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HE SPEAKS DEAD

Adrienne Wilder

www.loose-id.com

He Speaks Dead
Copyright July 2012 by Adrienne Wilder
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eISBN 978-1-61118-896-7
Editor: Venessa Giunta
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Chapter One
I dont remember much about my life, just bits and pieces, small snapshots, faces,
sometimes parts of conversation. I dont remember any places, any names, not even my
own.
But I remember my death.
There isnt a detail not etched into my mind. Everything from how the pavement
burned my cheeks to how my knees ached from falling when I tried to run to the sound
of my screams. I died alone, in some back alley, behind some unnamed building, after
being destroyed inside and out.
The sky above me was full of stars and the night smelled wet and the air felt damp
on my skin. There was no moon, so even with the streetlamps just down the way,
twinkling points created a glorious blanket abovelike diamonds scattered across a sea
of black velvet.
It seemed stargazing should have been the last thing on my mind while I lay there
with a knife wound in my chest, drowning in blood. But the pain had dulled, and my
limbs had gone numb, and the man whod killed me had taken off, so there wasnt
really much else to think about.
Some nights the memories ate at me like a cancer, and Id ache with a longing to
know about the world Id lost, the people Id left behind. A maddening state of being,
never knowing, and knowing you never would.
Apparently its like that for the dead. Most of us never get over being taken from
the living.
But not tonight.

Adrienne Wilder

On nights like tonight the memories were drowned out by the heavy throb of
music pouring over the mass of people clogging the club floor. Strobe lights, glow
sticks, and bodies slick with sweat churned around me, creating a sea of living forms.
Id lost sight of Charlie when he headed over to the small, circular booths near the
back wall. I moved toward him through the crowd, feeling none of the bodies I passed
through. Whether or not any of them felt me, I dont know. Sometimes the living sensed
my presencea cold chill, a soft touchbut the majority dismissed me as a draft or a
figment of their imagination. None of them ever saw me, really saw me.
Not like Charlie. But then, there just werent many living like him. I wish I could
remember my life, so I would know whether or not my death had been worth meeting
him.
Im willing to bet it was.
I came out on the other side of the crowd and found Charlie standing near a booth
next to a dark-haired man. The man was average height, average build, but his eyes
were something darkbrown, gray. According to Charlie mine are green. Being dead
meant I couldnt see my reflection, or touch, taste, or smell anything anymore. Those
were gifts only bestowed on the living.
Charlie always picked ones who looked as much like me as possible. Knowing his
reasons warmed my heart and made me feel sad.
Charlies smile widened when I floated up behind the man. Dark Hair was already
pawing his way into Charlies clothes. It was hard for me to believe how shy Charlie
had been when we first started this. He was still hesitant most the time, because he saw
himself as an awkward young man. Charlie had been a late bloomer. Id watched him
change over the past eight years, going from a knobby-kneed twenty-year-old who
looked like a teenager to a lithe-bodied man who belonged in a Calvin Klein ad.
Okay, maybe not a Calvin Klein ad, but he was definitely hot.
The men in the bars thought so too. He never had a problem finding one. I think
its what convinced him I wasnt just telling him what every guy wants to hear. Charlie

He Speaks Dead

knew I loved him either way, so I think he just chalked up my compliments to him
owning my heart.
I watched Dark Hair in his desperate attempts to relieve Charlie of his clothing.
There was no reason for me to be jealous. I mean, being willing was really the only rule
I had about doing this. Not the part about willing to be possessedbecause it wasnt
like we could get permission firstbut the sex. Even though I would be in control, the
man would still have memories, hazy, but still there. The thought of making someone
do anything they didnt want to just didnt sit well with me. Not all dead felt that way.
Good thing taking over the living isnt something the dead can do whenever we please.
No, we need a conduit, a medium, a person who lingers between the living and the
dead.
Someone like Charlie.
There are entities who can possess without a conduit. Wemeaning the dead
referred to them as sedit.
Dark Hair slipped a hand into Charlies hair and pulled him closer. Their mouths
met, and they exchanged a sloppy kiss. Charlies gaze stayed locked on me while he
kissed back. Deep. Probing. As if drinking this man down would bring me back to life.
I didnt even try to pretend how it made me feel. Hungry. Starving. Yearning for
the touch of the world. I could experience those things through Charlie, when I was a
part of him, sharing his body, or when he breathed life into me. I didnt know what else
to call what he did, and as far as I knew, no one else could do it. Sure there were
mediums, and there were channelersrare gifts, but real nonetheless.
But Charlie could make me real. He could make anything dead real by somehow
extending what made him alive and sharing it. Charlie is careful about letting anyone
know what he can do, dead or alive. The dead already bother him enoughif they
knew he could bring them from beyond, theyd never leave him alone.
Charlie pulled away, and both of them were panting. He touched the other mans
cheek, swept his thumb over the mans lips.

Adrienne Wilder

Dark Hair tried to kiss him again, but Charlie turned his head. Lets go to the
back.
The fire in Dark Hairs eyes practically blazed as he followed Charlie out. Im sure
he thought the smoldering look Charlie threw over his shoulder was meant for him, but
I knew it was meant for me.
While they jostled their way past dancing people, I followed close behind. Not too
close. I had to be careful about touching Charlie, or I could tap him.
Im not sure if his ability was how I found him or if our meeting had been some
divine interventionif you believe in divine intervention. All I know is when I drew
my last breath, I saw him. A glowing point in the darkness. One moment there had
been nothing, then the next I found myself next to two EMS people shocking Charlie
back to life.
Not exactly the most romantic way to meet the man of your dreams, but Im not
going to complain.
Charlie stepped into one of the back rooms. There was a black vinyl booth in one
corner, and a wood bench off to the side. Voluptuous, wine-colored drapes hung on the
walls. The door was marked for private dinner parties, but the men who came to the
Grind werent looking for a meal. At least not the kind that came on a plate.
Dark Hair tugged at Charlies pants.
Charlie looked at me. You ready?
Dark Hair answered, God yeah. Ive got a condom. Hang on.
Charlie ignored Dark Hair and held his hand up to me. I reached out with my
hand, or at least, sort of my hand. Like this I really dont have limbs or a body or even
eyes, a mouth, or nose. I have no skin. I have no lungs and no heart to beat in my chest.
I should have those things, and my memory sometimes plays tricks on me and tempts
me with ghostly sensation. On occasions I can almost be fooled into believing those
sensations are real, but when I possess or when Charlie breathes into me, I realize just
how lonely being dead is.

He Speaks Dead

I touched him and my essence, my ghost, spirit, whatever I was, slid into Charlie
and I possessed him. The sudden rush of my senses sometimes stunned me. Taste,
touch, smell, come back online and then the sounds, which are different, as well as how
I seeall the colors brighter and clearer. When Dark Hair stepped back to Charlie, he
held up a condom. I took it and slipped it into Charlies pocket. I tugged the mans shirt
off, opened his pants. This is always easier when the other persons guard is completely
down.
When I pulled Dark Hair by his shoulders and smashed our mouths together, to
Charlie I said, Push. Not so much with words as with a thought. Like this we dont
really need to speak.
As I said, it isnt possible for the dead to possess the living without help. We arent
strong enough. The soul occupying the body will naturally resist. When we do, it is
only temporary.
Charlie can somehow force the dead into the living. It isnt easy, and it always
takes a lot out of him. It only took a few seconds for my vantage point to change. I went
from looking at Dark Hair to looking at Charlie. There is less disorientation when
Charlie pushes me through. I think its because Ive already experienced the shock of
living senses through him. Its a good thing, because Charlie is usually knocked off his
feet. This time it was no different.
Charlies knees buckled, but I was able to catch him before he fell. I helped him
over to the bench.
Hey? I picked a strand of his dark brown hair from the corner of his mouth, and
his eyes fluttered. You okay?
Charlie smiled, and his hand slid over my chest to my neck. His fingers played
along my pulse. My heart stuttered, or at least the heart of the body I currently
occupied. I let myself pretend it was mine. At least it made existing this way tolerable.
Charlie tugged on my pants. You have too many clothes on.

Adrienne Wilder

I laughed. Dont you want to rest first? His reply was to pull me down to him.
Unlike the kiss between him and the stranger, ours wasnt rushed or sloppy. Its nice to
know Charlie saves his real kisses for me, just for me, because God, hes so damn good
at it.
I groaned and pressed myself closer. Charlie tweaked my nipple, sending a sharp
bolt of pleasure to my groin.
You still have too many clothes on, Ethan.
I kicked off my shoes, pushed off the tight jeans, the black silk boxers, then began
peeling Charlie free of his clothes. Baggy jeans, boxers, a simple cotton shirt, it all
wound up on the floor.
Skin to skin, the warmth of his body against me. Even when Charlie shares his life
force, it doesnt feel like this. The dead are cold, and no matter how real Charlie makes
me, without a living body I can only leech heat from him.
His fingers played through my hair, slid down my neck, and drew circular
designs between my shoulders. When he sighed, it was warm, so warm. I kissed his
throat, licked a line to his chin. He hadnt shaved, and the new hairs were rough on my
tongue.
Ethan.
Im right here. I picked up his hand and kissed his palm. His dark gray eyes
were almost silver in the bluish light from the scone-shaped fixture right above us. I
touched his cheek, his neck, ran my fingers down his ribs, and he touched me. Kissed
my shoulder, nipped at my pulse.
The body Id taken over was already aroused; the ache in my cock turned into a
throbbing pain. Yet I couldnt make myself stop. Just being with him, feeling him like
the living feel each other, smelling the scent of his clean skin, his male musk, the faint
cologne clinging to his skin from the myriad of bodies hed rubbed against pushing
himself through the crowd. When I sucked on his pulse, I tasted salt and it made me
crave more.

He Speaks Dead

Charlie moaned. I need you, Ethan.


Yeah, and I needed him. I kissed him. I want to suck you off first.
His hands went to the top of my head and followed me down. The bench seat we
were on was too short, and our legs dangled off the end. Charlie moved up and bent his
knees. I settled between his thighs. I blew a breath across the inside of his thigh, and he
jumped, then again when I did it to his nuts. I inhaled. Down here his scent was
stronger.
On the back of a laugh Charlie said, What are you doing?
You smell good. I nuzzled the base of his cock, savoring the feel of coarse hairs
against my lips, my chin, my cheeks.
I smell good, huh?
Yeah.
Like sweat maybe. Its hot in here.
It was my turn to laugh. No, no, like you. You smell like you. I flicked my
tongue out at the base of his cock, drew a line to the tip. When I rolled my gaze up,
Charlie was watching me, eyes wide, mouth parted. I licked the head of his cock,
collecting the drop of precum from the slit. His fingers tightened in my hair. I took him
as far down my throat as I could, and he groaned my name.
I loved hearing him say it like that.
I worked him, slow. I didnt want him to come yet. I wanted to savor this moment
between us like I did every other time. It was the only way I could give back to Charlie.
The best thing for him would have been to go on with his life. To fall in love with a
living person. Id never hurt Charlie on purpose, but I know existing like this with me
was taking from him. In the eight years wed been together, Id seen him change. Hed
become withdrawn, quiet, disinterested in the living world and more interested in the
plane of the dead.

Adrienne Wilder

It wasnt healthy, and yet I couldnt stop myself from being with him. Love is
supposed to be about sacrifice, but since Id been with Charlie, Id learned it was also
about greed. Its why wed started this, the possessing part I mean. I used to just let
Charlie make me real so we could be together, but after a while I could tell it was killing
him.
A shiver raced up Charlies body, and his hips rocked off the booth. He was close,
so close. When I looked up again, his face was flushed, his bottom lip pinched under his
teeth. I wanted him as close to the edge as possible.
I sucked hard, hollowing out my cheeks as I moved to the tip of his cock. I swirled
my tongue around the end, and Charlie hissed. I took him down again as deeply as
possible, swallowing as I went. He tugged on my hair, so I knew hed reached his limit.
I pulled off, and he whimpered.
Oh God, that was
I kissed his stomach. I can keep going. I would gladly keep going.
No, no, we cant take too long.
Charlie was right. The longer I stayed in a body, the harder it would be on me
when I was forced out, and the more likely the person I possessed would realize
something was wrong. A short stretch of missing time and jumbled-up memories was
easy for a person to reason away, especially when they were drunk like Dark Hair. A
longer time and they could adjust to my presence, and the memories were clearer and
they might even become aware of my consciousness. It wouldnt hurt them physically,
but mentally, emotionally, it was dangerous.
Charlie snagged his jeans. He got the condom out of his pocket and a small bottle
of lube and handed them to me. I hated the condoms, but we couldnt take a chance on
a body I possessed being diseased. Most of the time I could tell. The sick, the dying have
a particular color to their aura, but not always. Because of that we didnt take chances.
I put on the condom, and Charlie popped the cap on the bottle. Wait, I said.
What?

He Speaks Dead

I want to slick you up. I finished rolling on the rubber and took the lube out of
his hand.
Why?
Because I like to. It was the only reason I needed. I picked up one of Charlies
legs and draped it over my shoulder. He did the other one on his own. I pushed his
cheeks apart and dribbled the oil over his hole. The muscles in his legs quivered. I
watched the lube run in a glistening trail down his crack. I liked using too much, that
way when we were done, he would feel the slickness Id left behind.
Ethan, hurry up.
I laughed and teased a thumb over his entrance. Hurry up? The tight ring of
muscle resisted as I pushed in a finger. I moved it in and out, then added a second one.
Charlie rocked hard enough to make his cock slap against his stomach.
Whats it feel like? I asked.
Good.
Good?
Yeah, real good.
I laughed.
Charlies body clenched, and I couldnt wait to bury my cock inside him.
When I thought he was ready, I added a third. Charlie gasped and dropped his
head back while his hands wandered across his chest, teasing his nipples into red
points.
Yeah, now was definitely the time to hurry up. I planted a hand beside Charlies
head, grabbed my cock, and pushed in. It was my turn to whimper. God, I dont know
why, but every time I did this, it felt like the first time for me. Everything seemed more
real: the softness of skin beneath my fingertips, the hard lines of muscle. The heat, the
tightness of his ass around my cock. How we moved, the sounds we made. The

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Adrienne Wilder

overwhelming desire to make a claim on his body. I blamed the sensory overload on the
tactile depravation of being dead.
If I was honest with myself, I think it was because of how much I loved Charlie.
But then, if I was honest, I would have admitted long ago I could never give
Charlie what he really needed.
I snapped my hips forward, driving my cock deep into his ass. Charlie raised his
legs higher, and I took the cue, pulling them up on my shoulders so I could fuck him
deeper.
Sweat beaded along my skin, and tingling heat spread from my groin. Charlie
fisted his cock and pumped in time with my thrusts. His gaze locked on mine, and I
could see the love in his eyes. Love just for me, no matter whose body I possessed.
Im close.
So was I. The muscles in my legs tightened; my balls ached. The muscles in my
back went tense. My heart thudded against my ribs. I held his legs closer to me,
kneading the flesh of his thighs. I changed my angle, pushing his legs back, almost
bending him in half. Charlie made a strangled sound deep in his chest. I fought the urge
to come. I wanted to make sure Charlie got what he needed first. His body tightened
around me, and the first shot of cum landed near his neck. It was all I needed. Like fire
under my skin, the orgasm ripped through my body, shattering my rhythm. My last
few thrusts I let Charlies legs go and leaned over him. He cupped my face and claimed
my mouth.
Charlie pulled back long enough to say, I love you, Ethan.
Yeah, and I loved him too.

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11

Chapter Two
The dead do not sleep, not in the same sense as the living. We dont get tired, but
when we stop moving for too long, we can lose time. I dont know why the old Indian
who occupied a corner of Charlies apartment never seemed to have that problem. Or
maybe he did and he just didnt disappear. Maybe I didnt disappear when I stayed
stationary too long. Maybe I just stared at nothing, looking lost and lonely like him.
The old Indian rarely said anything, and he never moved, just stood there wearing
doeskins, a headdress, war paint, and a look of concentration.
He never spoke English, but I could understand him. Thats the strangest part of
being dead. Sure, we talk in different languages, but when we speak to each other,
when we speak to Charlie, there is only the language of the dead.
Usually while Charlie slept, I would make rounds around his apartment. As I said
before, Charlie isnt like any of the other living Id ever seen. He glows. Like some
bright beacon in the blackest of night, his life force calls to me. It also calls to the other
dead, and if I dont keep watch over Charlie, they tend to pester him. He cant sleep or
eat or do anything without them wandering up and interfering if Im not on guard.
Before I was a part of his life, their constant hounding was wearing him down. It
wasnt like he didnt try to help them, but what the dead have a hard time
understanding is sometimes the people they want him to find are already dead too.
Charlie started working for the FBI when he was less than ten years old. Later, as
an adult, he stayed with them for a couple of years and made a very good living. He
solved a few crimes, found a few missing people. He didnt do it anymore and never
advertised his ability because the living can be even more persistent than the dead.

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Charlie was nineteen the day he died and met me. Hes never really told me the
whole story, but Ive seen the scars on his wrists. It took him almost a year and two
surgeries to regain total use of his left hand. The piece of glass hed used had nearly
severed his tendons. The doctors said hed always have some pain. If Charlie did hurt,
he never said anything about it. But sometimes Id catch him rubbing his wrist if he was
out too long in the cold without his gloves.
The small apartment was quiet aside from the occasional blaring radio from a
passing car as it drove by below. I stared out the window, seeing more apartments just
like the one we were in. Buckhead was full of places like this, quaint new-old buildings
squashed between clubs and fancy restaurants. It would seem like being this close to
Atlanta, the wandering dead would be thicker than the smog in San Francisco, but they
werent. There isnt any rhyme or reason as to why some are left wandering and why
others pass on to wherever it is we go. Sometimes I wonder if we dont go anywhere at
all, and maybe the majority of dead simply occupy a layer of existence neither Charlie
nor I can see.
If there really is no heaven, I hope thats the case. The only other possibility is the
dead just disappear, going nowhere, becoming nothing. The thought of one day ceasing
to exist didnt really scare me as much as leaving Charlie did. He needed me, maybe
more than I needed him.
The spirits are restless tonight. The old Indian didnt talk much or often, but
when he did it rarely made sense.
I looked at him, but his stare was on whatever he stood forever gazing at. Just
doing my rounds, I said.
Not you, gi-li, the others, the sedit.
What does that mean anyway? He called me gi-li whenever he spoke to me. I
got the same answer as always, which was silence. I rolled my eyes and stared out the
window. I wasnt going to get excited about his warnings concerning sedit, because it
wasnt news. Sedit were always restless, always moving, slipping from one patch of

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13

darkness to the next. The living had very little to fear from those dark entities. For some
strange reason, the sedit didnt seem to be able to see most of the living, or maybe the
plane the living were on. Either way they usually passed by people on the streets
without a second look. I never saw them enter a dwelling either, another strange
phenomenon. Watching them night after night, day after day, the only reason I could
come up with is that they couldnt.
It seemed as long as they didnt catch wind of a particular person, they were
harmless. On the occasion they did notice a person, they latched on to him with a
vengeance, infecting a living aura, draining it of life, of free will, like some sort of
undead leech. I had a tendency to regard these people as infected. Like the Shadow
following them was a disease. Sometimes a person could shake them loose; other times
they succumbed to whatever it was the entity was pressuring them to do. If the living
didnt shake off the initial infection, it usually wasnt very long before more followed
suit.
Unlike the living, the dead did have to worry about sedit. If we wandered out too
far from live auras, they would begin to notice us, and then they would hunt us.
It sounds worse than it is. The dead tend to stick to the living, or at least the
buildings the living once constructed, so its a rare occurrence to see one of us taken
down. I have seen us taken down, though, and its not pretty. Youd think being dead
was as bad as things could get, but apparently under the right circumstances we can
still feel pain, as well as be destroyed.
I guess its a good thing I dont need to sleep, or I would probably have
nightmares about sedit hunting me.
Beside me, the old Indian made a sound like a grunt. His black-as-coal eyes met
mine for a moment before flicking away and gazing at nothing. When I glanced back
out the window, it was daylight. Like I said, stay still too long and lose time. At least it
was never more than a few hours.

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The toilet flushed, and I floated through the bedroom door just as Charlie came
out of the bathroom, all bedhead and dressed in his boxers. He yawned and scratched
his chest, then his ass cheek. I smiled. I couldnt help it.
He didnt look at me when he said, Im thinking pancakes.
I laughed. For you or me?
He tossed me a look and a cockeyed grin. Ha-ha, youre so funny. Maybe you
should see about a job down at the comedy club.
Nah, that place is dead.
He rolled his eyes and wandered around his room. Okay, that was uncalled for.
What?
Dead? Cmon, Ethan, we agreed no dead jokes.
What, why?
Because they are in really poor taste.
You mean like the one about the two ghosts who walked into a bar
Charlie put his hands over his ears. I am not listening.
I moved over to where he stood and blew a cold breath across his cheek. His
exhale frosted when it connected with mine. Just pulling your leg.
He reached though me to grab his sweatpants off the floor. The feel of his living
heat was enough to make me groan. I had to move away, because touching him could
be addictive.
Charlie pulled on his pants and went to the dresser to grab a shirt. He was putting
it on when there was a knock on the front door. Charlies head popped through the hole
in the shirt, and he gave me a funny look.
You expecting someone?
He shook his head.
I glided through the wall and over to the door and looked out to see a man
wearing a nice suit and holding a notepad in his hand. I glanced over the edge of the

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15

paper and saw Charlies address. The guy took a step back and rubbed the back of his
hand like hed felt something crawling on his skin. Apparently Tall, Dark, and
Mysterious could sense me. I was about to pull back through the door when I caught a
glimpse of a gun holstered under his right arm and a badge hooked on his belt.
When I turned around, Charlie was coming out of his bedroom. I think its a
cop, I said.
Charlie stopped. A cop?
I shrugged. Badge, gun, little notebook, yeah, I think its a cop. Charlie headed
to the door, and I moved out of the way. You dont have any unpaid parking tickets,
do you?
Of course not. Charlie unlocked the dead bolt but left the chain. He opened the
door. Can I help you?
My name is Detective Daniel Briggs. Im trying to locate a Charles Harrington.
That would be me.
I watched the cop through the crack in the door. While I could see him like the
living see each other, I could also see his aura. A light blue haze emanating a few inches
from his skin. It flickered and darkened.
To Charlie I said, Watch him. Hes up to something.
Briggs waved a hand at the door. Can I come in and talk? I have some questions
that need to be answered.
Can I see some ID?
Good one. By the look on Detective Briggss mug, he was a little surprised Charlie
asked. The man slipped a hand to the inside of his jacket and unfolded a piece of
leather, flashing an ID behind a plastic-coated sleeve. He was just about to put it back in
his pocket when Charlie said, Can you take it out and let me look at it, please?
Yeah, now he wasnt just surprised but miffed. Would you like me to give you
my badge as well so you can make sure its real?

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He was obviously being snarky, but Charlie said, Yes, if you dont mind.
For a second or two I thought the detective was going to tell him piss off, but he
unclipped his badge and handed it over with his ID. Charlie looked at both of them,
flipping them over. I looked at them too. Close to his ear I said, Looks real.
Charlie repeated my words and handed them back to the cop.
Can I come in now?
Charlie didnt open the door. Instead he looked up and down the small walkway,
then past the guy to the parking lot. Wheres your partner? Dont all cops have a
partner?
Daniel Briggs made no attempt to hide his impatience. My partner is on
maternity leave, and I dont have a spare. He took a step closer. Now if you dont
mind, Id like to talk with you. We can either do it here, or you can come down to the
precinct and we can have our discussion there. Im sure youd be more comfortable
here. The coffee at the precinct isnt exactly potable. The smile he tacked on at the end
wasnt pleasant.
Prune juice would probably do wonders for his personality, I said.
Charlie managed to cover up his laugh with a fake cough. He pushed the door
closed, unfastened the chain, and stepped out of the way. Detective Briggs walked in
the front door without waiting for an invite. Charlie closed it behind him and then went
on into the kitchen while Briggs scanned the living room. His gaze lingered on the four
black-and-white photo studies of nude men hanging on the wall.
Bits of red and violet flickered through the blue of his aura, which meant he really
liked what he was staring at. Do you do photography?
What?
The pictures here. Did you do those?

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17

Charlie poked his head back in. Oh, uh, no, I bought them at an art show. He
went back in the kitchen. Briggs stopped at the doorway to flip through some of
Charlies mail.
Asshole is going through your shit, I said.
Charlie peeked around the corner. Looking for something?
Briggs yanked his hand back like the envelopes had burned him. He smiled,
fidgeted with his tie. Uh, yeah, sorry, old habits die hard.
You have questions, right?
Briggs nodded. This time when Charlie went into the kitchen, he followed. On his
way to the table his shoulder passed right through me. Briggs stopped and scanned the
room.
Wow, he really did feel me.
Charlie walked over to the counter. You drink cream with your coffee?
Huh? Oh, no, just black.
What about sugar?
No, no sugar.
I moved over next to Charlie. Probably puts drain cleaner in it at home just to
prove how tough he is.
Be nice.
I dont want to be nice. He was trying to go through your mail.
Then at least behave.
Did you say something?
Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Briggs. No, just talking to myself. He
carried the cups over, set them down, and parked it in a chair on the other side. Briggs
watched him. Charlie smiled and dropped his gaze to his coffee cup.
So, Mr. Harrington, what can you tell me about a man named Roy Sullivan?

18

Adrienne Wilder

All the color drained out of Charlies face, and he lifted his gaze.
Briggs picked up his coffee cup. I take it you know him?
Charlie not only knew Sullivanthe man was the reason he had the scars on his
wrists and why Charlie had wound up in a psychiatric ward under the care of Dr. Stan
Fredrick. I moved next to Charlie. I wanted to touch him, hold him, but that wasnt
possible.
Charlie swallowed. Yes.
Where did you know him from?
I lived with him for a while.
Was he a relative?
No.
Really? Then why were you staying with him?
Hes a quantum physicist who did paranormal research. He saw an article done
on me when I was in Virginia. I solved a missing persons case, and he wanted to study
what I could do. Would you mind telling me what this is about? Did Sullivan send you
here?
The small, tight smile on Briggss mouth twitched, and his blue-green aura turned
a shade of dark purple.
Hes going to lie, I said. Whether a direct lie, one made by creative word play, or
omission, they still show up in an aura.
Briggs took a sip of his coffee. Yeah, you can say that.
Charlie looked at me. I dont think he meant to. It was probably habit. Most of the
time it was just him and me and we didnt have to worry about people seeing him
interact with me. In the clubs it was dark, and people were usually too drunk to even
notice if he did. Briggs noticed though, and a strange look crossed his face. Charlie
realized what hed done and stood up so quickly he almost knocked his chair over.

He Speaks Dead

19

Coffee needs more sugar. He held up his cup and walked too fast over to the
counter.
I followed him. Calm down.
He tossed me a look but stayed quiet.
Just pretend nothing happened. Go back over there and sit down.
He couldnt. He was scared. He didnt have to say it. I could see it in his eyes and
in the way he kept rubbing his wrists.
Are you okay? The smirk on Briggss face said he knew Charlie wasnt.
I think it surprised us both when Charlie said, No.
Briggss coffee cup hovered right in front of his mouth. He put it down without
taking a drink.
Charlie turned around and leaned against the counter. Im sure you already
know this, but Sullivan was expelled from UGA for including me in his research.
Briggss expression remained blank, but his aura brightened. Yeah, he knew, I
said.
What kind of research were you and Sullivan doing?
He studied the science behind the paranormal. Specifically dark energy, quarks,
that sort of thing, and how they could validate the presence of other planes of existence.
He was fascinated by what I could do.
And what was your part in this so-called research?
To prove the dead do exist and to figure out a reliable way to communicate with
them.
Briggs did a superb job holding in his laugh, but his eyes gave him away. So you
believe in that nonsense?
You could say that.
You base that on personal experience?
Yeah, you could say that too.

20

Adrienne Wilder

Do you believe you can talk to the dead, Charlie?


If you talked to Sullivan, you already know the answer to that question.
Going by the color of Briggss auras, he knew the answers and so much more. He
smirked. There are a lot of newspaper articles written about you. Seems you were
pretty popular in Virginia. A lot of people there seem to believe you could speak to the
dead.
Yeah, I solved eighteen cold cases, three missing persons, and found the mass
grave of a serial killer who lived in New York. He would come down on business, pick
up a victim along the way, then bury the body before he took a drive back home. He
had twenty-eight victims buried on an abandoned farm. So those people in Virginia,
some of whom were FBI, have a pretty good reason to believe in what I can do. Now are
you going to tell me why youre here, or are we going to keep playing this game?
I dont believe in ghosts, Mr. Harrington. I believe in smart people who play
mind games, people who lie, deceive, and get away with murder.
Considering I was eight when I solved my first cold case for the FBI, I can
promise you, I didnt play a part in any of the murders.
The smile on Briggss face fell flat, and his aura contracted down to a thin line.
That wasnt a good sign. It could mean he was pissed or about to get violent.
Charlie crossed his arms. Now will you please tell me why youre here?
Sullivan was found dead in the basement of a building he was living in three
days ago. He had a lot of strange equipment and even bizarre ritual objects. Your name
came up during the CSI sweep.
Charlie stared at the floor.
You dont seem too broken up about him?
We didnt exactly part ways on good terms. And considering the kinds of
experiments he did, Im not surprised hes dead.
Can you tell me what he was working on? Or what the machines were for?

He Speaks Dead

21

Charlie shrugged. I dont have a clue. But knowing Sullivan, the machines were
probably some type of EMF enhancers with polarity coils.
Briggs frowned. Which means what?
Sullivan built machines to try and replicate the things I could do, only at an
enhanced level. He used them to study portals, the dead, and the energy waves they
exist on.
Okay, what about the religious artifacts? Was he into some sort of devil
worship?
Charlie snorted. No, of course not. He was an atheist. Sullivan collected religious
pieces from all kinds of primitive cultures.
And he was an atheist?
Yes, he was. Sullivan had a healthy respect for religion, especially those utilized
by primitive cultures. Unlike modern society, many less developed societies are more
open to the idea of communicating with the dead. He traveled the world to talk to these
people, looking for someone who could open the lines between all planes of existence.
And you helped him?
Yes.
A little young, dont you think? Going to a different state, with a strange man no
one knew. How do you suppose he pulled that off?
Charlie ran a hand over the top of his head. Sullivan talked my foster parents into
letting him bring me back to Atlanta.
Thats right. Your parents died in a house fire, didnt they? How old were you?
Eleven or twelve?
Charlies eyes tightened. He picked up his coffee cup and took a drink. I know he
was hoping to hide his pain, but Briggs saw it anyhow.
How old were you exactly when he brought you here?
Sixteen.

22

Adrienne Wilder

You appeared younger in the videos.


And Briggs said videos like a dirty word. When I looked at Charlie, he looked like
he was going to be sick.
Small for your age, werent you? Think thats why he liked you? Did you know
he filmed everything? He even kept photos of you in shoe boxes under his bed.
It hit me then, just what kind of videos Briggs meant. Charlie rolled a look up at
me. Unshed tears made his eyes dark.
JesusCharlie Why didnt you tell me?
Briggs stood and walked closer. I didnt want him anywhere near Charlie, but it
wasnt like I could do much to stop him.
Is that why you killed him?
Charlie shook his head.
We found the e-mails, where he wanted to see you again, for old times sake. The
threats he made about putting the videos on the Web. They were pretty brutal. I mean,
what would people say if they saw them? I bet you were grateful your parents arent
alive. They would roll over in their graves if they saw their little boy with a forty-yearold man.
It wasnt like that.
Wasnt like what? He didnt force you to have sex with him? I saw the videos and
photographs. How many years and how many times a day did he rape you, Mr.
Harrington? There were a lot of movies on his home computer. Hundreds of them.
Personally I think he got what he deserved.
I glared at Briggs. Dont say anything, Charlie.
I didnt kill him. I dont know if Charlie was saying it for my benefit or Briggs. It
had to be Briggs. I knew Charlie would never hurt anyone. To Briggs Charlie said,
And I never got any e-mails from Sullivan.

He Speaks Dead

23

The header had your e-mail and IP address. Our data forensics team ran a trace.
We know youve accessed the same Gmail account on multiple occasions. Just because
you do your business at a public site doesnt mean its anonymous.
I didnt send Sullivan any e-mails. I havent spoken to him for years.
Briggs grabbed Charlies arm and forced his wrist up. You slit your wrists to try
and get away from him. Because he wouldnt let you leave. He was a predator. He
deserved to die. As angry as Briggs sounded, his aura said something else. He didnt
like what he was doing. He didnt want to do it. Briggs gave Charlie a shake.
Yes, I hated him, okay! Charlie tried to pull away, but Briggs wouldnt let go.
But you only think you know what happened. I didnt try to kill myself because of
what he did to me. I was in love with him, and I thought he was in love with me.
And?
And what? I was stupid. I had no idea of his real intentions. He just wanted me
around to do his experiments.
What kind of experiments?
Sullivan had theories about doorways between the living and the dead. He was
obsessed with finding someone he knew who died. Everything was about reaching the
dead, to talk to them, to make them real so they could be seen. But he needed money. A
lot of money. He thought if he could prove a scientific basis for his research, the
universities and scientific community would be throwing grants at him to get first dibs
at his findings.
And he what, thought he would accomplish that by raping little boys?
Briggs pushed Charlie into the counter. His long arms came down on both sides of
him, pinning him in place.
Charlie squeezed his words out from behind his clenched teeth. You dont know
what youre talking about.
Really? I saw the things he did to you, the things he made you do.

24

Adrienne Wilder

Charlie tried to push Briggs back.


I circled Briggs. Tell him to get out of your house, Charlie. He doesnt have shit. If
he did, he would arrest you. Hes just trying to screw with your head.
When Charlie looked at Briggs, some of the hardness faded from the cops
expression. For a second or two I thought I saw pity, maybe even concern, maybe even
sadness. His aura flickered, showing signs of regret. Briggs backed up, giving Charlie
some much needed space.
Just when I was starting to soften my opinion about Briggs, he said, How many
years did you stay in the psych ward after him?
Charlies hands balled up.
The things he did to you messed you up pretty good, didnt they?
It wasnt because of him. The proclamation pretty much shot out of Charlies
mouth.
Please, dont let this asshole get to you! Just tell him to go. You can call Bill. Bill
was Charlies lawyer. He only handled wills and deeds, but surely to God the man
knew a good defense attorney.
Instead of staying quiet Charlie said, The sex was Sullivans way of controlling
me.
Controlling you?
I was sixteen, a walking hormone. He knew all the right things to say, convinced
me he loved me. To me, the sex equaled love. I was stupid.
And why would he need to control you?
Because he couldnt force me to work for him. I had to want to do what he
wanted. It wasnt like he could replace me. He needed me to need him. He had to have
control. I had to believe he was my world.
I bet you sound like an echo from one of your therapy sessions. Tell me, Mr.
Harrington, why anyone needs a sixteen-year-old boy?

He Speaks Dead

25

Because no one else can do what I do.


Which is what? Talk to the dead? The sarcasm practically burned holes in the
tile when it fell from Briggss mouth.
Not just talk to them. I can make them real. He was obsessed, relentless about
finding whoever it was he was searching for. He used me to help him locate weak
places between the planes of existence so he could open doorways through the layers of
the dead to the living.
Briggs laughed. Make ghosts real? Open portals? Are you serious?
Yeah, not that you believe in those kinds of things.
Convince me. Briggs leaned in again, lips pulled back in a vicious grin.
The color of Charlies aura shifted, going from a fluorescent blue to a light gold
and silver.
Dont. Charlie, please dont. Just tell him to go. Tell him you want a lawyer.
Charlie stared right at Briggs and said, Your uncle Guido says he knew about the
baseball cards, and he was never mad that you took them. So you can quit feeling guilty
about lying to him.
Briggs turned twelve shades of gray. He spun Charlie around and slapped the
cuffs on him. I yelled for him to stop, but of course he didnt hear me.
Why are you arresting me?
Shut up.
I didnt do anything.
Briggs shoved Charlie into the counter, and the wind shot out of his lungs with an
oomph.
And I said shut up. Well go down to the precinct, and you can play your little
mind games with the DA if you want. He pushed Charlie in the direction of the door.
You have the right to remain silent.
My shoes.

26

Adrienne Wilder

Fuck your shoes. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a
court of law.
Can I at least have a jacket?
No. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney,
one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?
Charlie stubbed his toe on the threshold and stumbled into one of the posts edging
the walkway. Briggs caught him by the elbow just in time or he would have fallen facefirst into the asphalt. He steered Charlie by the collar of his shirt down the short flight
of steps to the parking lot.
Charlie jerked away from him and wound up sitting on the hood of a Beemer. I
want to know why Im being arrested.
Too bad.
Briggs yanked Charlie to his feet and slung him against the car. The mans hands
shook when he got out his keys and unlocked the door. This wasnt the first time Id
seen someone react this way when they were made to face the reality that the dead
were real. Its the main reason why Charlie quit helping people.
One time Charlie relayed a message to a man named Louis Crage from his niece.
Crage broke down and confessed to accidently killing the little girl in a fit of anger. He
was sent to prison for manslaughter, and when he was paroled, he came after Charlie.
Lucky for Charlie, Crage had been drunk and had bad aim. The bullet missed Charlies
heart by a few inches. After that he quit working cases for the public and put everything
under Bills name. Even his mail went through Bills office before it came here.
Ask him how he found you, I said.
Charlie gave me a look.
Think about it. Your name isnt on the lease, your bank accounts, anything. It all
goes through Bill. How did he find you?

He Speaks Dead

27

Briggs shoved Charlie into the patrol car and slammed the door. When he got
behind the wheel, Charlie asked, Who told you where I live?
Shut up.
No, who told you where I live? I dont keep my name on any records. None of
the utilities are in my name. Even my e-mail account goes through an IP with a phone
company that doesnt send me the bill. So how did you find me?
Its called police work.
Briggs threw the car in reverse and headed out of the parking lot.
Its hard to keep up with a vehicle moving sixty miles an hour, so I didnt even try.
There was no way Id lose Charlie. We were connected, me attached to him. Always
had been since the day he died and came back. As soon as they got where they were
going, Id be able to pop in. I watched the taillights flash as Briggs slowed down to take
the corner. Even then the wheels barked against the blacktop. The unmarked cruiser
disappeared into traffic.
Damn it, Id never felt so useless. Another car cranked up near the end of the
parking lot. There were only a few residents in this complex, so I was familiar with the
cars they drove and all of them were of the Jaguar, Mercedes, Lexus flavor. The white
Toyota with the primer paint on the passenger door stuck out like a sore thumb. Black
smoke puffed out of the dangling muffler and kicked up sparks when it dragged
against the hump edging the street. The driver made a right on the main road, taking
the same route as Briggs.
I had the strangest feeling it wasnt a coincidence.

28

Adrienne Wilder

Chapter Three
Since I hadnt ever been inside the police station before, I had to wait for Charlie to
get there so I could pop in. With him as a reference I could go anywhere. Without him I
was stranded unless I was familiar with where I was going.
I found Charlie sitting in a small blue room with one door and a camera peering
down at him from the upper left-hand corner. His forehead rested against the table, and
his hands were still behind his back.
I floated up next to him. Damn it, Charlie.
Dont rub it in, okay?
You cant impress everyone with what you do.
Yeah, yeah, Ive already been reminded. He sighed.
I glanced at the camera. You know theyre probably listening, dont you?
I dont care.
Theyll want you to see a shrink.
Good, then he can tell them Im not crazy.
I dropped to his level, and he stared at me from under his wavy brown hair. The
fluorescents cast streaks of green in it. I leaned in and kissed him. Or at least my version
of a kiss. It made his breath frost, but it also earned me a smile.
Why didnt you tell me about Sullivan? Aboutyou know.
Having sex with him?
Yeah.
Cause its in the past and I am trying to leave the past behind.

He Speaks Dead

29

It saddened me that Charlie thought it might have made a difference in how I felt
about him. Hell, maybe it would have, I dont know. Even if it did, it would have never
stopped me from loving him. Nothing could, I was sure of it.
What now? Charlie asked.
Good question. I glanced over my shoulder at the camera. Im going to go see if I
can find Briggs, maybe get an idea as to what theyre up to. Take a look around, spy,
all those great things you could do when youre dead and no one would ever know.
Ask him what hes going to charge me with.
Ha-ha, very funny. Like he would tell me if he could hear me.
Since Briggs had been so nosy about Charlie, I bet my ghostly right toe that hed
be watching him from the other end of that camera in the wall. Plus, camera rooms
tended to have video equipment, and hed mentioned watching the videos of Charlie.
Of course, I could just have been guilty of watching too many cop shows on TV.
Layers of drywall, brick, and paint passed through me as I moved through the
wall, following the line of cables from the camera where Charlie was located to another
room across the hall and a few yards down. Small and cramped, the room I came out in
had several monitors casting a silvery-blue glow over the dark gray walls. A cop stared
at the displays showing several interrogation rooms, including Charlies.
Shelves of additional equipment I couldnt name were off to the side. Some of it
reminded me of old VHS players with no tape deck, but the rest Id never seen before.
Briggs and an older man stared at a different TV screen. This one was in color.
The older man said, How do you suppose he does it?
Briggs pinched his bottom lip while he stared at the video of a young Charlie,
sitting alone in a room. Several objects were placed on the table in front of him.
Numbers on the side of the screen showed temperature readings. I didnt have to look
at them to know the room was cold. Charlies breath clouded, and he shivered. Frost
climbed up the edge of the camera lens.

30

Adrienne Wilder

The image of a woman appeared, dressed in a twenties-style flapper dress. The


woman went from transparent to solid.
Charlie said, Please move the red square.
The woman moved the square a few inches before disappearing.
Briggs waved a hand. Special effects. They can do amazing things with
computers.
These were done in the nineties.
They had computers in the nineties, Langley. It might have been more
convincing if Briggss voice hadnt cracked. They watched the video loop several more
times.
Langley flipped off the TV.
Briggss expression darkened. I cant believe the FBI used him as a kid to solve
crimes.
They were desperate.
He was a kid. What kind of monster puts an eight-year-old into a situation where
there are murderers involved?
They were really desperate. Langley walked over and picked up a file stuffed
inside a box with lots of VHS tapes and CDs. He handed it to Briggs, who scanned it.
Briggs shook his head. I wouldnt have pegged the FBI to be so easily misled.
From everything Ive read, all the newspaper articles and interviews, Harrington
is the real deal.
Briggs snorted and tossed a look up. Dont tell me youre buying into this shit.
I wont pretend to understand it, but there are a lot of important people who do
believe in him. None of them thinks hes capable of killing someone.
Everyone has a breaking point. Harrington was abused by Sullivan for three
years. You saw the tapes. You heard how that man treated him. The berating, the
insults, degrading him until he barely had the will to stand up. Making him beg for

He Speaks Dead

31

everything from a meal to sex. Even if you could overlook the mental abuse, Sullivan
had sex with a child!
Age of consent is sixteen.
Fucking-A. He was a kid. He looked twelve.
I moved through the box. Being dead is interesting. Sight is the only sense we
really have left, and theres no limit to it. What I mean is that I can put a hand, or at
least what I imagine to be my hand, through a wall and see whats on the other side.
Same goes for things like books, magazines, closets. I dont even need light.
By moving through the box, I could see what was in it: Charlies psych records,
random documents, newspaper clippings, and photos. I was unable to see what was on
the VHS tapes, but there were three reels of 8mm film that were more than just a little
enlightening.
Charlie did look young but not twelve. Thank God. Either way, I had to agree
with Briggs. Sullivan should have been ashamed of himself.
Langley said, What he was and what he looked like are two different things.
Birth certificate says he was sixteen. Its not even statutory rape.
So you dont think he did it?
Langley leaned against the wall looking defeated. I dont know what to believe,
to be honest. This case is a strange one. This Sullivan guy was a recluse. He didnt get
out enough to make any enemies. He had no family, not even any friends from what we
can tell. He shrugged. You never did tell me what made you bring Harrington in.
Briggs looked away. It was something he said.
Something he said? You care to elaborate?
I just dont like him. His aura darkened with the color of a lie. Now that was
interesting. Briggs ran a hand through his hair. Theres something going on with him,
and it doesnt make any sense. My gut says hes involved though. I just dont know
how. What I do know is Sullivan was going to make those photos public, and

32

Adrienne Wilder

humiliation is a powerful motive for murder. His aura brightened again. You didnt
see the mess in that basement. Whoever killed Sullivan had a lot of anger toward him.
Sullivan screwed up Charlie Harringtons life. He tried to kill himself to get away from
the bastard. Something like that is just the kind of thing to create enough hate and fear
to drive a person to kill a man.
Langley cleared his throat. The MEs preliminary reports came in.
And?
Youre right. Whoever did this was angry, really angry. And strong. The ME says
the tire iron used to stab Sullivan almost severed his spine. It would take a lot of
strength to stab a person with a tire iron. You really think Harrington has that kind of
muscle?
Hes not exactly small.
Fifty times?
You cant be serious.
Thats what she said.
Thats notno Im not going to even say impossible because I watched a guy
jacked up on crank get hit by a bus, then run a mile with two broken legs and a rib in
his lungs.
Langley rolled his eyes. Youre reaching.
Im not reaching.
You are. I havent seen you act this way since you were a rookie assigned to that
tranny case. What the hell did this guy say to you to get your dander up?
Nothing. Briggs looked away. Nothing important.
Langley grunted. Cut him loose.
What?

He Speaks Dead

33

You heard me. And you better hope he doesnt get a lawyer and come after your
ass. You should have never brought him in here. Hell, you should have never even
gone to his place. We didnt have enough.
Weve arrested people on less.
Yeah, people with criminal records, not letters of commendation from the
governor of fucking Virginia. Cut him loose, take him down to the corner, buy him
coffee, and apologize.
Youre not serious.
As a heart attack. Langley started to turn, then stopped. Oh, CSI found DNA
that didnt match the victim.
There was only one body.
Yeah, they think either the body was removed or there just arent any solid pieces
left.
Jesus.
Thats what I said. So, do you still think Dances with Ghosts in there did this?
The color change in Briggss aura said no.
Langley nodded like Briggs had voiced an answer. You know, you might see if
he can help.
Dont
Hes worked with law enforcement in the past.
Asking him to help is like admitting what he does is real.
Langley glanced at the TV set. It was still off, but the message was clear. We have
zero leads and possibly two bodies. If admitting what he does might be real helps
He shrugged.
Briggs pinched the bridge of his nose. This is bullshit.
It cant hurt.
Hes a suspect.

34

Adrienne Wilder

The only person who sees that man as a suspect is you. Talk to him. See if he has
any ideas.
I went back to Charlie. His eyes were closed, but I could tell he wasnt asleep.
I floated up next to him. Good news. Theyre going to let you go.
He looked at me. What?
They dont have enough evidence. Briggs even got his ass chewed out by his
boss. I think you should mention the word lawyer and civil rights in the same
sentence. You might actually get dinner and a show. His boss even told him to buy you
coffee. I filled Charlie in on everything theyd said as well, without the gory details. I
just told Charlie that Sullivan had been stabbed to death. Not how many times, not how
hed had holes punched into his body with a tire iron.
He made a face.
What?
Maybe the reason theyre having such a hard time finding a suspect is because
theyre looking in the wrong place.
The wrong place?
Yeah. What if the person wasnt a person? What if they werent alive and never
had been?
Holy shit, Charlie, are you serious?
You wouldnt ask me that if you knew the kind of things Sullivan was into. Scary
stuff. He held up his hands.
I stared at the scars on Charlies wrists, feeling sick.
He put his hands in his lap and stared. I floated closer, and his exhale iced into a
cloud in front of his lips. A lot of people thought he was crazy.
Yeah, if he was playing with things that could stab him to death, Id say the man
was pretty fucked. The way hed treated Charlie was enough to make him fucked-up
in my book.

He Speaks Dead

35

Charlie snorted. Okay, yeah, he was screwed up, but it doesnt change the fact
that he knew what he was doing. The science he was usingquantum physicswas so
advanced I didnt even understand a fraction of what he talked about. All I know is, he
knew what he wanted and it was only a matter of time before he accomplished it.
There was fear in Charlies eyes. Real fear.
I was about to ask him to tell me more when the door opened and a very unhappy
Briggs walked in. The tick in his jaw had to be going ninety beats per minute.
He stopped at the edge of the table and took out a set of keys. Were going to cut
you loose, but dont leave town. He came around and unlocked Charlies handcuffs.
Ill call you a cab.
I can walk.
Its three miles.
I like to walk.
You dont have any shoes.
Charlie looked down and wiggled his toes. Uh
Ill call you a cab.
I dont have my wallet. He smirked.
Briggs looked like a man whod just been kicked in the nuts. Ill see if one of the
patrolmen can give you a ride.
You know, I could really go for a cup of coffee. Maybe you could give me a ride
and we could stop on the way.
For a second or two I thought Briggs was going to hit him.

36

Adrienne Wilder

Chapter Four
I caught up to them at a rinky-dink coffee shop just two blocks from Charlies
place. Briggs looked even less happy than before as he forked over a ten to cover an
overpriced cappuccino. He brought it over to the table where Charlie sat. You can
drink it in the car.
Id really like to drink it here.
I really dont have time for this game, Mr. Harrington.
Charlie.
The tick returned to Briggss jaw. Charlie then.
Youre the one who arrested me. Charlie sipped his coffee in a way that made
his lips slide over the raised edge in a suggestive manner. I might have been jealous if
hed done it on purpose, but Charlie had no idea how he could make such simple acts
look erotic.
Briggs saw it too and looked away. His aura spiked with a bunch of violet and
yellow bursts.
Well, fuck.
Charlie tossed me a look.
I think Officer Friendly is sweet on you. And not just sweet on him. Damn, any
brighter and he was going to come in his pants.
Charlie snorted and choked on his coffee. Briggs handed him some napkins from
the dispenser. You okay?
Charlie nodded; then he coughed some more. Yeah, just went down the wrong
way.

He Speaks Dead

37

Briggs wiped up the puddle on the table and tossed the trash into the can nearby.
You know you can sit down. I wont bite.
Briggs didnt look happy, but he sat. Charlie was about halfway finished with his
coffee when Briggs said, My captain wants me to ask for your help.
And you dont agree.
One of Briggss shovel-sized hands rubbed the back of his neck. Look, I dont
believe in ghosts.
Okay.
So that means, no matter what the FBI says, what my captain says, I dont believe
what you do is real.
Charlie put his cup down on the table and turned it round and round between his
hands. So is this your way of asking me for my help anyway?
Briggs opened his mouth, then closed it. His glare made me wince. I dont know
how in the world Charlie could stand it. He even managed to give Briggs the look. The
one where his eyes go all soft and the corner of his mouth gets this little hook in it. Not
quite a smile, more like a cat that got the canary.
I think it was the first time Id seen Charlie look at anyone that way but me.
If asked for your help on behalf of the precinct, whats it going to cost the city?
Nothing. I dont charge.
You dont charge.
No.
Then how do you make a living, or do you just play the lottery?
I talk to the dead, Detective. Im not psychic.
And theres a difference? The smile on Briggss face was mocking.
Charlie nodded. Of course. Psychics see the future or other things. I just speak to,
see, and hear the dead.

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Adrienne Wilder

Silence. Briggs stared at the table, then Charlie. He stood up. Im going to need
one of those ten-dollar coffees if Im gonna sit through this.
He left, and I said, What are you doing?
Trying to help.
We dont want to help him. Lets just go home.
But what if we can do something?
Charlie, you quit helping the cops, remember?
I quit helping the FBI, not the cops. Ive never helped the local PD before.
Because when youve tried, they thought you were a quack and attempted to lock
you up. Like that time about six years ago. We were out somewhere, and Charlie saw
the spirit of this dead girl standing on the side of the road. He stopped, and she told
him she was lost, gave him her name, told Charlie who her parents were. Good
Samaritan that he is, Charlie went to the local police, showed them his FBI credentials,
then proceeded to tell them where they could find her body and how she died. His FBI
ID was probably the only reason they threw him in lockup rather than taking him out
back and putting a bullet in his head.
Charlie was in their county lockup for three days before they called the FBI to
check out his credentials. They let him out less than two hours after the phone call. They
didnt exactly apologize, but they did give him a police escort to the county line and
told him never to come back.
I didnt need to remind Charlie about that day, because I knew hed read my
thoughts from the look on my face. He frowned, and his cheeks pinked up. They were
just scared.
Yeah, Charlie, they were. Just like Officer Friendly there. Hes scared of you too,
and you know as well as I do just how dangerous people can be when they are scared of
things that they dont understand. I watched Briggs at the counter. He was squinting
at the menu and doing a piss-poor job of articulating what he wanted. Not that I could

He Speaks Dead

39

blame himthe pet names these places give to some bean juice and cream always
threw me for a loop.
I feel like I owe Sullivan.
I whipped my gaze back around to Charlie. What?
He drank some of his coffee and stared at his cup. You wouldnt understand.
Youre damn right I dont.
He wasnt an evil person.
Yeah, and he wasnt exactly your fairy godfather either. That man mentally
abused you by calling you names, making you feel worthless.
Charlies dark eyes came up, and my words got caught in my throat. And how
would you know?
Yeah. How would I know? Considering Id just found out today. There was a box
with files and pictures.
Charlies chin dropped to his chest.
Im sorry. Briggs said some things, not a lot but I got an idea. I had to look after
that. There was a box, and there were pictures and some movies on those old-timey
reels.
Why would you do that?
Because it was about you and I love you and I care about you.
So you had to look at my dirty secrets?
I dont know why Charlie called them his dirty secrets. The only one who should
have felt dirty was Sullivan, but he was dead. If I ran into him, I was going to give him
the equivalent of a dead mans busted lip and black eye. But the chances of me ever
seeing him were slim to none. I dont understand how the layers of afterlife work. I just
happen to be a victim of it. It doesnt change anything between us.
Yes, it does. He sounded strange to me, and I realized it was because his voice
had gone all soft, unsure, like the old Charlie. The one who used to be ashamed of

40

Adrienne Wilder

himself. The one who used to think there was nothing about him that could be loved. I
thought then it had been typical self-esteem issues, but now I knew just how atypical
those issues really were.
It left me wondering just how far Sullivan had gone in breaking Charlies will.
How far the man had pushed him with the humiliation and mind games. Id only seen
the results when I found Charlie that terrible night in the darkness. After seeing what
was in the box, I no longer had to imagine how hed gotten that way. I touched his
cheek, and a bit of frost formed on his skin.
Please dont be angry with me, Charlie said.
Im not. Just tell me why you think you owe that son of a bitch anything at all.
Especially after all the things hed done.
Maybe its not just him I owe. Maybe its me.
I dont understand.
Sullivan taught me a lot about my ability. Before him it was mostly random. He
helped me hone it to perfection. His methods were questionable, but they worked.
Are you telling me what he did to you was about helping you focus?
Some of it, yeah. And some of it was about controlling me.
I think he did more than control you, Charlie.
Yeah, maybe.
There was no maybe about it.
The thing is I never got closure.
So helping find this guys killer will give that to you? I had a very hard time
believing that, unless of course it was to tack a medal on the killers shirt. Fifty times
with a tire iron just didnt seem like enough to me.
It might, I dont know. I just feel like I need to do it.

He Speaks Dead

41

I didnt pretend for a minute to understand what Charlie was feeling, but since I
cared about him, I also wasnt going to stand in his way to do what he felt he needed to
do.
Briggs walked back and pulled out the chair. He growled as he wedged his large
frame onto the spindly seat. Youd think ordering a black coffee was some sort of
cosmic violation with the way those kids acted.
Well, yeah, in the house of double shot, hold this, make mine with or without
cream, we were probably lucky the entire universe didnt collapse and kill us all over
that cup of black joe in Briggss hand.
Charlie stared out the window, and Briggs watched him with a cautious
expression. You okay?
Charlie nodded.
You sure did go all quiet.
He shrugged.
So does this mean youre not going to tell me all the ways you can help me solve
the mystery of the year? Briggs snorted and drank some of his coffee. Charlie stayed
quiet. There was no way for the man to know this was typical Charlie when something
was really bothering him. A state of mind I hadnt witnessed in years since hed been
under psychiatric care after Sullivan. Quiet, brooding Charlie, whose gaze stared at
distant places even I couldnt see from my position on the plane of the dead.
Briggs put down his coffee and stared at Charlie like he could will him to talk. I
knew better. Charlie wouldnt talk about anything until he was ready, no matter how
hard someone stared at him. Or begged. Or pleaded.
After another stretch of quiet Charlie said, How did he die, exactly?
Briggss coffee cup froze an inch from his lips. Who?
Sullivan. Who else?

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Adrienne Wilder

Briggs drank his coffee, and his expression became pinched. I dont know if the
coffee was just that strong or if it burned him. He pulled out a napkin from the
dispenser at the edge of the table and wiped his mouth. When he looked up again,
Charlie was watching him. You dont want to know. It wasnt pretty.
I know I dont want to know, but I think I have to.
Briggs and I both said, No you dont. I glared at the cop; then I hovered closer to
Charlie, somewhere between the man sitting across from him and partway in the table.
Dont do this to yourself, Charlie, I said. He looked at me, and his eyes were so sad.
Please, please, dont. Just let it go.
The I cant was barely audible.
I looked at Briggs, hoping the guy would be on the same wavelength as me, but no
such luck. Briggs said, Someone mutilated him.
Mutilated how?
Briggs pulled out another handful of napkins, then didnt seem to know what to
do with them. Are you sure?
He nodded.
Yeah, okay. He was stabbed roughly fifty times with a tire iron. The attack was so
brutal it practically severed his spine.
I dont know if Briggs noticed Charlies hands shaking or not, because he stuffed
them into his lap. It would take something really strong to kill a man like that.
Yes, a lot of strength or a lot of rage.
I really think I need to see the scene, Detective.
The scene?
Yeah.
I dont think that would be a very good idea.

He Speaks Dead

43

Im sure you dont. But if you dont let me, you may see more bodies before the
week is up. And you dont strike me as the type of person who would put his ego above
the lives of innocent people.

****
Some days Charlie can really test my patience. This just happened to be one of
those days. I moved outside the coffeehouse because there was no way I would be able
to keep my opinions to myself. While I might disagree with Charlie, he was still his own
man.
I floated out in front, watching people come and go. For a hole-in-the-wall coffee
joint that was overpriced even for the city, the Fresh Brew stayed busy. Some goth kids
filled up the table in the farthest corner of the veranda, and a couple with a screaming
toddler covered the area by the door. With all the other bodies, weaving in and out of
parked cars, walking along the sidewalk, going in and out, I felt like I was surrounded,
with no place to go to escape the noise and flurry.
Im not sure if I was always this bothered by crowds or if its something I acquired
after I died. Some days I wished I could remember more about my life, and other days I
was glad I couldnt. Today was the kind of day I wished I knew more.
Charlie tried to help me once. See, he can do this thing, kind of like the whole
possession, only in reverse. He can, in a sense, take control of the dead. Its short-lived
and it takes a hell of a lot out of him, but when he does it, he can dig around in our
memories. Dredge up things too dark and buried too deep for us to remember. The
whole amnesia after death is actually pretty standard from what Ive seen. While not all
of us forget how we were killed or who we are, some of us can only remember how we
died and who we left behind and remember nothing else. So I guess there were far
worse things than not knowing my past.
A familiar Toyota pulling into the parking lot caught my attention. At first I
dismissed it as a look-alike. I mean, how many white compact cars were there on the
streets of Atlanta? Id dare to say far more than anyone could count. But then the

44

Adrienne Wilder

Toyota pulled into a parking place a few spots down from Briggss sedan, and I saw the
primer door.
Okay, maybe they were just here for coffee. I moved up the sidewalk, trying to get
a look at the driver. Blonde frizzy hair and an overcoat. The woman got out. She looked
sick or maybe just really tired. The aura surrounding her was shredded and blotched
with sickly shades of gray and brown, the kinds of colors associated with mass amounts
of stress, guilt, and deep mental illness. Her bloodshot eyes scanned the parking lot.
I heard the clang of bells on the front door of the coffee shop, then Charlies voice.
The womans gaze locked on to Charlie, and she staggered forward. When she stepped
up on the sidewalk, Charlie froze, eyes wide.
Im sorry, Charlie. I didnt want to have to do this, but I dont have any other
choice. Her aura broke apart with bloody spots of red, and tears ran down the
womans filthy cheeks. Forgive me, please forgive me!
I was so caught up in the pained expression in her dark-ringed eyes that I almost
didnt see her pull the gun from under her coat.
Charlie! I turned to him. Behind me people screamed, running in all directions.
Briggs pulled his piece and shouted a warning, but I knew he would never be able to
stop her. He was trained to give people a chance, and this woman only had one thing
on her mind.
I moved right for Charlie, and he threw up his arms like he would to catch a living
person to keep him from crashing right into him. We made contact, and I felt the surge
of his otherworldly self flow into me. I took everything I could from him. His
expression was surprised as I went from the plane of the dead to the plane of the living.
My hands were the first to solidify, then my arms and chest. Briggs saw me. One second
no one there, the next minute the top half of a man. There was a shot, and the bullet
struck me in the back, tearing through my made-real flesh, my spine. I felt my left lung
explode, then my heart. My breath whooshed out, spraying Charlie with ecto-blood.
And let me tell you, dying is painful even when youre already dead.

He Speaks Dead

45

Chapter Five
I dont know where I went between the time the bullet took out my heartkilling
me againand when I returned to the plane of the living, drawn by the connection I
had with Charlie. My ghostly self reappeared in a white room, filled with sterile
electronic sounds and decorated with uncomfortable chairs. Charlie lay in a bed
wearing a blue gown with a BP monitor attached to his finger and an IV in his arm.
Briggs had stuffed his massive frame onto a narrow sofa that resembled a vinylcovered brick rather than a piece of furniture, in what had to be the most uncomfortable
position for the human body to sleep in. I moved over to Charlie. He was a deathly
shade of pale, and his face was pinched.
Seeing him like this, lost in the folds of the blankets, reminded me of the day hed
died and come back. He looked small and frail. It was almost like hed lost twenty
pounds since this morning. This is exactly why the dead are so dangerous for him. Id
taken a lot. Way more than I ever had before. Way more than Charlie would have given
to anyone else. But I had to stop the bullet, and thered been no way to do it except to
become solid.
His beautiful gray eyes opened, and he smiled up at me. Hey. He reached for
me, but I didnt let him touch me. The hurt in his expression made my chest ache.
Its for your own good.
I know. Yeah, he knew, but it didnt mean it was any easier to bear. Charlie
smiled. You saved me, didnt you?
Of course.
What happened?
You dont know?

46

Adrienne Wilder

His gaze wandered over to Briggs. I just remember him pulling his gun, you
coming right at me and becoming real. Then there was blood. I remember shots. There
was a woman, I think. Charlie rubbed his temple. I woke up here once or twice, but
nothing made any sense. It was all noise and a lot of light.
I moved closer to him. Youre right, there was a woman. She had a gun, and she
came right at you.
He gave me a disbelieving look. Why?
I dont know.
I think I saw her face, but I cant remember what she looked like.
Its not important.
It is. I need to know. Please, show me.
Charlie wanted me to give him my memories. No, youre already exhausted
Any other protests I had lined up were snapped off when Charlie grabbed my arm. He
gasped and fell back against the bed, eyes rolled up, body shaking. He let go of me as
his arms drew up to his chest. The seizure was short but loud enough to wake Briggs.
The big man just about dumped himself onto the floor as he shot to his feet.
Damn it, Charlie! My first instinct was to try and touch him, hold him, but I
couldnt. Touching him right now would only hurt him. My frustration boiled out of me
in the form of an angry wail.
Charlie tried to sit up. Im okay.
Briggs walked right through me and grabbed Charlie. He put one hand on
Charlies shoulder, the other on the side of his head as if that might keep Charlie from
convulsing again. Do you need me to call a nurse?
No, no, Im fine.
You just had another seizure. Youre not fine.
Its not Charlie fought to get himself in a sitting position, but Briggs wouldnt
let him. He looked at me. I knew her.

He Speaks Dead

47

Briggs asked, Who?


You might as well tell him, I said. Hes going to have a million questions, and
theres always the good chance hed find out and arrest you again.
Hes not going to arrest me.
The expression on Briggss face was priceless. He looked over his shoulder, then
back at Charlie. What are you talking about?
Charlie struggled against the covers and yanked off the BP monitor on his finger.
The machine protested.
Briggs tried to stop him. Charlie, you need to stay in the bed. The doctors want to
run more tests
They dont need to run tests.
Your CT scan showed an abnormality. They think its what might have caused
the seizure.
Charlie made a frustrated sound and plopped back on the bed and threw his IVfree arm over his face. Its not an abnormality, at least not for me. And I did not have a
seizure.
You could have fooled me.
No, you just didnt understand what you were seeing. Ethan manifested. That
takes a lot out of me. Then just now, I touched him again.
Ethan? Briggs took a step back. Then he moved to pick up the Call button.
I think Charlie surprised us both by being quick enough to grab it first. Im not
hallucinating. You saw him out in the parking lot. I know you did. It happened right in
front of you.
The tan around Briggss eyes paled.
Charlie nodded like he could read the mans mind. Yeah, its kinda hard to
dismiss it when you see it up close and personal.
Im not sure what I saw.

48

Adrienne Wilder

I looked at Charlie, and he rolled his eyes as he went back to trying to climb out of
the bed. Briggs fought to keep him from lowering the rails. Charlie shot him a glare. I
want to go home.
You need to stay here.
Theres nothing wrong with me.
Will you at least wait until the doctor comes in and checks you out again?
How long will that be?
Briggs looked at his watch. She said shed be back in an hour at the most.
Hes not asking for a lot.
Charlie turned his unhappy expression on me. Youre not helping.
I took a lot out of you.
Dont you think I know that? But I need to get back to the house. Find out why
Helen tried to shoot me.
Briggs said, Ethan again? His tone was mocking.
Charlie yanked on the railings. Yeah, second thought, screw you and the doctor.
He climbed over the edge of the bed, giving Briggs a full view of his butt. I dont know
if Briggs noticed or not, but Charlie had fingertip shaped bruises on his right ass cheek.
Charlies feet hit the floor, and he almost fell. Briggs caught him because I couldnt.
Goddamn it.
I popped over next to him. Charlie, please, just rest.
He glared at me. Whose side are you on?
Side? When did we pick sides?
Charlie clawed at the IV in his arm, and Briggs picked him up and dropped him
back on the bed.
Charlie cursed. What the hell do you think youre doing?
Trying to keep you from hurting yourself.

He Speaks Dead

49

I told you Im fine.


Yeah, you can hardly stand up. Just sit there for a bit and
Why? So you can laugh at me? Look at me like Im a fruitcake? Im not crazy,
delusional, or a fake. And that woman who tried to shoot me, Helen Brock, I know her.
She worked for Sullivan.
Are you sure?
Yes, Im sure. She was one of his sparkies.
Sparkies: Charlies pet name for people who liked to pretend they could talk to the
dead and fleece the ignorant public out of their hard-earned cash. At least its a more
family-friendly term than the one he used to call them.
Yeah, the bottom-feeding charlatans Sullivan used to hire to help him make
money. It was still nicer than his usual titles. Helen wasnt as bad as some of them.
She was actually sensitive, but she still couldnt do what she claimed. She stole from
people for Sullivan.
Do you know why she would want to shoot you?
I didnt know why, but Charlie looked at me instead of Briggs. No, I dont. She
wasnt like that. She was actually nice most of the time. I didnt know her really well,
but we never had a problem with each other except for the fact that she couldnt speak
to the dead and took peoples money claiming she could help them get in touch with
dead relatives. Briggs made a face, and Charlie said, I know you dont believe. I know
you dont want to believe, but what you arent willing to accept doesnt change the fact
that the dead are out there.
Briggs ran a hand over his face, then the top of his head. Okay, look. Youre right,
I dont believe and I also dont know what I saw out there in the parking lot. He sighed
and stared at Charlies hand. He picked up the BP monitor and slipped it back on
Charlies finger. But I need to hear what you know, so will you at least stay here long
enough for me to go down the hall and get a cup of coffee?

50

Adrienne Wilder

Charlie crossed his arms, or at least tried to. The wires and tubing got all tangled,
so he just gave up. Yes, Ill stay here.
Good. Do you want anything?
Orange juice if they have it.
OJ would help Charlie with the weakness.
Briggs nodded and turned to walk toward the door, passing through me again.
This time he stopped and put a hand on his chest. When he turned his head, he looked
right at me. He couldnt see me, Im sure, but there was something, and even though I
was dead, it sent chills down my spine. Whatever it was that got his attention must
have disappeared, because he shook his head and headed out to the hall.
What was that about?
I think he felt me.
Do you think hes sensitive?
I thought a moment. No, no, its something else. He felt me back at the apartment
too and I What was I trying to say?
Ethan?
Its weird. I cant explain it. When I touch him, its like, I dont know, being
plugged in.
Plugged in? Charlie laughed, and the sound made me smile.
I told you it was weird.
That you did. He lay down and shut his eyes for a moment. Struggling with
Briggs had taken a lot out of him. He didnt just look tired now, he lookedwell, halfdead.
I floated up next to his bed and got as close as I dared. Im sorry.
His gaze met mine. For what?
For taking so much.
You saved my life.

He Speaks Dead

51

Yeah, I did. Im still sorry. God, how I wanted to touch him. It made me all the
more grateful for the tiny bits of contact we could have through the day, as well as
made me realize how much I relied on them to help me keep my sanity.
I knew Charlie knew what I was thinking when he said, Its just for a day or so.
More than likely or so. I dont think Charlie was ready to admit how close Id
come to completely wiping him out or maybe even killing him.
He smiled and my cold heart warmed, but before I could bask in the glow too
much there was a look in his eye that gave me concern. Whats wrong?
Be honest with me. Do you think less of me now?
Less of you? What do you mean?
Now that you know He swallowed, and the darkness of his eyes glittered.
Now that you know about me being in a relationship with Sullivan.
Did I think less of him? I dont know what shocked me more, that he felt the need
to ask or that hed considered what hed had with that man any kind of relationship. Of
course not. Why would you Charlie turned his head and buried his face under his
arm again. I popped over to the other side of the bed. Charlie, look at me. He did. I
could never think any less of you. I love you. Ill always love you, no matter what.
He nodded, but his usual happy expression didnt return.
Briggs came back into the room with a large paper cup in one hand and a plastic
glass of OJ in the other. They were out in the machine, so I went down to the
cafeteria.
Charlie pushed himself upright and looked out the darkened window. What time
is it?
Eleven fifteen. Briggs handed him the glass.
And they were open?
Of course not. He took a sip of his coffee.
Then how did you get the orange juice?

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Adrienne Wilder

I showed them my badge.


The smile returned to Charlies face. Briggs was smiling too and looking at Charlie
with an expression that was way too friendly for my comfort. Then it was like he caught
himself.
Briggs sat down in a chair. Now, about Helen Brock.
Charlie shrugged. What do you want to know?
Ah, back to business. Good. About time the asshole quit making eyes at my
boyfriend.
I stopped myself. Charlie wasnt really my boyfriend, was he? I mean, sure I loved
him and he loved me, but I was dead. I possessed people, with his help, so we could be
together. I used the bodies of other menstrange men, men I knew nothing aboutto
touch him, to make love to him. I couldnt even kiss Charlie without causing him harm.
For years Id secretly hoped Charlie would find a living person and fall in love with
him, but he never seemed to show any interest in anyone but the dead. Specifically me.
For the first time, here was a living person Charlie was showing interest in, and I
was getting all green with envy.
I guess you should start from the beginning, Briggs said. How you know her,
what she would have against you.
I told you she worked for Sullivan.
I thought he had the real deal. As in, he had Charlie.
Yeah, but he didnt in the beginning. He was always on the lookout for people
who had talentpsychic abilitybut most of them werent interested in being paraded
around or having experiments performed on them. Sullivan needed money to run his
lab, especially when he got kicked out of UGA and lost all chances at grant funds. To fill
the coffers hed sometimes hire people off the street who could play a good con. They
didnt last long. Its a lot harder to fake the ability to talk to dead people than youd
think.

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53

So Helen Brock worked with him before you came along.


Yeah.
Do you think thats what she had against you, that you took her job?
No. After I was, you know, with him, Helen basically got a promotion. Her new
job was to handle the money, scout around for talent, and book clients.
Clients?
Charlie drank some of his orange juice. Yeah, after I started working with
Sullivan, he began charging the FBI for my help. Theyd paid me before, putting the
money into a seed account that Id be able to access when I was eighteen. But Sullivan
wanted the cash to come to him. I think they figured out he was siphoning the funds
and not giving me my part, so they cut him off. After that Sullivan acquired several
wealthy clients who began coming to him on a regular basis. Hed charge them
exorbitant amounts of money. A few of them had legitimate concerns like missing
relatives or unsolved murders in their family, but most wanted to know mundane
things like where their parents hid the will.
And you were able to tell them?
Yeah. Well, most of them anyhow.
Why not all of them?
He shrugged. It just doesnt work like that.
Which means what? Briggss aura brightened.
Charlie sighed. There are planes. Some I can see, others I cant. The dead that are
closest to ours are really bright to me. A few are dimmer, and I can make them more
real and therefore communicate with them. But there are also levels I cant see or hear
or touch.
I could tell Briggs didnt understand. Not that I blamed him. I didnt understand
either.

54

Adrienne Wilder

Charlie finished his OJ and set the glass off to the side on the roll-away table. Do
you think you could go find out whats taking the doctor so long? Id really like to go
home.
I will, I promise, but first, are you sure this Helen Brock woman had no reason to
harm you?
No. I told you we never had a problem with each other.
The conversation was cut short when a woman walked in with her hair high on
her head and glasses at the end of her nose.
The tag on her coat read Dr. Morre. Briggs excused himself to go make a phone call
while Charlie let the doctor look him over.
I moved up next to Charlie. Im going to go follow him. Charlies expression
asked why. Because, hes making a phone call and that makes me nervous. One of
Charlies eyebrows went up. He said something to the doctor, answering her question,
but the look was for me. I nodded. Yeah, I know hes just trying to do his job, but I also
know how weird people like him can get when you start talking about the dead.
Charlie made a face. Ill be right back. Promise.
I passed through the wall and into the hallway. There was another spirit hanging
around the nurses desk, an elderly man wearing a suit and tie. He didnt appear to
notice me, so I pretended not to see him. Sometimes its just better that way. Youd
think being dead would make people nicer, but it doesnt.
Briggs was down at the end of the hall near a cart with a bunch of blankets. He
had his phone to his ear and a dour look on his face. Are you sure? You doublechecked?
The voice on the other line was female and not happy. I leaned in closer so I could
hear. Briggs, the next time you show your face in my morgue, I am gonna kick your
ass for even asking me that.
I just had to make sure, Becky. You didnt see this woman. She looked strung
out.

He Speaks Dead

55

Id seen her, so I knew exactly what Briggs was trying to put into words. Pale skin,
dried, cracked lips, bruises under her eyes. She looked like something that had crawled
out of a freshly dug grave. Lucky for Briggs, the only kind of zombies that exist are
those like Charlie. Living people who have walked among the dead. Even then they are
rare.
Becky said, You okay, Briggs?
Fine.
Youre really shook up over this. You sure?
I shot and killed a woman today. Ive earned the right.
Damn. No wonder his aura was spiked with slivers of puke green.
So there was nothing at all in her system?
I tested for every kind of drug there is, legal and illegal. Im going to send tissue
samples of her brain into the lab just in case her behavior was due to an organic defect
that I cant see on a general autopsy.
Do you think there might be?
A defect?
Yeah.
Becky sighed. I dont know. To be honest I dont think were looking at anything
beyond the normal realm of dehydration, lack of food, lack of sleep. Im pretty sure
shed been on the street for at least a couple of weeks. Maybe she had a psychotic break.
It happens to people.
A psychotic break? Just out of the blue?
It can happen. Like post-traumatic stress, it usually occurs after someone
witnesses something they cant deal with.
I wondered what kind of terrible thing a person would have to see to break like
that. Knowing what I did about planes beyond the living, the possibilities were endless.
Briggs asked, How long will it be before you know something?

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A week. Maybe less.


Damn.
I said maybe less.
Yeah, and until then I have to babysit my ghost tamer in there.
You never know, he could be the real deal.
Becky
Ive been working with the dead for a long time, Briggs, and I am here to tell you
I have seen some strange things. Just because you cant see it, touch it, or hear it, doesnt
mean it isnt there.
I do not have time for this.
What does Langley say?
Briggss sigh matched the disgusted look on his face. He says he thinks
Harrington can help with the Sullivan murder.
I cant fault him on that. I mean, its not like there was a whole lot left to
examine.
I know, I know. Its just
You think hes a quack.
I know he worked with the FBI, but cmon, Becky. The dead? Even if I believed in
that kind of shit, what happened to the part about heaven and hell? Angels and all that
jazz?
Maybe some souls hang around.
And why would they do that?
The sound of papers being shuffled echoed over the cell phone. Briggs,
sometimes you need to open your mind, consider the impossible or at least the unlikely.
Helen Brock, for example. Her body was on the verge of complete collapse. I dont think
shed eaten in days. Her fingernails were chewed down to the quick. Her hair was
coming out in chunks.

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And you dont think she was on drugs?


Drugs arent the only thing that will affect a body. Stress is a destructive force.
So were back to the whole psychotic break theory?
Im afraid so. Did Langley ever get back to you on the car and gun?
The car was stolen, and the serial numbers were burned off the gun. She
probably scored it on the street somewhere.
Can I ask you something without pissing you off?
Sure.
What does Mr. Harrington say?
He knew her. Said she worked for Sullivan. Claims they never had a problem
with each other.
And you believe him?
There was a long stretch of silence where Briggs looked like a man trying to solve
the meaning of life and failing miserably. Yeah. Unfortunately I do.
Then my suggestion would be to wait for the test results to come in so I can make
sure there was nothing our in-house tests missed that could have made her do this.
Yeah, I guess I dont have a choice. Briggs rubbed his chin, and his fingers made
a rasping noise.
So now what? If this woman is connected to Sullivan, theres a good chance this
is bigger than a dead man in a basement. What if someone else comes after Mr.
Harrington?
I know. I guess Ill either get clearance to take Charlie into protective custody or
Ill sit outside his apartment and live off coffee and doughnuts. Charlie might not be
involved in the murders, but hes linked to it somehow. And since we dont have
anything else to go on, Ive got to make sure nothing happens to him.
While Briggs and Becky said their good-byes, I went back into the hospital room.
The doctor was gone, and Charlie was getting dressed.

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Briggs is talking about putting you into protective custody.


He pulled his shirt over his head. What? Why?
Apparently youve gone from prime suspect to possible victim. He was on the
phone with the ME. From what I understood, Brock was in really bad shape. The ME
was saying maybe she had a psychotic break.
Charlies gaze was distant, and his aura spiked yellow. I moved closer but was
careful not to touch him. The warmth of his living body called to me like sun-warmed
stone.
Charlie, what are you not telling me?
Its nothing. He sighed and shook his head.
I shouldnt have let it drop. Instinct told me it wasnt nothing.

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Chapter Six
I arrived at the apartment ten minutes before Charlie and looked around.
Furniture still where we left it, coffee cup on the table, TV and computers still there, and
of course the ever-present Indian standing in the corner.
You didnt see anything weird while we were gone, did you?
I took his silence as a negative.
Briggss car pulled into a vacant spot out front, and he walked Charlie up the
short flight of steps. I popped out on the sidewalk.
Briggs jabbed a thumb at the building. Do you mind if I take a look around?
I already did, I said.
Charlies mouth curled a little. Ill be okay.
Please. Briggs followed him up the walkway and put a hand on the doorknob.
I promise you, its not necessary. We have a really good neighborhood watch
here.
Yeah, and I could even walk through walls.
Briggs did not remove his hand. It would just make me feel better.
Charlie looked at me and shrugged. He waved a hand at the door, and the
detective marched into our apartment like a man looking for someones ass to kick. I
laughed, only because Briggs couldnt hear me.
He made a lap around the living room, checked the windows, and looked in the
closet before heading into the kitchen. There were some sounds suggesting hed opened
the pantry.
At least hes thorough, I said.

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Briggs came back into the living room and tipped his head in the direction of
Charlies bedroom. Can I look in there?
Charlie waved a hand. By all means.
It really wasnt a laughing matter but to see this guy go from big badass to
concerned mother hen was really entertaining. At least until I stopped to think of all the
possible reasons why. Then it wasnt so funny anymore.
Briggs came back out and Charlie asked, Find anyone hiding under the bed?
This is serious, Mr. Harrington.
Charlie.
Okay, this is serious, Charlie.
Charlie headed into his kitchen. Im going to make some coffee. Do you want
some?
I should go ahead and wait out in the car. The officer relieving me for the night
will be here in the next half hour.
Good, then you have plenty of time to eat a sandwich.
I made a face. Charlie.
What? Im going to make one for me. It doesnt take that much effort to make
another.
Briggs coughed. Edward again?
Charlie glanced over his shoulder. Ethan. Yes.
Maybe you shouldnt talk to me with him around? He goes all funny in the
eyes.
Why? He doesnt believe that you exist anyhow. Charlie got out the bread, the
mayo, and some deli meat from the fridge. What are you worried about? Im the one
he thinks is crazy because Im talking to the Invisible Man after all. Charlie held up the
mayo jar so Briggs could see it. One side or both sides?
What? Oh, uh, both.

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You eat turkey? Briggs didnt seem to understand him, so Charlie rattled the
paper wrapping on the meat.
Yeah, sure. You really dont have to do this.
I know I dont have to, but you havent eaten all day because of me and I need to
eat something so I dont pass out.
Briggss eyebrows went up.
Dont worry, the OJ helped. Charlie snacked on slices of turkey while he
assembled the sandwiches. To me he said, Do we have any tomato?
I moved through the fridge. Yeah, and cheese.
Charlie walked back to the fridge, returning the mayo and unused meat, and got
out the plastic container with tomato slices and the package of cheese. He finished the
sandwiches off by cutting them in half. Charlie brought one over to Briggs, who stood
next to the kitchen table looking all official and strangely constipated.
Yup, definitely drain cleaner in his coffee, I said.
Charlie shushed me and pushed out a chair with his foot. Sit. I dont bite.
Well, he did, but only under certain circumstances. Briggs sat down. He picked at
the sandwich while Charlie all but choked himself eating his. I guess since he didnt fall
over dead, Briggs decided the food was safe. He took a bite.
Charlie smiled. Pretty good, huh?
The detective thumbed a glob of mayo off his lip. Yes, very. I guess I was
hungrier than I thought.
Charlie went back to the counter and poured two cups of coffee. He doctored up
his cup but left Briggss black. He carried them over, sat down again. Briggs chewed the
last bit of sandwich, a forlorn expression on his face.
You want another?
Briggs held up a hand. No, Im good.
I dont mind.

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Briggs drank his coffee. No, really, Im good. He looked at his watch, then in the
direction of the front door. The color of his aura went from pale blue to patchworked
with crimson. He might not have been undressing Charlie with his eyes, but he sure as
hell was thinking about it.
I think Officer Friendly should go now. I really shouldnt have said that out
loud, because Charlie gave me a look. Its nothing. I just want him to go. Tired of
looking at his face.
Charlie started to say something, but Briggs cut him off.
That stuff you said about my uncle earlier.
Oh, no, here we go. Tell him to go, Charlie.
Charlie nodded. What about it?
How did you know?
I told you, I talk to the dead.
Briggss face darkened. No, seriously.
Okay, you got me. I Googled it while you had your back turned.
I dont think the detective appreciated Charlies sense of humor. I had to give him
credit, thoughinstead of getting mad about it, he stood and took a couple of steps
toward the door. Id better get going.
Charlie stood too. Briggs.
Briggs stopped but did not turn around.
If youre wondering whether or not your uncle is following you around, the
answer is no. Sometimes when people die that were close to, they leave little strings of
thought that cling to the ones they care about. Thats how I knew about the baseball
cards. He thought about it a lot, and it was something he wanted you to know.
Briggs walked out, leaving Charlie and me alone in the kitchen.
I really wish you wouldnt do that, I said.

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Charlie went back to the fridge and got out a pair of energy drinks. He popped
one, drank it, then the other.
Charlie?
Yeah.
What are you doing?
Building myself up.
For what?
He watched me over the edge of the can while he drained it. Why do you think?
I backed up. No, Charlie. You just got out of the hospital, for Christs sake.
If you possess me, it wont take as much.
Charlie
He grabbed a third Red Bull out of the fridge. Please.
I dont want to hurt you.
You wont.
I already had.
Charlie headed toward his bedroom, and of course I followed. He left the extra
drink on the bedside table, then stripped off his shirt and threw it onto the floor. He had
his hand on the button of his jeans when he said, Come here.
I was powerless to tell him no. Not because of his ability to control the dead, but
because I loved him. I hovered close enough to make his breath fog when he exhaled.
Charlie, I wont be able to forgive myself if something happens to you.
I need this.
Why?
I dont know. His gaze slid to the window. The shade was pulled and there was
no chance of him seeing out, but I knew who he was looking for. Charlie stripped off
the rest of his clothes and climbed onto the bed. His cock was already hard and curving

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toward his stomach. If Id been alive, my mouth would have watered at the sight of
him.
Ethan. Charlie held his hand out to me. I moved to the bed and hovered over
him. Charlie dropped his hand to his chest and caressed a line all the way to his groin.
I groaned. God, Charlie.
Please, Ethan, I want you to touch me.
I wanted to touch him too.
I decided Id hate myself later. Charlie was right. Possessing was a lot less of a
drain than manifesting. If he didnt push me into another body, it would take hardly
anything at all. I slid into him, feeling my senses come alive. I cherished every
sensation, from the bright light of the lamp to the smell of clean sweat and male musk.
Most of all the feel of his body under my borrowed fingertips. I watched the expression
on Charlies face in the full-length mirror above the bed go from surprised to pleased.
Out loud I said, Youre beautiful, do you know that? He practically blushed
head to toe and tried to close his eyes. Of course I didnt let him. I want you to watch,
Charlie. Watch the things Im going to do to you.
Charlie hissed when I used his hand to grab his cock, and he arched into my grip.
He pinched his nipples while I stroked him. I watched the length of him move in and
out of my borrowed fist. Plum colored at the tip, glistening with precum. I wondered
how long hed been hard, and then I wondered how on earth I could have missed it.
Since the hospital.
What?
I wanted you then, when I woke up. I wanted to feel you. God, Ethan. He
sucked on two of his fingers, slicking them up.
I knew what he wanted and took control. Bend your knees.
He did, and I fondled his hole, feeling the puckered flesh clench beneath his
fingertips. I pushed in, sharing with him the stretch and burn of being penetrated.

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Along with a delicious ache. The sensation spread down his thighs and coiled deep in
his stomach. Charlie cried out.
Shhhh. You want Briggs to barge in here?
Charlie laughed. No, I want you to fuck me.
Damn it, Charlie.
More.
I thrust faster, and he kicked out, hips pumping, ass tight on his fingers, head back
but eyes open, open for me. Staring up at his reflection so I could watch how his
muscles tensed and his chest expanded with every desperate breath. The ache in
Charlies cock spread out under his skin.
While I do enjoy our trips to the club, for some reason I liked this even more. As
intrusive as it made me feel, being inside Charlie was more intimate to me than fucking
him any day of the week. Like this I could touch him, head to toe, feel him, through and
through. Most of all I could feel his pleasure, pinpricks of electric heat and coiling lust, a
palpable force wrapped in love. And God, he loved me.
I twisted his wrist, and the new angle grazed his prostate. The effect was instant.
Pleasure points shot up his spine, making him bow off the mattress. The muscles in his
legs twitched; his heart stuttered. Every inch of skin went tight and broke out in a fine
sheen of sweat.
I moved his hands fast, gripped his cock harder. I felt his orgasm barreling down
on him, a wave of mind-numbing ecstasy. Charlie threw back his head, calling out my
name. If Briggs was hanging around close to the apartment, there was no way he
wouldnt hear. Hell, Im pretty sure the neighbors three doors down could hear Charlie.
I decided I didnt care, because I was the one who was making Charlie feel like this. He
loved me and no one else.
Charlie gave one more hard kick and dislodged the quilts, shoving them to the
foot of the bed. He came. Cum splashed in thick white ropes against his chest and

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stomach. I kept moving his hand, drawing it out as long as possible, until tears cut a
path down his cheeks.
Please, Ethan, please. No more.
I let Charlie go, and he collapsed against the comforter, chest heaving, body
exhausted. He passed out before I left him.

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Chapter Seven
While Charlie slept, I wandered around the apartment. I made sure not to stop
moving so I wouldnt lose time and disappear for a while. Or whatever it was I did
when the world blanked out.
Occasionally I would hover around the front door and watch what was going on
outside. Briggss car had been replaced by a patrol car and a pair of uniformed officers.
Nothing had happened during the nightnot that I wanted anything toand by the
time the sun was coming up, Briggs was back to relieve the night shift.
The temperature had dropped sometime overnight. When our neighbor came out
for her morning run, she had on a sweat suit and ear muffs. According to Charlie the
drastic change is normal for Georgia. One day you can be looking at nineties and the
next it could be hovering in the low fifties. Especially in the fall when Mother Nature
seems unable to make up her mind. Since I dont remember anything about the area, I
cant argue. I dont even know if Atlanta is where I died or if it was some other city.
Since I wasnt looking at the skyline that fateful night, just the stars, I figured Id
probably never know.
Its funny how being dead works. I dont remember my past but I can recall what
things are, places, even famous people. I know Christmastime was one of my favorite
seasons, but I cant remember a single gift Id ever been given when I was alive. I
remember the smell of fall, and the feeling of spring warmth, and how beautiful the
dogwood trees looked when they bloomed.
Yet my life and the people in it were a complete blank.
Today Briggs appeared to have armed himself with his own brand of coffee from
the doughnut shop down the road, but instead of a pastry, he ate an apple.

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I wandered back inside to check on Charlie. He was still out cold, half under the
cover, half on top, one leg kicked off to the side. He always slept hard when I took
enough from him to manifest. Me possessing him last night had probably added to his
exhaustion. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was pale, but his cheeks
didnt look so hollow anymore and the brightness of his aura was returning to its usual
luminosity. A couple days of good eating and he would be back to normal.
Only that wasnt right, was it? Cause for Charlie life would never be normal. He
was in love with a dead man, and a dead man was in love with him.
God, why did I have to be so damn weak?
I floated away from the bed at about the same time there was a knock at the door.
The heaviness of the blows told me it was Briggs. Charlie kicked and pulled the pillow
over his head.
From the front door Briggs said Charlies name.
Charlie. I got as close as I dared.
Go away.
Charlie, Detective Briggs is at the door.
Tell him to go away.
Trust me, I would if I could.
Another heavy knock. Any harder and he was going to beat the door out of the
frame. Charlie pushed himself into a sitting position. Creases marred the left side of his
face, and his hair stuck up on end.
He squinted in the direction of the living room. Hang on!
I dont know if Briggs heard him or not, because he beat on the door again. Charlie
cursed and all but dumped himself onto the floor. He grabbed his boxers and put them
onbackwardthen stumbled into the living room looking like hell warmed over.
Briggs said his name again, and Charlie yelled back, Goddamn it, Im coming.
He yanked open the door.

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As much as I love Charlie, he is not a pretty sight when you wake him up from a
heavy sleep, and he has an attitude to match.
Charlie squinted his one open eye at Briggs. What the fuck do you want now?
Why didnt you answer your door?
Charlies other eye opened just a bit. Why do you think?
You were still asleep?
Is that a crime?
Briggs made a face.
I think he was trying not to laugh. Hell, I was trying not to laugh. Charlie looked
over his shoulder at me and said, Dont you dare start. Its too early in the morning for
your shit. According to the clock on the wall it was almost one in the afternoon. I must
have stopped moving to watch Charlie for longer than I thought, because Id lost a few
hours and it only felt like minutes.
Charlie left the door open as he staggered back in the direction of his bedroom.
Is this your way of telling me its okay for me to come in?
Suit yourself. Im going to get a shower. Charlie scratched his ass through the
gap in his boxers as he disappeared around the corner. I started to follow him, but then
I caught how Briggs was tossing a look around the place. He shut the door, then
proceeded to make a slow lap around the living room, touching the books on the
shelves, leaning in to stare at the photos on the walls.
From the bedroom the sound of the shower kicked on. Briggs walked to the
bedroom door. Mind if I make some coffee?
A muffled I dont give a shit drifted into the living room.
Briggs stared a moment, looking bewildered. Yeah, hearing Charlie go from nice
to wolverine can do that. Trust me, I know. He shook his head and went into the
kitchen. I watched while he checked the coffeemaker, dumped the old filter, and rinsed

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everything out. He found the coffee on the counter but mumbled something about
filters and proceeded to open and shut cabinets.
Door on the right side over the sink. I dont know why I said it. It wasnt like he
could hear me. Briggs stopped midstep in the direction of the stove, then opened the
cabinet over the sink.
What the hell? Coincidence. Had to be.
He assembled everything, filled up the back, went to turn it on. Nothing
happened.
The switch on the wall. Then Ill be damned if he didnt look behind the bread
and flick the switch that turned on the outlet. I moved closer and looked Detective
Briggs up and down. I reminded myself he was not gifted. He could not see or hear me.
Under his breath Briggs said, Cups, cups, damn cups.
He started toward the cabinet where Charlie had gotten them yesterday, and for
shits and giggles I said, Dishwasher.
He stopped, turned.
No fucking way. I rushed through the walls and popped into the shower next to
Charlie. He barked in surprise and almost slipped.
Damn it, Ethan!
Something weird is going on with Officer Friendly.
Is he sniffing my underwear?
No. I huffed. Where the hell did that? Never mind. He can hear me.
Charlie scraped the shampoo out of his eyes. Run that by me again?
He can hear me. Well, sort of hear me. He was looking for stuff to make coffee
and I happened to mention where stuff was and he would go, you know, right where I
said.
Charlie rinsed his hair. He saw me make coffee yesterday.
So?

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Maybe he remembered. He is a detective, so that usually requires some level of


observation.
No, no, this wasnt Trust me. You just gotta see this, okay?
Charlie finished in the shower while I hovered between the bedroom and the
kitchen. Briggs leaned against the counter while the coffeemaker gurgled and dripped
into the pot. By the time it was full, Charlie came out dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He
still had a towel around his shoulders and scrubbed it through his hair.
Briggs looked up. Sorry, I didnt think youd mind.
I did kind of tell you to make yourself at home.
One of the mans eyebrows went up.
Charlie laughed. Okay, maybe not in so many words, but you obviously
understood what I meant.
Briggs jabbed a thumb at the coffeemaker and turned back around. Its done, if
you want any. I didnt know where the sugar was, but I got the cups out.
Charlie started to answer, but I shook my head and said, In the cookie jar.
Briggs opened the mushroom-shaped cookie jar next to the stove. Thats an odd
place to put your sugar. He took out the container and set it on the counter.
Charlie gave me a look.
See, he can hear me, sorta.
Try something else.
Briggs looked at Charlie. Did you say something?
Uh, talking to myself.
I dont think he was buying it. Briggs scanned the kitchen before turning back to
the coffee cups. How much sugar?
I put my finger over my lips then said, One and a half spoons.
Briggs opened the drawer on his right, then his left. Where are the spoons?

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In the corner drawer.


He reached over and opened it up.
Now Charlie looked really impressed.
Hey, Briggs, can you hear me now?
When the man didnt respond, Charlie gave me a look that said now what?
I shrugged. I dont know. He doesnt seem to hear me all the time, just when hes
looking for direction.
Charlie whispered, When did you notice this?
This is the first time. I thought about the parking lot and how quick Briggs was
to respond to the shooter. He might have heard me at the coffee shop, you know,
when Helen took a shot at you? Or maybe it was when I manifested. I dont know. It
happened so quick.
But not before now?
No.
Briggs glanced over his shoulder at Charlie. Id ask you who youre whispering
to, but Im afraid youd tell me. He brought over the cups of coffee and sat one down
in front of Charlie while he made himself comfortable in the chair across the table. Hard
to imagine just yesterday hed been all Mr. Big and Bad and now here he was playing
Suzy Homemaker.
Is there a reason youre still hanging around? Charlie shook his head. Wait,
that came out wrong. I mean, why are you still watching my apartment?
Youre the one who refused the safe house, remember? And since its been less
than twenty-four hours since someone tried to kill you, it seemed like a good idea. Id
think youd be more concerned yourself.
Im not.
Youre not?
No.

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Someone barely misses shooting you, and you arent concerned?


Nope. And she didnt barely miss me.
Briggs sipped his coffee. Just because you didnt get hit doesnt mean it wasnt
close.
Thats not what I mean. I would be dead if it wasnt for Ethan. Or at least in the
hospital with a bullet hole in my chest. The shot didnt miss me, Detective, but I think
you know that. I just dont think youre willing to admit it.
Preening over the compliment was totally childish, but hey, I was dead, cut me
some slack. Charlie laughed when he glanced in my direction. I like getting to play
hero, I said.
So youre saying your invisible friend stopped the bullet?
Only he wasnt so invisible when he stopped it. Charlie smirked. I love his
smirks.
The detective filled up the pause by drinking his coffee. When he put the cup back
down on the table, it made a hollow sound like it might be empty or at least close to it.
There were some tapes of you in Sullivans place. It showed you talking to a woman
who appeared and disappeared.
Charlie shrugged. The block test.
The what?
The block test. Sullivan would have me call up a ghost, give him or her enough
energy to manifest, then ask them to move something physical.
Ghosts cant move things on their own?
No, they cant. The average spirit doesnt have enough electromagnetic force to
influence the physical world.
The physical world? Briggs said it like Charlie was talking about Never-Never
Land.

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Yeah, the physical worldspace, time, gravity, particles. Havent you ever read
anything on quantum physics?
Briggs frowned.
You might want to try it. This isnt witchcraft or voodoo. Its all based in science.
Ghosts?
Yeah, ghosts, spirits, the dead. There are energy sources that we cannot yet
identify, and they fill up space all around us. Theres dark matter, dark energy
Sullivan had a theory about the dead that encompassed several areas in quantum
physics, and nowadays there are real scientific studies being done by other
researchers.
Briggs cleared his throat. Anyone ever tell you youre strange?
All the time. You want more coffee?
No, Im good.
Are you ever going to tell me the real reason why youre here?
I told you.
And yet youre in my kitchen and not out in the car. If this was just about
watching the apartment, you would never have knocked on the door.
Briggs opened his mouth and then shut it. I think Ill take you up on that second
cup. He talked while he fixed himself another coffee. I did come here to just keep an
eye on you. Then I decided to see if you were still interested in helping.
Sure. Just tell me how.
If youre not busy, I wanted to take you on a drive-by of the scene.
I thought you said that wasnt a good idea.
Its not.
And yet you want to take me there? What changed your mind?
Briggs stayed over by the counter and stared into his coffee cup. I killed a woman
yesterday. Helen Brock was associated with Sullivan. You were associated with

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Sullivan. All of this is tied together, and now Ive been made a part of it by taking
someones life. I feel like Ive been played, and I dont like to be played. He came back
to the table but didnt look up. Ms. Brock was no angel. She had a few fraud charges
but nothing violent. She had a sister, parents. She even volunteered for the soup kitchen
during the holidays. Ms. Brock wasnt an upstanding citizen, but she was close enough
to one that stealing a car, buying an unregistered gun, and trying to kill a man she
hadnt seen in years just doesnt make sense.
So now you want me to go to the crime scene.
Yeah, if you dont mind.
Does that mean you believe me when I tell you I can see and speak with the
dead?
No, but youve worked with the FBI. That means you have to have some ability
to piece together evidence. If nothing else, maybe youll see something I missed.
Charlie smirked. Okay, fine. Ill go.

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Chapter Eight
Unlike Charlie, I was not in favor of checking out the crime scene. In fact, the
farther I could keep him away from the place the better. Call it my ghostly intuition if
you want to. This mess with Sullivan was not what it seemed to be, and I did not want
Charlie mixed up in it.
Charlie went into his bedroom to get his shoes. I followed. I dont like this.
What?
You going with him to a crime scene.
Ive been to crime scenes before.
Not when people are shooting at you!
I need to do this.
Why? He doesnt even believe you. He thinks youre a fruit, remember? Why
would you want to help the Sasquatch when hes done nothing but mock you?
Dont call him names. Its childish.
Hes like seven feet tall. What else do you want me to call him?
Hes not seven feet.
Okay, eight then.
Charlie crossed his arms and stared at me.
I squirmed. I wound up hovering in the corner. Dont look at me like that.
Like what?
Like that, right there. That look.
Ethan.

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Dont Ethan me. Were talking about your life here.


There was a knock on his door. Briggs asked, Problem?
Charlie and I both said, No.
Briggs pushed the door open. I waved a hand at him. Nosy bastard, isnt he?
Im just getting my shoes. Charlie sat on the edge of the bed, dug his socks out
of his sneakers, and put them on. Briggs stayed in the doorway. I started to pop
something else off at the guy but then realized he was staring at the mirror on the
ceiling. A deep flush crept its way over his shirt collar and to his cheeks. His aura went
from blue-green to bright violet and white. The colors associated with arousal.
Okay, that shouldnt have been so fucking funny.
Charlie opened his mouth to say something and then noticed Briggs. He glanced
up, following the detectives gaze.
Now Charlie blushed
You dont strike me as the mirror-on-the-ceiling type. Briggss aura went orange
and purple with streaks of bright white-gold. Officer Friendly was thinking some
seriously dirty thoughts.
I laughed. Charlie didnt. Charlie headed back into the living room. Cmon, quit
ogling my bed.
Briggs followed him out to the car. I popped in beside Charlie as he opened the
door. Dont go.
I have to.
Why?
Because he needs my help and I want to help.
Please, Charlie. Think about yourself for once. Let Officer Friendly do his job on
his own. I dont want to see you get hurt. You cant always save the world, you know.
Charlie glared. Didnt you listen to what I said back at the coffee shop? This isnt
about Sullivan. Its about me. He got into the car.

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Briggs gripped the steering wheel with enough force to make his knuckles turn
white. The effort he was making to stare out the windshield made it obvious he was
doing it in an attempt to ignore Charlie talking to me.
I asked, What if this is a trick?
A trick?
Yeah, you know, like on those crime shows. Maybe hes like that Detective
Goren. Youll be having a conversation about ice cream and hell get up in your head
and screw with your brain. Then the next thing you know youll be confessing that
youre really Jack the Ripper.
Dont be ridiculous.
Im not. Hes a detective. He tried to arrest you!
Charlie slammed the door shut. Ethan, this isnt a trick.
You dont know that.
Charlie looked at Briggs. Is this a trick?
His eyes widened and he looked a little pale, but other than that he wasnt
freaking out.
Youre frightening the big bad cop, I said.
Shut up, Ethan. Well, is this a trick or not?
A trick?
You know, take me to the crime scene, blah, blah, blah.
This isnt a TV show, Mr. Harrington.
Charlie turned back to me where I hovered outside the car door. The window was
up, but it didnt matter. I stuck my face through the glass. See, its not a trick. Like he
said, real life, not TV.
I waved a hand. Hes not going to admit it if its a trick. Thats the whole point of
it being a trick!
Stay here then.

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What?
If youre scared, stay here.
Im not scared. Why the hell do you think Im scared?
Because youre being childish.
I jerked my chin at Officer Friendly. You keep this up, and hes going to drive
you to the nut house.
Okay, now youre taking pot shots. Charlie waved a hand at Briggs. Lets go.
Briggs didnt start the car. Are you sure youre okay with this?
Im fine. Lets just do it, okay?
Briggs started the car and backed out, and I was left to watch him drive away with
Charlie for the second time in forty-eight hours. I was mad enough to try and keep up
with them, but I knew the argument was moot. I stormedor at least my floating
version of itback to the apartment to wait for Charlie to stop moving so I could catch
up with him.
I made a couple of laps around the living room, cussing under my breath. I
stopped by the window just to have something else to look at. I looked over at the old
Indian. Same pose, same expression, but his black-as-coal eyes slid over to me.
I growled. What are you staring at?
You should stay close to him.
Charlie?
Silence.
Goddamn it, if you have something to say, say it.
It has tasted the light and it has lied to get a pathway to the living. The dark
hunter is coming, gi-li, and the sedit are its dogs. Now that their master is present, they
will hunt for what it wants. Its jealous of the living. Angry. Evil. And it wants to be
made real.
What are you talking about?

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You do not understand now, but you will.


I shook my head. I dont know why I tried to make sense of anything he said. The
old Indian stayed quiet while I waited for Charlie to get wherever it was he was going.
It seemed to take forever when it was actually less than half an hour. I knew Charlie
had stopped moving because I could feel him, a weight in my chest, like he was my
anchor to this plane of existence.
A second later I popped in somewhere around the hood of Briggss sedan, which
was parked in front of an ancient brick factory with mostly boarded-up windows. It
looked like it had been decades since anyone had parked here. The blacktop was faded,
cracked, and sprouting weeds fast becoming saplings. Charlie opened the passenger
side door and got out, holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun.
Briggs got out too. Have you been to Sullivans place before?
No. When I worked with him, he lived in a house north of the city.
And his lab was there?
Yeah, he had it set up in the basement.
What would make him move so far from his original location to here?
Im not sure.
Busted pieces of asphalt crunched under Briggss dress shoes as he crossed the
parking lot. Charlie stayed by the car and stared at the building with a far-off look. He
wasnt studying the structurehe was looking beyond. Charlie couldnt see auras like I
could, but he could see things attached to an object, like people or emotion.
Anything?
No.
Then why do you look worried?
Theres nothing at all. I mean, every building has a feel to it. This one is just
blank.

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I looked at the building too. It was pretty in a gothic sort of way. If it wasnt for
the high smokestacks, it could have passed for a church, except for the lack of stained
glass. I didnt see dead either, which wasnt all that unusual. Charlie saw way more
dead people than I did. The Indian in our living room was just one of the exceptions.
But he was right. All buildings have a feel to them. Those occupied by living
people give off a pale blue aura. Its not the same kind of light the living give off, more
like an imprint left behind by the people who occupy it. Abandoned buildings also have
a glow, only there isnt any color, just a pale aura that makes me think of jeans bleached
out by too many rounds in the wash.
The building in front of us, however, was just blank. A solid structure that gave
off nothing. Like it didnt even exist. Maybe didnt exist on this plane.
What do you think? I said.
Not sure.
But you have an idea.
Charlie nodded. Its like its being drained.
There were only a few things that could reduce an electromagnetic field to
nothing: the dead, the sedit, and running water.
Charlie turned to Briggs. Do you mind if we walk around the building first?
What for?
I just want to check something out.
I thought youd never been here before.
I havent. Charlie walked over to the building.
Briggs followed. What are you looking for?
I dont know.
You dont know?
No, theres just something wrong with this place.

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I hovered near Charlie, scanning the walls, the ground. I noticed close to the
building there was a line of broken asphalt. I pointed. Do you see that?
Yeah. He walked over and kicked aside some of the rocky pieces.
I looked up one side of the building and down the other. Looks like it goes all
around.
Charlie scooped out handfuls of dirt. It was more sand than clay or it would have
been impossible to get through. When he stopped, I leaned over his shoulder to see
why. There was a line of shiny red metal peeking up from the small valley hed
excavated.
I asked, Is that what I think it is?
Copper pipe.
Briggs stepped up. This building is old. They used copper back then.
Charlie tossed a handful of dirt back into the gully. And this pipe is new. Its not
tarnished.
The detective knelt down, touched the metal. His gaze followed the line of broken
ground. Do you think it goes all the way around?
Charlie dusted off his hands and stood up. Im betting it does.
Strange way to run a water line.
Thats cause hes not running water to the building. Hes running it around the
building.
Say that again? Briggs stood up, and his large frame blocked the sun, spilling his
wide shadow across the ground and through me.
What do you know about electromagnetic fields, Detective?
Not much.
Well, everything has oneyou, me, the planet, even the dead. But unlike the
planet, you, and me, the frequency the dead work on is susceptible to the zero charge in
water. Charlie bumped the piece of copper pipe with his toe. By encasing it in copper,

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it increases the conductivity of the deads EMF field, and the water in turn grounds
them out.
Which means what?
Ever heard of old folk tales where spirits or banshees cant cross moving water?
Maybe.
Charlie kicked the pipe again. Theres some truth to it. By moving water at a
specific velocity inside copper pipe, you can create a kind of barrier they cant cross.
Even dematerializing in and out of places was impossible with a copper pipe
water barrier in the way.
Briggs snorted. Theres copper pipe in a lot of places.
Yeah, but water running through plumbing isnt ionized or under enough
pressure to move at the right speed. Thats the only way it affects the EMF field of the
dead.
So Sullivan did what? Built a giant ghost zapper?
Briggss bug zapper analogy was actually closer than I wanted to admit.
Charlie nodded. In a way, but Sullivan used them more like a force field.
To what? Protect himself from the dead? That tone was oozing back into
Briggss voice. The tone that suggested Charlie was more than just a few bricks shy of a
full load.
Charlie didnt miss it either. He crossed his arms and glared. Look, youre the
one who asked me for my help. Im trying to give it to you. The least you can do is
extend me some respect and pretend you dont think Im a fruitcake.
I dont think youre a Briggs shrugged. Okay, fine. I cant help that Im
finding all this just a little bit far-fetched. I mean, seriously, a force field to protect him
from ghosts?
Either that or to keep something in. I told you, Sullivan did a lot of paranormal
work. This wouldnt be the first time hes put down barriers as a safety measure to turn

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off and on whenever he needed them. The dead can still feel fear, Detective Briggs, and
a lot of them didnt want to hang around and experience some of the things Sullivan
did to them.
I trembled at the thought of becoming some mad scientists lab rat.
Charlie stepped back from the building, tilting his chin up. His gaze followed the
high brick walls to the peaked metal roof.
I looked up. Still nothing?
Yeah.
If you get me across, I can go in and take a look around. If I possessed him, his
natural electromagnetic field would protect mine and it wouldnt short me out to cross
the pipe.
I dont know. What if he is using this place like some sort of ectoplasmic
fishbowl?
I shrugged. Youre here. You might as well make the most of it.
Briggs cleared his throat. I hate to interrupt yourconversation, but are we going
inside or not?
Yeah, hang on. Im going to let Ethan go in ahead of us. Charlie waved a hand.
Never mind, forget I said that. He looked at me. You ready?
Was I ready? Was there ever a time I wasnt ready to slip inside him? Physically or
metaphysically?
The answer, of course, was no.
Charlie held his hand out to me, and I said, I love you. You know that, dont
you?
Yeah, I do.
I reached out to him, and we touched. There was a moment of heat before I slid
into him. The feel of his clothes and the rush of scents was enough of a sensory overload
to make me gasp.

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Inside him now, he didnt have to talk out loud, which was a relief. However, the
looks Briggs kept throwing Charlie were beginning to make me nervous.
I squinted against the afternoon sun. In my normal state, the light never hurts my
eyes, but inside a living body I experience what he does.
Briggs stepped closer, and I held up a handCharlies hand. Hes fine I
mean Oh hell, never mind. To Charlie I said, You okay?
He nodded and then seemed to remember where I was. Sorry, habit.
I shrugged. I dont care. But I think Officer Friendly might be about to pop a
blood vessel.
Briggs made a face.
Damn it, I did not mean to say that aloud.
Officer Friendly?
Charlie laughed. Ignore him, Briggs. Ethan has this thing for guys in uniform.
I waited for Charlie to step across the copper pipe. I slipped out, then said, I do
not.
We headed up the sidewalk toward a short flight of steps leading up to a set of
double steel doors. Charlie stepped over the crisscross of police tape stretched between
two squat dog statues, and jogged up the steps. Briggs was slow bringing up the rear.
By the time he caught up, Charlie was looking at the building again.
Anything? I couldnt see one glimmer of an aura even on the inside of the ring.
No. Charlie put a hand against the brick. Its cold. It was looking more and
more like option A or B now.
Briggs stepped up beside him. Its brick.
I know that, but its the middle of the afternoon. This side of the building faces
east, so it was in the sun most of the morning.
It was forty degrees this morning.

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Yeah, but the brick should be at least as warm as the air. Feel it. Its cold, like icecold.
Briggs tugged off one of his gloves and placed his hand against the brick, only to
yank it away. Disbelief painted his face. Its like a block of ice.
Yeah.
I peeked through the door, seeing wide-open space divided by streams of light
leaking through the boarded-up windows. Dust motes danced on invisible eddies of air.
Concrete floor, off-white walls. For an abandoned building it was pretty clean.
More police tape covered the hallway on the right.
I dont see anything on the inside.
Well, there is something weird going on here. Charlie came up behind me and
pulled open the door.
Briggs stayed back. Hang on a minute.
I thought you wanted me to look around.
Briggs rubbed his hand against his overcoat like he was trying to rub something
sticky off his fingers. How come the CSI team didnt say anything about the walls?
Probably because they dont go around testing their temperature.
So what do you think he has in here, some sort of refrigeration unit hidden in the
floor with the pipes running up the walls?
No.
Well something has to be making those walls cold.
The dead are cold, Detective Briggs.
But this is a building.
Yeah, I know, which is why its weird.
Briggs pulled up the line of police tape crossing from one side of the doorjamb to
the other. What made you touch the walls? If CSI wouldnt think to do something,
why did you?

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When I look at this building, there is something wrong with it. I doubt any of
your CSI people can see beyond. If they could, they might have thought to check.
Charlie stepped inside and wrapped his arms around his torso. When he exhaled, his
breath plumed out on a puff of white and he shivered. Charlie gave me a look that said
he was ok.
Briggs walked on ahead. And what exactly is beyond?
Charlie followed him down the hall. Its a place between the plane of the dead
and the plane of the living. Think of it like the icing in between the layers of a cake.
Icing, huh?
Its the best analogy I could come up with.
And it was a pretty good one. Planes are airy, wide, and there is a lot of space to
move around. The dead move about like the living, pretty much free to go as we please,
doing whatever. The first layer between the living and the dead works like one-way
glass. We can see out, but the living dont normally see in. Dead who are a layer lower,
might or might not be able to see, and then so on. In between these placesthat oneway glass I was talking aboutthere is a trapped energy. I dont understand it. Im only
aware of it. The energy works kind of like moving water and prevents me from crossing
over or influencing the living plane. Because of what Charlie is, he not only can see
through the one-way glass, he can move through it, using his life force to thin out the
barrier until he pulls us through. Thus making the dead real. When Charlie came back
to life, he somehow brought me with him from a deeper plane. Being inside that first
layer means I can see through to most of the planes, even a few Charlie cant.
Charlie smiled at Briggs. Just trust me, okay?
I dont think the guy had a lot of choice in the matter.
I moved up the hallway, scanning the shadows, scanning the side rooms. At the
end, a staircase led down a level. I stopped and listened. Nothing, no sounds, no insects,
no small critters, not even the usual noises old buildings make.
I looked at Charlie. Wait here.

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He put a hand on Briggss arm. Ethan wants us to wait.


I know my way around. He pulled a small flashlight from the inside of his coat.
I dont doubt that, but something isnt right. Let Ethan go on ahead. Hell let us
know if its safe.
I could tell Briggs was getting to the end of his rope fast. I think Charlie knew too,
but I think he cared less than I did. I decided I would hurry and headed down the steps.
It was dark, but being dead meant I didnt need light to see. Everything existed in a
state of twilight for me. The only way I could tell when there was a lack of light was
when the colors were more dull than usual. The brick on the walls was a faded, dusty
purple, and the gray floor was a shade just above black.
A few yards into the room there was a lot of computer equipment. Large metal
server-type boxes lined the walls, taking up most of the space. Strange coils sprouted
from concrete posts and were connected in the back by what looked like a supersized
version of jumper cables. Closer, I saw black smears on the tables where the computers
sat. I leaned in, catching a glint of brownish-red. Blood. Streaks were slapped across
most of the visible surfaces. A record of violence and suffering. This had to be where
Sullivan died.
I guess I hadnt taken the description of his body condition all that seriously. I did
now though.
I popped in next to Charlie. Looks safe. He nodded at Briggs, and they
descended the stairs.
When they got to the bottom, Briggs walked across the room, using his flashlight
to lead the way. On the other side was a fuse box. He opened it and flipped the breaker.
Fluorescent lights came to life, throwing blue-gray light with a harsh white glare.
Charlie blinked until his eyes adjusted. His gaze swept over the room, lingering on the
stained floor.

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I watched Briggs, who looked like a man waiting for something apocalyptic to
happen. Charlie ignored him and made a slow pass around the room, gaze distant, eyes
searching. Not here, not in this place, but in the beyond he talked about.
There is another interesting trait about the layer of energy between the planesit
tends to remember things. Like Silly Putty pressed to a printed picture: sometimes clear,
sometimes faded. Charlie is really good at putting the pieces together, so even a broken
image usually makes sense to him.
Charlie stopped and crouched down beside the worst and darkest of the stains.
Can I touch it? He didnt look at Briggs when he asked.
Yeah, go ahead. CSI has already collected everything.
Charlies hand brushed across the surface. He didnt see by touch like a lot of
psychics, but handling certain objects from a scene or staring at a picture could help
orient him.
A pinched look came over his face, and he pressed his hand against the stained
concrete.
Not too much. You dont want to make yourself pass out, I said.
Charlie smirked. Ive done this before, you know.
Yeah, I did. Normally I wasnt so bossy, but hed already had a hell of a day
yesterday. Frost formed on the concrete around Charlies fingertips and a second later
faded away.
His eyes widened.
What do you see?
Helen Brock.
Briggs perked up and step forward.
I could see Charlie push a little more of himself into the memory, and three people
appeared in the room. Unlike the dead, Charlie couldnt bring memories all the way to
the plane of the living, so they were nothing but ghostly forms, even to me.

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Charlie nodded at the man with the blond hair and said, Sullivan. Helen Brock I
recognized. A third man, a redhead, I didnt. Apparently neither did Charlie, because
he said, I have no idea who he is.
Who?
I shushed Briggs, but he couldnt hear me. Charlie held up a hand.
Around us, the scene played out.
Helen looked around with a worried expression. Are you sure about this?
An arrogant smile curled Sullivans lips. I had a feeling Charlie was really familiar
with that look. Somehow it made the man even better looking, which didnt help. Do
you doubt me?
I dont doubt you, Roy. I doubt whats on the other side. Theres something not
right about this.
Like what?
What its promising is too good to be true. I think you should reconsider.
And you base that bit of advice on what? A feeling?
Helen looked embarrassed.
Thats what I thought. Sullivans smile stayed in place. He motioned to the
redhead. Mathew, prime the conductor to five hundred.
Now Mathew looked worried. Thats a lot of juice.
Do it.
What if we blow the lines?
Sullivans expression went cold, and the look in his eyes was pure murder. Then
youll repair it. Thats your fucking job. Now do what I say, or Ill find someone who
will and not ask me stupid questions.
It was clear by the look on Mathews face he didnt agree with whatever it was
Sullivan was doing, but he did what he was told. He wandered over to the large
machine on our right. Since machines and scenery have no life force, they wouldnt

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remain in a memory like this. But the death here was fresh and it looked like the
environment was intact, so the residual images appeared to be interacting with the
things around us. They couldnt actually move anything, but since the people werent
real, not even as ghosts, they didnt know that.
There was a moment of silence while they stared at the far wall. Going by the
expressions on their faces, something amazing was happening. Whatever it was, it must
have been impressive. Helen Brock put her hand over her mouth, and Mathew looked
about ready to shit his pants.
Sullivans expression remained arrogant and pleased. Youre here. Now bring
him to me. There was another pause. Whatever he was talking to must not have said
what he wanted to hear, because Sullivan frowned and his features hardened into a
mask of anger. We had a deal. You forget I also control this gate. I brought you here. I
can send you back! He looked at Mathew. Reverse the polarity.
Mathew moved toward a different machine. He was abruptly knocked off his feet,
like something large had attacked him. He flailed on the ground, screaming. Helen
Brock stumbled back, and Sullivan yelled for her to smash the coils. Her ghostly image
rushed the machine banks, and she appeared to grab something off the table. She began
banging it against the side of one of the machines, her fists passing through the metal
cover as if it hadnt existed when the memory was made.
Sullivan took a few steps back just as Mathew jerked himself off the ground. His
movements were smoother now, more animalistic, like he was no longer a man and
some sort of predator. He grabbed something off the ground nearby and leaped at
Sullivan. A wash of red sprayed out of Sullivans chest, and a gaping hole appeared.
Helen Brock screamed like a madwoman. She continued to beat the machine, and
Mathew continued to stab Sullivan. When Sullivan was no longer moving, Mathews
demeanor changed again. He went from enraged to terrified as what possessed him left
his body. He stared at his hands before bringing his gaze up at whatever was there with
them that we couldnt see. He tried to run. In a burst of shredded skin and blood, he all

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but disintegrated in front of us as his flesh was ripped off his body, only to disappear. It
was so bizarre that I couldnt even be disgusted until I realized the reason he was
coming apart was that something was eating him.
Jesus Christ. I looked at Charlie. He was pale, and his Adams apple bobbed like
he was having a hard time swallowing. Let it go, Charlie. Weve seen enough.
Just a little more.
Charlie, for Gods sake.
Helen Brocks scream turned into something feral and terrified as she ran from the
room.
Charlie pulled his hand back, and the memory disappeared. He looked at Briggs.
Why didnt you tell me there was another victim?
Now what would make you say that?
Because I saw him. He was killed with Sullivan. Briggs looked surprised for a
moment before disbelief shaded his dark gaze. Charlie stood up and walked over to one
of the large pieces of equipment. His hands moved along the sides like he was looking
for something.
Briggs walked over. What are you doing?
Theres a panel somewhere over here.
And how would you know that, Mr. Harrington?
Great, they were back to a last name basis.
Well, Detective Briggssarcasm made Charlies tone stickyI saw it.
Remember those threads I told you about, the ones the dead leave behind when they
think of something long enough?
Yeah?
Well, Sullivan was thinking about the panel, or more precisely what was behind
it. There was a clank, the sound of a metal plate bouncing off the concrete floor. Briggs
walked over and into the dark opening. I floated next to Charlie. I didnt need the light

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to see in. A tangled mass spun and swirled in all directions. Frayed copper fibers stuck
out from brightly colored, insulated wiring. Thicker collections of silver that might have
once been some type of coil; now they looked like cracked snail shells. Capacitors on a
motherboard were smashed flat. A large wrench lay caught in the web of the disaster.
Now we knew what Helen Brock used to beat it with.
How did you know youd find that? Briggss tone was suspicious.
I didnt. I just followed his last thoughts.
So, what? He was thinking about this mess while someone stabbed him to
death? Briggs took a step back. The beam of his flashlight washed over the inside of
the machine.
Yeah. Charlie went back to gazing at the bloodstain on the floor. Whatever he
was working on went wrong. He brought something across. Im not sure what, but it
attacked the other victim.
Do you think it was sedit?
Charlie gave me a worried look. How could they tear a man to shreds like that?
Mr. Harrington, do you care to explain what went on here?
Charlie waved a hand. I cant.
And what is that supposed to mean?
I mean, Im not sure what I saw. Sullivan was here with another man named
Mathew, along with Helen Brock. Something happened, and Mathew attacked
Sullivan.
I looked back at where the attack had unfolded. Now the blood splatters were like
letters telling a story. But you have an idea.
He tossed me a quick glance. Yeah, its a feeling.
What kind of feeling?
He glanced down at his wrists. A familiar one.

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Briggs clicked off his flashlight before tucking it back into his jacket. Do you see
anything else, Mr. Harrington?
The word see came out with a sneer. I sighed. Hes a real asshole, you know
that?
Charlie shrugged. Hes just doing his job, thats all.
Yeah, well, he could do it with a little less eat shit and die in his attitude, if you
ask me.
Charlie made a circle around the stain again. His gaze followed movement Briggs
and I couldnt see. His eyes widened. I said Charlies name, and he held up a hand.
That Mathew guy killed Sullivan to give this thing a way out. A way here, but He
cocked his head and wrinkled his nose.
Mr. Harrington?
Theres something else. Charlie walked to the center of the room, a strange
expression on his face.
I followed close behind. What is it?
Im not sure. He winced and stumbled back until his hip hit the desk full of
computer monitors and forgotten pieces of paper.
Charlie?
As soon as I said his name, the shadows along the walls twitched and a blackness
spilled out of the brick. Charlie looked over his shoulder. Damn.
You mind clueing me in? Briggs sounded bored.
Maybe when we have time. Charlie inched toward the stairwell, and so did I.
Beyond the bank of computers the shadows thickened. Moving, rolling. What
looked like clawed hands extended flat against the walls as the liquid forms spilled
from the stone and emerged from the shadows. They moved slowly, like cold molasses.

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There werent just a couple of them, but dozens, maybe hundreds. They lay folded
over one another, crammed in corners, tucked in spaces between the walls and
equipment.
Pale, sightless eyes carved in pointy, animalistic-shaped heads turned on us, and
mouths gaped open, sporting slivers of transparent teeth.
Oh, yeah, this was so not the place to be right now.
I jerked my head at the stairwell. I think wed better go.
Briggs stood in the middle of the room, clueless as to what wed seen.
Theyre sedit. They cant hurt us. Charlie didnt sound very sure. His gaze fell to
the floor, then back up to the growing swarm of black.
Are you sure you want to take that chance?
He shook his head.
Briggs looked around, confused. What the hell are you looking at?
Lets just go. Ill tell you when we get back to the car. Charlie began to back out
of the room.
Why are you in such a hurry? Because to Briggs the room was empty except for
a bunch of hulking metal and computer equipment.
Charlie grabbed his arm. No time. We gotta leave. Now!
The detective pulled away. What the hell is going on, Charlie?
Goddamn it, tell him its fucking nuclear waste or something. We need to get out
of here! Sedit slid against the ceiling in a shush, claws skittering on the brick. They
never walked like men; they crawled, hunched over things, bodies curved like starving
animals.
Cmon, Charlie! We needed to get out of here and now!
We cant leave Briggs here.

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Briggs flicked on his flashlight and aimed it at the wall behind him. The darkness
of the sedits sucked up the light like a sponge to water. Theres nothing back there,
Charlie. What the hell are you scared of?
Nothing he could see, but as I said, the living rarely saw beyond their plane.
Sometimes they felt apprehension because of the fear left behind by darker creatures,
but they rarely heeded the warning.
Charlie pulled on Briggss arm. Please, lets just get outside. Ill explain when
were back at the car.
Tell me what you see, Mr. Harrington.
Great, last name basis again.
We dont have time for this, Charlie. The sedit oozed closer, a dense black
swarm now. And here I thought maybe my guess of a hundred had been a wee bit of an
exaggeration. Not anymore. The dark shapes surged like angry ants looking for food,
billowing across the floor. Oh fuck.
Briggs kept looking around, and a fine sheen of sweat had popped out across his
forehead. I think his primal brain was trying to tell him something.
Briggs, please. Charlie took a few steps back. Even with my help he wouldnt be
strong enough to overpower Briggs and make him leave.
Unless
Charlie. He looked at me. Push me in him.
What?
Do it, or run and leave him here to To die? No, he wouldnt just die. There
was the very real possibility he could end up just like the other SOB whod been torn
apart. Sedit werent supposed to be able to attack the living, but somehow something
had changed the rules. I had a bad feeling one of Sullivans pet projects had gone
terribly wrong.

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Thank God Charlie didnt argue. He reached out to me, then grabbed hold of
Briggss arm. I think the man had all of two seconds to be surprised before Charlie
shoved me into his body. Just like always, the overpowering wave of sensory overload
blurred everything for a moment. Charlie fell to his knees beside me, and I grabbed him
up by the waist.
Im okay.
Good, great, then you can even be more okay when we head outside. I pushed
him up the stairs in front of me, sedit snapping at my heels. They came faster now, a
tsunami wave building up to drown us in blackness.
We tore down the hallway. I yanked open the front doors and shoved Charlie out
into the sunlight. Compared to the inside of the building, the sixty degrees outside felt
like a sauna. Recovered enough to run, Charlie headed for the sedan and got in. I
followed but stopped just on the other side of the copper pipe. Maybe I was crazy, but I
had a hunch.
Waves of sedit oozed from the building, squeezing out from cracks in the brick
wall, breaks in the windows. There werent just hundreds of them, but thousands. I
didnt even think this many sedit existed, at least not in one place. The wave of
darkness stopped just on the other side of the broken earth where the copper pipe was
buried. The creatures paced back and forth, moving through and over each other, like a
mass of black ooze sloshing against glass. Ugly, brutal sounds ticked out of their gaping
mouths. It made me think of angry cats, rabid dogs, and rattle snakes. Noises that
didnt belong in the realm of the living.
Ethan. I walked over to join Charlie in the sedan. I couldnt resist looking back.
As terrifying as the dark masses were, they were hypnotic in the way they moved, like a
negative ocean wave beckoning the living to join them.
I shut the door to the car. Charlies haunted gaze was on the pack of sedit. There
were so many now the building looked like it was sinking into a black pool of rippling
sludge.

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I looked at him. You okay?


He nodded and then shook his head.
At least we know now why the building was cold and had no aura.
Charlie stared, looking ill. Lets just get out of here.
I cranked up the car and headed back to the highway.

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Chapter Nine
I pulled into the parking lot of a nearby bar. Through the front window of the bar,
we could see cowboy hats, neon lights, and an eighty-inch TV. This country-western
scene was far from our usual kind of hangout.
What are we doing here?
Briggs is going to need a drink. It was knowledge I had from being inside him.
Unlike most people I possessed, Id been doing my best to block everything out from
Briggs, but I knew it wasnt possible. Even if it were, would waking up in a strange
place be better than the fuzzy memories of getting here?
Another thing about Briggs, he was strong. Id only been inside him fifteen
minutes tops, and I could already feel him pushing me aside and trying to regain
control. Talk about willpower.
Charlie gave me a worried look.
He cant pretend I dont exist anymore.
Why do you say that?
This isnt like the men in the bars. Its different.
How?
Well aside from the fact he isnt drunk, I dont know. The closeness I felt with
Briggs was eerie. It reminded me of the strange connection I had with Charlie. It wasnt
the same, by any means, but I knew Briggs heard and felt me on a level that none of the
men I inhabited to be with Charlie ever had before.
Do you think hell be okay?

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Yeah, but hes gonna want a drink. Trust me. Hell want several of them. I
handed Charlie the car keys. Youll want to keep those away from him until he calms
down.
Are you gonna wait till were inside?
Yeah. I think it would be best. Inside, sitting down, buckled into a chair.
Charlie spotted a booth in the far back, between a gigantic stuffed bull and a
seven-foot-tall plastic cactus.
I slid in first, and Charlie moved in next to me. His hand brushed mine in a way
that said he wished he could hold it.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on making this as easy as possible for both of
us. But Briggs wasnt having it. As soon as I eased up my hold on him, he pushed me
out. He grabbed the table like he was about to fly out of the booth and land on the
ceiling. His breath hissed out, his face was pale, and his eyes rolled like those of a
terrified animal backed into the proverbial corner.
Charlie put a hand on his shoulder. Easy, its over.
What the fuck?
Charlie shushed him. Calm down.
How the hell? Where are we?
A bar.
A bar?
Ethan thought you might want a drink.
Jesus Christ. He put one of his large hands on his chest, feeling himself like he
might have been missing parts. What the hell just happened?
I think you should get a drink first.
The factory
We left about twenty minutes ago.

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I dont remembernoI do, but The expression on his face revealed a man
conflicted with what he believed and what hed seen. Something was inside me. He
sounded surprised.
Yeah, you wouldnt leave, so Ethan possessed you to get you out.
Briggss long legs kicked out like hed been slapped on the back, and he scrambled
to find a way out of the booth. His reaction is exactly why Charlie and I never used
anyone who wasnt willing, not to mention drunk.
Charlie tightened his grip on the detectives arm. Please, just take a breath.
You werent lying.
About what?
Seeing the dead.
No.
I saw them, those things.
You saw them through Ethan. When a ghost possesses you, you share a
consciousness. You feel, see, and hear what he does, and vice versa.
Briggs nodded. Youre right. I need a drink.
Charlie flagged down a waitress and ordered a beer, and Briggs ordered two shots
of bourbon straight up. The detective leaned back in the booth and closed his eyes. He
still looked pale and scared, but at least hed quit trying to bolt.
Charlie and I watched him in between tossing each other worried glances. When
the drinks arrived, Briggs picked one up, started to throw it back, then stopped. Shit.
Whats wrong?
I have to drive.
No, you dont. Ill drive.
Im technically supposed to be watching your apartment.
Are you on duty?

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Briggss thick eyebrows came together over the bridge of his nose. Not officially.
Then Ill drive you home.
And how are you going to get back to your apartment?
Cab. Charlie thumped his hip. I have my wallet today, and my shoes. That
seemed to satisfy Briggs.
Briggs drained one shot glass, then the other. He flagged down the waitress again
while Charlie started on his beer. Briggss second round of drinks arrived. He drank the
first one before it could touch the table. Can you explain to me what that was back
there?
Which part?
Lets start with those things.
Theyre called sedit.
Briggs face went pinched. What is that, some kind of ghost?
No, ghosts have been alive. Those things back there have never been alive.
Im just going to pretend I understand what the fuck youre talking about and
leave it at that. He drank his fourth drink so fast he almost choked.
Charlie watched him while picking at the label on his beer.
I leaned in close to Charlie. Maybe letting him drink so much isnt a good idea.
Charlie shrugged.
Briggs stared into his empty shot glass. That was a really old building.
Charlie nodded. But I dont think thats why those things were there.
No, no, I mean it was an old building. Theres no telling what was in that
basement. Leaking gas pipes, maybe some sort of environmental hazard. I read this
article once that certain fungi spores could be inhaled and cause hallucinations. It might
explain how whoever stabbed Sullivan was able to do it so many times and why Helen
Brock was in such bad condition. Briggs gave Charlie a hopeful look. Right?

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Sure, whatever you want to believe. Im sure your spore theory will explain
perfectly why you werent in control of your body or how you drove yourself here and
have very little memory of it. Charlie continued to stare at his beer and pick at the
label, slowly peeling it free from the brown glass.
I drove?
Yeah, you drove.
Fuck. He scrubbed a hand over his face. What the hell am I going to tell
Langley?
My suggestion? Dont say anything at all. Not unless you want to wind up in a
psych ward, doped on Thorazine, and having your entire life examined with a
microscope. Charlie drained his beer. Im gonna go grab another one of these. Do you
want some more? He waved a hand in the direction of Briggss two empty shot
glasses.
No. Wait. Maybe Ill just have a beer.
Charlie slid out of the booth and went to the counter. I think he did it more to give
himself a little space, not because he was in a hurry to get another beer. Briggs dug out
his cell phone. He watched Charlie at the bar in between dialing. The phone rang a few
times before someone picked up.
A womans voice said, Hello?
Becky, its Briggs.
Well, hey there, cowboy, hows it going on the home front?
He laughed, but it wasnt a happy sound. Youd never believe me if I told you.
Dont tell me, you showed Mr. Harrington the crime scene and he broke down,
confessing to everything.
As much as hearing my suspicions confirmed pissed me off, at the same time it
didnt surprise me.

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Briggs started to take a sip of his drink but realized it was empty. No, no, not
exactly.
You okay?
Yeah, why?
You sound drunk.
I do nIm at a bar.
Its not even six oclock.
I needed an early start.
Thats early all right, even for you.
Look, I didnt call for a morality speech. I called to let you know where I was so
you can call Langley for me.
You cant call him yourself?
No.
Is that because you dont want him to rub in the fact you were wrong about Mr.
Harrington?
You sound awfully confident. Does that mean you got the preliminaries in on the
blood samples taken at the scene?
I did. And youre not going to believe this.
Let me guess, you found some guy named Mathews DNA on the weapon that
killed Sullivan.
How did you
Lets just say a little bird told me and leave it at that.
You creep me out sometimes, anyone ever tell you that?
Occasionally. So, did you find out anything else about our second victim?
We got a hit through CODIS, a Mathew Jones. He graduated from MIT about ten
years ago and shortly afterward was convicted on a couple of computer crimes, mostly

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hacking into secure systems to steal credit card numbers, some illegal downloading,
and a couple counts of stalking. Based on the number of times he was arrested for
methamphetamine possession, I would even venture to say he had a little bit of a drug
habit.
Sounds like an upstanding citizen.
Yeah, his mother reported him missing about three weeks ago. According to her,
he did some side work for Sullivan, but he never told her what exactly.
Great.
Theyre going to collect some things from the guys apartment tomorrow to
double-check the DNA, but it looks like hes going to be our unknown. CSI managed to
locate some small bone fragments, so we know this man didnt walk away with
injuries.
No, Mathew Jones hadnt walked away. Hed died a horrific death, even for a
criminal.
Briggs scrubbed a hand over his face. This has got to be the most bizarre case I
have ever been on.
Do you want to talk about it? Becky sounded genuinely concerned.
To tell the truth, no. Id rather just go home and forget it ever happened.
So whats your plan now that your ghost whisperer is off the list?
Im going to go home and crash. Just make sure you get that call in to Langley so
there is a patrol car outside of Mr. Harringtons apartment. He may not be a suspect,
but hes the only living lead we have at the moment.
Sure thing, Matlock.
Briggs flipped his cell phone shut just as Charlie came back with a couple of long
necks. He sat down next to the detective and passed one over. Briggs nodded a thanks.
I was right. One of Charlies eyebrows went up. Officer Friendly was trying to
set you up. Take you to the scene so youd get all teary-eyed and confess. His

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expression was doubtful. I raised a hand. Boy Scouts honor. He just got off the phone
with one of his partners in crime. The good news is youve been cleared by DNA
evidence. The guy we saw killed was some poor bastard named Mathew Jones, MIT
graduate and computer criminal. They found his DNA on the murder weapon.
Needless to say, I think you broke Briggss heart. He seemed really set on getting to
handcuff you again.
Briggs made a face. Whats that look for?
Charlie shook his head. You still thought I was guilty? Briggs looked like hed
swallowed a live goldfish. Ethan was still here while you were on the phone. He heard
what you said to
Becky. I think she might be the ME on this case, I said.
Charlie relayed the name, and Briggs stared at the stuffed bull like it was
suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. I think Im going to need another
beer.
No, you dont. What you need to do is quit turning a blind eye. The world is not
as cut-and-dry as you think it is.
He snorted a laugh. Now youre telling me this?
I tried to tell you before, but you wouldnt listen. So I am telling you again. The
dead are real, Detective Briggs, and I did not kill Sullivan. Now that you have your
DNA evidence, theres no reason for you to keep thinking I did. I told you I hadnt seen
him or spoken to him in years. No matter what any e-mails or whatever claim. Charlie
drank his beer. The fact that you have anything linking me to him makes me wonder if
someone is trying to frame me.
You have many enemies?
No. Not really. Although I think this makes twice that Ive been shot at. Charlie
laughed at the look Briggs gave him. I put a guy away for life for killing his niece.
When he was paroled, he came looking at me. Apparently he thought he got a raw deal
and held me personally responsible.

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Damn.
Charlie shrugged. It wasnt half as scary as the wacko that stabbed me seven
times. Briggss eyebrows went up. In case you havent noticed, Detective, some
people dont take kindly to being forced to realize the dead are real and there are things
we arent yet able to understand.
They were quiet for a moment. Is that what its like for you?
Charlie looked at Briggs. What?
Out there with those things. Seeing those things like that all the time?
Its not as bad as it sounds.
What about this Ethan you keep talking about? Keep talking to?
What about him? Charlie drank some of his beer.
Who is he? What is he?
Hes one of the dead.
And he just hangs around and talks to you?
Charlies mouth curled. Yeah, you can say that.
Is he like a spirit guide or something? The way Briggs said spirit guide, he made
it sound like a story line youd find in a really bad sitcom.
The beer in Charlies hand clinked when he put it down on the table. If youre
trying to ask me if he helps, yes.
I think Briggs was about to pry some more but seemed to think better of it. Can
you tell me how those things
Sedit.
Okay, how those sedit play into all this?
They killed your second victim.
How?
I think they ate him.

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Briggs pushed a shaking hand through his hair. Definitely another beer. When
the waitress came by again, he not only snagged another beer but two more shots of
bourbon.
When Charlie gave Briggs a look, I shrugged. He has had a pretty hard day.
Charlie didnt argue.
Briggs had a thoughtful expression on his face after he drained one of the shot
glasses and put it down. I thought you said the dead couldnt interact with the living.
As a general rule, they cant. On occasion you might get one who is so consumed
in emotion that they accidentally move stuff, but Ive never seen one able to do it on
purpose. But sedit were never alive.
Never alive? What the hell does that even mean?
Just what it sounds like. There are the deadthose who were once aliveand
seditthose who never were. There are other places, other planes beyond the dead,
where sedit and things that have never been alive dwell. They dont normally see us.
Us?
The living.
Okay.
They see the dead, though, and they hunt them. Its why the dead stay close to
the living. Our auras, our life force makes it difficult for the sedit to get close to them.
But sometimes sedit destroy the dead. On occasion they even find a way to touch living
people. Then they latch on like a leech, controlling them, taking away their will to live.
Sometimes they take over quick with the intentions of killing a person. Other times its a
slow process where they use the individual as a host.
Are you saying they feed from them or something, like a vampire?
Theres no such thing as vampires. But sedit do feed off peoples auras, changing
them, controlling them. The prisons are full of folks who have fallen victim to sedit.
They dont feel. They dont care. They dont have any fear. They are just there, and the

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only thing they want to do is destroy. I think thats why Mathew Jones killed Sullivan.
From what I could tell, he was possessed. Charlie hummed.
What?
Ive just never seen it happen so fast. It was like these were some sort of new and
improved sedit. They grabbed Mathew Jones fast and took immediate control.
Please dont tell me youre trying to say the devil made him do it?
Interpret it however you want to. Another thing. Sedit dont normally see the
living. Theyre usually blinded by our auras.
Well, those things definitely saw us.
I know.
And if they killed and ate a man
Charlie nodded again. Yeah, yeah, I know.
I take it youve never seen anything like that?
Not exactly. Under the table, Charlie rubbed his wrist.
Why do I get the feeling youre not telling me something?
Because he wasnt. I moved closer to Charlie, and the warmth of his life force
tugged at me. He glanced my way. The smile he gave me was small and private.
I cleared my throat and nodded at Briggs, who was really giving him a funny look
now. If you know anything, you need to tell him.
Charlie drank some more of his beer like he was trying to muster up his courage
before turning toward Briggs. Those machines down there?
The computers.
Actually they were EMF field conductors.
Okay. What about them?

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Charlie sighed; it came from so deep down that his shoulders rose and fell. I
think Sullivan might have been using them to try and bring something across, and I
think he may have succeeded.

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Chapter Ten
The sky was just beginning to turn violet when Charlie pulled into the parking lot
of a modest apartment complex a block down from a scary part of town. Briggs leaned
against the door, with his face bunched up and his eyes closed.
Here I thought that only happened after a person woke up from drinking.
Charlie got out of the car. Do you need me to help you inside?
No. Yes. Wait. Briggs sat up in his seat and fought to unfasten the seat belt.
When Briggs realized it wasnt buckled, he cursed. Then he shivered. Going by the way
Charlies breath frosted, it must have been the temperature and not the fact that he was
drunk.
Maybe you should let me help you, Briggs.
Im fine.
Youre drunk.
No, Im not.
I didnt care what Briggs claimed. He was smashed.
Briggs fumbled with the door release and all but fell face-first into the parking lot.
Some weird guy in an army jacket watched from over by a pickup truck. It took me a
minute to realize he wasnt alive. His dark gaze went from Briggs to me.
Asshole is always drunk, he said.
Always?
Yeah, unless he works late. His scarred-up hands felt around his jacket. Can I
borrow a cigarette?
Youre dead.

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I know.
We dont smoke.
I dont need no clothes either and He held out his arms and turned around,
giving me a good look at his fatigues.
Charlie looked at me. Who are you talking to?
I guess he couldnt see him. Dead guy, two oclock.
So, is that his piece of ass for the night? Then the dead guy grinned while
staring at Charlie.
Goddamn it, I hate it when Im right. No, he isnt.
Oooh, testy, arent we? You got a crush on the glowworm there or what?
I glared. Piss off, asshole, before I come over there and make sparks. When
highly emotional dead touch each other, it looks a lot like fireworks.
Ethan, whats wrong?
Nothing. I stared down at Briggs, who was trying to pull himself off his knees
and stand up. Charlie went around to help him.
I followed. Just leave him.
Ethan, hes drunk.
Yeah, thats what happens when you have twenty shots of bourbon and a dozen
beers.
Charlie hooked a hand under Briggss arm and pulled him up. He didnt have
that many.
Too bad, maybe then hed be unconscious.
One of Briggss thick arms went around Charlies shoulder, and for a moment I
was sure the asshole was going to kiss him. Charlie was too busy trying to get the car
door shut to notice.
I floated up next to Briggs and growled right next to his ear. You touch one hair
on Charlies head, and Ill frost your nuts!

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He looked in my direction, and his brows drew together. Did you hear
something?
Charlie glared at me. Yes. A very jealous mosquito whos going to wind up
sleeping on the front porch if he doesnt stop acting like a jerk.
I was not acting like a jerk. I was acting like a concerned boyfriend.
Charlie sighed. Ethan, I love you. Only you. Now stop it.
I dont know who looked more surprised: me, because Charlie had practically
plucked my innermost thought from my mind, or Briggs, who had just had his face
shoved into the extent of my relationship with Charlie.
My vote was on Briggs.
When we got to Briggss apartment, he propped himself up against the wall.
Youre in love with a dead man?
The keys jingled in Charlies hand as he searched for the right one to unlock the
door. He didnt reply.
Jesus Christ, and here I thought my love life was fucked-up. How the hell does
that work anyhow? Briggs laughed. You realize, of course, necrophilia is against the
law in Georgia. I might have to arrest you after all.
Charlie opened the door and practically kicked Briggs in the ass, shoving him
inside. Briggs tripped over his own feet, smashed into a bookshelf near the door, and
wound up smacking his forehead against the step leading up from the foyer and into
the living room.
He moaned and rolled over. Crimson cut a path down his face and into his eyes.
Charlie threw Briggss keys at him. They bounced off his chest and landed on the floor.
Charlie headed for the door, and I went after him. You cant leave him like that.
Watch me.
Charlie, hes bleeding!

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Its just a head wound. Even though he still sounded pissed, I could tell by his
expression he felt bad for what hed done.
Charlie
He turned on me. Youre the one who wanted to leave him in the parking lot,
remember? Now youre getting your way.
That was before he was bleeding. Hes hurt. Its not right.
Charlies gaze slid away, and he ran a hand through his hair.
I sighed. Cmon, we better get him cleaned up. Charlie headed outside and
slammed the door on me. I poked my head back through. Charlie!
He stopped. I floated over. The Vietnam guy was next to the Dumpster now,
laughing at me. I flipped him off and then ignored him.
I dropped down so I could see Charlies eyes. Talk to me.
Lets just go home.
Charlie, hes lying in there bleeding. As much as I disliked Briggs, I did not
want to see him left unconscious like that.
I didnt mean for him to get hurt.
I know.
Charlie growled. Hes a jerk.
Hes drunk.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Charlie made a face. Then whats your excuse?
I thought a moment. Im dead.
Charlies narrowed his eyes.
I held out my hands, palms up. Hey, what better excuse is there? I mean, dead is
a pretty serious situation.

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Youre not funny. A strange look passed over Charlies face: longing, pain. He
jerked his stare away from Briggss apartment. When he realized Id noticed, his cheeks
pinked.
I floated closer. Its okay.
Whats okay?
I glanced at the door and back to him. You like him.
No, I dont. Charlies aura darkened. I dont think he meant to lie to me.
Charlie
I dont like him.
Okay, fine, but youre attracted to him.
No, Im not.
Yes, you are.
He doesnt look anything like you. As if that was supposed to be the end of the
conversation, Charlie headed across the parking lot. I got in front of him, and he went
right through me. God, if I could orgasm as a dead man, I would have come from the
contact.
Charlie stopped. His eyes were wide, dark, and full of heat. Lets go home,
please. The huskiness in his voice left no doubt as to what he wanted to do when he
got me there.
I really hated Briggs at that moment, for getting Charlie involved in this, for
accusing him, for hurting his feelings, for being alivewhen I wasnt. Against every
molecule of self-preservation in my ghostly self, I floated back to the apartment. Inside,
Briggs was still on the floor bleeding all over the place.
A moment later the door opened and shut and Charlie came up beside me.
Damn.
I couldnt agree more. Id offer to help you, but

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Charlie knelt down and got one of Briggss arms over his shoulder. There was no
way he was going to lift him. He patted Briggss cheek and said his name several times.
Briggs opened his eyes and gave Charlie a confused look. My head is killing me.
You fell.
He touched his forehead and winced. Shit, Im bleeding.
Yeah, I know. Now cmon, help me. I cant lift you on my own.
Briggss shoes squeaked against the linoleum as he attempted to kick himself to
his feet. Briggs bumped his foot into Charlies ankle. Charlie grunted and almost fell on
top of him. Charlie caught himself, but his face wound up way too close to Briggs, their
lips close enough that I knew they could taste each other on an exhale.
I resisted the sudden urge to hit Briggs. Not only would he not feel it, this was my
fault. I mean, I was the one whod insisted Charlie come in here and help the guy. We
could have been on our way back to his place to play underneath his mirror.
Why did I insist on helping Briggs? I didnt even like him.
But Charlie did.
No matter what he said out loud, I could see it in his eyes, the way he talked to the
guy, the way he smiled in that shy way hed only reserved for me. Charlie didnt know
he was doing it, Im sure, because he would have found a way to make himself stop.
Charlie cleared his throat and tried to get back to his feet. Briggss hands closed
around Charlies arm and held him where he was.
The detective licked his lips. With his hard eyes and hungry expression he
appeared all the more a predator. Why are you in my apartment?
To help you.
Is that all?
Yeah. Ethan thought it would be wrong to leave you here on the floor.
His thick eyebrows came together, and I could practically see the wheels turning
inside his head as he tried to remember who Ethan was. The dead guy?

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Charlie sighed. Yeah, the dead guy.


Youre really in love with a dead guy?
Charlie pulled away and offered the detective a hand. Briggs stared for a moment
before getting to his knees.
I can give you a hand up.
Briggs shook his head. Ive got blood all over my hands. I dont want you to get it
on you. A funny look crossed his face. Not because I have anything, its just
Charlie grabbed Briggss hand and pulled him up. You didnt have to do that.
I know.
Thanks. He wobbled and put a hand out on the wall, leaving red streaks on the
eggshell paint.
Which way to the bathroom?
To the right. Briggs tossed a look out across the large open apartment to the one
room off to the side.
I rolled my eyes. Of course the bathroom would be inside his bedroom. How
predictable.
Charlie talked while he helped Briggs into his room. This was your idea,
remember?
I know.
Briggs frowned. It was?
No, I was Oh, never mind. He sat Briggs down on his bed and went into the
bathroom. Cabinet doors opened and closed. I floated into the bathroom. What are you
looking for?
Washcloth.
Briggs answered, I keep them on the rack above the shower.
A moment later Charlie walked out with a wet cloth. Briggs was trying to pull off
his shoes with very little success.

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Here. Charlie handed him the wet cloth and took over.
Why the hell did you let me drink so much?
Because when I suggested maybe you should lay off, you threatened to handcuff
me.
No, I didnt. Briggs pressed the cloth to his face. Did I?
Yeah, you did.
Briggs wiped his forehead and hissed. Sorry, beer makes me stupid.
And here I thought hed come by that talent au natural.
Charlie took the cloth away from him. Do you have any ice?
Doubt it.
This is going to bruise and swell. He cleaned off the worst of it, then wiped
down the mans hands. All the while Briggs watched Charlie, his hands opening and
closing like he was resisting the urge to reach out and touch him.
How can you have a relationship with a dead guy?
Charlie glanced up. Do you really want to know?
Silence, then Briggs nodded. Yeah, I guess.
We go to clubs, and I help Ethan possess people so we can be together.
Possess people? Like what he did to me?
No, not exactly. The people Ethan possess think theyre going to get to have sex
with me. So the memories, what they experience, arent a surprise.
So you have sex with these men?
No, I have sex with Ethan. Charlie said it like it should settle the argument.
Dont you want more? Briggss hand came up and brushed Charlies cheek. The
sight made my blood boilor whatever it was I had.
Charlie pushed his hand away. I already have everything I could ever want.

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119

Are you sure? Briggs leaned forward. Charlies eyes widened, but he didnt
move. One of Briggss hands slid into Charlies hair. Briggs pulled him closer until their
mouths pressed together. Charlies eyes fluttered, and he trembled. The expression on
his face was so lonely, so lost, and at the same time so hungry.
Briggs reached for Charlies shirt, tried to tug it over Charlies head. Charlie
pulled away and stood. The disappointment on Briggss face was a beautiful sight.
Im sorry, I cant.
Because youre with a dead guy?
Charlie gave the detective an angry look. Yes, because Im with a dead guy.
Briggs dropped his gaze, and Charlie helped him out of his overcoat and draped it
over a chair. Im gonna wash my hands, then go. Ill leave your keys on the table near
the door.
Briggs lay down and stared at Charlie from under his arm thrown over his face. I
guess I should thank you.
Dont worry about it.
I think Briggs wanted to say something else, because his aura went completely
crimson.
Charlie went into the bathroom and shut the door. I looked back at Briggs, who
reached between his legs to adjust his growing erection before rolling onto his side.
Apparently beer not only made him stupid, but horny.
I went through the bathroom door to find Charlie drying off his hands and
cleaning up the water hed splashed on the sink. He turned to walk out but stopped
right in front of me for some reason. Maybe it was the look on my face. I dont know. I
couldnt see my reflection in the wall-to-wall mirror.
Without asking I slipped into Charlie, and he stumbled back, ass landing on the
counter. I used his hands to touch his face, his neck, his chest, tweaking his nipples
through his T-shirt.

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He whispered my name. What are you doing?


I had no fucking clue, but I needed him, right then, right there. I shoved one of
Charlies hands into his pants, while I used the other one to open the button on his
jeans.
When he tried to stand up, I bent his knees and he ass planted it right back where
he was. Id never taken him like that, possessed him without invitation.
To tell the truth, until that moment, I hadnt even known it was possible.
He moaned when I stroked him. I watched his reflection, and his eyes were wide,
heated with need and maybe a little fear. Precum made the head of his cock glisten. I
quit watching his reflection and stared at the dick in my borrowed hand. I pumped him,
hard, fast, unrelenting until he was trembling head to toe. His pleasure was my
pleasure, and yet what drove me was anger. Anger at what I could never give him.
Anger because Id asked him to come in here. Anger because Briggs wanted Charlie and
Charlie was mine.
My name came out on a surprised bark, and Charlie orgasmed, shooting all over
the floor, his jeans. I kept stroking, wringing out every drop, until he could barely hold
his head up or keep his eyes opened.
Then I stopped. I turned Charlies head and stared at the face in the mirror. He
looked so sated and yet at the same time so empty.
He smiled and said, What was that for?
Then his expression fell, mirroring my own emotional state. Fear, anger, and
something else I didnt recognize. I tried to move out of him, but Charlie held me.
Ethan?
Im sorry.
For what?
Lets just go home.
I need to clean up again first.

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He held out a hand, showing me. For the first time I wasnt proud of the mess
dripping from his fingers, and yet all I could think about was what it would be like to
taste him. I wanted to take each of his fingers and lick them clean, and not with a
borrowed body. Not with some stranger who would never mean anything to him. But I
was dead, and my condition would never change. Just let me go, Charlie. Please, Im
sorry.
Ethan?
I cant, okay? I cant talk about this. About what Id done. Why Id done it. I
dont even think I really knew.
I felt his reluctance to do as I asked. When he did, I popped out and reappeared
back home.

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Chapter Eleven
Could the dead go insane? I didnt know, but I felt like I might be headed in that
direction. I felt jealous, frustrated, lost, scared, starving for Charlie and sick of trying to
fulfill a hunger that could never be sated. I was dead. He was alive. I took, took, took.
I had nothing to give back.
It wasnt like this was news to me. I knew when we decided to be together, this
was all I would be able to give Charlie, and Id been okay with it. Until Briggs. I dont
know why he changed the rules. Why he forced me to really examine my motives. Why
he made me want to push Charlie to him while at the same time yank him away.
Charlie came home right before the last sliver of moonlight melted behind the
horizon. He didnt look at me while he took off his coat and shoes, and I didnt follow
him when he went into the bathroom to shower. I was on his bednear his bed,
whateverwhen he came out, skin still damp and pink from the heat. He looked at me
with sad eyes.
Are you ever going to tell me whats going on?
I didnt want to, but I had to. You like him. And I didnt need to explain who
the him was.
One side of Charlie smiled, but it wasnt a happy expression. He lay out on the
bed and turned in my direction. I let my gaze wander over his body: the random
freckles, the dark, flat mole near his navel, the line of hair running from the middle of
his stomach down to his groin where his cock nestled. Charlie wasnt muscular, but he
wasnt thin either. Ordinary, I guess. Average at best, and yet to me he was perfect,
absolutely perfect.
Ethan?

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123

Im thinking.
While staring at my crotch?
I like the scenery.
He snorted a laugh and dropped his head down to the pillow. Yes, I admit it. I
like him. If at all possible, his expression looked even more forlorn. But it doesnt
mean I dont love you anymore. Hes attractive, in a brutish, gorilla sort of way.
It was my turn to laugh. It felt more like a sob.
Im sorry.
I shook my head. For what?
For upsetting you. I guess I thought because we went to the bars and I picked out
guys for us to, you know, that maybe you wouldnt have any reason to be jealous.
Im dead, Charlie. Im not emotionless.
No, I mean Not because youre dead but because you should know how much
I love you and that no one would ever hold my heart. No one but you, Ethan.
I knew he meant for what he said to make me feel better, but in reality it cut me
deeper, right to my long-lost bones.
Charlie reached out to me, and his living aura touched my dead energy, sending a
crackle across my ethereal body. For a moment I could feel him: warm, alive, the bed,
soft and comforting. Smell: shampoo, clean skin, his maleness, and my fear.
Just that small bit of energy cost him more than it should have. There had been a
time when Charlie could make me real for hours; now it had fallen to minutes. It wasnt
because his ability was weakening over time. It was because just being around me was
draining him. Slowly but surely, I was sucking the life out of Charlie.
Keeping the other spirits away had just delayed the process. Had I known it
would happen? I think I did. No, no, I knew I did. On some level, an instinct, some
ghostly sense of survival, I knew eventually I would drain him dry, take the last spark
of life he had to give until he no longer walked the plane of the living.

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I dont know what was worse, having to face the realization or realizing that part
of me was excited by the idea of Charlie and me together forever. Im pretty sure if Id
had some guarantee we would have stayed together, I would have dragged him with
me to the plane of the dead. But because there was no rhyme or reason to those who
remained and those who left, the reality was that losing him forever was a greater
possibility.
When he reached for me again, I moved away. Charlies brows came together, and
he closed his eyes.
If you like him, I want you to get to know him better.
He tried to arrest me.
Yeah.
I dont want to get to know him.
Yes, you do.
No, Ethan.
Charlie
His eyes opened, and the anger in them was almost a physical force. I think thats
when I realized Charlie had known all along too. When are you going to believe me
that I love you?
Ive never doubted that you do. And I didnt.
Then why would you want me to have interest in someone else? Dont you get it,
Ethan? The sooner I die, the sooner we can be together.
No.
Yeah.
No, Charlie, it doesnt work like that. You know it doesnt work like that.
I know, which is why I havent pushed the issue. Ive just let it happen. Just let it
naturally happen.
Naturally.

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125

There was nothing natural about what I did to him. God, Charlie He moved
closer, and I pulled away.
Let me touch you.
Why? So you can drain yourself until you die?
Im a long way from dying, and you know it. This time when he scooted across
the bed, I didnt pull away. My groan sounded like something belonging to a man
getting the best sex of his life and not just having a hand brush against his chest. But
being made real by Charlie was like sex for me, except it involved every part of my
ghostly self, every particle. I watched the flash of a blue T-shirt I wore appear, then the
dark skin, almond in color, of my arm and fingers become real. They were long and
tapered, almost feminine, like someone who might be an artist or play an instrument.
I wish I could remember if I did either.
My body vanished when Charlie pulled his hand back. He smiled in a knowing
way that told me he knew I couldnt resist. I guess I loved Charlie even more than he
was willing to believe.
After my behavior back at Briggss apartment, all the jealousy, all the insanity in
my head, I dont know where I dredged up the courage to say what I did. The pain
alone should have killed me all over again. I think we should take a break from each
other for a while.
It sounded so forced, so fake, it was no wonder Charlie laughed. He didnt laugh
long though. If I could have thrown up from stress, I would have.
Youre serious?
I nodded. You like him. Hes the first person Ive ever seen you like other than
me. The only living person. You should see where it goes, see what
Youre breaking up with me? His voice cracked.
Ill stay around to keep anyone from bothering you.
Youre breaking up with me because I find him attractive?

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Hes a living person.


Live, dead, whats it matter?
It matters, Charlie, it matters a lot! You need to live. Dont you get it? You need to
want to live, and Im obviously not having that effect on you.
Youre not funny, Ethan, so just stop it.
Charlie knew I was being serious; he was just in denial. His eyes were too full of
fear, too full of pain for him to not believe what I was saying. He rolled over, and I
popped to the other side of the bed. Charlie
Leave me alone.
Charlie, please, I just want the best for you.
I dont know why youre doing this. Even if I wanted to be with Officer Friendly,
youre so jealous youd frostbite his nuts! I think he tried to laugh, but a tear rolled
down his cheek.
Ill stay out of the way, I promise. Even if I imploded from the frustration.
What the hell? I dont want you to stay out of the way! I want Charlie
snapped his mouth shut, and his knuckles tightened on the sheet until they bleached
out. He stared at me with so much anger and frustration it should have made me bleed.
He took several breaths like he was trying to rein himself in or maybe just control
the urge to scream at me. Im pretty sure it was the urge to scream, because his voice
was so clipped, so brittle when he spoke, he barely sounded human. I dont know why
youve suddenly got a savior complex, but I dont like it.
Savior complex? Charlie, Im not
Save it, Ethan. I dont want to hear how youre doing this for me, because
whether you like it or not, it isnt about me, its about both of us. You want to set me
free, like Ive been trapped. Im not trapped. I love you by choice. I love you because
youre you. But for some reason youre pushing me away.
I told you.

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127

No, youve lied to me. Youre lying to yourself. I opened my mouth to protest,
but Charlie cut me off. I dont want to hear it. Whatever you have to say wont make
things different. But dont worry, Im not going to try and talk you out of your
newfound martyr status. Im just going to prove you wrong.
How? I dont know why I asked. Was I really curious to know? Or was I really
looking to get myself hurt?
The expression on Charlies face was defiant. By giving you exactly what you
want, of course. Now leave. He reached up and flipped off the bedside lamp, rolled
over, and practically wrote me out of existence.

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Adrienne Wilder

Chapter Twelve
Id never had an argument with Charlie, and I have to admit, while I dont think I
was looking for one, I hadnt done a very good job of avoiding it. When I thought about
it, I wasnt sure how I was supposed to avoid it. I meant everything Id said, but I also
couldnt deny that I was insanely jealous about the very the idea of him wanting
someone else.
Deep down I knew Charlie didnt want anyone else. He wanted me. But he
needed someone who was alive, something I would never be.
I hung around in the living room next to the old Indian. He didnt say anything,
standing stone still and staring at nothing, but I had the distinct feeling he was laughing
at me.
I glared at him. Just shut up.
He didnt reply. I kind of wished he would. I needed someone to take my
aggressions out on. The sound of the microwave beeping got my attention. Daylight
had replaced night, and Id disappeared right through Charlie waking up. Id never
done that before. Sounds of him moving around the kitchen drifted out into the living
room. I resisted the urge to go check on him and lost. I stuck my head through the wall
over the stove. His gaze flicked up, then away.
No hello, no good morning, no I love you.
Goddamn, this was gonna be hard.
My first instinct was to apologize about last night, but l decided not to. After all, I
meant what Id said. Right? I thought a moment and realized I did, which meant I
needed to stick to my guns.

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129

Charlie made himself a cup of coffee and ate his oatmeal. It might have been
cinnamon or brown sugar. I couldnt smell, so I didnt know for sure. He was putting
his dishes in the dishwasher when the doorbell rang. He went to answer it, and I stayed
over by the wall. If Charlie was going have a life, it meant I couldnt go checking on
everything for him.
I heard Charlie say, Youre starting to make a really bad habit of this, you
know?
Briggs stepped inside. He was dressed casual: jeans, a shirt, and a suede coat. No
gun, no badge. I came to apologize about last night.
Charlie went back into the kitchen. Briggs followed.
Do you want some coffee? Its fresh.
No, I
Charlie turned. Look, you got drunk. People do and say stupid things when
theyre drunk. At least you had an excuse. Some people arent so lucky. He looked
right at me.
I bit my tongue. Again.
Briggs stopped in the entrance of the kitchen. It might just be my hungover brain,
but are you acting strangeer than usual?
Charlie rolled his eyes. Why are you here, Briggs? Obviously youre not on
duty.
I told you.
You could have said your apology over the phone.
I could have, but I also wanted see if you wanted to grab some breakfast. His
voice was soft. Very unlike him. I noticed his aura go from blue to purple, almost pink.
Fuck. I couldnt stand it. I popped out and landed somewhere in the parking area.
There was a man and woman practically fucking each other against the passenger side
door of a Beemer. I cursed again and gave them my back.

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Charlies voice drifted across the parking lot, followed by Briggss laugh. I didnt
know what they were talking about, but my brain had fun anyhow, which did nothing
for my mood.
Me and my big mouth. My oh so let me save you attitude. Charlie was giving
me what I wanted, and I couldnt stand it. It took everything for me not to chase after
Briggss car as it pulled out of the parking lot. No matter what the circumstances were, I
refused to sacrifice every shred of my dignity.
That declaration lasted until Briggs made a right out onto the main drag, and then
I took off after them. I gave up the chase about a block away from the apartment and
stopped in the middle of the street. A MARTA bus passed through me in a whir of
flashing metal, churning engine parts, and human bodies. Black smoke belched from
the exhaust but failed to cloud my vision.
I dont know why I was so put out. I got my wish. Charlie was trying to be social,
going out with a living person. But I couldnt help wondering, if he loved me as much
as he claimed to, why didnt he resist more than he had? Part of me wanted to doubt
him, but I knew what I was feeling was nothing more than me being pathetic and sorry.
I told myself to suck it up. It wasnt like Charlie was going to do the guy in the
back of his sedan.
Images of a naked, sweaty Charlie on his hands and knees with Officer Friendly
thrusting at his back flashed through my mind.
ChristI needed a drink.
I headed back to the apartment trying to think of something else, anything else,
but my overactive imagination refused to let go. I was so caught up on all the what-ifs
and maybes that I almost didnt see the tall, blond-haired guy heading in the direction
of the apartment. He was middle-aged. The hair at his temples had gone white, and he
was dressed in a plain white shirt and khakis. As I said before, everyone knows
everyone else here, and he wasnt a resident, so I was kind of surprised at the bout of
familiarity I felt when I looked at him. Where had I seen him before?

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131

It was when he walked through the line of cars and Charlies front door that I
realized who he was.
Roy Sullivan.
I popped into the apartment to find Sullivan wandering from room to room. He
didnt acknowledge me, and I wasnt sure if he just hadnt noticed me or if he couldnt
see me. Seeing he was newly dead, maybe he hadnt figured out what had happened to
him yet. It was like that for some people. On more than one occasion Id watched some
poor SOB wander the streets yelling and waving his hands trying to catch someones
attention, confused as to why people ignored him, and terrified because everything he
touched went right through him.
Trying to help them isnt always an option. Sometimes they just cant see me,
other times they get angry and phase out only to reappear, days, weeks, a month later
still screaming and cussing as if the conversation had never paused.
Ive learned over time its just better to take the wait-and-see approach. So thats
what I did with Sullivan.
He went from one end of the apartment to the other muttering Charlies name. He
lumbered around like someone carrying too much weight, no longer appearing
anything like the arrogant, controlling bastard Id seen in the memory at the lab. Now
he was more like some sort of animal. I reminded myself he was dead now and if
anything could change a man, it was that. But even that didnt explain the odd twitch of
his limbs, the overexaggerated way he turned his head, and why his translucent skin
looked bruised. Maybe he was just more transparent? Sometimes when the dead were
on a different plane, they could be like that.
I was just about to follow Sullivan when he headed toward the kitchen, but the old
Indian said, Be still, gi-li. He has moon madness.
What the hell is moon madness?
The Darkness has infected him. The old Indian did something hed never done
before. He moved, raising a hand, pointing to where Sullivan stood in the doorway to

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Charlies room. The man squirmed like he had a serious case of ants in his pants. His
fingers dug into his arms, leaving thick, black lines.
No, wait, not lines, tears, and I could see what lay inside him, squirming like
maggots, like black rot, void of light. Sedit could possess the dead? I had no idea. Worse
than that, it seemed being inside us meant they could cross into a home, because
Sullivan had no problems walking in here, and he was full of the bastards.
Fuck
Shhh. The old Indian put a finger to his lips. Sullivans gaze flew around the
room, his expression becoming more frantic, more enraged.
Can he see us?
I do not know, gi-li. If we are lucky, maybe not.
Sullivan made another lap around the apartment, and I dared to follow him. Every
so often he would raise his head and sniff the air.
Definitely not on the scale of normal for a ghost. He went into Charlies room, on
hands and knees, and crawled around on the floor, muttering, cursing, fingers flexing
as if they should be claws instead of human hands.
His head came up, and he bared his teeth like they were something sharp and
jagged rather than human. His piercing gaze fell on me. An ugly groan, an inhuman
growl came out of his throat, and the blackness swam behind the whites of his eyes.
Where is he, ghost?
I wondered if I could pretend I didnt hear him. I floated over by the bathroom,
trying not to stare.
Sullivan skittered across the floor in my direction. Id enjoy destroying you,
feasting on your pathetic self, ripping you to shreds. If you think death is painful, keep
ignoring me and find out what I can do to you.
Yeah, yeah, he didnt need to convince me.

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133

I tried to move into the other room, and something sleek and black bled out of
Sullivans body and reformed in front of the door. A sedit, only it didnt look like the
ones I normally saw. It was darker, more real, like the ones in Sullivans old lab.
I popped into the living room, reappearing next to the old Indian. He made an
unhappy sound when the sedit slid out of the bedroom and across the floor in my
direction.
The ghost of Sullivan followed. Where is Charlie, ghost?
Not here?
Then take me to him.
Like hell! A second black blur poured out of him.
Behind me, the old Indian whispered, You should go find Charlie, warn him. Tell
him not to come home.
The sedit lunged for me, and I popped out. I didnt even think of the old Indian
until I reformed inside the pancake house a mile down the road, reeled in by my
connection to Charlie. Would the sedit destroy him, or did he have some way of getting
out of there?
I didnt know, and I couldnt risk going back.
The restaurant was packed with waitresses carrying food, weaving in and out of
tables crowded by people. Screaming kids, silverware scraping against plates, endless
chatter. It almost made me glad my senses were dulled by being dead. I could only
imagine what it sounded like to the living.
I found Charlie sitting with Briggs in a cozy two-seater in the back corner.
I was just about to rush in with my warning when Briggs said, That was
definitely not a good year. The way they treated that woman because of her lifestyle
never set well with me. I almost quit, to tell the truth.
But you didnt?

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A kind of dark haze came over Briggss expression. No, I stayed. I had to. After
several months of looking, they closed the case. No new evidence, no new suspects.
Lack of manpower. That was the real problem. As angry as I still am about the whole
mess, the department was overwhelmed at the time. He ate some sausage and drank
his coffee.
Overwhelmed? How?
Thered been a string of murders involving gay men. The killer apparently
cruised bars, picked up the young, pretty ones, then took them home and made a mess
of them. Between the media frenzy and the mayor breathing down everyones back, Im
kind of surprised they even gave me the womans case.
Did you ever find the killer?
Which one?
Either.
Briggs drained his cup and flagged down the waitress for more. Charlie still
hadnt touched anything on his plate. When the waitress walked away, Briggs said,
They never found either one of them. The serial murders stopped after a few months.
The guy is probably sitting in jail somewhere with all his dirty secrets. As bad as those
killings were, that young womans murder is the one that keeps me up at night. My first
case and the only one Ive never been able to solve.
One of Charlies eyebrows went up. Thats impressive. He wrapped his hands
around his coffee cup and finally took a sip.
Not really.
Thats the only case youve never solved? Sounds impressive to me.
No, its just most criminals are stupid. They pretty much leave you a trail of
bread crumbs if you know how to see them. This guy, whoever he was, was smart.
Smart or lucky.

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135

Briggs made a face. Okay, Im hoping he was smart. Id hate to think anyone
would be given that kind of luck by the fates. He cleared his throat and sat back. Ill
never forget the way she looked alone in the alley. It wasnt even a gruesome murder in
comparison to a lot of scenes, but it was just wrong. So damn wrong. He leaned
forward, and his expression softened. So what about you? When did you start? You
know
Speaking with the dead?
Yeah.
For as long as I can remember.
Briggs looked surprised. Didnt it scare you?
Charlie shrugged. No. I guess I didnt know enough to be scared. I mean, I
thought everyone saw and heard them. But no one else talked to them, so I didnt either
at first. If I didnt say anything, they usually left me alone.
Usually?
Around the age of thirteen everything changed for me. Charlie stared at his
coffee cup for a moment before taking a sip. Then he poked a fork into his pancakes.
How?
I guess I got stronger. Ethan says I glow. Anyhow, the dead were no longer able
to ignore me. They flocked in droves to try and get me to help them or just make them
real.
That sounds so strange when you say it like that.
What? Make them real?
Briggs took a bite of his eggs. Yeah.
I dont know how else to describe it.
And that does what for them?

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The dead dont feel like we do. They cant smell, taste, or experience tactile
sensations. They can see and hear, but its filtered in a perpetual twilight. Like music for
example. They can hear it, but the sound doesnt carry properly and falls flat.
How do you know all this?
The corner of Charlies mouth curled up. I talk to the dead, Detective. They tell
me things. And since they were alive once, most of them remember enough to know
things are different.
Briggss gaze went out into the crowd of people. First to a family with three kids,
then to a happy couple sitting by the window. Do you mind telling me how you fell in
love with a dead guy? To his credit, he actually looked embarrassed for asking.
I hoped Charlie would tell him it was none of his fucking business, but instead he
said, Ethan saved me.
Briggs looked at him. How?
I died, and on my way to wherever, I found him. Somehow it gave me the will to
come back. He was my light in the darkness, and hes kept watch over me ever since.
My ghostly heart sounded off with a pang. Id saved him? Id never known. I
always figured it had been the opposite. Maybe it was and Charlie was just saying it
was my doing. Either way it made me face how much I loved him.
And

youre

really

happy?

Briggss

handwhether

consciously

or

unconsciously, I dont knowmoved across the table. Their fingers touched, and
Charlie didnt move away.
Charlie stared at where they made contact, and I could see the longing in his eyes.
The longing for the warmth of the living, the feel of a body that wasnt borrowed. A
body he could know, a body that could hold him at night, someone he could eat meals
with, kiss, touch. I cannot count the ways the living take those small acts for granted,
but Charlie knew. He knew the loss through me.
After a long stretch of silence Charlie said, Yes, I am happy.

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137

But you want more.


Damn Briggs for being observant.
Of course.
Then why dont you look for it?
Okay, I couldnt take it anymore. I floated up next to Charlie. We have a
problem. When he didnt respond to me, I added, This is no time to ignore me. We
have a serious, serious problem.
Charlie looked at me. I did not miss the frown on Briggss face.
What kind of problem? Charlie said.
Sullivan was in your apartment. Only it wasnt just Sullivan. He was infested
with sedit. The old Indian called it moon madness, said something about a Darkness.
Sullivan?
Yes, his ghost.
Ghosts cannot be possessed.
Well, this ghost is possessed. And the sedit, they werent normal, they were
How did I describe them? More real, like the ones at the factory. And they were inside
him, squirming around. They came into your apartment, Charlie. They arent supposed
to be able to do that.
Briggs cleared his throat, and Charlie looked up at the same time I did. People
nearby watched Charlie with wary expressions.
Charlie grabbed his jacket and put it on. I think wed better go.
The detective didnt argue. He tossed a twenty down on the table and followed
Charlie out. Briggs caught up to Charlie outside. Whats going on?
Charlie waved a hand in my direction. Its Ethan.
Ethan? The dead guy?
I glared at him. The dead guy? Is that all I was to him?

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What does he want? I dont know, it might have just been me, but Briggs
sounded miffed that Id crashed their party.
He says Sullivan is at my apartment.
Briggs stopped. Excuse me?
Sullivan. Ethan said hes at my apartment and hes infested with sedit.
Sullivan is dead.
I know.
So youre saying his ghost Two elderly people glanced in Briggss direction.
He waited until they passed by. His ghost is at your apartment?
Thats what Ethan says.
Charlie sat down on a bench, and I floated up next to him. What are you going to
do?
Charlie shrugged. I dont think going home would be safe.
Hell no, it wouldnt be safe. Those damn things came after me.
Concern pinched Charlies expression, and his eyes ran up and down my form.
Are you okay?
They didnt catch me, so yeah, Im good.
Did Sullivan say anything?
Yeah, he demanded that I take him to you or face being torn to shreds. Now
Charlie was really worried. I waved a hand. The real matter is he was acting weird.
Not like a normal ghost. Not like a person whos ever been alive before. And the sedit
God, I think youre right about what Sullivanthe living Sullivandid. I think he
somehow pulled something into the plane of the living.
Charlie massaged his forehead and exhaled a deep sigh. Briggss shadow fell over
him. You okay?
Yeah, for now.

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You mind telling me whats going on? I can only hear half the conversation, and
it sounds like something that might be important.
Remember the sedit we saw back at Sullivans place?
Those dark things?
Yeah, those dark things. Ethan says Sullivan brought a bunch of them with him.
Onlyonly he was possessed with them.
Possessed? Like he possessed me?
Sorta. Only this was sedit and there was more than one.
Dozens.
Charlie relayed what I said.
I take it thats significant somehow? Briggs said.
Other than the fact that ghosts cant be possessed, yeah. Or I should say, Ive
never seen them possessed before. Briggs sat down on the bench next to him, and I had
to pop over to the other side to avoid his ass. When I cursed, Charlie smiled. It didnt
last long, and he went back to rubbing his temple. Detective Briggs, did you really find
me through detective work or did someone tell you where I was?
Briggs dropped his gaze to his shiny black shoes, and his hands spread over his
knees. I was tipped off.
By who?
Are you sure you want to? He ran a hand over his head. Your lawyer,
actually.
What the hell? That was me. I stared at Briggs, not wanting to believe Bill would
squeal on Charlie. Not just because of the whole lawyer/client thing but because, well,
hell, Bill just wasnt the type. Charlie, on the other hand, didnt look surprised.
Charlie?
He shook his head.
Whats going on? I moved closer to him, and he shut his eyes.

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Something tells me this is a lot bigger than Sullivan bringing sedit to this plane.
At the same time, Briggs and I said, Bigger how?
Im not sure. But sedit arent intelligent. At least not human intelligence. Theyre
more animalistic, cunning. Whoever is setting this up is smart, like a person.
Like a living person?
I dont know. Sullivan had several people who worked for him, but most were
never privy to what he was really working on.
But you were.
Some of it. I had to be so that I could help him. But even I didnt know the extent
of stuff. Obviously I knew even less than I thought.
Who else would have something to gain by Sullivan being able to bring things
across or whatever?
I dont think theres anyone. At least there wasnt before. For Sullivan it was
always personal.
Briggss gaze went distant, and his mouth pulled into a tight line of concentration.
You said Sullivan built these machines to help in his search for someone?
Yeah, I think he knew them in high school.
So that would mean theyre dead?
No, it means they went on vacation in the Bahamas. I kept my mouth shut, no
matter how bad I wanted to say it out loud.
Yeah, they were dead.
Do you know how they died?
No clue. He never talked about it.
Maybe we should start there.
What do you mean?

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There was a rasping sound when Briggs rubbed his chin. You said he was
obsessed about finding this person. It might be a good idea to find out how they died.
Obviously Sullivan wanted to find them bad enough that he built the machines. His
brows came down. Why did he build machines? I mean, if you could do whatever it is
you do, why would he need them?
Because I cant open portals or create bridges between the planes. I can pull the
dead through. I can make them real. I can even control them once I have them here on
the plane of the living. But I cant create windows that will remain open. Not without
the help of a field magnifier.
So he always had the intention of bringing something through.
Charlie nodded, then shook his head. I dont know.
If he knew as much as you claim he does, do you think he would willingly bring
out something that would harm him?
No, I dont, but Sullivan was arrogant enough to believe his intelligence always
gave him the upper hand.
Briggs snorted. I guess this time it didnt.
Either that or Sullivan finally stumbled on something smarter than him.

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Chapter Thirteen
We sat in the sedan waiting for Briggs to chase down which high school Sullivan
had attended. Hed been calling around for half an hour and finally seemed to be
getting somewhere.
After a thank-you and a good-bye, Briggs hung up his cell phone.
Charlie looked at me, then Briggs. What did they say?
Sullivan attended a private school called Charter.
Never heard of it.
Me neither. Apparently they closed about two years before Sullivan graduated.
There was some sort of scandal that stirred up the proverbial hornets nest. Ive got
some guys at the precinct digging through microfiche to locate any news articles that
might give us an idea as to what happened. Until then I figured wed drive over and see
what they have in the records room.
I thought you said it had closed down.
Yeah, back in the early seventies.
So how are we going to look through their records?
Briggs smiled. The old school closed down in a rush. Most schools put their
records in storage every seven years or so. My money is on the probability that they
didnt bother to store the files because they knew they werent going to come back. If
they did bother to store them, then one of the boys back at the office will find out
where. Lets hope they didnt store them and theyre somewhere in the basement.

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Probably a rat-infested basement. Why the hell would he rather go digging


through an abandoned building versus a storage unit somewhere? Charlie relayed my
question.
The school closed down almost forty years ago, which means there was no one to
pay the storage bill, Briggs said. If the records had been put in storage, theyre apt to
be in a landfill somewhere.
Landfill. Yeah, Id rather do the basement twice over.

****
A half hour later I popped in next to Charlie as the sedan made a slow crawl up a
long, desolate street. The area around the campus was comprised of half-finished
subdivisions with outdated houses. An up-and-coming residential area that never quite
made the hurdle. At the end of the road I could see a closed-down outlet mall just
beyond a row of naked trees.
We headed across the fractured parking lot lost under decades of weeds. The
lawns around the school were even more overgrown, with trees bursting out of
stonework and turning wide-open spaces into forest. As bad as it looked, you could tell
it had once been breathtaking. Charter High in its prime had looked more like a college
campus. The building was constructed of a light gray brick and the design was typical
for the seventies: squared off with a lot of lines and narrow windows. Very retro. The
kind of place that had gone out of style in the eighties but was fast coming back into
vogue. If it hadnt been for the graffiti, the trash, and the plywood covering busted
windows and doors, the old school would have been pretty.
Charlie got out. Briggs put his gun on his belt, pocketed his badge, but left his
flashlight in hand. He paused to lock the car before following Charlie. I couldnt blame
him. The ground was covered in needles, crack pipes, and various undergarments of
questionable origin. No telling who could be hanging around. As it was, we could very
well return to a stripped sedan up on blocks.

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Charlie took a few steps, then lifted his foot to look at the bottom of his shoe,
frowning.
I didnt even dare look. Maybe we should have brought hazmat suits.
After Charlie scraped his sneaker clean, we followed Briggs up the walkway to a
set of double doors. Vulgar words covered the plywood on the doors in a rainbow mix
of spray paint. Briggs tugged the edge of one of the boards, and it slid out of the way
with very little effort. Obviously we werent the only ones whod decided Charter High
was a good place to explore.
Inside it was worse. Trash up to Charlies ankles, gang signs and vulgarity on the
walls. Where the paint wasnt peeling, there were massive patches of black mold.
Above us the corkboard ceiling bulged from water damage, mottled with brown spots.
Charlies nose wrinkled. It smells like piss in here.
Briggs laughed. Be thankful thats all it smells like.
It wasnt completely dark on the inside. Light trickled in through gaps in the
boarded-up windows, highlighting rust-covered lockers. Books, papers, notebooks
were in moldy mounds under gaping doors, like the storage units had just puked up all
their contents.
Briggs turned on his flashlight, and a bright beam cut a swath through the
shadowed interior.
As we passed down the hall, a few of the classrooms looked untouched, while
others had been trashed by vagrants. Globes, chalkboards, desks, jars of formaldehyde
with dead things floating in them. Piles of glass and the dried corpses of pig fetuses
littered the floor. There was a skeleton in one room, and someone had put a pair of
sunglasses on its head and a cigarette in its mouth.
Well, at least the vandals had a sense of humor.
Briggs stopped halfway down the hall and shined his flashlight off to the side.
This must be the office.

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I floated over to where Charlie peered through the broken windows. The office
had been destroyed. Mounds of burned papers were piled in the middle of the floor,
and chairs had been smashed over the desk. It was like all the angry students of the past
had thrown one hell of a fuck you festival in there.
Briggs went in; Charlie followed. I dont know why, but I floated down the hall for
a ways, looking in rooms, gliding through lockers. I found myself in the boys
bathroom. It was nice to know the vandals were potty trainedtoo bad they didnt
know how to flush. Thank God I couldnt smell. I wandered out, and something caught
my attention at the end of a hall. A young boy wearing bell-bottom jeans and a striped
shirt stood in a beam of light. His pale blond hair went well with his blue eyes. He
didnt look old enough to have been a student.
When I floated up to him, he looked at me. Are you real? His hand came up and
brushed against my arm. Blue static jumped between us, and he jerked back.
Dont be scared. Its normal, I said.
Where am I?
Charter High School.
He frowned. How did I get here? I go to Braybird Elementary.
I shook my head. I dont know. How old are you?
Nine. He looked around, then back at me. I want to go home. Can you take
me?
God, he sounded so hopeful. Im sorry. If I knew the way, I would. Whats your
name?
JamesI think. Yeah, James. My last name is I dont know. Why cant I
remember my name?
Thats normal too.
Why is it normal?
I sighed. I hated it when other dead asked me that. Just trust me, okay?

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He nodded but was still confused, afraid, with wide eyes and a frown. No telling
how much time hed lost standing in one spot. Ive seen other dead who had lost
centuries before.
At the other end of the hall, Charlie and Briggs walked out of the office.
When James saw Charlie, he smiled. Wow.
Wow was right. Like I said, to the dead, Charlie glows. Like something ethereal
and bright, warm, comforting, a memory of what wed all lost. James floated over to
Charlie, who grinned at him.
Charlie asked, Whos your friend?
I motioned to Charlie. His name is James. James, this is Charlie. James reached
out to touch Charlie, and I caught his hand. The static exchange was less this time.
Why cant I touch him?
Because it makes him tired.
But hes pretty. James sounded almost stoned. The dead who could see Charlie
were almost always enamored with him, especially children.
Charlie knelt down. Hi there, its nice to meet you.
James looked at me, and I gave him a nudge. His small hand came up, and he
waved.
James asked, Do you know how I got here?
No, Im sorry, I dont. Whats the last thing you remember?
The boys nose crinkled up, and he tossed his gaze up one side of the hall, then the
next. Staring, thinking.
Briggs walked up. Whats going on?
Charlie glanced up at him. James. Hes lost.
Briggss cell phone rang, and he stepped away to answer it. Charlie went back to
talking with James. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
James thought some more. I think so.

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Do you remember their names?


No.
Do you remember your parents names?
No.
What about your address?
He whispered, Why cant I remember anything?
I shrugged. He doesnt know.
Charlie hated having to break the news to those who died even more than I did.
He ran a hand over his head. James, youre different now.
Different how? There was the slightest tinge to his voice. I thinks thats when I
knew James, even as young as he was, had already thought about the possibility of
death.
His features crumbled, and he backed away, staring at Charlie and I with the kind
of raw horror only a childs face could convey. He shook his head. No!
Charlie made a shushing sound. Its okay.
No! No! I got away. I got away. Im not dead! I cant be dead! I didnt do
anything! He turned and disappeared into a row of lockers.
I sighed. Do you want me to go after him?
Charlie stood up. No, it wont do any good.
True. Young or old, each of us had to come to terms with our deaths on our own. I
know I did, and it wasnt easy. But unlike that poor kid, I had Charlie.
Briggs hung up with his phone call and walked back over. The ghost you were
talking to.
What about him?
Was he about nine years old, blue eyes, blond hair?
Charlies eyes widened. Yeah.

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James Manley. His body was found here, down in the boiler room, behind some
old desks and equipment back in 1968.
I felt sick. Jesus.
Charlie asked, What happened?
To make a long story short, he was tortured and asphyxiated. It wasnt pretty.
Is that why the school closed?
No.
Then why? That from me. Charlie relayed my query.
Because in 72 they found another dead boy named Dale Richards. He was
supposed to graduate that year. Turned up missing one day on his way home from
football practice. And Richards was no angel. In 71 he was investigated for suspicion of
child molestation, rape, and murder. His victim was a nine-year-old boy. Guess who the
victim was.
James Manly.
You got it.

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Chapter Fourteen
While Charlie and I walked the halls looking for James, Briggs went the other
direction searching for a way down to the basement. We found James in what appeared
to be an old art room. He was staring at faded pictures hanging on the walls.
I said his name, and he sniffled. There were no tears, because the dead cannot cry.
He looked at me with a sad expression. Im never going home, am I?
God, it wasnt fair. Why did some of us get stuck here? I didnt mind, I mean,
maybe I deserved it, but ones like James? What on earth could he have possibly done in
his short life to deserve a forever of loneliness?
I floated over and stroked his hair. There was no static now. Our energies were
used to each other, and his emotional state had calmed.
Im sorry, no, I said.
When he turned back to the pictures on the wall, he said, I remember there was a
quilt. With colors and funny pictures on them.
Charlie stepped closer. Where?
It was dark and hard to see. His small mouth turned down. It got hard to
breathe, and I was scared, and I kept trying to get out but he wouldnt let me out.
Who?
James shrugged. I dont know. I dont remember. He said I had to be quiet
because wed get caught. He went back to staring at the pictures, eyes distant,
expression blank. It was kind of creepy.

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Briggs called for Charlie somewhere in the hall. When we went out, he was
heading our way. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. Cmon, I think I found the
storage area.
We followed him down a hall to the far end of the building. The door to the
basement hung on its hinges, doorknob dangling. I took the liberty of going ahead and
kicking it in.
I was surprised he didnt call Charlie out here to watch so he could prove how
manly he was.
Briggs headed down the stairs in front of us, flashlight leading the way. Wooden
slats creaked under their feet. Briggs more than Charlie.
It was a mess in the basement. Part of it had flooded, and other parts were hidden
under piles of paper and rotting desks. Rat shit covered everything, and a few of the
varmints were even brave enough to stand up on their back legs and squeal at us.
Briggs kicked one of them out of the way.
I made a lap around the room. I dont see how youre gonna find anything useful
down here.
Briggs was already digging through some old file cabinets. Just about every
drawer he pulled out, rats came with it. Charlie jumped back when one of them ran up
Briggss arm and made a leap for Charlies face.
Shit! Charlie slapped at the air in front of him.
Theyre just rats. Knock them out of your way. Briggs continued digging
through the files.
Just rats? Those things are the size of house cats.
Theyd been eating good, no doubt. The real question was what they had been
eating. Or who? I wondered if the vagrants who made regular trips into the place were
missing any friends.

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Charlie glanced back at the stairs. Maybe we should just go. What the hell could
be down here anyhow besides a case of rabies or the plague? We know Sullivan
attended the school. Thats enough. He beat on one of the drawers with his fist before
opening it. Two rats plopped onto the floor.
How about I hurry things up and just make a pass through the file cabinets?
Charlie smiled at me. If you did, Id love you forever.
You already love me forever.
When I looked up, Briggs was staring at Charlie with one eyebrow cocked and his
lips pressed together. Charlie tossed a thumb over his shoulder. Lets step back.
The rats arent going to hurt you, Charlie.
No, Ethan is going to hurry things up by running through the files.
Excuse me?
He can float through them, read the names faster than you can pull each of them
out. Not to mention, he wont disturb the rats.
Briggs stepped back. Okay.
Ask Briggs what Im supposed to be looking for, exactly. I moved around the
file cabinet. The letters had been worn off long ago, and looking at the mess of random
papers crammed into even more random file folders, I wondered if it had ever been
alphabetized.
Charlie asked Briggs my question.
Counselor files, evaluations, grades, charts, anything with Dale Richardss or
Sullivans name on it.
I started down at the end where the water was about ankle-deep and slid into the
first drawer. I made sure to go slow, look closely. Hell, I had to look closely. The
paperwork was faded, covered in rat piss, and mostly chewed to hell.
In the second drawer I found a couple of nests with fat, pink baby rats in them.
Another had a few dead ones. I kept going, squinting at names worn away with age to

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almost nothing. I stopped about halfway through some disciplinary records. Richardss
name popped up. I think I found something.
Charlie opened the drawer, and I pointed to the file. Disciplinary records with
Richardss name on them.
Charlie pulled them out and handed them to Briggs. Good job, Ethan. Keep
looking. Even Briggs seemed impressed.
Over the next hour I discovered at least a dozen files with either Richardss or
Sullivans name mentioned in them. Granted they werent gold, seeing how most were
partially eaten by the rats, but it was something. We went back upstairs.
As they walked down the hallway, Charlie asked, What now?
Briggs held up the files, and a bit of dust rained off them. Great thing about being
a cop, I can drop these off at a lab and let forensics do the dirty work.
One of Charlies eyebrows went up. Dirty work, huh?
Briggs coughed. You know what I mean. The point is they have equipment to
help read these files.
I didnt want to pop Briggss bubble, but I think it was going to take something
along the lines of a miracle to read those papers, not some fancy forensics equipment.
Briggs and Charlie headed across the lawn, and I lingered behind to wait for them
to stop again. As I floated there, James reappeared beside me. He watched the sedan
pull away with Charlie inside.
He took my hand. Did he leave you here?
I shook my head. No, Charlie didnt leave me. I just have to wait for him to quit
moving.
Then youre going to go?
Yeah.
But if you leave, Ill be all by myself.
I think my heart broke. Im sorry, but I have to stay with Charlie.

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James sighed. I wish I had a Charlie. I wished he had a Charlie too. Then he
asked, Will you come back sometime? He looked up at me, eyes bright, begging.
I swallowed back the lump in my throat. Ill try.
If you do, will you promise to take me home?
God, I really needed to tell him I didnt know how. But instead I said, Yeah,
James, I promise to take you home.

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Chapter Fifteen
I popped in next to Charlie just as Briggs got back in the car. There were smears of
dirt around Charlies shirt collar I hadnt noticed before. I guess the sunlight made the
dirt on both of them stand out.
Charlies nose wrinkled. I need a shower.
Briggs laughed and did a dramatic inhale. Yeah, the fresh smell of detective
work. Isnt it great?
Are you telling me you make a habit of digging around in flooded, rat-infested
basements?
Nah. Usually its Dumpsters with a lot of rotting garbage, loads of flies, and
angry alley cats.
Yum. How are you going to get a shower? You cant go home.
Charlie rolled a look over to me. I know I cant go home. Ill have Briggs drop me
off at a hotel.
Briggs frowned, watching Charlie talk to me. I coughed and waved a hand at him.
Geez, you think hed be used to this by now.
How about I take you back to my place?
Now Charlie looked at Briggs. I dont want to impose.
No, it wasnt a good idea. I crossed my arms and glared at Briggs. Tell him to go
jump off a cliff.
Ethan, Im not gonna tell him tonever mind. To Briggs he said, Just take me
to a hotel.

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You need a way to wash your clothes. I have a washer and dryer back at my
apartment.
I popped over next to Briggs. Can you possibly be any less subtle about trying to
get Charlie naked? God, I wanted to fucking choke him! Charlie laughed, and I glared
at him too. Youre not helping.
Youre the one who wanted He caught himself.
Charlie didnt have to say the rest. I was the one who wanted him to look for
someone alive. Someone who could give him what I couldnt.
Charlie picked at a black spot on his jeans above his knee. Even his fingernails
were ringed in dirt.
I floated over to him and hovered near his cheek. Sorry. He shook his head, not
saying anything in front of Briggs. Im sorry. Youre right. I cant let you be with
anyone else. I want you to but I sighed deep and hard. Im selfish. I love you too
much to see you with another man. Im so damn sorry for ever suggesting you try and
be with him. I cant let you go, Charlie, even though its hurting you. I cant. Man, I
wished I could cry.
Charlies lips curled. I know and its okay.
No, it wasnt.
Briggs cleared his throat. Uh, about that shower.
Charlie looked up. Are you sure you dont mind?
Not at all.
Hell no, he wouldnt mind. I made angry circles around Briggs as he started up
the sedan. If he so much as touched one fucking hair on Charlies head, I swore he was
going to wake up with frostbite to his nether region.
Charlie was in the shower when I caught up to him again. All wet and slick. Dirt
swirling around the drain. Damn, hed been filthy.

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He smiled through the rivulets of shampoo running down his face. Took you
long enough to get here.
Yeah, sorry. I think I phased out a minute or two.
He rinsed the soap out of his hair and continued washing. Scrubbing under his
nails, behind his ears.
Dont forget to wash between your ass cheeks.
Charlie laughed. Will you quit?
I like the view.
Ethan. He turned around, and I was reminded why I loved him so much. Eyes
bright, big smile. As ordinary looking as Charlie was, at the same time he was the most
beautiful man Id ever seen.
I wish I could shower with you. It sounded so sad when I said it. I guess
because I was sad.
If you could shower with me, Id never get clean.
Wouldnt need to. Id never let you out of the shower.
The water would get cold.
Im used to cold, and besides, Id have you to keep me warm.
He finished rinsing, got out, and dressed in a T-shirt and pair of sweatpants Briggs
had lent him. Both of them were too big on him, especially the pants. Damn, that man
was tall, and at five-ten Charlie was by no means short. Charlie rolled up the legs so he
wouldnt trip on them and then walked out into the living room. Briggs was in the
kitchen cooking. Going by his wet hair, hed already showered. I guess Id lost more
than a few minutes before I popped in.
Charlie must have read the look on my face. He showered really fast.
Of course he showered fast. The quicker Briggs got done, the faster hed have
Charlie naked. I floated over and stared at whatever it was he was cooking. It looked
yummy.

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Great, now hes cooking for you.


I havent had any lunch.
Thats why Im cooking. Granted its nothing special. Some pasta, some beef.
Briggs looked over his shoulder, and his smile wilted. You werent talking to me, were
you?
Charlie laughed. No, sorry.
So, what? Edward has something against you eating?
I growled. My name is Ethan, you dick.
No, hes just looking out for me is all.
My dead little heart warmed to hear him say that. I hovered over the kitchen table
while Briggs fixed them both a plate. He went back to the fridge. Soda okay?
Sure.
When he returned, he had two sodas. He handed one off to Charlie, sat down, and
dug in.
Briggs took a few oversize bites and washed them down with a swig of soda.
Sorry, Im really hungry.
Yeah, I bet that wasnt all he was. Not with the way he kept looking at Charlie.
While Charlie wasnt giving Briggs bedroom eyes, he was eating just as fast. Okay,
maybe Briggs was just hungry. I was dead. Id long ago forgotten what it felt like. I
guess it was possible it could make you stare at people like you were undressing them
with your eyes.
Yeah. Right.
Briggs stopped midbite, gaze on Charlie. Can I ask you something?
Charlie looked up. He had a bit of red sauce on his lip. His tongue flicked out,
catching it. He got the rest off his chin with the napkin. Sure.
Do all ghosts stick around?
No, why?

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Cause I was wondering just how crowded my apartment is.


Charlie snorted a laugh. I havent seen a single ghost in your apartment except
for Ethan. It doesnt mean they dont wander through now and again. Like I said,
theyre attracted to the living.
What makes some of them stay and others go?
I dont know.
Do they stay forever?
No. Ive seen a few who were really old, but I think most disappear after a
while.
What about Ethan? Dont you worry hell disappear?
Charlies gaze fell to his plate. I floated there, trying to decide if I was pissed or
disturbed by the question. I guess I never thought about the prospect of me just, well,
poofing out of existence. And if I did, would I even know it happened? Or would I just,
one day, phase out and never come back?
The thought was more frightening to me than the memories of my death.
Charlie shrugged. People die all the time. They leave you behind too. Whats the
difference?
Briggs coughed into his napkin. Im gonna get me another plate. Do you want
some? Charlie shook his head, and Briggs went back to the kitchen.
I kissed Charlies cheek. Im not going anywhere.
You wouldnt be able to help it if you did.
I refuse.
The corner of his mouth curled. I dont think youd have a choice.
I wanted to argue, but I couldnt. I just prayed Charlie wasnt right. I mean, so far I
hadnt seen a white light or angels or dead relativeswhatever. Just him and a few
other dead.

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Briggs was gone for too long, and Charlie stood to go check on him. The kitchen
was empty. Noises came from a small room off to the side. I stuck my head through the
wall just as Charlie opened the door.
Briggs had a handful of wet clothes and was feeding them into the dryer. The
washer stopped. I figured youd want your clothes back as soon as possible so you
could get out of here. His expression looked pained. That didnt come out right.
Charlie laughed. I think I know what you mean.
Briggs stood there a minute staring at the knobs like hed forgotten how to work
the dryer. You know, Ive always had an instinct about people.
What do you mean?
Guilty, not guilty, whether or not they are good for a crime.
I growled. He could have fooled me.
Charlie shot me a look that said be nice.
Briggss wide shoulders went up, then down with a deep sigh. But you, you I
couldnt figure out.
Duh! I didnt even say that out loud, and Charlie still gave me the hairy eyeball.
Briggs put a dryer sheet in with the wet clothes before closing the door and hitting
the Start button. He leaned against the humming machine. My boss asked me why I
was so bent on proving you guilty. I didnt know at the time, but
I waited for him to finish. Charlie waited.
Briggs came forward, getting right in Charlies personal space. I think its because
I like you. Im attracted to you. It unnerved me, especially because of how much I like
you.
Too close now, Charlie tried to back up but misjudged where the door was and
wound up trapped against the wall.

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Thats never happened before, Charlie. Like you, I have one-night stands. But
youtheres something about you that makes me never want to have them again. One
of his hands slipped to the back of Charlies head.
Charlie swallowed hard, tried again to step back. The heels of his feet hit the wall,
and he winced. Im with Ethan.
Yeah, youre with a dead guy.
What does it matter to you?
I guess it shouldnt. I dont know you. I want to know you, though. I want to
know you really well.
Charlie tried to move out of the way, but Briggs trapped him by putting his hand
on the doorjamb. Now Charlie was pinned between him and two walls.
I cursed because I couldnt do anything, but mostly because I could see the want
in Charlies expression. He liked Briggs too, a lot. And as Charlie had already pointed
out, it wasnt because he looked anything like me.
Briggs leaned in and sighed against Charlies skin. His lips brushed Charlies
temple, then his cheek, before finding his mouth. Charlie didnt kiss the man back, but
he didnt pull away either. His hands scrabbled against the wall behind him like he was
looking for something to hold on to.
The hand Briggs had on the doorjamb moved to the hem of Charlies borrowed
shirt, then under it, pushing up, trying to push it off him.
I wanted to scream, I wanted to rant, but at the same time I was in awe of Charlie,
watching his desire conflict with his loyalty to me.
Briggss fingers found Charlies nipple, and his thumb made a slow circle; then he
dropped his hand between Charlies legs, palm rubbing against the growing bulge in
Charlies sweatpants.
Briggs kissed Charlie again, and Charlie moaned. Then he kissed back. Not the
desperate, sloppy kisses he gave the men in the clubs, but a real kiss, a hungry kiss.

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Then it was like he caught himself and turned his head away. His hands came up, and
he pushed against Briggss chest. The man didnt even budge.
Please dont. Charlie sounded broken.
Why?
Because Im with Ethan.
You want me.
Charlie couldnt deny it. I think he knew Id see the lie in his aura. His gaze caught
mine. Shame painted his features.
Youre with other men all the time, and he doesnt care.
Im not with them. Im with Ethan.
Because he possesses them?
Yeah.
Is that the only way you can be with him?
No.
Then why do you use living people?
Becausebecause Briggs kissed his throat, and Charlie closed his eyes.
You told me that the dead are cold. You said they cant taste or feel. If being with
him is anything like touching that building we saw, I could only imagine how empty
those experiences leave you. The expression on Charlies face said Briggs had struck a
really sore nerve. Briggs kissed his cheek, the corner of his eye. Do you know what I
think, Charlie? I think you prefer a warm body. Someone who can touch you, taste you,
feel you.
What Briggs said was something I already knew, even if Charlie didnt want to
admit it. He not only wanted a warm body, a living body, he deserved one.
Charlie swallowed so hard his throat clicked. Briggs, please stop. Youre right,
okay? I do want all those things.

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Then let me give them to you. He tugged at the tie on Charlies sweats. I want
to.
I cant. Please. I want those things, but I want them from Ethan.
But hes dead.
Yeah, he is, but Ill live with that because I love him.
Briggs froze, his expression hurt. It was clear he didnt understand what Charlie
meant. Maybe hed never loved anyone. I think if he had, Charlie wouldnt have had to
explain.
Even dead, that was something I could grasp.
Briggs stared at Charlie for the longest time. His Adams apple bobbed, and he
seemed to be searching for something to say. Words that could convince Charlie.
Something I was sure would never happen.
What if I agree to let Ethan possess me? Would you be with me then?
In spite of being dead, I think I almost fainted.
Charlie looked at me, and I didnt know what to say. To Briggs Charlie said, Im
not so sure that would be
Briggs put a finger over his lips. You said when Ethan possesses those men in the
club, that youre with him and not them. If you truly believe that, then what would be
the difference? His hand fell back to his side.
Charlie took a breath. I need to talk to Ethan first.
Briggs lingered a moment before backing up and walking into the kitchen. Charlie
shut the laundry room door.
I floated up to him. Its whatever you want.
His eyes were sad. I just dont think it would be a good idea.
Because you like him.
His expression said it all. He more than just liked him. Im sorry. Damn it.
If it will make you feel better, I can hate him enough for both of us.

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That got a small laugh out of Charlie. Only because youre jealous of him.
Damn right. And I was jealous on so many levels it wasnt funny. But Briggs
was right about one thing. Charlie needed the living. He needed to be with the living.
No matter how jealous I was or how much I wanted to keep Charlie to myself, I
couldnt let him forget that he was alive too. As much as I hated to admit it, Charlie
needed this.
I sighed. I think we should.
What?
It was hard to look Charlie in the eye, but I managed. I said
Charlies gaze flicked in the direction of the kitchen and back. I heard what you
said, but why?
I mean, hes right, would it really be any different from the men in the club?
I dont have to see the men in the club afterward. I dont even know their names.
I dont want to know their names. I dont want to know anything about them.
They still arent me, Charlie. I think it was the first time Id really admitted that
fact out loud. To Charlie. To me. I think it might have been the first time Charlie
admitted it to himself as well.
His chin dropped to his chest, and he folded his arms. It still wouldnt be you.
No. It wouldnt. Its okay for you to want to be with the living. At least with
Briggs it would be someone you like.
I should hate him.
Yeah. Probably. Sometimes attraction makes no sense. I mean, look at us.
Youre not making me feel any better.
I sighed and moved closer. Charlies exhale passed right through my head.
Charlie, I love you, but if you need this, you need it, and if I possess him, it wont
really be all that different than anything weve done before.
Hell remember.

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Didnt they all, at least to some extent? I know.


Hes sober.
Yeah, I know.
I love you.
Yeah, Charlie, I know that too.

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Chapter Sixteen
I followed Charlie into the kitchen. Briggs was at the sink washing dishes. Charlie
stood there for a really long time, just watching. Briggs turned off the water, dried his
hands on a towel. He didnt turn around.
You know you wont be in control, right?
Briggs looked over his shoulder, eyes a little wide.
Ethan will be in your body. Hell be the one calling the shots.
Like before.
Yeah. Only this time, since youre, uh, willing, it wont be as much of a shock. If
you dont resist, hell be able to stay longer.
How long?
That depends on you, I guess. Even though we only use willing people, or at
least guys who think theyre going to get in my pants anyhow, they eventually begin to
sense something is wrong. Being drunk helps some, but not much.
I dont want to be drunk when I do this.
According to the camouflage-wearing ghost in the parking lot, he was always
flagged when he brought someone home. Did that mean Charlie meant more to him?
Charlie nodded. You dont have to be, as long as youre completely willing and
relaxed.
I dont think Ill have a problem with the willing part. He ran a hand through
his hair. So how do we do this?
Ethan possesses me first; then I push him into you.

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Okay. He still looked unsure until Charlie walked into the bedroom. Briggs
followed him. His aura went all funny, going from bright blues to ultraviolets. White
spikes crackled at the top like tiny fireworks. Oh yeah, he wanted Charlie bad.
I floated over to Charlie. You ready? He nodded, and I slid into him.
The scent of Briggs hit me first. He smelled like sandalwood, clean flesh, and male
musk. God, how could Charlie stand it? Just inhaling him made my mouth water.
Briggs stepped up to Charlie and put a hand on his cheek. Now?
No, not yet. Charlie waited. I said, Kiss me first. I wanted to feel Briggs, feel him
as Charlie did. I dont know if it was my own lust or Charlies, but I needed to taste
him. Warm lips pressed against Charlies, and Briggss heated tongue slid into Charlies
mouth. Briggss was spiced with the food theyd eaten, and it made me miss one more
gift to the living. Our battling mouths made the taste become a kind of sex all its own.
I moaned, plundering his mouth, taking what I could, the feel of him, the flavor of
his want for Charlie.
Briggs pulled back, a confused expression on his face. You dont kiss the same.
Im not Charlie. He looked a little afraid now. You sure you want to do this?
Unless hell do it without you.
No, he wont.
Then, yeah. Go ahead and dowhatever it is.
Charlie?
You ready?
Push.
He did, and my perspective changed. Charlies eyes rolled up, and his knees
buckled. I caught him and picked him up. Fuck me, Briggs was strong. God, I felt like
Conan the Barbarian. I carried Charlie over to the bed and laid him out. I sat down
beside him, and he smiled at me.
Hey. I smiled too.

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You have too many clothes on.


I laughed. You always say that.
I always mean it. Charlies hand balled up in the front of Briggss shirt, and he
tugged me down. Our mouths met, and his kiss was desperate, like he was trying to
prove something. Prove how much he loved me.
I pushed his shirt up and over his head and then swept my hands down his chest.
God, Briggss hands looked gigantic next to Charlies body.
Whats wrong?
I shook my head. I didnt realize how big Briggs was before now. Hes like the
Jolly Green Giant.
Charlie laughed. Yeah, hes tall.
Not just tall. I stripped off my shirt, looked down at the muscles in my arms, my
chest. There was a dusting of hair across his pecs. Pecs carved by hours of working out.
Ive got a six pack. I thumbed the ridges along my abdomen. What?
Nothing.
Charlie.
He ran a hand over my borrowed flesh. My skin tightened. My groin ached. God,
the tactile sensation of just being touched. I fumbled with the button on my jeans. They
felt three sizes too small now. Charlie untied his sweatpants.
I put a hand on his. Wait.
What?
Condoms. Lubricant. Because of my connection with Briggs I knew right where
he kept his supplies: bedside drawer. Inside was a half-empty bottle of Gun Oil
lubricantof course, Astroglide might make him less of a manand shoved in the back
of the drawer was a box of condoms. Extra large. Okay, this dudes ego was really
starting to get on my last nerve. I snorted a laugh and tossed one of the foil squares on

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the bed near the pillow. Charlie started untying his sweats again, and I stopped him
again.
What now?
I grinned. Nothing, I just want to undress you. I tugged his pants down and
kissed his stomach. His happy trail tickled my lips, my chin. Charlies eyes widened.
They were dark and so wanting. A little lower, the path of hair widened, becoming
more coarse. I flicked out my tongue and tasted soap and skin.
I pulled his sweats to his hips, freeing his dick. Hard, leaking, the plum-shaped
head was so swollen and dark that the flesh around his slit looked almost bruised. I
kissed it, then sucked at the tip, caressing the head with my lips, teasing the glans with
my tongue.
God, Ethan. Charlies hands sank into my hairBriggss hair. I had tried not to
think about how this wasnt my body. An almost impossible task till Charlie moaned
my name.
I ran my tongue down to the underside of his nuts. I inhaled, licked, inhaled
again. I pushed Charlies pants to his ankles, and he finished kicking them off.
Roll over.
He didnt ask me why. When Charlie was laid out in front of me, I ran my hands
up his legs, his thighs, pressed my fingers against the fading bruises on his ass cheeks.
Briggss fingertips dwarfed the marks. Hell, everything about the man dwarfed Charlie.
Using Briggss body made Charlie seem almost frail, and I knew he wasnt. Charlie
wasnt muscle-bound, but he wasnt a waif either.
I thought about how hed looked at me when I was talking about Briggss body. I
kissed him on the shoulder. Youre perfect, you know.
He turned his head so he could see me. Im average.
I kissed him at the base of his neck, sucked up a bruise on his skin. No. Youre
not average. Youre stunning. He was stunning. Like I said, to me Charlie belonged in a

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clothing ad, jeans down low enough to let the world know what he had to offer and
plenty of holes in the legs, near his groin, to prove he could fulfill it.
Thing is, I wasnt the only one who felt that way. My possession of Briggs let me
know he saw Charlie exactly like I did.
Charlie moaned as I trailed kisses down to his ass crack. I tongued him at the top,
where the hairs were soft but dark. I gripped each globe of his butt tight. I wanted to
leave marks on him, so hed remember. Charlie raised his ass, spread his legs. Not
much, just enough to make it easier for me to get to his opening. I thumbed his hole,
swirling my finger around the edge. He tensed, and then he relaxed.
I brushed my lips over his opening, then my tongue. He tasted like rich, salty
earth. I worked him until he was slick enough for me to push my thumb inside. Charlie
moaned at the same time his body tightened around my thumb. I worked it in and out
of him, while teasing the edges of his opening with my mouth.
For some reason I felt the need to savor Charlie more than Id ever done before.
Charlies breath hitched, and he began rocking back. Small sounds ticked out of
his throat. I could have been satisfied just doing this to him, just making him come with
my thumb in his ass.
Ethan
Im right here.
If you keep doing that, Im gonna He hissed when I curled my thumb.
You think so?
Yeah.
I kissed his ass cheek and teased the tight ring squeezing my thumb with my lips
and tongue. Isnt that kind of the point?
I dont want to, not like this. I want you. Please.

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He glanced at me over his shoulder. He wanted me. All of me. I wanted more than
anything to give him just that. I backed off, and Charlie flopped on the bed and rolled
over.
I was having fun. Even when I tried to sound disappointed, Briggss deep voice,
commanding tone just wouldnt let me. Charlie patted the place beside him. I lay down.
We dont have to rush this time.
We didnt. Id forgotten. Briggs was completely in on this, and we didnt have to
worry about him figuring out he wasnt in control. Briggs was a voyeur in his own
body. Instead of just watching, hed feel, hear, and experience every sensory experience.
Since he wasnt drunk, hed remember every second of it. Hed know Charlie in a way
only I knew him. Part of me was sad to lose that bit of privacy, but another part hoped
that after this Briggs would understand just how much I cared about Charlie and how I
would forever love him.
Charlie picked at my jeans. You still have too many clothes on.
Yeah, yeah, okay. I stood up so I could get the jeans off. I slid them down along
with the boxers. I stopped. Holy shit, those condoms had nothing to do with an oversize
ego and everything to do
Ethan?
With my back to Charlie, he couldnt see what I was looking at. Which was what?
You did not call something like that a cock. Moby dick maybe? Uh, maybe this isnt a
good idea.
Charlie sat up and peered around my hip. He made a strangled sound and fell
back, laughing.
This isnt funny, Charlie.
And you thought his ego was big.
No wonder his fucking ego was big. I guess I shouldnt have been surprised. Big
hands, big feet, massive body. I guess a normal-sized cock would have looked stupid.

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I stripped off the jeans and socks and sat on the bed. Maybe it was wrong, but I
could not stop staring.
Ethan, what are you doing?
Looking, cause touching it might be dangerous. I think this might be a bad idea.
Good grief, its not that big. He pulled me back, pushed me over. Charlie moved
above me, throwing a leg across my hips.
What are you doing?
He gave me a wicked smile, then dropped his head down, pinching one of my
nipples between his teeth. I grunted. His body against mine, the heat of our skin
pressed together as he slid lower. I felt him, chest to stomach, his cock sliding against
my groin, my hip. He dropped his head down, and his tongue left a slick, warm line all
the way to the base of my cock. No, no, Briggss cock. I dont think Id volunteer to have
a dick that big. How the hell did he get it to fit in his pants?
Charlie straddled one of my thighs and wrapped a hand around my cock. It didnt
make it.
Still think thats normal?
His eyebrows went up. Damn.
Yeah, and here I thought he was figuratively a horses ass. Who would have ever
thought he actually had anatomical similarities?
Charlie ran a hand over my hip, and I laughed. Apparently Briggs was ticklish. He
did it again.
Stop that.
I like it when you laugh. He gave my cock a few experimental strokes, hand
sliding over the head, precum slicking his palm. Charlie kissed the tip and swirled his
tongue over the slit. Tiny pinpricks of pleasure ran down my cock. My balls tightened,
and warmth spread under my skin. He pulled back and said, I dont think I can suck
you off.

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I dont think a large-mouth bass could suckow! That time he pinched me.
Behave. Youre going to give the man a complex.
With a cock that big he needs at least two complexes.
Charlie arched over me and sucked the head of my dick. I jumped; then I moaned.
His mouth engulfed me, wrapping me in wonderful heat and gentle suction. I felt his
tongue convulse against my flesh as he attempted to relax and take me as far as he
could. With one hand he worked the soft spot behind my nuts while the other stroked
in time with the movements.
I rose on my elbows to watch him. His head bobbed up and down, and saliva
made my skin slick and his chin glisten. His cheeks hollowed out on an upstroke, and
he turned his head back and forth in a way that intensified the friction.
Fuck, Charlie, thats Wonderful, perfect. I put a hand on the top of his head,
sliding my fingers into his hair, feeling the soft locks curl over each knuckle. I tightened
my grip on his head, and he moved faster.
The ache in my groin spread out across my muscles. Pleasure moved like heat. His
free hand went lower, and his fingers stroked my hole, first making featherlike touches,
then massaging my opening, pressing but not pushing in.
God, Charlie, just like that. Dont stop. I dropped my head back and caught
myself trying to rock my hips. His fingers disappeared from my ass crack for a moment,
then returned spit slick. He pushed in two and began thrusting. Fuck, fuck
He took his mouth off my cock. Is that a request?
Not funny.
He quickened his strokes, and a burst of pleasure crackled from the inside of my
body, racing up my spine. I groaned and kicked my free leg out, bending it at the knee
and lifting up my ass as far as I could.
Charlie swirled his tongue over the head of my cock and sucked at the foreskin.
Maybe you should just finish me like this, I said.

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I want you to fuck me.


I wanted to fuck him too, but damn it, I also wanted him to be able to walk again.
Charlie, Im serious. I could hurt you.
No, you wont. He licked me again, lips playing over my slit. A little suction, a
lot of heat. I hissed out a breath when he swallowed the head again, tongue dancing
over sensitive flesh.
He pulled off. Get the condom.
I hesitated, and Charlie gave me a look. I got the condom, and he climbed off.
I opened one. Why the hell did they seem so small now? I glanced down. Yeah,
now I remember.
Charlie snatched it out of my hand. Good grief, will you quit? Youre making me
self-conscious. He fitted it over the head of my dick, rolled it down.
How can I be making you self-conscious? Youre not small. Youre normal. Briggs
needs a damn warning label on his forehead.
Charlie brought his head up and kissed me. I let myself get lost for a moment.
Drown in the sensation of his velvet lips against my mouth. He tasted spicy and sweet
from the food hed eaten earlier. Under it all was the taste of Charlie, rich in flavor like
some sort of exotic cream on the back of my tongue. I sucked on his bottom lip before
claiming his mouth again. Charlie pulled away.
I licked his mouth. You taste good.
I taste good?
Yeah. I kissed him again while staring him in the eye. This time our lips barely
touched. I love you.
Yeah, I know.
More than anything.
Yeah, I know that too.

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There was so much more I wanted to say to him. So many things I needed to say.
But I decided I didnt want to share those things with Briggs. They were just for Charlie
and me. There would be a later time. Right now we were here for other things.
I grabbed the lubricant. Roll over.
Charlie moved onto his side, and I scooted down so I could get a good view of
what I was doing. Not because I needed to, but because I wanted to. I popped the cap
and dribbled the lube down his ass crack. It moved like honey toward his hole. I chased
it with my fingers. Normally I used a lot because I liked knowing hed feel it afterward,
but this time it was all about safety. I slipped a finger into his opening and moved it in
and out. I added more lubricant, enough that when I thrust my fingers in, it made a
squelching sound.
You can only make my ass so slick.
Im just being safe. His crack glistened, and his opening tightened around my
fingers.
Ethan, Im dying here. Sometime today.
I closed the cap and tossed the bottle aside. Then I hesitated again. Charlie glared
at me from over his shoulder.
Are you sure about this? Cause I wasnt.
Yes, just go slow at first. Ill be fine.
I was glad he was so confident. I moved back up and kissed him between the
shoulders. He bent one of his legs, making it easier for me to enter. I brushed the head
of my cock against his hole, pushed, backed off, pushed a little more. Charlie rocked
back, trying to force me in.
Jesus, Ethan, will you just do it? He huffed a breath.
You said slow.
Not Christmas slow.

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I applied pressure and felt his opening resist. A little more pressure and I felt it
give.
He gasped. Easy
Thats just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
When Charlie laughed, I felt the vibration through my dick, and a matching hum
of pleasure ran down my spine. Man, it felt good. I put a hand on Charlies hip and
rocked against him. He grunted, and I gave him more.
Fuck
Im trying, I said.
As I pushed in, he groaned low and lean. Feels good. God, Ethan. He flung one
of the pillows onto the floor, and his hands balled up in the sheet above his head,
pulling it free from the mattress.
It took forever to get all the way in. When I was there, Charlie whimpered. Not a
hurt sound, but needful. Seated inside of him, the heat of his body wrapped around my
cock, it was like his body was begging to be filled.
I put a hand under his chin and pulled his head back so I could kiss him. At the
same time I began thrusting, he nipped my lips. His gaze was distant and euphoric. I
petted Charlie down his ribs, feeling the planes of his body under my borrowed
fingertips. The tiny hairs, the occasional mole, the small perk of his nipples as I ran my
hand across his chest. The warmth of his skin called to me, and I wanted nothing more
than to wrap myself around him and hold him forever.
I dont think Im gonna last very long, Charlie said.
I didnt think I was either. I tried to hold back but desperation took over and the
sound of my thighs slapping his ass was punctuated by our desperate breathing. I
pulled Charlies leg higher, supporting it with my massive arm. I slid a hand between
his hip and the bed and pulled him back, changing the angle of my thrusts.
Charlie cried out. Yes, like that. More! God, more!

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I dropped my forehead to his shoulder and thrust harder. Charlie wailed, and his
ass tightened where I impaled him.
My muscles quivered. My balls drew up. The ache in my cock spread under my
skin, a desperate feeling, the need for release. My entire body trembled as I rushed to
the edge. Id been worried I wouldnt last; now I was scared it would never end.
Charlie shuddered as his orgasm rippled through his body. The feel of him
coming, the sounds, my name on the back of the animalistic cry he made, ignited my
own release in a flash fire of pleasure.
I groaned as the wave of euphoria receded, and tightened my arms around
Charlie. He turned his head far enough to kiss me. That was good.
I chuckled. Glad you liked it. I just wish I could take all the credit.
Charlies brow furrowed. Whats that supposed to mean?
Well, its not exactly my body.
So?
So?
He kissed me again. It may not be your body, but its still you.

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Chapter Seventeen
It was too easy to get lost in Briggss body. He didnt fight me at all. If anything,
he just wanted more. Damn the things he was thinking. For the same reasons
possessing Charlie was more intimate than sex, the connection Id formed with Briggs
let him see thoughts and fears I never shared. Trying to shut them off was impossible.
He wasnt drunk, and as long as I was with Charlie, my guard was completely down.
I made love to Charlie one more time after wed rested awhile. He got a shower;
then I took one. I could have showered with him, but the thoughts Briggs was having
were just way too intrusive. Man should have been a porn star rather than a cop.
Briggs wanted to shower with Charlie, though, in the worst way. As if Briggs
would actually be washing while he was in there. I saw images of Charlie bent over and
pushed against the white tile. Briggss massive hands gripping Charlies wrists, using
his arms as leverage while Briggs pounded him. He really seemed to like the thought of
watching his cock disappear in and out of Charlies ass.
Im not sure if Briggs was unaware that his triple X home video was so loud or if
he was doing it on purpose.
Yeah, well, just in case, there was one way to take care of the problem and get my
point across. I stepped inside the shower and turned the cold water on full blast. Just as
the frigid blast struck his skin, I slipped out.
Briggs screamed. His big body slammed into the tile wall as he tried to dodge the
direct hit. Then his feet shot out from underneath him, and he went to his knees, hands
slapping at the knobs until he got the hot water going. Goddamn you, Ethan.

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Thatll downsize that big-ass ego of yours, now wont it? He didnt hear me, but
I didnt care. I flicked him off too, just for good measure. I popped in next to Charlie,
who sat at the kitchen table wearing his clothes fresh from the dryer.
He had a coffee cup in his hands and was taking small sips of the steaming liquid.
His hair was still wet, and there was a blush in his cheeks. I also noticed he was sitting
funny.
Charlie saw me staring. Dont you dare say a thing.
Who, me? Never. I dont think he actually hurt that much, mostly because of the
expression of satisfaction on his face. Or if he did, it had been worth it.
Charlie had enjoyed himself. Really enjoyed himself. Id never seen him so content
before. Now I hated Briggs even more.
It was like thinking about him conjured him up. Briggs walked out of the
bedroom. At least he was dressed. His black hair was all mussed up like hed been in a
rush to get out of his shower. Probably thought Charlie would make a run for it.
I kinda wished he would.
You hungry? Briggs opened the fridge, dug around inside.
Nah, Im good.
You sure? I could make you a sandwich. It probably wont be as good as the one
you made, but Ive got roast beef and tomato.
I grinned. Does he sound nervous to you?
Charlie shrugged. I floated over and stuck my head in the fridge. When Briggs
stood up too fast and whacked his head on the freezer door, I think the entire kitchen
shuddered from the impact.
Are you okay? Charlie was halfway out of his seat.
Briggs blinked a couple of times, rubbed his scalp, and winced. Yeah, Ill live.
I crossed my arms. Thats what you get for having a fat head.
Ethan, be nice!

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Briggs looked around like he might be able to spot me. When he didnt, he went
back to making his sandwich. You sure you dont want one?
Damn, now he was blushing, and his aura went all funny again. I think youve
got him all hot and bothered, Charlie.
Charlies eyebrows went up.
Considering what kind of dirty thoughts hed been having about Charlie while
getting into the shower, I could only imagine what kind of fuel bread and sandwich
meat made for his dirty mind. I gave Briggs the once-over, watching his aura go
through a rainbow array of reds, golds, and purples. Oh yeah, I think hes totally
fantasizing about round three while hes smearing on the mayo.
Charlie made a face.
Hey, dont look at me. Hes the one having the food orgy and making his aura go
all funny. I was really glad I couldnt read the guys mind.
Charlie cleared his throat. I think Im gonna head out.
Briggs jerked his head up. What? No. You dont have to go.
I need to get a hotel room until I can figure out whats going on at my apartment.
I also want to call Bill and find out why he told you where I was.
Now it was my turn to be surprised. What? No way. You need to stay away from
that guy.
Which is why Im going to call.
Like hes actually going to tell you the truth.
Maybe youre right. I should go see him.
Briggs growled. Ethan thinks you should go see him?
I threw up my hands. No, no, Ethan does not think Charlie should go see him.
Charlie! I moved in front of him when he headed toward the door. He went right
through me, and his breath fogged. Damn, I really wished that did not feel so good.
Briggs rushed to the door and cut Charlie off. Wait.

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What?
At least let me go with you.
Why?
With the way the week is going so far, do you really have to ask?
I agree with Briggs.
Charlie glanced at me. Thats a first.
Was that to me or Casper?
Casper? Fuck you, buddy. Man, I wish I could punch him, just once.
Charlie gave me a tired look. Will you stop? To Briggs he said, Fine, if you
want to go with me, why not?
Briggs held up a hand. Wait here, Ill get my shoes.
Briggs ran around trying to get his shit together. I floated up to Charlie. I really
dont think this is a good idea.
Why not?
Briggs is right. With the way your week has gone, do you really have to ask?
Its important. Bill might not be some bulldog lawyer, but the man knows how to
keep a secret.
Which is all the more reason why this could be dangerous.
Charlie picked off some lint from his freshly laundered jacket. You know, you act
like I cant take care of myself.
I do not.
Yeah, you do. You forget, I came out in high school. Trust me, I was in plenty of
fights and got a lot of practice on throwing a left hook. Ive survived being shot and
stabbed. Just because I dont look like the Jolly Green Giant doesnt mean Im a wilting
violet.

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Whos the Jolly Green Giant? Briggs stepped up behind Charlie, who looked
embarrassed. Briggs ran a hand over his head. Ill just pretend I didnt hear that.
Sorry.
No, no, its okay. His keys jingled when he pulled them out of his jacket.
Cmon.
Charlie followed him to the car.

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Chapter Eighteen
Bill Strattons office was located on the south side in a small ramshackle strip of
buildings constructed sometime in the late thirties and upgraded sometime in the
nineties. Distressed brick and cloudy glass made the buildings look every day their age,
while high polished wood added nostalgic beauty. Closer inspection revealed modern
doors and heat and air units tacked onto the sides. On the inside, the copper pipework
remained exposed but polished to a high sheen. The real water pipes hugged the
molding and were PVC painted black to match the ceiling.
The office buildings here demanded top dollar, and they got it. The whole
new/old look was apparently in high demand.
In my opinion fresh paint and high-gloss wood floors or not, it was still an old,
crumbling building ugly enough to make your eyes bleed.
Like the building, Bill was old school. No secretary, no staff. He worked long
hours and even had a bed in one of the vacant upstairs rooms. From what Charlie told
me, he slept in it more often than the one at home.
Briggs parked in front of Bills unit, and we got out. Charlie jiggled the door
handle. Its locked. He read the office hours posted in one of the small windows
framing the side. According to the sign, Bill should have been here. Normally when he
goes on vacation, he calls me to let me know. He knocked while Briggs tried to see
through the cloudy window.
Normally he doesnt rat you out to the cops for no reason either. Charlie glared
at me, and I held up a hand in apology. Do you want me to go and see if hes here?
Charlie stepped back and looked up at the building. I waited while he scanned it.
Anything?

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He shook his head. Theres a homeless guy sitting on the edge of the roof, but
hes not aware of us.
Briggs looked up at the same time I did. At least I didnt get all red in the face
when I couldnt see the dead man.
Briggs sighed. Let me guess: youre talking about a ghost.
Well, if I wasnt, then you would have already seen him, Im sure.
I thought it was funny; Briggs didnt.
Shall I? Charlie nodded, and I went through the door. At first look everything
seemed okay. There was the small waiting room and the stark white bathroom off to the
side. Through the door leading into Bills office area, it was a whole other story. Papers
covered the floor, along with shredded manila folders. The saltwater tank that had once
dominated the office lay shattered. Dead fish were scattered stiff and unmoving among
the white, grainy stains on the floor and crumbling pieces of coral.
I found Bill slumped in the corner of the room and propped up against the wall.
His eyes were cloudy white orbs, and his mouth hung open like hed been surprised by
whoever shot him. The heat must have been off, because there werent nearly as many
flies as there should have been. Bloated, bruised flesh sloughed off to form gooey
puddles on the floor. Bill had to have been dead for several days. I popped back out on
the sidewalk. If Id been alive, I would have puked. Thank God I couldnt smell.
Charlie gave me a worried look. Whats wrong?
Hes dead.
Dead?
Yeah, been dead for a while going by the look of things.
Charlie told Briggs what Id said, and Briggs took out his phone. After he called it
in, we went back to the sedan. Charlie was pale.
Ill take you somewhere when the officers get here to secure the scene.
Charlie nodded.

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I hovered closer. You okay?


He shook his head.
Talk to me, Charlie, please.
If Bill has been dead for a while, who called, and why? He looked at Briggs. The
detective frowned and turned his gaze out the window.
The man identified himself as your lawyer, Bill Stratton, and the caller ID
showed the call came from his office.
Maybe it wasnt him? I jabbed a thumb at Briggs. If Officer Friendly there
didnt meet him in person, anyone could have called claiming to be Bill.
Charlie thought a minute. To Briggs he said, What did Bill sound like?
What do you mean?
Bill hasI mean hada really heavy southern accent. Im talking Deep South
heavy. He drew out his words, especially his as. He also used to be a heavy drinker,
and his voice was rough.
No, the man who called me didnt sound like that at all.
For some reason that knowledge made me feel better. Then it wasnt Bill.
Charlie met my gaze. Who else could it have been?
Someone who knows you. Who is looking for you.
Charlie looked at Briggs. When did Sullivan die?
A week ago or so. The ME couldnt give an exact time because the basement was
like an icebox.
What about the e-mails?
Our data forensics team traced them to your e-mail account.
All my e-mails go through Bill first, and I never received any e-mails from
Sullivan.

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They were dated around the time we estimated for Sullivans death. You think
Sullivan killed your lawyer?
Maybe. I dont know. Maybe Helen Brock did.
Why would Brock kill your lawyer?
Charlie shrugged. Because everything went through him.
So?
Helen said she was sorry.
Excuse me?
When she was about to shoot me. I remember her saying she was sorry.
I snorted. If she was so sorry, she wouldnt have pulled the trigger.
She might if she thought she didnt have a choice.
Briggs thrummed his fingers across the steering wheel. Whoever called was
definitely a man. Unless Helen wasnt working alone, then we have a whole new
suspect.
It had to be someone else not associated with Helen. Why would she want the
cops to find me if she was trying to kill me? It seems that would make it more difficult
for her to succeed, not easier.
Briggs seemed to think about what Charlie said.
The silence that fell was broken by the sound of two patrol cars as they pulled in
beside Briggss sedan. Sit tight while I talk to them. Ill be right back. The car door
shut with a heavy thunk.
I watched Briggs talk to the cops for a moment. He kept looking back over his
shoulder as if to check on Charlie. Jealousy and gratitude about his concern left me
feeling conflicted.
Briggs came back to the car and got in. I want you to come back to my place.
I dont think that would be a good idea.
This is serious. Two people have died. Do you think staying at a hotel is safe?

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Charlie opened his mouth and then closed it. Finally he said, I dont know.
Briggs cleared his throat. If you dont feel comfortable staying with me, how
about I call the precinct and see if they have someplace available that I can take you?
I already told you I dont want to stay in a safe house. A hotel will be fine.
And what happens if Sullivan finds you?
Okay, lets say I agree to stay in a safe house. How exactly are you planning to
tell your boss that youre trying to hide me from a dead man and a bunch of sedit who
arent dead because theyve never actually been alive?
Briggss mouth turned into a slash. When you say it like that, it sounds crazy.
It doesnt matter how you say it, its gonna sound crazy. You cuffed me for
telling you about your uncle, remember? If you tried to tell your boss whats going on,
hes apt to put you on medical leave.
For the record, Langley was in your corner way before I was.
My corner? Charlie laughed.
You know what I mean.
It doesnt matter. If you try and explain this to him, hes likely to reassign you to
a room in Milledgeville.
Then I wont tell him the whole truth. If I have you in protective custody, there
will be more cops to help watch your back.
And these cops, are they able to see the dead?
No, of course not. Theyre just cops, they Briggs growled. I guess he got what
Charlie was hinting at. If they couldnt see the dead, then how were they going to know
when trouble arrived?
Im as safe on my own as I am under guard, Charlie said. Been taking care of
myself for a long time before you came along.
Yeah, but you were shot at.
And it wasnt the first time.

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Briggs gave Charlie a defeated look. Is there anywhere you would be safer?
Anywhere at all?
You mean is there such a thing as a place thats ghostproof?
Yeah.
No, not unless you spend the time to do a water barrier like Sullivan did, but its
not as if something like that comes standard.
Will you at least let me stay with you?
Ah Christ. I glared at Briggs. The only way he could be more obvious was to stick
out his dick and wave it around.
Charlie gave him a look. You cant see or hear sedit. So what are you going to
do?
It would make me feel better.
Yeah, right, feel better. I bet he was counting all the ways he could feel better.
I dont know. I wouldnt want anything to happen to you. Charlie was right. He
could see the dead, the sedit. At least he had a chance to know when to run and where
to run to. Briggs was a sitting duck. Of course with these new and improved sedit
running around, living people in general were sitting ducks.
If you dont let me come with you, Im not going to be able to sleep. Ill wind up
sitting in the parking lot outside the hotel.
Hes like a dog with a fucking bone. Or a Chihuahua with a boner. Leg humper.
I floated over to the other side of the sedan, close to Briggss ear. It was a onetime deal,
not an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Ethan
I glanced up at Charlie. Fine. I could take a hint.
If you come with me, Briggs, I have one request.
Name it.
I want you to get me the file on this case, so I can look at everything.

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What? That was me. Why would you want to look at this case? Youre trying to
stay away from the blood and guts. Hence the hotel.
Im already involved, and looking at the files might give me a better idea about
which direction to tell the cops to look in. Ill be fine.
Briggs turned his head. He didnt see me, though; his gaze was too far out, like he
thought I might be on the other side of the window. I guess I was in a way. Half-in,
half-out.
Then Briggs spoke to me, or at me. I know you dont like me very much, but I
promise to keep an eye on him. And Charlies right, if he can look at the files and see
something we missed, then the quicker we can end this.
How the hell do you argue with logic like that?
I crossed my arms. Fine. But make sure Sasquatch here understands that if
anything happens to you, Im gonna possess him and make him jump off a cliff.
You cant possess him on your own.
Briggs glanced back at Charlie. Possess me on his own?
Charlie shook his head. Trust me, you dont want to know.

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Chapter Nineteen
Charlie was quiet during the short drive. I think Briggs was as worried about him
as I was, because the detective kept giving him sideways glances between red lights.
When Briggs pulled up in front of the Hilton, Charlie blinked a couple of times
and looked up. Did you have to pick the fanciest hotel?
Its not the fanciest, and if you cant afford it, Ill pay for your room.
Charlie could afford it. He was just being his normal frugal self.
I dont want you to pay for it, but why here?
Because they have night security, some of whom are retired cops. I know them,
and I can ask them to keep an eye on you.
At least he was honest. Dont argue with him, Charlie, I said. Lets go get a
room.
Charlie nodded and got out. Briggs left his sedan in the care of the valet and
followed Charlie inside. Five minutes later Charlie had a room on the seventeenth floor.
We took the elevator up.
Out of nowhere Charlie said, I need clothes. He sounded so lost.
Ill find a store and pick you up a few things.
I dont need new clothes, Briggs. I have plenty back at my apartment.
I crossed my arms. And there is no way in hell you are going back there,
especially not now.
All things considered going back there isnt an option, Briggs said.

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The elevator stopped, and we got out. Charlies hand shook when he slid the key
card through the slot. A red light flashed, and he did it again. He cursed and tried a
third time, even testing the doorknob just in case.
Briggs took the card from him, slid it through. The light blinked green.
Charlie muttered something before going inside. Briggs stayed by the door. Ill be
back in a few. Are you sure youre going to be all right?
Ill be fine. Im just going to take a shower, then go to bed.
I didnt bother reminding Charlie hed already had a shower just a couple of hours
ago. Neither did Briggs. After Briggs left, Charlie stripped off his clothes and kicked
them around on the floor.
Are you sure youre okay?
No, Im not okay. Ill never be okay.
I watched as a plethora of emotions washed over his face. Charlies aura went
dark purple, then bright yellow. Bits of green made holes, then it flared blue again.
I asked, What did you mean when you said, Maybe Helen didnt have a
choice?
He didnt look at me as he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Steam billowed, and the large mirror on my left began to fog. Seeing Charlies reflection
in the whiteness made him look so alone.
Charlie stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain. A moment later I heard a
stifled sob. I popped in beside him, and he had his head in the corner, face buried in his
arm, water pelting his back.
Charlie, whats wrong?
Everything.
Talk to me.
I cant.
Why not?

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Because
Youre not making any sense. I shouldnt have, but I reached for him. The water
beading across his shoulder froze, and he shivered. The feel of his life force sent a surge
down my body, and I ached to have more of him, all of him. I dont know why being
dead left me without hunger, without thirst, but did not affect my want for Charlie one
bit. I figured it was because I loved him. I mean, I only felt that kind of desire for him,
no one else.
I think Helen tried to kill me to stop it.
What do you mean?
I dont think she wanted to kill me. I think she thought she had to.
Charlie, that doesnt even make any sense.
Yes, it does. She was terrified, remember? You said yourself the ME said shed
probably had a psychotic break. What if what she saw come through that portal was so
terrifying she felt she had no other choice? He pounded a fist against the tile wall and
bit back another sob. God, Ethan, what if this mess is my fault?
Your fault? What are you talking about?
Sullivan, Helen, Bill, theyre all dead, and I think it may be my fault.
How can it be your fault, Charlie? Youre not the one who made the portal or
pulled the trigger.
No, but I think I might be the reason it happened. I might have even facilitated it.
I think Helen tried to kill me to stop something bad from happening. I think whoever
tried to frame me for Sullivans murder did it so they could get to me.
Why?
He picked his head up and looked at me. You have to understand, Sullivan was a
genius. He used me because he needed me, but with the way he was going, he wasnt
going to need me forever. That night, the night I met you
The night he almost succeeding in killing himself. I nodded. What about it?

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I helped Sullivan open a gate, between here and somewhere else.


You mean to the plane of the dead?
No, somewhere deeper, darker. There werent even sedit, but there was this
presence. It was evil, Ethan. So dark, hopeless, and pure evil. Fear, real fear filled
Charlies gaze, so hard and palpable that it made my insides curl.
What happened? Because something had happened, something terrible.
In a small voice quivering with the effort to purge his mind of the memories, he
said, It saw me. It called to me. It made promises, impossible promises. Just like Helen
told Sullivan. Promises too good to be true, and it would do it for just one small favor. It
wanted me to bring it through the portal, to help it, to make it real. I resisted, but it
followed me out. It didnt try to kill me. It tried to possess me. It wanted me, Ethan. I
dont know why, but the closer it got, the stronger it became.
But you got away.
Because it needed me alive so I could make it real and I was willing to die rather
than let it take me over.
I glanced down at his wrists where the scars were bright pink from the hot water.
They seemed bigger now, uglier. Id always known Charlie had been forced to cut
himself, but hed never explained how it happened. I guess, because of that, Id always
assumed he didnt remember.
To know he not only remembered, but the memory stirred this kind of fear,
disturbed me far more than I ever thought possible. Still, as afraid as he was, as terrible
as it had been for him, I did not understand why or how he could blame himself.
It still doesnt make it your fault.
Yes, it does.
How, baby? Tell me how. My hand left a trail of ice on his cheek. It was swept
away by the heat of the water almost as quickly as it formed.

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It told me, Ethan. It told me it would find me, and it would destroy anyone who
got in its way.

194

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Chapter Twenty
I firmly believe there are some things we are simply not meant to understand
about the world. And sometimes, even if we are supposed to understand them, we try
to solve the problems too soon. Before were ready. Before whatever evolutionary
process that allows us to create fire without burning ourselves, has time to catch up
with our discovery of deeper things such as quantum physics.
Sullivan must have burned himself out. Thats the conclusion I made after
listening to Charlie tell me about the Darkness and the portal. I know theories about
gateways and portals between here and the plane of the dead had been a subject among
paranormal experts for years. Even some of the scientists with the FBI had theories
about how some of the dead can cross back and forth between the layers and why there
are layers to begin with.
I dont pretend to understand it all. Hell, I dont even pretend to understand a
small corner of it, but I do know there are questions about the dead, the planes where
we exist, and the spaces in between them, that the living world is not ready to deal
with.
Charlies aura was a terrible yellow color when he climbed into bed, skin still
glistening with beads of water and his hair plastered to his head. He curled on his side,
cocooning himself in the blankets until only a small space was left near his face so he
could breathe.
Id only seen Charlie this depressed, suffocating in darkness, a few times since
wed met. All those times hed been on a case, some serial murders, some missing
person who wound up being dead. Not just dead but killed in the worst way after

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terrible amounts of suffering. Suffering Charlie was forced to relive in an effort to solve
the crime.
That was one of the reasons why it was so important for him to get away from the
Paranormal Research branch with the FBI. Things touched him far deeper than the
human soul was meant to endure. It was no surprise that what was happening now
affected him like this. Charlie believed he was responsible and telling him he wasnt
was futile.
I lay down next to him, hovering somewhere between the mattress and box
springs so I could peer into the small opening in his blankets and see his face. His eyes
were clenched shut, and a furrow cut a V between his eyebrows. I wished I could
comfort him, hold him, tell him everything was going to be okay.
In all honesty, I was scared that things werent going to be okay. I was scared that
something bad was going to happen to him.
There was a real possibility that there was a dark force out there hunting him. Far
more terrifying than the sedit, stronger than the living, and cunning enough to fool a
genius into bringing it into our world.
It wasnt like I could go to the library or hop on the Internet to research what it
could be or how to deal with it. Not only was there little valid information on the
paranormal, the dead, and the not-so-dead, there was the whole not-being-able-to-turnon-a-computer problem.
I decided I needed to go back to Charlies apartment. If the sedit hadnt decimated
the old Indian, maybe hed be able to string enough words together to point me in the
right direction. I dont even know why I thought he could help. I guess I figured as long
as hed been standing around, staring at nothing, hed had more time to think about the
world than most people.
The apartment was quiet and dark. Frosted glass from shattered lightbulbs littered
the floor, and various bits of furniture had been overturned or completely destroyed.

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Claw marksits the only way I know how to describe themmade furrows in the
walls.
Charlies prized photos were nothing but ribbons dangling from shattered frames.
If I could have cried, I would have. At least there was one small glimmer of
sunshine in this otherwise shit-pile daythe old Indian was still in the corner, staring at
whatever, eyes distant, mouth set, and face an emotionless mask. I watched him for a
moment, just to make sure there were none of those things swimming around inside
him. He appeared normal, so I floated over.
You okay?
His coal black eyes shifted over to me. I am fine, gi-li.
Good. I ran a hand over my head, a habit I must have had when I was alive.
Look, Ive got some questions, and I need to see if you can answer them. He was
silent. I sighed. I know you dont like to talk, and when you do talk, I dont have a clue
as to what you mean. So I really need you to put aside all your Yoda speak and give me
some answers, if you can.
His mouth twitched. Im pretty sure it was his version of a smile. Ask.
Charlie thinks this is his fault. I told him about Sullivan, about the portal he
opened, what he said to Helen in the memory I saw. I also told him what had happened
to Charlie, about why he tried to kill himself. That last part was a lot more difficult than
I imagined. My voice kept cracking, and I swear my throat tightened. The idea of
Charlie dying and being lost to me forever was a physical pain.
Apparently the dead are not as immune to feeling things as I wanted to believe.
Charlie said that it wasnt a sedit. That it was darker, evil.
It is.
Which means what?
This Darkness you speak of, this evil, it has watched the living world through
tiny tears in the layers for centuries.

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Do you know what it is?


I do not. I can only tell you its exhale has brought plague, and its touch has
driven men insane. Over the centuries it has managed to reach the plane of the living by
whispering dark and terrible things to anyone who would listen. Now it is no longer
satisfied by the small moments of turmoil it can create. It wont be satisfied until it
brings across all its brethren.
So why does it want Charlie?
Because of what Charlie is, gi-li. He is the perfect place for them to reside. All
those years ago, it tasted Charlies light and it remembers. It hungers for Charlies
presence. It has been hunting him since the first time their energies touched.
Can you tell me how we get rid of it?
I cannot. Years ago it fueled the genocide of my people. I witnessed firsthand the
devastation it can cause, and the bodies it has left behind. That is how I know what its
capable of.
Was that how he died? I was afraid to ask. How did you get rid of it?
Eventually it weakened and disappeared. Time erodes all things. Nothing, not
even the dead, can escape its power.
No Yoda speak. You promised.
I promised nothing, gi-li. This time he did smile. Damn it!
Please. I need your help in stopping this thing. I need you to tell me how to send
it back.
I am only dead, gi-li. I have no more knowledge of the beyond than you do. But if
I were you, I would start at the place where the evil began.
We tried, but the building was full of sedit.
Not where you are now. Where it began. Where it took root years ago. Dig deep,
gi-li.

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The house in Dawsonville. I didnt even know where it was. I thought about Bill
and wondered if he could have the address. Hed known Charlie even longer than I
had, and Bill always helped keep his secrets.
I could have asked Charlie but he was asleep back at the hotel and I didnt want to
disturb him. Okay, maybe thats not completely honest. I just didnt want him to know I
was poking around. It wasnt because I liked deceiving him. It was because he was
already exhausted from recent events.
And I wasnt sure how much more Charlie could take before he broke.
The office building in Buckhead was no longer quiet. Police cars crowded the
handicapped parking spots, along with a CSI bus and the coroner. Two men stood near
a body bag and chatted about last nights game.
Extension cords snaked across the floor to large work lights chasing away the
darkness inside Bills office. Cameras flashed and people wearing blue paper shoes took
careful baby steps over splashes of dried blood. A woman with a ponytail crouched
among the remains of the saltwater tank, collecting the dried bodies of Bills prized
clown fish, putting them in small Ziploc baggies, which she labeled and stored in a
plastic box.
I watched this bizarre death waltz play out in front of me, wondering if this many
people had pored themselves over my body, collecting evidence, taking care to map
and mark the location of every possible clue.
For some strange reason I didnt think so.
A team of two men and two women were packing away manila folders into
evidence boxes. Theyd been at it for a while. Their latex gloves were turning blackishblue from handling all the printed pieces of paper. I floated across the office and looked
through the papers lying on the floor and on the desk. I even passed through file
cabinets. I couldnt find anything about Charlie.
There was another room in the back. There I found Bill Stratton floating in the
corner, looking sad. He looked just like his corpse, minus all the gruesome. He wasnt

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wearing the same clothes, though. He had on a T-shirt and khakis. When youre dead,
you got to dress comfortably.
He looked up and met my gaze. I asked, You okay?
His eyes widened. You can see me. There was a brittle twang to his accent like
he was about to cry.
Yeah.
You can hear me.
Yeah, I can.
One of the CSI people dropped a folder and papers scattered across the floor. Bill
rushed to pick them up, only to have his hands pass through the floor, people, and the
paper. He lifted his hands and stared. Thats been happening all day.
We cant touch the living world anymore.
The living world. So is this the dead world?
Im afraid so.
Im really dead then.
Bill Strattons pudgy face fell, and his shoulders slumped. At least he didnt panic
and poof out. It was that woman, wasnt it?
He remembered. This was a plus. I floated over. Are you talking about Helen
Brock?
He looked around. I cant remember.
Do you remember what she looked like?
Blonde hair, frizzy, she looked like she hadnt slept for weeks. She fit the
description. That woman kept saying she was sorry. Over and over, she was sorry. I
begged her not to shoot me. She promised me that if I would tell her where Charlie was,
she wouldnt shoot me.
So, you told her?
Wouldnt you?

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I guess if someone had been pointing a gun at me, I probably would have. Do
you remember when?
His nose wrinkled, and he ran a hand over his shiny, bald head. I cant remember
that either. Why cant I remember?
Its normal. We cant remember a lot of things after we die.
If Im dead, why am I here?
I cant tell you that. I only know some of us stay and some of us leave.
I want to go home, see my wife. I shouldnt have worked so much. Shell be
upset. Who will take care of her? His watery brown eyes begged me for answers.
I didnt have the answers. Bill, I need your help.
Its about Charlie, isnt it?
Yeah. Hes in trouble.
I figured those people were up to no good. I tried to stop them from going
through my files.
Are you saying there was someone else here besides Helen?
Yeah. After, you know, after He put a hand on his chest. I took an oath, you
know. I took an oath to protect my clients, and I failed. I broke my promise, and I put
Charlie in danger. But I was scared. You understand that, right? I was terrified.
I do, yeah.
Tell Charlie Im sorry. Please tell him I didnt mean to put him in danger.
Its okay. I just need your help now.
Anything. Anything you want to know.
Can you tell me about the other people?
Three men and a woman. The woman was petite, dirty blonde hair. She seemed
to be in charge. One of the men was huge. The second guy was Dr. Fredrick.

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Dr. Stan Fredrick had been the psychiatrist overseeing Charlies case when hed
been hospitalized years ago, right after I met him. Id been his only company for many a
night. Wed talk for hours, or at least until the next set of sedatives knocked him out.
Fredrick had labeled Charlie as schizophrenic and manic-depressive. Theyd
doped him up on antipsychotics and lithium. He endured hell, ridicule, and Dr.
Fredrick. I wish I could say I was able to protect Charlie, that hed been able to convince
Fredrick the dead were real, like he had Briggs. But after his suicide attempt, hed been
drained by whatever hed gone through. A pale glow of his usual self.
What saved Charlie from a life inside that place was an intern who recognized
him from a newspaper article written years before, highlighting a serial murder case
hed been working on with the FBI. Within three days two men with FBI credentials
showed up with a court order in hand and took Charlie back to Virginia.
Charlie was back in Georgia within a month, downgraded to phone call sessions
and quarterly trips for medication management. He was able to wean off the
medications a year later and only had to call the FBI psychiatrist once a year to check in.
Happy again, healthy, the glow Charlie emanated roared like a fire. The light he created
would have never allowed me to leave him even if I wanted to, but by then I was
hopelessly in love with him so it didnt matter.
A lot of time had passed since then, and I was amazed by the anger rekindling
inside me at the mere sound of Fredricks name. Even today, years later, my fingers
itched with the desire to wrap around that arrogant pricks throat and squeeze the life
out of him.
He wasnt normal.
I looked up. Who?
Fredrick. There was something wrong with him.
Wrong how?
He had this thing on his back. It looked like a dog or maybe some kind of weird
monkey. A sedit.

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You said there were three men.


Yeah, the second man wasnt normal either. He was scarier looking than
Fredrick. He crawled around on the floor. He would say things; then Fredrick would
repeat them. The woman and the big man didnt seem to be able to hear the scary guy. I
think Fredrick was talking to the woman and the man for the one who crawled around
on the floor. I hid in the wall so they couldnt see me. It was terrifying.
That was probably a smart thing to do. Otherwise Sullivan might have torn him
apart.
After they located Charlies address in my Rolodex, Fredrick told the big man to
make a phone call to the police. They seemed worried that the woman who shot me
would find Charlie before they did.
And she had. I thought about how Id seen the Toyota the same day Briggs had
shown up at Charlies place. I realized how close Charlie had come to being Helens
next victim. I guess it was a good thing that Briggs had arrested him.
Can you think of anything else?
Bill thought a moment then shook his head. Im sorry, but everything is sort of
fuzzy.
Since he couldnt give me more information, I said good-bye and popped back
into Charlies hotel room. He was still asleep, but the shower was running. There was a
bag of new clothes on the dinky table by the door, a laptop, and a wallet. Briggs had
returned and had obvious plans of staying the night. I glanced through the door. A very
naked Briggs had his head back, one hand on the tile wall and the other on his massive
dick. The transparent shower curtain only blurred the hard, cut lines of his well-toned
body.
God, he was gorgeous. No wonder Charlie was attracted to him.
I watched as Briggs arched into his grip, hips pumping, hand tight. His breathing
hitched, and I heard him whisper Charlies name.

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I wanted to be angry with Briggs, but Charlie did the same thing to me. The only
difference was I was dead and couldnt jack off in the shower to find some relief. No,
the closest thing I could get to a hand job was accidentally bumping into Charlie so
we would touch.
The lines of water highlighted Briggss muscles as they tightened. His ass
clenched, and the dimples in his lower back deepened. He came with a low groan,
shooting all over the wall. His hand made a few more slides up the length of his cock,
and his thumb swept over the tip. I had to make myself quit watching.
Back in the room Charlie made a sound and rolled over. I floated up to him and
hovered beside the bed. Hed kicked the comforter off, and now the only part of him
covered was his ass. And barely. No wonder Briggs was wanking in the shower. As
good-looking as Briggs was, to me Charlie was twice that. I longed to touch him like a
living person did, to feel him, to taste him.
Briggs came out of the bathroom wearing jeans and running a towel over his jetblack hair. His gaze swept across Charlie, and he swallowed with a look of physical
pain.
Fuck, he had it bad. Maybe as bad as me. Even after all that in the shower, a bulge
grew behind the zipper of his jeans. He left the towel on the back of a chair and walked
over to where Charlie lay. Briggs pulled the blanket up and over Charlie. Right before
he dropped it on Charlies shoulder, Briggs stalled. His fingers made a featherlight pass
over Charlies skin. Briggs touched Charlies cheek next, thumb going to Charlies lips.
Charlie mumbled and rolled over again, this time on his back. Briggs glanced over
at his laptop hed left on the small table on the other side of the room, like he was trying
to remind himself to go over there and do some work. Instead he sat down on the edge
of the bed.
I should have been screaming, but I couldnt stop staring at just how gorgeous
they looked together.

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Briggs trailed a caress across Charlies chest, pushing the blanket down as he
went. He brushed one of Charlies nipples, then slid a hand to Charlies hip. He stopped
there, staring at the bruises on Charlies skin. The bruises Id made while using Briggss
body.
The longing on Briggss face made me feel like an ass. I couldnt help but wonder
if the men we used at the clubs ever looked that way. If they dreamed of Charlie,
wanting him again. Id never thought about it until now. I doubted it though. I mean,
Im sure they thought of him, but what Briggs felt wasnt just lust. It hit him deep, so
deep his aura was streaked with reds and violets spiked with white. Only people in
love gave off color like that.
I told myself love at first sight was bullshit, and then I reminded myself Id fallen
for Charlie even faster than Briggs. I backed away and stood in the wall. Im not sure
why I wanted to watch, other than to make myself suffer.
Briggs leaned closer, at first inhaling Charlies scent, then brushing his lips near
Charlies temple. Charlie stirred, and his eyes opened. Briggs went for his mouth.
Charlie made a sleepy sound but kissed him back. Briggs took Charlies wrists and
pinned them above Charlies head.
Charlies eyes went wide, and he hissed as Briggs sucked a spot up on his neck
near his pulse.
Briggs Charlie squirmed, but it wasnt to get away. Briggs, you have to
stop.
Why?
You know why.
You want me, Charlie, and I want you. Briggss shovel-sized hand slid down
Charlies body, disappearing under the covers. I dont know what it is about you, but
God
I cant do this.

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Why not?
Do you really have to ask?
Briggs kissed him again, and Charlie became lost in the exchange. When Briggs
pulled away, Charlie looked embarrassed.
You dont act like a man who doesnt want me to do this to you. He moved the
hand he had under the covers, and Charlie bit back a moan. Tell me you dont want
me. Tell me youre not interested in me. Look me in the eye and tell me youd rather
spend the rest of your life with a dead man, fucking faceless strangers in a club just so
you can be together.
Charlies cheeks turned crimson as pure rage filled his expression. He yanked
hard, getting a hand free, and nailed Briggs with a punch right in the mouth. The
detectives head snapped back, and he rolled off to the side. Charlie moved to get up,
and Briggs grabbed his wrist, yanking him back down. He flipped Charlie over onto his
stomach, pinning his arms against his back. Charlie kicked and cursed.
The expression on Briggss face is what held me where I was. He wasnt angry; he
was sad, worried, concerned. Like someone who was watching a person they care about
make the wrong choices in life.
Calm down.
Charlie tried to buck him off. Fuck you.
Charlie, calm down before you hurt yourself.
Get off me, Briggs.
I will, but I want you to quit acting like you dont feel anything.
Charlie fell still. His face was still red, his mouth tight, but his eyes were closed.
His expression was no longer as angry as it was conflicted.
When Charlie calmed, Briggs moved off him. He backed away from the bed,
giving Charlie room. Charlie stayed where he was, fists balled up in the sheets.
Do you need some help?

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Go to hell. Charlie sat up and grabbed his boxers off the floor and put them on.
Briggs sat down in a nearby chair and ran a hand through his hair. Im sorry.
For what? Not respecting my choices in life or trying to rape me?
I wasnt trying to Now Briggs looked angry. He took a breath and watched
Charlie pull on his jeans. What are you doing?
Getting dressed so I can get out of here.
You need to stay.
Why, so you can jump me in my sleep again?
Goddamn it, you wanted me.
Charlie threw a hand in Briggss face. Oh, so youre saying I wanted you to try
and fuck me. That I was asking for it. That I deserved it?
No, thats not what I said.
Could have fooled me. He grabbed his shoes, his shirt.
Wait. Briggs stood. Charlie dropped everything and took a fighting stance, fists
raised, feet apart for balance.
Briggs didnt come any closer. You kissed me back, Charlie.
Charlies fists tightened.
I didnt do it to hurt you. I like you, a lot.
If you like me so much, then respect my choices.
Its hard to respect any choice that hurts someone you care about.
What the fuck are you talking about?
When Ethan possessed me, I felt his thoughts. Hes worried about you. He knows
being with you is hurting you.
Charlies fists dropped halfway. Im with Ethan.
Only because youve never wanted to be with someone else before. Now you do,
and he knows it. Briggs stepped closer. His hands flexed like he wanted to reach out

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and touch Charlie, but he didnt make the attempt. He wants you to be happy. He
wants you to live life. Ethan is dead. Hes never going to be able to give youa living
personwhat you need.
It was true. I did want all those things for Charlie. Briggs was right: being dead
meant I could never truly fulfill what Charlie needed. I could never make him
completely happy. I could never give anything back.
I slid out of the wall, and Charlies gaze jerked up. He grabbed his shoes and shirt
and headed into the bathroom. I followed him and found him leaning on the counter
and staring at the drain in the sink.
How long were you standing there?
Technically, I dont stand. Or walk. Or run.
Okay, fine, how long were you floating there?
Im not sure.
I felt you, Ethan. I couldnt tell exactly how far away you were, but Im sure you
were close enough to hear. The and watch went unsaid. How come you didnt do
something?
What was I supposed to do? I was dead. It wasnt like I could have punched
Briggs.
I dont know. Yell at me, be angry at Briggs.
Im sorry. And I was, but not just for this.
I didnt mean to kiss him back. There was no emotion behind Charlies
statement. I think he knew it too. He stared at my reflection in the mirror, a reflection I
would never be able to see. Like so many things I would never have. I want to be with
just you.
I sighed. I know.
I love you.
Yeah, I know that too.

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Then why do I want Briggs so much? Charlie looked more surprised by the
question than I felt.
Because hes like you. Hes alive. Even the dead crave the living, Charlie, you
know that. We seek out what weve lost. We beg for things we once had. Youve been
with just me for so long, I think youre craving what you havent been doing, which is
living.
He sighed so deep his shoulders rose and fell. Do you still want me?
What do you mean?
Do you still want me? To be with me?
Are you asking me whether or not I love you?
No, I know you love me. But are you still in love with me. Do you want to be
with me?
Yes. More than anything in the world. Even more than the chance to live.
He smiled, so sad and at the same time peaceful. Then you know exactly how I
feel about you, why I cant be with him unless youre possessing him, and why I could
never give you up.

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Chapter Twenty-One
While Charlie dressed, I told him about finding Bills ghost and everything hed
said. When he went out into the room, Briggs seemed to be doing an inventory of what
Charlie had on: shirt and jeans. His gaze stopped at Charlies bare feet, and he seemed
to relax. I want to apologize.
Forget it. Briggs opened his mouth, and Charlie held up a hand. Just forget it,
Briggs. As long as it doesnt happen again, were cool.
He turned back around to his laptop.
Did you find anything yet?
Briggs seemed disappointed about the change in subject, but he didnt argue.
Yeah, the boys at the PD found some old newspaper files on Sullivan.
Charlie walked over close, but not too close.
Here. Briggs held the laptop out to him. Charlie took it and carried it over to the
bed. Scroll down. The reports are at the bottom.
Charlie sat on the bed. I floated up to him and peered over his shoulder.
The newspaper articles looked like theyd been scanned in. The first one was from
the sixties and highlighted the details of James Manleys murder. His body had been
found bruised and battered. James had died from asphyxiation. Authorities believed
hed been coaxed into the nearby woods on his way home from school. Hed been
missing for almost a week before his body turned up in the basement of the high school.
The newspaper article said investigators thought he might have been alive for as long as
six days in the hands of his kidnapper. Hed been found wearing the same clothes hed
disappeared in. Horrific didnt even feel like a big enough word for what had happened
to James.

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Click on the show report icon. They included the original files. It says a lot more
than the newspaper article.
Charlie did. The crime scene photos were brutal, but nothing Charlie hadnt seen
in previous cases. But child victims always seemed to affect him worse than others.
I asked, You okay?
Im never okay when Im forced to admit animals like this walk around with the
rest of us. I couldnt agree more.
Briggs was right. The police report was way more forthcoming about the
condition of Jamess body. The boy had been severely dehydrated, as if hed gone days
without proper food and water. The bruises and contusions on his body consisted
mostly of injuries associated with restraint: rope burns on his wrists and ankles. His
fingernails were broken off, and his hands were badly damaged, like hed tried to claw
out of wherever hed been kept.
The autopsy report said hed died from suffocation. They theorized his attacker
had been keeping him somewhere almost airtight. A fridge had been found in an old
shed about half mile from the school and contained hair, skin, and blood matching
Jamess. Holes had been drilled into the side, but it must not have been enough in the
summer heat. James had suffocated but not before hed been brutalized. Raped.
Tortured. Beaten repeatedly.
The prime suspect in the killing had been Dale Richards. Son of a wealthy
businessman, hed had the best lawyers, not to mention the dozens of character
witnesses who had come forward from Richardss upscale neighborhood. Family
photos showed a handsome young man with a brilliant smile.
Charlie leaned in, staring hard at the pictures. He wasnt admiring Dale Richardss
debonair good looks. I could tell by the way Charlies body tensed and his expression
hardened that he was searching beyond. Photographs, film, they all have the potential
to capture what the human eye cant interpret. Like light on a spectrum the living cant
see, its still there even if the people are unaware of it.

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I looked too. Richardss aura was dark, sick, full of massive holes, and blotched in
a brownish-green that made me think of rot. Sedit can make a living person do terrible
things they would never do of their own free will.
Since Charlie couldnt see auras, I told him what I saw.
He frowned. So, he killed James.
Yes, he did. I talked to Karl Andrews, the detective who handled the case,
Briggs said. Hes retired now, but he still remembers it like it was yesterday. He said
they knew Richards did it. The kid was cocky, arrogant, so much as confessed using
plays on words and body language.
Then why the hell didnt they arrest him?
Charlie relayed my question.
Because he was a choirboy on paper. Volunteered for various humanitarian
projects, was an A student, went to church every Sunday, and everyone liked him. He
had no record, and his parents gave him a solid alibi. Andrews said his lawyers would
parade Richards in front of the camera all teary-eyed and scared. Innocent boy blamed
by heartless cops of a crime he couldnt possibly have committed. In early 2000, they
pulled evidence off the shelf and ran DNA on it. The court granted the petition to have
Richardss body exhumed. They compared the semen samples collected to the skin
samples on Richards, and they were a match. But since he was dead, the most they
could do was close the case.
So he got away with it. I couldnt believe it. Charlie was right. It sucked to think
people like him walked free in society just because they could hide what they were.
Charlie scrolled through the file some more. Where does Sullivan tie into all
this?
Briggs scooted forward on his chair and motioned to the screen. Check out the
personal photos collected in Sullivans case.
Charlie opened the file.

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Read who Jamess parents were.


Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan?
How the hell? I looked at Charlie.
Briggs nodded. They were Jamess foster parents for eight years. Hed just been
given back to his mother six months before he died. She moved nearby just so Roy
Sullivan and the Manley boy would be close to each other. They were like brothers.
Damn it! I did not want to feel sorry for Sullivan but looking at the family photos,
his arm around Jamess shoulder as they posed outside of a fort, crouched on the
ground building sand castles, doing what brothers would do, made it hard. The look on
Sullivans face, his body, and the color of his aura, all said he was protective of the boy,
aware and watching. Later photos, taken after James was gone, showed a sullen young
man with hollow eyes. No smiling, no joy. Sullivans aura had been reduced to a thin
line of pale gray. The aura of someone who was dying. Goddamn, Jamess murder must
have broken him.
According to the file Sullivan accused Richards of molesting him after James was
found murdered. Charges were brought up, he was taken to court, and of course he
beat the accusations. There had been no physical evidence, just Sullivans word against
Richardss. It was rumored hed done the same thing to other boys, but they wouldnt
come forward, only Sullivan.
Charlie looked at Briggs. Do you think Richards really raped Sullivan?
Honestly? No. I think it was his way of trying to make Richards pay for what he
did years ago. But I do think there were other victims. People like him just dont quit.
Charlie shook his head.
Sullivan paid for his lie though. The lab techs have been able to copy off some of
the information on the files we collected. A few of the pages were still readable. Theres
enough there to suggest Sullivan was brutalized in school after he made the
accusations. Small-town, middle-class kid accuses town hero. He paid for it every day.

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Charlie opened the file on Richardss murder. It seemed he had been killed in a
similar fashion to James Manley. And Richards?
I think Sullivan killed him for revenge. When accusing him didnt work, Sullivan
just took care of the problem on his own.
The report read that Richards had been beaten with a baseball bat. His knees
broken, his elbows. Hed suffered for days. Rope burns just like James. Hed been
violated with foreign objects and kicked and punched so many times his spleen had
ruptured. A lot of anger was written in his abused body. A lot of revenge.
So the school closed shortly after Richards died?
Yeah. Apparently after he died, other kids came forward. With the big, bad
monster dead, they werent afraid anymore. There were talks of lawsuits and
accusations that Richards committed a lot of his crimes in the basement of the school.
Most of the files were sealed because they settled out of court, but Ive already put a call
in to my captain to get access to them.
Charlie chewed his thumbnail.
Briggs scowled. Problem?
Charlie shrugged. Im just thinking. Trying to figure out how Fredrick is
involved in all this.
Who?
He brought the laptop over to Briggs and told him about my trip to Bills office.
Stan Fredrick. He was my psychiatrist when I was admitted to the Chestnut
Grove Psychiatric Hospital, after I Charlie held up his wrists, flashing his scars.
Briggs leaned forward and caught Charlies hand. His thick fingers traced the
brutal gashes forever etched in the pale underside of Charlies arm.
You know its hard to kill yourself by cutting your wrists. Most people never get
it right. They make hesitation cuts, or just one deep line. Its painful, so a lot of them
back out. Those who do succeed wind up cutting tendons and doing permanent

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damage. He picked up Charlies other hand and turned it over, holding his wrists side
by side. These cuts are deep. I guess that was his way of saying Charlie had done it
right. How did you manage to cut both sides? Theres no way you could have held
anything, not with this kind of damage.
I used the glass of a window.
What?
I busted out a window and used the edges trapped in the molding to cut myself.
And you didnt have permanent damage?
Yeah, but Ive had several surgeries to repair it.
Why did you do it?
I didnt have a choice.
Briggs frowned. I dont understand.
It was either die or be possessed. I wasnt going to let that happen.
So you tried to kill yourself?
He shrugged. It was the only way I knew to escape.
I thought you said ghosts couldnt possess people on their own.
They cant.
So it was a sedit?
No, this was bigger. Scarier.
Briggs let Charlie go and rubbed his hands on his thighs like maybe he could erase
the memory of the contact. He typed on his keyboard.
Charlie watched him. James Manly had to be who Sullivan was looking for.
I told myself one more time not to feel sorry for the bastard, because it didnt
change the way hed treated Charlie. Maybe it wasnt Sullivan I felt sorry for, at least
not the man Charlie knew, but the boy whod lost his younger brother.

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Charlie sat on the edge of the bed. Sullivan must have been able to get a portal
open, only instead of James he brought back something else.
You say something like youre talking about the devil.
I dont think its the devil. But I think I saw it the first time he opened a portal.
The gateway was unstable and it didnt last, so I didnt really get a good look. But it was
powerful and nasty. It tried to latch on to me, but when I cut my wrists, it lost its hold
as I began to die. Sullivan found me and called 911. Charlies face screwed up.
I wandered over to where Charlie stood. What is it?
He called someone else.
Who?
I dont know. But I remember him telling them he was in trouble, that he needed
a favor.
Briggs stood, paced a couple of laps looking intense. How old is Fredrick?
Midfifties I guess.
Same age as Sullivan, do you think?
Charlie shrugged. Yeah, maybe. Why?
The detective pulled out his cell phone. Ive got a hunch. Im going to make a few
phone calls. Sit tight till I get back.

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Chapter Twenty-Two
I resisted the urge to go eavesdrop on Briggss phone call. I mean, we were on the
same side now. I could trust him. Id seen his thoughts, been inside his body. Worse,
hed seen mine, and he knew exactly how I felt about Charlie.
As useless as I was, Charlie wanted to keep me. I hated feeling inadequate. The
feeling made me all the more determined to help him. The old Indian had said to start
at the beginning of all this, so thats what I was going to try to do.
I want to go take a look at Sullivans old house, the one in the country where he
worked.
Charlie turned. Why?
Something the old Indian said.
What did he say?
To look where this all started.
And you think he meant the house in Dawsonville?
I dont know. But if thats where that thing first saw you andand you know. I
think it might be worth a look around.
Theres nothing there.
How do you know that?
He didnt. Thats what his expression said. I dont want you to go.
Why not?
Because I dont want anything to happen to you. What if there are sedit there?
What if there is something worse? Youd be alone.
Ill be fine.

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Are you trying to get yourself killed? And dont you dare say youre already
dead. You know what I mean.
Im just trying to help. I cant do much, but at least I can do this.
Cant you wait till tomorrow?
Just get some sleep.
Im not tired. No, he was exhausted. His aura was all gray and yellow.
Please, Charlie, please, I want to do this.
He lay back on the bed and curled on his side. Can you promise me youll come
back?
I always come back.
No. I mean He shut his eyes for a moment.
I knew what he really meant. I hovered closer, and frost formed in his breath, on
his lips. Tiny white ice crystals clung to his eyelashes, only for a heartbeat. His living
energy melted it as fast as my dead energy caused it to happen.
I promise Ill come back.
Even though he didnt want to, Charlie gave me the address and directions to
Sullivans old house.
As luck would have it, even with an address and explicit directions, I got lost.
Yeah, even dead men get lost, and just like the living ones we hate asking for directions.
Of course, I had a legitimate excuse. The couple of dead I wandered upon werent on
the same plane as me. One guy was so faded out I almost missed him, and another was
a woman who stood statue-still staring at nothing, just like the old Indian.
Come to think of it, there seemed to be a shortage of dead too. I mean, while every
person I met might not be able to see me, I usually saw more than two wandering
around, doing whatever it is dead people do.
I sighed and floated out onto the sidewalk, wondering if Id come all this way only
to meet another dead endpun totally intended. I hovered near the gas pumps. Out

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here, this far north, even Binkys Gas and Go closes at sunset. All the lights were off,
and the night sky bled all the way down to the field in front of me.
I headed back up highway 53, moving a lot slower than I did to get here. It wasnt
like I was tired. I think I was just reluctant. Id failed again. The dead guy who couldnt.
For all I knew Sullivans place might not even be there anymore. The house or the
street. If Dawsonvilles construction schedule was anything like Atlantas, it meant they
changed the names of the roads three times a week and twice on holidays. You can
forget about long-term buildings. One minute theyd be there and the next the
bookstore you loved so much had been replaced by a parking deck. In spite of the odds
against me, I decided to wander around some more.
Id gone a couple more miles when I noticed a glow on the horizon out to my left.
At first I thought it was coming from the splash of urban sprawl located at the large
intersection just outside of town. There a discount store had sprouted, along with a strip
mall and a couple of grocery stores. The island of development was surrounded by an
ocean of forest and fields.
Only there was no way I was close enough to see the halogen lights in the parking
lots. When I looked closer, I noticed this light wasnt exactly right. It seemed to shift in
intensity, and then color. The light rippled through the air like sunlight on water. Pinks,
yellows, and blue flickered at the edge of a bright white center.
God, it was incredible. It felt like the light reached right down inside me and
tugged on something. Staring at it, I was reminded of pictures Id seen of the aurora
borealis. While Dawsonville might be in butt-fuck Egypt, it was nowhere near Alaska.
I headed toward the light, and the closer I got to the thing, the faster I found
myself wanting to move. An almost desperation. A feeling of anxiety that threatened
me with missing out on something big. Whatever I was looking at had to be important.
It had to be the most important thing in my afterlife.
Not who I was or who Id been. Not everything Id left behind or everyone. Not
even Charlie.

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Whoa! The thought drew me to a grinding halt. Where the hell had that come
from? Not as important as Charlie? Nothing, nothing on this earth was more important
to me than he was.
The strange pull and I found myself wanting to look at the dancing lights. This
time I resisted. I kept my gaze on the darkness around me, the grass, the trees. Now that
my attention wasnt on the light, I saw dead people everywhere.
They passed me in a pale blur. A few moved their legs in a walking motion like
they were closer to the land of the living. Others simply drifted along. All of them had
their faces turned skyward, and wore dreamy expressions as they stared at the aura
dancing just beyond the trees.
I floated up to a man, one who was solid to me, in hopes we were on the same
plane. When I put a hand out against him, he bumped me like something solid. Like
with James, the contact tossed up bright blue sparks and a puff of icy fog.
If anyone alive had been there, they would have seen the sparks and the strange
mist.
He blinked a few times and gave me a confused look. Who the hell are you? The
southern twang to his words told me he was most likely a local boy. Of course the car
racing shirt he had on kind of took away any other possible choices.
Do you know where youre going?
He gave me another confused look and then glanced around. Hey, wheres my
car? Why the hell am I out here in the woods?
You need to turn around and go back the way you came. I dont know why, but
suddenly that light over there scared me. Please.
What are you talking about? I just need to find my car. Wheres my car? He
tried to move past me, and I got in his way. I didnt want him going with the rest of the
herd. If I could turn a few around, I felt like Id be accomplishing something.

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The mans chest expanded, and he drew back a fist. You better get the hell out of
my way, boy, before I put you on the ground.
You cant knock me out. Were dead.
He laughed, then fell quiet. His dark eyes flicked around, taking in the scenery. I
know he saw some of the other people. Some solid, some not so solid. All moving in
one direction, and yet he shook his head. Who the hell do you think you are? What
kind of fucking joke do you think youre pulling?
Look, go wherever you want to go, just dont go that way. I tossed a thumb over
my shoulder. Any way but that way.
He shoved me, and another flash of sparks and mist crackled between us. He
stared at his hands, eyes wide before looking at me. The man turned as if he was going
to run; then it was like an invisible hand had pulled his strings. His head turned. The
worried, frightened expression melted from his face, replaced by a drunken smile.
Then he said the strangest thing. Is that you, Momma? Wait up. Im coming. Wait
up, Momma. He floated away.
Damn it.
Okay, I wouldnt look, but Id follow. I kept my head down, my eyes on the
ground below. Eventually the thin grass turned into a thick bed of twigs and dead
leaves, then blackberry bushes. Right after that I hit asphalt, a road. I raised my gaze
just enough to see the street in front of me crowded with dead, all walking in the same
direction, all heading toward the light.
The pull to stare at the aura was excruciating, but every time I found my gaze
drawn upward, Id think of Charlie. He needed me. I couldnt let myself be taken away
from him. It was more than enough to keep me anchored, to give me the strength to
avert my gaze. Even when it felt like my insides were being yanked out of the top of my
head, I did not look up into the light.
We came to a four-way stop. It wasnt quite as desolate here. There was a small
neighborhood on the right, and a larger subdivision off to the left. An old truck pulled

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up to the intersection, red taillights came on, casting a crimson glow across the dead
who walked close by. Many more passed through the bed, cab, and hood. Not to
mention the guy driving the thing. I saw him shiver and look around. Then his tires
barked as he went too fast through the intersection and sped off into the night.
As I watched him go, I caught sight of the street sign: SWEETWATER WAY.
Something told me that was not a coincidence. I moved faster, blurring past the slowermoving dead, keeping up with those who were in as much of a hurry as me. They had
the same blank stares and dreamy expressions as they whizzed through the air. Thank
God most of them were not on the same plane or there would have been a lot of
fireworks. On more than one occasion a group would pass right through each other in
their race to get to the aura.
When the flow of dead veered across a pasture, I stayed on the road, reading the
numbers on the mailboxes. Sullivans old place was about two miles in and up a long,
winding dirt road. The house looked like it belonged on the set of Gone with the Wind.
Three stories, white, with man-sized windows looking out into an overgrown
yard. When it was kept up, I am sure the property had been beautiful. Rosebushes,
hydrangeas. A winding curtain of wisteria had been trained up the huge wraparound
porch. This time of year it was nothing but a skeleton and dead leaves, but I could just
imagine what it looked like in the spring, all green and heavy with bunches of purple
flowers. There was a stream near the house, but it didnt block my way, as it cut up the
side of the yard and disappeared in the direction of the woods.
I scanned the yard. The pale glow of dead continued their exodus toward the
colorful aura. I went inside the house.
I didnt know if there would be any sedit here or not, so I was cautious. While I
might be able to see in the dark, there were enough corners and cracks for them to slide
into and hide. I walked around the main floor, finding nothing but a few pieces of
broken-down furniture and a lot of dust and spiderwebs. I went upstairs.

222

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Okay, I admit it. After my day I was purposely avoiding the basement. I mean,
who in their right mind wouldnt?
All the rooms were pretty empty but one. It was obvious it hadnt been used for
quite some time, but there was a bed, some shelves, and posters on the wall. Clothes
lying on the floor were full of holes and covered in dust. Whoever had been here had
left in a hurry. There was a picture on the bedside table. I didnt need to wonder whose
room this was anymore.
Charlies teenage face grinned at me from a picture frame under a layer of dust.
There was a birthday cake in front of him. According to the candle numbers, he was
turning sweet sixteen. Sullivan was in the background, hand on Charlies shoulder. His
aura was the same slate gray as Id seen before, and didnt match the smile on his face.
Except for his eyes. They were as lifeless as his aura.
So this had been Charlies room. I dont know if it looking like a normal teenage
boys room made me feel better or worse. I was just about to head out when the motheaten curtains swayed in a breeze. I thought the window was open until I moved closer.
The glass had been broken out and thick jagged pieces stuck up from the edge. Dark
stains covered the sill, and made streaks to the floor. There was a large black area on the
hardwood and a couple of handprints on the baseboard. Footprints smeared the edges
of the long-dried bloodstain. Desperate movement stamped and left forever.
Charlie had almost died here on this very spot. Sullivan hadnt even bothered
cleaning up the mess before he abandoned the house. It made me wonder if hed seen
Charlie as disposable. A means to an end. Even if he was looking for his little brother, it
didnt sit right with me. Charlie was alive, with his whole life ahead of him, and
Sullivans brotheras tragic as it waswasnt.
I headed downstairs, passing through the floor until I was standing in the living
room again. As much as I hated to admit it, it was time to hit the basement. No more
stalling. I kind of wished I had a flashlightand could hold it. I didnt need it, but

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somehow a beam of light would make me feel better. I took a breathor at least my
dead version of oneshoring up my courage.
Layers of hardwood, insulation, then floor planks slid past me. I saw a line of
termites, then a small nest with mice in it. Last came the darkness and wide-open space
of the basement.
Equipment lined the walls, computers, printers, and large monitors too. Not
modern ones, but big, thick, plastic boxes. A gentle hum emanated from the CPUs
stuffed under the desk as well as the larger, odd-shaped metal boxes lining the walls.
They looked almost identical to the ones in Atlanta. Maybe less advanced, but the
design was pretty much the same. I made a pass through them, seeing coils of copper
wire, silver connectors, and rows and rows of motherboards. Unlike the machines in
Atlanta, these were completely intact and the electricity running through them created a
tingling sensation through my ghostly form. It was the first time Id felt anything
outside of Charlie making me real or possessing a body.
There was no dust on the desks or the paperwork. I moved through it, trying to
get an idea as to what was being done here. Most of it was mathematical equations I
didnt understand. A moan from behind a padlocked door caught my attention. I
floated over and stuck my head in. Raw-wood-paneled walls surrounded a concrete
floor. Fredrick occupied a cot off to the side. His face was drawn, and most of his hair
had gone white. He looked like hed been through hell and back since Id seen him nine
years ago when Charlie had been in the hospital. There was a half-empty bottle of
liquor on the bedside table near his head, and an empty tumbler gripped loosely in his
hand. His clothes were rumpled and stained, like he hadnt changed them for days or
maybe even weeks.
Fredricks appearance was typical of people whod become hosts for the sedit.
Aura dull, filled with holes. It reminded me of Sullivans, only Fredricks still had some
color to it. Greenish-brown, but it was still color. I didnt see any sedit attached to him.
If he had been a willing host, I doubt there would have been the padlock on the door.

224

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Bill was probably right. Sullivan was using Fredrick to communicate to the two people
helping him. I didnt have any idea why anyone would help Sullivan. It was just
another mystery to try to piece together.
I floated around the room. There were a few sheets of paper on the floor filled up
with more equations. The handwriting matched what was on the sheets of paper on the
desk. Fredrick was apparently working on something, or Sullivan was using him to
work on something. Since I didnt understand any of it, I decided to head back.
I turned to leave. A large piece of paper with some sort of diagram on the wall
caught my attention. I hovered closer. Formulas filled up the margins, math so high
level I didnt even see numbers. I couldnt read the equations, but there was a drawing
in the center. A circle with stick people gathered around, their arms raised, and wavy
lines in the air above them. Granted it was no Michelangelohell, it wasnt even a
Jackson Pollockbut staring at the drawing gave me the creeps. I had a feeling it was a
visual representation of what was going on outside.
I told myself getting near the light was a bad idea. With my luck it was probably
some sort of ectoplasmic bug zapper, but it was obviously a part of this entire mess, so I
didnt have any choice. I needed to find out what it was. I needed something concrete to
bring back to Charlie and Briggs.
I popped out somewhere in the backyard. There was a stream on my right with a
copper pipe following the path it cut as the water curved in the direction of the light. I
kept it between me and the aura. You know, just in case I succumbed to its weird
hypnotic spell. If I tried to cross over the copper pipe, it would feel like getting tazed. If
nothing else, it would knock me to my senses.
I hoped.
The thought that I might be so brainless I would continue to try to cross the thing
scared me a little. Not because I was concerned about spending eternity bouncing off
something akin to an electric fence for dead people, but that I feared Charlie would

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never know what happened to me and I would be breaking my promise about coming
back to him.
I followed the stream. As the creek made a slow right turn, the copper pipe
continued into a well house. The copper lines came out the other side of the small shack
and made a circle around the light source.
Strange machinery, cables, and wires surrounded the pump house. Rust stains on
the metal boxes suggested it had been out here in the elements for a while, as did some
chewed places on the cables like maybe the wildlife had taste tested the insulation
around the wires. The metal boxes looked as old as what was inside the house.
The machines were on, but when I got close, they only gave off a normal electrical
hum. The roaring sound wasnt coming from the equipment.
Just like the drawing, the dead gathered in layered crowds. Arms upraised, eyes
distant, faces turned to the dancing aura. They couldnt get to it thanks to the water. I
wondered what would happen if they did.
The source of the light appeared to be a large hole in the ground. This close there
was a near constant droning noise.
I moved closer to the pump house and stuck my head inside, making sure not to
cross over any of the copper pipes.
The water was being drawn through a large pump like youd find in a well house,
only this one looked like it had been modified into a custom design. Strange tubes and
coils perched on the top. Even from a few feet back I could feel the electromagnetic
disruption in the air caused by the water being pushed at high speed through the pipes.
The pump, unlike the rest of the equipment, looked new.
Faster water means a stronger repelling current for the dead. Wow, it was way
more than it would take to repel the average ghost. This hole in the ground was being
protected by the ghostly equivalent of Fort Knox meets the Great Wall of China.
With a cherry on top.

226

Adrienne Wilder

It was really crowded near the perimeter, ghosts on top of ghosts. When two of
them on the same plane touched, tiny streaks of electricity danced through the air. A
constant drone emanated from the light. I listened hard and realized what the sound
was. People talking. So many speaking at once that the voices layered each other until
the words were nothing but a rising and falling tone.
The dead surrounding me were talking too, but whatever they said was being
drowned out. I moved closer to a woman with stringy hair and hollow eyes. She wasnt
on my plane, but I could still hear her. Im trying, Harold. Im trying to find you.
I jerked back. All around me, hands raised, reaching out. I shouldnt have, but I
looked at the light.
Among the bright streaks, the flares of red, blue, green, orange, and yellow-white,
I saw them. Faces, dead. They were almost invisible behind the constant glow, washed
out by the light. They were trapped inside. I stared down at the copper pipe, wondering
if maybe they werent the ones trapped.
Dear God, what the hell was Sullivan doing?
The pull of the light tugged at me, but I was able to resist. All I had to do was
think of Charlie and I found I could look away. Was that why these people were so
intent on getting in there? They thought the people they loved were waiting for them on
the inside?
It left me wondering if there was someone in there for meor afraid that there
wasnt.
Now that I was aware the droning sounds were actually words, more seemed to
reach me. Names, pleas, vows of love. My heart clenched, and my head throbbed. Not
with real pain, since I couldnt feel like the living, but from the deeper place inside me
that was drawn to the light.
A name drifted out over the crowd. It seemed so much louder than it should have
been. Jenny, I think. I couldnt be too sure. Whoever it was saying the name sounded

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desperate, like a person trying to catch someones attention. I decided I didnt want to
stick around and find out who they were talking to.

228

Adrienne Wilder

Chapter Twenty-Three
Charlie was asleep when I came back. So was Briggs. I was glad to see he had
taken the other double bed rather than trying to sneak under the covers with Charlie.
I paced the floor while they snoozed the night away. It must have been close to six
a.m. when Briggss cell phone rang. He jerked awake and snatched it off the bedside
table.
Briggs. His whisper was as deep as some mens regular tone of voice. He sat up
a little more, face pinched, brows furrowed while the person at the end of the line
talked. I moved closer so I could hear.
Got the information you were looking for.
And? He glanced at Charlie, then stood up. I followed him out into the hall.
Fredrick and Sullivan did go to the same high school. Apparently Fredrick had
been admitted to an out-of-town hospital about two years before he started the school.
The doctor suspected child abuse. The parents were put under a microscope. Fredrick
cracked and pointed the finger at Dale Richards.
So Fredrick was one of Richardss victims.
Seems that way.
Let me guess: Richards weaseled his way out of any and all charges.
Of course. His family paid Fredricks parents to shut up. Fredrick was treated for
post-traumatic stress, then reentered the school after a year in the care of a psychiatrist.
Only that wasnt the end of it.
Why doesnt that surprise me?

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Because you know as well as I do, predators like Richards dont quit. Fredrick
was no exception. Poor kid was admitted three more times to the hospital for trauma.
The records are sketchy, but by all accounts this guy was getting sexually abused on a
regular basis.
Goddamn that Richards. Briggs all but growled the name.
The day Richards died, Fredrick was admitted to the hospital one last time.
Sullivan found him out in the woods. Both boys said theyd been cutting through to
their houses when Fredrick claimed he fell down an embankment. They couldnt,
however, explain the handprint around Fredricks neck or the contusions on his wrists.
Two days later, they found Richardss body in the basement of the school. He hadnt
been killed there though.
Hed been killed in the woods?
The caller sighed. Appears that way. Only it was fall and the rain washed away
any kind of trace evidence. Plus, back then, they just didnt have the technology we
have now.
You thinking what Im thinking, Wilson?
What, that Sullivan walked up on Richards while he was having a private party
with Fredrick?
Yeah. Im willing to bet that was the favor he called on for that night when
Charlie tried to kill himself.
Well never be able to get the phone records to prove that. Records that old are
long gone.
Briggs glanced back at the room, a worried expression on his face. Doesnt
matter, hes the only possible answer. What about the lawyer? Any news?
Ballistics matched the gun Helen Brock tried to use on Harrington as the same
gun that killed his lawyer. They also found her fingerprints on his file cabinet and
Charlies file.

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Adrienne Wilder

Briggs exhaled. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.


You dont sound surprised.
Im not.
Youre not?
I think Helen was looking for Charlie and when Bill wouldnt give him up, she
shot him.
She really had it bad for him then, huh?
Apparently.
Oh, FYI, the FBI called this morning. Theyre going to be here in the next couple
of hours to pick Harrington up. Langley wants you to bring him back to the station.
Why are they coming to get him?
They didnt say. I guess they take this talking to dead people seriously and dont
trust us to do our jobs.
Probably for good reason.
Dont tell me you believe in fairy tales now?
Briggs coughed. Is that all?
Isnt it enough?
Briggs nodded, then said, Yeah, more than enough. Look, thanks for all your
help.
No problem. Just do me a favor and watch yourself out there. A lot of people are
dying around this Harrington fellow. Id hate to see you go down next.
They hung up. Briggs leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. He looked
exhausted, which made me wonder whether or not hed really been actually sleeping.
I followed Briggs back into the hotel room. Charlies bed was empty. A toilet
flushed in the bathroom; then there was the sound of running water. When he came
out, he was drying his hands and face on a towel. He looked worried, but his aura was
a hundred times brighter, almost normal.

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Briggs stared at Charlie.


Charlie asked, Whats wrong?
I think weve found the connection between Sullivan and Fredrick.
What?
They went to the same high school. Looking at all the records and lining up the
timeline, it appears that maybe Sullivan saved Fredrick from becoming Richardss next
murder victim. I think Sullivan called Fredrick that night when youyou knowand I
think Fredrick took you in to the hospital as a favor.
Why?
Dont know. Probably never will. Maybe it was to keep tabs on you. Im sure
Sullivan was investigated. He probably wanted to make sure you didnt say anything
that would put him in jail. Would have helped to have a psychiatrist to back him up.
Someone to label you as mentally ill?
Charlie looked like hed been punched. Son of a bitch.
Then the FBI showed up and pulled you out, I said. It probably scared both
Sullivan and Fredrick into hiding. Some of those paranormal research agents were
scary. Major scary.
Theres something else, Briggs said.
What?
The FBI has sent down a couple of their agents to pick you up. You need to get
ready. We have to be there in an hour. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.
Who are you calling now?
Briggs held up the phone before putting it to his ear. Langley. I want him to send
a few officers to help me keep an eye on you.
You think someone will try something?
He shrugged. I dont have a clue, but Id rather not take any chances.
I didnt want Briggs to take any chances either.

232

Adrienne Wilder

****
Charlie was putting on his shoes when there was a knock at the door. I looked
before Briggs opened it. Two uniformed cops were out in the hall. Briggs exchanged
some words with them before they led Charlie to the elevator. Briggs followed. Two
more cops stood inside the lift.
I didnt know whether I should be worried they were taking this so seriously, or
pleased.
Briggs walked over to one of the regular patrol cars and opened the door for
Charlie.
Charlie looked at the car, then back at Briggs. Why cant I ride with you?
Briggs rapped on the window. Bullet-resistant glass. The sedan doesnt have it.
He ushered Charlie into the back and shut the door.
I floated down to the seat beside him.
Did you find anything at Sullivans old place?
Yeah.
What?
I told him about Bill Stratton and then about the house in Dawsonville. Charlie
didnt look happy.
Do you know what that glowing thing was at Sullivans old place?
Charlie frowned. Its a portal.
Do you think that thing inside Sullivan opened it?
Probably. With the equipment destroyed in Atlanta, it would have just been
easier to go back to the Dawsonville house and get the old one up and running.
And why would it need the portal to begin with?
You said the old Indian said something about bringing more across.
Yeah.

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What if thats how its going to do it?


Great, one more thing to worry about. Maybe you should tell Briggs so they can
send a team up there and firebomb the place.
Theyre not going to firebomb a house because I tell them theres a portal.
They should. Firebomb, flamethrower, then mow it down with bulldozers for
good measure. Okay, fine, so theyre going to sit around and do nothing then. What
about Fredrick? What the hell is his part in all this?
Charlies mouth thinned out. Maybe Sullivan needs him for something. It would
explain why hes being kept under lock and key. A living person would come in handy.
If Sullivan and Fredrick really were friends, maybe Fredrick was more involved than
we originally thought.
Which means what? He knew about you being able to see ghosts?
I dont know. Maybe.
I was there, Charlie, remember? I saw the things he did to you, said to you. He
was like a drill sergeant constantly digging it into your head that everything you said
was a lieshit.
Charlies expression said exactly what I was thinking. Sullivan did the same thing.
Berating Charlie, humiliating him. Only Sullivan had taken it a bit further by
controlling him with sex and promises of love.
Both men had worked in their own sick way to break him down.
I couldnt believe how either of them could do that. Why, Charlie? Why would
they do something like that to you?
To control me? Sullivan was desperate to find James to bring him back across. As
for Fredrick, who knows. Maybe he felt he owed Sullivan, maybe he wanted something
for himself. Remember when I first saw that thing years ago, it tried to bribe me. Maybe
it bribed them.

234

Adrienne Wilder

Do you think thats why the two other people Bill mentioned were helping
Sullivan?
Its possible. I think anything is possible at this point.
Briggs finished his conversation with the other officers, and one of the uniforms
got in the front and cranked up the car.
Ill catch up with you at the station. I kissed him on the cheek.
Charlie nodded. They pulled away.
I thought about everything wed found so far. Sullivan, Fredrick, how both of
them had been Dale Richardss victim in some way. I cant say I didnt blame Sullivan
for wanting revenge on Richards. I couldnt even blame him for going to extremes for
the chance to bring back his little brother. But it didnt excuse a forty-year-old man
taking advantage of a sixteen-year-old boy. Taking photos of them together, making
tapes to use as blackmail and control. Worse, Sullivan had convinced Charlie he loved
him.
I wasted no time catching up with Charlie at the station. He was still sitting in the
police cruiser when I appeared at his side.
He smiled at me, but I could tell he was nervous.
Briggs pulled up beside the cruiser and got out. The uniforms stayed in the car
while Briggs led Charlie inside the building.
Partway down the hall Charlie asked, Did the FBI say why they wanted to pick
me up?
Briggs shook his head. I asked and was told they didnt volunteer the
information. Why?
I just thought it was weird, thats all.
Weird how?
I havent worked a case for them in years.
Perhaps they feel obligated to keep an eye on you?

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Charlie shrugged and shook his head. Maybe. I dont know.


People you know are dying. A woman tried to shoot you. Its not a far-fetched
fear.
Charlie sighed. Yeah, but hiding isnt going to find whos responsible.
Maybe its for the best.
You know, Im getting sick and tired of people trying to decide whats right for
me.
Briggs gave Charlie a confused look. I stared at the floor passing under me.
We stopped at an interview room, and Briggs opened the door. Wait in here. Ill
go let Langley know were here. He started to turn, then stopped. Do you want some
coffee? I might even be able to score you a doughnut from the break room.
Charlie smiled. Sure, that would be great.
Briggs left, and Charlie sat down. I hovered in front of him. His aura had gone all
low and thin with worry. Spikes of color danced around his head because of how hard
he was thinking.
Im sorry, Charlie.
For what?
For not being able to do more. For being useless. Hell, for being dead.
Whered that come from?
I dont know. Its just, well, I feel like the only one who actually has a chance to
help you out of this mess is Big Foot.
Briggs?
Well, Im not the one who has a dick the size of
Will you stop!
What?
Comparing yourself to him.

236

Adrienne Wilder

I cant help it.


Well, just dont do it. Its not him I want to be with. Its you.
Yeah, it was. I wondered if I being dead meant I couldnt blush, because if I could
I was pretty sure I was glowing like a stop sign at the moment.
Hes in love with you, you know. I dont know why I said it.
Excuse me?
Briggs. Hes in love with you.
Dont be ridiculous. He doesnt even know me.
Okay, he thinks hes in love with you, then.
No, he doesnt.
I was inside him, Charlie, trust me. That man fell for you when he first saw you.
What he told you, about being scared and all that. Its true. He wasnt just saying it to
get you in bed. I mean, he wanted to, sure, but
Drop it, Ethan.
I cant.
Why?
Because I Pathetic me. I couldnt even find the words to explain.
Anger made Charlies gaze hot. Im not going to let you push me away. I dont
care if Briggs is alive and youre not. I dont care if what we have will cut my life short.
Youre the only person in my life that means anything to me, and you are the only one I
will ever share myself with. And if you dont stop this, God help me, I will make you
real and beat the ever-living shit out of you.
Smiling in response to that threat was wrong on so many levels. Charlie leaned
closer. His life force crackled over my ethereal form, and I could feel his oh-so-warm
lips when he touched me and taste his tongue as it slid into my mouth. God, I loved
him so fucking much.
As soon as this is over, I want to go to the club again, I said.

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We will. Charlies stomach growled, and I laughed.


You must really want that doughnut.
No, but I dont think an omelet with bacon and toast is going to happen in this
place, so a doughnut will have to do.
Want me to go check on Briggs and see what the holdup is?
Please.
I floated through the doorway and up the hall, passing through walls, warm
bodies, and furniture. I found Briggs talking to Langley.
Anything new?
Langley shook his head. Nothing you dont already know. Why?
Briggs ran a hand over his chin. I dont know.
Something bothering you?
No, I mean Never mind, its probably nothing.
You dont still think Harrington has anything to do with this, do you?
Briggss face remained composed, but his aura practically shot off like a fireworks
display. No, of course not.
Good. Normally your instincts are right on when it comes to a suspect. Not this
time.
He blushed. Yeah, sorry about that.
Hey, no. Im glad actually you were wrong for once. You were beginning to creep
me out.
Briggs snorted. Why?
I dont know if youve noticed or not, but that kind of instinct isnt normal.
The smile on Briggss face fell.
Okay, talk, Briggs. Something is bothering you.
Are you sure the FBI didnt say why they were coming to get Charlie?

238

Adrienne Wilder

No, they didnt.


Dont you think thats strange?
What?
That they show up now. Why now? Why not show up when Charlie was in the
hospital?
Now I was worried. I popped in next to Charlie, only to find him standing beside
an SUV with two people dressed in nice suitsa man and womaninside the parking
garage. Their auras were pitted with dark holes. Only liars, cheats, and murderers had
color like that.
I circled him round and round. Charlie, get the hell out of here. These people are
not who they say they are.
Charlie tried to bolt, but the woman cut him off. He threw out a punch, and she
blocked it, landing some sort of fancy karate-kick, tae-kwon-do move to Charlies rib.
All the air whooshed out of his lungs, and he stumbled back, gasping. The big brute
moved in next.
The man reached into his jacket. For a scared moment I thought he was going for a
gun. It wound up being worse. He pulled out a syringe.
Oh fuck, no. The woman pinned him in a headlock. She took a cloth from her
pocket and pressed it against Charlies face. After a few seconds his entire body went
slack in the womans arms.
To the gorilla in a suit she said, Stick him!
The guy jabbed the needle into Charlies thigh.
No! I hovered over him. Fight it, Charlie. Please, please wake up.
He picked Charlie up and tossed him into the back of the SUV. I was powerless to
stop them.
There was someone who could hear me thoughsorta.

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I popped back into the interrogation room and rushed through the building
looking for Briggs. I prayed he would be able to help. That whatever let him hear me
was still working. I found him standing beside a coffeemaker filling up a mug.
I moved through him. I knew he could sense me, and damn it, I wanted his
attention. Briggs shivered, and I said, Charlies in trouble. He put the cup he was
holding down and frowned. Those two FBI people are not FBI people.
He picked up the cup.
Goddamn it, asshole. If you actually care the slightest bit about Charlie, hes
about to wind up hurt, or worse! Those people are frauds!
Briggs turned and headed out the door. He came to a stop by the interrogation
room. The cop who had been in the hall was still there. Danny, wheres Charlie
Harrington?
Danny shrugged and jerked his chin, indicating the front of the building. He left
with the bureau bigwigs.
I wanted to scream. He didnt leave with them! They drugged him! Out in the
parking deck!
Was he acting strange?
What do you mean?
Did Charlie act scared, like he didnt know the people? Did either of the two
agents act suspicious?
Danny shook his head. No, he just walked out.
Doesnt matter! Im telling you, they took him. Do you hear me, Briggs? Hes in
trouble!
Briggs took off down the hall. He hit the double doors hard and skidded to a halt
in the parking lot, looking one way, then the next.
Just get in your car. Ill find Charlie and come back. I didnt stick around to see
if hed listen; I just had to hope.

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I popped in next to Charlie. The SUV was still making circles in the nearby
parking deck as it headed to the surface. I wasnt quite sure where they were, but it had
to be close. I took a second to study the car, letting it move through me so I could get a
look at the outside. Escalade, older model.
When I reappeared back in the police parking lot, Briggs was in the sedan.
Parking deck.
Briggs headed for the street, and I saw the SUV pull out of the driveway in front of
us. The windows were dark. There was no chance of Briggs seeing Charlie in the back.
Right, Briggs, look to your right! He did. Thats them. Right there. Thats
them!
He looked to the left.
No no no. The SUV, damn it! Charlie is in the SUV! Briggss gaze went back the
vehicle. It stopped at the yellow light, and a blinker flicked on. Briggs pulled out and
took a right.
Yesss! Thats it, Briggs. Youre doing great!
He came up behind the SUV and picked up the mic to his radio. Dispatch this is
Eight-nineteen, do you copy?
There was a crackle Go ahead, eight-nineteen.
I need a ten-twenty-nine.
Youre clear.
Briggs read off the license plate.
Dispatch said, Tentwelve.
In the meantime the SUV took a left. At first I thought Briggs wasnt going to
follow them. He took the turn, keeping some distance between him and the other
vehicle.
The radio crackled. Eight-nineteen, dispatch?
Briggs kept his gaze on the SUV while he talked. Go ahead.

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Your tentwenty-nine comes back on a 1995 Ford Mustang, red in color, issued to
a George Parsley out of Kennesaw, Georgia.
While granted, I wasnt exactly a car expert, there was no way that SUV was a
Mustang.
Briggs cursed. I need tenseventy-eight. I have a possible ten-thirty-one. Im on
Central Avenue Southwest heading toward Memorial Drive.
The SUV slowed down for a second stoplight. Just as Briggs pulled behind it, its
tires spun and it shot through the intersection, narrowly missing being hit by a
semitruck.
Fuck! Briggs flipped on his dash lights, and a siren sounded. The cars crowding
the intersection seemed to take forever to get out his way. He slammed on the gas, tires
squealing, engine roaring, and shot down the street. It took everything for me to keep
up.
The sedan hit a dip, and something scraped loudly from underneath. I cursed.
Now is not the time to lose an oil pan, Briggs!
He spoke into the mic. I have a ten-eighty, heading north on Memorial Drive. I
need as many units as I can at the intersections of Pryor Southwest and Fulton.
He threw down his radio and yanked the steering wheel to the left, keeping right
on the SUV as it made the turn. The faster the chase became, the harder it was for me to
keep up. A few moments later Briggs hit a straightaway and I was left behind. The
sedan took another hard dip as he disappeared over a hill, and this time I saw sparks.
Damn it! Sirens wailed in the distance, and I caught a glimpse of two patrol cars
flying down a side street. I prayed they would catch up to Charlie, but I had a terrible
feeling those two sleazebags had more than just a few tricks up their sleeves.
There wasnt much chance that I would find Charlie with him moving so fast. His
life force pulled at me, reeling me in. A moth to a flame, I followed the sensation,
floating as fast as possible. I didnt see any cops along the way, but I was sure I heard
them. Moving this fast made everything blur, the scenery, the sounds.

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After a while I slowed because the feeling was stronger now, like I was close, or
maybe Charlie was no longer moving as fast. I tried popping in, and it worked. Charlie
was inside a trunk. Theyd changed cars. At least the vehicle was going at a slow
enough pace that I could keep up. With the way it wheezed and chugged, I wondered if
it was going to get very far before breaking down.
Charlie moaned.
Hey, wake up.
Ethan.
Right here, Im right here.
Charlie tried to rub his face, but his hands were cuffed. Man, these assholes meant
business.
What happened? He tried to sit up, and his forehead thumped against the trunk
lid. Ethan! Panic made my name sharp.
Its okay. Im here. Youre in a car trunk. At least I was pretty sure it was a car
trunk. I stuck my head out the top. Yeah, rusty, nasty, covered in pigeon shit, this car
shouldnt have even still been running, let alone on the road.
I came back down, and Charlie looked at me. Do you know where we are?
I didnt want to tell him we were heading toward the highway. Now that
Sullivans people had changed vehicles, the cops wouldnt stand a chance at finding
Charlie.
Tell me.
Eighty-five north.
Damn it!
Maybe theyre still trying to lose Briggs. I told Charlie about how Id been able
to lead Briggs to the SUV the two posers had put him in.

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Or maybe theyre taking me back to Sullivans old house! Charlie kicked the
hood of the trunk and pulled at the handcuffs. His attempts were halfhearted at best.
Even if he could get free and get out, it wasnt likely hed be able to run.
He groaned and flopped back against the bottom of the trunk. You have to go
find Briggs.
What do I look like? Lassie?
No, but if you can get Briggs to go in the right direction
What direction? I dont know where you are, and I cant just pop in on him. I
didnt know where Briggs was. And I couldnt find him blind because I wasnt
connected to him like I was Charlie. Besides, I was scared to leave Charlie, scared about
what they would do.
Have you ever tried?
What?
Popping in on him.
No.
You can influence him. There has to be something to that. Youve never been able
to influence anyone before. Hes my only chance. If they keep me doped up, I wont
even be able to run from them if the opportunity presents itself.
Charlie, I dont want to leave you. Not just leave him. In my mind Id be
running away like a coward.
And theres nothing you can do. He didnt say anything I didnt already know,
and yet it hurt. Please, Ethan, I need you to try. If they get me back to Sullivans, there
is no telling what they will do to me.
But we had an idea about the things they could do to him. Years ago the Darkness
said it would find Charlie, and the Indian had warned me that this terrible thing had
tasted Charlies light. It wanted him, and with the way things were going, with all the
people dying around us, it would find a way to have him.

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Chapter Twenty-Four
I lost the jalopy when they hit sixty on the interstate. I was surprised that the
damn car could go that fast and not fall apart. I waited awhile before trying to find
Charlie again. The bond that held us together hummed loudly in my head when he quit
moving.
I popped in to find him in a hotel room. A brochure on a side table read Days Inn,
and the address was Roswell. A heated argument drifted through the cheap door.
Charlie lay on one of the two beds. I floated over.
He opened his eyes. Did you find Briggs?
I havent tried. I wanted to see where they were taking you first so I could have
someplace to send him. Are you okay?
Other than the fact that my head feels like a balloon, yeah, I think Im doing
good, considering. He moved around like he was trying to get more comfortable.
God, my arms hurt.
Im sorry.
Dont apologize. This isnt your fault.
I know, its just I sank into the mattress beside him.
Ethan, you can only do so much.
I nodded.
Look at me.
I did.
I need you to concentrate on finding Briggs.
Id rather concentrate on staying here with you and letting Briggs do his job.

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Charlie shut his eyes for a moment. I would rather you stay too. But I dont think
Briggs has a chance at finding me on his own.
Why not?
I woke up in the elevator and heard them talking. I think they might have
someone at the precinct giving them information.
Damn it.
Charlie sighed. Exactly.
What if I cant find him?
You have to. Or at least try to.
Yeah, I had to. For his sake. If this doesnt work, Im coming back here to stay
with you.
He smiled. Thanks.
Ill be back as soon as I can.
Hurry.
Before I tried to find Briggs, I decided to listen in on what the woman and the
gorilla in a suit were talking about. Outside in the hall Gorilla paced the floor. He
wasnt as tall as Briggs, but he was wider. A cloud of cigarette smoke hovered in the air
around his head. He finished the one in his hand, squeezed the end, and stuck the butt
in his pocket.
The woman coughed, waving a hand in front of her face. Gorilla lit up another.
Will you quit, Walt? This is a nonsmoking room.
Im not in the room, Jane. Im in the hall.
Jane snatched the cigarette from his mouth and stomped it into the carpet. Yeah,
well, I have no desire to get lung cancer.
He said he was going to fix that problem. Walt looked almost sad.
Fix it for you. What I want is completely different. Im pretty sure this isnt a freefor-all. We dont get everything we want, just one thing.

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If I wasnt sick, Id want to be a billionaire. Walt reached into his pocket.


The woman rolled her eyes. Why, so you could spend it on more of these? She
snatched the next cigarette out of his hand and threw it away. Just lay off them until
this is over.
Walt shook his head. How do we know it will be over? I dont trust that guy, that
thing. Are you sure this isnt a trick?
Shut up.
Look, the last place I want to wind up is jail.
As long as you do as I say, you are not going to jail.
Walt threw out a hand. But it wasnt supposed to go like that. We had a plan, and
the plan didnt work.
What the hell are you talking about? We got him.
Yeah, and you know as well as I do, he wants Harrington there tonight. The cops
werent supposed to find out we werent legit. Not that fast anyhow. Who the hell told
them? They were all smiles and handshakes when we went in to get him.
Jane crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Ill talk to Sullivan.
Good. You can tell him we screwed up. Goddamned bastard gives me the creeps.
We dont even know what he is anymore. And all that talking through that Fredrick
guy? Ill never be able to watch the damn Muppets again without having nightmares.
First off, it doesnt matter what he is. Second, we didnt screw up. Well get
Charlie to the farmhouse but not tonight.
If we dont get him there tonight, Sullivan will consider it a screwup. We should
have never gotten the cops involved.
If we hadnt called them, Charlie would be dead. Helen would have beat us to
him.
Yeah, but the cops. The cops, Jane! He reached for another cigarette.
Dont you dare light that. Or I swear to God I will break your knees.

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Walt put the cigarette away. Sullivan is going to be pissed.


Yeah, well, we have bigger problems right now. In case you forgot, we
impersonated federal agents. Thats a felony, which in turn means a lot of years.
Remember, youre the one whining about jail time. If we move too soon, theres a damn
good chance well get caught, and that means prison. Ill talk to Sullivan, then speak to
our contact at the precinct. If he says were all clear, well set everything up as planned.
It wont do us any good to get interrupted by the bacon patrol. Now go, keep an eye on
Harrington. Ill call Sullivan.
I had to find Briggs. It was now or never. I thought about how he could hear me. I
thought about his face, the way his voice sounded, even how he moved. I pictured him
in my head with as much detail as I could, and then dematerialized. When I popped
back into existence, I was inside the police station. It was a madhouse.
Cops stormed back and forth through the hall. When I got to the center point of all
the action, I saw important-looking people wearing suits. A camera crew was among
them, looking like they were prepping for an apocalyptic announcement. I didnt know
if someone had squealed to the press or if the cops were going to use them to help find
Charlie.
The interview room Charlie had been in was roped off, and people wearing paper
suits, gloves, and booties crawled around on their hands and knees with small black
lights.
In the middle of it all, Briggs, with his tall, wide frame and stony face, barked
orders in his dont give me shit voice.
Someone brought him a cup of coffee and a file. I floated up to him. His aura was
so bloodred it looked like someone had cut their wrists. Good grief, this pissed off, I
wasnt even sure hed give a shit about what I said.
He picked up the coffee cup and downed it in three gulps. To the guy beside him
he said, Is the bureau sending someone?

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Yeah, another so-called psychic. They put her on a plane ten minutes ago. Shell
be at Hartsfield in the next few hours.
He growled and ran a hand over his head. Is that the fastest they can do?
Yes sir, they even pulled the lady off another case. They want to warn you, she
doesnt work like Charlie.
Whats that supposed to mean? She doesnt talk to dead people, or shes not as
good?
I think both, to be honest.
But then, the FBI knew no one was as good as Charlie.
The guy disappeared into the swarm of people. Briggs pinched the bridge of his
nose and cursed.
I decided the first thing I needed to do was get somewhere with less distraction.
Do you think we can go somewhere quiet? How about the break room? Or maybe the
john?
Briggs handed the file in his hand to his captain. Im going to take a break for a
minute.
The man nodded, and I followed Briggs out of the room. He went down the hall
and through the double doors onto the concrete walkway. Once there he leaned against
the wall, eyes closed, head back.
His lips moved, counting back from ten. Briggs took one deep breath after the
other. Then I listened as he prayed. I didnt understand everything he said because he
appeared to have a hard time remembering the words or maybe just getting them out.
But he said Charlies name a couple of times, begging the powers that be to keep him
safe. To let him still be alive.
Okay, Briggs, I dont know whether or not this will work, but I need you to
listen.
His eyes opened.

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Charlies alive.
A crease appeared between his eyebrows, and he rubbed his temple.
Theyre going to take him to Sullivans house in Dawsonville, do you hear me?
Sullivans house in Dawsonville.
Briggs pushed off the wall, eyes wide, body tense. He moved like he was going to
make a break for the door.
I zipped in front of him. Wait!
Lo and behold he did.
But theyre watching for the cops. Theyre waiting to make sure you arent going
to show up there. They have a contact in the department feeding them information
about what youre doing. I moved closer, close enough that he had to feel me. Was I a
cold chill or a feeling of apprehension, or just the goose that walked over his grave?
Please, Briggs, I need your help. I cant save him without you. I think you should go
after him. Alert no one, because if you do, theyll warn Sullivan and this will all be over.
Theres no telling what they will do to him. I dont want to lose him. I cant lose him.
Briggss gaze flicked from the front of the building, then back toward his car. He
stood there for what seemed like forever, looking torn, looking lost.
Get in the car, Briggs. Drive north. Just drive and Ill get you to Charlie.
He stayed where he was another minute before rushing down the steps and
getting into his car.
I dont know what force in the universe was allowing me to influence Briggs, but I
was thankful for it. Every turn I told him to take, he did. Every direction I sent him in,
he obeyed. And I know he didnt hear me.
Between the stop-and-go traffic and the sprawled design of the suburbs where the
hotel was located, it took us about an hour to get there. Not bad timing, but a lot could
happen to Charlie in an hour. The only good thing was I had no problems keeping up
with the sedan.

250

Adrienne Wilder

Briggs pulled into the parking lot of the Days Inn and went inside. A middle-aged,
balding clerk sitting behind the desk looked up. May I help you?
Briggs flashed his badge. It worked way better on the clerk than it had on Charlie.
The guy jumped up and began shuffling papers as if Briggs was the desk police come to
inspect his paperwork.
Im looking for two people.
The clerk stopped. Who?
I dont know their names, but they would have checked in today. Briggs gave
him a description. They might have had a third person with them who appeared
inebriated? Or maybe a large suitcase or duffle bag?
Something those two goons could hide Charlie in. The idea of him stuffed into a
piece of luggage made me see red.
The clerk thought a moment. Then he wandered over to the computer. I havent
had too many check-ins today. A family of five, some tourists from Florida, a couple on
their honeymoon, although if those two were married, Im the Pope. And those are the
only two I can think of who resemble who youre looking for.
Briggs leaned over the counter. Lets try them.
The clerk keyed up the page. A Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Okay, that was so transparent it made me look good. Briggs must have been
thinking the same thing, because he snorted. What room are they in?
The clerk told him.
Briggs rapped the counter with his big fist. If you see them, dont tell them I was
here or looking for them.
The guy made a zipping motion over his lips. I rolled my eyes.
Since Briggs had the room number, I went on ahead and found Charlie still lying
on the bed. Walt had his back turned to him and his eyes on the TV set, which had to be

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251

on full blast. I didnt see Jane anywhere. Maybe with any luck Briggs would spot her in
the hall and take her out there. Then wed only have to deal with monkey man.
You okay?
Charlie flicked his gaze toward his captor.
Hes busy watching the football game. How are you?
Thirsty, he whispered.
I kissed him, and ice formed on his lips.
I was thinking more along the lines of water, but that was pretty good.
I smiled.
Did Briggs
Yeah.
He sighed. Thank God. Where is he now?
I jerked my head in the direction of the door. Coming up the elevator.
Now what?
Well, we can wait, or we can try to cause a scene.
Does Briggs have a plan?
Like he would tell me. Could tell me. Hell, as far as I knew, I was just acting as
his gut instinct.
The bathroom door opened, and Jane walked out. I didnt even think about her
being in there. Of course being dead, I had no use for a toilet. While she adjusted her
blazer, I caught a glimpse of a gun. Great, as if her arms and legs werent lethal enough.
Damn it, I said.
Charlie whispered, Do you think Briggs has a chance?
Two on one, especially as fast as that bitch moved, not to mention she was armed?
I couldnt be too sure.

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Dont get too comfortable, Walt, Jane said. We leave in a couple of hours. If he
heard her, he didnt act like it. She sat down in a nearby chair, cell phone in hand.
Charlie practically read my mind when he said, Maybe you should warn Briggs.
I popped back out in the hall to find Briggs easing down the corridor with his gun
drawn.
Wait!
He stopped, brow furrowed, mouth a hard line. Like whatever he was thinking
about hurt.
Two on one. Not good odds. Barbie in there is like a karate, tae-kwon-do expert.
You need to wait, Briggs. I wanted to tell him to call for help, but the last thing we
needed was to tip off their contact. Theyre gonna leave in a couple of hours. Do you
hear me? Theyre gonna leave soon.
Briggs holstered his weapon, turned around, and went back toward the elevator. I
was pretty sure he wasnt leaving, so I went back into the room with Charlie. Jane was
slapping him on the cheek, and he was still pretending to be out cold.
Charlie did a good job of playing the part of a drugged-out captive. He mumbled
and tried to roll away. Jane shook him hard. Wake up if you want to eat and get
something to drink. Otherwise lay there. I dont give a shit.
Charlie opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He had a hard time, and it didnt look
like it was a part of the act.
You okay? I asked.
He stayed silent and raised his handcuffed hands to his ribs where Jane had
punched him. Jane grabbed an unopened soft drink and the bags of chips near the TV.
She handed him the Funyuns. Charlie made a face and slid the unopened bag under the
edge of the bed when she wasnt looking.
I couldnt blame him. Those things looked more Styrofoam than a source of food.
When do you think theyre going to move you?

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Charlie glanced down. I followed his gaze. He had a hand on his knee, two fingers
uncurled from his fist, then three.
Two to three hours?
He gave a slight nod, then took a sip of his drink.
Hey! Jane walked over. Youre too quiet.
Just tired.
Really? She cast a look around. No, no, I think youre up to something. Is
Casper in here?
No.
She slapped Charlie upside the head. Dont lie to me.
Walt turned a little. Maybe he aint lying. I dont feel nothing.
Not that it matters though. A few cold chills are not gonna get you anywhere.
The dead are useless. Her hard gaze fell right on me. Isnt that right, Casper?
Damn sparkies. At least now I knew their connection to Sullivan.
So help me God, if I was alive Id knock her fucking head off. Charlie gave me a
look that reminded me hed already gotten his ass kicked and he was by no means a
weakling. I added, Well, Id try at least. There was something against the law of
physics that said she should be able to beat up a person the size of Briggs. I was sure it
had to be written somewhere. Five foot six, as big around as a twig. That just wasnt
right. To Charlie I said, So what do you want to do?
His gaze came up.
Wait?
He checked for where Jane was before nodding.
I decided to stay in the room as close to Charlie as I could without frosting the air.
After about two hours Janes phone rang and she said a handful of yeses and noes
before hanging up.

254

Adrienne Wilder

Were on. The Atlanta PD has no clue, and they are chasing their tails trying to
figure out what happened. She gave Charlie a sharklike grin before knocking Walt on
the shoulder with a bony fist. Time to dope him up.
Walt stood, and Charlie scurried to the edge of the bed. He went too far and
wound up tipping over the side. Jane grabbed him by his head of hair and landed a
knee kick to his kidney.
Charlie went down, coughing, sputtering.
That ought to teach you. Do what youre told next time, or Ill break your arm.
Walt walked over and pulled Charlie onto the bed. He already had his syringe out
and talked around the cap clenched between his teeth. Hold still. I dont wanna break
the needle off.
In the clubs when I possessed the men who were drunk, the alcohol had no effect
on me. Even if they were passed out, I could take over, making their bodies mine.
Knowing that gave me an idea.
Charlie, do you trust me?
The look on his face said of course.
Take me in.
I was able to slip into Charlie right before Walt stuck him in the thigh.

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Chapter Twenty-Five
Jane and Walt took the back way out of the hotel, avoiding the lobby and coming
out in the lower parking lot, which looked abandoned. Theyd rolled Charlie into a
blanket, and I could only catch glimpses of our surroundings. Jane looked around, then
motioned for Walt to follow her across the parking lot.
I heard the beep and thump of door locks being deactivated by a keyless entry. I
doubted theyd invented keyless entry when the jalopy had been built. Even if they had,
locking that car would have been a moot point. Someone could have just crawled
through one of the rust holes if they wanted to steal it. A very big if.
So they must have switched cars again.
Jane waved a hand. Put him in the trunk.
If Briggs didnt show up now, Charlie was screwed. I wondered if my suggestion
had somehow sent him back to Atlanta? Surely not. With Charlie unconscious, I
couldnt get back inside him if I left to go check on Briggss location.
I had to trust that Briggs knew what he was doing. He was the detective after all.
It took a lot for me not to grunt when Walt dropped Charlie into the trunk.
Charlies aching ribs shot a bolt of pain through his body, and his lower back echoed
with dull throbs. I hated not being able to protect him or at least help.
The dim lights from the overhead fluorescents were cut off with the chunk of the
trunk lid closing. The car rumbled to life and began to move. First back, then forward.
The taillights shone through small slits in the rear, casting a momentary red and white
glow. I struggled and got the blanket to loosen up enough so I could move around.
There wasnt much space, but it was better than feeling like a mummy.

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They drove for a while. There were sudden stops and short bursts of speed. A
moment later the car began a slow ascent. The other cars hummed around us as the
vehicle picked up speed. The hiss of tires against the concrete highway echoed up
through the trunk, sounding like the hum of angry bees. Every so often the monotony
was broken by the thump of a pothole or a dividing line in the concrete. I felt Charlie
stir, but he was still deeply sedated. It saddened me because I could feel his fear, his
worry, and shared in his struggle to escape the vise grip of unconsciousness. It was a
losing battle. Whatever it was theyd given him was strong.
I could tell when we exited the interstate by the way the rhythm of the tires
against the asphalt changed. A moment later we slowed. Without the road noise I could
hear Jane and Walts heated discussion, but the words were muffled by the echo of the
car engine and I couldnt understand what they said. The car sped up, and we drove for
a while before it made a sharp turn. The hum of rubber on blacktop was replaced by the
pop and grind of loose gravel.
The car dipped, and something in the trunk jabbed Charlie in the shoulder. I think
it was the jack. Either way it would be yet another bruise to add to his growing
collection.
Charlie moaned my name.
Its okay, I said. Im right here.
For a moment he regained control of his body and lifted his hands like he was
trying to find me. I moved closer to the dreamless sleep he was trapped in and felt a
smile form on his lips.
I feel you, Ethan.
Yeah, yeah, Im right here.
So tired.
Just go back to sleep, okay?
I dont think he gave in because he wanted to, but rather he didnt have a choice.

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The car stopped, and the engine died. Get the trunk, Jane said.
It was muffled, but I heard another sound. Gravel grinding, the hum of an engine,
rocks pinging against a metal undercarriage with sharp ticking sounds, then Briggss
deep, commanding voice sounded off. Hands where I can see them.
I all but cheered. Hallelujah, the fucking cavalry! A heavy thump rocked the car, and
then a deep boom slammed against the hood. I strained to see out of the sliver of space
beside the taillights and caught a glimpse of Briggss big fist landing a blow into the
side of Walts head. Gorilla boy went down like a ton of bricks and didnt get up. Briggs
picked up Walts gun, and a shot pinged off the sedan near his head. He rolled to the
rear and scooted back, using the car for cover.
I couldnt see Jane or Briggs anymore, but I could hear the gunshots. The taillight
near Charlies foot exploded, and I realized just how much of a sitting duck we were. I
felt for a latch on the trunk, found it, and the lid popped open. I didnt bother to look
and see where anyone was, I just prayed that Briggs saw us and could cover me while I
made a break for it.
A bullet pinged off the gravel near my foot, and the spike of fear propelled me
faster. I dove behind some bushes near the driveway.
Briggs called out, You okay, Charlie?
Yeah, fine. Except it felt like his heart was going to explode. I think it was the
fact I was so unused to feeling a pulse. Like the scent of grass and earth, which were too
strong, too harsh, assaulting my olfactory senses and making them burn. I risked a peek
over the edge of the driveway. Jane darted to the other side of the sedan where Briggs
was hidden.
Shes coming around!
Briggs squeezed off a shot just in time. Jane went scurrying back. She cursed, and
the things she said made gangsta rap sound chaste.
Give it up. Youre not going anywhere. Youre only going to wind up dead,
Briggs said.

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I dont think she was impressed, because she fired off a shot. The passenger
window exploded in a hail of glass. Briggs moved out of the way.
Jane came over the hood, the roof, and down the trunk like something out of a
Jackie Chan flick. Her heel caught Briggs in the shoulder. He dropped his gun. She
landed on the ground in front of him. Jane grabbed a handful of Briggs hair and
planted her knee right into the middle of his face. Then she slammed his forehead into
the bumper with a hard crack.
Briggs slid to the ground, his face a bloody pulp.
Jane picked up her gun and aimed it at his head.
Wait!
Another voice, only this one I knew. Fredrick. He came out of the house, dressed
casual but looking like a man who hadnt slept in weeks. His sunken eyes and pallid
complexion were signs of his body breaking down under the control of the sedit
attached to his back. Sullivans ghost walked right behind him.
Bring him. I can use him later.
Fredrick relayed the command.
Id been hoping Jane had somehow overlooked where Id gone, but then she
turned, glaring at my hiding place. Get your ass up and inside. If I have to come after
you, Im going to feed you your nuts.
I stood. Walt was already back on his feet and headed to the house, dragging
Briggs with him.
Jane grabbed the back of Charlies neck and shoved him in the direction of the
house. You pull something stupid like that again, and Im just going to shoot you.
Hear me?
I didnt have to answer; she knew I did.
More awake now, Charlie was confused. To him I said, The rescue didnt quite work
out like Briggs planned.

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What happened?
I turned his head to where Walt headed into the basement, dragging Briggs by the
arm.
Shit.
I sighed. Yeah, that would about sum things up.
Jane jabbed her gun between Charlies shoulder blades, directing us to another
room. Once we were inside, the door was locked behind us. I checked the two
windows. They were nailed shut and reinforced with wrought-iron bars. Great, just
great. With no other possible escape route, I walked over to the narrow bed shoved in
the corner and sat down. It was the only piece of furniture in the room. At least there
was a bathroom. I could only hope the toilet worked.
Are you okay on your own now?
Charlie nodded. Yeah, I think so.
I slid out of him and hovered near his shoulder. Im sorry it didnt work.
How the hell could you know Jane was going to kick Briggss ass?
I guess Id underestimated her. Poor Briggs was going to have to turn in his man
card now. Not only had he gotten the shit kicked out of him, but hed gotten the shit
kicked out of him by a woman who probably weighed as much as one of his legs.
Ill go look around and see what were up against.
Charlies gaze met mine. I want you to go back to the apartment.
What?
I dont want anything to happen to you, and whatever it is Sullivan has started
here, it cant be good.
So you just want me to leave?
Yes.
This isnt a movie, Charlie. There is no run and save yourself. Besides, Im
already dead, remember?

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Yeah but youre still here. He could destroy you. Some of the things Sullivan was
working on, they could obliterate an ectoplasmic field.
In other words, Sullivan had a weapon that could erase me from existence. I stuck
out my chin. Im not leaving.
Charlie sighed and lay back on the bed. And I bet no matter how much I beg,
youre going to go looking around.
I have to.
I love you, Ethan. So please, dont let anything happen to you, okay? He
sounded so sad I almost told him to forget it, Id stay right here, but I had to figure out
what was going on, what they had planned for Charlie.
I went back to the basement. Fredrick was there without the sedit attached to his
back. The man was bent over a desk, scribbling out mathematical equations. He had
some piece of equipment out in front of him. Briggs was handcuffed to a post. I floated
over to him, moved through him. He grunted, and his head bobbed.
Wake up! I waited and got nothing. Cmon, Briggs, Charlie needs you. Wake
up!
His eyes came open. First he looked confused, then angry. He yanked on the
handcuffs, grunting and growling.
Fredrick jumped up. Oh God, please, please be quiet! He held a finger to his lips
and looked around. His face was even more hollowed out than it had been upstairs.
Briggs glared. Who the fuck are you?
Stan Fredrick.
You dont look anything like your picture. No, his picture was of a middle-aged
man. Now he looked three days in the grave. Im not well. Theyve been keeping me
down here. That thing, that whatever, its been using me to fix the equipment and
calibrate the machines.

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Briggs yanked on the cuffs. My name is Detective Briggs. I work for the Atlanta
Police. Let me go and Ill get us out of here.
I cant.
Yes, you can. Open the cuffs.
I cant do that. Hell kill both of us, not to mention people we know. I have a wife
and children. I dont want to see them slaughtered. And he will slaughter them, in
terrible, brutal ways. Fredrick sat down on a small workbench. Im sorry. So sorry all
of this happened. I should have never helped Sullivan all those years ago. I had no idea
how messed up he was.
What about now?
I dont want to help him. I have to. He told me as long as I dont resist, hell leave
my family alone.
And you believe him?
Fredricks gaze slid to the floor, making him look even less than the man
remembered from years ago. Meek. Frightened. Beaten down. Looked like Fredrick got
more than just a taste of his own medicine. I still felt sorry for the SOB. He was slowly
dying, if not already dead. His aura was just about gone.
Ask him what Sullivan is doing, I said.
Briggs turned his head right toward me, eyes searching, brows down. Why does
Sullivan want Charlie?
Its not him. Its the thing inside him.
Fine, the thing inside Sullivan. It wants Charlie. Why?
It wants to possess him.
If it wants to possess someone so bad, why doesnt it take you?
I couldnt agree more.
Charlie is special. You know that. Youve seen what he can do. He isnt like
normal people. His electromagnetic field, the energy that lets him see and speak to the

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dead, makes him a better host. That, combined with Charlies ability to make the dead
real, the Darkness wouldnt be limited by a human body. It could use Charlie like a
power source, take a corporeal form whenever it wanted.
What the fuck for? Briggs echoed me.
Fredricks hands shook. Im not sure. But I know it has a plan. Its been here
before and has unfinished business.
And how would you know that?
When it controls me with one of those things, you know, when ithe waved a
hand, indicating his backI can sometimes hear its thoughts. I see images. Fires. Wars.
Battlefields covered in bodies. People dying from plagues. I cant tell when it happened
though. Or how many times. But it wants something big.
Briggss face hardened. His hands turned into fists. He pulled against the support
beam, and it shifted. A fine trail of dust rained down. Tell me how to stop it.
You cant.
There has to be a way.
Youre just a cop, Detective Briggs. You cant kill this thing. Its not dead. Its
never even been alive.
Can you at least tell me what it is Sullivan is doing?
He wants to use the polarity ring to change the frequency of the portal out back.
The one Charlie opened all those years ago to the plane of the dead. When he does, the
Darkness will be able to cross over completely.
If it possessed Charlie, hed have to exist inside his body, trapped with that thing
forever.
Let me go and I swear I will get you out alive. I will protect your family. I will
stop this thing.

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Fredrick gave Briggs a tired look. No, you wont. Nothing can stop the Darkness,
Detective Briggs. Not you, not Charlie. Pretty soon you wont even have the will to fight
it.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Im all used up. Youre next in line.

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Chapter Twenty-Six
I popped in next to Charlie and found him standing on the bed next to the
window. His hands were grimy, and there was blood on his fingertips.
What did you do to yourself?
Trying to get the screws loose from those bars in the window.
With what?
He held up a dime. Its not the greatest of improvs, but its working. He pushed
on the bars, and they moved. He wiped his hands on his shirt. Did you find
anything?
Briggs and Fredrick.
Where?
In the basement. Theyve got Briggs handcuffed, and Fredrick is doing some type
of work on a piece of machinery.
Why do you look so scared?
Because I was. The fear inside me tumbled like cold, hard spikes through my
ethereal body. I told Charlie everything Fredrick had told Briggs. He listened in
absolute silence. When I was done, his expression was dark. I could practically feel
Charlie thinking, and wherever his thoughts were made me more worried than Id ever
been so far. It was like a switch flipped in Charlies aura. The color went from blues,
greens, and purples to a dark gray. He pulled the sheet off the bed and walked into the
bathroom.

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Charlie? I followed. Charlie wrapped a portion of the sheet around his hand.
What are you doing? He didnt answer me. Charlie, what are doing? Please, for
Gods sake, talk to me.
He looked up. I will not let it possess me.
So what are you doing with the bedsheet? I think I knew. I just didnt want to
say it.
I need to make sure I dont mess up my hands. If I just hit the mirror with my fist
I could cut the wrong tendons.
As opposed to the right ones? Charlie, stop this!
Its the only way.
No, God, no. Please, please dont do this!
I have to, Ethan.
No, you dont. Ill figure something out. You cant, pleaseplease, please, dont.
Goddamn it, I cant lose you!
Maybe Ill be okay. Maybe Ill be with you. He pulled back his fist, and I got in
his way as if doing it would stop him.
Dont! We need to try a different way. You can work on the window. You can
climb out.
Its not going to stop. Dont you get it? Its going to keep coming after me. How
many people will die while it tries to track me down? And when it catches up to me?
Then what? This thing is evil, and its going to do something terrible, like Fredrick said.
It will use me to make it real. Then what?
I didnt care. At least hed be alive. Ill go back down to Briggs. Ill see if I can get
him to break free.
Ethan, youre not listening. Even if Briggs could get me out of here, where am I
going to go?

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Africa? Egypt? Australia? I didnt care. Id find a way to get him to the moon if I
had to. Please, no. There has to be another way.
Charlie paused.
You know of one.
He shook his head. Its stupid.
No, no, it isnt. Not if it means you live!
He raised his fist. Put it down. He was really thinking now. You said there was a
ring around the portal.
Yeah, it was keeping the ghosts from going to it.
Maybe not.
What do you mean?
You said there was a large machine pumping the water.
Yeah? So?
He wouldnt need a high-powered pump to move the water at the right speed to
keep those ghosts from crossing over. The faster the water moves, the stronger the
barrier. Ghosts only need the minimum.
There are a lot of dead people out there, thousands.
Wouldnt matter. The dead are only so strong. One or thousands, it wouldnt
make a difference in the amount of electrical energy the moving water created. Even the
sedit arent strong enough to break through a copper-and-water barrier. You saw them
at the lab in Atlanta. Sullivan is trying to keep something different contained.
Containing something insinuates there was something on the inside. There was
nothing but the portal.
Exactly. For some reason, he wants a shield. Why?
I thought a minute before I asked, What happens when two different polarities
come together?
What do you mean?

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Fredrick said the portal out back was the wrong polarity and they needed to
change it so it could bring across the rest of itself. What would happen if didnt get
changed and the Darkness went through it?
I assume it would work a lot like water does for a ghost and would disrupt its
energy field.
Zap it?
Maybe.
So if we could get it to go through, the portal could destroy it?
How are you going to get it inside?
I smiled. Like you said, maybe Sullivan isnt keeping something out, hes keeping
something in with the water barrier that surrounds the portal. What if Sullivan has it up
to keep the portal from pulling him in? If the polarities are different, maybe it works
like a magnet. Opposites attract and all that.
Charlie bit his bottom lip, looked at me, then the mirror and back. Maybe.
Then lets try it. Lets go out there and turn off the barrier. With any luck it will
suck Sullivan in and poof, hell be gone. Thats what I hoped and prayed for.
And what if it doesnt work?
It will.
What if it doesnt, Ethan? Then what? This might be my only chance.
To what? Kill yourself? I knew thats exactly what he meant.
I cant risk it. Im sorry. Its a theory, but I cant bet on it working. Not with so
many people who could die if you and I are wrong. He punched the mirror. It
splintered with a dull crack. I was powerless to stop him. I couldnt grab his hand. I
couldnt pull him back. I ached with the knowledge I was unable to stop the man I
loved from hurting himself. My heart cried out, but I held back the scream of anguish.
No, no, you have to try.
And risk it winning? Charlie unwrapped his hand.

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Please, Charlie, please try this. If it doesnt work


He popped out a sliver of glass.
I had to say something, anything to get him to stop. If it doesnt work, Ill kill you
myself. He paused and I said, Ill take everything, I swear. Ill kill you.
He glanced down at the shard of mirror he held against his wrist. A tiny line of
blood traced the razor-sharp edge. His gaze came back up. It wont be easy.
No, it wouldnt. If I took everything, Id become real and the tactile experience of
killing him would haunt me for the rest of my afterlife. I didnt care. I would do it. I
loved him too much not to. I know, but I will.
You swear?
I swear, Charlie, if it doesnt work, Ill kill you myself.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven
Close to dark, the house was quiet. The lack of sedit and no sign of Sullivan
unnerved me. I kept vigil while Charlie worked the last of the screws loose. Walt
showed up with food and water. He didnt seem to feel too good. The right side of his
face was a black-and-blue mess where Briggs had punched him, and his nose was
swollen.
He pretty much threw the plate of food in the door and left.
Charlie got up from the bed where hed been playing opossum. Is he gone?
I watched through the wall as Walt and Jane went downstairs, talking about
getting Fredrick to hurry.
Still no sign of Sullivan?
I turned around to see Charlie lowering the bars from the window. You did it!
He didnt exactly look excited. Yeah, now we just got to get out of here. Charlie
climbed out the window. We heard a loud thump, and the entire house groaned.
Shouting followed. Jane, then Walts angry yell came up the stairs. Charlie looked at
me, expression panicked.
How the hell had they heard us?
Just go!
Charlie did. He dropped to the dew-covered ground and headed into the night.
The shape of the house disappeared as Charlie headed into the woods. I heard
movement. Someone was following us. Damn it, no!
Run, Charlie.

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He did, heading into the thickest part of the woods, using the brambles and
climbing vines for cover.
I turned around just as a familiar massive form stepped out from behind some
trees. Briggs?
Charlie stopped.
Briggs approached, and I looked him over to make sure he wasnt bringing
anyone with him. His aura was normal, a little erratic, with bright patches of red
bursting at the edges when he saw Charlie.
Briggs grinned. You run fast. Anyone ever tell you that? He had a black eye and
a busted lip. He planted his hands on his knees while he caught his breath. Briggs was
still handcuffed.
How the hell did you get away? Charlie said.
Old house. They dont concrete the posts. Pulled it loose.
Post as big as a tree and he pulled it loose. Damn, he really was the Jolly Green
Giant.
Charlie came out of the bushes. What about Walt and Jane?
Lets just say I owed both of them a good beat down. Especially that bitch.
Youd hit a girl?
A girl, never. That thingthat thing was no girl.
I jabbed my thumb at Briggs. He just doesnt want to admit he got his ass kicked
once by a woman.
Briggs put a hand on Charlies shoulder. Cmon, roads just a few miles from
here. We can find a station, call in some locals.
Charlie pulled away. I cant.
What do you mean, you cant?
That thing has something nasty planned. I dont know what exactly, but we need
to try and stop it.

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How?
Theres a water barrier around the portal. Charlie glanced at me. Ethan and I
have a theory. Id explain it to you, but it would take time we could be using to get
there.
Briggs nodded. Then I guess wed better go.
You dont have to.
Well have a better chance if we work together. Cmon.
Briggs was right, and I was proud of him for being willing to go with Charlie.
They headed across the field and came to the stream with the copper piping. I stopped
because I couldnt cross. Charlie didnt say a word, he just held up his hand, and I slid
inside. I was afraid this would be the last time Id get to be inside him. Through our
connection I could tell Charlie feared the exact same thing.
The influx of dead people flowed toward the portal shimmering just up ahead.
Where is it?
Briggs couldnt see it. He couldnt see any of the dead, let alone sedit, without
help. And if he stood any chance of helping Charlie and making it through this alive, he
needed to be able to see the enemy. I didnt want to leave Charlie, but I was helpless to
protect him any other way.
Charlie read my thoughts. Ill ask him. Briggs, will you let Ethan possess you?
What? Why?
So you can see where were going. Plus with him inside you, youll be able to see
the portal, the sedit, and Sullivan.
Briggss lips thinned out. I could tell he didnt like the idea, but he was also smart
enough to realize his disadvantage. Okay, fine.
Charlie took Briggss hand and pushed me in. The rush of perspective change
happened faster than normal and almost knocked me off my feet. Charlie fell to his
knees, and I pulled him back up.

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Im okay.
Can you walk?
Yeah, yeah, just give me a second.
Off to the right, the shadows under the trees billowed. I dont think we have a
second.
He looked. Oh fuck.
That about sums it up. With Briggss hands cuffed, the best I could do was let
Charlie hang on while I pulled him along. The crowd of ghosts around the portal
became thicker. There had to be twice as many now as last night. So many that I could
barely see through them. Charlie seemed to be having the same problem.
Over there! I said.
The pump house was a dark shape among the pale bodies. We headed toward it.
When we got close, I saw Sullivan perched on the roof. His translucent body rolled with
darkness.
His head tilted at an unnatural angle. Going somewhere, Charlie?
Sedit surrounded usblack shapes among the dead, shadows of death, sliding
across the ground.
Sullivan hissed. Ive dreamed of you for years. I have been looking forward to
finding someone like you for eons. Now youre here. Im here.
I wont help you.
You wont have a choice. I want you, and I will have you. Well do fantastic and
terrible things together, Charlie. You were made for me. You just dont see it yet.
Ethan? Charlie looked at me. I knew what he wanted. Ethan, you promised.
Its not over. If I had my way, it would never be over. I rushed the well house,
using Briggss strength to bust open the door. The sedit lunged, sinking ethereal teeth
into my flesh. A jolt of pain shot up my leg and into my hip. The impact knocked me off
my feet.

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With my hands cuffed, I was handicapped to defend myself. Even if they hadnt
been on, I would have been handicapped. I kicked one of the sedit, sending it flailing
into the barrier. It screamed and vanished in a hail of sparks. I crawled, trying to get
closer before they tore Briggs apart. Another kick sent one into the crowd of spirits. I
rolled and passed over the barrier to the clear spot in front of the portal. The ones
clinging to me lit up like fireworks and were gone.
Ah, fuck, Id forgotten how bad a body could hurt. Bite marks covered Briggss
arms and legs, and the pain made me dizzy. I could feel Briggs pushing me to get up,
demanding from deep down to save Charlie.
When I tried to go back outside the barrier, the sedit closed in, blocking my way.
Behind the crowd of dead, Charlie screamed.
Through a gap in the crowd I could see that more sedit had Charlie pinned down
as Sullivan walked over. His terrified gaze met mine. Goddamn it, Ethan! You
promised. You promised me!
I did. I did promise.
I watched helplessly as Fredrick approached the well house, carrying the piece of
equipment hed been working on. He knelt beside the building and began hooking up
the device to a mass of cables leading outside and to one of the metal boxes over the
copper pipe.
You bastard. The voice came from behind me. I turned to see Jane walk right
through the portal, completely unaware it was even there. Her face was bruised, her
hair a mess. She looked like shed been kicked to shit and back again. As shameful as it
was, seeing her like that was a beautiful sight.
From outside the barrier Sullivan said, Leave him. Hes trapped.
Like hell Im gonna leave him. I owe him a bullet to the head. Not so tough now,
are you, pig? She raised her gun and pulled the trigger. A searing pain flared in my
shoulder. I fell to my knees. Jane laughed. Hurts, doesnt it, asshole? Think Ill put one
in each of your limbs. Then one in your crotch, then your head.

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I shoved myself to my feet, rushed her, and she turned and landed a knee to my
gut. My insides ached, and a sharp pain shot up my side. I fell to the ground. The sound
of Charlie yelling for me got me up. I had to help him, even if it meant killing him. I left
Jane in the clearing and tried to get outside the ring, only to be forced back by the
snapping jaws of sedit.
Jane fired off another shot, and the bullet seared a line across my arm. I jerked,
almost falling into the mass of sedit. They roared as I managed to change the direction I
stumbled and avoid them. I turned around, and Jane limped across the open space in
front of the portal. Her gun hand trembled so hard she looked like she could barely
hang on. The expression on her face was pure madness.
Goddamned pig. Ill teach you to fuck with me.
A high-pitched mechanical whine filled the air. Behind Jane the light of the portal
darkened. Streaks of gray intermingled with the pale blues and yellows. On the other
side of the crowd of ghosts and sedit, Charlie screamed. I caught sight of him struggling
over by the well house as Sullivan knelt over him and sank his hands into Charlies
skull.
God, Charlie. I was powerless. Between Jane shooting at me and the sedit blocking
my path, Id never get to him in time.
Let me have control. Cmon, Ethan, youll never take her out without me.
I wouldnt. I didnt know jack about fighting. I didnt slide out of Briggs, but I
allowed him to push me back. Briggs seized control of his body and dove right for the
ground. His long leg shot out just as Jane pulled the trigger. The bullet plugged him in
his thigh, burning through the muscle. Jane went down screaming. Briggs scurried
across the grass and grabbed the gun.
The well house! Shoot the well house, I said.
Charlie yelled my name again, and Briggs made the mistake of looking. The
blackness had pulled free of Sullivans ghost and was now wrapping itself around
Charlie. The portal darkened even more, and ribbons of blackness flowed out, crawling,

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reaching the barrier and sliding up the invisible side like leeches looking for a host.
With it came a wave of despair, hopelessness, and sheer hate.
Briggs aimed at the machine Fredrick was working on. Just as he was about to pull
the trigger, Janes arm went around his throat. Did this bitch never quit? Briggs kicked
and tried to draw in a breath. Her hold tightened, and dark spots bloomed in front of
his eyes. Briggs bucked like a bull, and Janes grip slackened just enough for him to
slam his head back, catching her in the face. There was a loud crunch and a dull pain in
the back of his skull. She let go.
The whir of the pump died, and as the moving water slowed, the sedit were able
to begin pushing through, claws grabbing at the air near Briggs. Any moment now it
would be completely gone and they would be free to swarm into the clearing. Briggs
aimed for Fredrick, to stop him from using the machine to finish changing the polarity.
He pulled the trigger, and the gun kicked in his hand. Fredrick jerked and fell back. His
ghost slipped from his body with a surprised look.
Everything seemed to slow down. The sedit, the ghosts. Charlie stood up and for a
moment I thought hed gotten away and was heading to join us behind the barrier and
then I saw his eyes: black holes. Endless evil. I knewI knew we were too late. The
Darkness had Charlie, and there was only one way to set him free.
Shoot him, Briggs.
No.
Goddamn it, I promised.
I will not kill him.
I seized control and aimed the gun at Charlie. Briggs shoved his hand down.
Shoot the fucking machine first. Try that before you kill him! Briggs squeezed the trigger.
The first bullet pinged off the pipes, and the second one hit home. A hail of sparks shot
off. Ribbons of black tore free from the wave coming out of the portal. The tendrils
arched and twisted. Small flashes of fire ignited the shredded ends of the tendrils and
ate up the length until there was nothing left. The Darkness inside Charlie screamed.

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The sedit were next. The portal dragged them like an inky void across the grass.
The ghosts whod been held back by the barrier began walking into the light.
Everything was swallowed by the portals pulsing glow.
I waited for the Darkness inside Charlie to be pulled from his body and swept
away, but it was still inside him.
Its not working. The portal had taken away the sedit and the other part of the
Darkness trying to come through, but not the Darkness inside Charlie.
The only thing I could figure was Charlies body was protecting it, just like I was
protected by a living form. As long as the Darkness was inside a human body, it could
resist the magnetic pull of the portal. We needed to get him closer, maybe inside, but
how?
Well make him. Briggs tucked the gun in the waist of his pants and headed for
Charlie, pushing with everything he had. Leg screaming, arm bleeding. Charlie tried to
run, but Briggs caught him. The handcuffs made it almost impossible for him to hang
on.
Charlie turned in Briggss arms and landed a punch to his face. A lightning bolt of
torment ricocheted through Briggss skull. Charlies foot came down against Briggss
knee. A grinding stab echoed through his leg.
Briggs went down, but he refused to let go and yanked Charlie to the ground with
him.
Closer, Briggs! We have to get him closer.
The nearer Briggs dragged Charlie to the portal, the harder he struggled. By the
time he reached the edge, Charlies face had become a mask of horror. I knew then we
were right. We had to do this. We could do this. Charlie slammed the back of his head
into Briggs face, busting his nose again. Blood flowed over the detectives upper lip,
down his chin. Blue-black flowers blossomed in front of his eyes, scattering his thoughts
and nearly stunning him into unconsciousness. I took over, keeping a hold while Briggs

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regained his senses. I yanked Charlie, slinging him closer to the portal, then tackled him
when he tried to get up.
Briggs came to, and together we hauled Charlie kicking and screaming into the
light. Energy rippled through Charlies body and Briggss, making his body hum like a
tuning fork. The Darkness was ripped out of Charlie, throwing out a hail of blue sparks.
I watched in horror as Charlies spirit flickered, shoulders and head, a perfect version of
himself being pulled from his body by the Darkness as it struggled to hang on. I
reached out from Briggs, not letting go, but extending my ghostly self to grab him.
Hang on, Charlie! I wasnt even sure who said it, me or Briggs. The sound inside
the portal: an endless number of voices ringing in my ears.
Briggs grabbed hold of the Darkness. Like the sedit, it was more reala physical
presence on the plane of the living. He pulled back, tearing it free from Charlie, and
then shoved Charlie outside the portal with his foot. Charlie rolled away, limbs
flopping limp until he came to a halt outside of the portal. I didnt know if he was alive
or dead.
Tendrils shot out of the squirming black mass and sank into Briggss body. I
hadnt expected that. I hadnt expected it to be able to grab on to us to use Briggs and
me as an anchor. It invaded, wrapping around us, pulling us from Briggss living body.
Briggss ghostly form was yanked out of his body. I grabbed hold of his arm, trying to
keep him from being torn away and into the light by the Darkness. My hand caught his.
Above us, light swirled in a cyclone of color. There were faces, sometimes hands. I
heard laughter and felt happiness.
How easy it would be just to let go, to go willingly into all that wonderful energy.
If Charlie was gone, he had to be in there, somewhere. I could find him, and we could
be together forever.
Ethan!

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I looked over to see Charlie, up on his elbows. His dark gaze normal, afraid. He
crawled closer and reached out. Charlie grabbed Briggss leg and began dragging him
away from the portal. But he was weak, and it was taking everything he had.
Above me Briggss ghostly form still fought the Darkness, kicking, hitting. I could
see it sinking into Briggss ethereal body, tearing him apart one ectoplasmic molecule at
a time. Briggs opened his hand.
What are you doing? I scrabbled for a hold, barely catching him in time.
His gaze met mine. Let go.
What? No, no, were gonna get out of this!
Ethan, if he drags my body out with me still inside, it will come with us. Then
well be right back where we were. Let go. For Gods sake, think of Charlie!
Charlie had Briggss body free up to his waist. Yeah, Charlie, the man I loved, the
man who would suffer if we didnt kill this thing now. The Darkness slid up Briggss
form, closer to me.
It would grab me next, and then I would be a direct line to Briggss body.
Please, Briggs, I dont want to do this.
You dont have a choice, Ethan. Let go.
I did, damn me to hell. I let him go and Charlie pulled me back, still inside
Briggss body.

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279

Chapter Twenty-Eight
One Week Later
Hospitals. Id never hated them before, but then I didnt remember much about
being alive.
Are you sure youre ready to come home? Charlie said.
Yeah. I am.
Charlies fingers pushed between mine.
Apparently a living body without a life force is like Velcro. I couldnt leave Briggs
now that his soul, or whatever, was gone. It was a gift and a curse. Briggs had died for
Charlie, and Id survived. Not just survived, but been given a second chance in the
living world.
I wanted to be thankfuland I was thankfulI was just saddened by the price
hed paid.
Charlie drove since I was still recuperating. According to the doctors, Briggsor
rather Ihad two cracked ribs, a concussion, a bullet lodged in my thigh, bruised
kidneys, multiple bites, and muscle damage from the bullet wound to my shoulder. Not
to mention the plethora of bruises from head to toe thanks to Jane.
She was in police custody now, and so was Walt. Both of them were charged with
aggravated kidnapping, assault to a police officer, attempted murder, and much more.
For Walt it was a death sentence, seeing as he had cancer. Hopefully by the time Jane
saw the light of day again, shed be too old to perform any more of her fancy moves.
In an attempt to get their sentences lessened, they ratted out their contact inside
the precinct. Of all people it was the janitor. Theyd paid him five hundred bucks to

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keep them informed about what the cops were doing. Five hundred dollars. It made me
sad to think the man thought that little of human life.
Charlie squeezed my hand. You know, if you wanted to stay, I could have
brought you some better food.
No, no. I just want to go home.
Home would be Briggss apartment for a while. At least until we figured this thing
out. Right now I was on leave; diagnosis: traumatic amnesia. The EEG theyd done on
me showed irregularities in my brain waves and the CT scan showed a physical
abnormality. The doctors declared it one of those wait-and-see things.
It wasnt hard to figure out why the scan showed something funky. Charlie pulled
into the parking space outside of the apartment. The dead guy in fatigues waved at me.
He was surprised when I waved back. I guess because Briggs had never been able to
see him before. He took off through the wall without looking back.
Charlie laughed. Youre going to have to be careful about doing that.
Why? You do it.
Yeah, but I have a record for seeing the dead. You dont.
Because I was Briggs now. How weird was that? Cmon, lets go in. Im tired and
want a nap. Damn, I had no idea how exhausting it was to live. I limped up the
sidewalk, and Charlie followed me. I took out the keys but had no idea which one it
was. It took a couple of tries, but I found it. Charlie went in, and I followed.
Cmere. He pulled me toward the bedroom. I sat down on the bed, and he took
off my shoes. I stared at my feet, giant feet, and then my giant hands. Being in Briggss
body should have felt weird, but instead it felt like I belonged here. Like Id been
waiting for this moment since the day I died.
Charlie pulled my shirt over my head. The stitches in my shoulder pulled, and I
winced. He checked the incisions with gentle fingers. You want me to get you a pain
pill?

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So perfect, so handsome. I slid a hand around to the back of his head and pulled
him down. His lips were warm. Alone inside this body, everything was even brighter,
had more taste, a stronger smell. All this time I thought Id been experiencing what it
was like to be alive when I possessed someone. I realized now how wrong I was.
I slid a hand up Charlies shirt and thumbed his nipples. I traced the thin line of
hair on his chest back down to the waistband of his jeans. I popped open a button,
pushed down his zipper, and eased my hand inside his boxers.
Charlie moaned against my mouth, then said, Youre supposed to be resting.
Think of it as physical therapy.
Charlie put his hand on my chest and pushed. Lay back.
Why?
Youll see.
I did, and he untied my sweats. I lifted my hips enough for him to get them down.
He left my socks on. Charlie wrapped a hand around my half-hard cock and stroked. A
wave of euphoria rolled through my body, making me shiver. My cock swelled in his
hands, curving toward my stomach. I think it looked more intimidating now than it had
before.
Charlie paused long enough to kick out of his jeans before straddling my hips and
putting our cocks together. His hand was smooth against my skin. He couldnt jack us
both, so I offered a hand. My heavy palm against his lighter touch. His eyes slid closed,
and he pinched his lip between his teeth. He rocked against me, panting. I tweaked his
nipple on the way up to pulling his head down. I kissed him again, and he plundered
my mouth with his tongue. He tasted sweet, like life, like all the things I had craved
before this moment. Our teeth clashed together, and he accidently bit the stitches in my
lip. The sharp sting made me jerk back.
Sorry.
I laughed. No, its okay.

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He sucked on the cut. It stung and echoed with a dull throb. Okay, that should not
have felt so good.
I gripped our cocks tighter and moved faster. Charlie put a hand on mine. Stop.
But I want to make you come.
You will, trust me. But I want to ride you.
I really shouldnt have. My body was just too damn tired. There was no way I
could have let the opportunity slip by me. No matter how damn bad I felt.
Youre going to have to do all the work. Im too sore.
I know.
He dug through the bedside table and came up with the bottle of Gun Oil. The
name still made me laugh.
Whats so funny?
Briggs and his choice of lubricants. I sobered. Briggsthe man whod died. The
man whose body I now inhabited. Id lived my life and lost it. Being in him felt like Id
stolen something.
Charlies fingers traced my jaw. The stubble on my chin rasped against his gentle
touch, points of warmth conveying so much love with a simple touch.
Hey, what are you thinking about? His aura became scrambled with yellow.
I raised a hand and waved it through the crown of color dancing over his head. It
reacted with my own aura, turning bright red and violet.
Ethan?
Just thinking what I did to deserve this. What made me so special to get another
chance when there are so many out there who are more deserving than me.
Who says youre not?
I dont know. Its just how I feel.
Dont. It happened. You had no choice. It wasnt on purpose.

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But wasnt it? I let go.


Charlie dribbled oil on my cock, which now wasnt quite so impressive. With one
hand he stroked me. The heat of his hand and his velvet touch made me hard again.
With his other hand Charlie got himself ready. The sound of his fingers moving in
and out of his ass as he slicked himself made it possible for me to forget about my guilt.
I had Charlie, after all. I could touch him, feel him, taste him. I swore to myself I would
not squander a single second. I pulled him closer, and he toppled forward, lube-slicked
hand slapping me in the chest when he caught himself. The weight of his body
reminding me just how real this was.
What are you doing?
I reached behind him and stroked his crack with the tip of my dick until I felt the
puckered skin of his hole. Whats it look like?
I thought
I pushed, breaching his entrance, and Charlie moaned.
I was going to do all the
A little more and he gasped.
Oh fuck, Ethan, thats
I pulled him down by his thighs, impaling him.
Oh, God, God, move, please, please
My thigh protested, but I managed a thrust. When I couldnt get enough leverage,
I just used my hands, pulling Charlie up, then slamming him down on me. He dropped
his head back.
Like that. Goddamn it, Ethan. His hand dropped to his cock, and he stroked the
head, tweaking the foreskin before sliding his fingers down. Precum glistened from the
slit. I managed another thrust, and he shouted my name.
His body arched, muscles tight, meeting me stroke for stroke. His ass slapped
against my hips, my cock buried deep inside him.

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My hips, my cock, my body.


Charlie was right. I had been given a second chance. To question the reason why
was to question the gift. And I loved Charlie too much to do that.
I lost rhythm as the swell of pleasure rushed through my body. My muscles
burned as a cold-hot line threaded down the back of my legs. Like a warm breath it
moved across my skin. I gripped Charlies hips tighter, pulling him down hard enough
to make him cry out.
I came, cock pulsing, arching off the bed as every muscle in my back tightened.
Even the orgasm was more powerful than I remembered. The I love you, Charlie
came out on a long, lean growl.
His smoldering gaze met mine before he thrust into his hand, shooting thick ropes
of cum over my stomach and chest. A drop landed on my lips, and I flicked my tongue
out, tasting him.
Charlie slumped. I pulled him closer and held him against my chest. My world
was perfect. Everything was right.
Well, almost everything.
Charlie?
Yeah? His voice was muffled against my shoulder.
I need to go somewhere tomorrow. Do you think you could drive me?
I hadnt been cleared by the doctor yet. Im sure I could have done it if I had to.
But I knew Charlie well enough to know hed want to go with me.
Sure. Where are we going?
To keep a promise.

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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Charlie drove slow so James could keep up with us. He floated in the space
between the two front seats, watching the world go by with wide blue eyes.
Where are we going? His voice was small and timid.
I want to take you home, but theres no one there anymore, so Im going to take
you to where I hope they are.
Will I get to see Roy?
I think so.
He smiled. Ive missed him.
Yeah, and hes missed you too.
The sedan was not meant for off-road travel, so the trip across the pasture was
bumpy. Halfway there we had to get out and walk or risk getting stuck.
James looked around. Im scared.
I knelt down so I could look him in the eye. Dont be. Well go with you.
When I stood, I grabbed Charlies hand as we headed toward the portal, a glowing
pillar of dancing light even in the sun. Occasionally a ghost would blur by and
disappear inside.
James grabbed hold of Charlies hand, and the transparent limb turned real. Since
I wasnt taking from him anymore, it didnt seem to bother him as much as it used to.
We walked, saying nothing, and yet I knew exactly what Charlie was thinking.
How much he loved me, how happy he was. And I, of course, was thinking about him.
We stopped at the edge of the barrier. It was down now, and nothing stopped the
ghosts from disappearing inside.

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James stalled out again. Are you sure Roy is in there?


Was I? I didnt know what tell him. I hoped so. James turned his head like he
heard something. Then he took a step closer.
When I listened, I heard it too. Sullivan, calling out, telling James it was okay.
A face appeared under the glow of light, and a hand extended outward. James
took one last look at Charlie and me, smiling like a boy his age should smile. He ran
right into the light.

He Speaks Dead

Loose Id Titles by Adrienne Wilder


He Speaks Dead

287

288

Adrienne Wilder

Adrienne Wilder
Georgia bred and born, Adrienne Wilder spent most of her childhood exploring
fantastical worlds hidden in her own back yard among tall grass, and shadowed kudzu
tunnels. When she was not dragon hunting, she spent most of her time reading, writing,
drawing, and digging holes.
Currently, Adrienne lives in Dahlonega, GA, where she shares her home with a
variety of dogs and one cat. She still spends most of her time, reading, writing, drawing,
and digging holes. Although now she calls the reading research, the drawing
artwork, the writing books, and the holes ponds and gardens.
Find out more about Adrienne at http://www.theatlantadens.com

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