Page 65 of Code Name: Admiral

“Shoot.”

“Scale of one to ten on Sweeney.”

“Five,” I responded without hesitation.

“And Grit?”

“Before this conversation, I would’ve given him a five too.”

“And now?”

I put my arms around Alice’s waist and brought her body close to mine. “If there’s any one person here whose opinions I trust, it’s yours.”

Her eyes scrunched. “I’m flattered, but why?”

“Your only agenda is to find the person or people responsible for your sister’s death. If you suspected Grit played a role in it, you’d never be so adamant he isn’t the mole.”

“True enough. Except for one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“It isn’t my only agenda, Pershing. There are other reasons I want to find whoever it is. Other reasons I want to see the Castellanos either six feet under or spending the rest of their lives in a prison cell. It’s about right and wrong. Nothing will bring Sarah back, and yes, I want to know who, other than Bobby, is responsible. But if we don’t stop them, there will be more Sarahs in the future. More Alices too. People who lose those they love because some asshole wants to make a shit ton of money and has no conscience in regard to how they go about it.” She took my hand and pulled me away from the window.

“Where are we going?”

“Time for a bath, Pershing, and if you don’t agree to come with me right this minute, I might just strip you down in the middle of your kitchen.”

I blinked. “It’s a tossup. Both sound equally good to me.”

“Well, if I strip you down, you’ll want to do the same with me, and then if Tank or?—”

“Let’s go.” She giggled when I hoisted her over my shoulder and carried her into the bathroom.

At zero two hundred,when I tried to ease myself out of bed without waking her, Alice put her hand on my arm.

“Be careful.”

I kissed her forehead. “Always am.”

Tank was already waiting by the SUV when I went downstairs, weapon check complete. “Diesel’s got overhead coverage from the moment we leave the property,” he said as I approached and climbed into the vehicle. “K19 teams are staged at points along Route 29A and near the old Frontier parking lot.”

“Copy that.” Last night before we fell asleep, Alice led me through a meditation, giving me a crash course in clearing my mind. Without her with me, though, I couldn’t do it. My mind raced regardless of how much I tried to control my breathing.

Tank was equally tense on our drive south from Canada Lake. Even at this hour, we watched for tails. Once in the city, the empty streets of Gloversville felt exposed—too quiet, too easy to spot surveillance, or set up an ambush. I was five minutes early when Tank dropped me at the corner of Fifth and Park while he established his own overwatch position.

Sweeney sat on a bench near the park’s stone pavilion, looking older than I remembered. His shoulders were hunched against the cold, but his eyes were sharp as ever when they met mine. Behind him, the dark bulk of the Fulton County office building loomed against the sky.

“I told you to come alone,” he said by way of a greeting.

“Like I have any reason to follow your orders.”

He grimaced. “You look like shit.”

“Been a rough week.”

“Sit.” He gestured to the space beside him. “We need to talk about Grit.”

I remained standing. The crunch of frozen grass under my feet seemed too loud in the silent park. “What about him?”

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