Near Dark (Scot Harvath #19)(110)
“I ended up reading the entire thing from cover to cover. But, as there was nothing about ninjas, I can’t really say if it was a definitive sign.”
S?lvi turned the dazzle up to 11 and smiled once more. “Stop talking,” she said, as the waiter arrived. “We have oysters to eat.”
They were wonderful and she explained that they were from the south of Norway where she was from.
When they placed the order for their main course, Harvath asked the waiter to please prepare it to go—and also to bring another bottle of champagne.
“What’s going on?” S?lvi asked. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see.”
Once everything was boxed up and placed in shopping bags, Harvath nodded toward the elevators and for S?lvi to lead the way.
After exiting on the lobby level, and pushing through The Thief’s giant revolving doors and out into the motor court, S?lvi turned to Harvath. “Now what?”
Harvath had her follow him over to the railing that looked down onto a narrow channel where two boats were berthed.
“How about we go out on the water for a picnic?” he asked.
Looking at the little sailboat she was overjoyed. “I don’t know how much wind there is today, but yes. I’d love to sail with you.”
Harvath looked at the tiny sailboat she was looking at and smiled. Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, he pointed toward the splendid silver Riva she had talked about when they were on Lake Garda and said, “Someone heard I was going to take a cruise with a beautiful Norwegian girl. Naturally, they gave me an upgrade.”
S?lvi could barely contain herself as they made their way down the steps. She had walked by this boat so many times, imagining the glamorous people who sailed on her. Now, she was one of those people.
“How were you able to afford this?” she asked. “The Carlton Group must have a hell of a per diem.”
“A friend and I in the South of France just came into a little money. Call it a rich uncle. Welcome aboard.”
After stowing their food and wine, she helped cast off and they cruised into the fjord.
Out on the open water, she looked back toward The Thief. The view from this perspective was every bit as good as she had always imagined it would be. She wanted to hug Harvath for giving her such a wonderful experience, but she also suspected that’s exactly what he wanted her to do and so she held back.
They kept sailing, north from Oslo, as Harvath continued to consult the GPS system on his phone.
“Do we have a destination?” she asked.
“There are some houses I want to look at from the water,” he replied.
“I see. Back to your dream from Mont-Saint-Michel. A house and a boat.”
“Actually,” said Harvath, “there’s a little more to life than just a house and a boat. I was thinking Norway might be a nice place to spend the summer with Marco. What do you think?”
S?lvi smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Giving him a kiss, she said, “I think if you’re serious about getting to know Norway, you’re going to need a very special Norwegian ninja to keep an eye on both of you.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to begin by thanking the most important people in the entire process— you, the magnificent readers.
This is my twentieth thriller and, whether you’ve read them all, or are just getting started, I want you to know how much I appreciate and value you.
Every year, I strive to set the bar higher for myself as a writer and to improve at my craft. I do it not only because it keeps my job interesting and challenging, but also because I owe it to you. I want to be the author you can always depend on for a thrilling escape.
If I meet that goal, then I have honored the faith you put in me. As I tell anyone who will listen, the readers are the people I work for—and you are the best bosses anyone could ever hope to have. When you recommend my books to friends, family, and coworkers, as well as when you leave great reviews online, I am humbled and filled with pride that my hard work all year has paid off. Thank you.
Here’s to all of the fabulous booksellers who have introduced so many of their customers to my novels. Thank you for stocking, selling, and talking up my books over the (almost) past two decades. Booksellers are the on-ramp to adventure. You play a vital role in our society. Thank you for ALL that you do.
The very kind and generous Holidae H. Hayes made a lovely donation to a special charitable organization near and dear to my heart. I thank you for your generosity and hope you enjoy the character named in your honor.
With each thriller I write, I lean heavily upon the expertise of some incredible military, intelligence, and law enforcement personnel. This space is always reserved to thank them together, because for their own security, I cannot thank them individually. To you ladies and gentlemen, please know how grateful I am. Thank you for what you have done for me, but more important, what you do every day for our country.
My three amigos—Sean Fontaine, James Ryan, and Sidney Blair—could not have been more helpful during the writing of Near Dark. There are times when I feel that they must be getting tired of questions from me, but they are always gracious and always encourage me to “Keep those questions coming, Thor!”—You gentlemen are the best. Thank you for everything.
My longtime friend Steve Tuttle–Principal, TASER CEWs & Founding Team Member of Axon, is absolutely fearless when it comes to taking my TASER questions. He doesn’t just say “Yeah, I think that will work,” he actually goes out and experiments until we get an answer. Thanks for helping me light things on fire!