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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

Seconds later there was a tinkling sound as the vodka glass shattered on the linoleum floor beneath his feet. A waiter came running over, but Colonel Petrov waved him away and turned his back on him. When the phone call ended the GRU colonel let out a groan of exasperation and rage.

‘Verolomstvo!’ he said out loud. ‘Treachery!’ He had just been ordered to do something he had never, in his entire career, thought remotely possible. And the very idea sickened him. But orders were orders and Colonel Arkady Petrov, Russian patriot to the core of his soul and foremost expert on chemical and biological warfare in the GRU, had just been given his.

At the direction of the Kremlin, he was to cooperate with a British-led investigation into the pathogen outbreak on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

74

Thames House, London

Wednesday, 16 March, 0852hrs GMT

‘MR CARLTON? THE DG would like to see you.’ An eager young graduate, intercepting him in the foyer, just past security. ‘Oh, and your colleague Ms Li is already up there.’ Of course she is. Probably reported for duty at 0600.

The director-general of MI5, the Security Service, had a pedigree stretching back over three decades. Margaret Stratton, known as ‘Marge’, but never to her face, had spent four years running International Counter-Terrorism. Before that, seven years in Counter-Espionage, trying to stop the Russians and the Chinese nicking Britain’s secrets. Before that, several years at the sharp end, running informants into extremist groups, and a stint across the water in Northern Ireland. Agent runners didn’t normally make it all the way to the top in MI5 so Marge was something of a mould-breaker. She had only screwed up once, making a wrong call on an agent who turned out to be working for the other side. Deeply embarrassing at the time and she had duly offered her resignation, which had been refused. Thereafter it had been a steady ascent to the top.

Luke was ‘delivered’ upstairs to the spacious outer office, where he stood making pointless small talk with the boss’s PA until he was buzzed in. Despite its size, the place seemed sparser than her MI6 equivalent’s across the river, somehow more functional, less exotic. He remembered his uncle telling him how rude MI6 officers used to be about their Security Service colleagues in the old days, calling them ‘glorified coppers’. Well, those days were long gone now. The two agencies worked hand-in-glove on countless cases.

The director-general came out from behind her desk and welcomed him. Black trousers, white top beneath a striking leopard-print jacket with a gold crocodile pinned to the lapel; she had a surprisingly warm smile for someone in her position. Luke and Jenny nodded to each other.