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
‘Sig-ret?’ The largest of the three facing him took a step towards him, his lips curling into a smile, and made a smoking gesture with his thumb and forefinger. His blond hair was shaved down the sides, there was a lightning tattoo on one side of his bull-like neck and his pink, bloodshot eyes regarded Luke with a deadpan expression. This wasn’t an offer to share: it was a demand to hand over what he had, and the man held out his left hand. For a split second Luke was distracted as he glanced down at it. Too late he realized the mistake. It was a deliberate decoy and Luke had fallen for it. The man brought his other hand up fast, balled into a tight fist, hitting Luke hard, just below his left eye, before he had time to dodge it. Pain ricocheted around his skull and Luke reeled from the blow, staggering backwards and almost losing his balance, but he was still standing. Don’t go down. Do NOT go down, a voice in his head was telling him. You hit the floor and they’ll have you.