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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

Kadunov held up his hand, as if refusing a request from an unruly child, and turned to his lawyer. They spoke rapidly in Russian, their voices rising and falling, before the sales director faced his visitors with an unctuous smile. ‘We would of course be happy to provide you with what you ask for. But you must understand this will take a little time. In the meantime you must excuse me.’ Kadunov rose from his seat for the first time. ‘My assistant will see you out. I do hope you enjoy Vilnius. It really has so much to offer.’ He handed Luke a business card. ‘For example, I can recommend you some excellent gentlemen’s clubs. Just call me on this number and I can arrange.’ He threw a dismissive glance towards Jenny Li. ‘But I would suggest you should leave your Chinese companion behind in her hotel.’

28

Whitehall, London

Thursday, 10 March, 0850hrs GMT

AJAY CHAKRABARTI WAS exhausted. As the most recent civil servant to join Britain’s National Security Secretariat he was used to being handed long and complex tasks at very short notice, usually at about 6 p.m., just as he was heading out of the door. But nothing could have prepared him for this.

‘National security adviser wants to see you. Now,’ he was told. That had been early the previous evening. Fifteen minutes later he had emerged from his boss’s inner office in a state of mild shock. He had had to ring his fiancée on his personal mobile to give her the bad news. ‘Best cancel our table at Hakkasan. Really sorry. This is going to be a late one.’ That had turned out to be a serious understatement.

All through Wednesday night and on into the early morning, Chakrabarti had led the Cabinet Office staff team as they worked feverishly to prepare the report ordered by the prime minister in readiness for the next morning’s 0900 COBRA crisis meeting, called as a direct result of the shocking findings made by the laboratory at Porton Down.

At 0600 there had been a preliminary virtual meeting of senior officials from Health, Defence, Home Office and the intelligence agencies, all conducted remotely using Artemis, the government’s encrypted version of Zoom. It was now 0850 and Chakrabarti was casting a final nervous glance over his team’s handiwork. The product of their overnight labours was a document known as a ‘commonly recognized information picture’. It was a pull-together of all the latest situation reports from every relevant government department. The opening one-page executive summary was given a Strap-level secret classification and read through by the PM next door in No. 10, just ahead of the COBRA meeting.