“You’re in the spotlight, Harney, right where you like it.”
I look up at him. Still in shock—this was the absolute last thing I expected—I’m unable to come up with one of my trademark one-liners. “I never wanted the spotlight. I just did my job.”
“Well, you got it anyway, Media Sweetheart. But the thing about the spotlight? It can be warm and comforting when you do good. It can be harsh when you screw up.”
That’s one thing he didn’t need to tell me.
“There’s nothing the press likes more than a fall from grace,” he says. “A hero cop who turns out to be a fuckup.”
That’s two things I already knew.
“That line-of-duty pension’s still on the table,” he says. “Walk away with some bucks in your pocket, move on with your life.”
“And get out of your hair,” I add.
“That, too.”
Yeah. Driscoll’s the type who throws dead weight off the boat without a moment’s hesitation. He’d take the first opportunity to burn me if it suited him. And for all I know, that’s what this whole thing is—I’m being set up to fail.
So I’ll just have to make sure I don’t fail.
I give him a wide grin. “I accept the assignment, Mr. Superintendent, sir. Your Excellency.”
He gives me a sidelong glance. “Oh, you’re gonna last a real long time with that attitude, hotshot. Your boss is going to love you.”
I knew about the creation of SOS. But I never heard who’d be running it.
“Who’s my boss?” I ask.
BOOKS BY JAMES PATTERSON FEATURING MICHAEL BENNETT
Blindside (with James O. Born)
Ambush (with James O. Born)
Haunted (with James O. Born)
Bullseye (with Michael Ledwidge)
Alert (with Michael Ledwidge)
Burn (with Michael Ledwidge)
Gone (with Michael Ledwidge)
I, Michael Bennett (with Michael Ledwidge)
Tick Tock (with Michael Ledwidge)
Worst Case (with Michael Ledwidge)
Run for Your Life (with Michael Ledwidge)
Step on a Crack (with Michael Ledwidge)
For a preview of upcoming books and information about the author, visit JamesPatterson.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.