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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

NIGHTFALL, AND LUKE was now seriously worried. He had already had a conversation with Petrov’s office, accepting the colonel’s offer of help with the prisoner’s leads into WaffenKrieg90, and had been told that a flash drive would be dropped off at his hotel. But nearly three hours had passed since they had brought him back and Jenny had still not returned from the Ivanovsky Institute. No answer from her phone, no answer from her room when he knocked. He went down to the lobby and asked at Reception if anyone had seen her come in or go out. No one had. Luke had returned to his room and sent off a burst transmission to Vauxhall, using the quantum key, giving a status update, but had decided not to mention her missing status just yet. He would look a fool when she suddenly showed up.

He called Colonel Petrov’s office again, twice, only to be met with platitudes. ‘She is in a secure location,’ they assured him. ‘She will meet you back at your hotel.’ Pacing around his room, grazing unhealthily on packet snacks from the minibar, he kept checking his watch. Jenny had missed the agreed check-in time by phone. That was unlike her. Jenny did not miss appointments.

When the knock on the door came, he answered it immediately, striding quickly across to open it. It was not Jenny. Instead, standing in the doorway was a slender, dark-haired girl in a black, low-cut dress. Silently, she handed him a package. His fingers felt the outline of the contents through the padded envelope. It was the USB from Petrov’s people.

Luke thanked her and began to close the door on her, but she reached out and caught it with her hand. ‘Massage,’ she announced, a trace of a smile playing around her lips.

He thought he might have misheard. ‘Sorry. What?’

‘You order massage.’

She made it sound like a statement of fact rather than a question, but either way, Luke was having none of it. He shook his head. ‘Another time,’ he said firmly, and gently closed the door on her.

Yet another of Petrov’s mind games, he thought, as he put the chain on the door. Or a blatantly transparent attempt to gain some Kompromat on me. Did these people never give up?