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

‘No, I didn’t say that,’ Luke parried. He put his head on one side and scratched an imaginary itch beneath his ear, taking his time. ‘Right, so you’ve got both dome and bullet cameras,’ he resumed. ‘That’s a dome design above the door we just walked through. It’s also called a turretcam. That’ll give you a 360-degree view. Model looked like an Axis to me, but I’d need another look up close to be sure.’

All three of them were gazing at him intently now, but Luke was into his stride. All those hours of prep back in the Stage had readied him for exactly this.

‘Then along the fence back there,’ he said, ‘you’ve got a couple of the older bullet designs. All of these have zoom lenses and they’ll all give you five-megapixel resolution. Want me to go on?’

Niamh turned to the other two and gave them the faintest of nods. They all took their seats. So that was one reason why they hadn’t made him put on a blindfold.

‘Okay, Steve,’ she told him. ‘It seems like you do know your shit.’ He could tell that all three were still scrutinizing him, but now the initial frisson of tension had evaporated. Niamh smiled at him encouragingly. ‘So this is where you’re going to make a difference to the movement,’ she said, her tone noticeably warmer. ‘It’s where you add your name to the roll of honour of all those who are about to “do the right thing” to save everything we all believe in. We’re going to show you the plan.’

96

Thames House, London

Sunday, 20 March, 2127hrs GMT

ANGELA SCOTT STOOD in front of the rolling digital map that filled the screen covering nearly half of the wall in the Intel Ops Centre. It was a large-scale high-resolution map of an area of Essex that centred around the town of Braintree, spanning from Great Notley in the south up to the village of Beazley End in the north. A single red LED dot blinked forlornly on and off from a location just beside the A131. It was the GPS tracker inside Luke’s discarded flying jacket. That part of the operation was already marked down as a fail and there was not a single face in the room that didn’t look worried.