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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

Luke had no notes – he didn’t need any. He had gone over everything Janulis had told him again and again in his head on the flight back from Vilnius. Over the next fifteen minutes he took them through what he had gleaned about WaffenKrieg90, its far-right extremist ideology, the tentacles of its international network and its deeply unhealthy interest in what used to be termed ‘weapons of mass destruction’, more accurately known now as ‘weapons of mass effect’. When he finished he sat down and glanced around the room. Right now, he really, really needed a coffee. He could see a steaming silver pot just sitting on the table in front of them, beside seven cups on a tray, yet such was the tension in the room that no one had budged to pour it.

‘Jenny?’ Sir Adam turned to Jenny Li, her face half hidden by her opened laptop. ‘Does this tally with your findings?’

‘I’m afraid it does, C, yes.’ Jenny wasn’t even looking up from her laptop as she said this. ‘The contents of the flash drive we acquired from Earl Grey are still being assessed by the joint team downstairs. They’re cross-matching it with the data-sets my team are providing on known illicit exports from former Soviet Union states.’ And now she looked up from her notes. ‘But can I give you my own frank assessment – the heuristics, as it were?’

‘Please do.’ The Chief nodded.

‘The indications are that someone high up at Matulis ChemExport was authorizing the export of a growth medium that would be ideally suited for the cultivation and production of a biological weapon like this one.’

Sir Adam’s brow furrowed further as he considered this. ‘And your evidence for that?’ he said, resting his chin on his hand as he faced her.

‘There are substances appearing on their sales records, C, that we would definitely take issue with in this country under the government’s current counter-proliferation strategy. I can give you their chemical breakdowns, if you like?’

The Chief waved a hand to stall her. ‘Not right now, but thank you, Jenny.’ He glanced up at the clock on the wall. ‘Right. I’m going to bring in Moscow station now.’ He looked over his shoulder at the woman standing some distance behind him. ‘Miranda, can we get the VTC up and running?’