I flushed it and rinsed my mouth out with Mountain Dew. The bathroom mirror told me my camouflage was still in full working order. Kit had been through enough. How I was going to manage the same feat was a little bit worrying. I’d need to buy the make-up without looking like a weirdo too. Damn, this running away thing was getting tired.
I took off my backpack and sat it on the bed to tip out the bare essentials I’d brought along. Something smelled bad now that my senses weren’t taken up by ‘eating’. I sniffed around, and sure enough the bed seemed to be the main culprit.
“Yuck,” I said to myself, knowing what the nasty smell was suddenly. Right now, I’d be less disgusted by a body rotting under the bed springs. I did not need to know how many creepos had soiled the mattress. There was nothing I could do about it, though, so I just sighed and opened my bag. Something silver and shiny flew out and flapped about in the air in front of my face.
“You little bugger!”
William gave an indignant huff before he flew to the bedside table and set himself down by the digital alarm clock. “I must assure myself of your intentions towards Miss Chase. It would be remiss of me to allow your courting to continue without…”
“Hold the bus! We aren’t courting, and you’ve only just made me a smuggler of illegal goods.”
“You are at the very least considering it,” he insisted, moving about in front of the alarm clock and pecking at it intermittently.
I took his assertion with a sigh. He wasn’t just an A.I, he was one of the crazy ones. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I was stuck with him now. A.I.’s have been illegal in the US since they started a mini-war in Washington that got embarrassingly close to being victorious. There’d been few casualties but their effective take-over of information systems had been quick and easy and only pulling the plug on said systems had stopped them. Since then they’d largely been deactivated and declared illegal for all intents and purposes. In Scotland A.I. tech was only used for toys.
“I would never consider it. Not alive, not dead. Never.”
“I beg to differ. Now let us start.”
“Start what?”
He perched himself on the alarm clock and looked up at me. I folded my arms. Flushing him down the toilet was starting to look like a valid solution again. I began to wonder what made me reconsider it the first time.
“The dialogue,” he informed me. “I must get to know you to know if your intentions are honest and true.”
“Are you serious?” Why was I bothering to ask? Of course, the precocious little prat was serious.
“Pray tell what is your name and where do you work?”
“It’s Pete, and I don’t.”
He gasped. “You don’t have a job?”
“Not anymore,” I told him, keeping my hood up and lying down on the disgusting-smelling but soft bed. If nothing else maybe his gentle squawking would send me drifting off to sleep.
“You were fired?” He sounded appalled.
“It happens when you die.”
“Ah, yes,” he said as if remembering something vaguely. “That happens, doesn’t it?”
He quietened down, and I shut my eyes. Aside from the sound of him settling down, he didn’t breathe another word. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off.
Seventeen - Pete
The manual! I’d left the damn manual at Kit’s place! The thought that woke me made me sit up straight in the bed. That’s when I discovered there were more immediate problems. I’d rolled about in my sleep, and there were dark stains on the pillow from my face. Cursing, I got up. William’s eyes were closed. He’d likely powered down to recharge his stuffy old geezer batteries.
The bathroom mirror confirmed my worst nightmare. The make-up had rubbed off. Well, partially and that was more than bad enough. I looked like something out of a horror film, well, more so than I already did. I touched the mess and tried to make what was left spread out. It sort of worked, but it wasn’t great. I looked like I had a skin disease. Crap. I’d need to go out and buy more of that make-up before it got any worse.
I went back into the room and glanced out the window. The dark sky was reassuring. I’d walk around with my hood up and my head down. If anyone tried to mess with me I’d make loud noises until they backed off. Right, psyched up, I pushed my money into my pocket and headed for the door.
It was cooler outside now, but the bustling main strip had enough body heat to power the excessive and all right, impressive, endless spread of glittering signs. The lights were something to be seen. I almost forgot I was meant to be keeping my head down.
The Walmart was full of awesome looking treats. I bought some more snacks along with the make-up, which thankfully they had. I wondered what else might make the foundation seem less conspicuous to the store clerk. I shoved a few more bars of chocolate into the basket. There were musical Elvis snow globes. I bought one. I think I got a more derisive look for the snow globe.
Mission accomplished, I hauled ass back to the room. Or I tried to. The girl who stepped in front of me refused to budge. I’d barely stepped out of the store and I was making enemies? I moved out of her way without looking up. Her girly pink trainers followed me. I glanced up and met the eyes of probably the most famous singer on the planet. The platinum blonde teenager gave me a pretty smile, cocked her head cutely, and put her hand out to my face. Something wet hit me square on the nose. She brought the wet wipe away along with half my make-up.
“That wasn’t real,” she said, sounding coyly disapproving.
I started to wonder if I might still be asleep.
Her smile brightened. “Want to come to my hotel room?”
Now I was sure I wasn’t awake. Until she flipped her hair and I saw the tattoo on her neck. She wasn’t Britt. She was one of the girl’s clones. Mickey had been banging on about them a while back. They were always going nutso and scalping old ladies at slot machines. I looked at her hands, but she wasn’t carrying anything I thought might be used as a weapon.
“I don’t think so.” I walked away. As tempting as it might have been to stand around and entertain the pretty girl, I didn’t need the hassle and I couldn’t do anything I might have wanted to when it came right down to it anyway. I really should have visited Vegas sooner. With a heavy sigh, I darted off, losing her as I made it across right before the traffic lights went back to green.
I wasn’t sure how many clones there were, but she had them all tattooed with numbers surrounded by different things. I’d just met number nine. She had little stars swirling around her number. I wasn’t sure what that meant. At least it wasn’t a picture of a little old lady being scalped.
William was still powered down when I got back. I supposed I should tell Kit he was here, after all. Then what? Tell her he wants to spend time with her ‘suitor’? There was no chance I was telling her that. Hell would freeze over first. I took my phone out and made the call.
“Mickey,” I said as soon as he picked up.
“Do you have any freaking idea what time it is?” He groaned at me.
I supposed it was probably early. “Who gives a shit o’clock? I’ve got the stupid owl.”
“You’ve what?”
“I said I’ve got Kit’s stupid owl. He sneaked in to my bag. Nearly shat myself when I opened it.”
“He sneaked in your bag?”
“Wake up already,” I complained at his slowly functioning brain capacity.
He yawned. “Why the hell would he do that?”
“He’s a mental,” I told him. “Just tell her.”
“Eh, I think she’ll want to come and get him.”
It would take him off my hands, I supposed. “Okay, whatever. I’m at the Midas Inn, it’s off strip.”
“Right. Okay. I’ll let her know.”
I had hours before she showed up, at least. Probably, she wouldn’t show up until after she closed the pub later. I probably had all day. I went into the bathroom and washed off the rest of the make-up. She could re
-do it for me when she got here.
The door knock came a lot sooner than I’d thought, less than an hour. It couldn’t possibly be Kit. I silently cursed the lack of a peephole. What kind of place is too cheap for peep holes? I folded my arms. Opening the door could be a mistake. How would Kit know what room I was in anyway? Something about it was making me nervous.
When the handle turned slowly, I froze. Suddenly, I was ten years old staring into the inhuman eyes of a thing that could kill me. The door swung inwards and I braced for the worst. I hadn’t been expecting the vision of beauty that stared back at me. From the delicate heels to the crystal dipped dress to the softly arranged hair, everything about the girl sang of effortless elegance. She walked forward tentatively and closed the door gently behind her. The wonder in her expression was entirely naked.
“Nine was right,” she said, reaching a hand out to my face. This was the real Britt. I had no doubts. She was ethereal, and she was gorgeous.
“If I had a heart to stop you would have.” Lame, I know, but it beat dribbling and staring unblinkingly like a complete creep.
She smiled and studied my face, frowning slightly. “Those eyes. They aren’t yours.”
“Contacts.” I took them out without a second thought.
She bit her lip and looked me over, clasping her hands in front of her finally. I got the feeling she might have a proposition and whatever it was I was ready to bend over backwards to meet her demands. It occurred to me she might have more than just the sway of a beautiful woman, but I didn’t put too much thought into that. It didn’t matter. The faint red pulsing glow to her skin barely even registered.
“Your name?”
“Pete. Peter MacDonald.”
“You came from the portal.”
I nodded. She nodded slowly back, meeting my eyes again.
“You were made, but your User didn’t claim you?” She looked at me with such heartfelt sympathy that what she was saying hit me hard. I wasn’t wanted. I’d been left behind. My death had been meaningless. I hung my head, glad tears couldn’t flow. She wrapped her arms around me and the warmth that filled me was overwhelming. I embraced her tightly, not wanting to let go. She stroked at my hair. “It’s all right. We can make this right. Everything will be the way it should.”
I believed everything she was saying. The conviction in her soft reassuring voice was comforting. She felt like everything I’d been waiting for, forever.
“You’ll be okay, Pete. You did the right thing coming here.”
I really did. All those doubts and look at me now. I’d made it, and I had someone who believed in me, someone who was going to look out for me. She stepped back, and the comfort faded. I wanted it back desperately. I wanted to please her.
“I would like it very much if you would come and work for me,” she said, reaching out and stroking my hair back from my eyes. That touch that was so intoxicating, so full of everything I needed, so powerful. I looked at her, really looked.
“You’re a User.”
She nodded, her sparkling green eyes lighting up. I’d pleased her, I could tell. The feelings that knowledge stirred were euphoric. “Very good. Tell me, then. How would you like me to be your User?”
Everything in me screamed yes. I broke into a grin. It was all the answer she needed. With a smile, she nodded again. “Come with me now. You will have everything you need.”
She took my hand and I followed without a thought to my belongings. Anything I left in the room was worthless to me now. She was all that mattered. I’d do anything to make her light up like that again. We walked into the hallway and something happened. The dingy, dark and narrow hallway expanded and changed. It became plush and bright and wide. At the end of the corridor, there was a set of gold painted double doors. They opened when we got close. I looked at her. She smiled brightly at me. The room we walked into was a penthouse suite, surely. Window panes took up an entire wall. I walked past the large leather sofas and the wet bar to look out. I could see the Excalibur out there. I looked back at her. She sat down, picking up a gold pen from a glass coffee table.
The sofa looked so much more inviting with her on it. I moved towards her. She handed me the pen as I sat down. Her fingers stroked my hair. I looked at the paper on the table.
“Sign here, and I’m yours,” she told me, breathing softly in my ear.
I couldn’t sign the damn thing quick enough. “What is…”
The pain made me drop the pen. She smiled, less pretty than it was vicious. Her fingers snatched the contract up. “You’ve got yourself a User, Petie.”
Eighteen - Kit
I could not believe the nerve of that guy! Creeping around my room when I’m not in and stealing poor William. Actually, I could believe it; it just made me so angry I knew if I didn’t calm down I’d smash his stupid face in with my handbag. Lucky for him the queue for Vegas was particularly long this morning. By the time I got through all I was worried about was poor sweet William. I could just imagine the words he was learning right now.
Mickey had given me the motel address. I brought up a map on my phone. The pub would just need to open late for once. I wasn’t wasting money on a taxi. Even if I could have rattled it back out of Pete I wouldn’t want to. That was Mickey’s money, given without a second thought to his idiot cousin because Mickey was a good guy and he couldn’t see Pete’s mean streak no matter how much time he spent with him.
The motel was sort of dingy but not at all dirty. Too close to the strip to not be half-way decent, I supposed. I asked at the desk for Pete’s room number. The guy gave me a once over. He thought I was a prostitute. Great. I doubted whores walked around in jeans and jumpers, but whatever.
“Girlfriend experience,” I said, smiling as I walked away.
I could feel his eyes on my ass. I shivered once I got around the corner. Pete’s room was up a couple of flights of stairs and down a poorly lit corridor. When I got to room 203 the door was open. I figured the cleaning lady must be doing the rounds, but there wasn’t anyone in the room.
“William?” I closed the door over behind me. The room was clean enough with décor older than me. A little bit of peeling wallpaper was the least of my worries.
“Miss Chase!” He flew towards me.
I held out my hand and he landed in my palm. “Are you all right, William?”
“Something happened, Miss Chase. I’m afraid your suitor was captured by another woman’s charms.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about, but he wasn’t sounding like his usual cheerful self at all. I was going to beat the daylights out of that awful excuse for a man when I got my hands on him.
“Where is Pete?”
“Why he left with the other woman.”
“What woman?” I was getting a bad feeling about this. I mean, the guy’s always had horrendous taste in women but in his current condition that would have nothing to do with the promise of a one night stand. Something was going on. “What did she look like?”
I cast my eyes over the room while he composed himself to describe her for me. The make-up stains on the bed probably meant he’d slept. There was a little pile of clothes and money on the end of the bed and a plastic bag full of crisps and sweets on the floor. It was the plastic bag that kept drawing my attention. It looked like it had just been dropped.
“She was very pretty, and small, and graceful,” William said. “She smelled of magic.”
My attention snapped back. “She was a User?”
“She smelled strongly of magic,” he confirmed.
I wasn’t going to curse in front of him. I clamped my mouth shut and tried to think. If the idiot had put more thought into his plan, we might have had a chance to prepare for something like this. I hadn’t thought of it because I hadn’t cared. He was going, and Mickey was going to miss him. I’d be there for Mickey because he’d need it. What did I care about that idiot Pete and his stupid ideas?
Of course, a User had found him. They could sense
magic. He’d probably signed a contract already. It was probably too late. I sighed.
“I’m sorry, Miss Chase.” William still sounded downbeat. I was still going to cave Pete’s head in with my handbag for this.
“It’ll be okay. I’m taking you home now. Can you be quiet while you’re in my bag?”
He nodded. I unzipped the bag and he flew inside. I went to the pile of clothes and money on the bed. Mickey’s passport was right there. I stared at it for a while. I had to tell him what had happened to his cousin, what little I knew about it. That was a given. Did I have to make it easy for him to come rushing out here to try and help him? In the end my conscience couldn’t have lived with itself. I picked up the passport and pocketed it. If he wanted to waste his time on Pete, who was I to stop him?
Nineteen - Kit
It was a little after two by the time I got back and opened up the pub. The place slowly filled up. Mickey came around at three. I’d left him a message telling him we needed to talk about Pete. He sat down, and I stopped in front of him.
“I think your cousin’s in trouble.” I wasn’t worried about the regulars eavesdropping. They weren’t interested in anything outside of their full glasses.
Mickey frowned. “What do you mean? Did you get the A.I. back?”
“I got him. Pete wasn’t in his room. I think a User picked him up.”
He didn’t quite get what I was saying yet. “So?”
“So he’s an Animate,” I said. “He’s just waiting for a User to come along and take him. Guess what, one did.”
He thought about it, and his face dropped. “He’s been enslaved.”
“That’s about the size of it.” It happened to all Animates. They were raised for a reason, after all.
“Shit.”
Dead Man Running (Raised Book 1) Page 7