The Soviet Comeback Jamie Smith (ebook reader online free txt) 📖

it just happened a lot easier than I anticipated. If you are CIA then you aren’t very good at it.”

“If I was CIA, which I’m not saying I am, then there would be no point in trying to hide in Langley,” he responded, with a small smile. His words fell into the silent hole between them. They looked awkwardly at each other, both unsure what to say, what to do. It felt like the gap was growing between them.

“Is there a version of you that could ever be vulnerable?” she asked softly after several minutes’ silence.

He looked at her sadly, his eyes feeling like they were hanging low into his face. He wished there were tears he could call upon. He began to speak but Elysia interrupted. “Maybe just don’t answer,” she said abruptly.

“I would give my heart to tell you everything, Elysia, but it would cost me my soul,” Nikita said hesitantly, the words almost catching in his throat. Every time he looked at her, he could feel guilt, feel Giorgos’s death. His burden was to carry that secret to his grave, to spare Elysia the hurt it would cause.

“I think that is the most real thing you have ever said to me,” she replied, laying a hand gently on his knee. “What’s your real name?” she asked tentatively but almost challengingly.

“I don’t want to lie to you, Elysia.”

“Then don’t,” she said crossly.

“Right now, I’m Jake, Jacob Marshall,” he said, wishing he could be himself just for a moment. “There’s so much you don’t understand. If I give you the answers you seek, I would put us both in very great danger. How can you expect me to knowingly do that? If you’ve seen the footage on TV today, you’ve seen what happens to the people close to me.”

“That was the woman I saw you with in Baltimore?”

He nodded silently, the sorrow flowing up in him again. He emptied his wine glass in one swallow and refilled it.

“The answer isn’t at the bottom of the glass, you know, especially this early in the day” Elysia said pointedly.

Nikita’s face tensed. “How can I know that if I don’t try?” She said nothing, looking down at her lap. “You’re probably right, but I don’t know what rules I should believe in anymore,” he said with a sigh. “You have no idea where my answers lie, Elysia,” he added flatly.

Elysia stood. “You’re right, I don’t,” she said, her eyes flashing. “But I’m on your side, if you would only let me be.”

Nikita stood up. “I’m getting pretty tired of you telling me what to do, Elysia,” he said crossly.

“I’m getting pretty tired of watching you sit silently drinking your thoughts away,” she retorted. “Was that what you were doing in Skyros? Drinking to forget?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?” he replied, his voice rising quickly.

“Why do you always do that? Throw everything back onto me,” Elysia shouted, shoving him in the chest. “You act so strong and silent, all brooding and tough, but you know what I think? I think you’re just a coward.”

“That’s the second time this morning that you’ve called me a coward,” he said, irritated.

“Well, you are, just a scared little coward,” she said, her voice rising.

“Elysia…” Nikita tried to stop her, feeling his blood rising in a way he could never remember it doing before.

“Taking the easier way out always, just running away, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea what I’ve endu—”

“Go on; run away again, I can see you want to!” Elysia screamed at him.

“SHUT UP!” shouted Nikita, his hands shaking with fury, his eyes ablaze. “Please stop. PLEASE!” he begged. Control was slipping from his grasp with terrifying pace.

“WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF?”

“THAT I MIGHT LOVE YOU,” roared Nikita.

His eyes immediately widened in horror. It felt like a dagger of ice was driving its way through his body.

Elysia froze. Her hand, which had been raised, dropped to her side. She glared at him, breathing heavily, their faces only inches apart. Nikita was trembling. The silence was horrible.

“Look Elysi—” he began, but was cut off as she threw her arms around him and pulled him to her ferociously and passionately. He hesitated only a moment before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply, allowing himself to get lost in her body.

It was some hours later when he awoke and saw her lying next to him, her body rising and falling slowly, her face looking so peaceful and perfect. He felt so many things and could immediately feel the rising anxiety in his chest.

Elysia’s long eyelashes fluttered open slowly and she smiled at him. Seeing the worried expression on his face, she stroked his cheek and then rested her hand on his heavily scarred chest. “Get out of your head. There are a million things for us to worry about, but for now let’s just enjoy a few moments without worrying about the past or future; just get lost in this moment right now.”

Nikita exhaled heavily and lay back, relaxing. He rolled onto his side and wrapped Elysia in his arms, their bodies fitting together perfectly. He breathed deeply on her hair and felt an unfamiliar feeling spread around his body from his heart. He felt, in just that moment, completely happy.

***

Taras Brishnov floated cautiously towards the shore, awkwardly trying to pull the body of Sarah Chang with him. Every single part of him hurt. He had fallen into the foaming waters where the deep Potomac River met the Washington Channel and Anacostia River, and it was those bubbles which lowered the density of the water that had saved his life. Nonetheless, he felt like he had fallen into wet concrete and he hurt right down to his bones.

Crawling up the cold, grey shale bank of the Potomac River, blood