Page 31 of Code Name: Tank
TANK
The briefing at zero eight hundred hours carried an urgency that hadn’t existed in our previous morning sessions. I’d barely slept after witnessing Dragon’s reaction to Flint’s arrival—the way all the color had drained from her face before rushing back to heat her cheeks. Whatever history existed between them ran deeper than mere workplace disagreements, and every protective instinct I’d been suppressing for months was now demanding action.
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Admiral stood at the head of the conference table, his expression grim as the team assembled. Alice settled into her chair with the slow movements of someone managing early pregnancy fatigue, while Atticus took his usual position across from me. Dragon entered on time, her expression unreadable, but there was tension in her shoulders that hadn’t been there two days ago. She chose a seat that maximized the distance between herself and Flint, who was too comfortable for someone joining a team who’d worked several missions together and earned the camaraderie we shared.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Admiral began. “We’re facing an escalation. Potomac Strategic Industries has had resources diverted—not just from accounts funding their main facility in McLean, Virginia, but from contracts supporting two additional sites nationwide.”
“Agent Pierce,” Admiral continued. “Please share what you’ve briefed me about what we’re up against.”
Flint leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. “I’ve been tracking a network that targets defense contractors through inside access. This connects to intelligence work I did previously—specifically in Prague. They appear to compromise people within contractor organizations, then execute thefts using internal systems.”
Dragon raised her head, still not looking at Pierce, but responding to what he’d said. “That would explain the authorization patterns we’ve been seeing. These aren’t hacked credentials—they’re legitimate access codes.”
Alice looked up from her tablet. “I need to reach out to Tex. If we’re looking at embedded operatives, he’ll need to analyze the personnel records from these contractors.”
“Tank, shift your financial analysis to focus on identifying which personnel at these contractors would have the authorization levels we’re seeing,” Admiral directed.
“Already working on it.”
“Flint,” Admiral continued, “I want to see those Prague files. If we’re dealing with inside access, we need to understand how they operate.”
“Of course,” Flint replied. “I’ll compile the relevant intelligence.”
The briefing ended with a clear new direction. As the few of us in the room dispersed, I approached Dragon.
“If there’s anything you need to discuss, I’m available.”
She looked up, and for a moment, I saw past the facade to the woman who’d been grappling with Flint’s unexpected appearance. She raised her chin, and her eyes bored into mine. “I appreciate that, Tank. But I can handle it.”
The response was pure Piper Drago—independent, competent, and determined to manage challenges on her own terms.
“I’m here if you need me.” It was more than I should’ve said, phrased in a way that left little room for misunderstanding. Iwashere for her.
Her expression shifted—a brief softening that suggested my offer meant more than she was comfortable acknowledging. “Thank you.”
Over the next several hours,I found myself paying too much attention to the interactions between Dragon and Flint instead of my own work. What I had to do required intense focus, but I couldn’t ignore the undercurrents affecting our newly formed team dynamic.
I noticed the subtle ways he attempted to position himself as Dragon’s primary source of guidance, making “helpful” suggestions about how she should approach her work or which avenues deserved priority attention.
“Piper’s communications expertise is what we need to understand how they’re operating,” said Flint. “She has a gift for seeing things others miss.” The compliment seemed genuine, but the proprietary tone bothered me.
If I weren’t sitting between the two of them, I might’ve missed the scoff she tried to mask by coughing.
When my cell vibrated, I was surprised to see the call was from Secretary Hartwell’s office. I excused myself, stepped a few feet away, and answered.
“Tank, glad I reached you. I’ve received intel that might be relevant to your investigation.”
I stepped out into the hallway and listened as he relayed the specific details.
“How is your investigation going?” he asked when I thanked him and was about to end the call.
“We’re making good progress and have additional support from someone who seems to know a lot about these attackers.”
“Interesting,” he said after what felt like a too-long hesitation. “You said someone. What’s this person’s name?”
Given the case came from Treasury, along with the DOJ, coupled with the fact that I was interested in the man’s reaction. I gave it to him. “Cory Pierce, code name Flint.”
“Never heard of him. Who’s he with?”
