He had come not only to welcome Harvath home, but also to personally escort Christina to a farm in Virginia where she would be looked after while all of her paperwork was being processed. For her role in helping Harvath escape, she was being given full U.S. citizenship, as well as a substantial reward.
“Start-up funds,” Rogers said. “With which she can begin her new life.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Nicholas finally broke off and introduced her to the SPEHA.
Once they had met, Harvath said to her, “I don’t think I can ever repay you.”
“You don’t have to,” she replied.
“I do, though. You gave up everything to help me.”
“I’m going to be all right.”
“I know you are,” he said, as they hugged.
As their hug ended, she smiled at him warmly.
“For your safety,” Harvath continued, “Rogers and his people are going to keep you out of sight for a while. As soon as I can, I’ll come see you. Okay?”
“That sounds nice. I’d like that. And for your safety, don’t forget to get the rest of your rabies shots.”
With that, the SPEHA led Christina over to the Diplomatic Security Service protective team that would be taking care of her. Once those introductions were made, they all exited the hangar together to a pair of waiting SUVs.
Turning around, Harvath watched as President Porter posed for pictures with the team, eventually waving him over to join in. There, in front of the giant red, white, and blue American flag, they commemorated their successful mission.
After shaking hands with everyone once more, Porter was whisked away by his Secret Service detail.
As the team pulled their gear from the plane, Harvath pitched in and helped. One by one, he thanked them.
Once they had completely unloaded, Nicholas directed them toward the vehicles he had waiting. Harvath, though, wasn’t included. The CIA Director had other plans for him.
“We’d like to get you to the hospital and have you looked over,” said McGee. “After they run some tests, we can—”
“I’m fine,” Harvath interrupted. “I don’t need a hospital. I’d rather just go home.”
“I understand. Unfortunately, we can’t do that. Not yet. I need to debrief you first.”
A debriefing was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. What he wanted was to be left alone. He wanted to go home, get drunk, and not talk to anyone for a week—or maybe forever.
But while he didn’t like the idea of a debriefing, he knew why it had to happen. He had been under the control of and interrogated by a hostile foreign power. The CIA and the President needed to know what questions he had been asked and, more important, what he had said in response. He didn’t have a choice. Better to get it over with.
“Okay,” Harvath said, giving in. “Where? Back at Langley?”
McGee shook his head. “We’d like to make you a little more comfortable than that.”
• • •
“More comfortable” than Langley turned out to be an Agency safe house a short helicopter flight away on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
It had a nice view of the water, was tastefully decorated in a nautical motif, and smelled like steamed crab. There Harvath, McGee, and a CIA psychiatrist named Dr. Levi, spent the next four days, watched over by a small security contingent.
The home had a large, comfortably furnished den, which was well lit and had been wired for both sound and video. While someone else might have been self-conscious about being under such scrutiny, Harvath didn’t care. He had long lived by the maxim from Mark Twain—as long as you told the truth, you didn’t have to worry about remembering anything.
He answered every question that was put to him and asked many of his own.
McGee and Levi drilled down on everything, endlessly circling back and asking him to repeat details he had provided minutes or even days before.
Both men were impressed that Harvath had held out as long as he had. Everyone, though, breaks. Harvath had been close, but had had the presence of mind to feed them falsehoods that they wouldn’t be able to verify until they were back in Russia. The crash of the military transport plane had turned out to be a blessing in more ways than one.
Beyond learning what techniques the Russians used and what intelligence they had wanted Harvath to reveal, they were deeply interested in his ordeal and how he had survived. No doubt, he was going to end up as a case study at