Dead Man Running (Raised Book 1)

by Stevenson, Sharon

  She stared at me. Her eyes were so bright and emotive. She reached out and stroked my face lovingly. My head leaned into her touch. “You wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”

  “I wouldn’t,” I heard the words come out of my mouth but I felt far away.

  She took my balled up right hand and relaxed the fingers against her own. “That’s better now, isn’t it?”

  “Aye,” I pushed out, wishing she’d stop. I didn’t know what she was doing but she was glowing so brightly it hurt to look at her. I tried to move the fingers on my right hand but the pain was too much to handle. She moved her robe and pressed my hand over her left breast.

  “You’re mine, Pete,” she told me, a sliver of venom in her tone. “I can control your every move. I can make your body a prison. I should destroy you right now.”

  She bit at her lower lip. I could feel her heart pounding harder in her chest. Her warm skin felt amazing under my hands. My left hand was so close to her throat, but I knew I couldn’t move it without agonising pain ripping through me and worse than that I didn’t really want to.

  “Why don’t you?”

  “You amuse me,” she said, tone like ice. “Now get your filthy dead hands off my body.”

  I dropped my hands without thinking. I knew I should have tried to choke her when I’d had the chance, and I cursed myself for missing that chance.

  “Choose, Pete. Choose or I go back upstairs and start with your beloved Kit.”

  I balled my hand back up and tried to launch a punch. I fell screaming to my knees, wetness dripping from my nose and my ears. Bright blue drops hit the carpet.

  “Stand,” she commanded.

  I got to my feet, glaring at her.

  “I’m going to have you kill her instead. Won’t that be nice?”

  “Might I have a word, Ms Rocks?”

  I glanced at the guy in black looming behind Britt.

  She frowned at me. “Sit.”

  I sat down, staring up at Timmy Piss-Face Wallace. He barely glanced at me. What the hell was that prick doing here? Jesus Christ, just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse…

  “The King asserts his right to ownership.”

  “David gave me this Animate as a gesture of goodwill,” she denied, one hand landing on her hip.

  “A claim of ownership eclipses all other offers. He wants this one back.”

  She regarded him coldly for a moment and then sighed heavily. With a snap of her fingers she produced a piece of paper and set it on fire. “Take him and leave.”

  I got up. This couldn’t be happening. I could move though, and I wasn’t letting her off with trying to hurt my friends. I charged at her.

  “Oh for…” Timmy snapped his fingers. Suddenly, we were standing in my flat. I crashed into the couch, startling Mickey awake. Timmy fucked off but he appeared back a second later with Nick and Kit, just as Mickey was yawning and stretching. I was so glad to see them all. It felt like I’d just woken up from a nightmare.

  “Contract!” Nick yelled, bringing it out of his pocket with a pen and thrusting it at me.

  I took it gladly, signing faster than I’ve ever signed anything in my life. A relieved sigh escaped me.

  “So what happened?” Nick asked, looking at Tim as he pocketed the contract.

  “I was this close to killing her, and Timmy pissing Wallace here stopped me…”

  Timmy folded his arms. “You stood no chance. I got you out of the contract, didn’t I?”

  I just frowned at him. He left in the blink of an eye, shaking his head. I was just glad the creep was out of my flat. I took a breath and turned to Kit and Nick.

  “You would have died if you’d killed her. I mean properly died,” Kit scolded. It might have been my imagination but it sounded like she might have been upset at the thought.

  I smiled. “It would have been worth it.”

  She drew me a weird look. I know she didn’t know what I meant, how could she?

  “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

  “Uh, no. I’m… I’m fine.” Kit frowned at me, folding her arms.

  I couldn’t stop staring at her; it was probably creepy but she just kept right on staring back at me.

  “Back off, man,” Nick said suddenly. “I asked her out first.”

  “I never said yes.” She drew him a look. If Mickey was her type, Nick was his opposite. There was no way she’d go out with him. At least I had the same smile of the guy she was really into… When did my life disintegrate into this sad little mess? Oh, right, when I died.

  “You back off,” I made my stand. “I liked her first.”

  “Woah!” Kit stared at us incredulously. “What the hell is going on in here?”

  “Aye, well you missed your chance. You take skanks home, Pete. She’s not a skank, so back off.” Nick folded his arms. “Besides I’m your User now. That means you have to do what I say.”

  “I like her. You just want to get in her pants.”

  “Oh my god!” Kit walked out.

  I chased after her. “Hey wait,” I said, earnestly enough to make myself cringe.

  “Don’t, Pete.”

  “I think I might…”

  “Don’t!” She looked like she was ready to cry. “You’re dead. Don’t mess with me just because you wish you’d made better choices when you were alive.”

  Man, that stung. I stared at her. “But I…”

  “I don’t care, Pete. Maybe you’ve changed. So what? Who wouldn’t in this messed up situation? I don’t care! You’re still the same arsehole who made me feel shit about myself. Leave me alone.” She sobbed at the end of her rant, slamming the door on her way out.

  “Told you,” Nick said, creeping out into the hall behind me.

  “Oh, fuck off.”

  Mickey yawned deeply and came out into the hall. “You’re back!”

  “Who the hell cares?” I went into my room and slammed the door on all of them.

  Forty-Five - Pete

  Her words ate at me. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling wishing I could take back all the shitty things I’d done when I was alive. All the promises I’d broken, all the snide remarks. It wasn’t just Kit. She’d probably just gotten the worst of it for being obsessed with Mickey when he so obviously wasn’t interested. I’d been such a prick.

  She’d still tried to help me, even so. She was a better person than me. I’d never deserve someone like that. Being stabbed to death by a pissed off bitch had been my just desserts. I deserved it. Angie didn’t deserve the guilt of killing me, but I’d deserved the brutal death. I was probably lucky it hadn’t happened sooner.

  I wanted to apologise to Kit. Not because I thought it might get me somewhere with her. I’m past thinking that’s a good idea. She might be what I want, but I’m not what she wants and she deserves someone with a pulse at the very least. She deserves a man who probably doesn’t even exist.

  With a weary sigh, I got up. I didn’t know what I was fighting for anymore. It might be better for everyone if I was taking a nice permanent dirt nap now. I went into the kitchen. The door came off the fridge when I opened it.

  “Hi, Pete!” Dave sounded so cheerful. I didn’t know how he did that.

  My beer was gone. All that was left in there was a block of cheese and a carton of milk that had probably been off for a week. I put the destroyed door back in place and slumped against the counter.

  “How do you do it, Dave?”

  “Do what?”

  “The whole being dead thing. It must suck. It sucks for me, and I’ve still got a body.”

  “It’s different,” he said, still cheerful. “I like all the listening in. Anyone nearby with a radio and I’m right in there, getting all the gossip and they don’t have a clue!”

  He was even starting to sound gleeful. I think Dave might have lost a few brain-cells somewhere along the way. They say stupid people are happier, don’t they?

  “I’m sorry, Dave.”

  “For what?”
>
  “I don’t know. Everything.” I was getting him that Jukebox if I had to sell my internal organs to afford it. It wasn’t like they were any use to me anymore. My stupid useless heart could go first. I was finally using my brain, and I was planning on keeping it that way.

  “Don’t be silly.” He put on some kind of blues song. It suited my mood, but I didn’t think wallowing was a good idea.

  Mickey was asleep on the couch. He’d gotten a phone-call he’d lowered his voice to answer earlier in the night. I couldn’t hear every word, but the gist wasn’t lost on me. He was blowing some girl off for the night, but he was keeping her on the hook for later. I wasn’t sure which was more of a surprise, really. He was secretly dating someone. I knew it wasn’t Kit, though that was the most obvious answer. She was probably a random I’d never even met. It was weird though. I’d have thought he’d want people to know if he was seeing someone, even if it wasn’t all that serious. It would stop the rumours if nothing else.

  I went back to bed to lie down. Sleep wasn’t going to come, but I didn’t know what else to do. Nick’s contract meant I could get a job and keep my flat. I’d need to get job searching in the morning. The thought made me cringe. I was dead and I still needed to work? It’s like they say, there truly is no rest for the wicked.

  Forty-Six - Kit

  I can’t believe I’d cried in front of that arsehole. I just… I could not believe what I was hearing. Britt was crazy and hearing her say Pete had some kind of feelings for me was just another insane thing she’d stupidly tried to use against me. I didn’t want to believe it was something she actually knew, even though it was possible. Level 10’s can read minds, everyone knew that. I was an idiot for writing it off as crazy talk, but I still didn’t want to believe it even now.

  Actually, having Pete turn all possessive completely out of the blue was something I couldn’t even comprehend. He knew I hated him, he had to by now. It wasn’t like I’d been subtle about it. Whatever dying had done to him I didn’t want to know about it. He was twisted, and I wasn’t having anything to do with him.

  I’d have to open the pub in the morning, and hope I hadn’t lost too much custom from being closed. The thought calmed me down. I didn’t need the anguish thinking about everything would bring. Mickey was home, and everything was back the way it should be. I unlocked the door and went inside.

  Something was waiting for me in the dark. I knew it wasn’t just paranoia. I could feel eyes on me.

  “Who’s there?” I felt like some helpless horror movie victim just saying those words. The light switches were across the room behind the bar, so I didn’t have much of a choice.

  Something moved to my right. I stepped back outside and locked the door. Whatever was in there, I was in no mood for dealing with it. I’d stupidly left my bag somewhere in that penthouse suite or the lift the robot knocked me out in for all I knew. My key was the only thing I kept in my pocket. My phone was somewhere in Vegas. Cursing, I walked down the street, moving fast. I was glad of the other people around me. In the city, it didn’t much matter what time it was, there was always someone else out there going about their business.

  I made for Pete’s building. I’d probably knock on Nick’s door. I didn’t want to face Pete again right now. It was bad enough that he was unavoidable because of Mickey. I really needed to get some new friends.

  “Kitty-cat.”

  That voice stopped me in my tracks. She was already right behind me, slender arm sliding around my waist. Britt’s presence was unmistakable. She had something potently intoxicating under all the crazy. I knew it was just magic. If she wasn’t a User she’d just be another pathetic piece of trailer trash.

  “Get off me.” I wanted to smash her face in if only I could make my limbs move. Damn it!

  She only smiled and held tighter as I drooped in her arms. “This time you’re not getting away.”

  Forty-Seven - Nick

  I levitated over the bed, sighing blissfully. The level up had been instant. I was doing things I never should have been able to do. It was enough to make me reconsider my moral stance on sacrifices. I didn’t think I could actually kill someone, I was just buzzing from the power surge. It was kind of like sex, only without the mess or the other person. I could actually fly! How many people can say that, honestly? This was awesome. I don’t know why I’d never thought of it before.

  Something was tugging at the corners of my mind, though. Something important I hadn’t told someone…

  Oh, who the hell cares? I can fly. I can levitate and psychically throw things. I can do all this cool superhero shit a normal person can’t. I’m fucking awesome.

  I dropped back down onto the bed. There was something I wanted to try. The bed creaked and groaned, but it lifted with me in it. Something cracked when I set it back down. I really need a new bed. The right bottom corner collapsed. One of the feet broke then. Whoops.

  I slid off the bed and checked it. A few hastily stacked books later and I was back in a properly flat bed, entirely pleased with myself. Nothing was going to burst my bubble tonight.

  I knew the novelty would eventually wear off. Hell, teleporting had been the same awesome high when I’d finally cracked that barrier too. It faded eventually. I didn’t want that to happen this time. I knew there was nothing I could do about it, though. Sooner or later, after I’d tried flying over the city at night or levitated a few cars into the air, it would wear off and I’d be as dissatisfied as I’d been before. Knowing I had a ceiling to hit was what did it. I was level 5 and expected to remain there. Pete’s contract had cracked that for me, but the only thing that would take me any higher was murder.

  A sobering thought, really. I’m not a killer, never have been. I got mice once, in the flat. I caught them and put them outside. Found their hidey-hole and sealed it. I never could have set traps. They were just doing their thing. They didn’t know they were pests invading my home.

  So here I am at level 6. I’m happy here, for now. I know I won’t always be, but that’s just how it is. Maybe one day I’ll kill someone who deserves it.

  Forty-Eight - Pete

  The noise woke me up. Apparently, I’d gotten tired of my own pathetic pity-party and dozed off after all. It was light out, and Kit’s little A.I. friend was flapping about directly over my face. I frowned at him.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He landed on my chest, shaking in a weird robotic kind of way. “You must come. Miss Chase is in trouble. The lady Britt has her.”

  It was like being hit with a bucket of ice-water. I got up quickly, taking him in my hand.

  “What happened? How… what happened?”

  “I went to find Miss Chase and I could not. A robot caught me and brought me to the lady Britt. She knew who I was, somehow. I think the robot copied my memories. I’m not entirely sure. The lady Britt teleported to capture Miss Chase, and now she has her. Oh, dear, she has her. I don’t know what to do. The lady Britt, she sent me back to tell you.” He fretted, pacing around the palm of my hand. It tickled.

  “Right. I’ll get Nick.”

  “She said you were to come alone.”

  “But I…”

  “She said she’d kill Miss Chase…” his voice was rising.

  “Okay, let me think about this.” Britt wanted me weak. She wanted me back, most likely. I’d come pretty close to killing her. If only I’d had a few more seconds. If only that prat Timmy Wallace hadn’t showed up. Whatever the hell he was doing there. What exactly was he doing there? My brain was doing something funny. I was remembering standing before the King. Timmy was there. He worked for the King!

  I was blaming the weird voices I’d heard on that stupid recruitment DVD for the space out. I’d seen him at the time but I was too preoccupied creaming myself about joining the Guard. Mind control totally sucks.

  “You must go, Master Pete.”

  “Master?” Sounded weird. I shrugged it off. “I’m trying to think. I’ll need a way to ge
t there.”

  I’d need a plan so I didn’t end up getting Kit killed. I had to get her back safely. I couldn’t handle the thought of her getting hurt because of me. She didn’t deserve any of this. I should have known Britt wouldn’t just let me go. I walked into the living room.

  “Mickey, wake up.” He was still sleeping on the couch. I poked at his arm. He juddered and blinked.

  “What the…”

  “We need a plan. Britt captured Kit again. She wants me to go back, alone.”

  He rubbed at his eyes. “Tell me you’re taking the piss.”

  “I’m not taking the piss.”

  “Shit. What do we do?”

  “I’m not sure. I need to get back there alone.”

  “So you need someone who can teleport you without bringing himself along for the ride,” Mickey deduced, looking a little queasy.

  “Exactly. I need a plan too. I don’t want her stuck there. I know this is a trap. She won’t be able to get out of there without a User to take her.”

  “What about you?”

  “Forget about me. I’m dead, Mickey. If I have to stay there and serve that bitch I will. If I have to say goodbye to this body once and for all so be it. I can’t change my situation. I don’t want to keep trying.”

  He stared at me. “I don’t want you gone.”

  “I don’t think either of us gets a say in this one, Mickey. Everyone has to die sometime.”

  “Not today,” he protested.

  “Can Nick do this, do you think?”

  He shook his head. “He’s too low level.”

  “Even now?”

  “I… I know someone, I’ll call him.” He got his phone out and dialled. I waited. “Hey, Tim. I kind of need another favour.”

  Tim? I thought I might know who he was speaking to, but it didn’t want to compute. When he got off the phone I drew him a suspicious look. “You kept in touch with Timmy Piss-Face Wallace?”

  “I’ve… run into him a few times. He said he’d help again.”