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them,” said Simon, “we’ll really annoy the cops. According to this data, they got wise to the fake ID and are preparing to raid the place themselves.”
    “Tough,” said Queen Bee. “Recovering Whiplash is more important. We must move inbefore the police do.”
    “Logged, Queen Bee,” said Simon.
    Queen Bee’s face loomed large in the display. “Mission objective is to detain our suspects and recover Whiplash,” she said. “Launch the SWARM!”

CHAPTER FOUR
    A computerized voice spoke from the ceiling. “Active mode authorized. Micro-agents online.”
    “I’m live,” said Chopper the dragonfly.
    “I’m live,” came the deeper, slower voice of Hercules the stag beetle.
    The SWARM robots’ high-tech, cage-like boxes glided up out of the workbench. Each was brightly lit from inside. Tiny red and green lights flashed in sequence and a hum of power pulsed through the room.
    One by one, the insectoid robots activated. Legs flexed, antennae twitched.
    “I’m live,” each of the robots said in turn: Widow the spider; Nero the scorpion; Morph the centipede; Sirena the butterfly; and Sabre the mosquito, now fully repaired.
    The cages slid open and the SWARM emerged on to the workbench.
    Simon grinned at the Professor. “Those bad guys won’t know what hit them.”

    In their hideout, the members of Operation New Age had nearly finished unpacking the crates and boxes, and were busy connecting and setting up the equipment they’d need to put their plan into effect.
    Fraser the computer hacker was still sitting in front of his desktop PC, trying to break into the AKA code protecting Whiplash. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he was getting more irritated and anxious with every passing minute.
    Williams appeared at his shoulder. Fraser deliberately kept his gaze on the screen in front of him.
    “Well, any progress?” demanded Williams.
    “None whatsoever!” spat Fraser angrily.
    Williams lowered his face level with Fraser’s and spoke very quietly. “That’s not what I want to hear. If you’re no good to us, you’re going to get kicked off this project. Remember what’ll happen to anyone we have to kick off this project? Straight into the river wearing concrete wellies.”
    Fraser gulped and tried to stop his hands shaking as they hovered over the keyboard. “Why didn’t the Insider warn us about this coded security?” he moaned.
    “He did,” said Williams through gritted teeth. “And your mate Bullman promised me you wouldn’t find it a problem.”
    Fraser wiped the sweat off his face with the grubby sleeve of his combat jacket. “Well, it is a problem!”
    At that moment, Bullman entered the room carrying a large cardboard box filled with tinned and dried food. With a grunt, he dropped it on to a table. The sudden thump made Fraser jump.
    “Any trouble on the way in?” said Williams.
    “Naaah!” scoffed Bullman. “I’ve told you,boss, there’s no way anyone will find us here. A perfect hiding place like this?”

    Agent K, one of the new SWARM agents, made her way down a narrow alley. She had crossed the Thames at Westminster Bridge and walked through a series of backstreets and underpasses until she reached the rundown area. Bits of paper and empty fast-food wrappers blew along the gutter, and she could hear a dog barking menacingly in the distance.
    She emerged from the alleyway into a large derelict patch of land. To one side was a hill of rubble and rubbish, beyond which she could see the towering buildings north of the river. In front of her was a wide area of scrubby brown grass, dotted with bricks and surrounded by an expanse of gravel. Opposite was the tall shape of a railway viaduct, blackened and crumbling with age.
    Beneath the viaduct was a series of huge arches, each more than ten metres high. The arches were filled with walls of shabby, rottingwood. Some of the walls had signs clinging on to them. In chipped and faded paint they announced things like “G&I Motors –