Ryan shrugged. ‘Not really, but they’re my brothers and I still love them. And my little brother Theo’s upset because he’s away on a mission and there’s a rumour going around that the twins molested a girl or something.’

‘Not a chance,’ James said, very firmly. ‘I have no idea what Leon and Daniel did. But I know one hundred per cent that if an agent did something like that there would be no punishment. You’d be kicked straight out.’

‘That’s what I told Theo,’ Ryan said. ‘But he’s eleven and all his mates are gossiping. And I’ve never known a situation where there’s been a big hush-up. Or such a big punishment.’

‘Pain in my arse too,’ James said. ‘I had your brothers lined up for a mission in the Midlands. I’m actually going to speak to Zara Asker tomorrow to see if I can still sort it. Deferred punishment or something. And I can’t break confidentiality, but I’ll certainly let Zara know that you and Theo are worried.’

‘I think family deserves to know,’ Ryan said.

James had noticed that people were starting to move away from the athletics track, towards a cordon with a small stage erected three hundred metres in front of the main building. ‘Better shift if we want a decent view,’ he said.

‘Appreciate your help,’ Ryan said.

Almost immediately, Ryan sighted his mates Alfie and Ning and jogged off. James got within fifty metres of the white cordon before catching up a big group of his ex-CHERUB pals, including Kerry, Lauren, Kyle, Bruce, Gabrielle, Dana, Rat, Bethany, Callum and Connor.

‘If I may have your attention,’ CHERUB’s recently installed chairman Ewart Asker said, from up on stage. He was over forty but looked younger, in a tailored suit and with several stud earrings. ‘We’ve blown a lot of stuff up on CHERUB campus over the years, but tonight we’re really pushing the boat out!’

There was a big cheer, and lots of little kids smirked because the chairman seemed drunk.

‘First off, a warning. In a few moments an electromagnetic pulse generator will be activated. This will not only knock out any hidden cameras and unauthorised drones from surrounding airspace, it will fry any small electrical item that has been left on within half a kilometre of the explosion. So please, make sure those digital cameras, Android phones and Apple watches are switched off!

‘Second, I would like to thank the army engineers who’ve put so much hard work into the demolition preparations. Sadly, since CHERUB doesn’t exist, only a skeleton crew of two remain on site to watch the results of their handiwork.