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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

‘I know,’ she replied. ‘My bad, I’m sorry. Anyway, he’s called Hugo Squires. A UK national. He’s some sort of finance guy. Part of a “consortium”, he called it, that have financed all this. Apparently they’ve shorted the market hoping to make a fortune.’

‘Right. I want everything on him, all his contacts, where he lives, what he drives, what he ate for breakfast. We need to get into his comms, so let’s get going with prepping that warrant. Has Luke given us his mobile phone number? That’ll save us a bit of time.’

‘No,’ Angela replied, ‘he doesn’t have it, but apparently his girlfriend does.’

‘Well, what’s he waiting for?’ The SIO looked nonplussed. ‘Tell him to ring her at once and get the number off her.’

‘He says she’s not answering.’

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake!’ The tension in the room was starting to spill over into exasperation, but the senior investigating officer apologized at once. ‘Sorry, Angela, that wasn’t directed at you. Look, can we get someone round to the girlfriend’s place and bang on the door until she answers it?’

Angela sat down at the workstation she’d been assigned and blinked several times, staring at the screen in front of her. It was so unlike her to overlook something as important as that. But now another thing was troubling her. What was Luke doing ‘knowing’ someone inside WaffenKrieg90? There would have to be an internal investigation after this; Luke would be facing some probing questions from Security Branch. She looked up as someone was frantically signalling from another of the workstations: a young man in a polo neck, who looked shocked as he relayed the message.

‘It’s SO15 on the line from Cobalt Square. There’s been an explosion. In the warehouse at Braintree. They’re saying there are casualties. They think Luke Carlton could be one of them.’

110

Springwood Industrial Estate, Essex

Monday, 21 March, 0201hrs GMT

DUST, SMOKE AND a persistent ringing in his ears. Yet everything else was silent. Those were the first things Luke registered as he picked himself slowly up off the floor and checked himself for injuries. Nothing broken, no new puncture wounds: he seemed to be no worse off than before. The blast had been enough to blow him several metres backwards and knock him clean off his feet. Damn. How the hell had they missed that? The bastards must have left it on a timer, hidden behind where that cupboard had been.