The Sleepwalker (novel)

The Sleepwalker is the ninth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was released in February 2008. The book features Lauren Adams and Jake Parker in the lead roles, investigating an airline crash that a mentally disturbed boy called Fahim claims was caused by his father. Meanwhile, James Adams has a subplot doing work experience with Kerry Chang at a fast food restaurant. This is the first CHERUB book to feature Lauren in the lead role, with James' story as a subplot.

Plot

A plane crashes over the Atlantic and all 345 passengers are killed. Among the dead are the wife, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren of Dr. Terrence McAfferty (Mac), former CHERUB chairman. A troubled boy named Fahim Bin Hassam calls the aircrash investigation hotline and attempts to blame his father, Hassam Bin Hassam, but gives into his fear before he can relay any of the information.

While James is sleeping, the instructor Kazkov pulls him out of bed, gags him with a rubber gag, handcuffs him, and takes him outside. It is revealed all the black shirts are being taken on a training exercise. They have to leave the area, with red and white shirts after them using quad bikes and night-vision goggles. Lauren hides in a ditch, and is able to steal night-vision goggles. She gets a quad bike and rescues James and Dana. Later she tells Zoe quad bikes made it uneven, and is told next time bicycles will probably be used, it would make things more even, and prevent damage, as one of the quad bikes was sent to the bottom of a lake.

CHERUB agents Lauren and Jake are sent on a mission to befriend Fahim and discover the truth. Mac becomes the acting mission controller, trying to find out if the deaths of his family were accidental or acts of terrorism. Lauren plants audio devices all over the house, but when Hassam discovers one, he thinks it was the cleaning lady and he tortures her in painful ways, before shooting her in the kneecap. Fahim feels guilty about this and admits to his father about how it was Lauren and Jake. He throws some stinging antiseptic in his father's eyes in an attempt to flee. Hassam chases him across a golf course, but when an armed tactical response team threaten to shoot him, Hassam takes his own son hostage with a knife to his throat.

Jake bravely attacks Hassam from behind and saves Fahim, after which Hassam is shot dead. After all of the trouble is cleared, it is discovered that the plane crashed due to faulty parts which Hassam and his brother Asif Bin Hassam sold to the people constructing the plane. As the brothers were aware of their faults, Asif was sent to prison. Fahim was taken in to start life as a CHERUB, but when a camcorder showed that he sleepwalks every night and talks out loud about all of the things he has done, Zara Asker states that it is too dangerous to send him on missions because he might blow his cover. Instead, Fahim will live with Dr Terence McAfferty, CHERUB's former chairman.

Meanwhile, James has been assigned his work experience with his former girlfriend, Kerry, at the Deluxe Chicken restaurant. They are invited to a club by a co-worker called Gemma and her boyfriend Danny. James, Dana, and Kerry go and have a good time, but James discovers Danny pushing Gemma about and fights with him. On the last day of their work experience Gemma shows up with a black eye. Outside, James meets Danny but James is not eager to have another row with him. Danny calls Gemma and pulls her hair to taunt James, but it is Kerry who attacks him, and James rushes to aid her. The police are called and James is arrested. Zara, the CHERUB chairwoman, uses her status to free James from prison. She then sentences Kerry and James punishment laps and hours of decorating service. James realises he is still attracted to Kerry, but he wants to be faithful to Dana.

Footnotes

External links

• Official CHERUB site page for book