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A s 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 S?lvi 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, S?lvi 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,” S?lvi 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 S?lvi. “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 he is the 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?”

“Nothing. Just be careful and come home safe. That’s all I ask.”

S?lvi looked at her watch. “The Prime Minister and the Norwegian delegation arrive this afternoon. I’m going to meet up at the embassy with the Secret Service and we’ll drive out together to pick them up. When are you going to pay Russ Gaines a visit?”

“Part of me wants to show up unannounced at his house and catch him off guard. The only problem is, I have no idea what time he’ll be home. I may just reach out to him and see if he’ll meet with me in his office.”

S?lvi looked at him. “With the full expectation that if he is the leak and wants to get to Rogers, he’s going to put a tail on you the minute you leave.”

Harvath smiled. “Then we’ll know for sure.”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” she ordered, kissing him one last time. “And try to get some rest. Will I see you tonight?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to leave Haney and McGee a man down. Besides, we’ve got to figure out what we’re going to do with Rogers.”

“I understand. Call me later if you can.”

Kissing her back, he then retrieved her phone from his office and brought it to her.

He stood at the front door and watched as she walked out to her car. She was such an amazing woman. Her confidence, her poise, her strength—he loved everything about her.

After pausing to admire Haney’s Bronco, she turned and flashed him a thumbs-up. He smiled back.

Sliding into the Mustang, she fired it up, gunned the engine, and then squealed the tires as she peeled out. Harvath chuckled as he shut the front door and walked back to his office.

Picking up his phone, he called Russ Gaines. The Secret Service agent sounded genuinely surprised to hear from him.

With dignitaries starting to arrive in town for the NATO Summit, the man’s schedule was packed, but as Harvath had said it was important and that he needed to see him in person, Gaines agreed to squeeze him in at 3:30.

The meeting set, Harvath could now focus on the rest of his list. And right at the top, just as S?lvi had suggested, was grabbing a few hours of sleep.

Though he’d been trained to go long stretches without, only a fool would pass up a chance to rest.

Sleep was a critical tool in his toolbox—as important as any knife or gun. The better rested he was, the stronger he became. And something told him that he was going to need every ounce of strength he had for what lay ahead.