Page 63 of Edge of Honor

What troubled him was that as the character of America’s politicians declined, so too did the character of its people. They were inexorably linked.

“We still haven’t answered one of Mike’s first questions,” he said, getting back on topic. “Whoever is behind this, they originally sent two people after Rogers. Then, all of a sudden, last night they sent eight? Why?”

“You said it yourself,” McGee replied. “They had insider information.Someone either knew, or had reason to suspect, that the Ambassador was now being protected.”

“A leak? At the Carlton Group?” Harvath found that impossible to believe. Only Nicholas knew what they were up to.

“Did you speak with anyone else?”

Just one. And as soon as the revelation hit him, his blood went cold. He had to get to Sølvi.

CHAPTER 31

As Harvath had left the crappy Chevy Malibu that Nicholas had arranged for him back in the parking garage in McLean, Haney let him borrow his Bronco.

The morning traffic had been terrible, but at least he’d had air-conditioning. Most important of all, he’d texted with Sølvi and she had promised not to leave the house until he got there.

Pulling into his driveway, he parked next to her Mustang and headed inside.

He found her in the kitchen, dressed in a black pantsuit with her long blond hair wrapped in a tight bun, ready to head out the door to work.

In order to make sure nothing they discussed was overheard, he asked for her cell phone, which, along with his, he walked back to his office and dropped in a faraday bag. Returning to the kitchen, he spent the next ten minutes laying out everything that had happened.

In a word, Sølvi was stunned.

“If it’s not the Iranians, who is it?” she asked.

“We don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe the Chinese. Maybe the Russians.”

“This doesn’t sound like Beijing to me. The Chinese use finesse. They aren’t messy like this. Bloodshed and brutality are much more a Russian calling card.”

“Agreed.”

“And the assault team at Rogers’s house,” Sølvi continued, “you’re sure they were Americans?”

“We took photographs of the bodies. McGee and Nicholas are trying to identify them.”

“From two men to eight men,” she mused. “They quadrupled their forces. You don’t go to those lengths unless you’re expecting trouble.”

Harvath nodded. “That’s what bothers me. They came loaded for bear.”

“And other than Nicholas, McGee, and Haney, the only other person who knew you had met with Rogers was Russ Gaines?”

“Russ Gaines and you. That’s it.”

“I can understand why you didn’t want to tell me any of this over the phone,” said Sølvi. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to have to go see Russ in person, look him in the eye. It’s the only way I’ll know if he’s telling me the truth.”

“What if heisthe leak?”

Harvath shook his head wearily. “I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“Did you get any sleep at all?” she asked, taking his stubbled chin in her hand. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

Kissing him, she let go of his chin. “What can I do for you?”