The Recruit

12. Name

Ash sat in Korrina's office wearing CHERUB uniform with the pale blue trainee T-shirt. Korrina was Ash's handler at CHERUB. She'd won a karate medal for the US at the Athens Olympics and taught sport on campus. Her legs looked like they could break rocks.

Korrina held Ash'a safety deposit key in the air over the desk between them.

"Not many kids come in with one of these," Korrina said.

"I got it when my mum died," Ash said. "I don't know what's inside the box."

"I see," Korrina said suspiciously. "We'll keep the key safe for you. What about the cash Brock found in your room?" Ash was prepared for questions about his cash. He'd realised Brock had been through all his stuff when he saw him crack Vince's locker.

"It was my mum's," Ash said.

"How much is there?" Korrina asked.

"There was four thousand. But I've spent a couple of hundred."

"Just four thousand?" Korrina reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a green circuit board and a tangle of electrical wires. Ash recognised them from when he'd ripped them out of his cassette player.

"Oh," Ash said. "You know about that?" Korrina nodded.

"Brock found the insides of the tape player in the bin the day he met you. He found the hidden cash and we worked out that it was from your mother's safe. You even left some lying around in obvious places to deceive Giovanni if he came after it. Everyone here was impressed when they realised what you'd done. It's one of the reasons you were invited to join CHERUB."

"I can't believe you found all that out about me," Ash said. Korrina burst out laughing.

"Ash, we struggle to find stuff out about the international drug smuggling cartels and terrorist groups. Twelve-year-old boys are less tricky."

Ash smiled uneasily. "Sorry I lied. I should have realised."

"You see that track outside my window?" Korrina asked.

"Yeah," Ash said.

"Next time you lie to me, you'll be running laps around it until you're dizzy. Play it straight with me, OK?" Ash nodded.

"So what happens to my money? Will you hand it in to the police?"

"Lord no," Korrina said. "The last thing we want is the police asking questions about you. Oak and I discussed it before you arrived. I think you'll find we've come up with a reasonable solution." Korrina got two little red books out of her desk.

"Savings accounts," she explained. "Half for you. Half for your sister when she turns eighteen. You can withdraw thirty pounds a month if you want to, plus a hundred on your birthday and at Christmas. Does that sound fair?" Ash nodded.

"What's your sister's name?"

"Leaf Alexandra Jackson."

"And your name?"

"Ashton Steven Ryan."

"No, your new name," Korrina said.

"What new name?" Ash asked.

"Didn't Oak ask you to think about a new name?"

"No."

"You can keep your first name if you want, but you have to take a new surname."

"Anything I like?"

"Within reason, Ash. Nothing too unusual and it has to match your ethnicity."