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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

‘A symbel. It’s an old Saxon word for “feast”, but in this case it’s a technical term for deliberately unpredictable diagnostics. Meaning that the normal screening procedures simply don’t work. To quote our former home secretary John Reid, they’re not “fit for purpose”. A negative result can show up positive, and vice versa. It’s specifically designed to confuse.’

‘Christ … Well, this doesn’t sound like the work of amateurs. I’ve only just written a letter of apology to the Russian foreign minister. I hope you’re not about to tell me this was made in one of the Kremlin’s labs after all?’

‘We actually need the Russians in on this one. Yes, they are part of the problem, but if we play this right they can also be part of the solution. Patient Zero came from their colony at Barentsburg on the Svalbard archipelago. Plus they know an awful lot more about biological warfare than they’re letting on.’

The PM regarded him with one eyebrow slightly raised.

‘You see, Prime Minister, we’re not talking about a couple of incompetent thugs smearing Novichok nerve agent on a door handle in Salisbury here. This is a sophisticated pathogen – a people killer. If this thing got into the Russian population … well, with their crumbling health system they’d be in a far worse spot than we are right now. They could barely cope with Covid-19, let alone something like this. And the modellers think we’re only at the bottom of the upward curve. Which could mean we’re about to see a massive spike in cases.’

‘I see.’ The PM tapped his fingernails repeatedly on the surface of his desk while he thought for a moment. ‘So, Brendan, I’m sure you haven’t come here to tell me this in isolation. Are you about to recommend what we do about it?’

Brendan Holmes took a deep breath before answering: he knew this was a long shot. ‘What I’m going to suggest, Prime Minister, might sound counterintuitive, but I think it’s the only way forward. We’re going to have to ask Moscow for their help.’

68

Thames House, London

Tuesday, 15 March, 0917hrs GMT

‘CHRISTCHURCH … EL PASO … CHARLESTON … Finsbury Park … Hanau in Germany. The list of far-right extremist – or what we tend to call FRE – attacks around the world is growing. Exponentially.’

The woman addressing the packed room that morning could have come from any one of a hundred different professions. Her ash-blonde hair was neatly tied back, and her clothes were smart but not overly dressy. She wore only the faintest hint of make-up. There was nothing about her, other than her ID card on its lanyard, that announced to the world that this person, Louise Band, was a spook, a senior intelligence officer in the Security Service.