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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

‘Bubonic plague,’ he had read en route. ‘A highly infectious disease … caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis … spread by fleas from rats … causes swelling, fever and usually death.’ Deadly plague! In this age? Surely this was something that belonged back in the Middle Ages. He moved on to symptoms. ‘Nausea, fever, vomiting, bleeding and skin turning black with gangrene. Within 7 days of exposure, swollen, tender lymph glands called buboes appear. Onset of symptoms can be sudden.’ Now he could appreciate how those military medics must have felt when they’d flown into West Africa to tackle the Ebola outbreak in 2013, an assignment dubbed on social media ‘Operation Certain Death’.

But there was little time to dwell on the nature of diseases before it was on to the C130, along with the emergency medical team and two trackers from Norway’s FSK Special Forces, for the final ninety-minute hop across the Barents Sea to the most northerly inhabited piece of dry land on Earth.

When the ramp went down, the Arctic air rushed in and suddenly everyone’s breath was frosting. ‘It’s minus twenty-six degrees centigrade below,’ remarked Stian, the Norwegian tracker next to him, with a cheery smile. Outside, he could hear the four turboprop engines powering down, but inside the dimly lit fuselage seatbelts were being unbuckled and people were springing into action. Virologists, epidemiologists, nurses and civil protection officers busied themselves checking medical equipment, PPE suits and masks, freeze-dried supplies and cold-weather gear. Luke had been issued with a set of multilayered Gore-Tex Arctic survival clothing, including thermal underwear, facemask and fur-lined mittens, leaving his redundant London clothes crammed into a day sack at his feet.

Luke already knew that working through the night, with extreme urgency, the Norwegian government had put together Operation Isbjørn, pulling in all the necessary components for a disaster-management team. They were clearly taking no chances. At the forward end of the fuselage he could make out the isolation tent, its clear plastic sides revealing three beds in a row. A pipe connected the tent to a cylinder of oxygen, and he could also see a large, corrugated plastic wastepipe leading from the opposite corner to a metal container. That in turn was connected to a motor. The isolation tent was ready to receive.