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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

‘What virus?’ he replied hoarsely. ‘You mean Agent X? And how the hell did this happen? Has Carlton got it too?’ He got up from his chair and came round to her side of the desk, offering her a chair, but Angela remained standing. Somehow it didn’t seem right to her to be delivering this news sitting down.

‘They split up to save time,’ she told him, folding her arms across her chest. ‘Jenny went to interview the virologists at the Ivanovsky Institute while Luke went to—’

‘Wait a moment,’ the Chief interrupted. ‘Who authorized that?’

She couldn’t help herself – she knew it was a cliché, but Angela swallowed before replying. This had happened on her watch. ‘No one authorized it, C. They took an on-the-spot decision. Luke says there was no chance to refer it back to us.’

Sir Adam waved a hand dismissively. ‘All right. So what’s her condition now? And how did this happen?’

Angela bit her lower lip. She had been in the Service long enough to know the one thing chiefs and directors disliked more than anything was being given an incomplete set of information. ‘From what Luke has told us,’ she said, ‘it seems there was some kind of accidental release in their BioLevel3 lab – at least, that’s what they’re telling him. And, no, it’s not Agent X, thank God. But Jenny is in an induced coma while they keep her in isolation.’

The Chief began pacing the room as he often did. He stopped, removed his suit jacket and threw it over the back of a chair. ‘This stinks,’ he said. ‘I smell a rat here, don’t you?’ Angela nodded. ‘Jenny Li is our foremost expert on CBRN. I know that, you know that, they know that. We always knew it would be a calculated risk sending her over there, but I didn’t think they’d try something like this. Oh, this is rich.’ He shook his head. ‘Moscow will be trying to pump her for information the moment she comes round. I wouldn’t put it past them to use their experimental truth serums on her. Right …’ He thought for a moment, wiping the palms of his hands over his face and momentarily closing his eyes. ‘Get someone from our embassy over to wherever she’s being treated, have them stick as close as they safely can, and get Luke Carlton back here as fast as.’

‘It’s already done, C. He’s on his way to Domodedovo now. He’s got the flash drive with the WaffenKrieg90 contacts. I’ve got a bike meeting his flight into Gatwick the moment he touches down. We’ll get it screened the second it comes into the building.’

The Chief nodded, still thinking. ‘Good. We need him operational on this as soon as he gets back here. And someone needs to call Jenny’s next of kin. And, Angela?’