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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

‘That’s it?’ asked the epidemiologist.

‘That’s it.’

‘I’m sorry, but I think the public will say we’re taking them for fools. Have any of you looked at Twitter today? This is all over it. Here …’ Dr Gall got out her phone, thumbed the app and scrolled down. ‘Have a look at hashtag-virus, hashtag-pox, hashtag-disease. Wherever you look people are talking about it. The Sunday papers were all across it yesterday – the Sunday Times even got somebody on to Svalbard. No.’ The scientist shook her head decisively. ‘I don’t think you can keep people in the dark about this. I, for one, feel strongly that we need to level with people on what the true nature of this pathogen is and, more importantly, what precautions we’re putting in place if Agent X takes off.’ She looked at Holmes across the table in silent challenge.

He held her gaze for just a second, then turned away. He felt distinctly uncomfortable. ‘I’m not sure we’re ready,’ he said quietly, ‘to announce our precautions. Because we haven’t taken any yet.’

64

Vauxhall Cross, London

Monday, 14 March, 1806hrs GMT

LUKE PUSHED HIS chair away from the screen and blinked several times. There was only so much scrolling through texts and transcripts and images he could take before he started to feel like a caged beast. If someone had said to him before he joined MI6 he’d be spending half his life in front of a computer screen he might have had second thoughts. But then again, just thinking about that near-miss from the speeding Mercedes that had tried to wipe him out in a backstreet of Vilnius was more than enough to get his adrenalin flowing.

He stood up and walked over to the narrow, bulletproof window of his office. This place was such a fortress he sometimes felt like he was looking out from some medieval castle with arrow slits for windows. The view from this south-facing side was a lot less inspiring than the one northward across the river. Two floors above him and on the other side of the building, the Chief and the directors had the glorious picture-window views over the Thames and Vauxhall Bridge; he got to look down on a petrol station, a spa called Chariots and the rush-hour traffic dribbling out of London.