BooksBarbecue
Back Outbreak
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

‘You’re going to be quite a piece of art, Luke Carlton, once we’re done with you. They might just put what’s left of you in the Tate. You see Sean here?’ She indicated the man next to her, his fist curled around the handle of the knife. ‘He’s pretty handy with that thing. You could even call him an artist in his own way.’ The man grinned and licked his lips in anticipation. ‘We had a little discussion next door. We thought we’d begin on your forehead. A nice, neat swastika. It’ll hurt, but I expect you’re used to that. Then we’ll turn you on your front so he can work on your back. That’ll take a little longer so you’ll have to be patient with us.’

Luke said nothing. Angela had been right. His luck had had to run out one day and now it had. He tried to focus instead on what he needed to do when the moment came.

‘It’ll just be the two letters,’ Niamh went on. ‘WP. White Power. But Sean’s going to make them nice and thick, so that’ll be quite a bit of flesh coming off you. Of course you might not be conscious by then, but, hey, don’t worry, we’ll wake you up. Right, then.’ She rubbed her hands together. ‘Let’s get you laid out flat on that workbench over there.’

Luke was trying desperately not to show his fear even as he heard these words. He knew he needed to keep his nerves under control and focus on his one chance. And he saw they had made a mistake. They had tied his hands separately to the metal cage holding the canisters, spreadeagling him. If they were to move him now his hands would both have to be untied.

Sean came towards him with the knife, the light from the neon striplight above glinting off the blade. He waved it right under Luke’s nose, so close he could smell his bad breath. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ he warned, in a low, gravelly voice, then moved past him to cut the restraints that tied him to the cage. Luke felt a brief surge of relief as his hands were freed, but he didn’t act, not yet. He didn’t resist as Sean and the other man reached down to lift him off the floor, propelling him towards the workbench, the tip of the knife nudging him just close to his kidneys.