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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

‘What?’ She turned her face towards him. ‘I can’t hear you, Luke.’ He repeated it and noticed she had got them drinks that sat on the smoked-glass table next to her knees. He took a sip, a weak G&T, and kept scanning the club. The place was starting to fill now and a couple was dancing annoyingly close to them, interrupting their field of vision.

‘Oh, shit!’ Jenny exclaimed, nudging him suddenly in the ribs with her elbow as she stared at what was on her phone. She handed it to him without a word. It was a brief text from her contact at the Royal Free in London.

Agent X patient Dr Sheila Mackenzie dead. NOT public yet it read. She looked at him long and hard and he wondered what was going through her mind, this quietly brilliant expert on biological warfare with her head crammed full of data on viral loads and mortality ratios. Well, the stakes had just been raised, that much was clear.

‘This is bad,’ she said at last. That sounded to Luke like an understatement. ‘This thing is even more virulent than we feared.’

Luke was about to reply when something caught his eye that didn’t look right, something out of place. Just beyond the couple in front of them he could see a man in a leather jacket, older than most of those around him. He was staring right at Luke and he was taking out his phone. Now why would he be doing that in a noisy place like this? Luke couldn’t be sure, but it looked like the man was trying to take his photo. Not good. Luke twisted his body away from him, turning towards Jenny, bringing his face so close to hers that she recoiled. When he turned back the man was gone, vanished into the crowd. And now someone on Luke’s other side was tapping his shoulder. It was a girl in a blue dress with a sash tied round the middle, smiling down at him with perfect white teeth and a gold nose ring.

‘May I sit?’ she asked, pointing to the space next to him. Before Luke had a chance to answer she had already sat down, sweeping the hem of her dress beneath her knees. She leaned closer to him as if about to confide a great secret. ‘You want something special?’ she said, into his ear. She gestured to her handbag. ‘I have MDMA, ketamine, White Knight. What you like?’