Page 48 of Code Name: Admiral

“I need a minute to draw it out, then I can help.”

Since she was distracted, I brewed a pot of coffee, rushed downstairs, and brought the first two of the four folded tables up.

“Did you have these custom made?” I asked, setting one on its side to extend the legs.

“I did, but Tex helped. His are similar.”

“So, you’re pretty close to him?”

Alice looked up at me. “I guess so. I mean, I’ve never met him in person.”

When I smiled, she did too, then stepped closer. I thought her plan was to help me with the table. Instead, she grabbed one of my wrists and brought that arm around her.

“No people skills, remember? Hermit-hacker who rarely left her apartment, never dated…Is any of this sounding familiar?”

I wrapped my other arm around her waist and pulled her body flush with mine. “I’m a jealous caveman, Neanderthal type when it comes to you. Sorry.”

Her eyes bored into mine. “When it comes to me? What about your other girlfriends?”

“Are you sure you want to talk about this now, or would you rather focus on setting up your work area?”

“Just tell me this much. Have you ever been married?”

I shook my head.

“Engaged?”

“Not even close.” It was on the tip of my tongue to add, “Until I met you.”

After she leaned up and kissed me, I returned to the lower level to retrieve the remaining tables.

I set those up the same way I had the first two, then grabbed a cup of coffee, walked over to the windows, and conducted a routine perimeter check. From the corner of my eye, I watched Alice transform what I now realized was one of the nicest rooms of the lake house into her command center.

Years of military and FBI training had ingrained in me certain habits—analyzing sight lines, identifying potential vulnerabilities, maintaining situational awareness.

Alice’s approach was no different. She worked with the precision of a tactical operator. Six monitors were arranged in a semicircle, each positioned for optimal viewing angles. Four large and two small towers, all looking custom-built, hummed quietly beneath the desk. More specialized hardware I didn’t recognize but suspected cost more than my annual FBI salary,sat in and around the monitors and CPUs. Everything was placed with deliberate care, creating what was essentially a digital fortress.

I took a sip of coffee, then set it on the other side of the room to prevent inadvertently spilling it on her equipment. “The processing power must rival what we have at Federal Plaza,” I noted, impressed despite my extensive experience with bureau tech.

“Better, actually.” Her fingers flew across the keyboards as she brought the systems online. “Most government systems are handicapped by outdated security protocols. My setup doesn’t.” She patted one of the towers.

My comms crackled. “Perimeter check complete,” Tank reported. “Atticus found a few blind spots on the north ridge. We’re setting up additional motion sensors.”

“Copy that. Keep me updated on coverage gaps.”

I switched channels to check in with the rest of the team. As Diesel briefed me on the work being performed by K19 operatives, it sounded more like a tactical crew setting up a functional defensive position. “We’ve got gun placements concealed in the tree line, overwatch positions established on higher ground, and multiple routes in and out secured and readied.”

“Copy that,” I muttered, turning down the volume and looking back to watch Alice unpack crystals from velvet bags, handling each with the reverence of a jeweler with precious gems.

She placed clear quartz near the front of the monitors, black stones I didn’t recognize at the corners, and purple crystals flanking her keyboard.

“Each one has a purpose,” she explained, catching me staring. “Clear quartz for clarity and focus. Black tourmaline for protection against negative energy. Amethyst for intuitionand problem-solving.” She placed a pale blue stone near each mouse and trackpad. “Aquamarine for courage and clear communication.”

The tactical operative in me wanted to dismiss it as superstition. But I’d seen too much in my career to discount anything outright. Sometimes, the most effective weapons weren’t the ones you could hold in your hands.

“How did you discover all this?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“After my parents died”—she arranged another crystal with careful precision—“I was completely lost. Coding helped—it was logical, predictable. But I needed something more grounding.”

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