Page 77 of Edge of Honor

Harvath asked if there was anything they could do for her, and Bente shook her head. She understood that they had to leave, and she encouraged them to get moving. You could get paid doing a lot of things in Norway, but standing around wasn’t one of them.

Sølvi found the one place on her friend’s face that hadn’t been injured, gave her a kiss, and promised to call her as soon as she knew that Stang was safe and what everyone was planning to do next.

Bente nodded and said goodbye.

“So how are we getting out of here?” Sølvi asked as they began walking toward the nearest exit ramp. “Uber?”

Harvath shook his head. “I already checked. They’re backed up for hours. The Carlton Group, though, is less than eight miles away.”

This time it was Sølvi who shook her head. “I’ve had a bad day. I’m sorry, but we’re not walking eight miles.”

“Of course not,” he replied as he finished composing a text and hit send. “I’m having Nicholas come pick us up.”

“And take us back to D.C.?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Because it’s the exact opposite direction he needs to go to get home.”

“That’s okay. What are friends for?”

“He and Nina are exhausted. The baby has colic and they lost their night nurse. They haven’t slept in a week. Give the guy a break.”

“You know who else hasn’t slept much and is on the verge of developing colic?” he asked, pointing at himself.

Sølvi wasn’t in the mood. “Find a Plan B.”

Taking his phone back out, he texted Nicholas again. A few moments later, he received a response.

“We good?” she asked.

Harvath nodded. “Yep, but you’re not going to like it.”

CHAPTER 38

CAPITOLHILL

Vice President Chris Cates, who had been on the Hill for an impromptu push of the President’s priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act, stepped in front of a gaggle of reporters.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gathering here on such a tragic afternoon. Just two days ago, on Monday, we witnessed the horrific loss of life as citizens, peacefully assembled, and law enforcement officers, there to safeguard that peace, were attacked in the streets outside the Vice President’s Residence. Their deaths are a bracing reminder that this nation, our democracy, is under threat from all sides. As we mourn those lost, we stand firm in our commitment to protect the values that make this country great—freedom, peace, and the safety of every American citizen.”

Taking a moment to look into the cameras, Cates paused, and then hardening his tone, continued. “Today, we find ourselves reeling from another violent and senseless attack—this time on a United States Secret Service motorcade transporting the Dutch and Norwegian delegations. Let me be clear: This was an attack not just on foreign diplomats, but on American security itself. These foreign delegations may have been here for a NATO Summit, but make no mistake—this attack was aimed directly at us, the American people.

“While we mourn the loss of life, we cannot ignore the reality that these attacks—both the barbarity we saw Monday and today’s act of violence—are a direct result of our government’s own failures. Forfar too long, we have sent our men and women overseas to fight wars that do not concern us, pouring our resources into international commitments while neglecting the security of our own borders, our own citizens.”

Cates paused again, visibly frustrated, his voice sharper. “President Mitchell and I will not stand by while the entrenched powers in Washington continue to put the interests of foreign nations ahead of the safety and well-being of the American people. We cannot continue to expend our blood and treasure to be the world’s police force. This attack today is just another wake-up call—a stark reminder that the globalist establishment’s agenda is a direct threat to everything We the People hold dear.

“I want to make one thing perfectly clear: Americamustcome first. We must take control of our own destiny. We must secure our borders and ensure that any enemy who seeks to harm us, foreign or domestic, will pay the price for their actions.

“To those who would think that America is weak, or divided, or vulnerable: You’re wrong. To the enemies of this nation, whether they are terror groups, foreign governments, or the global elite: We will not back down.

“We are going to hunt down those responsible for both today’s attack and Monday’s. We will absolutely make sure they face justice. And we will leave no doubt that our number one priority is the safety of the American people.”

Looking once more directly into the cameras, Cates spoke firmly and closed with “This is America’s time. This is the moment where we choose to defend what is ours. No more apologies. No more distractions. This ends now. Thank you and God bless you.”

Sitting in his Senate office watching on TV, Bill Blackwood marveled at the Vice President’s remarks. They were strong and intelligent and struck exactly the right chord for the moment. On top of that, Cates appeared to have done it all off the cuff. With no notes and no teleprompter.

Talk about some impressive shit, Blackwood thought to himself.But will it play in Peoria?

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