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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

He fetched his jacket from his room and turned the collar up. He put on his black woollen beanie and pulled it down tight over his forehead. He would keep his eyes on the ground and avoid eye contact with anyone. As the first rays of the Arctic sun were lancing across the sparkling, frozen street, Victor Skeet stepped out of the Hostel Pogol into the sub-zero morning. He was unaware that at that exact moment three men with very specialized skill-sets were closing in on him.

9

Near Cambridge Science Park, England

Tuesday, 8 March, 0730hrs GMT

THE MOBILE BESIDE her rang twice before she answered it. ‘You’re up early!’ she said cheerfully, as she reached for her first cigarette of the day.

‘Shut up and listen. Something’s happened. Up in Norway.’

‘Go on.’

‘I can’t say much. We need to meet.’

‘You know that can’t happen. Come on, tell me.’

‘There’s been a … there’s been an accidental release.’

‘What?’ she exclaimed, sitting bolt upright and stubbing out the cigarette before she had even taken a drag. ‘How many infected?’

‘We don’t know yet. But Vasiliev’s gone, we know that.’

‘Gone? What d’you mean, “gone”? Be specific.’

‘He’s dead! All right? … He went down very fast. They had to leave him in the hut.’

‘Fuck. Let me think for a moment. Can we shut it down?’

‘Nope. It’s too late for that.’

‘How the hell did it happen? No, wait, don’t tell me now. You need to inform Vilnius. And the others. You know what this means, don’t you?’

‘What?’

‘We’re going to have to bring everything forward. There’s no more time now. And, listen, don’t call this number again.’

She cut the conversation short, took out the Sim card and walked into the bathroom. She tore off a sheet of toilet paper and wrapped it tightly around the Sim, dropped it carefully into the toilet bowl and pressed the flush, standing over it until it was gone.

10

Svalbard

Tuesday, 8 March, 0742hrs GMT, 0842hrs local

TO DR SHEILA Mackenzie it felt like the onset of flu. Headache, high temperature, aching joints, chills. But she was under no illusions. This was no winter flu and she didn’t think it was respiratory either. The incubation period was way too short for that. She knew that whatever was coursing through her body was of a whole different order. One look at the lifeless figure slumped by the sofa, his torso stained with blood and vomit, told her that. To her shame, she had not even noticed when the last breath had passed his chapped and bleeding lips. He had simply expired, and just after 4 a.m. they had called it in to the research station.