Chris Ryan Extreme: Hard Target: Mission Four: Fallout
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His third fear was Land himself.
‘He is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands—’
Aimée cut herself short. A group of reporters were shouting at somebody deep in the scrum. Gardner stepped forward. Someone was trying to push to the front.
‘Out of my way!’
The voice was unmistakable. Gardner’s third fear was being realized.
Leo Land barged through the crowd. He looked flustered. Crumpled shirt, his normally immaculate head of hair ruffled. He cast withering looks at the reporters, smoothed out his tie and pointed a finger at Aimée.
‘Stop this nonsense at once,’ he said.
Aimée had a look in her eyes that Gardner couldn’t place. Somewhere on the road between pity and loathing. ‘We have the evidence,’ she replied in a flat voice.
Land walked right up to Aimée. Gardner put a hand between them. Land lashed out at him. ‘Get the hell away from me!’
Gardner held his position and said, ‘If I were you, I’d be on the phone to a lawyer.’
‘You’re the one who needs a lawyer.’
Gardner stepped towards Land until he was almost in his face.
‘Get the fuck out of here. You’re history.’
Land chuckled. ‘Who are they going to believe, old boy?’
Land gave Gardner his back and marched to a spot just in front of Aimée, facing the massed cameras and microphones. He tended to his hair, then folded his hands in front of him in a pose of sincerity. ‘These two are wanted by Interpol in connection with two murders in Rotterdam,’ he said.
‘You framed us,’ Aimée shouted.
Land toyed with her, half-turning his head. ‘Oh, you’re innocent, are you? If you didn’t kill them, why are you on the run?’ He turned back to the reporters. Fucking unbelievable, thought Gardner. They’re actually listening to this prick.
‘We have the documents to prove it,’ Aimée said quietly.
‘Yes, my dear, you have some transcripts which have obviously been doctored. Well done.’
Gardner moved forward to lamp Land. Aimée held him back. He shot her a quizzical look. As if to say, So we’re just going to let him get away with this?
‘These people are traitors to the British government,’ Land was lecturing.
‘There’s more than just transcripts,’ Aimée said.
Land stopped. His arms were spread-eagled like a preacher reading from the Bible. ‘Oh really? Don’t tell me, more fake documents and doctored scripts, my dear?’
‘Photographs, actually.’ Then Aimée whispered to Gardner, ‘I managed to decrypt the rest of the files.’
Land was speechless for a moment. His arms drooped. ‘What kind of photographs?’
‘I think I’ll just show people and let them make up their own minds.’
Gardner wondered what the fuck Aimée was banging on about.
‘You little…’ – Land’s lips quivered – ‘bitch.’
Aimée blanked him. She held up a flash drive and looked at the reporters. ‘Someone got a laptop we can use? Then we’ll see who is really telling the truth.’
Someone approached Aimée and handed over his Dell Inspiron. She plugged the drive in and brought up the file. Reporters huddled around the screen.
‘You’ll pay for this,’ Land said.
Gardner looked up. The clouded sky was clearing, like tide peeling back from a sandy beach. Sunlight poked through the clearing. Spots of it landed on the square.
Something glinted on the rooftop of Westminster Abbey.
Gardner frowned.
Then he froze.
The glint was from a rifle barrel. From a hundred metres away, Gardner was able to pick out individual details on the shooter’s face. He clocked a handlebar moustache and pasty complexion. Clocked the greasy hair.
No.
No fucking way!
Dave Hands was aiming down at him.
Gardner shot a look across to Aimée. She was triumphant as she blew up the first of the photographs. She stepped back, almost presenting herself as a target. A red mil-dot traced its way up her back.
Rested on the back of her head.
Faster, Grittier, Darker, Deadlier… Chris Ryan Extreme
Mission 1: REDEEMER
When an old friend makes a desperate call for help, former SAS Warrant Officer Joe Gardner is thrust back into the line of fire. His journey leads him into the deadliest favela in Brazil, where violent gangs, crazed hitmen and trigger-happy paramilitaries lurk. Gardner’s only hope of staying alive is through his supreme survival skills and warrior’s instinct.
Mission 2: THE ROCK
A chance encounter with an agent from MI6 leads Joe Gardner into a perilous mission in Gibraltar. His objective: bust a major cocaine-smuggling ring involving former a Regiment operator and the Royal Navy. But Gardner isn’t alone. A mysterious killer with expert martial arts skills is shadowing his every move. And it’s about to get noisy.
Mission 3: DIE TRYING
Dispatched to a postwar Belgrade crawling with criminals and bad memories, Joe Gardner is on a collision course with his one-time Regiment friend John Bald. Gardner plans to put a stop to Bald once and for all. But with the Russian mafya and Italian mob closing in, is Gardner too late? If he fails, tens of thousands will die.
Mission 4: FALLOUT
In the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack, Joe Gardner discovers a terrifying secret. In order to protect the truth, he must escort special agent Aimee Milana to safety, all the while hunted by government agents and a former Navy SEAL operator equipped with a lethal weapon. The race is on to reach Parliament Square before the clock runs out – and the world descends into all-out war.
All available in exclusive ebook edition.
For more information go to www.hodder.co.uk
Table of Contents
Also by Chris Ryan
Copyright
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22