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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

FOR SEVERAL SECONDS Luke did nothing, said nothing, as he sized up the situation in the police chief’s office. Could he, should he, make a run for it? What was it that those British Army instructors used to hammer into them, over and over again, on the escape-and-evasion course? Do not get caught. Whatever you do, do not get caught. Well, it was a bit late for that now. He could see the odds were heavily stacked against him. There were four of them in the room, some armed, and he was still handcuffed. He wouldn’t even make it to the door, let alone down the corridor or out into the car park. There was only one person who could get him out of this and that was Jenny Li. And she, inexplicably, had disappeared.

The police chief gave a theatrical sigh, shook his head and opened a drawer. Luke watched as he took out a pair of blue rubber gloves and threw them at one of the leather-jacketed policemen, who failed to catch them in time. He nodded at Luke. ‘Cavity search,’ he explained.

Okay, definitely not great, but also not worth getting shot for. He was aware of someone removing the handcuffs behind his back, then he briskly took off his clothes and laid them at his feet. It was over quickly – he reckoned this was more about showing him who was boss than anything else. Then they all watched him as he got dressed again. One of the policemen kept gesturing at the stump of his missing finger and asked him something in Lithuanian.

‘Afghanistan,’ he replied simply. He doubted that would make any difference to his predicament, but now was the time to make his point.

‘I want to call my embassy, the British Embassy,’ Luke said to the chief at his desk. ‘These drugs are not mine, this is a false arrest.’ He stood his ground as one of the officers began nudging him towards the door. The police chief smiled for the first time, as if he had just had to listen to a quite ridiculous suggestion, and shook his head.

‘Tomorrow,’ he said, ‘you will appear before the judge. But tonight, you stay with us.’ He waved Luke towards the door. He was done with this ‘drug pedlar’.