True Lies Read Online Free PDF Page A

she picked up the lunch she had packed and led the way to the dock.
    * * *
    The plane roared across the lake, its pontoons throwing up twin tails of glittering spray. There was still plenty of flat water to spare when the nose tipped upward and they became airborne. Bruce was impressed. He had flown in a large variety of aircraft with pilots of widely varying competency, so he could tell immediately that he was in the hands of a natural. Emma continued the easy climb until they were well above the trees. Dipping one wing, she banked in a wide turn before leveling off and easing back on the throttle.
    This was a single engine Cessna, nothing fancy, just a reliable little plane. Xavier had filled him in on the specifications and capabilities late last night, and the information supported his original suspicions. The plane was fully capable of the round trip from here to the St. Lawrence. Yes, the plane was capable of playing a vital role in the pipeline. But was the pilot?
    She was dressed much the same as yesterday, with her well broken-in boots laced over her ankles and a pair of dark blue denims molding snugly to her legs. She’d thrown a red-and-black plaid jacket over her loose blouse and had crammed that wide-brimmed black hat over her luxurious hair, but the clothes didn’t diminish her femininity. Or the renewed pull he’d felt the moment he’d seen her.
    Although Bruce had resolved not to let his personal feelings become any more involved in this case, he hadn’t been able to prevent that sudden stab of pleasure he’d experienced when his chief suspect had opened her door this morning. The mist had been curling off the lake like a silent embrace, the lonely dawn calls of a pair of loons had warbled in the distance. Silhouetted by the soft glow of the cabin light, Emma had appeared warm and too damn welcoming.
    He’d stared at her photograph for hours last night, trying to discern the woman behind the beautiful face. But that was something the film couldn’t show him. Even in the all-too-distracting flesh, she kept her thoughts hidden. When he’d deliberately dropped his fishing gear on her doorstep and had stood there looking like a pathetic klutz, he hadn’t seen derision or ridicule or pity in her gaze. She’d been studying him, as if she were trying to see the man beneath the baggy clothes.
    From the corner of his eye he watched her. She was a seat-of-the-pants flyer, using her instruments merely to confirm what she already knew through other cues, like the feel of the controls and the level of noise. The cool, clear day was ideal for flying. She handled the controls with a gentle touch, using subtle nudges of her hands and feet to make the steady flight seem effortless. Dark aviator sunglasses hid her eyes, but she made no effort to hide the expression of sheer enjoyment on her face. Obviously, she loved to fly.
    And obviously, she would be skilled enough to pull off the dangerous night smuggling runs.
    Resolutely, Bruce redirected his gaze to the panoramic view beneath the wing. He was on the verge of letting his feelings interfere with his professional detachment again. Yet he simply couldn’t imagine Emma participating in something so abhorrent. Not with this plane, not with the way she loved to fly. Would someone with her exceptional competence willingly pervert their skill?
    He hoped the answer was no.
    “Are you okay so far?” she asked, raising her voice over the noise of the engine and the air rushing against the windshield.
    “Sure,” he answered. “Hey, it’s beautiful way out here, isn’t it? You really can’t tell from the ground. I'm glad Hugh steered me your way.”
    She started a lazy turn, nudging the rudder with her foot to minimize the stomach-wrenching slide typical of less skillful pilots. “So am I.” Sunlight flashed briefly from her sunglasses as she glanced toward him. “Everyone needs a vacation now and then, Bruce.”
    Her smile took him by surprise. It was sudden,