Page 30 of Code Name: Tank
Like after our meeting at Langley earlier today, Alice stepped even closer and squeezed my hand. The simple gesture grounded me, reminding me that I wasn’t facing this alone and that I had allies who would stand with me even when they didn’t understand the scene playing out before them.
Tank also stepped closer. “Dragon, I’ll walk you back to your camp.”
The offer shouldn’t have surprised me—Tank was a gentleman. Still, it made my heart skip.
I was about to decline, to fall back on the self-reliance that had become my default response to vulnerability, but Tank’s expression stopped me.
“That would be nice,” I said, surprising myself with the admission.
Admiral nodded. “Good. We’ll meet at zero eight hundred tomorrow for a comprehensive briefing. Agent Pierce, do you know the way to your camp?”
With the sound of rushing blood in my ears, I couldn’t hear his response. Or maybe I didn’t want to.
As we prepared to leave, I avoided looking at Flint, but I could feel his gaze following me. Part of me expected him to say something, to push for a private conversation.
Instead, he remained silent, which felt more ominous than any words would have been.
The cool evening air provided blessed relief from the suffocating tension of the dining room once Tank and I walked outside. Neither of us spoke as we made our way along the gravel path that wound through the towering pines toward the individual camps. The gentle sound of the wind moving through the trees should have been soothing, but I felt too raw, too exposed, to take comfort in my surroundings. Too aware of Tank’s solid presence beside me, of how much I wanted to lean into his strength.
As soon as we were far enough from the house to avoid being overheard, I turned to him. “I need to ask that we not discuss this tonight. I don’t have it in me.” The words came out more abruptly than I’d intended, driven by a desperate need to control at least one aspect of this situation.
He studied my face in the gathering dusk, and I could see the care and the questions he wanted to ask. But instead of pushing for explanations or showing frustration at being shut out, he nodded.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said.
His response broke something loose in my chest. Tank was everything Flint had never been—patient, steady, willing to let me set the pace. Everything I’d thought I’d never find in a man.
We walked the rest of the way to Whisper Point in silence, our footsteps crunching on the well-worn path. When we reached my door, both of us hesitated. The porch light cast a warm glow that made the moment feel intimate despite the turmoil in my head and made Tank’s strong features look softer.
“Just so you know, I had no idea.”
I nodded, managing a half smile. “How would you have?”
He said good night, but this time, instead of walking away, he reached out and squeezed my hand like Alice had. His fingers wrapped around mine felt warm and strong, callused from years of military training and physical work, and for a moment, I allowed myself to absorb the comfort he was offering. I let myself imagine what it would feel like to have him hold me until the shaking stopped.
After he left, disappearing into the shadows between the trees as he headed toward Granite Ridge, I unlocked my door and stepped inside my camp. The space felt different, as if Flint’s presence on the compound had contaminated what had become my private sanctuary.
I headed straight for the kitchen, bypassing the wine I preferred in favor of the bottle of bourbon I kept in an upper cupboard for occasions calling for something stronger than vino. This definitely qualified as one. The amber liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but the sensation was grounding.
My phone buzzed with a text from Alice.Are you okay?
I stared at the message for a long moment, touched by her continued care but uncertain how to answer honestly. Was I okay? I was furious, felt abandoned, blindsided, and terrified that Flint’s presence would unravel everything I’d worked to build at K19. But I was still standing, still functional, still capable of doing my job despite the emotional chaos.
I am, I typed back.Thank you for today, and for tonight.
Her response was immediate.Always. Get some rest.
I carried my glass and the bottle of bourbon to the door that opened onto my small porch overlooking the lake. The moon was rising, casting a silver light across the water’s surface. Under normal circumstances, this view would have soothed the jagged edges of my emotions. Tonight, I wondered if anything could.
I was about to step outside when my gaze was drawn to lights glowing in a camp not far from mine. The warm yellow illumination spilled from the windows I could see through the trees, and I realized that must be where they’d assigned Flint to stay. I remembered seeing a wooden sign on one of my walks that identified it as Hemlock Grove, and I couldn’t help thinking how fitting the name was.
Hemlock—beautiful and deadly. Just like the love that had nearly destroyed me. Just like the man who’d taught me that forever was simply another word for however long it suited him.
I took another sip of bourbon and turned away from those lights, focusing instead on the moon’s reflection on the lake’s dark surface. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges. Tomorrow, I’d have to watch Flint charm my team, endure himworking alongside Tank, and pretend that seeing them together didn’t make me want to scream. But tonight, I had my sanctuary, my allies, and the hard-won knowledge that I was stronger than I’d been three years ago. And maybe—just maybe—I had something worth fighting for.
Flint could play whatever game he thought he could win. But this time, I wasn’t the naive woman who’d loved him unconditionally. I had work to do. And I had Tank.
11
