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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 says,’ announced the interpreter, ‘that we will accept your request. Miss Li will be taken from here this afternoon to the Ivanovsky Institute. We must ask her to please follow all instructions and to wear protective clothing at all times.’ He turned to Luke. ‘You, Mr Carlton, will accompany Colonel Petrov to an address in Moscow where we will share with you the progress we have made in our investigations. Do you have any questions?’

Luke could see that the colonel and his entourage looked like they were preparing to leave the room, but what they were suggesting broke every security protocol he’d ever been trained to follow. Split the two of them up? On a deployment like this in Moscow? Absolutely not. This was not going to happen, not on his watch.

‘Just hold on a minute,’ he said, putting his hand up.

But Jenny reached over and held his arm. She was sitting bolt upright, her face set in determination. ‘Luke … Luke … It’s all right. I’ve got this. We can do this.’ For several seconds they looked at each other. This was really a discussion they needed to have out of earshot of their hosts, but that was hardly going to happen in this building. Inside his head a debate was raging. Together they were a team; separated, they were potentially exposed, vulnerable. Splitting them up was unequivocally against the rules and Luke knew they should be referring this back to Vauxhall for clearance. But weighing against that was time. Every hour counted if they were going to stop this horrific attack by WaffenKrieg90. Their mission here was to get Moscow’s cooperation and Petrov was giving them just that. Still …

‘Jenny, are you absolutely—’

‘Yes. I’m absolutely sure. We need this. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you back at the hotel this evening.’

Luke breathed out loudly through his nose, lips pursed.

He did not have a good feeling about this.

82

Moscow

Thursday, 17 March, 0945hrs GMT, 1245hrs local

COLONEL ARKADY PETROV closed the door to his office, sat down behind his desk and frowned as he loosened his tie. ‘Where is Carlton now?’ he asked the young captain standing stiffly to attention.

‘He’s in the canteen, Colonel, with the others, having lunch. The transport is ready.’

‘And the downloads?’ He lifted his head, eyebrows raised. ‘What have we found on their phones?’

The captain looked down at the printout in his hand. ‘Not so much. Just their flight details, some apps, no Kompromat. We have nothing on them. They’re using burner phones.’

‘Calls to London? To their embassy here?’

‘None so far.’

Colonel Petrov frowned again.