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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

‘It’s far-right extremists. It’s this group calling themselves WaffenKrieg90. They’ve got the resources, they’ve got the contacts and, most importantly …’ Luke paused for emphasis, hoping to ram home his point ‘… they’ve got the scientific know-how to produce a bio-weapon, and they’re planning to release it, right here, in the UK. Think neo-Nazi ideology grafted on to a state-level capacity in bio-terrorism.’

For a long moment the Chief said nothing. He just stared at Luke, eyes still blazing. Inside his head, Luke counted to ten. By the time I finish counting, he thought, I will either be believed or I’ll be looking for a new job.

Then, very quietly, the Chief spoke. ‘I take it you’ve done the source validation on Earl Grey?’

‘We have, C.’ This time it was Jenny who spoke. She had been silent till now. ‘I can concur with what Luke has just said.’

Sir Adam sat back in his chair, then buzzed his intercom and spoke to his PA. ‘Cancel my eight-fifteen, reschedule my call with Riyadh station. In fact, hold all my calls, will you? And get Sid Khan in here immediately.’

The Chief seemed suddenly to have aged about ten years.

58

Braintree, Essex

Monday, 14 March, 0821hrs GMT

THEY LEFT IT nearly three days before they returned to the bunker to check on the results. Not without taking full precautions, of course. In addition to the original three who had gone there on the Friday, two more men carried a large bundle between them, containing full chemical PPE. Before Covid they might have had some difficulty in accessing that sort of specialized protective gear without raising suspicions. Now they had had no difficulty at all.

In the limited shelter of the hawthorn hedge, staying well clear of the sharp thorns, two of the group pulled on their PPE, checking each other’s fastenings and seals, making sure the respirators were fully functioning. A third went forward, as last time, to check the coast was clear. When he gave them the thumbs-up they trudged forward, moving like astronauts on the surface of the moon, their rubber overboots making heavy progress in the cloying Essex soil.