Counterpart Read Free Page A

laugh. “Never mind. For the record, I try not to encourage those kinds of rumors.”
    “Why not?”
    Because it’s tempting fate.
“Because it’s obviously not true.”
    “Isn’t it?” he says. “You were missing for six months, thought dead. Then poof.” He gestures with his e-cigarette as if it were a magic wand, trailing chocolate-scented vapor. It’s making me hungry. I can’t remember the last time I ate something—dinner the previous night? “You return, oversee two victories against the
mashiny,
and survive an avalanche. Maybe they’re right. Maybe you cannot be killed.”
    Kozlov gives me a significant look, as if he’s in on my secret—or a minute away from trying to rub my head, too.
    “If you believe that, Commissar, then I have some ice to sell you.”
    Ulrich snorts, but Kozlov just rolls his shoulders. “There are worse reputations to have. Now, you mentioned new diagnostic equipment? I would like to see this.”
    He starts toward Medical’s emergency-services wing, but I stay back. I’d sooner shoot myself in the foot than have to stomach another hour of this political hobnobbing—and given what I’m about to say, that analogy is likely to prove dangerously apropos.
    “Commissar. Yevgeny.” My voice turns him around. I sound steady, sure, but my chest constricts with dread.
Here goes nothing.
“I think I’ve earned the right to call you that. I have met with you every day this week. I’ve played the generous host. Now I’m just going to ask you outright. Will you sign the treaty tomorrow? Will you commit Russia to this coalition?”
    Kozlov brings his e-cigarette to his mouth. He huffs and he puffs and—
    “Probably,” he says.
    “Probably?”
    Another look at his translator. “This is also wrong word? It means—”
    “I know what it means,” I say quickly. “It’s the right word. Actually, no. No, it’s not.” In my mind, I’m rolling up my sleeves.
No more Missus Nice Resistance Leader.
“After everything McKinley has done for your people, everything we’re willing to offer,
probably
is the best you can give me? Sorry, Commissar, but frankly, that’s not good enough.”
    He shrugs. “I make no promises until I see terms.”
    “You
know
the terms. And you know damn well the outcome if Russia backs out!” The whole bloody coalition will fall apart. I don’t say that last bit. He’s aware of the stakes. “You think you can hold Asia without Alaska, and the rest of your eastern side exposed? Good freaking luck with that. If we go, so do you.”
    My words crease the air with tension. The hallway’s gone suddenly silent, making me sound all the louder. Several people roll over, facing away from us, pretending to sleep.
    “Careful, Commander Long. Someone could mistake your words for a threat.” Kozlov drops his e-cigarette and stomps on it like it’s a real cigarette that needs to be put out. I can’t tell whether it’s just an old habit or if he’s being dramatic on purpose, but he’ll regret it later, when he’s jonesing for nicotine.
    I move closer to him, stepping over someone’s tangled pile of clothes.
    “Good,” I say, looking him in the eye. He’s got me beat by a few inches, but I like to believe my presence is at least somewhat commanding, if not due to the bright red hair, then due to the odd smattering of freckles on exactly one half of my face. Cloning mishap. “If you’re not afraid, you’re not paying attention. This coalition might be the only thing that stands between us and complete annihilation by the machines.
    “Look at what we’ve already achieved with Alaska. In two months, we’ve managed to secure our borders as far as Canada. Two months.”
    “With our help,” Kozlov says.
    “Yes.” I grant him the point. “Now imagine what we could do with our combined resources in a year.”
    “I am sorry, Commander.” His tone suggests nothing of the kind, though it’s a little hard to tell through the thick accent. “I am