‘There has been much debate on who gets to press the button to destroy the main building,’ Ewart continued, as he pointed a finger at a control console. ‘In the end, our engineers have constructed a console with three buttons that must all be pressed to activate the demolition charges. The first button will be pushed by a man who needs no introduction to most of you.’

A round of applause broke out as a stooped old geezer began walking up the steps on to the small stage, aided by Zara Asker.

‘Mason LeConte was a hero of the French resistance during World War Two, fighting alongside our founder Charles Henderson.1 He later became one of the first batch of CHERUB agents. He recently celebrated his ninety-second birthday, but he still puts in two shifts a week at the vehicle shop here on campus.’

As Mason shook Ewart’s hand and settled into a chair in front of the console, an AHHH sound began rippling through the crowd. A cute boy and girl in red CHERUB shirts were coming up the stairs on to the stage.

‘They’ve been allowed to stay up late,’ Ewart joked, as the two five-year-olds came on stage looking spooked. ‘Joining the oldest surviving CHERUB agent, two agents of the future. Freddie and Sophia.’

As the two kids shyly stood at the detonator panel at either side of Mason, Ewart picked up an old-skool wired army telephone and spoke to the engineers.

‘I have the all-clear,’ Ewart announced dramatically, as cheers and whoops came out of a crowd close to a thousand strong. ‘Let’s have a nice loud countdown from ten, nine …’

‘Eight,’ James chanted, as he slid an arm around Kerry’s back.

‘Seven, six,’ as Rat did the same to Lauren.

Ryan held hands with Ning and gave her a smile on five.

‘Four, three,’ Kyle shouted, as he remembered the day he arrived in the main building at nine years old. Scared out of his wits.

‘Two,’ everyone yelled, as floodlights illuminated the glassless hulk of the main building.

‘One.’

Mason, Freddie and Sophia pressed their buttons on the detonator panel. The first of five sharp cracks erupted, starting at the bottom and working their way up seven floors. For a half-second it seemed as if something had gone wrong, but a low rumble began to build and everyone screamed and cheered as the front façade collapsed, followed by the floors behind, with the side walls coming in last.

‘Holy crap!’ James shouted, as the roar became deafening and a billowing cloud of dust erupted in all directions.

As the ground rumbled, banks of powerful hoses began misting the perimeter where the main building had stood, to help keep the dust under control. But even with water and nets in place, the crowd tasted grit in the air as the last defiant strut buckled. Then stunned silence became a cheer of relief, accompanied by a wailing all clear siren.