Chapters (124)
- Cover
- About the Author
- Acclaim for Frank Gardner’s Luke Carlton thrillers
- Also by Frank Gardner
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- 97
- 98
- 99
- 100
- 101
- 102
- 103
- 104
- 105
- 106
- 107
- 108
- 109
- 110
- 111
- 112
- 113
- 114
- 115
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Several things went through Luke’s mind as he heard these words. Bingo. This is exactly what we came here for. If we can get this transaction completed quickly, we can rush the data back to London and push forward the investigation. And at the same time another part of his brain was telling him to slow down, to think this through. In practice, MI6 would have no qualms about signing off on several thousand euros in exchange for this data, provided it was genuine, but there were their cover identities to consider. He and Jenny were supposed to be officials sent out from the OPCW and, as with any bonafide multinational organization, they would be subject to strict rules on bribery and corruption.
‘Mr Janulis,’ Luke began, ‘I think you’re forgetting something here. We are the OPCW. We can sequester this information through our own lawyers. Now, we’ve tried to be reasonable—’ He stopped as Janulis was wagging his finger and shaking his head. He seemed very sure of himself.
‘We both know that will take a long time,’ said the Lithuanian. ‘And I am guessing you are in a hurry or else you would not be here, right?’ They stared at each other, Luke holding the other man’s gaze.
‘Twenty thousand.’ It was Jenny who spoke up. She had been silent all this time, but evidently she was thinking the same as he was: let’s get this done and get back to London.
Janulis sighed, as if exhausted already by the tedious business of bargaining. He moved to get up. ‘Fifty thousand. Take it or leave it,’ he said wearily. He did indeed look ready to leave.
‘Okay,’ said Jenny, calmly. ‘You have a deal. But we’ll need to see the flash drive.’ She held out her hand expectantly.
Janulis laughed and shook his head once more. ‘Not so fast, lady. I have a lot of work to do first to get you this information. It will take some time and I must – how you say? – cover my tracks.’
‘Fine,’ Luke said. ‘We can meet next to our hotel. There’s a place called—’
‘No, no, no.’ Janulis had dropped any pretence at unctuous charm: he was all business now. ‘We do this my way. You are in Lithuania now. You will bring the money this afternoon to the Gediminas Tower. Here, I will write it down for you.’ He took out a biro, reached across the table, grabbed a napkin and scribbled down a name. ‘There is a railway – it goes almost to the top. The last journey is at four p.m. You take that. I meet you at the top. It’s agreed?’
Luke looked across to Jenny and she nodded.
‘It’s agreed,’ Luke said.
‘Then good.’ Janulis got up and left without saying goodbye.