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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

Luke looked away, out of the window, and sucked in his cheeks before turning back to her. He could feel the anger boiling up inside him and he began massaging the stump of his missing finger. ‘D’you think he knew?’ he asked.

‘Knew what?’

‘Who we really work for. Do you think he had us “made”?’

Jenny made a pouting face as she thought about this. ‘Possibly. But I’m not sure it makes much difference. Kadunov would consider both the OPCW and the Service to be a threat. What matters is he’s got underworld connections and people high up in the police. Which was how he set you up with that drugs bust.’

Luke nodded thoughtfully. None of this surprised him, but he still had a lot of unanswered questions ricocheting around in his head.

‘Okay,’ he said, ‘so let’s just rewind for a moment, Jenny. The last time I saw you, you were heading off to the Ladies in that club. Just before I got framed and lifted. Then what?’

‘Our man Janulis showed up. I found him hiding next to a store cupboard behind the bar. He was in quite a state.’ Jenny winced slightly as she recalled the moment. ‘He grabbed my arm and said he thought his phone had been compromised and he’d been followed—’

‘Well, he was right about that.’

‘Exactly. Which was about the time I saw those goons moving in on you.’

‘Wait.’ Luke sat bolt upright in the back seat of the car and peered intently at her. ‘You watched all that go down and did nothing?’ He shook his head in mock disbelief. Luke knew Jenny well enough by now to grasp that there would have been a good reason behind it, but after what he had just been through he wanted a full explanation.

She put up her hands in a defensive gesture. ‘Slow down, Luke. Trust me, it was time well spent.’

Luke shuffled round on the rear car seat and watched as she reached inside her jacket to take something out. He looked down at the small black oblong object that lay in her palm, a smile breaking over his face. ‘Is that what I think it is?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ replied Jenny, sitting back in her seat and looking quite triumphant. ‘We made the exchange. We got the flash drive.’

39

Whitehall, London

Friday, 11 March, 0937hrs GMT

THE WORDS STARED out from the tablet screen in her hands, taunting the foreign secretary with their bold, black font and their damning accusations.