Page 33 of Edge of Honor

“Goodis 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.”

Sølvi 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.”

Sølvi 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. “Formercolleague.”

Laughing, Sølvi 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. Sølvi laughed yet again and told him she’d see him inside.

As soon as they were seated at the table and Harvath was handed amenu, he realized why Sølvi 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.

Sølvi being Sølvi, 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.

Sølvi 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. Sølvi was every bit as angry about it as Scot.

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