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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

In a quiet, frightened voice she had recounted how, yes, on the Friday morning, a man had bought a pink toy dinosaur from the shop where she worked and, no, he hadn’t looked very well at all. The woman had made her repeat this and Sam did as she was told, all the while touching the lumps she could feel swelling beneath her ears.

When they installed her in ‘the tent’, in the heart of the Infectious Diseases Unit, the hospital director came to see her personally. He asked her the same questions, promised they would take good care of her, and left. He went straight to his office and phoned Brendan Holmes. Britain now had another patient infected with Agent X. Everyone she had been in contact with had to be traced, isolated and tested. Now it was definite: they were going to need extra beds on standby.

57

MI6 Headquarters, Vauxhall Cross

Monday, 14 March, 0748hrs GMT

LUKE HAD NOT slept well. To say that Hugo Squires had outstayed his welcome last night would have been an understatement. Luke thought he would never leave and even Elise seemed quite embarrassed by the end. He had drunk his way single-handed through a whole bottle of claret and was making noises about opening another, his face growing shinier with each glass. Christ, the man was as thick-skinned as a rhino – could he not take a hint? Squires had also started making obnoxious, sweeping generalizations about the state of the country, the people in it and what needed to be done to put things right. Finally, it took Luke standing up and clapping his hands together to draw the evening to a close, and call a cab for their guest.

Alone together beneath the duvet, Elise had announced she was all in and turned her back on him, seemingly fast asleep in seconds. Luke’s eyes were still wide open, staring at the beautiful curve of her neck that he had kissed so often, and he was left wondering what had gone wrong between them.