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Chapters (124)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Acclaim for Frank Gardner’s Luke Carlton thrillers
  4. Also by Frank Gardner
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. 95
  102. 96
  103. 97
  104. 98
  105. 99
  106. 100
  107. 101
  108. 102
  109. 103
  110. 104
  111. 105
  112. 106
  113. 107
  114. 108
  115. 109
  116. 110
  117. 111
  118. 112
  119. 113
  120. 114
  121. 115
  122. Epilogue
  123. Acknowledgements
  124. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘I have some bad news,’ he announced grimly. ‘There has been another infection.’ He waited a moment to let this sink in. ‘It’s a Norwegian policeman up on Svalbard. Confirmed infected with Agent X. This has an immediate consequence for us here in Britain. From this moment on, we can give no assurances to Whitehall that this outbreak can be contained.’

45

Vilnius, Lithuania

Friday, 11 March, 1338hrs GMT, 1638hrs local

NAKED AND STEAMING from his shower, Luke stood rooted to the spot as he heard the gentle knock on the bathroom door. Instinctively, his eyes flicked to the handle, visualizing it slowly opening and then … Then what? Had he given off the wrong signals here? Was he reading the situation in completely the wrong way? They were supposed to be gathering vital national intelligence in Lithuania, not playing suggestive mind games in a boutique hotel room.

‘Luke?’ Jenny knocked again, sharper this time. ‘You need to come and have a look at what’s on the laptop. Are you nearly done in there?’

So it was business. That was all. Luke scolded himself for his presumption. What was he thinking? Idiot. Of course she wasn’t interested in him in that way. It was a relief. They could get on with the task in hand.

He emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed now and feeling like a new person. He saw that Jenny had reorganized the room, turning their twin bedroom into something resembling a makeshift office. She had pulled a small circular table into the centre of the space and was sitting behind it with her laptop open, phone on charge in the corner, her half-drunk cup of coffee next to her. Despite her casual grey T-shirt, she somehow managed to look crisply professional. Luke blushed inwardly that he had ever imagined her in any other way.

‘Feeling better?’ She didn’t wait for him to answer. She gestured to the empty chair on the other side of the table. ‘Have a seat, Luke. Coffee might have gone a bit cold now, but I can order you another, if you like.’

‘It’s fine. Let’s just crack on with this.’ He sat down opposite her, took one sip of his cold coffee and regretted it.