Page 18 of Code Name: Tank
The protective way he spoke triggered a visceral reaction—part anger, part hurt, part unwanted longing for the man I’d thought he was. “You’re concerned about my life? After disappearing and leaving me to face congressional hearings alone? You chose your own safety then, not mine.”
“I was protecting you.”
“Bullshit.” I stood up, pacing over to the window and looking out at how the moonlight reflected off the lake’s surface. “You were protecting yourself. When our op was compromised and heads needed to roll, you ran. Don’t you dare try to rewrite history now.”
“Piper, what really happened?—”
“I know what happened. Our investigation was blown. Months of work for nothing represented a significant amount of wasted resources. When the inquiries into what went wrong started, you vanished while I nearly had my career destroyed.”
“That’s not the whole truth.”
“It’s enough truth for me,” I spat back.
“You need my help with this investigation. I have intel?—”
“You’ve got to be kidding. You have information I don’t? You’re not in the spy business anymore, Flint. You’re under federal protection because you put yourself there. No one is interested in you playing armchair quarterback now. Least of all me.”
“You’re wrong. And, Piper—the foreign hackers you’re focused on? It’s misdirection.”
“Look, I don’t want your help, your information, or your contact,” I said, my words ice cold. “Stay out of my life.”
“I can’t do that. Not when you’re walking into the same trap that destroyed our previous investigation.”
The controlling arrogance in his voice matched what I’d heard from Tank earlier—men who thought they knew what was best for me, who made decisions about my safety and my life without consulting me.
“I’ve moved on, I have a new career, and I don’t need you trying to insert yourself into it.”
“Your new team—do they understand what they’re really facing? Do they know how these operations work, how they coordinate?”
“Stop this, Flint. Whatever guilt you’re carrying—that’s your problem, not mine.”
There was a long pause, and when he spoke again, his voice had lost its edge of urgency. “I know I hurt you. I know you have every reason to hate me. But I won’t let you walk into this alone, Piper. Not again.”
The familiar cadence tugged at memories I’d tried to bury. Before I learned it was manipulation designed to serve his own interests.
“You owe me nothing. And I’m not alone.”
“Your partner on this investigation—he’s someone you trust?”
The question hit too close to home, especially after today’s confrontation with Tank. “My work relationships are none of your business.”
“Be careful who you trust, Piper. Not everyone has your best interests at heart.”
“Don’t lecture me about trust.”
“I’ll be in touch. Whether you want me to or not, I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”
The call ended before I could reply, leaving me staring at my phone with fury and dread. Flint had always been skilled at saying exactly what he thought I needed to hear. But beneath the charm and concern, I heard something else—desperation, maybe even genuine regret.
It didn’t matter. Whatever game he was playing now, I wouldn’t be part of it.
My phone buzzed almost immediately with a text from the same unknown number.
Intelligence files are available if you need them. - F
My hands shook with anger as I stared at the screen. He had access to classified files from our joint operation. Files that could destroy what remained of my career if they surfaced. But files that might also contain crucial intelligence about the current thefts. Fuck. I had no idea what to do.
I deleted the message and put my phone in a drawer, trying to distance myself from the temptation Flint represented. Finally deciding that whatever intelligence he claimed to possess, the cost of obtaining it was too high.
