Chapter 1

Darkness

James walked along the corridor that ran from his room to the main staircase, he was late, instead of taking his usual route into the canteen, he walked straight out of the front doors, and towards the education block.

When he arrived through the side doors he headed straight towards Science, and there she was Bethany Williams, just standing there, looking as beautiful as she always did.

Waking up was always the worst part of James' day, he hated it more than running round the assault course in a hail storm. When he had finally crawled out of bed he headed into his bathroom to have a shower.

After grabbing a quick bowl of breakfast, he headed out of his room down towards the education block, he was nervous and nearly walked straight in to his handler Meryl Spencer.

"Careful James."

"Sorry, I was ..."

"It doesn't matter James."

James kept walking, he entered the education block via a side door, he wanted to avoid a group of people he knew would be down the English corridor. His first class was Biology, taught by Miss Roberts, it wasn't th most exciting lesson ever but it was better than Welsh.

Miss always turned up late so James had about five minutes to chat to the group of kids waiting to go into class. He was just about to start talking to Will, when Emily, a girl who he'd become good friends with since he'd fallen out with his two ex-best mates.

She mouthed silently "I need to talk to you in French."

James nodded in reply. Just then he heard the voice of another one of the girls in his class, Beth's.

"So does he know that I know."

"No, and keep it quiet, I wasn't supposed to tell you." Lisa was stood talking to Beth just down the corridor.

"I know, I won't say anything." Came Beth's reply.

James' stomach dropped about five foot, she couldn't know, then his brain twigged what Emily was going to tell him. James fancied Beth, and had only told a couple of Beth's mates when she was away on a training exercise in Florida. They had all swore not to tell Beth until he was ready to ask her out, but Lisa had obviously not kept that promise. Worst of all he had to sit next to Lisa in Biology, why did his life always get so screwed up?

Lisa kept asking him what was wrong in biology, James tried to keep calm, since he'd fallen out with his two best mates he'd been having problems keeping his anger levels down, and the current situation with Lisa wasn't helping him. After managing to sit through Biology, he was glad when the bell went for break. Dashing out of class James went back to his room.

Most unusually the door to his room was open when he arrived, inside was his handler Meryl.

"Oh hi James, I'm just dropping off a mission prep schedule for you." Meryl was her usually cheery self, which just pissed James off even more.

"Ok, just leave it on my desk."

Meryl had sensed that something was wrong James, like most other kids on campus would have usually been excited that he'd be going on a mission.

"So whats wrong James."

"I don't know what you meen."

"Well it's obvious that somethings wrong, your not your usual cheery self."

"Yeh well, I'm not always going to be smiling."

"I'll leave you to it, and don't be late for your mission briefing."

"Don't worry I won't be."

As Meryl left the room James walked over to his desk where she'd left a large brown envelope. The standard pre-mission pack. He opened it and began to read.

Classified Mission Briefing

For James Lewis

Do NOT photocopy or make notes.

The Mission:

Cherub has been called in to deal with the rising levels of teenage drug crime in the English town Torquay. Lately police have arrested several teenagers who have all been carrying large quantity's of street quality drugs, mainly crack cocaine, but some where carrying drugs such as LSD or heroin.

The police have had no luck with tracking down leading members of this group. This is where Cherub comes in, two agents posing as cousins of a member of hotel staff will move in to Torquay under a cover story. As there fake Aunt works in a large hotel resort, and the fact she has no room in her flat to house the two agents, the agents will live for the duration of the mission in four rooms on the top floor of one of the hotels.

The fake Aunt will not be a member of Cherub staff, as a shortage of mission controllers means the two agents will be working on there own, with only limited over site from a mission controller.

The two agents will try and gain entry into the gang and unearth the leaders, and other useful information on who these drugs are being shipped into the country. The rest of the mission is simple, and follows the standard format for this mission type which agents should familiarize themselves with.

James read the briefing with interst, his first mission where he wouldn't be working with a mission controller full time, according to most of his friends who had been on this type of mission they where always fun and you usually ended up having a laugh with the other agents who are on the mission with you. James himself had never been on this type of mission and was quite looking forward it. The other more unusuall thing about the briefing was that it didn't say who the other agent was.