Radioactive

7. PREPARATION

Alex and Alec spent the rest of the week drilling combat moves. Mr Large walked around them, barking orders and hitting them with a metre stick when they were too slow or didn't do the technique perfectly. They were perfecting their knife skills: blocking slashes and deflecting stabs, disarming opponents and overpowering larger opponents. Large enjoyed being the larger opponent.

"You have to be kidding me," Alex said as Large pushed Alec out of the arena and squared her off. "If you sit on me, you'll kill me."

Large narrowed his eyes at her and pulled his white staff shirt further down over his large belly.

"The trick is to use my weight against me," Large said. "Now...fight!"

Large charged at Alex before she was ready and she had to dive out of the way to avoid being trampled on. She stood up and took a defensive stance just as Large charged again. This time, Alex stepped out of the way, hooked her foot around Large's ankle, and he went flying before landing on his front. Alec roared with laughter as Large rolled over onto his back like a stranded tortoise. Large managed to push himself up and his face had turned an angry, deep purple. He wasn't very happy with Alec, who had tears streaming down his face, and ended the session by forcing the cherubs to scrub the floors of the dojo and then polish them until he was satisfied that he could see his face reflected back at him.

Alex and Alec left the dojo, massaging their sore backs and mumbling under their breaths. It was almost the end of dinner so the cherubs hurried to the canteen before the food was taken off the shelves. Fortunately there was still some spaghetti bolognese left over so the twins grabbed a plate and a few slices of garlic bread pieces between them, there were only a few members of staff left in the canteen but they paid the cherubs no mind. Every member of staff knew about their upcoming mission.

After they finished their late dinner, Alex and Alec left the canteen to go to their rooms and finish memorising Janet Shepard's background. Alec had dragged his mattress, along with the help of a few of the lads on the sixth floor, into his sister's room and the two spent most of the time together learning everything they could from criminal records and psychological profiles.

Alex was sitting on her bed, crossed legged, flicking through Janet's history overview while Alec was sitting with his back up against the bedroom wall. He was throwing a ball against the opposite wall and reciting the facts that it hit on the large, information collage.

"She was born in 1963," Alec said in a bored tone for the hundredth time that night.

Alex took a sip from her Coke and finished off the last of her Kit-Kat.

"For the last time," Alex said exasperatedly. "I know when she was born, it was engraved in my head the fiftieth time you said it."

Alec caught the ball and sighed loudly, he pulled his quilt over his legs and glanced at his Alex's clock. It was late, eleven o'clock to be exact, and the cherubs were tired. Alec threw his ball at his sister just as she took a sip of Coke. The fizzy liquid spilled everywhere and Alex cried out.

"Alec you moron," she flung the ball back at him. "Now I'm gonna have to change my sheets."

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Alec wondered. "If it's more combat exercises then I'm dropping out of this mission."

Alex laughed at her brother's frustration. "No, I think you've got the day off tomorrow," Alex said. "Lucy's doing some computer work with me, we're gonna work on hacking and bypassing and stuff."

"Sounds boring," Alec muttered.

Alex threw her empty Coke can in the bin and went to find another set of sheets. She peeled the Coke stained ones from her bed and tossed them in the washing basket in her bathroom. She put the fresh sheets on her bed and lay down with a heavy sigh. The next few days were going to be tough for the young twelve-year-olds.