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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

The colonel spread his hands wide in an expression of hurt disbelief, reminiscent of the sort of denial they had encountered from Mr Kadunov back in the Lithuanian chemical factory. He gave Luke a brief, bemused look, which he took to mean Help me out here. Surely you can see this is unreasonable. Luke said nothing.

‘Do you have a special interest in chlamydia and venereal disease, Miss Li?’ retorted the colonel. ‘Because that is what we study there. Or maybe you would like to know more about the incidence of influenza among the birds of western Siberia? Because that is also one of the research programmes at the Ivanovsky Institute.’

It was Jenny’s turn not to blink when this was translated to them. Luke was pleased to see she wasn’t backing down. If anything she looked as if she was just getting into her stride, moving her chair closer to the table and leaning forward towards Petrov.

‘I have no doubt,’ she replied coolly, holding his gaze, ‘that those are all very valuable research programmes for the Russian Federation. But then so is the one into the Genome Structure of Haemorrhagic Fever. And the study of viruses with variable genomes. Both of which apply, I think, to the current outbreak on Svalbard.’

Once more she paused to let the translator do his work. When he’d finished Luke noticed something he hadn’t seen before: a vein was standing out on the colonel’s face and visibly pulsing. Bullseye, he thought.

‘Colonel Petrov,’ Jenny continued, ‘this is a synthetic manufactured virus we’re dealing with. We both know our governments urgently need to find out who has produced it and how it got into the wrong hands. That’s why we’re here today in your headquarters. And … and …’ she was raising her voice for emphasis now ‘… we need to do this before anyone else gets infected, here in Russia or anywhere else. Because we would not like to imagine what this virus could do, for example, to people on the Moscow Metro.’ Jenny folded her hands. ‘Otherwise we might as well catch the first flight back to London.’

Luke strongly suspected that this GRU colonel would like nothing better than to see the back of him and Jenny, but, clearly, he had his orders from above. He turned to one of his two subordinates in the room and spoke rapidly to him in Russian. It was some time before the translation was forthcoming and when it did it rang immediate alarm bells in Luke’s head.