Crossbones Read Free Page B

faces said they believed she was in this thing up to her eyes. And what if they found something in Chick’s apartment? Upstairs or downstairs, it would remove any doubts about her complicity.
    There was a long silence then, except for a ringing phone in the outer office.
    â€œJames,” Liz said, turning to her commanding officer, “I can’t believe this about Charlie, and
you
can’t believe I had anything to do with murder, or
anything
illegal.”
    The admiral’s eyes were guarded. “Elizabeth, I don’t know what to believe.”
    Her heart broke as he said the words.
    â€œThe best thing for everyone is for you to cooperate and tell the truth,” the admiral said.
    The officer from Investigation Services slid a legal pad and pen toward her across the desk. “Ma’am, we’ll require a detailed statement from you, to get your initial position on record.”
    Her initial position on record so they could pick it apart for comparison once the real questioning began. She wondered if she should ask for a lawyer.
Probably.
But then what could possibly make her look more guilty than asking for one and staying quiet?
    The phone kept ringing outside, followed by a thump against the wall. No one seemed to notice. All eyes were on Liz.
    The female agent pulled a phone from a jacket pocket, looking at a text. “The senior chief has been taken into custody without incident,” she said without looking up. “They have him at the dock rightnow.” Then she rose, already dialing and moving toward the office door. “Excuse me,” she said, stepping out.
    The secretary’s phone was still ringing.
Answer the damn thing already, Beverly,
Liz thought. She looked at the pad and pen before her, at the impassive face of the Coast Guard investigator, then at her commander.
    â€œAdmiral, what is this going to mean for me?” She already knew the answer but needed to hear the man say it.
    Whelan frowned. “Captain, you’ll be beached and placed on administrative duty until this matter is resolved.”
    Liz’s heart fell even further at the man’s official tone. “My ship . . .”
    â€œYour XO will take command for now.” The admiral looked away.
    Until you find a new captain to replace me permanently.
Her Coast Guard career was finished. A loud bang from the secretary’s office made Whelan look up in annoyance. “Mr. Chamberlain, go see what that’s about.”
    â€œAye-aye, sir.” The investigator crossed the room and opened the door.
    Special Agent Ramsey was waiting on the other side.
    Her charcoal suit was darkened and wet, both hands were bloody, and her once-neat hair looked pulled and disheveled. Red smears covered her mouth and cheeks, and her head hung low and forward. The FBI agent’s eyes were a milky yellow.
    With a snarl, she caught the Coast Guard investigator by the shoulders and sank her teeth into his Adam’s apple, ripping it out in a red spray. Chamberlain let out a gurgling cry and went down with the agent on top of him. The woman held the man’s head in both hands as she tore back into his neck.
    Liz bolted to her feet, knocking over her chair, but the admiral just sat there, hands splayed across the table’s polished surface. His mouth was working, but no sound was coming out. In the distance,beyond the frosted-glass door that led from Beverly’s office to the corridor, came a high-pitched screaming.
    The admiral stood abruptly then, and Agent Ramsey’s head snapped up at the sudden movement. She let out a low growl and bared her teeth, rising in a crouch over the dead Coast Guard investigator. Blood was soaking into the carpet around his body. The admiral seemed to be trying to anticipate which way the woman would go around the table, left or right, so he could move in the opposite direction and keep the barrier between them. By now, Elizabeth had backed into the room