“Can’t talk to orange,” the adult said before raising one finger. There were a few others inside including an adult who wore the regulation trousers and boots but with a white CHERUB T-shirt. The other one smiled, saying, “Can’t talk,” but she pointed towards a lift and then made a downward motion with her hand. Even they were wearing boots and green trousers. There were a couple of teenage girls down one end. It was a row of doors in either direction. “Can’t talk to orange,” the boy said, without stopping. Out in the corridor the kids had the same boots and trousers as James, but their T-shirts were either black or gray, all with the CHERUB logo on them. James spun the initials in his head, but they didn’t make any sense.

It was a crosshair with a set of initials: CHERUB. He put on the underwear and studied the logo embroidered on the T-shirt. The military-style clothes made James wonder if this was where kids ended up if they kept getting into trouble. James picked the boots up and inspected them: rubbery smell and shiny black soles. There was a set of clean clothes on the floor: white socks and boxers, pressed orange T-shirt, green military-style trousers with zipped pockets, and a pair of boots. This was clearly a children’s home, and miles nicer than Nebraska House. Some others were getting tennis coaching on clay courts off to the side. There were kids in running spikes doing stretches. The room was high up overlooking an athletics track. James burrowed around under the duvet and realized he was naked. The last thing he remembered was Jennifer Mitchum asking him up to her office after he got back to Nebraska House. James didn’t have a clue where he was or how he’d got there. It was like the hotel when his mum took him and Lauren to Disney World. TV, kettle, telephone, and miniature fridge. This room was flashier than the one at Nebraska House.

The recruit book 1 robert muchamore