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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

Your Chinese friend? Luke could hardly believe what he was hearing, but this naked display of misogyny and racism had him up on his feet and facing down the sales director. ‘Let me stop you right there,’ Luke said, adding a menacing edge to his voice. ‘Because guess what? This is exactly what we can do and it’s what we are doing,’ he told the startled man behind his desk. ‘Let me remind you, Mr Kadunov, that your government signed up to the Biological Weapons Convention in 1998 and the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2004.’

Luke and Jenny had come prepared, expecting there might well be some pushback, and now Luke pulled out a document from his inside jacket pocket. He made sure he had the man’s full attention before he read it out loud to him.

‘This is a statement from the recent CWC conference,’ he told him. ‘Lithuania, it says, “condemns in the strongest terms all use of chemical and biological weapons by state or non-state actors anywhere in the world. Lithuania welcomes—”’

‘Yes, yes, yes.’ Kadunov waved a hand dismissively. ‘We know all of this.’

But Luke placed the document in front of him on his desk. ‘Well, you now have two OPCW officials in front of you, so we would appreciate your full cooperation.’ Luke stood back and folded his arms. ‘Or do I need to make a call to our head office in The Hague?’

For several seconds the two men stared at each other. Luke had taken an instant dislike to Kadunov and suspected the feeling was mutual. But then the sales director appeared to recover his composure. He assumed an air of being the blameless victim, extending his hands palm upwards and shrugging his shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. ‘But this is crazy, mister! You are talking about chemical weapons! Like this is Syria or something. And this, my friend,’ he gestured towards the door they had just come through, ‘this is just a factory that produces agricultural compounds for the farming industry. My assistant can show you around if you like.’

‘Good,’ said Luke. ‘Then you’ll have nothing to hide. So, if we could just take a look at those sales records to Scandinavian importers …’