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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

With the PM away in Berlin, the foreign secretary was in the chair today, yet it was the health secretary, Jay Spelling, who would do most of the talking. Spelling was very much a political appointee and Holmes privately had little time for her. He took his seat next to her and nodded to others around the table. It seemed he was not the only medical professional in the room. There were two of the senior directors from the JBC, the government’s Joint Biosecurity Centre, set up in 2020 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Here, too, summoned at short notice, was the head of Emergency Response, a woman from the Microbiology Directorate and even someone from ‘Health Equity’. A middle-aged man in a graph-paper-check shirt and worsted wool tie introduced himself as from the FCO, and there was that chap Khan from SIS across the river. One look at him told Holmes this meeting was going to be about more than simply public health.

‘What I fail to understand,’ said the health secretary, as soon as the introductions were over, ‘is how we can be seeing an outbreak of bubonic plague in the Arctic, of all places. It’s not exactly Madagascar. Surely a pathogen like that can’t survive in those freezing temperatures up there, can it? I mean, it’s a virus, right?’

Brendan Holmes gave a discreet cough and held up a hand to correct her. ‘Strictly speaking, Secretary of State, it’s a disease caused by a bacterial strain, not a virus. It’s usually transmitted by infected fleas and—’

‘Right. Yes. Quite. A bacterial strain. So, as I was saying, how can that possibly survive up there in minus whatever-it-is? I can’t believe there are fleas hopping around on the snow in the middle of winter!’ Jay Spelling snorted in derision at the very idea of what she had just described. She looked around the table to see if anyone else was sharing her half-joke. There were a few forced grins.

‘So, Brendan,’ – the health secretary turned to the chief medical officer – ‘give us your assessment, if you will. Is this thing containable? Or are we about to have another Covid-19 situation on our hands here – or worse? And don’t think I’m being funny, but, if I’ve got my history right, the Black Death caused around fifty million deaths – about half of Europe – so I’d quite like to know what we’re dealing with.’

Brendan Holmes couldn’t put his finger on what it was about the health secretary and her mannerisms that intensely irritated him. They just did. He wished they’d left her in Transport, where she could do a lot less damage. He cleared his throat and addressed the NSC.