Page 44 of Shadow of Doubt

“I didn’t know you two knew each other,” Harvath said.

“I could say the same to you,” Grechko responded.

“Leonid used to be one of my best customers,” Nicholas stated. “Absolute VIP status.”

The Russian grinned. “Though not always willingly. In fact, I can’t count the amount of our highly classified intelligence that you stole, which we were forced to buy back.”

The little man smiled in return. “Like I said, you were one of my best customers.”

“Then, one day, you vanished. We all assumed,” Grechko continued, before stopping himself. “No, we allhopedthat you were dead.”

“As you can see, I’m alive and well.”

“And working for the Americans.”

“Workingwith,” Nicholas clarified, giving his dogs a command. In unison, Argos and Draco both laid down at his feet.

“It would appear we’re both on the same side now.”

“Let’s see how long it lasts.”

“You don’t trust me?” Grechko asked.

“Trust has to be earned.”

“Do your American colleagues trust you? Are they aware of your past?”

“Yes, on both counts,” Harvath stated. “He has been an incredible asset.”

“Interesting,” Grechko remarked.

Eager to get to work, Harvath gestured toward the interior of the villa. “Shall we head in?”

While Haney showed Grechko to his room, Harvath and Sølvi stopped to say hello to Nicholas and the dogs.

After Nicholas and Sølvi had hugged, the dogs had been petted, and Harvath had shaken hands with his friend, Harvath asked, “How are Nina and the baby?”

“Nina is great and the baby is perfect,” the little man responded. “We just got the rest of the genetic testing back. Healthy as a horse.”

“That’s wonderful news,” said Sølvi.

“Congratulations,” said Harvath. “I told you everything was going to be okay.”

“Yes, you did,” the little man replied. “Multiple times.”

As someone with primordial dwarfism, one of Nicholas’s greatest fears had been that he would pass down the malady and that his baby would be forced to endure the same fate. Harvath, while not an expert in genetics, had read enough to know that unless Nina was predisposed, the baby was going to be fine. He had done the best he could to keep his friend focused on the odds being in the baby’s favor. It was a relief to now know that everything was okay.

“We’ll have to celebrate tonight,” Harvath stated. “Do we have any champagne in the house?”

“We’re not getting the champagne out yet,” a voice from deeper inside the villa said.

Harvath looked past Nicholas to see ex–Delta Force operative, and the team’s de facto medic, Tyler Staelin entering from the veranda.

“Why not?” Harvath asked, as he greeted his teammate.

“Nicholas didn’t tell you?”

“Tell us what? We just got here.”

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