Author Note
I do not own CHERUB, the people places or events that are covered in this story. Other than the characters that are in the books, all characters in this story are completely original and fictitious. Any resemblance or similarity between the characters and people in real life is pure coincidence. There will be use of foul language and things of an implied sexual nature. For official purposes, these children do not exist.
Chapter 1 – Lightning Strike
CHERUB is a secretive organisation of child spies, to put it simply. They are sent into the field when adults are unable to do their job due to the restrictions that being an adult brings. CHERUB operations are run by a chairman or chairwoman, who over sees the day to day activities on campus, deals with official business with those in higher authority, and has a say in missions on campus. The chairwoman for CHERUB is called Zara Asker.
Zara was stood in front of her window. She had been watching the rain for the past twenty minutes, getting more and more worried as it intensified. There was a rumble of thunder that rolled across the sky.
"The storm is really getting bad, Zara," her assistant pointed out.
"That it is, Mary," Zara said, chewing her bottom lip.
She knew how to control the children and she knew how to control the adults, but she couldn't control nature and it made her unsure of what to do.
"Ok, we need a complete lock down of campus. I want every door and window shut and locked until the storm blows over," Zara said.
As she finished a bolt of lightning fired off in the distance, beyond some trees.
"And make sure every TV set, internet connection and phone connection is turned off," Zara called after her assistant.
It wouldn't be a popular move, but the storm was getting really bad, so something had to be done.
***
Lauren Adams looked out of her window. She saw that the rain was really bad and hoped that her brother and her best friend weren't out in it. She heard the thunder and saw the lightning. It didn't scare her anymore, but it always made her a little nervous. Meryl Spencer knocked on her door and came in.
"Is your TV and computer of?" Meryl asked her hurriedly.
"Yeah," Lauren asked, a little confused.
"Ok good, we've got orders from Zara, no phone, no internet, no TV," Meryl explained.
"What about the junior block?" Lauren asked. "Do they need people to make sure the kids are ok?"
"That would be good, but hurry, there is gunna be a lock down in five minutes," Meryl explained, before walking out the door.
Lauren nodded to herself. She ran grabbed her coat and ran out of the room.
She decided to round some people up to go and look after the little kids. Her first port of call was Bethany's room. She knocked on the door but there was no answer.
"She's probably still off with James somewhere," Lauren moaned.
She ran off down the corridor, heading towards Kerry's room. She got to Kerry's room and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. She tried the handle and pushed the door open, but when she went in the room was empty.
"Where is everyone?" she asked herself.
There was three minutes until the lockdown, she decided to cut her losses and make for the junior block.
***
Kerry was walking along the ground floor dorm block. She had been helping a younger agent, named Alice, with her geography homework. She heard about the lock down and thought it best not to use the lift. She walked along to the fire escape stairs. She noticed the door was slightly ajar and walked up to it. Kerry stood at the fire escape door. James hadn't closed it properly. She watched as he and Bethany kissed. A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she passed the sadness stage and hit anger in an instant. Rage boiled up in her blood. She turned, her hair flying round her. She began to walk towards the stairs. A lightning bolt struck the building and knocked out the power. Kerry continued walking as if it hadn't happened. She put one hand gently on the banister and walked up the stairs, her boots making an echoing sound as she walked. Another bolt of lightning flashed, lighting up the stair way for an instant. Kerry was lit up for a moment, her anger seeping into the light before it disappeared.
Lauren reached the junior block with 20 seconds to spare. She managed to get inside the doors and close them before they locked. She turned around to look at the door just as the electronic locks clicked and the door was unusable for the night. Then she saw the flash of lightning strike the main building. Everything over there went dark, all the lights were out and the power had gone. A few seconds later the lights went off in the junior block. Lauren saw something, though, that scared her far more than the lightning, and made her panic more than being in almost pitch black. There was smoke rising from the main building.
Zara watched from the Mission Control building as the lightning struck the main building. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth when she heard the crash. A few seconds later she saw the smoke.
"Oh my god," she said quietly to herself, panic flooding her voice.
Her assistant had heard the crash and came running into the room.
"Was that what I..." Mary began, but stopped when she saw the smoke.
"Call the main building, now!" Zara screamed.
Tears began to roll down her face as she saw the flames licking out the side of the building.
"I can't, Mrs Asker," Mary said, also beginning to cry. "We cut off all the phone lines and there is no way to get a message across until morning."
"Use the mobiles!" Zara shouted.
Mary pulled out her mobile and looked at the screen. She closed it with a grim expression on her face.
"No signal."
Zara turned back towards the main building. She burst out in tears at the thought that the CHERUBs were on their own against a fire. Not only that. They were trapped inside.
***
James and Bethany heard the fire escape door close. They both looked towards it, thinking someone might have been watching.
"Can we go inside now?" Bethany asked. "I'm getting cold."
James took off his jacket and put it round Bethany's shoulders. Then they both jogged to the doors. As James was about to pull it open he heard a click. He grabbed the handle and pulled, but the door wouldn't open. He shook the door. It didn't give.
"The door is locked," he said, looking at Bethany.
"Come on, we'll go to the junior block," Bethany said, turning to run.
As she said this there was an immense crack that screamed into the air.
"What the bloody hell was that?" James shouted out, looking into the sky.
"I think the building was just hit by the lightning," Bethany answered him.
She said this because she watched all the lights at once go out. James looked up and saw the darkness. He tried the door once more but it was locked.
"Zara must have ordered a lock down because of the storm," he said finally.
"We've got to get inside somewhere, we'll die if we stay out here all night," Bethany said, sounding a little panicked.
James pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Don't worry, Beth," he said reassuringly, "we'll find somewhere."
Bethany nodded into his chest. They broke apart and began running to the junior block. When they were about half way there Bethany turned round to look at the main building. She screamed. James stopped immediately and turned round. He saw the smoke just as well as she did. She pulled Bethany towards him and made sure that she couldn't see it.
"We've got to get help," James shouted out over the sound of the rain.
They began their run to the junior block, but now even faster than before.
***
Lauren had been stood at the door for nearly a minute now, transfixed by the smoke coming from the building she had completely forgotten about comforting the younger agents. She was about to turn and run to find a member of staff when she saw two people running in the rain. They crashed into the door and they stared right at each other.
"Lauren!" James shouted through the door.
"James!" Lauren shouted back, "how did you get out?"
"We were outside when the building locked. Can you open the door?" James asked.
"I can't, the whole of campus is locked down," Lauren shouted.
"Go get help, I'm gunna take Bethany somewhere safe and then I'm gunna try and get the main building open," James explained.
Lauren nodded and ran off down the corridor.
Bethany looked up at James.
"Where can we go if the whole of campus is locked down?" she asked him.
"The changing rooms," James said, working out that it was the only building on campus that didn't have a locking system.
Bethany nodded to him and they set off together. It only took them a few minutes to get to the changing rooms but it was precious time that the people in the main block had. When they reached the changing rooms James was reward with a kiss when the door opened. They both ran in together to get out of the rain.
"I've got to get that door open, and I think I know how," James said.
"How?" Bethany asked him, looking confused.
"I'm gunna ram the doors with one of the golf carts," James said finally.
"I don't think that will work," Bethany said with a smile.
"I've got to try," James said. "Get in the shower and try to warm up. Check all the lockers for any dry clothes."
Bethany nodded.
"Good luck," she said, giving him a kiss and a hug.
"Thanks," James said, "I'll be back when I've got everyone out."
He got up and started walking for the door. He turned round so he could just look at Bethany one last time. She was facing away from him and thought he'd already gone, so she pulled her wet clothes off and stripped to her underwear. James noticed that her body was tanned to a very nice colour, and her hips, legs and chest was beautifully curved. He looked away as quickly as possible, but he was now walking awkwardly. Bethany turned round and realised he'd seen her in her underwear and she smiled to herself.