Out of the Dark Read Online Free PDF

something as well.
    They made their way to the ground floor. Mac forced a smile. “This will be the easiest thing you’ve done all evening.”
    Arm and arm, Mac felt her body trembling. “You’re okay, Em,” he said calmly. “Don’t fall apart on me now.”
    They entered the wide lobby with its tall white columns and comfortable seating areas then headed for the door. Her body crushed against his side.
    Just as the front desk came into view, Mac turn ed away and looked down at Em as they continued toward the revolving door.
    The uniformed doorman tipped his ha t when they walked out into the misting rain. The sidewalk and streets were wet and black.
    A police car, with piercing sirens, pulled up in front of the hotel. Two armed men jumped out of the Volvo, and darted inside. Mac turned in time to keep them from getting a look at his face.
    Careful not to draw attention, Mac pressed Emily’s head to his shoulder and steered her down the sidewalk to the corner. They turned and melted into the darkness.

C HAPTER THREE
     
    Grasping Mac’s hand, Emily swallowed a scream. While recalling the scene in the hotel, Emily’s lips trembled and her knees wobbled. She longed to run like a demon chased her, but valiantly reined in that impulse as they strolled toward the exit. The fear of losing control and turning into a hysterical maniac tugged at her mind.
    More than anything, she wanted to curl into a ball until the horror passed. But she knew one wrong move on her part could get them killed. Unable to do anything but follow Mac’s lead, she shivered like a dog left out in the cold, and stayed close.
    When they had exited the hotel, cool night air slapped her in the face. The chilly temperature revitalized her briefly and braced her against the terror, but did little to calm her nerves.
    As if in a daze, Emily marched stiffly beside Mac and prayed no one followed. With every step she had to fight the urge to glance back because to do so could call unwanted attention to them and prove fatal.
    A breath caught in her throat when Emily realized she’d never seen Mac like this. Fast, cunning, deadly...and totally in control. Not a hint of concern or worry wrinkled his brow or affected his outward demeanor. It scared the hell out of her in one sense and yet eased her traumatized mind in another. 
    After a block Emily no longer resisted the urge and looked back. She turned at the scream of more sirens and saw emergency vehicles with flashing red lights speeding toward the hotel.
    Again she wanted to break into a run but Mac gripped her hand and gave the appearance they were doing nothing more than taking a stroll in the night air. That he carried his duffel bag meant nothing in this area of hotels and tourists.
    As the hotel faded into the mistiness, they turned east toward Gorky Park. Mac hailed the only cab in sight. When the small yellow vehicle stopped, Emily gladly jumped inside to get out of the elements and away from the scene that fueled her fear. She hoped the metal surrounding the vehicle would somehow shield her from harm.
    After the door shut, she wrinkled her nose. The interior reeked of sweat, booze and vomit. Her stomach rebelled violently but knew she had to control herself. She swallowed hard and rolled down the window to take a gulp of fresh air.
    Finally her heart rate slowed.
    “Where is the plane?” Mac asked.
    “It’s at the private section of Sheremetyevo Airport.” She pointed to the sign stretched above the highway. “Exit here. This will take us to the right terminal.”
    While her brain refused to work fast enough to translate, Mac repeated what she’d said in Russian as smoothly and calmly as a judge rendering a verdict.
    As they headed in the right direction, Mac slumped back in the seat and pulled h er against him. She hated being weak and frightened. Yet she clutched Mac’s shirt in her fists and buried her face in his chest. Nothing had felt better or more reassuring in her whole life. The