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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

Tuesday, 15 March, 1110hrs GMT

INSIDE MI5’S LONDON headquarters Operation Methuen was ramping up into fifth gear. Two teams were being deployed, one upstairs on the third floor, one at ground level. In the final minutes before they went off on their separate ways the overall mission statement was read out to them in the Central Briefing Room – twice – by the authorizing officer, the final reminder, as if anyone needed it, of the extreme urgency of what they needed to do.

‘Our job,’ he reminded them, ‘is to acquire the timely intelligence needed to prevent WaffenKrieg90 from releasing the viral pathogen Agent X in the UK. Everything you do, every minute of every day from now until this is over, should be given over to that task. I want each and every one of you to eat, sleep and breathe this mission as if nothing else matters. Any questions?’

Listening to this in the briefing room, Luke was momentarily transported back to another instant like this, another time, in a place thousands of miles away from the hushed corridors of Whitehall. His final pre-mission briefing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, before a Taliban bullet ripped his middle finger off at the joint. Luke had been fortunate that day – it could have been a whole lot worse – and, knowing that his luck was not going to hold much longer, he had quit the SBS and hung up his boots. But was his life now really any safer? Only two days ago someone had very nearly succeeded in killing him in that quiet street in Vilnius. He shook himself back to the present. The authorizing officer had said his piece and was heading out of the door. Luke, as an agent runner, was automatically assigned to the ground-floor team. Jenny Li, with her scientific and analytical background, was dispatched to the investigative team up on the third floor. Luke grunted as he noticed that John Friend, the SIS Service lawyer, was remaining close by, down here with him on the ground floor.

‘Staying to keep an eye on me, John?’ he asked him.

‘Not at all,’ the lawyer replied, snapping shut his laptop. ‘We’re all on the same team, aren’t we? We’re all friends here.’