Upside Down Read Online Free Page A

coat.
    Seated across from her at a round table covered in a pristine white tablecloth, Sparrow said, “You don’t order here. All they serve is chili, ginger ale, and crusty bread with homemade butter. Dessert is a special homemade blackberry cobbler served with vanilla ice cream, also homemade. You can get as many refills for free on everything as you want.”
    â€œMy kind of place.” Lizzie giggled. “Cosmo would love this. Okay, down to business. The prez wants you, Jack. The job is yours. He’s already smoothed the path and rounded up the votes, so you are a shoo-in. I know you said you wanted some think time, but do you really want to wait two whole weeks before you say yes?” She held up her hand to have him wait until she was finished with her little speech. “I know that, for forever and a day, you will remember those three years you served in a federal prison for something you didn’t do. You can’t hold the president responsible for what a few rogue agents did to you. He’s trying to make it right, just the way Martine Connor did.
    â€œAll the good guys are on your side, Jack. You can make a difference. But in order to do that, you have to let the past go. Really let it go. Start fresh. Clean house. Right now, the Bureau is tainted; even the president said so. You can turn it around, I know you can. And that offer to head up Scotland Yard has everyone’s knickers in a knot. That alone has to tell you what you’re worth. So, why’d you tell President Quintera you wanted two weeks to think it over?”
    â€œJust being ornery, I guess. I like to start new projects at the beginning. January second will work for me. Besides, I didn’t want to appear too eager. I called the Yard early this morning and thanked them for their offer but said that I was passing on it.”
    Sparrow felt the special phone Jack had given him when he left the BOLO Building vibrate inside his pocket. He decided to ignore it since he didn’t know how much Lizzie was privy to.
    â€œDoes that mean you want me to tell them you accept and will be ready to walk through the doors at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, on January second, or that’s when you want me to tell them you’ll take the job? POTUS does have some protocols he has to observe, but you heard him say they won’t pose a problem.”
    Sparrow looked down at the fiery bowl of chili a waitress had put in front of him. “I’ll report for duty on January second. God help us all,” he said, dipping an oversized spoon into a bowl that was as big as a Frisbee. He smacked his lips as his eyes started to water. Looking across at Lizzie, he couldn’t believe she had no reaction to the red-hot concoction.
    â€œI grew up eating chili like this. But this is nothing like what my dad used to make. His chili would singe your eyebrows off, that’s how hot it was. This is good, though. Anything else you want to get off your chest, Jack?”
    Sparrow looked across the table with watery eyes. Shit, she knows about BOLO. What to say, what not to say. He shrugged as he dabbed at his eyes with the cloth napkin in his lap. “Like what?” He ripped off a chunk of bread from the miniloaf and dipped it into his chili. “Do you mean am I going to stay here or head back to Vegas to wait out the time? I haven’t decided yet. Do I need to make a decision right now?”
    â€œNo. I was just making conversation. But, Jack, can I give you some unsolicited advice?”
    Sparrow dabbed at his tearing eyes again. “Sure.”
    â€œDon’t go near the BOLO Building again. If you absolutely need to talk to the guys, use that special phone in your pocket after you are officially the director of the FBI. Until then, you need to stay clean. Do you understand what I’m saying? Until you are the new head honcho, go through Bert, Cosmo, or me if you want to talk to Jack Emery or any of