CHERUB: Mad Dogs by Robert Muchamore Page A

guess we could speak to Zara and tell her to move Meatball on to campus until this blows over,’ Meryl said.
    ‘We thought about that,’ Lauren said. ‘But Zara’s kids would get upset and I don’t want the red-shirts getting their mitts on him. I mean, most red-shirts are OK, but some of the boys are right sadists.’
    ‘It’s true,’ Kyle said. ‘Remember when they had to mount video surveillance to catch the little sod who kept shaving the guinea pigs?’
    Meryl drummed her pointing finger on her cheek, ‘You know, I’d always understood that Large was quite fond of dogs. It might be an empty threat.’
    ‘Maybe,’ Lauren said anxiously, ‘but we can’t be sure.’
    ‘What about entrapment?’ Meryl said. ‘You could wear a microphone and try getting him to repeat the threat. If the evidence was incontrovertible, he’d be out on his arse for sure.’
    ‘Wouldn’t work,’ Kyle said. ‘First off, Large wouldn’t be stupid enough to repeat the threat. Second, even if we got the evidence, there’s nothing to stop him going after Meatball.’
    Meryl rubbed her eyes as she thought. ‘You know, Lauren, the one thing I admire in all this is that you haven’t even mentioned the possibility of giving in to his blackmail.’
    ‘I’d never do that,’ Lauren said.
    ‘But our options are limited,’ Meryl said. ‘You don’t officially exist so you can hardly report the threat to the police, and if you make an official complaint here on campus, it’ll just boil down to your word against Large’s. The only sensible thing to do is speak to Ewart or Zara and suggest that Meatball be moved into safe-keeping here on campus. No red-shirt will dare to harm the chairwoman’s dog.’
    ‘But Joshua—’ Lauren interrupted.
    ‘He’s a three-year-old boy,’ Meryl shrugged. ‘He’ll get over it.’
    ‘Bloody Large,’ Lauren spluttered.
    ‘Right now Zara’s stressed out with all that’s going on around Gabrielle,’ Meryl said. ‘But I’ll speak to Ewart straight away and suggest that we move Meatball on to campus before next week’s hearing so that Mr Large can’t get hold of him.’
    Neither Kyle nor Lauren were completely satisfied, but at least Lauren would be able to give her evidence and Meatball would be safe.

12. REVIVAL
    Dr Shah was a slender Indian with a bald head. He stepped out of Gabrielle’s room and pulled down his surgical mask as Chloe, Zara and Michael crowded around him.
    ‘How’s it going?’ Michael asked. ‘Can we still go in to see her?’
    The doctor nodded. ‘Fortunately she’s young and in excellent health. She’s responding well. We’ve reduced the level of sedation and she’s steadily regaining consciousness.’
    ‘Can she speak?’ Chloe asked.
    ‘A little,’ the doctor nodded. ‘She has eighty stitches in her stomach and thirty in her back. Those are very large wounds and if they become infected the complications will be serious.’
    ‘Is her condition still life-threatening?’ Michael asked.
    ‘The surgeon worked for more than five hours, repairing damage to her stomach and cauterising areas where the bleeding was most severe. Because Gabrielle is young and seems to have escaped serious organ damage, I’d say that her situation is now stable rather than critical. She’s maintaining blood pressure without transfusions, which indicates that the operation has stemmed most of the internal bleeding. Having said that, her injuries are grave and it’s too early to rule out complications.’
    Dr Shah pointed Chloe, Michael and Zara towards a dressing room where a nurse made them wash their hands with alcohol gel and put on gowns and disposable gloves.
    ‘I know that you need to ask her about the attack,’ the nurse said, ‘but she’s just come around and you absolutely mustn’t excite her. If something upsets her, leave her be.’
    ‘We understand,’ Zara nodded, as they walked back into the corridor. The nurse entered a security code to open