CHERUB: The Syndicate

24: Familiar

With Zach enjoying the hospitality of Victoria Police, the mission was over and the word came through from campus that they were expected back. Pete, Dawn and Linda came over one evening for a small celebration with cake and a bottle of champagne, which George was only allowed a single glass of. Alice joined in, although she'd seemed sad ever since she'd realised that the mission was finishing.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens to the Syndicate from now on, but I'm confident we've done enough," Pete said, clinking glasses with everyone. "Sometime over the next few weeks, the police will move in on everyone else we have evidence on, but a haul like this is stretching their resources, so I expect they'll wait until reinforcements arrive from Adelaide and Sydney."

"Good job, everyone," Linda said. "It's been a pleasure."

ASIS wanted Katie to stay on in her role at the travel agency, which was still providing quality information about Melbourne's various gangs, but as a CHERUB agent she was expected to go back to campus.

"I wouldn't do it anyway," Katie told George later on, once everyone had gone home and they were lounging around in George's room. "Melbourne's amazing, but I have other things I want to do."

"Like the running stuff?" George asked, giggling. He was tipsy because Katie had let him finish the bottle.

"Exactly. I'll turn eighteen next month and in September I'll be off to university, so CHERUB's basically over for me. Not to mention that everyone on campus hates me."

"They don't hate you," George said, thinking that eighteen was impossibly old. "I bet it's all calmed down when we get back. Everyone forgets the old scandals."

Katie nodded. "I suppose so. But still, I think some people won't like me much, so it's good that I'm going soon."

"So this was your last mission, huh? Scary," George said. "It's only my second proper one."

"Last one, yes. On my second mission, I got kicked by a horse and cracked a rib," Katie laughed. "I was pretty hopeless."

"A horse? How did that happen?" George laughed, starting to get an uncontrollable urge to collapse into giggles again.

"The mission target loved them. I had to pretend to like them, but they never liked me," Katie replied, giving George a shove so he rolled off the bed.

"You don't exactly cover them in basic training," George agreed, checking the bottle but finding nothing in it.

"Give that here," Katie said, taking it off him and putting it out of reach. "You've had enough, you can't hold your drink."

George started giggling again so Katie tickled him, which drove him insane but he was too incoherent to protest. Eventually he fell off the bed again so Katie pinned him down and started tickling his feet until he was begging for mercy.

"I'm gonna miss you, Georgie," Katie said, sitting back on the bed. "I'll give you my email address or something so we can keep in touch."

"Of course," George said, too tired to get up. "You know, a lot of people think you're scary, but I think you're just nice."

"Nice? Such a charmer," Katie said sarcastically, giving him a kick in the ribs. "Try harder."

"Beautiful and spectacularly nice," George replied, rolling onto his side so she couldn't kick him again.

"I'm fine with beautiful," Katie said, appeased for the moment. "I can be scary too, though, so don't get cheeky."

George tried to tell her he would never be cheeky, but all that came out of his mouth was a weird burbling noise which made Katie laugh.