Read Online CHERUB: Shadow Wave by Robert Muchamore - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Muchamore
Ads: Link
around and humming to herself. Her sweat smelled like booze and her breath like puke.
Still wearing her bra and knickers, Kerry stepped into James’ bathtub. She sat herself down under the jet of cool water. One hand hung over the side of the tub, while she used the other to inspect the soles of her feet.
‘Muddy toes!’ Kerry said whimsically, as she tipped her head back and let the shower nozzle flood her mouth. Then she spat a jet of water at James’ crotch and laughed. ‘Gotcha.’
‘Oh that’s nice,’ James said. He reached up and flipped the temperature control around to full-on cold.
‘Bastard,’ Kerry squealed, as she flipped over on to her belly and turned the nozzle back to warm.
‘Give us a shout if you want something,’ James said, backing out.
Kyle was sitting on James’ bed, wiping his puke-spattered shoes with a clump of tissues.
‘Turning into a bit of a wild one,’ Kyle said. He looked up at James. ‘You look like you’ve pissed yourself.’
‘Girls can’t take their drink,’ James sighed. ‘Lauren’s exactly the same. Three beers and she’s running round nude trying to snog street furniture.’
As the boys spoke, Kerry said something from the bathroom.
‘What?’ James asked irritably, as he leaned through the doorway.
‘You’re a good boyfriend James,’ Kerry said, giving James a thumbs-up before doing a great big sob. ‘I don’t give you enough credit, you know?’
‘Cheers,’ James said half-heartedly. ‘All part of the service.’
‘I see you’ve got a mission briefing,’ Kyle noted, as he pointed to a folder on James’ desk. ‘I thought you were done.’
James shook his head dismissively. ‘It’s barely a mission: two days of babysitting, week after next. Some Malaysian defence minister is coming over to sign a massive deal for British armoured vehicles and jet engines and stuff. Me, Kevin and Lauren have to chaperone his kids. You know, keep them entertained and show ‘em the sights, while making sure that there’s no human rights protestors trying to blow them up or abduct them.’
Kyle looked far more interested than he ought to have been. ‘Malaysian defence minister? You’re talking about Tan Abdullah, right?’
James raised one eyebrow. ‘How the hell could you know that? Did you peek while I was in the bathroom?’
‘Me and Mr Abdullah have some history,’ Kyle said mysteriously. ‘You mind if I take a look at your mission briefing?’
James looked baffled and shrugged. ‘Knock yourself out mate.’
Four years earlier
December 2004–March 2005
9. BEACH
Kyle Blueman had just turned fifteen and looked relaxed as he lay in the narrow hull of an open motorboat, with his head resting on his rucksack. It was early morning, but the sun was baking. The sky was clear and the sea still like a pond.
Only the boat’s outboard motors disturbed the peace, as it carved through the water close to the dense forest and unspoiled beaches of Langkawi island, fifteen kilometres from the Malaysian mainland. Kyle felt grotty after thirteen hours inside a 747 and couldn’t wait for a shower and clean clothes.
‘How long now?’ he asked, as he looked up at Aizat, the boat’s young captain.
‘Fifteen, twenty minutes,’ the Malaysian answered.
Kyle guessed that Aizat was his own age, maybe a little older. With ragged shorts, shoulder-length hair and a stained Jimi Hendrix T-shirt, Aizat moved about with total confidence, oblivious to the motion of the boat as he placed his feet amidst the benches, ropes, fuel cans and fishing gear without ever having to look down.
‘Is that your mobile?’ Aizat asked.
Kyle grabbed the side of the boat and leaned forward, unzipping a Nokia from a waterproof jacket balled up near his feet.
‘Hello,’ Kyle said, but immediately regretted not checking the caller display before answering.
‘You bloody traitor,’ Lauren Adams roared furiously. ‘I thought we were a team.’
Lauren was ten years old and
Still wearing her bra and knickers, Kerry stepped into James’ bathtub. She sat herself down under the jet of cool water. One hand hung over the side of the tub, while she used the other to inspect the soles of her feet.
‘Muddy toes!’ Kerry said whimsically, as she tipped her head back and let the shower nozzle flood her mouth. Then she spat a jet of water at James’ crotch and laughed. ‘Gotcha.’
‘Oh that’s nice,’ James said. He reached up and flipped the temperature control around to full-on cold.
‘Bastard,’ Kerry squealed, as she flipped over on to her belly and turned the nozzle back to warm.
‘Give us a shout if you want something,’ James said, backing out.
Kyle was sitting on James’ bed, wiping his puke-spattered shoes with a clump of tissues.
‘Turning into a bit of a wild one,’ Kyle said. He looked up at James. ‘You look like you’ve pissed yourself.’
‘Girls can’t take their drink,’ James sighed. ‘Lauren’s exactly the same. Three beers and she’s running round nude trying to snog street furniture.’
As the boys spoke, Kerry said something from the bathroom.
‘What?’ James asked irritably, as he leaned through the doorway.
‘You’re a good boyfriend James,’ Kerry said, giving James a thumbs-up before doing a great big sob. ‘I don’t give you enough credit, you know?’
‘Cheers,’ James said half-heartedly. ‘All part of the service.’
‘I see you’ve got a mission briefing,’ Kyle noted, as he pointed to a folder on James’ desk. ‘I thought you were done.’
James shook his head dismissively. ‘It’s barely a mission: two days of babysitting, week after next. Some Malaysian defence minister is coming over to sign a massive deal for British armoured vehicles and jet engines and stuff. Me, Kevin and Lauren have to chaperone his kids. You know, keep them entertained and show ‘em the sights, while making sure that there’s no human rights protestors trying to blow them up or abduct them.’
Kyle looked far more interested than he ought to have been. ‘Malaysian defence minister? You’re talking about Tan Abdullah, right?’
James raised one eyebrow. ‘How the hell could you know that? Did you peek while I was in the bathroom?’
‘Me and Mr Abdullah have some history,’ Kyle said mysteriously. ‘You mind if I take a look at your mission briefing?’
James looked baffled and shrugged. ‘Knock yourself out mate.’
Four years earlier
December 2004–March 2005
9. BEACH
Kyle Blueman had just turned fifteen and looked relaxed as he lay in the narrow hull of an open motorboat, with his head resting on his rucksack. It was early morning, but the sun was baking. The sky was clear and the sea still like a pond.
Only the boat’s outboard motors disturbed the peace, as it carved through the water close to the dense forest and unspoiled beaches of Langkawi island, fifteen kilometres from the Malaysian mainland. Kyle felt grotty after thirteen hours inside a 747 and couldn’t wait for a shower and clean clothes.
‘How long now?’ he asked, as he looked up at Aizat, the boat’s young captain.
‘Fifteen, twenty minutes,’ the Malaysian answered.
Kyle guessed that Aizat was his own age, maybe a little older. With ragged shorts, shoulder-length hair and a stained Jimi Hendrix T-shirt, Aizat moved about with total confidence, oblivious to the motion of the boat as he placed his feet amidst the benches, ropes, fuel cans and fishing gear without ever having to look down.
‘Is that your mobile?’ Aizat asked.
Kyle grabbed the side of the boat and leaned forward, unzipping a Nokia from a waterproof jacket balled up near his feet.
‘Hello,’ Kyle said, but immediately regretted not checking the caller display before answering.
‘You bloody traitor,’ Lauren Adams roared furiously. ‘I thought we were a team.’
Lauren was ten years old and
Similar Books
