BooksBarbecue
Back Outbreak
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

‘So listen,’ Petrov continued, brushing a sprinkle of freshly fallen snow off his jacket, ‘I can call it in, yes? And what would I tell them in Moscow? Hmm?’ He turned towards the man beside him, noting the vein pulsing in his temple. ‘That it was your signature – yes, your signature alone – on that transfer document for the smallpox vials. And I think we both know how this would go from there, don’t we?’

Aleksei didn’t answer, his face blank as he looked straight ahead while they continued their walk through the woods. Petrov decided he would take this silence to mean agreement.

‘You would be arrested, obviously,’ went on Petrov, walking more slowly now. He didn’t want this local security man to miss a word. ‘You would be … questioned, extensively … by my people, among others. In fact, I think there would be a queue. Then comes the trial, the sentencing, the transfer to a prison colony on an island in the Arctic. You will lose your career, your pension, your freedom. Your family will be disgraced and ostracized and your daughter – her name is Olga, I believe – would have to move schools, but, believe me, the scandal would follow her wherever she goes.’

Petrov stopped and faced him. He could see the vein in Aleksei’s temple pulsing ever more rapidly now. His cheeks were sucked in and his lips were pursed.

‘Or …’ The GRU man lightened his tone as he brushed the snow off the stump of a fallen tree, sat down on it and took out a packet of Ziganov cigarettes. ‘Or we do this a different way,’ he told Aleksei.

‘I’m listening,’ Aleksei said at last, almost the first words he had spoken since they’d begun their walk in the woods. Petrov was in no hurry to reply – he was starting to enjoy this. There was a long pause as the colonel took off his gloves and flicked his lighter several times until the flame caught, the cigarette was lit and he took a long drag, without offering any to the other man. Petrov regarded him, squinting through the blue cloud of cigarette smoke that hung in the chill, sub-zero air before drifting away into the pine woods that encircled them. Aleksei’s bulky stature and pugnacious boxer’s demeanour didn’t count for much now. He was outgunned and outwitted by Petrov, who carried the weight and the menace of the GRU First Directorate with him.