Cherub Maximum Security

[Emerenciana Mcgreal]

MaximumSecurity is the third novel in the CHERUB series of books, written by Robert Muchamore. In this novel CHERUB agents James Adams and Dave Moss infiltrate a maximum security prison in Arizona to get to the son of an international arms dealer.[1]

The FBI discover that Curtis Key, a 14-year-old boy imprisoned in an Arizona maximum security prison for murder, is the son of Jane Oxford, an international arms dealer who has evaded capture for decades. After Oxford steals missiles intended for the British government, British intelligence becomes involved in the hunt for Oxford. It is proposed that CHERUB send agents undercover in the prison to help Curtis escape, in the hope that he will lead the FBI to his mother. James Adams is recruited for the mission, along with Dave Moss, a well-respected CHERUB agent with a reputation for womanising. A third agent is required to assist the escape; James suggests his sister Lauren, who has just passed basic training.

James and Dave go undercover, posing as brothers incarcerated for running over a homeless woman while fleeing a robbery. On their first night in prison, Dave is injured in an altercation with prison officers, leaving James with the sole responsibility of breaking Curtis out. James wins Curtis' trust and the duo escape by posing as prison guards. After meeting up with Lauren, who is posing as James and Dave's sister, and evading the police, the trio make their way to the Idaho ranch of Vaughn Little, a former weapons dealer and associate of Oxford, to hide out while Oxford makes further arrangements. During their stay, James strikes up a relationship with Little's daughter Becky, to Lauren's disgust, as he is still dating Kerry. From there they are taken to Boise, where two of Oxford's henchmen give the three new identities. The henchmen explain that Curtis will travel to Brazil while James and Lauren will be given a new life in Canada. However, Oxford has planned to kill James and Lauren as witnesses to Curtis' escape, and after Curtis leaves for the airport with one of the henchmen, the other one attempts to kill Lauren, who successfully incapacitates him. Mission controller John Jones and the FBI follow Curtis, but instead of going to the airport, Curtis goes to an Oregon motel. Oxford appears, having come for Curtis in person, and is promptly arrested.

James, Dave, and Lauren return home to CHERUB campus. In the epilogue, Oxford refuses to co-operate with authorities and is remanded in ADX Florence, and is expected to face life in prison, though the missiles remain unaccounted for[a]. Little is also incarcerated, while Oxford's henchmen are sentenced to death after their past as contract killers is exposed. Curtis' sentence is reduced to 7 years after it is found that a psychiatrist took a bribe to recommend Curtis to the military school where the incident that precipitated his killing spree occurred. Lauren earns her navy shirt for her performance on the mission, Dave fully recovers from his injuries, and James, Lauren and Dave are awarded the Intelligence Star for their service.

Maximum SecurityMain CharactersJames Adams, Dave MossMissionsArizona missionMain LocationsArizona MaxPublished2005Pages304Followed byThe KillingMaximum Security is the third novel in the CHERUB series of books, written by Robert Muchamore. In this novel CHERUB agents James Adams and Dave Moss infiltrate a maximum security prison in Arizona to get to the son of an international arms dealer.

James and his friends get into a brawl at a bowling alley with a group of chavs after one of them racially abuses Gabrielle. As punishment, James, Kyle, Gabrielle and twins Connor and Callum are each given a recruitment mission. Much to his delight, James is instead offered a role on a major mission. He is joined by Dave Moss, a well respected CHERUB agent with a reputation for womanising, and Lauren. The FBI have discovered that Curtis Key, a 14-year-old boy imprisoned in an Arizona maximum security prison for murder, is the son of Jane Oxford, an international arms dealer who has evaded capture for decades. Recently, she has stolen 35 PGSLM Missiles, which were supposed to be sent to the British Army. With the help of the FBI, James and Dave go undercover into the prison posing as brothers who accidentally ran over a homeless woman in their getaway car, with the intention of breaking Curtis out in the hope that he will lead the FBI to his mother.

James soon befriends Curtis and a gang of skinheads who are protecting him in prison, but within days of arriving Dave is injured in an altercation with prison officers, leaving James the responsibility of breaking Curtis out. The escape goes smoothly and Curtis and James are picked up by Lauren, posing as James and Dave's sister. The three are stopped by police officers and Curtis attempts to kill himself with an unloaded gun, but James and Lauren overpower the officers. They kidnap a woman and force her to drive them to Los Angeles. Upon arrival, Curtis contacts his father, a major breakthrough as the FBI did not know who he was previously. The trio are taken to a ranch in Idaho to stay with Vaughn Little, a former weapons dealer and associate of Jane Oxford. From there they are taken to Boise, Idaho, where two of Jane Oxford's henchmen give the three new identities. The henchmen explain that Curtis will travel to Brazil while James and Lauren will be given a new life in Canada. However, after Curtis leaves for the airport, Lauren is attacked by one of the henchmen, who tries to smother her with a pillow. She fights back and overpowers him by stabbing him in the neck with a Biro. The FBI follow Curtis, and discover Jane has come for him in person. They capture her, concluding the mission as a success.

James, Dave (still recovering from his injuries), and Lauren return home to CHERUB campus. James returns to his room after a day's lessons and discovers a box on his pillow, containing an Intelligence Star with his name engraved on the back.

An old-fashioned carrier's cart, such as you may still meeton the roads of Sussex, tilted, one-horsed, and moving atthe leisurely pace of a bye-gone age, turned East at theTurnpike, and made slowly along the Lewes-Beachbourneroad under the northern scarp of the Downs one eveningof autumn in 1908. In it, at the back of the driver, were ayoung man and a young woman, the only passengers,ensconced among hen-coops, flitches of bacon, and basketsof greens.

To the man and woman in the cart old Mus. Woolgarhad been a familiar figure from childhood. The little girlskipping by the market-cross in Aldwoldston would stop towatch him start; the little boy would wait at Billing'sCorner on the top of the hill to see him come along the NewRoad past Motcombe at the end of his journey. Longbefore either had been aware of the other's existence theold carrier had served as an invisible link between them.

Ruth Boam had become Mrs. Ernie Caspar that afternoonin the cathedral-church of Aldwoldston, on the moundamong the ash-trees above Parsons' Tye and the longdonkey-backed clergy-house that dates from the fourteenthcentury.

It had been a very quiet wedding. The father andmother of the bride had stumped across from Frogs' Hall,at the foot of the village, Ruth accompanying them, herlittle daughter in her arms. For the rest, Dr. andMrs. Trupp had come over from Beachbourne with Mr. Pigottand his wife in the chocolate-bodied car driven by thebridegroom's brother.

Alf had not entered the church to see Ernie married.He had mouched sullenly down to the river instead, andstood there during the service, his back to the church,looking across the Brooks to old Wind-hover's dun and shavenflank with eyes that did not see, and ears that refused tohear.

For the moment they were leaving little Alice with hergrandmother while they settled into the Moot, Old Town,where Ernie had found a cottage close to his work, not aquarter of a mile from the home of his father and mother inRectory Walk.

The carrier's cart moved slowly on under the telegraphwires on which the martins were already gathering: forit was September. Now and then Ernie raised the flap thatmade a little window in the side of the tilt, and looked outat the accompanying Downs, mysterious in the evening.

They moved leisurely forward, leaving Folkingtonclustered about its village-green upon the right, passing thetea-gardens at Wannock, and up the long pull to Willingdon,standing among old gardens and pleasant fig-trees. Oncethrough the village the woods of Hampden Parkgreen-bosomed upon the left, blocked out the marshes andthe splendid vision of Pevensey Bay. Now the roademerged from the shelter of hedges and elm-trees andflowed with a noble billowy motion between seas ofcorn that washed the foot of the Downs and sweptover Rodmill to the outposts of Beachbourne. Betweenthe road and the Downs stood Motcombe, islandedin the ruddy sea, amongst its elms and low piggeries.Behind the farm, at the very foot of the hill, wasHuntsman's Lodge where once, when both were boys, Alf hadbetrayed his brother on the occasion of the looting of thewalnut-tree.

"Oh, Mr. Pigott!" answered Ruth. Now that thestrain of the last two years was over at last, she brimmedover with a demure naughtiness. "Well, why couldn't yousay so, then? You are funny, men are."

The cart climbed the steep hill to Billing's Corner andErnie looked down the familiar road to the Rectory and evencaught a peep of the back of his old home. Then theyturned down Church Street with its old-world fragrance oflavender and yesterday.

On the Manor-house steps a tall somewhat cadaverousman was standing. He was so simply dressed as almostto be shabby; and his straw hat, tilted on the back of hishead, disclosed a singularly fine forehead. There wassomething arresting about the man and his attitude: adelicious mixture of mischievous alertness and philosophicaldetachment. He might have been a medival scholarwaiting at the door of his master; or a penitent seekingabsolution; or, not least, a youth about to perpetrate arun-away knock.

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