Free Upside Down by Fern Michaels

training under Harry, even Dennis. They meet every evening at seven o’clock and work out for two hours. On the nights when Harry has other classes, Jack teaches it. He, as you know full well, has a black belt, thanks to Harry. Ask yourself why all that is necessary.
    â€œThis is just a guess on my part, but I think the seed, the germ, whatever you want to call it, came about last year, right around Thanksgiving. The guys were huddling even back then. I think when Charles split, that was all they needed to make their move. I don’t know how it’s going to work with Bert in Vegas. They recruited Abner, Dennis is relatively new to the group, but he’s in one hundred percent, and he has all that money for funding. Factor in Avery Snowden and his little group, then ask yourself if anything else comes to mind.”
    â€œWhat about Jack Sparrow? You mentioned him,” Annie asked.
    â€œGlad you asked that. I just heard a rumor a few days ago, and if I got downwind of it, then Ted for sure heard it. He has some of the best sources or snitches, whichever word you prefer, in the world. You pay for it, Annie, but those snitches always come through for him. Mine are only half as good as Ted’s. The scuttlebutt is Sparrow was seen going into the White House. With guess who?”
    â€œWho?” the women asked in unison, their eyes wide.
    Maggie grimaced. “Lizzie, that’s who. Our own Lizzie Fox!”
    â€œBut . . .” Annie sputtered.
    â€œMr. Jack Sparrow is going to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. FBI himself. The boys’ inside source, the way Bert Navarro was ours. What could be sweeter? That is my personal take on it. In other words, my gut. I’m never wrong, ladies.”
    â€œOh, dear, that . . . that . . .” Myra reached for her pearls, her lifeline when things moved out of her comfort zone.
    â€œSucks, Myra. Go ahead, you can say it, it’s not a bad word, but it sure sums up the way things are right now,” Annie said.
    â€œAll right, all right, but what does all this mean?” Myra demanded.
    â€œWell, look at it like this. Sparrow is probably going to be the new director of the FBI if the rumor is true. The boys all have the same gold shields we have. Carte blanche. Jack doesn’t have a job—he quit Nikki’s firm and left the D.A.’s office, so he’s a free agent. There appears to be trouble in the marriage. Abner . . . I didn’t know about . . . about your problem, Isabelle. He’s always been a free agent, too. Alexis dropped Espinosa and chose her career over him. Ted and Espinosa, as well as Dennis, have hours and hours of downtime, so they’re available for whatever is going on. Harry has the perfect job, what with all those agents he trains. They talk, the agents that is. Harry listens. Grist. Dennis has, we might as well say, virtually unlimited money, and he’s probably funding whatever it is they’re doing. The only thing Dennis West doesn’t have going for him is one of the gold shields. What all that tells me is that the boys are ripe for something. I guess time will tell us what that something is. Now, I’d like to know what’s going on with you, Isabelle. I need a break from all this heavy stuff. Talk to me, girl.”
    Isabelle drew a long, deep breath. “Abner and I hit a rough patch. I had hoped when I took that job in England we could weather a long-distance relationship. We did for about eight months. Abner would fly over once a month; and then he started getting sick with each flight. Upper respiratory infections, really bad sinus attacks, his ears acted up. He actually had tubes put in them. The specialists told him he couldn’t fly anymore. He said his eardrums could explode. He would no sooner get better than another attack would hit him, always after a flight across the pond. At least until he was totally one hundred percent recovered