But at the bottom of the screen, the routing destination caught my eye.

He had requested immediate transfer to Operation Gray Wing.

Gray Wing was a Tier-One maritime interdiction task force.

It was classified three levels above Top Secret.

And I was the sole convening authority who could sign off on his placement.

The car slowed as we approached the security gate at the Navy Yard.

The rain smeared the headlights of oncoming traffic into long, yellow streaks.

A guard in a black poncho stepped out of the guard shack.

He saluted when he saw the blue Admiral’s decal on the windshield.

My driver rolled down his window, letting in a gust of cold, wet air.

The guard checked my credential, approved the scan, and stepped back.

“Welcome back, Admiral,” the guard said.

We pulled through the gate and stopped in the reserved courtyard of the command building.

I tucked the tablet into my briefcase and stepped out of the car.

The wind whipped my coat against my legs as I hurried toward the heavy glass doors.

Inside, the lobby was quiet and smelled of floor wax and damp wool.