CHERUB: Maximum Security Read Free

nightmares about it.
    ‘I guess,’ James shrugged. ‘And I kind of miss Kerry. I haven’t heard from her in over a week.’
    ‘Neither have I,’ Gabrielle said. ‘But the last message I got said she’d arrived in Japan and was going deep undercover, so it’s hardly surprising.’
    James nodded. ‘I spoke to her mission controller on the phone. He says everything’s fine and hopefully Kerry will be home in a month or so.’
    ‘What about Lauren?’ Gabrielle asked. ‘How’s she getting on with basic training?’
    ‘You know how it is,’ James said, ‘you only ever hear rumours, but I think she’s doing OK.’
    Gabrielle started to laugh. ‘Remember when we were in training? Me and Kerry locked all you guys out on that hotel balcony and made you grovel to get back in?’
    James allowed himself to smile a little. ‘Yeah, we never got you back for that.’
    Something cold touched the back of James’ neck. He looked around and realised he and Gabrielle had been splashed with Coke and ice by the gang of sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys who were playing the next lane. They were acting rowdy, rucking and throwing stuff around.
    ‘Oi,’ Gabrielle stormed, as she scowled over her shoulder at a mass of acne in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt. ‘Do you mind?’
    ‘Sorry,’ the kid said, grinning mischievously at the ice in the bottom of his cardboard cup. Gabrielle got the impression he wasn’t sorry at all.
    ‘James,’ Kyle shouted. ‘Your frame.’
    James got out of his seat and grabbed a bowling ball off the rack. He’d picked up a coupon and taken a couple of free bowling lessons, so when James was on form he looked the business: delivering the ball in a powerful arc and racking up respectable scores. But not tonight. In fact, James’ mood had nothing to do with missing Kerry, or worrying if Lauren would pass basic training. James was feeling down because he couldn’t aim a bowling ball to save his life.
    He lined up, holding the heavy ball under his chin. He took a good smooth swing. The ball crashed nicely into the front three pins, and for a second James thought he’d scored his first strike in ages. But pin seven, at the back on the far left, merely wobbled and number ten on the extreme right didn’t even have the decency to do that. James couldn’t believe his rotten luck.
    ‘Seven-ten split,’ Kyle shouted, slapping his thighs deliriously. ‘You’re going down again, Adams.’
    James glanced up at the scoreboard. When they bowled in a group, James usually fought Kyle for first place and won more than he lost. But he’d already lost two matches tonight and was thirty points behind Kyle in this one, with four frames left to play. James thought Kyle rubbing in the misery was harsh, conveniently forgetting he would have acted exactly the same if it had been Kyle having a bad night.
    James grabbed his ball as soon as it clattered on to the rack and stopped spinning. He lined up to take his second shot, glowering at the two pins standing on opposite sides of the lane.
    To make a seven-ten split, you need to hit one pin so hard that it bounces against the wall behind, then spins out and knocks down the pin on the opposite side. The shot requires a hefty chunk of luck and even a world championship standard bowler wouldn’t expect to make it often.
    ‘You’ll never hit both in a million years,’ Kyle goaded.
    James turned back and smirked at Kyle, struggling to fake an air of confidence. ‘Sit your butt down and watch the master at work.’
    James swung the ball as hard as he could, but when you bowl fast you lose control. The ball did a little bobble as James let go. It had plenty of pace, but James knew straight away that it wasn’t right.
    ‘Turn back,’ James gasped desperately, as the ball edged closer to the gutter. ‘Come on nnnnnn baby …’
    The ball thunked into the gutter a couple of metres shy of the pin. James put his hands over his eyes and cursed under his breath. He almost