“No,” Ben said firmly, crossing his arms. “This is insane. We’re going to follow the procedure according to the law to get inside this cult, retrieve our John Doe, and shut it down.”
“You’ll fail,” Greg warned, and then put up a defensive hand. “I’m not doubting your ability as a detective, I’m just saying that they’re gods, Ben. They’re always going to be ten steps ahead of you. However, they’re arrogant and vain, and can be fooled if we play our cards right.”
“Absolutely not,” Ben said. “At the very least, because I’m not putting my sister in that kind of danger.”
“I can do this, Ben. I’m not a child, and I’m not an idiot,” Abby defended.
“You actually want to go along with this psychotic plan?” Ben asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Abby, come on!”
“Yes, I do, okay! I believe them, Ben. I believe in the ancient gods, and I believe that Mark wrote the bible, and I believe the man who healed you is Judas Iscariot and he’s in danger. I believe I’m being possessed by something more powerful than I am, and if I can help, I want to help. I need to.”
Ben groaned and shook his head. “Isn’t helping Judas Iscariot like helping the devil?”
Though Ben didn’t expect it, the question made Abby freeze. Her eyes flickered over to Mark and her face went pale. “Isn’t it, though? He betrayed Jesus.”
Ben felt triumph flare in his chest. Though it was a stupid statement, one he didn’t even believe, he was ready and willing to grasp onto anything that helped him get his sister away from these freaks.
“The issue is a little more complicated than that,” Mark said.
“I’m all ears,” Ben said.
Mark glared at Ben for a moment. “Look, if it was safe to tell the entire story, I would, I swear it. I can tell you in all honesty that Yehuda did not betray the man you know as Jesus Christ. Yehuda was placed in a role, strategically, for reasons that Yehuda and I still don’t know to this day. Believe me, I’ve searched and searched for answers, and have come up with nothing. All I know is that Yeshua manipulated himself onto that cross and the outcome is not any outcome you’ve ever heard.”
“So he died?” Abby asked.
“No,” Mark said slowly, “he didn’t die, and he wasn’t resurrected either. Yeshua was crucified, and after bribery and a rather elaborate rescue, Yeshua survived. He lived a long life while Yehuda and I spend these endless days cursed, unchanging, and terrified. So helping Yehuda is not like helping the Devil. The Devil is a myth, a monster under the bed to keep little boys and girls from misbehaving. Yehuda is a man suffering from something he can’t help, and I don’t care what I have to do, I’m going to get him out of there.”
The passion, the fire behind Mark’s words gave even Ben pause. He stared at Mark, who was looking down at his trembling hands, and for just a second, just a moment in his life, he wanted to believe him.
“That’s enough for me,” Abby insisted. “I’m in.”
Ben shook his head and stood up. “You’re not in, any of you. We’re going to do this by the law, by the damn book, and if I catch any of you going against that, I will have you arrested. Now, I’m going home, and I suggest you all do the same. I’ll be in touch when I have my information and warrant, and the moment I have this John Doe in my possession, Father Roman, you will be contacted.”
Ben didn’t wait for a response; he couldn’t. He knew if he did, there was the slightest chance that they could and would change his mind, and right then, Ben couldn’t allow that. Grabbing his papers and brief case, he walked to the door and let himself out without so much as a goodbye.
The hall was dark and quiet as he walked back to the gate. He still didn’t have his car, so in the chilly evening, he phoned a cab and waited. He glanced back at the building several times to see if one of them had decided to come after him with some reason why they should help, but the night stayed silent.
Ben got back to his apartment a short while later, and he went through his usual routine. Small dinner, glass of scotch, a scalding hot shower. As he sat there on his sofa, the news on in the background, he let his mind relax and eventually he started to doze off. He didn’t notice it right then, but doubt had entered his mind from somewhere. Doubt that he had never really experienced on the job before, and if Ben had noticed it right away, things might have been different. But he didn’t and he fell asleep.
Thirty-Eight
Mark groaned in frustration as the door slammed and the sound of Ben’s footsteps disappeared down the hall. It was aggravating to watch Ben stand so close to the answers, to have everything laid out in front of him, and refuse to see what was there.
It was something Mark had been dealing with in the centuries he’d been walking the earth. Years he spent raving against Christianity, holding facts in his hands about the truth, and still the people turned a deaf ear to his cries.
He sat back down on the sofa a few spaces away from Abby and rubbed his palms together. “Any thoughts?”
“We go without him,” Abby said.
“No,” Greg said, holding up a hand. “If we go without him, it lays out a path for things to go very wrong. Truth is, Ben’s right to some degree. We need to consider legalities here. We may somehow succeed in getting Yehuda out of camp cult, or whatever they’re called, but we need to realize the risks associated with that.”
“What do you mean?” Abby asked in a small voice.
Though Abby seemed confused, Mark immediately caught Greg’s drift. “He means someone, many someones, may die.”
Abby sucked in her breath involuntarily and looked at Mark. “Why?”
“Because that’s how these things work,” Mark said, a little more sharply than he had intended to. “Frankly, we don’t know what we’re up against, and we need to remember those Greek gods are sitting in human hosts, and we may have to kill them to get to Yehuda.”
Abby shook her head, her face pale and horrified. “I’m not killing anyone.”
“No one is saying you have to, but I can tell you right now if we storm the castle gates and people die and we don’t have the police on our side, it won’t matter if we get Yehuda out,” Greg said. He shook his head and let out a stressed laugh. “Truth be told, I’m just a doctor, and I keep forgetting that in all of this excitement. I’ve never done anything more risky than when my best friend dragged me skydiving for his bachelor party. Mark might be some sort of immortal warrior, but I’m just a guy who hosts a god from time to time and you, Abby, are just a school teacher.”
Mark let out a breath and sat back, laying his head against the cushion of the couch. “Greg’s right, and this leaves us paralyzed.”
“We do have one thing on our side,” Abby said slowly, sitting forward just slightly.
Both men turned their gaze towards her and Mark said, “Go on.”
“My brother does not like being told no,” she said.
“That much is obvious. I bet he’d pay a therapist’s kid’s way through college with all of his issues,” Greg said with a snort.
Abby rolled her eyes and continued. “If he can’t get permission from a judge to, as you said, storm the gates, he’s going to try and take matters into his own hands. I’ve seen him do it before. I mean honestly, that’s how he made head detective in the first place. So if there’s a way to make sure he’s told no…”
Mark stood up, holding up a hand. “I think I know exactly who to call.”
The phone call took less than five minutes, and though Stella Horvath sounded rather annoyed to be taking a phone call while she was off duty, when Mark explained the situation, her tone perked up a bit.
“So he’s refusing to hear you out?” Stella asked.
“I’m not sure how much detective Stanford told you about our situation,” Mark said.
“He didn’t need to,” Stella said. “Let me be clear here and tell you that I already know.”
Mark hesitated just a little at the tone in her voice. “You’re not… I m
ean…”
“Part of it?” Stella offered. “No. We’re happy exactly where we are playing detective and solving crimes. However, I realize the impact of this John Doe and what could come of a cult being built around his name. I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell Ben about this little conversation, however I’ll see if I have another favor I can call in.”
“Any help would be appreciated,” Mark said.
“You probably won’t hear from me again, but if I’m successful, I’m sure you’ll hear from Ben.”
“And if you’re not?”
“Then you may need to sell all of your possessions and go join the happy-juice nuts in Washington,” she said. “Have a good night.”
Mark ended the call and sat back down. “I guess the only thing we can do now is prepare for when Ben comes knocking on my door.”
“Where do we start?” Abby asked.
Greg and Mark shared a momentary glance before Greg said, “I think we’re going to need to see your tea.”
Mark was somewhat hesitant to let Abby out of his sight, but he trusted Greg to get her to and from her office, where she kept her tea, in one piece. If anyone could handle a switch from Abby to the unnamed god, it would have been Greg.
Still, Mark couldn’t keep himself from pacing the floor until his door opened and the pair walked in. Abby looked somewhat flushed, but otherwise herself. Greg walked slightly behind her, a large, green tin clutched in his hands.
“All went well?” Mark asked as they walked into the living room.
Abby gave a little sigh. “I’m not falling apart at every turn.”
“I apologize,” Mark said, feeling a little bad that he assumed she would change the moment his back was turned. He didn’t feel too bad, however, because he knew the moment he dropped his guard, things could and would fall apart.
“I have no way to test this tea,” Greg said, turning the tin over in his hands. He pulled the lid off with an audible pop and shook the tea, peering at it in the light. “I don’t see any sort of residue, but then again, I’m not really an expert on tainted teas.”
Mark snorted a laugh and shook his head. “I don’t believe any of us are. I think it’s best to just get rid of it, better to be safe than sorry.”
“That’s so cliché,” Abby said from her spot on the sofa.
Mark shrugged and took the tea from Greg. “Maybe so, but it’s true.”
“So if I’m going to let this god thing waltz into my body, how am I going to get properly sedated if the only thing working was the tea?” Abby pointed out.
“I can get a sedative from the hospital,” Greg said. “I’ll get something with similar timing to the time release drug so when it becomes active your body won’t remain sedated.”
Abby let out a small sigh and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “This kind of sucks, you guys. I’m actually really scared.”
Mark and Greg exchanged a worried look, and Mark sat down next to her. “You don’t have to do this. This is purely voluntary.”
“I know,” she replied in a small voice. “I mean, you’ve said the whole time I can walk away whenever I want, but you were right earlier when you said we don’t really have any other real options. I mean, you guys can storm the gate and be forced to kill a bunch of innocent people whose bodies are being used just like mine is. Why take that risk when I can suck it up and just do this. I mean, all I’m doing is sneaking you guys in. You’re not asking me to do anything else, right?”
“Right,” Mark assured her, taking a small liberty considering what happened between them, and he put his hand on her arm. Her skin was cold, chilled from the stress most likely, and he gave her a little squeeze. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep you and everyone else safe.”
Abby nodded and yawned again. “I think I’m ready to turn in for the night. I still feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“What is the plan?” Greg asked.
“For what?” Mark replied with a frown.
“Sleep. Obviously Abby needs some level of supervision. We can hope she doesn’t take off on us, but if she does, we need to be able to follow her.”
“We should just all stay here,” Abby said. “It’s the safest place.”
“I agree,” Mark said. “Abby can take my room, and Greg, the spare room is yours. We can take shifts out here keeping an eye on the door.”
“I can take first watch,” Greg said as Abby rose without a word and walked into Mark’s bedroom. The men watched her go, appreciating that she left the bedroom door open, and then Greg turned back to Mark. “I’m sure you could use some sleep.”
“I need a lot less sleep than most,” Mark said quietly. “Honestly I’m not sure I could sleep if I tried right now.”
Greg gave a small nod. “Okay then. I’m probably going to crash out. The jet-lag and stress of the afternoon is taking a small toll on me, and I think a few hours could really benefit.”
“I’ll wake you if I see anything, or if I start to feel sleepy,” Mark said. Greg gave him a nod and Mark sat silent on the sofa as his two impromptu house guests disappeared into their respective rooms to rest.
It was true, Mark was far too deep in a constant stream of adrenaline that began the moment he learned Abby was being used by those creatures. Sleep was a far off idea, and all he could do was sit and wait for what was to come next.
Thirty-Nine
Ben was at his office extremely early the next morning, heavily caffeinated and waiting for a response from the warrant request he’d sent out. He’d woken up sometime after midnight and spent the rest of the morning hours doing research on the cult Stella had located in Washington.
It had named itself The Way and The Light, mirrored after a bible verse Ben vaguely remembered, and claiming to heal with the power of the lord. They were holed up in several bunkers in the middle of nowhere, and reports had seen several supply trucks leaving the compound after a massive delivery.
Ben had gained a count of over three hundred members so far, but that was speculation based on witnesses who had ranches and farms near the compound. Either way, Ben was certain it was enough information to go on to get the warrant and search the place for the John Doe.
When he arrived at the office that morning, he was on his third espresso, and his fingers were shaking as he sent out the file to a judge he was on friendly terms with, a man named Josiah Howe. Howe was a fair judge, and had worked with Ben in several cases regarding homicide.
Ben wasn’t sure if Howe was going to be able to process the warrant quickly, but he hoped he could get some movement in the department by the end of the day.
By seven, Ben hadn’t heard anything and he was starting to feel the caffeine crash hitting him harder than he’d anticipated. He wondered briefly how his sister was holding up, but a larger part of him couldn’t bring himself to call until he was ready to move.
It was nine before his phone rang with Howe’s number displaying on the caller ID. “Stanford,” Ben said sharply.
“Ben, how are you?”
“Doing well, Josiah. I take it you got my request for the warrant?” Ben said, hoping that the judge’s friendly tone meant good news.
“I went over the entire evidence file and even did a little research on this Way and Light compound,” he said. “In fact, I called over to their county and spoke with a judge I know up there for further inquiry.”
“I hope this means good news,” Ben said, wanting to rush the conversation along.
To Ben’s dismay, there was a very long pause before Howe spoke again. “Look, I’d give you the warrant if I could, but it’s not in my hands. This is something out of state, and when I spoke with Judge Burns in that county, he said that the compound filed all the required permits, everybody in the compound are consenting, legal adults, and there hasn’t been a hint of criminal activity. I tried to pull your missing person’s card, but unfortunately there isn’t any real, significant evidence linking this Thompson character to your John Doe
. Also, this Thompson person hasn’t been seen in Washington for a few days, and he’s not one of the registered members in the compound. I’m sorry, Ben.”
Ben was gripping the phone so hard his knuckles were white. Anger was humming in his ears and he could barely hear the judge over it. “You’re saying that there’s nothing you can do?”
“If you can get me more conclusive evidence linking Thompson to your John Doe, and your John Doe to this compound, I might be able to get the warrant, but for now, the answer is no.”
“Okay, thanks anyway,” Ben said, and without waiting for a response, he slammed the phone down.
The last thing he had expected was a no. In his opinion, there was enough circumstantial evidence to get together a swat team and storm the place. Sitting back, Ben rubbed his face and realized it was out of his hands. He knew that Mark and his sister would expect him to turn to them and initiate plan B, but Ben simply couldn’t bring himself to do that. For now, he had to just let things play out, and if the time came where he could link Thompson and John Doe to the compound, he’d move on it.
~*~
It was in Abby’s apartment when Mark got the call from Ben. They’d been scouring her things to get rid of any potential items that may have contributed to her drugged state nearly all morning. Greg had spent two hours at the hospital obtaining a few more bottles of the anti-depressant and a vial of a liquid opiate which he said would knock Abby out cold for at least three hours.
They continued to scour the apartment until well past ten when Mark’s phone finally rang, Ben’s cell phone number displayed on the caller ID.
“What’s the good word, detective?”
There was a slight pause before Ben answered. “My petition for a warrant was denied,” he said in a rather subdued voice.
“I’m sorry,” Mark said, trying desperately to convey the sound of sympathy. “What now?”
The Awakening (The Judas Curse Book 1) Page 30