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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

Inspector Newbold suddenly nudged him and took off her earpiece. ‘You’d better hear this, Carlton,’ she said, putting her radio on to speaker mode. ‘I think your partner’s on the line now. She’s in one of our vehicles three blocks south of here.’ The connection was crackly with static but Elise’s crystal-clear syllables sliced right through it. Luke sucked in his breath as he listened to the woman he had loved and lived with. Elise was speaking directly to Hugo Squires.

‘… and I’ve been trying to tell you this, Hugo,’ she was saying, her words taut with emotion. ‘You’re going to be the father of our child. Look, I’ve even thought of some names … So, PLEASE,’ she was raising her voice now, ‘you must do what’s right for our baby. Stop this craziness and give yourself up. Hugo? … Hugo, are you there?’

Silence. Then a long bleep. Her message had gone straight to voicemail.

Luke let out a sigh. The attempt had failed. He glanced out of the Land Rover window at the street. They had parked in a cycle lane in Wharfdale Road beneath a line of bare trees, sandwiched between the closed and darkened premises of a Pret a Manger and a Franco Manca restaurant. His door was next to a 20mph traffic sign. It was an unobtrusive setting for an ambush.

‘We’ve tracked Squires using the GPS in his phone,’ Inspector Newbold told him. ‘Looks like your friend got careless.’

‘He’s not my friend,’ Luke corrected her. ‘How far off are they?’

She checked the rolling map on the laptop beside her just as her earpiece crackled into life once more. ‘Shit. They’re getting close.’ She clicked the pressel switch of her mike to address her teams. ‘Stand by, all teams. Bravos are inbound from the north. Two vehicles, two minutes from our location. On my command, execute the takedown.’

Luke’s pulse was racing as he rubbed the knuckle of his missing finger. Right now he wanted to be checking his weapon, taking out the magazine, ensuring none of the rounds were loose, slotting it back in, preparing to issue the commands. But he was a civilian now, unarmed and reporting back to Vauxhall, not about to lead his troop into action. He felt a sudden, brief pang of longing for the world he’d left behind.