Page 105 of Edge of Honor

When Ricky asked what the hell they were supposed to do about the Iron Tree threats, Tammy waved Carolan over.

After introducing himself, he explained that in addition to getting Jacob into the clinical trial at Children’s National, if there were threats against their family, the FBI would put them in protective custody.

With his arguments stripped away, his wife leaning on him, and most important of all—his son and a potential lifesaving cure hanging in the balance, Ricky Russell did the only thing he could. He agreed to fully cooperate.

Carolan and Fields didn’t waste any time. Accompanying the Russells back to their home, they began debriefing Ricky right there.

Within fifteen minutes, Carolan had to step outside to call Gallo. Ricky Russell had dropped a major bombshell. The FBI needed to move.Fast.

CHAPTER 53

FAIRFAXCOUNTY

Harvath had met McGee and Nicholas at the rendezvous point, transferred Hale into the trunk of McGee’s car, and then abandoned the Mercedes.

After thanking Nicholas for his help, Harvath and McGee had driven back to Harvath’s, where they secured Hale to a chair in the storage room off Harvath’s gun room and Harvath had gone to work interrogating him.

Hale, however, had proven to be a tough nut to crack, and now Harvath had no choice but to double down.

Leaving Hale with headphones duct-taped to his head and German heavy metal music blasting in his ears, he had reached out to Nicholas for another favor.

An hour and a half later, a team from the Carlton Group arrived with an Igloo cooler and a brown paper bag. Stapled to the bag was an envelope.

Opening the envelope, Harvath found a one-year employment contract along with a Post-it note that readAny further requests need to be submitted with the attached, fully executed agreement.

Smiling, he tossed it in the garbage.

About that time, Sølvi came down, showered, and headed off to work. The NATO Summit was still on for tomorrow and she had a meeting with the Secret Service to walk the venue and go over transport to and from Blair House.

They had barely chatted last night. Sølvi had returned home exhaustedand had collapsed into bed. Hours later, Harvath had joined her while McGee kept an eye on Hale.

After a brief chat, they had both fallen asleep only to have the alarm on Scot’s phone wake them both up when it was time for him to relieve McGee. Kissing her, he had gotten out of bed and told her to go back to sleep.

Now she was on her way out the door.

Handing her a coffee, they kissed once more and she disappeared out the front door.

Soon enough, he heard the rev of the Mustang’s engine and the spinning of its tires as Sølvi headed back to D.C.

Two ships passing in the night was no way to run a marriage and he was looking forward to all of this being over.

Gathering up some rubber gloves and a couple of N95 masks, he grabbed the Igloo cooler, the paper bag, and the bonus item Admiral Tyson had dropped off for him and headed back over to the basement storeroom.

McGee was sitting in a chair at the bottom of the stairs reading a Ken Follett novel.

“How’s our guest?” asked Harvath as he set everything down on a small table they had set up off to the side.

“I don’t think he likes your taste in music.”

“Then he should probably choose his kidnappers a little more wisely.”

McGee chuckled and, nodding at the cooler, asked, “Is that it?”

“Yup,” said Harvath, handing him a mask. “You should put this on.”

“You want to explain to me what that all is?”

Opening the paper bag, Harvath pulled out a black hood with a special pocket sewn in the front and several strips of cloth.