BooksBarbecue
Back Outbreak
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

‘Good,’ Jenny said briskly. ‘So we’ll start with our man Darius Janulis, the so-called “legals officer”’ – she threw him a wry smile at the description – ‘since he’s our entry point into Matulis ChemExport. I got Cheltenham to take a deep dive into his online activity, starting with his public persona, his social-media postings, friends, likes, places he’s been and so on. Then moving on to all the stuff he doesn’t want the world to see. I had to pull a few strings to get them to make it a priority tasking, but GCHQ stepped up to the plate and this is what they came back with.’ Jenny swivelled her laptop round so it faced him, then sat back in her chair and looked out of the window. ‘Seems like he has quite a colourful private life,’ she added.

It was the aspect of intelligence work Luke often felt most uncomfortable with: peering into other people’s personal lives like this, metaphorically leaning over someone’s shoulder to see what they’d been up to, both on- and offline. He preferred to meet his targets face to face, even if that meant at 2 a.m. in a dark alley – that was still better than all this snoopy stuff, which he was quite happy to leave to others. He scanned through GCHQ’s executive brief on Janulis, then scrolled down to the next page.

The photograph had been taken indoors and the flash had bleached out some of the detail, but the face was instantly recognizable. It was definitely Darius Janulis and he was wearing nothing but a crimson thong, with a studded leather choker around his neck attached to a leash held by someone who was half out of shot. He scrolled down again and there was more of the same: gimp masks, golf-ball mouth restraints, chains, piercings. Luke shrugged, and pushed the laptop back towards Jenny.

‘So?’ he said, slightly irritated. ‘Janulis is into the S & M scene. I’m not sure that proves anything, does it?’ He gave her a curious look. ‘I’m sorry, Jenny, I’m not getting this. There’s supposed to be a deadly pathogen on the loose in Svalbard, we’ve flown a thousand miles out here to probe the connection with a Lithuanian chemical company and what are we doing? We’re sitting in a fancy hotel bedroom looking at someone’s private stash of S & M selfies. So what exactly is the connection here?’

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut and massaged between her eyebrows with her fingertips for a second or two. Was this a sign of exasperation with him? Was he being a bit dim?