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

‘I don’t want to be indiscreet,’ Susie said, toying with the empty packet of crisps they had just shared, ‘but how can you be so sure the baby is his and not Luke’s?’

‘Well, that’s an easy one,’ Elise replied. ‘Because Luke and I haven’t had sex for God knows how long. All right? And before you say what I know you’re going to ask, no, it was just the once with Hugo. We got carried away one night and it was never supposed to happen.’

Susie shook her head in mock disapproval. ‘You’re going to have to let him know, Lise.’

‘Yes, thanks for telling me the bleeding obvious.’

‘Go and see him, then, for goodness’ sake. It’s not like we’re still living in lockdown or something. Just do it. What are you waiting for?’

Elise took a long sip of wine, almost a gulp, and put down the glass rather too quickly, then twirled her finger in the drops that had spilled on the table.

‘The truth is, Susie, I don’t actually know where Hugo is right now. I can’t get hold of him. He’s changed his voicemail message and he’s not returning my calls.’ She looked up in despair. ‘I don’t know what to do. He seems to have vanished off the face of the Earth.’

101

Near Braintree, Essex

Sunday, 20 March, 2219hrs GMT

FOR ALL OF four seconds neither of them spoke. Luke stared hard at the man across the room, this ordinary-looking individual in a Barbour jacket and scarf. Hugo Squires. His nemesis. Now in more ways than one. This was the man who had stolen his girl from right under his nose, not just stolen her but fathered her child. This uber-confident investment banker who always seemed to pop up in Elise’s life every time that he, Luke, was away on a mission. But as he regarded him now, Luke knew he was so, so much more dangerous than that. Christ, how could he have underestimated the man so badly? All this time he had considered Hugo Squires to be little more than an irritation, an almost comical figure with his flash car, his monogrammed shirts, his house in the country, and his occasional bursts of intolerance bordering on fascism. Not any more. For whatever fucked-up reason, Squires was part of this movement, this doomsday death cult, and now Luke was just seconds away from being exposed for who he really was. Squires might not have known exactly who Luke worked for, but he knew it was something to do with the government and that was enough.