by Mary Abshire
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2016 Mary Abshire
ISBN: 978-1-77339-096-3
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
FIRST KILL
Heaven Sent, 1
Mary Abshire
Copyright © 2016
Chapter One
“Have you any words to say, Andrew?” David asked. The ringleader of the twelve-member council had white locks along with the other five men. David’s brows weren’t as bushy as the others and his glasses were thinner. All of the elders were at least sixty years of age, wore white robes, and sat in plush chairs behind a ten-foot high bench.
“Sir, I regret any harm I may have caused to anyone, but I assure you the ladies I was with came to me on their own accord. I give you my word, I will work harder to make amends,” Andrew said with a slight grin as he slipped his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
He’d given a similar spiel the other five times he’d stood in front of the council. He apologized for his actions, though he hadn’t done anything wrong, and gave a verbal commitment to improve himself. He expected their response to be comparable to the other ones. They would lecture him, add in a little story or two about when they were young, and then send him off with a warning or light punishment. They were in heaven, after all. What more could they do?
“This has to stop,” Karen said, sitting at the far right of the curved bench. Unlike the other women, she had peppery hair and it was cut way too short.
Andrew frowned at the old woman. She berated him the most. Their disapproval of him came as no surprise. Their hormones had probably ceased working when they’d reached sixty, so he thought. Since he was only twenty-six when he’d arrived, he doubted his sexual drive would ever decrease. Time in heaven was irrelevant. He hadn’t aged a day from his date of death. None of them had since they’d died.
“I agree,” Tom said, seated next to Kim. “He needs more discipline.” The old man had enough wrinkles for two people and his bushy white brows were in desperate need of a trim.
“We already relocated him for two decades and sent him to the academy for men,” Sheila said from the other side of the bench. She had long white locks and fairly tanned skin. “He still managed to persuade ladies into his bed.”
Not true, he said silently to himself. He hadn’t coaxed any of the women into doing the naughty with him. The ladies were the ones who had made the first move. He’d merely indulged their desires. Saying no to a woman in need just seemed disrespectful. Besides, the reprimands for his actions were a small price to pay for the pleasure he partook in.
One time, the council sentenced him to spend twenty years away from his family and friends. Since he’d known he’d see them again, the punishment had little impact on him. He had to serve the time in London and had to work a menial job as a news currier. Andrew had met many fine British ladies, thanks to his new employer. He’d gotten concerned about his customers when papers had stacked up on the driveway or doorstep, so he checked in with them. It wasn’t his fault they enjoyed his company and affectionate attention.
Then there was the academy. It had been set up in a military fashion with a strict regimen. He’d spent five out of a seven-year sentence following orders, cleaning floors, serving food, picking up trash, and performing community service as they instructed. The secretaries in the office had taken a liking to him. Again, it hadn’t been his fault they wanted to have sex in closets, in the basement, or when the boss wasn’t around. Last he’d heard, they replaced all the female employees with male ones.
“It’s time to put an end to this,” Karen said firmly. “He needs to learn respect. He can’t have intercourse with every walking female.”
Andrew quietly snickered. He revered each woman he’d been with. He’d been polite, showed his manners, listened to them… He’d always treated them the way they’d wanted to be treated. The only complaint he’d gotten from ladies was that they’d wanted to be with him more. But he wasn’t the type of guy to stick with one lover for long.
“I suggest we send him back,” Tom said.
Andrew’s brows came together as he watched the members nod. What did send back mean? He’d never heard it before. Was Tom implying to send him back to Earth?
“Yes, and he should have an extra year added to his sentence for each woman he has sexual relations with,” Karen said.
Andrew glared at the old woman. Did she really think she could stop him from having sex with women? What was her problem? Oh right, she preferred the female anatomy instead of the male one. Perhaps if she had sex with a man, she wouldn’t be so bitter toward him.
David leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers together. He stared at Andrew as if he were debating what to do. Other members whispered to each other.
“How many times will we continue to see him in front of us?” Esmeralda said, sitting next to David. She had curly yellowish hair that looked like a wig and wore large, thick glasses. “I fear he will keep coming back unless we impose strict punishment.”
The council was in desperate need of an overhaul. How many years had they served as the decision makers for troubled people? Not that Andrew was trouble. He submitted to the needs of women. He may have encouraged them, but he’d never ever forced any lady to do anything they didn’t want to. Why couldn’t the council understand that? He surmised it was because the members had served on the bench for far too long. They had no sympathy or understanding for the younger generations. Andrew wondered how he could file a complaint.
David straightened and lowered his hands. “Andrew, we’ve seen your face before us too many times. I now believe it is appropriate to take strict action to reform you.”
“Sir—”
“No, you will hear me out,” David said in a stern tone. “You will return to Earth and destroy six demons. During your time there, you are not to engage in sexual intercourse with women. Should you have relations with a woman, an extra year will be added to your stay and for each woman subsequently. In addition to your added time on Earth, you will continue to destroy demons.” David looked beyond Andrew and waved his hand forward.
Andrew clenched his jaw as his level of frustration with the old fools skyrocketed. They were unfair. He hadn’t harmed anyone. He took a step forward. “But sir—”
“Come with me, please,” said a female with an Australian accent from behind him.
Andrew spun to face her. His eyes widened instantly. The woman was taller than him and had a body built like an ox. She had wavy brown hair that reached maybe an inch below her earlobes and wore a white shirt and pants uniform. As if her big frame wasn’t enough to intimidate him, the stun stick clipped to her hip emphasized resistance would be met with harshly.
She lifted her arm toward him and his pulse raced. He wanted to dispute his sentence, but the last time he’d done that the council had doubled his punishment. As a result, he’d spent twenty years in London instead of ten. He suspected they might double his time on Earth if he spoke up to complain. Since he’d spent enough time in heaven, he knew it was a much better place than anywhere else. He didn’t want to be gone any longer than he had to. Unhappy and unwi
lling to risk a larger punishment, he moved toward the female guard with hesitant steps.
Side by side, they walked to the exit. The doors parted and another young man about his age entered the room. The man had a muscular frame similar to his, dark hair, about a week’s worth of overgrowth on his face, green eyes, and a smirk that spelled trouble with a capital T. Andrew didn’t know the stranger or what his transgressions were, but he had the urge to tip the guy off about the council being in a sour mood. Instead, Andrew kept his mouth shut as they passed and continued toward the exit.
“This way,” the female guard said as she wrapped her hand around his arm and guided him down the white hall. Their shoes tapped over the shiny floor.
“How do I file a complaint against them?” he asked.
“A complaint against the council?”
“Yes. They’re too old to be judging people who are less than half their age,” he said before they turned a corner.
“The council has been in charge for a long time. They do what they think is fair to maintain peace and order. Nobody has ever filed a complaint against them.”
They stopped in front of a set of elevators. She pressed the call button for going down.
“Maybe it’s time someone did,” Andrew said. “I think they’ve been in control for too long. I’d like to file a complaint.”
The light above a set of doors flashed and made a light ding.
“I suppose you have the right to lodge one,” she said as she escorted him into the elevator. “But I believe you’d have to submit your complaint in writing. I seem to recall reading that in a manual ages ago.”
“Who would I send it to?” Andrew asked.
“Who do you think?”
He could only come up with one person who could do something, the big chief who ran heaven. “So, I just write a letter to God and mail it?”
“That should do it,” she said.
Andrew sighed heavily. The process seemed too easy. He couldn’t be certain if the guard was providing him with accurate information or not, but he’d give it a try and write a letter.
The ride ended quickly and the elevator doors parted. Andrew walked out with the guard and down another long hall that resembled the prior one. They turned two corners before stopping in front of a white door. The guard withdrew a card from the pouch on her chest. She swiped it down the security device near the handle. Following a chime, she pushed the door open.
“This won’t take long,” she said as she guided him into the room.
The small space reminded him of a doctor’s office with an examining table in the center and cabinets against one wall. There was a laptop propped up on the counter and a bin marked clothes near the door. Although he’d grown up in an age when computers were mostly used by the rich and large businesses, he knew about them and he’d watched people in heaven use them. He had no idea if heaven kept up to date with the technology on Earth, but from what he’d seen versus his knowledge from when he was alive, heaven appeared to be far more advanced.
She let go of his arm. “Take off your clothes, please.” She strode to the laptop and then pressed a key on it. The screen lit up with a box in the center.
Under any other circumstances, Andrew would’ve been more than happy to oblige. “Why do you need my clothes?”
“Because you’re going back to Earth,” she said as she typed.
“Now?” he asked, surprised. He hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to his family or friends.
“Yes. Now.” She kept her back to him.
“Can I notify my family?”
“We will send notice. Please take off your clothes.”
His heartbeat jumped as a touch of dread and panic sprouted within him. He wasn’t ready to go back yet. The prompt sentence and implementation of it seemed unfair. He glanced at the door and saw it had a security device on the handle. He doubted he could get out without a key card. The only one he knew of was in the front pocket above the guard’s right breast. There was no way in the world he would be able to get his hands on it. Lowering his gaze, he realized he had no options to escape.
“Do I have to get sent back naked?” he asked.
She paused typing and shifted her gaze back to him. “Yes. Now, can you hurry up, please? I need to get back for other meetings.” She returned her attention to the computer.
Andrew disliked the idea of showing up naked. Not that he was afraid to show his body. He had a fit one. Before he’d died he’d been athletic and worked out frequently. He’d spent a great deal of effort to maintain his six-pack abs and toned body. And yes, he’d been blessed with a good-sized package to impress any woman. Well, anyone except council member Karen and maybe the guard in the room.
“Are you certain—”
“Yes,” she said with irritation in her tone. She turned to face him. “The styles change over the years. Your clothes may not be appropriate for the current time. To be sure, everyone returned must be naked.”
“Why doesn’t someone monitor—”
“Because we don’t. Not here, anyway. It’s not our job to keep up with the latest fashions. Now, take off your clothes or I’ll put you out and have them removed.” She moved her hand to the stun stick.
He pressed his lips together and pushed his bluish-gray plaid shirt away from his shoulders. While he undressed, he wondered how it was possible to have advanced technology and not stay in touch with current fashion trends. But he dared not ask since she seemed willing to use her weapon. Maybe he’d get lucky and she’d take an interest in him. He’d gladly bang the Aussie for a chance to escape.
She turned back to the laptop and continued typing.
“How exactly do I go back to Earth?” he asked.
She stared at the monitor. “I give you an injection. You’ll go to sleep. Then we transport your body.”
The process seemed easy, too easy.
“Where do you want this?” he said, holding his shirt in his hand.
“The bin, please.” She pointed at it without looking.
He cursed silently to himself. He’d hoped she would’ve looked at his bare chest. Ladies had always gone tongue happy over it, literally. He started to think the guard was a not a fan of the male body. Damn his luck.
He dropped the shirt into the casual clothes bin. He’d learned from his first three visits with the council that dressing in a suit and tie didn’t win him any favors. After kicking off his shoes, he pushed his jeans and boxers down. He discarded them into the bin too, along with his socks and shoes.
“Have a seat on the table, please,” she said, her back still facing him. She opened a drawer from under the counter before she withdrew a metal device in the shape of a gun. Two small empty chambers near the handle were connected to two barrels close to each other.
“What is that?” he asked, praying she wasn’t going to probe him inappropriately. He’d scream his head off if she dared to stick the object in his ass.
“I’m going to give you a shot,” she said as she stuck a small tube with cloudy liquid into one chamber. She put a second tube with neon-green fluid into the other compartment.
The shotgun didn’t look anything like the typical needle and syringe he’d expected. He suspected it was part of heaven’s advanced technology. After he climbed on top of the table, he sat and watched her hold the gun over the sink. She squeezed the handle. It clicked like a BB gun snapping. Holding the gun upright, she twisted to face him.
“Lay back, please,” she said.
Any other time, he would’ve thought she was sexy since she looked demanding with her weapon in hand. But given the current situation, his cock didn’t feel anything. He lay back on the examining table.
She pressed the gun to his arm. “Don’t move.”
He heard a snap and felt a sharp sting in his arm as if he’d been stung by a wasp. She returned to the counter and set the device on it.
“You can relax now,” she said with her attention on the laptop. “You’ll be back on
Earth soon, but before you go, we need to go over a few details.” She finished typing and then pressed a key with a hard tap.
“How soon?”
She turned to face him. “Soon. Now, someone will be monitoring you. We will send you the names and any other valuable information about the demons. You’ll find messages on your inner arm.” She took hold of his wrist, twisted his forearm slightly, and then pressed her finger to his skin.
A writing in the form of a tattoo appeared on his flesh. The message in black ink read Good Luck. He lifted his arm and touched the words. They didn’t disappear.
“Wow. How did you—”
“The shot allows us to monitor and communicate with you,” she said as she crossed her arms. “To destroy the demon, you’ll need to kill the human and touch the soul attached to it.”
“What?” he asked excitedly. “No one said anything about killing humans.”
“Relax. They’re demons. Always remember that. The demon has taken hold of the human, so you’re not killing an innocent. To be certain, humans with demon souls have black auras. Innocent people have a soft white glow. Anyone who has a colored aura is not destined to reach heaven. But you don’t kill them. Only the demons. Understand?”
He nodded.
“Oh, and be careful around humans who have red auras. They’re dangerous,” she said.
“Are you sure I have to kill the human body?” Somehow it still seemed as if he were breaking some secret rule.
“Yes. Kill the human body and the demon will be set free. Once you touch it, the soul will disappear.”
“How?”
“The shot I gave you also contains holy water. You’re now blessed. Demons can’t handle the touch of a sacred angel, but human flesh can. That’s why you have kill the human body.”
He was an angel? The thought brightened his mood. His parents would be proud.
