Out of the Dark Read Online Free PDF Page B

strong, steady beat of his heart melted her fear like warm sunlight on snow. At the moment, his hands gently rubbing her back soothed her more than any professional massage.
    “It ’s okay, Em,” Mac said. “It’ll all work out.”
    She looked up as the driver maneuvered one of Moscow’s busier streets and mingled with the usual airport traffic. To add to her stress, the slow drizzle hindered their progress, but at least they were moving in the direction that would get them safely out of the country.
    Moments later they arrived at their destination. Emily noticed rain had turned the private airport’s tarmac black, and fog flirted with the horizon. Hopefully they’d get out before the weather crippled their escape.
    Recognizing the pilot, Emily exhaled and found the courage to release Mac from her death grip and get o ut of the cab. Sam Malloy stood with the airport officials signing the necessary papers for them to leave. Ed Myers, the co-pilot, hadn’t arrived yet. Taking her purse from Mac’s bag, Emily found her wallet and paid the cabdriver. She and Mac moved toward the small terminal
    She smiled at the customs agent and presented her papers. It shouldn’t have surprised her that Mac’s documents were in order. Falcon worked wonders when it came to protecting their agents.
    “Welcome , Miss Richards and Mr. Finch,” said the clerk.. She gave Mac a questioning glare. He winked. She wanted to smack him.
    As they left c ustoms, Emily leaned closer. “Finch?”
    “Tony is our resident passport guy. At the moment, I’m Atticus Finch.” He look ed at her and smiled. “To Kill a Mockingbird...?”
    “I guess that’s better than Elmer Fudd.”
    “Oh, I’ve been him before.” Mac laughed. “Tony has a bitch of a sense of humor.”
    “Sounds like it.”
    They moved quickly through all the necessary channels and were waiting for the final okay to leave.
    With a nod of approval, Mac and Emily departed the terminal and walked a hundred feet to the waiting plane. She looked up the portable stairs to the entrance of the plane. “I think that open door is the best thing I’ve seen all day.”
    “Hey,” Mac teased. “I’m offended by that remark.”
    Before they could take the first step, Sam Malloy, the pilot walked over to them. “Who is he?” he asked, flipping his pen against the clipboard. “I need to give the authorities the names of all passengers.”
    “He’s Atticus Finch. We’ve been through customs already. Where is Ed?” she asked, hoping to distract Sam before he questioned Mac’s fake name. She peered toward the parking lot. “I made it clear we leave tonight...now.”
    “He couldn’t be reached, but we’ll be fine.” Sam nodded toward the plane. “It’s a Cessna 500,” he explained, as he studied the overhead clouds. “There’s no problem flying solo, as long as the weather doesn’t become a hazard.”
    Sam handed the ground crew the clipboard then walked up the stairs to the plane. Emily made sure she and Mac were right behind him. With the engines revving, Emily couldn’t help taking one last look back at Moscow.
    What if there were more bad guys?
    What if the authorities found out Mac was a special agent?
    What if they didn’t make it into the air?
    At the entrance of the plane, Sam turned and stopped them. “Am I to assume you have cleared this with Stromberg?”
    “I’m sure it will be fine,” Emily managed . “I’ll settle everything with the CEO when we land.”
    “You seem awfully nervous, Miss Richards,” Sam said, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Is anything wrong?”
    Emily took a deep breath and inhaled the damp air deep into her lungs. Slowly she exhaled through her mouth. She released her clenched fists and smiled a grimace.
    “No , nothing,” she replied, mentally forcing her voice to remain calm. “I just finished my business early and decided to leave tonight. I have a briefing in Dallas and I’d like to get there in time to