CHERUB: Mad Dogs (7 page)

‘Sorry,’ Michael whispered. ‘I’m messed up right now.’

‘I know,’ Zara said soothingly. ‘You’ve had a stressful day, Michael. But I can’t lie to you. Gabrielle is seriously injured; she might die. I’ll have to speak with the ethics committee and the Intelligence Minister and they’re likely to say that the mission is too dangerous.’

Michael groaned. ‘But we’re cherubs. We go into our missions with the best training. We understand all of the risks and we accept them.’

Zara sighed. If you asked a hundred CHERUB agents they’d all say the same thing about risks being a part of their job. But adults instinctively dislike the idea of putting kids in danger, and if Gabrielle died, the government would call CHERUB’s very existence into question.

The island had a ragged network of dirt roads, most of which had been carved out by illegal logging operations who’d stripped hardwood from the island’s interior. After setting out the canoes and safety equipment for the trainees’ morning raft trip, Dana returned the local guide to the outskirts of his village.

As she pulled away from the settlement she received a call on the satellite phone. Mr Pike had landed on the beach and didn’t fancy the five-kilometre trek back to camp, so Dana set off across the island to collect him.

The Land Cruiser was designed for rough terrain, but the roads were nothing more than shrunken gaps between trees and in places tropical storms had washed the soil away, leaving a layer of volcanic rock that set the wheels spinning and sent great jolts up her spine.

The canopy of trees blocked out the moonlight, and even inside the air-conditioned Land Cruiser Dana felt uncomfortable. She was relieved when she broke on to open sand and flashed her headlights at Mr Pike, who’d dragged a large dinghy up the beach.

‘How’s Jo?’ Dana asked, as she helped Mr Pike to lash his dinghy to the top of the car.

‘Upset, obviously,’ Pike said, as he threw an elasticised rope across the hull for Dana to knot around the roof bar.

‘Where is she?’

‘She’s at the hospital, but it’s not exactly state of the art. It’s damp and dingy and Jo freaked when she saw a lizard climbing up the wall. But the doctor spoke good English and the nurses who did the plaster were really nice. I thought it was better to leave her there to get some sleep, rather than make her cross back to the island in the boat.’

‘Is she safe?’

Pike nodded. ‘She’s in a children’s ward. It’s all families with kids.’

By this time the boat was secured and Dana pointed towards the driving seat. ‘Shall I?’

‘Sure,’ Pike nodded. ‘You drove down here, so you know the terrain better than I do.’

Dana was pleased to have a companion in the passenger seat as she fired up the big diesel engine and set off.

‘God I’m knackered,’ Mr Pike said, stretching into a yawn as they hit a bump in the road.

‘Snap,’ Dana nodded. ‘I’m not sure if training is more tiring for the instructors or the trainees. James must be shattered after that twenty-K hike.’

‘I think I’ll be sending him home with Jo in the morning.’

Dana looked surprised. ‘Can’t someone from the MI5 team at the embassy pick her up?’

‘Could do,’ Pike nodded. ‘But we’ve got four staff, two guides and only seven trainees left. I thought about sending you back with her, but you’re our best swimmer and I want you on hand in the motor launch tomorrow in case one of those canoes gets in trouble when they hit choppy water.’

‘Fair enough, I guess,’ Dana said.

Dana
was
the best swimmer, but she was no fan of jungle life and envious that James would be getting back to home comforts four days early.

‘Hopefully this will be the last time we have to ask agents to help out with basic training,’ Pike said. ‘Kazakov is rough around the edges, but he’s basically sound. Miss Smoke is due back from maternity leave and we’ve got another new instructor starting in a fortnight.’

‘Sounds good,’ Dana said. ‘But what about Mr Large? I heard he’s recovered from his heart attack.’

‘I believe so,’ Pike said awkwardly.

‘Do you have a problem with Mr Large?’

Pike shrugged. ‘I’ve got no personal grudge, but he was my boss. Then he got demoted – partly because I stood up to him and made a complaint – and now I’m
his
boss, which makes our relationship pretty awkward.’

‘Suppose it must do.’

Branches lashed the car as Dana flung the steering wheel around sharply to make a tight turn. ‘But he’s got that disciplinary hearing for being drunk on duty. Maybe Zara won’t reinstate him …’

‘Maybe,’ Pike yawned. ‘Maybe, maybe, maybe. Right now all I care about is getting back to camp and dreaming some dreams.’

Dana nodded, as she caught on to his yawn. ‘We’re only a few minutes out.’

Despite the jarring surface, Mr Pike had somehow dozed off by the time they reached camp. Dana considered leaving him, but he’d wake up stiff, and even at night the interior of the Land Cruiser would become stifling once the air conditioning was switched off.

‘Wakey wakey,’ Dana said, as she gave Mr Pike a nudge.

Dana led the way from the Land Cruiser and through a steep patch of undergrowth towards the clearing where they’d made camp. The fire was smouldering and all seemed peaceful until she stepped into the command tent and saw Kazakov asleep on the floor with a pillow under his head and James lying face-down, covered in grit with his arms and legs tied together.

‘MUFF-MUF!’ James yelled, which only served to prove that it’s impossible to say anything when you’ve got a rag crammed in your mouth.

‘What happened?’ Dana gasped, as she crouched in front of James and started pulling out the sock. ‘Was it bandits? Did they rob us? Where are the trainees?’

‘It was
those
little sods who did this,’ James shouted, as Dana began untying his wrists.

By this time Mr Pike had stepped in and pinched Mr Kazakov’s cheek to bring him around. As Kazakov sat up, rubbing his aching head, Dana fetched some bottled water and James did his best to explain what had happened.

Dana couldn’t help seeing the funny side. ‘Well I guess we’ve spent ninety-six days training them to work as a team and seize the initiative.’

‘Don’t laugh,’ James spluttered, as he swished the dryness out of his mouth. ‘It’s a total breakdown of authority. They’ve got to be punished …’

Mr Kazakov nodded. ‘They should all be sent home in disgrace.’

Mr Pike still looked like a man who wanted his bed more than anything else. ‘Don’t be daft, Kazakov. If I get back to campus and tell the chairwoman and mission control staff that every single recruit failed training I’ll get my head chewed off.’

‘And they
were
showing initiative,’ Dana added.

‘Stop taking their side,’ James said angrily. ‘I bet you wouldn’t be talking like that if you’d just spent an hour and a half tied up on the ground with cockroaches trying to crawl up your nose.’

‘I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to let myself get outwitted by a bunch of ten-and eleven-year-olds,’ Dana grinned.

James gritted his teeth. ‘I think the canister hitting Kazakov was an accident, and they took
me
by surprise.’

‘Everyone, calm down,’ Mr Pike said irritably. ‘We can’t have trainees assaulting instructors with smoke canisters and tying them up. It sets a dangerous precedent.’

‘It’s not like they planned it,’ Dana interrupted. ‘They acted on the spur of the moment.’

‘They’ve got to be given a clear warning,’ Pike continued. ‘Who were the ringleaders?’

‘Kevin Sumner and Ronan Walsh,’ James said.

‘Snitch,’ Dana tutted.

‘Right,’ Mr Pike said. ‘If you two want to get your own back, go and drag them out of their tents. You can punish them, but I want them in a fit state to continue training in the morning.’

‘Loud and clear, boss,’ Kazakov said. ‘Come on James, bring the rifles.’

Dana scowled at James as he followed Kazakov out of the command tent and across to the trainees.

‘And no bloody yelling,’ Pike yelled after them. ‘I want my sleep.’

‘What are we doing to them?’ James asked, as he strode briskly around the smouldering fire behind Kazakov.

‘Follow my lead,’ Kazakov ordered as he unzipped Kevin’s tent. ‘You get Ronan.’

The smell of feet and musty kit invaded James’ nose as he crawled inside Ronan and Ellie’s tent and shook the stocky eleven-year-old awake.

‘All right mate?’ James said cockily. ‘Guess who just got untied!’

‘Bring your kit,’ Kazakov yelled, as he dragged Kevin from his tent by his ankle.

It took a couple of minutes for the two trainees to put on their boots and cram all of their kit inside their packs.

‘Stand to attention,’ Mr Kazakov whispered, eyeballing the trainees menacingly.

Kevin and Ronan stood in the dirt with their boots together, stomachs in, chests out and arms rigid at their sides.

‘I only hit you by accident,’ Kevin said sleepily.

‘Really?’ Kazakov nodded. ‘And I suppose you tied James up by accident too?’

‘You’re idiots,’ James added. ‘Why risk getting punished or flung out of training when you’re so close to getting your grey T-shirts?’

‘Just because,’ Ronan said defiantly.

Kevin’s expression was more rueful. ‘We got carried away … I’m sorry James, especially after you helped me out on the hike.’

The boys were young and this was probably the point where James would have accepted an apology and sent them back to bed with a dire warning and a kick up the arse; but Kazakov had other plans.

‘Rifles, James,’ he ordered.

James handed each of the trainees one of the M4s they’d used to fire the simunitions earlier on.

‘Now,’ Kazakov grinned. ‘Hold them up above your heads and commence running on the spot, raising your knees high, thusly.’

Kazakov did a little demonstration. It looked easy enough, but the trainees were half asleep and the heavy packs, rifles and heat made it hard work.

Within a minute, both lads had sweat streaking out of their hair. Then Kazakov walked behind Kevin and kicked his feet from beneath him. The boy crashed forward, with the weight of his pack pinning him to the floor and the heavy rifle digging into his chest.

‘Did I give you permission to stop running?’ Kazakov grinned, as he kicked dust into Kevin’s gaping eyes and mouth. ‘On your feet, prom queen.’

Kazakov turned towards James as Kevin began running on the spot again. ‘Kick Ronan.’

This only served to remind James that he’d never make a good training instructor. Ronan had acted pretty nasty when he’d tied James up; he was also a bully who didn’t hesitate to drop the weaker trainees in it when an exercise went wrong. But he was still just a kid and James didn’t want to hurt him.

Mr Kazakov wasn’t impressed. He shoved James aside before slamming his dilapidated boot into the soft flesh between Ronan’s hip bone and rib cage. It knocked the boy sideways with such force that he clattered into Kevin and both lads ended up back on the ground, with their limbs tangled and coughing as they breathed the dust kicked up by running on the spot.

‘Get up, stand still, rifles held high.’

It took the two gasping boys half a minute to stop coughing and stand in line with their rifles above their heads.

‘OK,’ Kazakov grinned, as he looked at his watch. ‘It’s now sixteen minutes until one. Sunrise is at six-thirty. You will stand to attention with your rifles held high until then. If I see you move off the spot or stop or if the rifle drops I’ll come out and make both of you run till you either puke or pass out.’

‘Can I go to the toilet first?’ Kevin asked.

Mr Kazakov shook his head. ‘You can hold it in, or piss your pants. I don’t care which, but if you move off that spot before morning you’ll be sorry.’

Kevin glanced at James as if to say
can you help us out
, but James didn’t like appearing weak in front of Kazakov and he didn’t have the authority to help even if he tried.

‘A soldier is only as tough as the person who trains them,’ Kazakov said, as he and James started the short walk back to their tent.

James tried to explain as he unzipped the tent and stepped inside. ‘It’s just – they’re not perfect but … They’re nice little kids. You know?’

Kazakov grunted. ‘I’ve seen a lot of men die, James. Some of them weren’t much older than you and a lot of them would still be around if they’d been trained by someone like
me
instead of someone like
you
.’

As Kazakov sat on the edge of his fold-up bed and began unlacing his boots, James realised that he needed to pee before going to bed and stepped back out of the tent.

He couldn’t bear to look at the moonlit silhouettes of Kevin and Ronan, with their arms struggling to hold the rifles in the air. He cut through the gap between the command tent and his own as Dana’s torch suddenly lit up his face.

‘All right big man?’ she sneered. ‘Proud of yourself?’

James tutted and shook his head. ‘You should have been there when they tied me up, Dana. It was basically high spirits with Kevin, but Ronan’s a nasty piece of work.’

‘Two wrongs never make a right,’ Dana said.

‘I hate helping out with training,’ James moaned. ‘I know why CHERUB does it, I know they have to, but I’m not cut out for it. Pushing little kids around is depressing. I’m starting to think about seeing Meryl and asking to take extra exams instead.’

‘At least you’re flying home in the morning.’

James looked surprised. ‘You what?’

‘I guess Pike didn’t get a chance to tell you. There are only seven trainees now and Jo’s got a broken ankle so she needs someone to fly back to Britain with her.’

‘Sweet,’ James grinned. ‘I could kill for a proper shower and a dossy night in front of the telly.’

Dana grinned back reluctantly. ‘Anyway, I’m shattered and we’ve all got to be up in five hours.’

‘Do I get a goodnight kiss?’

Dana was almost as tall as James and she gave him a gentle peck. ‘Not that you deserve it after you snitched on little Kev.’

‘I reckon he’ll survive,’ James shrugged. ‘Pike clearly doesn’t want another trainee to fail.’