Twisted by Francine Pascal Page A

Tom more cautious. It was the simple jobs that turned into nightmares.
    He felt a little odd, walking between the square buildings along Washington Place. Part of it was the feeling that any older person gets visiting a college or high school. An out-of-place feeling. Only Tom didn’t need to be surrounded by kids to feel out of place. He was out of place just being alive.
    He reached the gray concrete steps of the dorm and hurried inside. Put on the right uniform, and youcan get anywhere. Show a little paperwork, and people will even point out the right door.
    Three minutes later, Tom had walked through a disheveled common room and was rapping his knuckles against a dented oak panel marked B4. He’d hand the boy the box and go.
    A feeling of guilt added to Tom’s uneasiness. This boy’s relationship to Gaia had already led him into serious trouble. Involving him further might well get the boy killed.
    Tom shoved away the guilt. He had to do what he could to protect Gaia. It would be impossible to get the information directly to her—Gaia was under almost constant observation. If Tom tried to get close, he would only get himself killed. And more to the point, Gaia as well.
    There was no response to his knock. He tried again, rapping a little harder this time.
    â€œPackage,” he called through the closed door. “Package for Sam Moon.”
    One of the doors on the other side of the common room opened, and an overweight young man, his hair shaved down to a dark Stubble, stuck out his head.
    â€œHe’s not here,” he said, a strong southern accent in his voice. “I saw him leave about half an hour ago.”
    Tom frowned. “Do you know where he could be?”
    The stubble-haired neighbor shook his head. “Heusually comes back here between classes. You want me to hold on to that for him?”
    Tom’s fingers instinctively tightened around the package. He ran through the possibilities. He could try to find Sam elsewhere. He had pulled the boy’s class schedule off the Internet, and he could always wait for Sam outside a classroom. Unfortunately package delivery companies didn’t usually ambush people in hallways.
    He could try coming back later, but that had its own set of risks. The sooner the information reached Sam, the better the chance of saving Gaia.
    Tom looked at the boy with the shaved head. There was no reason to think he couldn’t be trusted. No reason except that he appeared to have about as many brain cells as a ceiling beam.
    â€œIf I give it to you, will you be able to give it to him today?” Tom asked.
    â€œAs soon as he shows up,” the boy promised.
    Tom hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. “Sign here,” he said. He passed a clipboard over, watched the boy sign it, and then—reluctantly—handed him the box.
    The boy stepped back and started to close the door.
    Tom grabbed the edge of the door and held it open. “This is an important package,” he said. “You need to see that he gets it right away.”
    â€œYeah,” the boy replied, obviously perplexed. “Sure.” He pulled on the door, and Tom let it go.
    â€œTell him it’s from Gaia ,” Tom said to the closing door. “An important package from Gaia.”
    The door closed with a click, and a moment after, Tom heard the sound of one, two, three locks being set. He stared at the old, scratched wood door for a moment, then turned and started out of the building.
    He was aware that he hadn’t acted like a delivery-man. It didn’t matter. Sam’s neighbor could think anything he liked.
    As long as he delivered the package.
Screaming Desk
    GAIA NEVER KNEW A PIECE OF furniture could scream.
    It was there in every class she had shared with Cassie Greenman. A desk. An empty desk.
    It was just a plain desk, scratched up and written on by so many students, it was hard to even make out where one set of initials stopped and the