Pestilence and the Great Game (THE CHADLINGTON CHRONICLES, #5) / THE CHADLINGTON CHRONICLES (ePub)

PESTILENCE AND THE GREAT GAME

Pestilence and the Great Game is the fifth book in the Chadlington Chronicles, spanning from 2002 to 2022 during the time of the Thirteenth Duke.

After many years in charge of a prison camp in Burma, Zeya Khaing is disillusioned with the Junta. Therefore, when offered the chance to work against it he is easily recruited by his old friend General U Htut. Initially, Zeya has access to valuable information of interest to the British SIS but when he is promoted and transferred to Mandalay, his access to sensitive information is limited but he does recruit his half-sister, Dr Eindra Khaing.

He also conceals a Chinese defector who is carrying vital but time-sensitive material. There are emergency escape routes in place but they are not available because of Covid and communication is also difficult.

Eindra is a computer expert with access to some sensitive information but a program error suddenly gives her access to all of the Government files. It is a one off opportunity, if she copies the information it will be known, she, therefore, must escape once she has done so, which means that Zeya and his wife must escape at the same time.

In London, a plan is hatched to get them out. Forced to work remotely because of the pandemic, the planning team consists of Beverly, George (the thirteenth Duke of Chadlington) and Major Zin Htut in London and Jason and Pornthip Curtis in Thailand. The decision is made, they will travel separately, with two lots of vital information nobody wants all the eggs in one basket, but Eindra will require an escort and crucially, some high speed, solid state drives have to be carried in.

Zin volunteers and is parachuted in, he visits Eindra and explains the escape plan to her and she has a near collapse. After some pressure, she explains that it is the thought of being close to a man that is worrying her. Further pressure reveals that she was repeatedly raped by a neighbour when she was twelve and has never recovered from the ordeal. Zin feels that there is little that he can do but faced with the situation, Eindra takes matters into her own hands and applies her formidable intellect to the task. She is successful, far more so than she expected and she finds that she can tolerate a man being close to her, even very close, provided that he is the right man.

The escape is successful but creates a problem for General Thant Arkar, the head of security in Burma. Once the extent of the problem is known his head will be on the block. He contacts the SIS offering his services and escapes via India leaving a trail of bodies behind him. His aide is tasked with locating him, trailing him and killing him, the stage is set for a showdown in London.

Eindra's wedding at Chadlington Hall brings visitors including Lieutenant Bob Wilson of the SBS and his fiancee, Rosie Page. A shop assistant, Rosie is normally uncomfortable at a Mess night, she is terrified at the thought of being at a ducal seat but the ordeal is not as bad as she expected and she leaves with a new career ahead of her.

There are still loose ends to tie up in Burma and two unsolved murders in London but the likely Russian invasion of Ukraine is looming. The discovery of a Belarus spy in the SIS results in George once again becoming hands on as he flies into Belarus to effect an exchange of prisoners. It is a mission that is not without its dangers.