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H arvath had a long list of things to do before putting his plan into action. Step number one was to let S?lvi know what was going on.

“Good meeting?” she asked as he smiled and climbed into the passenger seat.

“ Good is definitely not the right word, but we can talk about it over lunch. Where are we going?”

“Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar,” she said, giving him a kiss. “It’s Peruvian. And don’t worry, I called ahead. They don’t do lutefisk.”

He smiled again. “Must be fancy. You look terrific. What’s with the suit?”

“I’ve got a briefing with the Secret Service later this afternoon. We’re going to discuss the Prime Minister’s detail. Then I’ll head over to the Norwegian Embassy to go over everything with Ambassador Hansen and her team.”

“They’re keeping you busy.”

S?lvi nodded. “The Prime Minister arrives tomorrow. There’s lots of moving parts.”

“Speaking of which,” said Harvath. “An agent named Russ Gaines may sit in on your Secret Service meeting or just introduce himself while you’re there. He’s a former colleague of mine from my days at the White House. Don’t believe anything he says about me.”

S?lvi smiled back. “In that case, I’ll make sure to fully interrogate him.”

Putting on her blinker, she checked her mirrors and, pulling away from the curb, asked, “Why would he be sitting in or introducing himself to me?”

“I called him for a favor this morning.”

“What kind of favor?”

“A favor for Ambassador Rogers. But before we even got to that subject, he wanted to talk about what happened last night. Your PM was right, you definitely have celebrity status at the Secret Service.”

“You too, I would imagine,” she replied.

“Unfortunately, not enough to get Ambassador Rogers the help he needs. But I did put in a good word for you. Russ assured me that the Norwegian delegation is a priority. The State Department had already reached out before I even called him.”

“Every little bit helps. Thank you for speaking with him.”

“Of course. You’re my V-VIP. I’m always looking out for you. Now, can we talk about this restaurant we’re going to? Peruvian? ”

“You’re going to love it. Trust me.”

“If I don’t,” said Harvath, “I’m going to call Russ back with an anonymous tip that the Norwegians are transporting drugs and bomb-making materials.”

“Not only will they not find drugs or bomb-making materials,” she responded, “but they won’t find your body either. Not that it would matter, because I have—”

“Diplomatic immunity. Yes, Russ warned me to be careful.”

“I think I’m going to like your friend Russ,” she responded.

“Colleague,” Harvath corrected her. “ Former colleague.”

Laughing, S?lvi hit the accelerator and pinned Harvath back against his seat. Apparently, she was going to test whether diplomatic immunity could be used for traffic violations as well.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Harvath pretended to be so shook up from the ride that he needed assistance walking. S?lvi laughed yet again and told him she’d see him inside.

As soon as they were seated at the table and Harvath was handed a menu, he realized why S?lvi had chosen this spot. The selection was unbelievable. In fact, for a guy who was always incredibly decisive when it came to ordering, he didn’t know what dish to pick. Everything looked fantastic.

He ended up with something called Tacu Seco de Cordero—braised lamb shank in cilantro sauce with Peruvian chili peppers and red onion salsa. It was, hands down, one of the best meals he’d ever had.

S?lvi being S?lvi, she went the full culinary adventure route and ordered a creamy Peruvian fish chowder complete with queso fresco and topped with a fried egg.

She claimed that it was delicious. Harvath told her that he would take her word for it.

They were seated at a quiet table in back and as they ate, he unpacked for her everything that had been discussed in his meeting that morning.

S?lvi listened intently. It was shocking, especially the admission of Russ Gaines as to why, regardless of the evidence, the Secret Service would not be providing protection for Ambassador Rogers. S?lvi was every bit as angry about it as Scot.

“So what are you going to do?” she had asked. That was when he had laid out his plan in its entirety.

While she wasn’t crazy about the idea, she agreed with him. Rogers had no other option. This was the way it had to be done. “How can I help?”

Harvath reached out across the table and took her hand. “Remember what you said to me, right before we got married, when I had those back-to-back-to-back assignments? Afghanistan, India, and then dropping behind the Russian lines in Ukraine?”

“I told you that the only thing I cared about was for you to come back safely.”

“Exactly. And now, that’s what I want. Just focus on your assignment and come back safely.”

“I will. As long as you promise to do the same.”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “And when we’re done, we’re going to have a wonderful Fourth of July.”

Smiling, she leaned over the table and kissed him. He kissed her back.

But as they kissed, the dark clouds that used to follow them in their professional lives—the danger, the deceit, the constant fear of betrayal—seemed to mass again, a silent reminder that their return to the field might come at a cost that neither of them was willing to pay.