[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."You're flying the plane? Really? You're a pilot?" I couldn't believe my eyes as Mark climbed into the pilot's seat and pointed to the seat next to him."Yep, and you're my co-pilot." He seemed relaxed as his hands flew over the instrument panel, performing a final check before takeoff."I'm no pilot! I don't even like to fly," I cried."This isn't funny, Mark.""I'm not joking.I'll need a little help up here.Unless you're chicken," he taunted.I glared at him and then strapped myself in and stared at the complicated controls all around me.Piece of cake, right? "Where are we going?""Well, much as I'd like to make a detour to the Bahamas or some other tropical isle, they're expecting this plane to land at a private airport in Washington, D.C.in a few hours."He radioed in to the tower and got an all-clear response.I looked over at Mark.It was unnerved seeing him like this.He'd gone all James Bond on me.It made me wonder what else there was about him that I didn't know.It was also way sexy."You're shoe isn't a phone is it?"He grinned at my Get Smart reference."Nope.But Ninety-Nine is quite the hottie.""You know she's actually ninety-nine now, right?"Mark laughed and reached over to squeeze my hand.I closed my eyes as the plane gathered speed and whisked us into the air."So what's the plan once we're in D.C.?" My ears were popping, and my stomach flipped and flopped.This small plane stuff was for the birds."Since everyone thinks we're on the boat, I figure we've got a week of no one looking for us.While we're in D.C.I'll research the money trail on The Spider."I made a face."And I spend my days sitting around a hotel?"Mark nodded."You don't have to just sit around the hotel.But you have to keep a low profile, and you can't make any contact with your family or friends.If they call, you're on the boat, remember? Play it that way.""I guess I could work on my new solo album." I was itching to fine-tune the new song."Yeah, and you could take in some of the sights.Go visit the Smithsonian."I thought about that for a minute."I haven't been there since I was in the third grade.Bobby Hastings dared me to try to climb up on one of the displays.I ended up sitting on the bus for the rest of the day.""See," Mark said brightly, "that's something you can do right there.And I'm going to book us into a swanky hotel with a big bathtub and king-size bed."I smiled."Will you wine and dine me?""Of course.Maybe even do some sight-seeing with you.We're really close to tracking down the money.We're going to get this guy." Mark patted my leg.I relaxed a little, leaning into the comfortable co-pilot seat.My eyes started to close, and then I jerked awake."Is there anything I should know about the plane?" I waved my hands at all the instruments."You know, in case you bump your head or something.""I figure I'm pretty safe as long as you stay strapped in your seat."I made a face at his reference to my clumsiness."But if I go to the bathroom and don't come back.Well," he looked around at all the buttons."You should probably start by pressing this one." He pointed to a bright red button."What's that do?""Initiates an SOS.The closest airport should contact you through the headphones.Then all you have to do is follow their instructions to the T.""Is it really that easy?" I glanced over at him."Nope.""Didn't think so." I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.When I awoke, Washington, D.C.loomed before us.Impressive to see from the air.No buildings were allowed to be taller than the Capitol.A fact I had learned in the third grade.The lettered and numbered streets were also laid out in a diamond-shaped grid.More third grade Social Studies.Wow, you'd think I'd have gotten higher than a C in that class.Mark landed the plane smoothly, and before I knew it we'd passed through a security check point manned only by a bald bulky looking man named Todd.He handed Mark a note.Mark thanked him without looking at it.In the cab I asked, "So what was in the note?""Info about where I'm meeting a contact tomorrow.""But how would Todd at the airport security know?""Todd's not airport security.He's CIA.And he's an old friend of Marsha's which is why I got the info in the first place."I made a face at the mention of Marsha but held my tongue.It was hard enough to swallow the fact that Marsha and Andre were enjoying my romantic cruise up the coast.Not that I cared if Marsha and Andre got together.I was more ticked off at losing out on a romantic trip with Mark.Our relationship up to this point hadn't exactly been filled with lots of togetherness time."I wonder how Marsha's making out with Andre chasing her around the boat."Mark laughed."She's a three-time marathon winner.No chance he'll catch her.""Sounds like superwoman," I observed wryly."She's good at her job.Eat, sleeps, and breathes the CIA.But she's never been good at her personal life"I waited for him to say more.This was the most I'd ever heard about Marsha.I looked over at Mark, but he was staring out the window.Our cab pulled up to The Jefferson Hotel.Its understated elegance was the epitome of first-class Washington style.Forget cavernous entranceways and marble floors.This place had original period decor and working fireplaces, plush carpets, and architectural details found only in D.C.Unlike other major cities, D.C.building was limited by the Height of Buildings Act of 1910.More almost-forgotten facts from third grade history class.This act effectively limited the height of most buildings to less than 130 feet.The Act had a two-fold effect on the development of the town that newcomers notice right away.First, there are no skyscrapers so the major monuments are visible from most places in the city.Second, the inability to gain more square footage by building up led to both the creative use of existing space and more ornate structures.Guess all that creative energy had to go somewhere.The Jefferson Hotel was located just steps away from all the sights.There was a lot of hustle and bustle on the street as the doorman opened my door and called for a bellhop to get our bags.Inside, it was as serene as a Sunday afternoon in the park [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]