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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 PLACED the burner phone on the car seat beside her, a notepad balanced on her lap. She had it on speaker, which she knew was a risk of sorts, in the unlikely event that MI5 had the car bugged. But then so was almost any conversation she had anywhere at this juncture and Lotti James was very careful indeed with her choice of words. Every term she used sounded innocuous, bland enough, in fact, to stand up to scrutiny by the prosecution in any trial, yet each had a hidden meaning. Besides, she was confident that if her name had come up on anyone’s radar by now their source on the inside would have tipped them off. Yes, the source was that well placed.

‘We need to talk about “marketing”,’ she said.

‘Marketing?’ the disembodied voice at the other end of the line asked.

‘Yes, marketing. The “sales brochure”. We need to get the timing and distribution just right.’

‘Agreed.’

‘Because when this … product goes on sale to the public we need to be sure the market is ready for it. We want buyers prepped for maximum impact.’

‘Oh, it’ll do that, all right.’

‘Good. I like your confidence. So what are we talking?’

‘It’s nearly ready for publication. Then it’ll go out online. The page will go live just ahead of product launch for maximum effect.’

‘Anything else? Projected sales figures?’

‘Sorry, I would have thought that’s more your department. All right, since you ask, we’re aiming for at least five thousand units in the first week.’

‘Here’s hoping. See you at the Farm, then.’

Lotti James ended the call, carefully removed the SIM card from her phone, opened the door of her parked car and flicked it into the ditch, then started the engine. By the time anyone found it this would all be over.

She had heard exactly what she needed to hear. WaffenKrieg90’s manifesto was nearly ready to go online. The number of people projected to be lethally infected in the first week after the release in London was five thousand plus.

76

Vauxhall Cross

Wednesday, 16 March, 1051hrs GMT

‘PHOTONS …’ THE MAN from Q Branch looked from Luke to Jenny and back again. ‘Can either of you tell me what photons are?’

Luke stared back at him. He had absolutely no idea what photons were. They hadn’t played a big part in his degree course in international relations.

‘Aren’t they particles of light?’ Jenny said.

‘Very good,’ said the instructor. ‘To be precise, they are polarized light particles, encrypted using a secret, random key, and they are crucial to what I’m about to tell you.’