Free Accord of Mars (Accord Series Book 2) by Kevin McLaughlin Page B

“Does everyone except me have one of those?”
    Choi gave me a thin smile. “They are useful, when having conversations you do not wish others to overhear. You may have this one when we are done, if you wish. I have others.”
    “No, thank you,” I replied. The last thing I wanted was to carry around any bit of tech Choi handed to me. If the thing could block bugs, who knew what else it might be able to do? I picked the pen out of my pocket and twirled it around my fingers. Having something in my hands kept me from wanting to use them to throttle the man sitting across from me.
    “As you wish,” he said. He glanced out at the room and seemed lost in thought for several long moments. Maybe he was hoping I would break the silence first. I decided to wait him out, instead. Long moments passed before he spoke again.
    “You are not like your father,” Choi said.
    “Admiral Perrault disagrees,” I replied. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. On the one hand, I knew he meant it as a compliment. On the other, I wanted to be seen as my own man, not a copy of someone else.
    “The admiral is incorrect,” Choi said. “You are rash. Your father would never have risked coming here to see me.”
    “Am I in danger here?” I asked. We both knew I was, but I wanted to hear him say it.
    He smiled like a snake. “Of course not.”
    “But then, he is back on Mars,” he went on. “And you are here.”
    “I do tend to leap in where angels fear to tread,” I admitted.
    “Which makes you dangerous,” Choi replied. His face was like a mask. I had a very hard time reading the emotions behind his words. “Your father, I can predict. His taking of the Mars presidency, for example? Classic. He is the cream that will always float to the top. Rise to whatever challenge. You, however?”
    He drummed his fingers on the table. “You are more of an enigma to me. You are no one. But you thwarted two ships full of pirates, and then retook a space station with a stolen vessel. Capturing multiple ships, you went on to foil the attack on Earth.”
    “Without your actions, your father would have failed. What he did was predictable. You are less the cream and more the annoying clot of curd that shows up unexpectedly,” he said.
    “Thank you,” I said. I grinned at him. I couldn’t help it. “That’s the most backwards compliment anyone has ever paid me.”
    “Have you considered that fighting alongside your father might not be in your best future interest?” Choi asked.
    “Not really, no,” I said. “The other options haven’t been appealing.”
    “No? Perhaps no one has made you the right offer.”
    And there it was. Choi wanted me to switch sides. He’d gained the loyalty, or at least the obedience, of men like Perrault. And now he was after me. And what a coup that would be for him. I was the son of the President of Mars. I was the other hero who’d come swooping in to save the planet. With me at his side, Choi could use me to smash my father’s reputation on Earth completely. If I stood against Dad, would anyone still think he was a hero?
    I laughed. Because it was an empty offer. Loyalty to my home, to Kel, and to my Dad aside… If I turned on my father, how would Choi ever really trust me? He’d use me while I was helpful to him, and then cast me away when I wasn’t. This was a man who would do anything to gain power.
    He wanted to see if I was like him.
    “Not in this lifetime,” I said.
    He nodded sharply. Then he glanced down at his smartwatch and tapped the screen before looking back at me. “I thought as much. But it was worth the time to ask, before I destroyed you. You might have been useful.”
    “That sounded like a threat,” I said.
    “Yes,” he said. “It was. Did you discover what this party was in celebration of?”
    “No,” I shook my head.
    He nodded, unsurprised. “It was a secret. But I will tell you. We were to announce the successful test of the new fusion reactor tonight. Earth will