Chapter 15

“I’ll get the round after his,” she said.

Vincent held up a hand. “Let’s not turn this into a —”

“Yesche dva,” Nikoloz called, holding up another two fingers.

Vincent dropped his face into one hand. “Do I need to remind you that we have a mission in the morning?” he said around his fingers.

“You forget, ‘tovarish.’ If there is one thing Soviets are good at, it is drinking.” He held up one of the vodka shots in Barry’s direction. “Boudeem zdarovye.”

“To friendship!” Barry replied, again surprising Nikoloz. Were they friends? Barry tipped up his beer and drained the glass in one long swallow, then clapped Nikoloz firmly on the back. Fortunately, Nikoloz had not yet picked up the next glass of vodka. “What brings you out of Headquarters, Donauri? We thought they rented you a cot in the back of the lab.”

The vodka glowed warmly inside his belly, prompting him to answer the way he would talk to Vikushka. “They allow me out on alternate Tuesdays.”