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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

Lotti James was shocked initially – was all this really permitted in this day and age? Apparently so, if you were with the right people. And she knew, right there in that moment, that these were the right people for her. After that her professor took her to other meetings in other towns, and in the university holidays they attended rallies in eastern Germany, the part of the country that had previously been behind the Iron Curtain and governed by the Communists. She met people from all over Europe and even the US, people who shared the same ideals but often disagreed on the best ways to achieve them. When her course at Tübingen ended she graduated close to the top of her class and it was then that Professor Schultze introduced her to a select group of microbiologists, men and women from Britain, Norway, Germany, Russia and Lithuania, all working in secret on a very specialized project.

With her proven skills in the laboratory, and an endorsement from Professor Schultze, Lotti James was warmly welcomed into their circle. Three months later she was admitted into the group calling itself WaffenKrieg90. And now, as she drove home from her place of work and her cover job in Cambridge Science Park, she felt a shiver of excitement that everything they were working towards, all the ideals and dreams they held so dear, was drawing close to fruition.

73

Novosibirsk, Russia

Tuesday, 15 March, 1328hrs GMT, 2028hrs local

BLINIS. HE ABSOLUTELY loved his blinis. Couldn’t have enough of them. Not that anyone could ever make them like his mother used to, but, still, it was one of life’s little luxuries that Colonel Arkady Petrov could never do without. And he was getting impatient for them now. How long had he been sitting in this empty hotel cafeteria, waiting for the kitchen to bring him exactly what he had ordered? Warm, they must be warm, and topped with cream cheese, mashed potato and sour cream. Preferably a sprinkling of caviar, too, but he didn’t trust them to deliver on that all the way out here in Siberia.

Petrov took a swig from the vodka glass and nodded to himself. Yes, this afternoon’s conversation in the woods had gone well. He had been right to make this trip. When his phone rang he could see it was a Moscow number, but not one he recognized. He thought about letting it ring. He had kept to a minimum the number of people in the directorate who knew of this visit to VECTOR, out here in the frozen east. Tomorrow he would be flying back to Moscow anyway so, really, could it not wait? Irritated now, he picked up his glass, tossed his head back, draining the last of the vodka, and took the call.