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  JUDAS

  Copyright Page

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, places, or events are purely coincidental, and were created by author’s imagination.

  JUDAS

  Copyright © 2019 Caleb Meeks.

  Visit the author’s website at www.calebmeeks.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including information storage and retrieval systems-except in the case of a brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews-without the author’s written permission.

  Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Cover design done by Christian Bentulan.

  Author Photo done by Bridget Lea Photography

  Print edition Published-May 2019

  ISBN: 9781098735166

  This is for you,

  wherever you find yourself.

  I hope this story impacts you.

  Chapter One.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  The nervous knocks meant that one of the new hires for my security detail needed my attention. I could tell he was because he was still hesitant to disturb me. The longer they spend here, the longer they learn that I am indeed to be feared, but not always on to be afraid of. At least not all the time, that is.

  “Yes.” I said, anticipating the slow, anxious opening of the door.

  Just as expected, the door knob turned as apprehensively as the man on the other side could make it, and he pushed it open with a quivering hand I could tell he was trying to suppress. He avoided looking me in the eyes, whether out of fear or ritual, I wasn’t sure. It’s almost become a rite of passage, if you will. Like bowing before a ruler. I’m not sure where it started, but it’s entertaining to watch them squirm. “There’s someone here to see you.” His voice was shaking like tree branches in a tornado. I could see the strain in his eyes, trying desperately not to look up at me. He so badly wanted to look up at the man he’d sworn to protect, but remarkably, he fixed his gaze down at the floor next to his boot.

  “Sit down.” I said, looking directly at him. He could tell.

  I could see the hesitation dripping from his forehead. So much of him wanted to turn and run the other way. Slowly, he breached the doorway, shutting the door behind him. He kept his eyes down as he maneuvered his way to a chair across from the desk I was sitting at. He squirmed as we both sat there, fidgeting with his hands just to attempt to keep himself busy.

  “You know,” his body tensed as the simple words slipped out of my mouth, “you can look me in the eyes.” For a second, I could the read the quizzical look on his face. He was obviously contemplating whether or not he felt comfortable doing it, running thousands of simulations in his head to see how bad the result would be if I was lying. He must not have liked the results he dreamt up, because after a slight grimace and tight clenching of his jaw, he adjusted his head, but his eyes stayed glued to the ground. I got up from my chair, and I could practically feel his muscles tighten. I slowly walked around to the front of the desk, so I was standing directly in front of the poor kid. You could practically smell the fear running off him. I felt bad for him, probably not more than twenty years old. I reached out and gripped his jaw with my hand, and I could feel the muscles almost snap beneath my fingers. I adjusted his face up so that he was looking directly into my eyes, “I said you could look me in the eyes.” There was almost an ounce of relief in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with more fear, likely reimagining the scenarios he came up with earlier.

  He finally opened his mouth to speak, so I let go of his jaw. “I-I’m sorry…the others just said-just said that I shouldn’t look you in the eyes.” He stuttered to get out.

  “I guess it’s wise, what they told you. Though, most don’t take it quite as seriously as you. If I’m being totally honest with you, I don’t know where, or for that matter, why, it started. You don’t have to be afraid of me, right now at least. You can take solace in the fact that if I was going to kill you, I probably would have already.” He tensed up again. “Now, what was it that you wanted again?”

  He swallowed and sharply inhaled, fixating on the use of the word probably. “There’s someone here to see you, says he’s got something important to talk to you about.”

  “Sure he does…” I said under my breath. I stood up and turned my back to the kid. “What’s your name?”

  “Daniel, sir.”

  “Sir…” I chuckled. “You can go. Tell him I’ll be out to see him in a minute.” Daniel squirmed out of the chair and practically ran out of the room. I could hear the rush of footsteps away from the room after he closed the door.

  A million questions were running through my head, mostly circulating around what they could possibly want. It takes a certain level of gall to come to my place of business, especially uninvited. I walked back to my desk and grabbed my gun from under a stack of papers. It was unintentionally covered, but probably a good thing that Daniel didn’t notice it. I holstered the gun, and ensured the other weapons on me were secured. My jacket was slung on a rack near the door, and I walked over to it. A mirror placed on the wall near the rack showed me just how much the job had worn me down. I inhaled sharply, rubbed my forehead, and made my way towards the door.

  The hallway to the main courtyard spanned for a while. Doors to various rooms spanned the walls. The building I’d claimed for myself was originally an office space, but it worked for my purposes. I breached the edge of the hallway and stepped into the courtyard. I was immediately greeted by the face of one of the many banes of my existence, Randall Henderson. His face lit up, as it always did when he saw me, while a chill of disgust crawled down my spine. I could see his guard’s fingers instinctively move to the triggers on their weapons. Randall and I had a history, but not the kind where he felt comfortable being around me without a platoon. My guards had their weapons drawn when I came out, but as I walked out, I waved my hand, signaling for them to disappear.

  As my guards escaped into various rooms throughout the complex, I continued towards Randall, giving no attention to the army of guards.

  He opened his arms, as to embrace me, but then recoiled and clasped his hands together. “Good to see you, friend.” He greeted.

  I grinned, disgustedly, “To what do I owe the visit?”

  “Can’t an old friend just drop by?” He said, clearly trying to get me into a better mood.

  “Well,” I paused to think, “no. At least not you Randall, there’s always a catch associated with your visits. Also, don’t call me your friend.”

  He smiled and nodded, a silent acknowledgment of my accusation. “You look well, Judas, albeit a little vampiric.”

  One of his guards chimed in, “Yeah, he looks like a freak.” He paused to laugh. “This is the guy everyone talks about? The infamous Judas? Look at him wrong and you’ll die, Judas?” He looked directly into my eyes, “Sorry, just expected more.” I could see the disappointment overcome Randall’s face. The guard hit some of the other guard’s shoulders, trying to get them to chime in, but they all subtly shook their heads and took a slow step away from him.

  I raised my finger, and signaled him to come closer to me. I briefly turned my head to Randall, who knew the failure of his guard by the look on his face. The guard shifted his shoulders to fit his cocky attitude, then started taking steps forward. The other guards kept their guns locked on me, but I knew they wouldn’t do anything, they clearly were the ones listening when I was talked about. The guard halted right in front of me, wearing a high-and-mighty grin. I stood a few inches higher than him, but he stil
l looked me directly in the eyes. I broke the silent tension, “What’s your name?”

  “Brandon.”

  “Brandon?” He nodded his head. “Well, Brandon, your buddies over there clearly are afraid of me, why do you think that is?”

  “Because we all got told a bunch of campfire tales about a guy named Judas who was more vicious than the devil. That you’d rather run into the devil, in a dark alley, than him, well, you. Guess I just expected something that fit the bill a little better.” His guards clearly knew the error in his ways, but stood there silently.

  “I sincerely apologize for not meeting your expectations.” I stood silent after saying that, to the point where Brandon chuckled and turned around. As he was about to take his first step away from me, I spoke again, “You see,” He turned back around, “there’s just one issue.” Just as he was about to open his mouth for a rebuttal, I reached out and gripped his face under his chin and pulled him in so that my lips were directly next to his ear. In a barely detectable whisper, I said, “You have been in Randall’s little regime for exactly three days. Your wife, Reagan, lovely girl by the way, didn’t want you to take the job because of its intense secrecy. However, because of the baby on the way, you needed the money. Your mother’s name is Sarah, though it was originally Katarina before she immigrated to the United States. If I’m not mistaken, you have a history of Type 2 diabetes in your family, and given the cut on your hand that looks pretty old, and hasn’t healed yet, I’d recommend you get checked, especially with that baby on the way. Now, while I may not live up to your expectations, that doesn’t make anything you’ve heard any less true, or make me any less dangerous. I’d recommend you control your tongue around me, am I understood?” I released the grip on his chin and took a step back from him. His face had dropped to a pale white, and he was shivering. “One of you,” I spoke to the crowd of Randall’s guards, “take him somewhere else.”

  One of his’s guards released his grip on his gun, taking the now pale white soldier away to one of the vehicles they drove up in. The rest of his guards looked shocked, but remained still just as silent. Even Randall himself shared a look of fear. Like I said, he knows me, but he’s not stupid.

  “Now, Randall, I do believe you had something to talk with me about?” He nodded his head. “Then let’s get on with it. I don’t often appreciate people just barging in unannounced.”

  “Yes, I’m well aware. I guess, in short, I need your help with something. I got into a little bit of trouble with one of the bad guys, and I think he might be coming after me.”

  “Let me stop you right there. You need protection because you made an idiot decision.”

  “I guess.” He said. I sensed he was gathering my point.

  “Randall, I’m not a babysitter. You made a bad decision, and if there are repercussions, then I’d recommend you deal with them. There are plenty of other people who will do your dirty work for you. I’m not one of them.” He looked blankly at me. Behind him, another car drove into my facility. This time, though, I recognized it. Attention diverted to it. A man, around my height, with short black hair, and similarly tanned skin got out of the car. This time, it was Dominic Trebino, who was really my only ally in this wicked game. He walked right past the armed guards, and up to me.

  “We need to talk.” He said very bluntly. He didn’t stop, he just continued on towards the office I had just come from.

  “Randall, I believe I have other business to attend to.”

  “Understood.” He replied.

  “Boys,” I called out to my guards, “make sure our guests are escorted out, will you?” They came back out from the various places they had scattered to.

  I turned around, now facing Dominic’s back as it walked away from me. His stride indicated frustration, which intrigued me considering it was not often something he expressed. We reached the door to my office and I opened it. I took a seat in my chair and Dominic started pacing in front of the desk. “Alright Dom, what’s up? I haven’t seen you this worked up in a long time.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. I don’t usually get worked up, but this situation is real Judas.”

  “Just say it Dominic, I don’t want to play this game. I don’t have time for it.”

  Dominic stopped pacing, placed his hands on his hips, and looked right at me, “It’s Abaddon. He’s back.”

  I nodded my head. “I was wondering when that information was going to get to you.”

  “You’re saying you knew about this and didn’t tell me?” Dominic said angrily.

  “Dominic, don’t even go there, you know we aren’t on the same playing field. I heard about it a while ago, but I didn’t want to say anything or make any moves before I had confirmation.”

  “Yeah, I know. I know. Sorry.” He paused, taking a minute to breathe. “So, it’s serious? He’s back?”

  “Yeah, Dom, he’s back.”

  Chapter Two.

  “I am aware that this case has been open for the past seven years, but I just recently transferred from Vermont, and haven’t had much time to become acquainted with it. I know some people in here are familiar with the case, so if anybody would be willing to give a rundown, I would be very thankful.” The new head detective, Leo Cadman, said. He was standing in front of a mostly barren group of a few other officers, and suited experts.

  A man in his early fifties stood, holding multiple overfilled folders, “I’ve been part of this case since the day it opened seven years ago, so I’m probably the most qualified to fill everyone in.”

  “And what is your name, sir?” Cadman asked.

  “Jonathan Martin.”

  “Well, Mr. Martin, the stage is yours.” Cadman walked from the head of the room to the back and took a seat, eagerly awaiting Martin’s assessment.

  “As you just heard, my name is Jonathan Martin. I worked this case from its first mention seven years ago. Before I say anything, I want to say how commendable it is of you to take on this case, given its history.” He stopped, locking eyes with a few of the people in the crowd. “I also understand that this case produces a lot of questions, so feel free to ask them. I will do my best to answer any of them that I can.” The uncomfortable faces of the officers reminded him of his own team’s reaction years ago. “The Judas Case is the most high-profile criminal case that’s come across the desks of Police in a very long time. Judas himself is one of the most high-profile criminals in all of history, and has remained atop the FBI’s most wanted list since his chronicle began.” A hand in the back rose. Martin pointed to the woman to acknowledge her question.

  “He has remained at the top of the most wanted list for seven years?” She asked, shakily.

  “Yes, seven years. He’s dangerous, more than you could possibly know.” The woman’s face clearly showed distress. Another hand crept up. Martin pointed to the man.

  “Is Judas an alias, maybe one with some kind of meaning or symbolism? Do we even have a last name?”

  “Well, chances are he has a last name, he’s just never been inclined to give it up. As for a meaning or symbolism, the only one anyone has been able to draw is that of Judas Iscariot.”

  “The bible character?” One of the people looked up and asked.

  “Yeah, the man from the bible. Is anybody in here religious?” Jonathan asked. No one in the room replied or even raised a finger. “Well, given the gruesome nature of this case, you might want to get acquainted. Who knows, you might even learn a thing or two. However, since you asked for symbolisms, Officer Carter, I’ll read a passage from the bible to give anyone who is unfamiliar a look into Judas Iscariot. This particular passage comes from Mark 14, verses 43-45: “And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.’ And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ‘Rabbi!’ And h
e kissed him.” Basically, Judas was payed thirty silver coins, and in exchange he sold out Jesus. Because of this, the word Judas has become somewhat synonymous with betrayal. I guess that’s another possible aspect of symbolism we could take into consideration. It’s important to mention that in the end of Judas’ biblical life story, he ends up becoming so overrun with guilt that he gives the money back and ultimately hangs himself. As for right now, we are going to treat this as an irony, since there isn’t much to go off of, and we have no reason to believe Judas feels at all guilty for what he’s done.

  A young man in the middle of the room raised his hand, a confused look on his face. “My name is Matthew Newman, and I just got hired on here. I know that I’m new, but why is this the first time I’ve ever heard of this case? It seems like the kind of thing the media would be all over.”

  “That’s a good question, Matthew. You are absolutely right, this is the kind of case that would attract some serious media attention. However, the media has been made well aware of the severity of the case, and has, at least for the most part, agreed to stay out of it. There are, of course, places on the internet where you can find information, but it’s primarily in the darkest places that the majority of the world stays away from. Judas has already managed to enslave a large portion of the crime world. I don’t even want to imagine what hell he could raise if he had even a few media outlets at his fingertips. That’s why there is a division in the FBI that’s entirely dedicated to pulling articles, pictures, and even websites surrounding this case. I’m sure it’s a given, but I will just clarify, whether or not any of you chose to stay on this case, it is private information. You are to keep it completely silent, no matter who asks.” Matthew nodded his head, now more aware of the seriousness of the case he had signed onto. Martin looked around the room, “If there aren’t any more questions at the moment, I’ll move on.”