He was shitting himself as he poked his head out above ground, but it was a relief seeing the running track and the outer wall of the Ark behind him.
‘Looks good, mate,’ James said as he clambered out. He crawled for the first thirty metres before breaking into a sprint over the baked ground.
Joseph and Ed had both now realised that they were leaving the Ark, but Ernie was around and the small boys instinctively trusted him because he was an adult. The two little lads made their own way down the ladder and pinched their noses theatrically as they ran across the gantry. When they reached the other side, Ernie lifted them up all but the last couple of rungs and told them to run in a straight line until they met James on the outside.
Once the boys were out, Lauren lowered the three sleepy toddlers down to Ernie. He ran each one across the gantry, before handing them up to Rat who leaned into the outer hatch and grabbed them on the other side.
By the time everyone met up, Chloe was approaching in her car and a big Toyota 4×4 driven by a TAG officer ran close behind. James had stripped to his boxers and used the dry part of his T-shirt to wipe away the worst of the filth stuck to his skin. While he slumped on the ground feeling sorry for himself, Lauren and Ernie tried to calm down the overwrought toddlers. Joseph and Ed couldn’t understand what had just happened and stood in stunned silence.
Rat stood a few paces from the others and shuddered with excitement as he looked back at the three glowing spires.
‘I’m never going back,’ he promised himself quietly, as he grabbed the leather strap from around his neck and gave it an almighty tug. It felt beautiful watching the beads slide off and bounce on the hard ground.
Then the Ark exploded.
44. TV
LIVE TV BROADCAST – Good Morning Australia! ‘Good morning, it’s exactly seven a.m. and I’m Mick Hammond standing at the smouldering remains of the Survivors’ Ark. Linda Levitt is back at the studio in Sydney.
‘We have just one headline this morning. Australia is waking up to one of the most sensational stories in its history. The colourful religious guru Joel Regan is dead, believed murdered by his own wife, Susie. His world-famous Ark has been devastated by an explosion, killing many of his most devoted followers.’
The picture cut to a studio set and a newsreader in a peach-coloured blouse.
‘Thank you, Michael. Here’s a rundown of the last twelve dramatic hours. The story began some time after seven last night, when Joel Regan was found dead by his eldest daughter, Eleanor. At the same time, four Australian army helicopters containing Tactical Assault Group commandos set off from an airbase in Queensland. Their aim was to launch a surprise raid on the Ark, seize documents and arrest senior cult members in connection with atrocities committed by the terrorist group Help Earth.
‘It still isn’t clear if Susie Regan was tipped off about the impending raid. But the coincidence of Joel Regan’s murder and the helicopter assault sowed the seeds of an extraordinary tragedy.
‘At eight p.m., four army helicopters reached the Survivors’ Ark, only to find that Susie Regan had fled and Eleanor Regan had ordered her followers to arm themselves and booby-trap sections of the Ark with explosives.
‘As the helicopters tried to land, they came under intense fire. One was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, resulting in the deaths of two commandos who had been preparing to leap from the aircraft. Six others suffered burns and one remains in critical condition. Moments later, a second helicopter was destroyed, killing its entire complement of eighteen men and three women. The TAG units were forced to withdraw.
‘As military and police reinforcements arrived by air and road, many believed that Australia faced the prospect of a lengthy stand-off between the Survivors and the authorities. Accounts vary as to what happened next. What is certain is that at half-past midnight a huge explosion erupted inside the Ark. Some claim this was sabotage by allies of Susie Regan or a deliberate suicide bid, but most now agree that the blast was caused when explosive charges were triggered accidentally.’
The screen showed grainy video footage of three Survivor children staggering through rubble in the darkness.
‘At least fifty died instantly in the explosion. More than half were children making their way from the Ark’s boarding school towards Regan’s bunker. As parts of the perimeter and a one-hundred-and-fifty-metre-high spire collapsed, Survivors began emerging from the underground tunnels, many suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. Soldiers entering the damaged perimeter to assist victims of the blast then came under small-arms fire, resulting in the death of another TAG commando and injuries to two more.’
The screen cut to an aerial film of a sunrise over the smouldering Ark.
‘As day broke, it became clear that the army had taken control of the area. Specialist units had disabled the remaining explosives. The death toll had reached ninety-three, including thirty-seven children and twenty-four military personnel. More than fifty others have been flown to hospital and at least a dozen of these are reported to be in life-threatening condition. Among the bodies recovered inside the Ark are two of Joel Regan’s children: his oldest daughter, Eleanor, and his youngest son, eleven-year-old Rathbone.
‘Now … Sorry – I’m sorry, I’m hearing something in my earpiece. I believe Mick has more breaking news from the Ark, so let’s head straight back over to him.’
The image cut back to Mick Hammond, standing in the outback with the two remaining spires of the Ark and a few tufts of smoke in the background.
‘Yes, Linda. Information is flooding in all the time. I’ve just been having a conversation with a senior intelligence official about Susie Regan. As you know, her jet was intercepted by two F-16 fighters and it was then forced to land at Perth International Airport in the early hours of this morning. I’ve been told that when Susie Regan was arrested, she was accompanied by none other than Brian “Bungle” Evans. Brian Evans was the mastermind behind Help Earth’s attempted anthrax attack in the United Kingdom a couple of years back.
‘The official also said that if the military hadn’t already been on raised-alert status because of the terrorist threat, there is every possibility that Susie Regan and Brian Evans would have been able to escape Australian airspace. Back to you in the studio, Linda.’
The newsreader looked stunned as the director cut back to her chair.
‘Well,’ she said, smiling uneasily. ‘We’re doing our best to keep on top of things here. Right now it’s over to our Brisbane studio, where we have Professor Miriam Longford. Professor Longford is an expert on religious cults and the effects that they have on the minds of their followers. Good morning, Professor. What do you make of the events of the last twelve hours? Could anyone possibly have foreseen a tragedy such as this?’
45. DEAD
Two days after the calamitous helicopter assault on the Ark, Rat – who was very much alive – spent the morning shopping with Lauren in Townsville, thirteen hundred kilometres north of Brisbane. It was a crummy mall, the type of place where locals came for groceries and household stuff, but Rat hadn’t been shopping since his mother died eight years earlier and he loved every minute.
He got excited over every little thing: seeing a toddler rocking back and forth on the fifty-cent ride, pushing a trolley through every aisle of a supermarket, even though they were only picking up chocolate bars and a loaf of bread. The video-game shop was a thrill, but it was the bargain bookshop that sent him over the edge, buying a flurry of three-dollar paperbacks.
They ended up in a food court. Rat couldn’t decide between KFC and McDonalds, so they got one of each to share and Rat scoffed most of both.
‘What are you grinning at?’ Rat asked, as he looked at Lauren across the plastic table. She had a big black scab and three stitches in her bottom lip.
Lauren shrugged. ‘It’s nice watching you have so much fun.’
‘Don’t you like shopping?’
‘Sure,’ Lauren said. ‘If it’s somewhere ritzy an
d I’ve got money to spend.’
‘So there’s places better than this?’
‘Rat, this place is a dump. My best shopping centre is Bluewater near London. It’s like a big triangle, there’s two floors, a massive cinema and it takes a whole day to see everything. When my mum was alive, she used to take us there every November and she’d make a big list of everything we wanted stolen for our Christmas presents.’
‘Stolen,’ Rat grinned.
‘Oh, that’s a long story. She ran the biggest shoplifting gang in North London before she died.’
‘Can I ask you a question?’ Rat said, his face turning serious as he flicked away a piece of chicken skin stuck to his fingertip.
Lauren nodded. ‘Sure.’
‘Do you think I’m weird?’
Lauren shook her head and laughed out loud. ‘Rat, you’re funny and clever. I like you a lot. What made you ask that?’
Rat blushed. ‘Well … I’ve spent a lot of time watching girls in the shower, but we weren’t allowed to mix inside the Ark. You’re sort of … You’re the first girl I’ve ever actually had a conversation with and I wondered if you thought I was normal.’
Lauren reached across the table and put her hand on top of Rat’s. ‘You don’t need to worry,’ she grinned. ‘Most boys drive me nuts, but you’re really nice. Mind you, there is one thing.’
‘What?’ Rat asked anxiously.
Lauren twisted her face like she didn’t really want to broach the subject. ‘I know you’ve had a weird upbringing, but not everybody will understand. The whole thing about spying on girls in the shower is creepy. I’d try keeping it out of the conversation.’
‘Right,’ Rat said. ‘I’ll remember that – oh, there’s John.’
Lauren glanced over her shoulder, then at her watch. ‘John’s Mr Punctuality. You can set your watch by him.’
Dressed uncharacteristically in shorts and T-shirt, John Jones slid on to the bench alongside Lauren and peered down at Rat’s two shopping bags.
‘Looks like my fifty bucks didn’t last long. What did you get?’
‘Books mostly. I got a new copy of Oliver Twist and four other Charles Dickens novels. Plus that Lord Of The Rings book that Dana raved about at the hospital.’
‘Pretty brave attempting Lord Of The Rings,’ John said. ‘Never managed to plough through it all myself.’
‘I love reading, but we never got good books inside the Ark.’
‘You and James can stop squabbling over that handheld Playstation doo-dah now you’ve got those to read.’
Lauren shook her head. ‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’
‘Anyway,’ John said, ‘while I was over at the hospital visiting Dana, I had a phone call from the chairman back at campus.’
Lauren and Rat both straightened up, looking nervous.
‘I’m pleased to say …’
‘Yessssssssss,’ Rat screamed.
John raised his hand, but couldn’t help smiling. ‘Let me finish, Rat. Dr McAfferty has read James’ report on what you did inside the Ark and says he’s happy to waive the standard CHERUB recruitment tests. The doctor who examined you said you’re in perfect health and the results of your IQ test were outstanding. You’re being offered a place at CHERUB, with basic training to commence in three weeks.’
Lauren leaned across the table and gave Rat a hug. ‘Well done, mate. Basic training is rough, but once you get through that, you’re gonna love being a cherub.’
*
James sat in the living-room of a beachfront house, holding a cordless phone up to his ear.
‘Kerry, at last,’ he said, breaking into a grin. ‘I’ve been calling for two days.’
‘I just got back from a mission down in Devon.’
‘Right,’ James said. ‘Anything exciting?’
‘Not really. Kyle said you were in the Survivors’ Ark when it went bang. Are you OK?’
‘Yeah, not bad. We managed to escape through a sewage pipe. It’s lucky we did ’cos the explosion was right near the room where we’d been holed up. I picked up some nasty stomach bug in the sewer, so I’m on antibiotics.’
‘Poor you.’
‘Yeah, I’ve got my appetite back today, but I’m still weak. So, has the Survivor thing been on the news over there?’
‘Just a bit,’ Kerry said. ‘It’s still the top story, even today.’
‘Oh, and you’ll never guess who we’re staying with.’
Kerry laughed. ‘Better tell me then.’
‘They didn’t want us going back to Brisbane in case we were recognised by Survivors collecting money in the street, so they flew us all up to Townsville. We’re staying with Amy Collins and her brother John.’
‘Cool,’ Kerry said. ‘I haven’t seen Amy since she retired from CHERUB. How’s she doing these days?’
‘Seems good, but she’s at university and I think they’re short of money. Amy’s gone bohemian: you know, beads in her hair and grubby jeans. She’s got this hippy boyfriend who’s like thirty-five, or something.’
‘Jealous, are we?’
‘You know I only have eyes for you, Kerry.’
‘Riiiiight,’ she sneered. ‘That reminds me, I think Gabrielle wants to kick your arse.’
‘Eh?’
‘Me and the girls got gossiping the other day and I might have let it slip that you said you only asked her out because you were drunk.’
James tutted. ‘Nice one, Kerry.’
‘So, when are you coming home?’
‘We’re staying out here for another couple of weeks, having a rest and a bit of a holiday. The doctor who examined us says we’re really run-down from living with the Survivors. They eat bad food and you only get six or seven hours’ sleep a night. My skin’s disgusting: I’ve got about twenty zits on my back.’
‘Eww,’ Kerry said. ‘I hope they’re gone by the time I see you.’
‘I wish you were here with us. I missed you every day.’
‘I missed you, James. I’m really looking forward to us being back together again.’
James giggled. ‘I’m looking forward to getting my hand up your top.’
‘Maybe I won’t be wearing a top.’
James’ eyeballs practically sprung out on stalks. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Might be,’ Kerry teased. ‘I’ve picked up loads of tricks from the guys I cheated on you with while you were away.’
‘Same here,’ James grinned. ‘This mission’s just been one hot religious babe after another.’
‘Anyway James, it’s great hearing from you, but it’s one in the morning and I’m helping Miss Takada coach some red shirts in the dojo at half-six. I’d better get to sleep.’
‘Right,’ James said. ‘I’ll call you again tomorrow, OK?’
‘Cool,’ Kerry said, as she blew a couple of kisses into the phone. ‘Have a good rest. Can’t wait to see you.’
‘Speak tomorrow,’ James said, blowing a few back before hitting the end call button.
He strolled through to the kitchen, imagining Kerry taking her top off and hoping that she wasn’t kidding. Amy stood at the counter mixing a giant bowl of salad.
‘Do you think this will be enough for everyone?’ she asked.
James smirked. ‘I think you could feed a small army with all that.’
‘You seem to be getting on well with Kerry these days.’
‘Yeah,’ James said. ‘I always miss her when I’m away. It’s a pity it never works as well when we’re both on the same continent.’
Amy grinned. ‘She’s worth the effort, James. I’ve always said you two complement each other.’
‘So, do you need a hand with anything here?’
‘Nah, I reckon it’s covered,’ Amy shrugged. ‘My brother John’s setting the barbecue up outside, and John Jones is supposed to be stopping off at the grog shop to pick up some booze.’
James noticed a car moving up the driveway outside. ‘That’s Dana and Chloe.’
He strolled out
on to the drive with Amy and helped Dana out of the back of the car. Once she was standing on her crutches, James gave her a hug.
‘So, how you feeling?’ James asked. ‘I’m glad you made it in one piece.’
Dana smiled. ‘Minus the tip of my middle toe.’
‘Look on the bright side,’ James grinned. ‘You’ve shaved ten per cent off the time it takes to cut your toenails.’
‘Every cloud eh, James?’
‘Sorry I couldn’t visit you in the hospital with the others, but the doctor said it was best if I stayed away while I was sick.’
‘But you’re OK now?’ Dana asked, as she stepped towards the back door.
‘Pretty much.’
‘Lauren said your face was a real picture when the light came on in that sewer. Says you threatened to quit CHERUB and everything.’
James tutted. ‘She’s gonna tell everyone on campus. I’m never gonna hear the end of it.’
‘So you’re not quitting?’
James shook his head. ‘You know what missions are like: you don’t exactly enjoy it while you’re there, but as soon as you’ve recovered, you’re itching for another one.’
*
An hour later, the house was full of barbecue smells and the gathering was in full swing out on the patio. It was Saturday afternoon and Amy’s brother, John – another ex-cherub – manned the grill. Everyone else stood around, eating, chatting and holding drinks: John Jones, Chloe, Abigail, Dana, James, Amy and Lauren.
John Jones put his glass of wine on a plastic table and clapped his hands together. ‘I’m sorry everyone, but while you’re all gathered together like this, I’m going to have to inflict a speech on you – hang on, where’s Rat?’
All the heads on the patio turned around, mystified.
‘I’ll get him,’ Lauren groaned.
She put her paper plate down and stepped through the patio doors into the living-room. Rat sat on the couch, with a look of intense concentration on his face, scowling at James’ PSP.
‘Come on, you unsociable git,’ Lauren said. ‘You can’t sit here playing computer games when we’re having a party.’
Rat glanced up anxiously. ‘Let me finish this race. James says I get the Mitsubishi Evo if I win this track.’
CHERUB: Divine Madness Page 27