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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

‘Nothing,’ he answered, with a slight shake of the head. ‘These people are not stupid. They’re staying off-air.’ He removed his headphones and turned towards her. ‘But we’ve got the triangulation sorted on all the mobile phone masts in the area.’ He tapped the laptop that was resting on his knees and showed her the screen where a signal pulsed from each of the transmission masts. ‘So if any of the numbers on MI5’s database for this case go live, we should be able to zero in on a location within seconds.’

‘Okay. Tell me the moment you get anything.’

‘Ma’am?’ One of her team was knocking at the window, helmet on, goggles pushed up.

‘What is it?’

‘We’ve tagged a suspect vehicle a mile out that’s just shot a red light going through Braintree. It’s doing well over eighty and it’s heading west towards London. Could be nothing, but—’

She didn’t hesitate. Yes, it could be nothing. But at the same time it could be a van loaded with canisters of Agent X, driven by the very people they were trying to stop and neutralize.

‘Get after it!’ she ordered, then got straight on the net to Gold Command to order Essex Constabulary to set up immediate snap roadblocks.

For Inspector Gwyneth Newbold, staying behind in the darkened car park of Great Notley Country Park while half her team raced off in hot pursuit, it was a nail-biting nine minutes. When the call came through her shoulders visibly slumped. ‘Fuck it,’ she swore. ‘It was just some pissed-up boy racer who’s had a bust-up with his girlfriend. I want everyone back on-station now! It was a false alarm.’

99

Near Braintree, Essex

Sunday, 20 March, 2158hrs GMT

THE WORDS SEEMED to explode inside Luke’s head as she spoke them.

‘King’s Cross station, 0830 hours, middle of rush hour. A chosen few of us, including you, of course, will be safe up at the farm.’ As the details of Waffenkrieg90’s target were finally revealed to him, he felt a rising sense of horror. This was so utterly, gut-churningly horrific that he didn’t know what he could say. But all three were looking at him, as they stood there in the warehouse office, and they were clearly expecting a reaction.

‘That,’ Luke said, ‘is pure genius.’ He let a smile spread slowly over his face while inside he was feeling so repulsed he was worried he might actually throw up on the spot.

‘I know!’ Niamh brightened. ‘It’s brilliant, isn’t it? Twenty-five thousand commuters coming into King’s Cross at that time and trains heading off to Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, all taking the virus with them. Everyone’s very excited. Right …’ She spread out her arms, welcoming him into the fold. ‘Come and meet the rest of the team.’