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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

Angela Scott, one of only three people seconded from across the river for this, walked over to stand next to Luke. She was still wearing her NYU sweatshirt but it hardly looked out of place: no one in that room was wearing business attire on a Sunday evening when the op was about to go critical.

‘Can I borrow him for a moment?’ She led Luke gently away by the elbow to a corner of the room.

‘Listen, Luke,’ she said, in a hushed almost-whisper while the others busied themselves with the final preparations. ‘As your manager, I’m duty-bound to tell you it’s not too late for you to back out of all this.’ She waved a hand in the direction of the screens, the maps and the people behind them in the room. He noticed she was still holding on to his elbow. ‘Okay, so I know that’s not your style.’ Her shoulders slumped slightly as she looked him in the eyes, searching in vain for some sort of reaction. ‘That’s why my Service recruited you in the first place. But, Luke, you know as well as I do, we’ve been at this point before, haven’t we? Colombia. Armenia. Iran. Now this. You’ve had some really close calls and your luck can’t hold out for ever.’

Luke gave her a questioning look. He was already tensed inside, like a coiled spring. The last thing he needed was someone trying to talk him out of it. ‘Thanks, Angela. But I’d like to think it’s a bit more than luck that got me through those encounters.’

‘Oh, come on, Luke!’ she said. ‘This is no time to come over all macho. You’re not invincible, none of us is. And these are not amateurs we’re up against here. Their ideas may be abhorrent to you and me – to all of us – but some of these people are highly educated scientists. They’ve got enough know-how to develop this horrific bio-weapon. You slip up for one moment and they’ll be on to you. And never mind what the SIO says.’ She nodded towards him. ‘The fact is, if the proverbial hits the fan, there’s no guarantee we can get to you in time.’

‘All right,’ Luke replied calmly. ‘So that’s Angela the manager talking – and I appreciate your concern. But what I’d like to know is, what does Angela the person think?’

She took a step back from him, pursing her lips, and shook her head. ‘Luke, you know I can’t tell you that. What I can say is that I’m offering you an off-ramp here. This is a highly dangerous situation we’re sending you into and, to put it bluntly, this is your last chance to pull out. No one will think the worse of you if you do.’