Chapter 28 – The Trial Part 2

Jack and Frank were waiting in the witness room to be called for Zara's trial. Jack didn't know why he had been called for the defence, but he had to comply, there was a knock on the door and Jack was taken to the witness box. Frank wanted to go in with him, but he wasn't allowed as he was a prosecution witness, so the court had appointed a guardian as Jack was still a child and couldn't go in alone. He looked out at Zara and her defence lawyer, he felt scared, he had testified before, but it was always for the prosecution, he had never been called for the defence before. He nodded to the MI9 lawyer who was just as confused about the situation.

"So, Jack London, previously Jack Tomasz is that correct?" the lawyer asked, Jack answered that that was correct. "During a security sweep at CHERUB campus you were with Agent Knight is that correct?" Jack shook his head, "no" "No?" The lawyer asked, "the MI9 report claims that you were." Jack looked at the prosecution who was frantically texting someone. "I was meant to be, I got sick" Jack replied, "You are aware that you are under oath Mr London" Jack nodded and gulped. He felt a tingling sensation and tried to slow his breathing to make sure he didn't transform. "Can anyone confirm this? MI9 seems to think you were there, in fact this video proves that you were there." Jack watched the video of him in wolf form with Stella searching Zara's office. "Are you trying to deny that that is you?" the Lawyer pointed at the wolf, Jack laughed, "Yes, that is a dog, I clearly am a human." "But are you?" "Objection relevance" The MI9 Lawyer stated, "Sustained get to the point?" The judge asked Zara's lawyer, "When you and your team went to the CHERUB campus to perform in a series of challenges, you submitted a DNA sample, which was corrupted purposely with bleach, CHERUB Agents Adams, Blueman, and Chang all have sworn affidavits that you can become this creature." Jack laughed again and looked at the judge, "Your honour this is ridiculous." "CHERUB also has documents from an organisation called Segolia, which has you on a list of creatures called Wolfblood's, documenting everything from your human form to your wolf form." "Objection your honour" The MI9 lawyer called for again. "Council approach" the judge said and both lawyers went before the judge, "Your honour this is getting ridiculous, the witness is a 13-year-old boy." "You seem to be very defensive of my witness" Zara's lawyer said, "Perhaps a little bias?" The MI9 Lawyer faced the judge, "Your honour, Jack London is a well decorated agent despite his age, this is humiliating for both the witness, councillor and the defendant." "I agree" the judge said, the two lawyers went back behind their desks, "The jury is instructed to ignore all questions about the dog, it seems the council has let himself go a little – strike it from the record please" The Judge said, the jury nodded. "you may proceed" The judge said turning to Zara's lawyer.

"Mr London, how old are you?" "13" "And you work for MI9 correct?" "yes" "do you feel underqualified given you are 13 years old? "No" "you instigated the search into CHERUB and Zara asker is that correct?" "Yes" "Why?" "I felt like they were holding information back, it was an interagency mission, and some of the things that the agents we were working with said, they shouldn't have known as the documents were classified." "are you aware of the policy surrounding internal affairs related questionings in the security service?" "yes" "So you knew that you couldn't speak to my client whilst in custody?" "no" "You just said you knew of the policy?" "I know the policy, when I spoke to Zara I wasn't questioning her" "no you intimidated her" "No" "you introduced my client to mass murderer Chaz Wallerstein and told her that 'they would be neighbours at Darkmere" "Objection, hearsay" The MI9 lawyer stated, "My client has stated that she was scared of Agent London after he introduced her to Mr Wallerstein and therefore her interview should be thrown out." "Your honour there is no proof that incident happened" The lawyer protested, Zara's lawyer held up a stack of paperwork, "Your honour, item D-83, is the transfer request for Mr Wallerstein to be moved from Darkmere Prison to MI9 holding cell A3 signed by Agent Jack London." The judge looked at Jack, "We move people all the time, we requestion them from time to time, Mr Wallerstein was reinterviewed as we had a request from the Irish government of which I cannot state due to the Official Secrets Act." "Document D-84 a sworn affidavit from Mr Wallerstein that states Agent London brought detained CHERUB personnel to his cell and repeated the statement that they would be neighbours at Darkmere" Zara's lawyer handed the bailiff the document, "Your honour Mr Wallerstein is a death row inmate having massacred over 30 people including 9 prison guards, I have seen the affidavit which also states that the councillor told him this information would get him off death row" Jack stated, "I agree with witness, Mr Wallerstein's affidavit is not admissible as he is not a reliable witness." Zara's lawyer sat down defeated, "No further questions." The judge turned to the MI9 Lawyer, who stood up, "Agent London, your car was bombed is that correct?" "yes" "and CHERUB personnel have been convicted correct? "yes" "Can you describe the explosive used for the court?" Jack cleared his throat before speaking, "Dugranite is a powerful explosive which can only be brought from one supplier, it is also very rare and hard to make at home." "MI9 confirmed with that single supplier that a small amount of solid Dugranite and liquid Dugranite was purchased by Zara Asker is that correct?" "yes" "Having investigated and in your experience, how can you be sure that this explosive wasn't meant to be used for training purposes?" "Because records show it was purchased using Zara Askers personal credit card, also the amount purchased, at least in the solid Dugranite was the exact amount forensic techs reported was used in the car bomb" "This was all documented correct?" "yes, it was submitted to the CPS" "No further questions your honour."

Jack stepped down from the witness box and the court appointed guardian took him back to the waiting room where Frank had been joined by the Head of MI9. He ran to Frank and hugged him as soon as saw him, "hey, hey, what happened" The court appointed guardian made sure that Frank was who he said he was and left, Frank and the Head of MI9 took Jack out of the courthouse, "first the lawyer started going on about how MI9 said I was at the security search and then insisted the dog was me, which I mean, anyways the judge threw it out for stupidity, but they brought up Segolia, and wolfbloods first – it got struck from the record. Then they kept trying to say I didn't know what I was doing and then they had an affidavit from Chaz Wallerstein saying I used him to intimidate Zara and that she was scared to say anything we wanted during the interview – but the judge threw that out too because the lawyer promised Wallerstein that he'd get him off death row if he signed the document." The Head of MI9 scrunched up her paper cup and threw it in the bin with force, "In trying to get you to spill about being at the search, he just proved our point, Zara shouldn't have known about Segolia." She laughed.

The team were waiting in the courts café area for the jury to come back, Zara's trial had come to an end, Mr Flatley and Mrs King were also with them, it was an inset day, so no one had to be at school. They were in the middle of a conversation about Jack being moved down two-year groups when Stark came over and pulled Frank away, "Kavakov's staying at Broadmoor indefinitely – psychiatrists have ruled him unfit to stand trial." He said, Frank shook his head, "You pulled him off the plane, you believe him?" Stark asked, Frank shook his head again, "he knew exactly what was going on. Wait. He did this to himself" Frank said realising something, "What?" "Me and Stella questioned him first left the room and when we came back in, he needed sedation. He was Soviet SAS – some form of cyanide pill, has to be." Stark sighed, "I'll request the tests, but either way, he won't be released unless Ukraine want him back, but they said he defected, don't want him." Frank nodded, they would have continued their conversation, but the Jury was back.

"Have you reached a unanimous decision?" The judge asked, "We have your honour" "On the charge of conspiracy to commit robbery how do you find?" "Not guilty" Zara smiled smugly, "On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder with the use of explosives how do you find?" "Not guilty" Mrs King shook her head in disgust as Zara sat smugly in the dock, "On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree of active security service personnel with the use of explosives how you do find?" "Guilty." The smug look on Zara's face suddenly vanished, "On the charge of 6 counts of murder in the third degree how do you find?" "guilty" "On the charge of 2 counts of murder in the second degree how do you find?" "Guilty" "On the charge of the organisation and conspiracy to assault active security service personnel how do you find?" "Guilty" "On the charge of 372 counts of child endangerment how do you find?" "Guilty" "on the charge of espionage how do you find?" "guilty" "on the charge of breaking the official secrets act how do you find?" "Guilty." "and on the charge on High Treason how do you find?" "Guilty." Jack smiled, he looked around at the rest of the team, they were smiling too, they'd brought down the head of CHERUB. "Zara Asker, as the head of an Secret Service Organisation, you had many responsibilities which you neglected just like the children you were tasked with keeping safe, which resulted in 6 deaths that were not reported to the ethics committee or the intelligence minister, not to mention the 2 murders which you committed for personal gain throughout your career. The nature of these charges is large, but also secretive. I am sentencing you to life imprisonment pending a death penalty trial to be scheduled later in the year." The gavel came down and Zara was taken from the court room, "Murder?" Mrs King asked, Frank acted confused, Mrs King and Mr Flatley left the agents at the front of the courthouse, "So when did we charge with murder and child endangerment?" Rose asked, "ah, that would be the information from Bruce Norris and Dave Moss – they tipped us off there" Frank said, "So what happens to CHERUB now?" Oscar asked, "The kids?" "That will be up to the intelligence minister, we scoured the whole campus and there were a few rouge agents, unfortunately the chairwoman was one of them, with a new head, CHERUB could continue if it wanted I suppose. It's out of our hands now." The Head of MI9 said.

Two weeks later, and it was the end of term, Jack, Rose, Carrie and Oscar sat at a table on the yard, they watched the staff party their way through the corridors, kids were playing football, year 11 and 13's were getting shirts signed and were emotional, "That'll be us next year" Rose said, "Why do they do that?" Jack asked, "Because they're leaving" Rose said, "So I won't see you after next year?" Carrie laughed, "nah we'll be here at the sixth form, still got three years of us yet mate" She ruffled Jack's hair, "hey I'm not a baby" Oscar laughed, "just a little cubby-wub" Jack growled and then laughed, he knew they were only teasing him. "Six weeks away from this place" Carrie said, "Everyone will be able to have fun, whilst were working" Oscar laughed, "Speaking of which, we have a briefing later – we're still technically on the Help Earth/KORPS mission, we just got side tracked" Jack said, they had all kind of forgotten about the mission they were meant to be working on, the CHERUB trials took up months of their time and resources. Frank honked the car horn, "Come on," Jack said, "The world needs us again"

What will the next mission have in store for the team? Is this the end of CHERUB? How will they get through GCSE Exam period and still save the world? Will Jack and Frank stay happy? Find out in the next story - coming soon!