Any help is appreciate with an issue using ADO and getting data from a record set

        ADODB::_ConnectionPtr  con = NULL;
        ADODB::_RecordsetPtr   rec = NULL;
     
        // define variables to read the Author field from the recordset
        
        ADODB::FieldPtr        ppassword;
        _variant_t              vpassword;
        char                   spassword[40];
    
    ........
       bstr_t                 sConString("Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Persist Security Info=False;User ID=sa;Password=;Initial Catalog=ALCustom;Data Source=(local);Integrated Security=SSPI;");;
        bstr_t                 sSQLString;
        
        // create a variable to hold the result to function calls
        
        HRESULT                hr                = S_OK;
        
        // long variable needed for Execute method of Connection object
        
        VARIANT                *vRecordsAffected = NULL;
     
        // create a new instance of an ADO Connection object
        
        hr = con.CreateInstance(__uuidof(ADODB::Connection));
    
        con->Open(sConString, L"sa", L"", -1);

    strQry.Format("SELECT password FROM users WHERE sname = '%s'", strUsername);    
    sSQLString = (bstr_t)strQry;    

    rec = con->Execute(sSQLString,
                       vRecordsAffected,
                       1);
                       
    if (rec==NULL) { *pbValided = 0; return 0; }
    //testing - works
    //*pbValided =1;
    //return 1;


     ppassword = rec->Fields->GetItem("password");
    
    //testing - WORKS!!
    if (ppassword != NULL) 
    {   //ptr ppassword is not null - this works
        //*pbValided =1;
        //return 1;
    }
    else
    {
        *pbValided =0;
         return 0;
    }
 
    vpassword.Clear();
   
        //nothing I try here works - How do I get the password value from the recordset?
    //vpassword = rec->Fields->GetItem("password")->Value; 
    //vpassword = ppassword->GetValue();
    //vpassword = ppassword->Value;
    vpassword =  rec->GetFields()->GetItem("password")->GetValue();
    //testing - failed
    *pbValided =1;
    return 1;