Normal by Francine Pascal Read Free Book Online Page A

stomach, and he realized that Rowan had pulled his gun.
    â€œAll right, step back, ” Rowan ordered. “Get your hand off of me, Moore, and take two steps back. Now. ”
    â€œWhy don’t you just take me in?” Oliver dared the obvious phony. “What are you waiting for?”
    â€œYou need psychiatric assistance, Mr. Moore. We’ll be filing a report on this incident, believe me. Paranoid, unstable, violent tendencies—it’s all going into my report.” Rowan and Morrow backed quickly toward the door.
    â€œI’ll find out who you are,” Loki shouted. “Who you really are, I mean. You can count on it. You have no idea who you’re dealing with here! No idea!”
    Rowan slammed the door behind him, and Oliver could hear the two phonies scuffling for the stairs. He ran and hoisted the door open again, shouting down the stairwell at them. “Stay away from Gaia Moore!” he hollered. “I am warning you!”
    Oliver slammed the door behind him. Leaning against the door, he realized he was sweating like mad. His heart was pounding, and there was a slight trembling in his hands.
    Who were they? What just happened?
    Looking over at the kitchen counter, Oliver saw the crumpled note he’d written to Gaia.
    Anger helps me see the truth, he’d said.
    Oliver nodded. He was angry. And there was something else, too.
    He was frightened. Frightened for Gaia.
    FIELD REPORT: INTERVIEW WITH SUBJECT A-2-A
    Rowan, J., and Morrow, P., reporting
    Interview was conducted at 11:50 A.M . EST at subject’s address. The subject, Oliver Moore, aka Loki (see attached file 45071-a), gave ambiguous answers to several questions (concerning the serum we have code-named BLUEBELL) before terminating the interview and physically assaulting the interviewers. Attempts to convince the subject to resume the discussion failed.
    Throughout, the subject showed signs of instability, anger, and nervousness, which are clearly associated with the “Loki” personality. This instability was expressed as paranoid delusion: Mr. Moore referred both to his CIA training and to the more lethal techniques he had developed in his role in the Organization.
    The information provided by the subject was inconclusive, and given Moore’s refusal to cooperate further, the investigation must proceed using different methods.
    Arrangements are being made for the next interview to be conducted within days, allowing for travel time (to upstate New York) and other factors. A subsequent field report will be submitted thereafter through the usual channels.
    END
    Pathetic Hesitancy
    THIS WASN’T JAKE. NOTHING ABOUT this was Jake. Jake didn’t wait. Jake didn’t hesitate. Jake wasn’t patient. If there was something he wanted, he set his sights, and he locked on target, and he went for it.
    Be a man. That was the point It was a stupid, ancient, macho cliché, fine, but that didn’t make the sentiment any less true, and it didn’t mean they weren’t words to live by. They were in fact words Jake generally lived by. And they had done him nothing but good for the first eighteen years of his life. So why should this be any different? Why should tonight be any different?
    But it was different. It was different because it was Gaia. And that meant a few things. It meant that what was happening between them was a little more awkward than it should have been—than it ever had been for him before. It meant that it was serious because Gaia was serious: she didn’t titter and squeal and chase after boys and parties like the majority of the girls he’d spent his time with. And most of all, it meant that it was complicated. Gaia was complicated. Her life was way more than complicated. Jake might consider himself a pretty simple guy, but nothing was simple when it came to this girl. He knew that. He understood that.
    But still, it was time. It was time to make his point. It was time