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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

Hugo Squires broke off the stare and pushed his way quickly through the throng of people to where Niamh was standing. Luke saw him say something in her ear and her expression change to shock and anger as she turned sharply towards him. It was almost like watching a film he’d already seen, a film with a very bad ending. In those few seconds, that tiny precious interlude between being ‘made’ by Hugo Squires and the moment when they would overpower him, the possible scenarios raced through Luke’s mind. Make a run out of the door into the warehouse? No chance. A bulky figure was standing with his back to it, blocking the exit. Take him down and race out of the door all the same? No, they’d catch up with him in the warehouse before he could even find the exit. Make a break for the outer door of the office? No dice. Between him and that outer door stood at least four more people and then there was the hooded figure on the locked gate outside. He would never make it. Luke just had to face it: his only way out of this was to play for time until rescue came. If it came.

Niamh moved fast. She shouted something he didn’t catch and the next moment three people had rushed him, pinning his arms behind him. Luke had to use every ounce of self-restraint not to fight back, because he reckoned he could have taken them. But one of them was holding something that looked very much like a Taser. The odds were not good.

The blow to his face came hard and fast. Niamh’s own face was just centimetres way from his as she pulled back her fist to hit him a second time.

‘You piece of SHIT!’ she hissed venomously. She was so close he even felt a drop of her spittle land on his cheek. ‘We trusted you! We let you in – people vouched for you! We thought you were one of us! But you’re not, are you? Turns out you belong to the enemy. You’re part of the whole Judaeo-liberal conspiracy that’s sending this country down the drain!’

He sensed her preparing to lash out again and this time he was ready for it. He managed to twist his body to one side to protect his groin just before she brought her knee up hard between his legs.

She poked her finger against his cheekbone, just below his left eye. ‘Bastard’s got nothing to say, has he? Because we’ll get the answers out of you – Steve.’ She spoke his cover name sarcastically. ‘And it’s going to hurt, believe you me.’