In the Dark Read Online Free PDF

Three
    Over the Atlantic Seaboard
14:22 EST
    Peering out of the P-3C Orion ASW patrol craft, Luther tried to pinpoint the plane's progress by the contour of the coast. From an altitude of fourteen thousand feet, the seaboard had been sharply defined in contrast to the shimmering expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. But then they came upon a low front, and for the last hour there was nothing under them but clouds.
    Hannah had fallen asleep in the seat next to his. As the flight progressed, she listed in his direction until she fell against his shoulder. He eased both their seats back, lowering the arm between them to make her more comfortable. The woman had to be exhausted.
    She snuggled closer, pulling his arm between her warm breasts. He steeled himself against the pleasure of her touch, but it was impossible not to notice that her breasts were real, unlike Veronica's enhanced mammaries—and her hair smelled like strawberries.
    Thank God Westy was soundly asleep in the seat across the aisle or he'd be snickering under his breath at Luther's expense.
    The plane dropped without warning, and Hannah lurched awake, throwing her arms around the back of the chair in front of her. "No!"
    Her cry wakened Westy, who reached uselessly for his weapon, which was down in the belly of the plane.
    "Easy, easy," Luther soothed, taking in Hannah's wild-eyed disorientation. "That was just an air pocket."
    She drew a shaky breath. "Sorry," she apologized. Seeing her seat tipped back and the arm lowered, she cast him a suspicious glare before bringing both back into position with hands that shook. Then she sat there, head pressed against the headrest, hands clasped tightly in her lap.
    Luther returned his own seat to normal. She'd seemed fine upon boarding the plane—a little antsy, maybe, but not privately panic-stricken. And then he realized—oh, damn—she had to be thinking of her parents' deaths. How could she not think about it every time she got on a plane?
    He knew from counseling younger SEALs that the only way around fear was to talk through it. "How old were you when they died?" he asked.
    Hannah took a deep breath. "Twenty-three," she said tonelessly. "It happened three years ago, this fall."
    He considered what it would be like to lose his parents. At twenty-three he'd been fresh out of college playing professional football, getting wrapped up in all the wrong vices. If not for his parents, he wouldn't have rallied from the incident that changed his life. "Do you have any siblings?" he continued.
    "I have a little brother. He was eighteen, then."
    Jesus. "You must have both been devastated."
    "It changed a lot of things," she conceded.
    He waited for her to explain.
    "I was just about to get my first assignment overseas." She looked at him with regret in her eyes. "I wanted to be a case officer like my father—you know, travel abroad, make contacts, ferret out information that would help protect our country. But when my parents died, my godfather convinced me to switch to a less dangerous career. At least until Kevin was out of college."
    "He's got—what—a year to go?" Luther guessed.
    "Actually, he's working on a dissertation for his PhD. He finished undergraduate school when he was nineteen. He's pretty smart," she added.
    "No kidding. That's impressive as hell."
    "I'm proud of him. But he's all brain and no common sense. He forgets to eat sometimes, which is why I agreed to switch to the DIA, at least till Kevin completes his studies." She gave him a sudden, startled look. "What if Kevin's not safe? The Individual must know him, too." Her concern was palpable.
    "We'll ask Valentino," Luther reassured her. "I'm sure he's thought of that."
    She faced forward, concerned but mollified.
    "So, do you still want to be a case officer?" he inquired. It unsettled him to think of her cavorting about in foreign countries, meeting up with strangers for the sake of national security, but she seemed to have the nerves for it.
    "Absolutely. It's