘Natalka’s not that big a deal. I only want to go back to Kyrgyzstan because I want to help finish the job that Kazakov and I started.’
‘OK, I think Ryan’s had enough of a grilling,’ Zara said. ‘Here’s what I think: Ryan has been away from campus for seven months and he’s been through a nasty ordeal over the past week. He needs to catch up on his education and spend some time on campus.’
‘No way!’ Ryan blurted.
‘Let me finish,’ Zara said firmly. ‘However, Ryan also has unfinished business and emotional ties in Kyrgyzstan. So he can return, but only for a maximum of six weeks. This should give Ryan a chance to tie up loose ends, and for Amy to find someone else to take over his role.’
‘Oh, right,’ Ryan said sheepishly. ‘Sorry.’
Zara continued. ‘When you come back to campus, you’ll spend a minimum of six months on off-mission status. You need to catch up with your training and education, and spend time living like a normal teenager. Does anyone around this table have any major objections to this?’
‘Six weeks is plenty of time for me to replace Ryan at the Kremlin,’ Amy said.
The psychiatrist, Dr Mitchum, spoke. ‘A traumatic event like the death of a mission controller shouldn’t be brushed aside. I’d like to see Ryan for a couple of counselling sessions before he leaves and further sessions when he returns to campus.’
There was a couple of seconds’ silence before Zara wheeled her chair back and stood up. ‘OK, that’s all agreed then. Meeting adjourned.’
Ewart, Meryl and Dr Mitchum filed out, but Zara cornered Ryan and Amy before they left.
‘I’m really sorry if we made you uncomfortable talking about Natalka,’ Zara said.
Ryan gave an awkward shrug. ‘Guess you have to cover everything.’
‘I’m sitting in on a video conference early this afternoon,’ Zara said. ‘It’s a debrief on the IDoJ operation, involving Dr D and some other figures in the US Intelligence community. I know Amy will want to watch, but, Ryan, you’ve been so closely tied up in this that you’re welcome to sit in as well.’
17. GRANNIES
James Adams and Bruce Norris stood up in the racetrack’s grandstand as the trainees lined up four abreast on the start line, in matching Volkswagen Golfs.
Bruce had a walkie-talkie that linked up to all four drivers. ‘Remember, two laps of the track. At the end of your second lap pull off into the parking lot, through the pit lane and follow the obstacle course.
‘Look out
for random hazards. You’ll be docked one point for each one you hit. You’ll also be docked one point for every full ten seconds that you finish behind the lead car. Now, start your engines!’
As Bruce spoke, James stepped down the grandstand holding a black-and-white chequered flag. Ning’s mouth felt dry as she sat in the driver’s seat, wearing a crash helmet and six-point safety harness. She was on the outside of the track, which she hoped would give her the best run into the first corner.
James stood rigid with the flag held high as the four Volkswagens revved. When he dropped the flag, Grace shot off into the lead. Ning got an OK start and tucked in behind Grace. Leon had pulled left in an aggressive attempt to get the best line into the corner, but Alfie had no intention of letting him through and tried sandwiching Leon into the pit wall.
The cars were normal diesel-powered Golfs and they’d barely reached twenty miles per hour, but the boys still had a noisy coming together. Leon kept going, but Alfie lost power and found himself rolling with a stalled engine as Grace narrowly led Ning into the first corner.
Ning caught a slipstream as Grace came off the corner and hit the straight, but as she tried to overtake, Grace swerved to avoid a polystyrene dog and Ning’s only choice was to swerve the other way.
The Golf ’s front driving wheel lost grip when it hit damp grass off the side of the tarmac, and while a jerk of the steering got Ning back on course, she’d lost momentum and Leon had enough speed to overtake on the outside at the next corner.
Unfortunately for Leon, he was so keen to make the pass that he didn’t brake in time for the following corner and Ning cut back through on the inside. Now Ning found herself on a straight, with Leon close behind, Grace four car-lengths ahead and Alfie too far back to be seen.
Three quick corners passed in a blur, but when they reached the next short straight Grace was shocked to see that two stripped-out cars had been parked sideways across the track, making a roadblock. There were two options: hit the rear of one of the cars to spin it out of the way, or divert off the main track and take a longer route on to a winding section used for go-kart racing.