by Kelly Goode
First and Only
By Kelly Goode
Book 1
(Ember Lane Series)
Copyright © 2015 by Kelly Goode
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Melody Simmons
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Kelly Goode
Visit my website at www.KellyGoode.co.uk
This book is dedicated to my aunt, Rachel.
She loved to read and her house was always full of books.
It was where I read my first Mills and Boon
and decided that, one day,
I was going to have as many bookcases as she did.
Contents
Note from the Author
Part One -Recruitment
Part Two - Evaluation
Part Three - Assignment
Part Four - Retention
Note from the Author
If you’re a reader who has picked up one of my books for the first time, thank you, I hope you will enjoy it.
Ember Lane is a character who appears in my “Kari Stillwell” series and while it may be beneficial to have read those books first, it is not essential, as this is the start of a new journey for her.
If you’re already a fan then you’ll be familiar with Kari Stillwell and her crazy world. This book is the start of a new spin-off series, and an insight into Ember’s character and where she’s heading.
It’s also the first time I have told a story from multiple viewpoints, so if you have any thoughts about that, then please get in touch via Facebook or Twitter.
Kelly Goode
Part One -Recruitment
1
The heavy, metal handcuffs cut into my wrists, leaving angry red welts on my pale skin as I paced my cell like a caged animal. Back and forth, forth and back. The only noise was the rustle of my blue nylon jumpsuit as I walked. Three steps to the left, three steps to the right. Three steps to the left, three steps to the right.
Waiting.
Today was the day. My chance for freedom, for redemption, but every second that passed felt like an hour until I thought I would lose my mind.
Waiting.
I stilled as the door to the cell finally slid open and a Supernatural Police Task Force agent, dressed in a black suit, entered. His gun was drawn, so I raised my bound hands high above my head. His blue eyes were cold and calculating as he gave me the once over.
‘You ready?’
Was I ready? Such a simple question but I faltered. How could I answer when I didn’t know what lay ahead of me?
‘As ready as I’ll ever be,’ I said, licking my dry lips, knowing I’d do anything to get out of this place.
The agent lowered his gun, and I simultaneously lowered my hands.
‘My name is Agent Milo. If you put one foot wrong during this transfer, I will shoot you. Understand?’
I nodded.
I believed him.
Milo ushered me out of the cell that I’d spent the last six weeks in, and through a maze of corridors. At several points, he had to hold his badge to a scanner before the door would open.
‘Are the handcuffs still necessary?’ I asked.
‘Yes.’
‘I won’t try to escape.’
‘I know, but the cuffs stay on until you reach your final destination. Those were my orders.’
The last corridor led to an underground parking garage where a white van was waiting with its engine running. Four other S.P.T.F. agents surrounded the vehicle, all holding weapons. The van had blacked-out windows so I couldn’t see who was inside, but my heart began beating erratically the closer we got.
The air felt charged with energy, and I knew that the other prisoners inside were like me.
Different.
‘In you go,’ Milo said, opening the sliding door and gesturing me inside.
It was awkward enough tackling the step while wearing handcuffs, without the agent impatiently shoving me from behind. I lost my footing and deprived of the use of my hands to save me, I fell forward into the lap of another passenger.
‘Hey, watch it, bitch.’
The blonde woman I’d landed on used her elbows to push me off and I fell to my knees. Milo reached down and dragged me to my feet, clearly amused by the incident.
‘Sorry,’ I mumbled to the woman before shuffling towards the back of the van and into the first available vacant seat.
My face felt as if it was on fire and must have been a similar shade to my red hair.
‘Is that all of them?’ I heard the driver ask, but Milo shook his head.
‘Nope, there’s one more coming.’
Another figure was hustled into the van. A guy with closely cropped dark hair and equally dark eyes took the seat opposite me. He caught me staring at him and smiled. I hastily averted my eyes.
‘Roll call,’ Milo shouted, reading each prisoner’s name in turn.
There were five of us inside the van. Mari was an older woman with lank dark hair and a pointy face. Gerrard was a hulking Irishman who took up two seats. His face and arms were covered with tattoos, and he had a feverish twitch. The blonde woman I'd collided with was called Sasha and the man opposite me answered to Harvey.
I was the last one to be called.
‘Ember Lane?’
‘Yes,’ I answered. ‘That’s me.’
Milo signed a sheet of paper and handed it to the driver.
‘That’s the lot,’ he said. ‘Take them away.’
2
‘So what are the odds today, Pete?’
‘Ten to one, against.’
Liam Carter rubbed his stubbly chin, casually observing the large wads of cash, which eagerly exchanged hands within the team.
‘The odds are always ten to one against,’ he said.
Pete, who was the resident bookie, smiled. ‘And they’ll stay that way as long as these suckers keep handing over their money. You want in on the action?’
Carter shook his head. He wasn’t a betting man, especially on this particular “sport”.
‘No, I’ll pass.’
‘You always pass,’ Pete replied. ‘Scared I’ll take your money?’
‘Hell yeah, you take everyone’s money.’
‘True, but they never learn. We’re called the First and Only team for a reason.’
Carter couldn’t remember the last time the bookie had paid out a winning bet, but it was always the same on transfer day. That familiar ripple of excitement went through the team and so did the cash.
Maybe one day, a newbie would survive and Pete would lose his fortune, but he doubted it would be anywhere in the near future.
The door to the briefing room banged open and the men immediately straightened as their senior officer entered.
‘At ease,’ Chief Andrews said, and Carter relaxed his stance, even though he remained wary. It was unusual for the big boss man to come down for a standard “meet and greet”. He usually left that part to his men.
Carter ran his hand through his short hair, trying to settle his nerves. He never usually felt anxious on transfer day, but seeing Chief Andrews always put him on edge.
‘I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone just how important the work we do here is,’ the chief said,
taking up a centre position.
He levelled each of the men with a hard stare and there was a general murmuring of “no sir” from around the room.
‘We deal with the lowest of the low,’ he continued, ‘the scum of society.’
Carter felt the ball of unease expand inside his stomach.
Why the lecture?
‘Why are you reading us the riot act, sir?’ Pete asked, voicing Carter’s thoughts. ‘It’s not like we’re new to this.’
Chief Andrews smiled as he smoothed down the lapels of his grey suit, which was the exact shade of his hair.
‘I know you consider yourselves veterans at this and I appreciate you’re a tight team.’
‘So what’s going on?’ Carter asked, unable to remain stoic any longer. ‘Should we be worried, sir?’
‘No, I’m just here to reiterate what is at stake every time we take on a new mission. Today is going to be our twenty-second transfer and I’m sure it will be our twenty-second triumph, but our operations are not without incident or casualty. I want this one played by the book.’
Carter seconded that. Sometimes he wondered whether what they did was ethical or moral. Did the end justify the means?
‘So let’s start with the rules.’
A groan resonated around the room.
‘We know the rules, sir,’ someone called.
‘Well I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you them again,’ Chief Andrews replied coolly. ‘Rule one, no attachments. Rule two, no personal vendettas. Finally, rule three, no forgetting that the prisoners arriving here today broke the law. No matter how innocent they look, they’ve come here for one thing and one thing only. To pay for their crimes in whatever capacity that may be.’
Carter swallowed deeply. If the chief was reminding them of the rules, that could only mean one thing. Today’s transfers included women.
It was always harder for the men to separate their feelings and obligations when women were involved.
Damn the chief for putting him in this position again.
Carter remembered the last woman who’d arrived at the First and Only team. He swiped his hand across his face, feeling the sweat prickling his pores. It wasn’t something easily forgotten when you were the one who’d eventually put a bullet in her chest.
3
I shifted in my seat trying to find a more favourable position. We’d been in the van for hours and because the windows were blacked-out, I had no idea what direction we’d travelled.
It crossed my mind that there was every chance we could stop somewhere remote and the driver could execute the lot of us.
Who would know?
Who would care?
An image of Kari Stillwell with her long white hair and unsettling grey eyes came to mind. Kari was an investigator for a supernatural law firm and although we’d clashed during a recent case, she was tenacious enough that if anything happened to me, she’d be suspicious. I’d told her I was taking an assignment proposed to me by S.P.T.F. She’d notice if I didn’t come back.
I hoped.
I sighed and shifted in the seat again. My eyes locked with Harvey’s and I held his stare for a few seconds before looking away. The man flustered me. His eyes were almost black and he had an arrogance about him that told me he knew he was good-looking and expected women to notice him.
I had no idea what supernatural creature he was or what crime he’d committed, but my instincts told me I couldn’t trust him.
‘I’m a demon,’ Harvey said, his voice proving to be as pleasing as his appearance.
‘How did you know I was thinking…? Can you read minds?’
Harvey laughed and the sound was as warm and comforting as a caress. Could a man who laughed like that, really be evil?
‘No, Red, but you keep throwing nervous glances my way. Like at any moment I’m going to leap out of my chair and gobble you up.’
The blonde woman, Sasha, sniggered.
‘I wasn’t staring at you,’ I said boldly. ‘And I don’t care what you are.’
Harvey tilted his head as he examined me.
‘Yes, you do.’
‘And how would you know that?’
‘Because I’ve been staring at you wondering exactly the same thing. You’re going to have to work on your poker face, Red. An assignment such as this is going to require stealthy emotions.’
‘Good job my emotions are not your concern,’ I ground out; irritated that he kept referring to me as “Red” and not by my name. It made it sound as if we were friends already.
‘Wow, she has a temper too. I like that,’ Harvey said with a smile. ‘You’ll need to keep that in check too. Bet you got into trouble as a kid.’
He was right, which only unsettled me further. Was I that easy to read?
‘You think you have me all figured out, do you?’
His superior tone was fuelling my anger.
‘You? No,’ Harvey replied. ‘You’re far too complicated, but the rest of this bunch? Yes, I’ve got them figured out.’
‘Go on then,’ I challenged.
Harvey sat back in his seat and his handcuffs clinked together.
‘Ok, firstly Mari is a shape-shifter,’ he said, clearly enjoying the attention.
The older woman fidgeted in her seat.
‘Is he right?’ Sasha asked, seemingly enthused by the game as she flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
Mari nodded.
‘Impressed, Red?’ Harvey asked, his dark eyebrows rising in contest.
‘Not really,’ I replied, trying to sound indifferent. ‘What kind of shifter is she?’
‘Rat.’
Mari nodded again and as I studied her closer, I agreed she resembled a rodent. Her eyes were squinty beneath her limp dark hair and she had a rather unfortunately pointed nose.
‘Lucky guess,’ I said.
Harvey pointed to the other side of the van.
‘The Irishman is a half-breed ogre, hence his size.’
We looked to Gerrard for confirmation but he just continued to twitch and mutter beneath his breath.
‘He can’t deny or corroborate your claim,’ I said, not even sure that the large man knew where he was or who was around him.
‘Do me, do me,’ Sasha said, bouncing up and down in her seat which caused her breasts to jiggle inside the thin material of her blue jumpsuit.
Harvey smirked.
‘The pleasure would be all mine,’ he said with a sexy growl, ‘but not in public.’
Sasha giggled like a schoolgirl and I rolled my eyes, ensuring he saw my gesture.
‘Besides you’re a succubus and prefer having sex with sleeping men so you can suck out their souls.’
I inhaled sharply. I’d never heard of a succubus before.
‘Spot on,’ Sasha said coyly. ‘Very impressive.’
‘Thank you.’
‘So what about her?’ she asked, nodding in my direction.
Harvey leaned forward in his chair and stared into my eyes. I held his gaze, not allowing him to intimidate me. I was about to tell him that his time was up when an unexpected bolt of energy flared between us.
The force of it made me gasp and for just a second, his dark irises appeared cloudy before turning to the clearest blue.
Harvey recoiled as if I’d slapped him.
‘Come on then,’ Sasha demanded impatiently, and it was obvious that no one else in the van had felt what I had. ‘What is she?’
Harvey’s brow creased in confusion.
‘She’s a problem,’ he said. ‘A big problem.’
4
After another hour, the driver made a brief stop. Even though my mouth was dry, I was glad I hadn’t drunk anything, as there were no toilet facilities and there was no way I was emptying my bladder behind a bush.
Everyone was grateful to stretch their legs. In spite of the heavy handcuffs, it felt blissful to work the kinks out of my shoulders and put some feeling back into my numb bottom.
&nbs
p; Gerrard was walking around in circles. He looked even more intimidating outside of the van. His giant arms were as thick as tree trunks and he had an ugly spider web tattoo on the left side of his face.
‘I don’t trust him.’
The voice was unexpected and I turned abruptly to find Mari standing beside me. I’d not heard her approach so it appeared she was as quiet as a mouse in her human form too.
‘I’m not sure you should trust anyone here,’ I replied.
‘I trust you.’
I laughed and she rapidly blinked her squinty eyes, as if not understanding why I’d found what she’d said funny.
‘You don’t even know me,’ I explained.
‘You have a pure heart, Ember Lane.’
‘I doubt that.’
Mari nodded.
‘It’s true. The demon looked into your soul and couldn’t see a monster. You frightened him.’
I looked across to where Sasha and Harvey were leaning against the back of the van. Sasha was chatting animatedly, her handcuffs glinting each time she thrust her hands in front of his face. Her body was turned slightly towards his and I’m sure she wished they were somewhere more private.
Harvey, however, was paying no interest. His eyes were transfixed on me instead. His lips were set in a firm line, as he looked me up and down.
Had I imagined that his eyes turned blue earlier?
They had certainly reverted to black too quickly for anyone else to notice. As I continued to stare unwaveringly back at him, Sasha finally realised that the object of her attention was not taking the blind bit of notice of her and stopped talking.
‘She’s very pretty,’ Mari said.
‘Yes, she is,’ I replied, envying Sasha’s full figure and long legs.
‘But not on the inside. Inside, she’s as ugly as a hag. The demon sees that. He sees her for what she is, but it wouldn’t stop him from sleeping with her. A succubus craves sex. You shouldn’t allow yourself to become attached to him.’