The Lahti File: A British Spy Thriller in Finland

The Lahti File

A British Spy Thriller

Chapter 1: The Briefing

London

British spy Ian Munro is briefed by his boss, Naylor, about the suspicious deaths of people and animals in Lahti, Finland. The cause is suspected to be a toxic gas. Munro is sent to Finland to investigate.

Chapter 2: Arrival in Lahti

Finland

Munro's local contact, Pentti Virolainen, is shot dead while Munro looks on, unable to intervene. Munro calls London for further instructions. He reads an article about Finnish businessman Jorma Lappalainen, owner of a bioengineering business.

Chapter 3: A Midnight Encounter

That evening, Munro meets the lovely Riitta Koivisto, who seems rather too curious about him. At midnight, Koivisto visits him in his hotel room, and they spend the night together. However, when Munro wakes up, he realizes he has been drugged and discovers his room has been searched.

Chapter 4: Evasion and Escape

The next day, Munro is given an address to visit. Before doing so, he realizes he is being followed. Munro plays for time and calls London for help. Still trying to evade his pursuers, Munro returns to the hotel, where he escapes detection by pretending to be the drinking partner of a hotel guest sleeping off a binge. Munro remains in the safety of the guest's room until he receives a message from London: a car number.

Disguised in the hotel guest's clothes, Munro first deals with the henchman guarding the rear of the hotel. Leaving him unconscious, he rushes to the front, where he alerts the other henchmen to a fight in progress at the rear. Munro escapes in the car parked outside.

Chapter 5: The Sister's Story

Suburbs of Lahti

Munro meets Sirpa Virolainen, sister of the murdered Pentti Virolainen. She tells Munro that Pentti worked for a bioengineering company called Bioratkaisut, the same company that Koivisto worked for. Pentti discovered the company was developing poison gas and spoke about this to a British scientist, an action which cost him his life. Sirpa gives Munro a piece of paper left by Pentti, probably a chemical formula.

Chapter 6: A Dangerous Journey

Helsinki

Munro realizes he must take Sirpa to a place of safety and drives her to Helsinki. On the way, he sees two jeeps following. He manages to shake off one jeep, but the other forces Munro's car off the road.

Chapter 7: Captivity and Escape

When Munro and Sirpa regain consciousness, they are held captive by Jorma Lappalainen, who admits that his companies are developing poison gas for a foreign power. Lappalainen locks them in a sauna and turns up the temperature to a lethal level. Munro and Sirpa manage to escape but are intercepted by Lappalainen. Sirpa is shot, but Munro eventually disarms Lappalainen. Rather than face justice, Lappalainen commits suicide by drinking poison.

Chapter 8: A Final Confrontation

Fortunately, Sirpa has only been slightly wounded. After giving evidence to the authorities and learning that Koivisto is Lappalainen's sister, Munro takes Sirpa home. The next day, when about to leave for London, Munro receives a call from Koivisto, who is holding Sirpa hostage at the top of a ski jump.

Munro arrives to find Sirpa apparently dead and Koivisto threatening him with a gun. He realizes his only chance is to keep her talking. A groan from Sirpa distracts Koivisto, and Munro seizes his chance to disarm her. A fight ensues, ending with a lethal blow to Koivisto's neck. Munro is able to save Sirpa's life.

Epilogue

The case is over.