The Recruit

36. Mess

"Ring Sycamore," Misty said when Ash got back to the hut. "He's pissed at you."

Ash went out to the Land Cruiser and made the call.

"Hello Ash, nice time with your girlfriend?" Sycamore asked bitterly.

"What did I do?" Ash asked.

"Your headmistress blew her stack over your antics in the canteen. She rang one of your supposed old schools; luckily she got the number from the fake file and the call went through to CHERUB, but if she'd got the school's real number and they told her they'd never heard of you it would have made a right mess."

"Is the headmistress really mad?" Ash asked.

"I called her back pretending to be one of your old teachers and I think I smoothed things over. I said you were mischievous but basically harmless."

"You said I was allowed to get suspended."

"Yes," Sycamore said. "But I didn't expect you to dunk a kid's head in a vat of baked beans. He's apparently got a nasty burn on his nose."

"Sorry," Ash said, trying not to laugh.

"Sorry solves nothing," Sycamore shouted. "What time did you get back to Fort Harmony?"

"Just now. About half seven."

"Have you seen Clark and Sebastian today?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You know why, I was with Joanna."

"The mission is about Sebastian and Clark, not your little girlfriend. I've told Cathy to ground you for getting suspended from school. You can't leave Fort Harmony for a week."

"But what about Joanna?" Ash asked.

"Tough," Sycamore said. "Focus on your mission. You mess up like this again and I'll have you back at CHERUB scrubbing toilets on your hands and knees."

"I've got to see Joanna, please," Ash begged.

"Don't wind me up, Ash, I'm in no mood. There's two things for you to keep an eye out for. In your photos of Bungle's shack there's a white folder with a RKM logo on the side. It's on the bottom of the bookshelf under the window. Try and get a look at it. It looks like a computer manual, but Bungle doesn't have a computer. It might give us a clue what they're up to. Second, look out for a red van. Amy spotted Fire and World getting out of it, but couldn't get the whole number plate. Got all that?"

"Yes, Augustine," Ash said miserably.

"Start using your brain, Ash." Ash heard the line go dead. He punched the dashboard, ran back to his bed and yelled into his pillow.

"What happened?" Misty asked.

"Piss off," Ash said.

"It can't be so bad, Benny. You got out of school."

"He said I can't go down to the village and see Joanna."

"You know we'll only be here for a few weeks," Misty said. "I wouldn't get too fond of her."

Ash got off his bed, put his boots on and walked out into the dark.

He lay in the long grass down the bottom of the hill and didn't care that his clothes got soaked. He thought about sneaking down to the village to see Joanna, but he wasn't brave enough to mess with Sycamore. If Sycamore sent him back to campus in disgrace he'd never get another decent mission.

Ash wanted to go back to the hut, but Misty would be there with a lecture waiting. He thought about finding Sebastian and Clark, but he didn't want to spend all night shooting the local wildlife. So he stayed where he was, sulking.