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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

BLACK, SLEEK AND polished, the Jaguar XF Sportbrake saloon circled London’s Parliament Square, then turned left into Whitehall. Matching the number plate with the one on their list, the armed police on the gates to Downing Street signalled for them to be opened and the car waved through to security. Once it moved beyond the heavy black metal barrier, more armed police gave it the once-over before lowering the electronic crash barriers and stepping on to the pavement. Seated in the back and gathering up his papers was Brendan Holmes, the government’s CMO – the chief medical officer. His special area of expertise also happened to be microbiology.

Holmes had been alerted by a succession of calls earlier, waking his wife and causing their Burmese cat to leap off their bed in alarm. The calls had come in thick and fast, from both the World Health Organization and America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. By the time his call had finished he’d learned that Norway had already dispatched an emergency management team to the Arctic. Holmes had scribbled a few notes on a pad he kept by the bed, then rung the health secretary. She didn’t hesitate. Holmes was to attend that morning’s weekly National Security Council meeting in the Cabinet Room at 0930 and brief everyone present.

Holmes stepped out of the Jaguar on to the rough cobbled parking space between No. 10 Downing Street and the back of the Cabinet Office. It was the unglamorous corner of Whitehall that the public never got to see and it always surprised Holmes how scruffy this back-end of the government power centre actually was. He grunted with irritation as he noticed he now had mud on his polished brogues. He reached into the back seat for his briefcase, then walked quickly around the corner and up the steps to the famous black-painted door of No. 10. He was relieved to see there were no media lined up on the other side of the street today, with their intrusive TV long lenses. More than one career had been torpedoed when someone had been filmed going in clutching clearly visible classified documents.