Chapter 5
Like Harvath, former CIA director Robert “Bob” McGee had also come to the conclusion that he missed being in the game.
Out on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, there were only so many seascapes he’d be able to paint before he lost his mind.
When the board of the Carlton Group presented their lucrative offer to head the organization, which only required that he be in-office three days a week, he realized he really wasn’t cut out for retirement and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Harvath’s experience was similar, except for the fact that he didn’t have any hobbies—not even golf. He had been in the same field ever since he had graduated college.
He had gone from SEAL Team Two to the storied SEAL Team Six, then been recruited into the Secret Service to help protect the first family, before moving into a host of covert assignments, and ultimately winding up at the Carlton Group.
Falling in love with a Norwegian intelligence officer, as well as falling into a massive pile of money, had changed everything. Or so he and S?lvi had thought.
They got married, he quit the Carlton Group, and she took an open-ended leave of absence from her position as a deputy director at the Norwegian Intelligence Service.
For six months, they traveled the world and celebrated their honeymoon. But the moment they landed back in D.C., they found themselves dead center in the middle of a terrorist attack and were sucked right back into their old lives.
What they didn’t realize, until after the dust had settled, was how much they had missed those old lives.
S?lvi enjoyed her focus on countering Russian aggression toward Norway.
It gave her a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
She had worked hard to become a deputy director and wasn’t ready to hang it up. Not just yet.
And for the first time ever, Harvath had more money than he knew what to do with. It was fun to travel first class and not worry about the bills. The hotels they had stayed in and the houses they had rented during their honeymoon were beyond incredible. But once they got home, reality had set in.
As insane as it might have sounded to most people, the money was not enough—at least not enough to make Scot happy. Like S?lvi, his sense of accomplishment came from what he did, not what he owned.
So when she had floated the idea of returning to work, he had encouraged her, while also opening his own line of dialogue with the Carlton Group.
He and McGee had a long-standing friendship and an exceptional working relationship.
Though McGee was older, the two men were cut from the same cloth.
They were old-school, more concerned with the ends than the means.
The line about not being able to make an omelet without breaking a few eggs applied to both of them.
They were each willing to do whatever it took to keep America, its citizens, and its interests safe.
Once Gilbert had exited the SCIF and the door had sealed shut behind him, Harvath activated the secure video call back to the U.S. and Bob McGee.
“How’d the debrief go?” McGee asked. No hello. No preamble. Straight to the point. He was a tall, no-bullshit guy in his sixties with gray hair and a thick, Wyatt Earp?style mustache.
“One would think that four dead Chinese spies and a pillowcase full of electronics would have been a good haul, but there’s no satisfying some people.”
“They’ll get over it,” McGee replied and then abruptly changed the subject. “How much do you know about the bombings in Bangkok?”
“I know a lot of Americans are dead and that’s not good.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Other than that,” said Harvath, “all I know is what I’ve seen on my phone.”
McGee picked up a handwritten list and read from it. “Those bombings hit prime tourist areas. The Brits, the Aussies, the Kiwis, and the Canadians—all the Five Eyes members—lost people. Three other U.S. allies—India, Japan, and South Korea—also saw significant numbers of their citizens killed.
“No one thinks the Thai government has the expertise or manpower to handle something this big. And they’re probably right.
So everyone is sending in their own specialists.
Quantico already has FBI evidence response teams, as well as explosives experts and agents from the Counterterrorism Division, on the ground in Bangkok. ”
Harvath nodded. “They’re the best. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, it’s the Bureau.”
“Agreed,” McGee stated. “But the FBI guys can only do so much. The White House wants a second option in place. Just in case.”
The man let his words hang in the air for a moment.
Finally, Harvath asked, “In case of what?”
“There may be certain rocks the FBI either doesn’t want to or can’t kick over.”
His boss didn’t need to say anything further. Harvath understood the assignment he was being handed. “Do you have a contact person for us in Bangkok?”
“I will by the time you land.”
Checking his watch, he asked, “When do we leave?”
“As soon as you and your team can get to the airport. You’ll get a full briefing in-flight. The plane is already being refueled.”