CHERUB: The Syndicate

22: Fireworks

While at work, Katie played up her illness. It was fairly convincing because she looked tired and pale, a result of her long flights and lack of sleep. They were expecting a fairly slow afternoon, so when Katie pretended to throw up in the toilet, her boss said she could take the rest of the day off to rest. Thanking him, Katie picked up her bag and headed for the station, stopping to pick up another large coffee. She had the most difficult role in the operation and she wanted to be as alert as possible. Instead of catching the train home, she headed for Riley's house, trying to remember the walking route she'd memorised. It wasn't too far, but the suburban streets wound back and forth quite a bit and she didn't want to get lost and lose time. She drank the majority of her coffee on the train to keep herself from falling asleep, and then decided to jog to the house, hoping the exercise would keep her awake.

P.E. was the last lesson before lunch and George had to enact his side of the plan before then. Unfortunately, he couldn't start until he got the word from ASIS. Break time dragged on without any contact and George fidgeted his way through biology, hoping his phone would beep. Riley seemed to think he'd bottled it and kept pestering him about when they were going to start.

"I'll ask to go to the toilet and you follow me a few minutes later," George whispered. "Then we'll meet up and start the show."

"Hurry up and ask, then. I'm bored," Riley moaned.

"Patience, I've got to wait for the right time," George snapped, wondering desperately if ASIS would ever message him.

The teacher had just launched into a speech about stem cells and sharks when George's phone buzzed loudly, attracting the attention of the class.

"Sorry," George said insincerely, pulling it out under the desk and reading the message quickly.

"I'm afraid 'sorry' doesn't cut it, young man," the teacher replied.

"May I go to the toilet? I'm bursting," George replied, jumping up and grabbing his bag without waiting for a reply.

"If you really have to," the teacher told him. "Come straight back, though."

George waited until he was out of the room and then flipped her off through the door. She didn't notice and he walked fast towards the toilets before pausing the nervously flicking through the contacts on his phone, checking the speed dial for the tenth time that day.

Riley appeared a few sweaty minutes later, looking happy.

"She wasn't pleased but I persuaded her," Riley told him. "Now, where are we heading?"

"I was thinking we'd hide in that stupid flower garden and lob them at the buildings," George grinned, finding his stride as they jogged out of the doors and into sunlight.

"Good plan," Riley said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "We're going to be total legends after this."

The flower garden was in the surrounded on three sides by four-storey buildings, with the open side leading to the playing fields. There were benches and flower borders planted by the gardening club, and Riley made a point of trampling everything he could as they took cover behind the brickwork of a small raised pond.

"Okay," George said, taking off his backpack and pulling out the first box of fireworks. "I think the fuses are mostly ten or fifteen seconds, so light it, count to six or seven and then throw it upwards. If you hold it too long or throw too low you'll get burnt or it'll rebound," he explained, handing Riley a lighter and the first of the firecrackers. "Throw them all as soon as possible so we don't get spotted."

George knew there was no chance of them escaping since half of the school would be looking to see where the fireworks were coming from, but the plan asked for them to get caught. He still felt nervous as Riley lit the first fuse and gave him a thumbs-up.