The Recruit - CHERUB (Book 1)

3. The truth about K.

James was shut in the back of a van for the first part of the drive back to Nebraska House. Even though he was knackered and the driver wasn't allowed to talk, he couldn't sleep. After a couple of hours the driver stopped at motorway services. They both drank nasty tea and used the toilet. James was allowed in the cab for the rest of the journey. Je read the first road sign he saw; they were near Birmingham, heading towards London. It wasn't much of a clue about where CHERUB was. James reckoned they'd already gone more than a hundred kilometres.

It was three in the morning when James arrived back at Nebraska. The entrance was locked so he knocked. The on-duty house parent was angry.

"Where on earth have you been?"

"I went for a walk."

"For twenty-six hours?"

"Well ..."

"Get to bed, James! We'll deal with you in the morning."

It never occurred to James that CHERUB had taken him without telling anyone. But he was so exhausted that he went straight to his room paying great attention to not wake up an asleep Kyle.

To be fair, when James got into the room, Kyle heard him coming in and going to sleep but all they shared as words was that Kyle was right about Vince and his gang and that James wanted to get him back though. But fortunately, Kyle convinced him to not mess because it was not worthy the risk.

*

The next day, the house parent Rachel woke James up but he wasn't in the mood of going to school. He just pretended to have been involved in a fight to explain the pain at his nose. He told Rachel he must have slept in a funny position. But she wasn't stupid.

"James, I've heard some excuses in my time, but a swollen nose and a black eye from sleeping in a funny position is the worst ever."

"I've got a black eye? Can I see the nurse?"

"We don't have a nurse here. There's one at West Road School, though."

"Please let me off school, Rachel. I'm dying."

"You've been here for three weeks, James. You've been cautioned by the police, arrested for stealing beer, we've had a complaint from school about your behaviour in class and now you disappear for a day and a half. We're pretty lax here, but we have to draw a line somewhere. Get your uniform on. If you want to complain, go and see the superintendent."

*

James was putting his schoolbooks in his backpack when Jennifer Mitchum came in.

"Aren't you too tired for school, James?"

"Rachel's making me go."

Jennifer locked the door and sat on Kyle's bed.

"Those tests are exhausting, aren't they?"

"What?"

"I know where you were, James. I was one of the people who recommended you."

"The last thing I remember is being in your office upstairs. Was it you that gave me the injection to make me sleep?"

"Guilty as charged ... So, have you thought about joining CHERUB?"

"It's so much better than here. I can't see any reason not to go."

"It is a fantastic opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there."

"You were in CHERUB?"

"Back in the Stone Age. My mother and father died in a gas explosion. I was recruited from a children's home, just like you."