Chapter 1

Everyone supposed it was just one of those freak accidents, but to James it had been planned. He didn't believe what Meryl told him; that he had been shot by accident. He touched the scar on his arm where the bullet had hit as he walked across campus. He started to hurry when he realised it was ten past eight, and he was supposed to of been at the mission control building fifteen minutes ago.

He pushed open the door to the mission control building, smiling at the sign stating that the security system was – yet again – not working. James walked down the corridor leading to John's office and people smiled as they recognized his face. He hadn't been in here for a while.

He tentatively knocked on the office door. John Jones didn't like tardiness; and before working at CHERUB he had worked at MI5, he didn't take punishing agents who were late, lightly.

"Ahhh James!" John said, as he walked in and pulled up a spare office chair and joined the circle of 5 agents already studying mission briefings. "How nice of you to join us. Grab a mission briefing and have a look through. Next time try not to be late please."

***CLASSIFIED*** ***MISSION BRIEFING FOR WILL FINLAYSON, KYLE BLUEMAN, GABRIELLE O'BRIEN, JAYSON PALOMA & JAMES ADAMS***

THIS DOCUMENT IS PROTECTED WITH A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAG. ANY ATEMPT TO REMOVE FROM THIS BUILDING WILL SET OFF AN ALRM. DO NOT PHOTOCOPY OR TAKE NOTES.

BACKGROUND

ILLEGAL IMPORTATION & SMUGGLING

When people hear the word smuggling they think of pirates and the slave trade that took place years ago. This is not the case. Smuggling and illegal importation of drugs, weapons, animals etc. still takes place today. Terrorist groups illegally import weapons and bombs. Drug dealers illegally import drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Orphaned girls are smuggling across the English Channel from countries in Europe - this sort of smuggling is known as human trafficking.

THE ORIGINAL MI5 MISSION

The original MI5 mission focused on Massam Earth. The aim of the mission was to watch the terrorist group after their attack in the London area in June 2003. Two agents were located into the blackthorn estate where senior gang member Sandy Clarkson works and lives. In 2004 MI5 made links between Sandy Clarkson and a man named George Averson. When more information showing that Averson was importing illegal goods into the country came through, MI5 moved more agents into the area to watch his movements. Since then more agents have been located there.

Thomas and Susie Carter worked for MI5 for numerous years. There death in late 2009 was the result of an ongoing battle between the government and terrorist groups. They worked for 7 years on the estate infiltrating Massam Earth. Other agents on the estate were infiltrating Massam Earth and George Averson. They worked to uncover the links between George Averson and the group. It is not clear why the Carters died but it was thought that they were killed by members of Massam Earth. An inquiry into the murder has led MI5 to believe that George Averson may have suspected that they were working for the police and therefore made the decision to kill them. After a post-mortem it was clear that the bodies had been poisoned. Many people in connection with George Averson and Massam Earth were arrested and taken into questioning but no leads were found. No one has replaced their position yet and new information has been slow coming in. This has led MI5 into making the decision to bring in five CHERUB agents.

GEORGE AVERSON

George Averson lives in a four bed roomed house on The Blackthorn common estate. He has five kids; Joshua 13, Lucy 14, Tyler 15, Callum 17 and Catherine 19 (Who no longer lives at home. Her exact where-about is unknown). His wife is Lisa Averson whose step father works in a leading role at Massam Earth. George originally worked for the British military as an instructor of weapons, but was sacked for consuming class A drugs. George Averson works importing and selling illegal weapons to terrorist groups. His organisation has spread across the country since it first started. Sandy Clarkson is thought to be Averson's right hand man and is often sighted around his home. This has led to the SIS forces into thinking that he may be controlling his operations from his house. His children do not know that he imports illegal weapons and still thinks that he works for British military.

THE CHERUB MISSION

CHERUB's job is to infiltrate the Averson's house hold and Massam Earth. The agents will make friends with their assigned child and place bugs around the Averson's' family home. The CHERUB agent's jobs have been made harder by the lack of information about both of these organisations. MI5 operative Mark Lucy will work alongside the agents as he has already integrated into the Averson's household. He poses as a cook and over the past two months has planted bugs around the house. This has given enough information for the CHERUB ethics committee to pass this mission. The overall aim of the mission is to infiltrate the Averson family, and, in the end Massam Earth to collect enough evidence to hopefully put some members of this terrorist group in prison.

PRECAUTIONS

When entering the Averson's household or any other building with associates of George Averson agents must always have protective clothing/armour on and be carrying a weapon for self defence.

NOTE: AGENTS ARE REMINDED OF THEIR RIGHT TO WITHDRAW AND REFUSE TO TAKE PART IN THIS MISSION AT ANY TIME. This mission has been classified GRADE 1 RISK due to the amount of weapons in the Averson's household. This mission is likely to last two months or less. Its primary goal is to gather information about the organisations. The danger to the agents should be minimal although precautions have been made to ensure this.

"So, what do you think?" John proposed the question openly to all the agents.

"Well, I think it sounds banging!" Kyle joked, sending the agents into fits of giggles.

"Kyle stop mucking about. If you find it so funny I can always offer your position to someone else." He said. "Now anyone with serious answers?"

"Sounds alright to me," said Will who was a couple of years younger than James.

"Mmm, Yeah. I'm up for it," said his friend Jayson.

"Well as the only girl on this mission, wherever we're staying I bagsy the biggest room," said Gabrielle.

"That's not really relevant right now," John said trying to keep some order.

"Yeah but It is lady's first," she said.

"And men just before," Kyle replied cheekily.

"Well if none of you are going to be serious about this mission, I might as well go find five other agents." John said. This made the agents immediately be quiet as none of them wanted to be kicked off the mission. "Okay, now that we've got that clear, we need to discuss this in detail," john said in his usual brusque tone. "I take it that you all understand this is a Grade 1 mission meaning high risk." All the agents nodded. "And the Ethics committee just wanted me to make it crystal clear to you that you have the right to withdraw at any time."

"Are we gonna get any more information?" Jayson said, "Like background stuff?"

"Yes, I was just coming onto that." John answered as he reached into the top drawer of his desk and brought out 5 packs of Information on everything in the mission. "You're to read these thoroughly, and I will let you take them to your rooms as we have only 3 days before we leave and you need to be able to remember most of this information off by heart."

James took his pack and started flicking through it. "I'm never going to remember all this," he moaned. "It could take weeks!"

"James you could easily do it, you're like the best agent at CHERUB," Will commented.

"Nah mate, that's your sister," he said.

"Oh Will," John said, "Zara said to tell me that your sisters been in trouble, and could you go and have a word with her."

"A word about what?" Will asked.

"Her behaviour, apparently she's listening to no one else at the moment." John replied. "And you may all leave, but remember. Do not show your information packs to anyone."

"Yes," they all chorused, as they walked out of the office.

"Can't wait to finally get off campus!" James laughed.

"Yea, sounds like a good mission. Not too much hard work, but still interesting." Gabrielle said.

The group made their way through the unusually cold September weather and back into the main building. But while the group were all laughing and joking Will was quiet. All he could think about was the mission and his sister. He really didn't need to have to be worrying about while he was preparing for a mission – it just made him feel even more nervous. He could never understand how people like James could just breeze through missions, like they were just a walk in the park.

He quickly dropped the information pack off in his room - making sure to lock the door – and headed down to Hannah's bedroom.

When he got to the door he went to open it, expecting it find it open. But he was surprised when it was locked. He Knocked and shouted her name a few times, but she obviously wasn't in there.

"She's in Jo parker's office," said a voice from behind him. Will spun around to find Hannah's Friend Annabelle standing behind him.

"Oh thanks," he said. He was about to walk away but then he stopped. "How comes?" he asked.

"Dunno. But I asked my science teacher and she said that she'd got an email from Jo saying that she was with her." Annabelle said.

"I'll head down there now," Will replied. God, he thought as he waited for the lift, what has she done now?

oOo

2 hours earlier.

Hannah sat in Zara Asker's office, listening to her droning on about her behaviour. It was irresponsible, stupid and did she know how dangerous it was? But she didn't care. They couldn't kick her out. She was only brought to CHERUB in the first place because her parents were MI5 operatives and they were going on a mission that could last up to three years. That had been when she was a baby, 8 years ago. They had never returned, and she had put into the care of MI5. They had naturally past her onto CHERUB, and once you're in the system – you're never out.

"Hannah, if I could kick you out of CHERUB I would," Zara said trying to remain calm. "You are the most irresponsible teenager I have ever met. Even more so than James Adams – or your brother for that matter."

"But it wasn't just me!" she protested.

"Yes, but you were the most drunk, and none of the others got their lip pierced." Said Zara, referring to the incident that had happened the previous night.

"Okay, tell me the details again," said Jo Parker, Hannah's handler, to Zara, who was still in disbelief about why she had been called up to her office at eight o'clock in the morning.

"Well Hannah and friends left campus at 7 to go to the bowling alley. Following Hannah's lip piercing, the girls returned to Campus drunk, after picking up bottles of alcohol at the corner shop and downing all of them. They then proceeded to wake up nearly the entire main building screaming and shouting as they made their ways to their rooms. The others all attended lessons the next day, but Hannah bunked off with a Hangover." She said, glaring at the squirming girl.

"Well, that's completely unacceptable." Jo said to Hannah. All she could was fiddle with her lip ring.

"And take that out now." Zara said.

"What out?" Hannah answered back.

"Your lip ring!" she said losing her temper. "Hannah Finlayson, I have honestly had it with you! You have 300 punishment laps to run over the next month. Now get out of my office!"

Hannah passed over her lip ring and then legged-it out of the office, down the stairs, out of the main building and into the summer sunshine. She ran all the way through the woods, which ran for miles before the CHERUB boundary fence at the back of campus. She was out of breath when she finally reached her special spot. It was a small clearing in the woods with a mossy carpet that glowed right green and in the summer was dotted with wild flowers.

This was where she had come when she was six and her parents had died. That day she had buried the locket her mum and dad had given her when she was just a baby. She had put it in her wooden jewellery box and planted an oak tree on top in memory of her parents. No one else on campus knew she had done this (Even her brother Will) and she always came here when she was sad – or anytime really. She had come here when she passed basic training. Before and after her first mission, and whenever it was her mum's, dad's, her brothers or her own birthday. She just liked to be near the tree that carried on her parent's spirits.

Hannah sat cross legged on the ground. She reached into her pocket and pulled out another lip ring – she didn't want the hole to close up. She fiddled with the ring and began to think. She wondered how her life had turned out so rubbish. She was always in trouble, and she knew that she wasn't living her parents' legacy very well. They had been some of the best agents MI5 had known, and she had undone all their good work by flunking school. Although, she was one of CHERUB's best agent's. She thought about how she had let her brother down. She just hoped that it was just trouble finding her, not her finding trouble.