BooksBarbecue
Back Outbreak Save as PDF
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

‘Then find out how they’re communicating with London. They haven’t been to their embassy so they must have some other means. Find an excuse to take them to the second floor and make sure they walk past the screens, then bring me the images. What have the hotel team found?’

The captain swallowed and looked straight ahead, his face expressionless. ‘Again, nothing useful, Colonel. They have completed the search, but the British brought very little with them. These are intelligence people.’

This was to be expected. ‘No matter,’ Petrov continued. ‘The devices are attached to their cases now, yes? And properly concealed?’

‘They are, Colonel.’

‘And the operation at the institute for Miss Li? They are ready for her?’

‘Almost. They are working on it now. Everything will be in place by four p.m.’

The GRU colonel nodded solemnly. ‘No mistakes, mind. Or it will be your career on the line. Do I make myself clear?’

‘Perfectly, Colonel.’

Colonel Petrov dismissed him with a wave of his hand. So, things were working out better than he had expected. After his initial fury at being told to cooperate with two intelligence officers from that despised country, Britain, matters had now played nicely into his hands. With some of his most trusted people, they had worked fast to produce a dynamic plan to turn this visit to their advantage. And so far it was going exactly to plan. He leaned back in his chair and contemplated the bronze bust of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin that he kept on his desk. Yes. He, Arkady, was the spider. He needed only to sit tight now, and watch the flies come into his web.

83

Moscow

Thursday, 17 March, 1052hrs GMT, 1352hrs local

PRACTICALLY IDENTICAL. EVERY street, every bus stop, every tenement apartment block they passed looked exactly the same to Luke. Of course this city held plenty of cultural gems, he knew that. They’d driven past a few this very morning on the journey from their Red Square hotel. But the place they were driving through now? This ‘workers’ paradise’ of the suburbs? No, this was another world, still seemingly trapped in a post-Soviet dystopia of unending grey steel and cheap concrete.

They were in convoy, a line of three black Mercedes jeeps, one of the hallmarks of the GRU, dominating the road and at one point jumping a red light as traffic lurched to a stop to let them past. Sitting on the back seat, a taciturn Colonel Petrov beside him, and bracing himself against the door as they took the corners at speed, Luke was following their progress via the sat-map on his phone. He could see they were making a wide sweep in an arc to the south-west of the centre, but his request to be told where they were going had been met with a gruff ‘You will see.’