Wired by Francine Pascal Read Free Book Online Page B

from,” Chris repeated, as though in a trance. “I mean, she’s got nothing to do with it. But she might be coming too close.” Chris revealed his true concern. True, the cops hadn’t been able to get any information out of him—which was hysterical, in and of itself—andthey certainly weren’t questioning Liz for any reason other than the fact that she’d been walking in the park this morning and had seemed the right age, the right demographic for their inquiry. But they hadn’t truly had anything to link her with God. With Invince.
    With Chris.
    Dr. Rodke replaced the pen he’d been holding on the surface of his desk.
    â€œChris, Liz was asked routine questions by some semi-competent police officers who were simply doing their job. The same questions that would have been asked of anyone walking through the park this morning. As such, she wouldn’t be any more suspicious than anyone else. How often do unusual things happen in Washington Square Park?” Dr. Rodke pointed out. Those were the same thoughts that Chris himself had used to rationalize the incident, but they were somehow more comforting coming from an authority figure, a doctor, a father. “There’s no reason to be concerned that she is coming too close to the source of Invince. Unless there’s something you aren’t telling me,” Dr. Rodke continued with ominous finality.
    Chris shook his head again, as assertively as he was able. “No, of course not. What would I be keeping from you?”
    â€œGood, then,” Dr. Rodke stated, effectively ending the conversation. “I should get back to work. Skyler’s coming by later, and we have some reports to gothrough. So may I suggest that you close the door behind you as you go?”
    Chris was used to being dismissed Closing the door behind himself was par for the course.

Typical High School Experience
    JAKE WOVE HIS WAY ACROSS THE crowded pavement of Spring Street, gracelessly sidestepping the tourists lined up the length of a city block for entrance to Lombardi’s. He shook his head, annoyed. True, as one of the oldest brick-oven parlors in Manhattan, Lombardi’s had earned its reputation, but Jake wouldn’t stand on line for any restaurant in the city. Given that there was always another equally authentic, innovative, or just plain good and cheap place right around the corner, it wasn’t worth it.
    Besides, all of these people were in his way.
    Pushing past an overweight, frizzy blond posing in front of the restaurant’s awning, he pulled the rumpled e-mail printout out from the back pocket of his jeans and smoothed the paper as best as he could.
Newinformation has been procured
, the e-mail read.
Meet me at 121 Canal Street
.
    Jake hadn’t known that Oliver was maintaining an outpost on Canal Street. Of course, to say that there was a lot about Oliver that he didn’t know was an understatement. But it was clear that Oliver wanted to involve Jake in uncovering the threat against Gaia, and that was pretty cool. On a primary, superficial level, of course, Jake was totally worried about his girlfriend. If someone was after Gaia, he was going to go after the bastards and stop them, whatever it took. But even more than that, he liked being singled out by Oliver, liked feeling like he was a part of something bigger than the typical bullshit high school experience. Oliver was playing for real, for keeps, and Jake was glad to be on his team. So when he’d gotten the e-mail, he’d made a break for the Lower East Side without thinking twice.
    â€œExcuse me.” Frizzy was tapping his shoulder, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead.
Damn
. That was what he got for standing still. He regarded her index finger with as much distaste as he could muster but to no avail. “Excuse me, are you from around here?”
    â€œUh, yeah” Jake admitted reluctantly, extending no sign of kindness or