Judas (The Iscariot Warrior Series Book 1)

by Roy Bright

  He looks over his left shoulder. Not one remains; the floor awash with piles of dust. He looks at his left hand, at the healing wound caused by grabbing his sword, and clenches it. Behind him, from inside the holding cells, he can hear the locked-up Taken screaming. He smiles and then spits at them, “Yeah, and fuck you too.”

  Walking over to the police bike, he mounts it and roars it into life, revving the throttle. Kicking the bike into gear and balancing the throttle and brake he spins the back wheel, bringing it around to the direction he needs in order to leave this place. Smoke pours out from the back tire and he lets go of the brake, powering the huge bike up the ramp and out into the street.

  Thirty-Three

  A one-sided row rages on inside the car driven by Detective Gary Cross as he speeds along the highway heading back towards New York City. He understands the importance of carrying out the wishes of Judas, to keep moving and to await his return, his other adult companion in the back however, is voicing another opinion.

  “It’s been longer than five minutes; we have to go back for him.” Abi’s face is almost against the wire mesh that separates the front of the squad car from the rear, as she carries on a protest that started about three minutes ago. “Gary, are you listening to me? We must go back for him; he is the only one who can keep Charlotte safe.”

  He rolls his eyes for what seems like the millionth time, “Abi, Judas told me to keep going until he caught up with us and that is what I am going to do, he was very explicit in that fact. I watched that man take down a six-hundred-pound kick-ass demon, I don’t think a few zombified cops are gonna be a big problem for him, do you?”

  She stares at him for a few seconds then huffs and sits back in her seat.

  He finds himself amused by her disgruntlement. She is like a child, used to getting its own way, who has now been told a very stern no, one that cannot be overturned. Looking at her in his rear view mirror he senses that at one time Abi she must have always gotten her own way and also that at one time, he does not think she would have given up the fight so easily. His amusement turns to pity. Pity for a woman who has had a lot of that fight knocked out of her by life itself. “Look, Abi, I’m as concerned as you, I really am, but we need to stick to his plan and keep this small but effective convoy going. Judas promised he will come back and I believe him.”

  Charlotte interrupts their conversation, “He promised he wouldn’t leave me again and look what happened.”

  He sighs and glances back at her. “I know, Charlotte and I know he didn’t feel good about breaking his promise to you, but he had to help our friends, you understand that, don’t you?”

  She stares at him for a second then blurts out, “But a promise is a promise, you shouldn’t break promises.”

  Abi glances at Gary who appears lost for words, then turns to her. “Charlotte, you wouldn’t have wanted the Captain and detectives to die now, would you?”

  It is clear that she is very upset that Judas is not here with them inside the five minutes he had promised her and she is taking her frustration out in the only way a six-year-old girl knows how; by pointing out the flaws in adults. She glances at Abi then shifts her gaze downwards to Mr. Tumble on her lap. She plays with the bear’s ears, folding them forwards then backwards. “No, of course not. I don’t want anyone to die again.”

  “Well, that’s good, sweetie, because that is why Judas had to break his promise to you and stay behind. He had to make sure those men were safe, that they didn’t die.”

  She stops playing with the bear and looks at her, “But eventually, Abi, he will have to choose between me and the rest of you, do you think he will break his promise then?”

  The remark stuns Abi. She blinks a couple of times whilst shaking her head, trying to speak but unable to find the right words.

  Gary glances back. “What do you mean by that, Charlotte? What do you mean he will have to choose?”

  Her eyes lose their color, hazy as a white fog passes over them and they start to glow. Her voice becomes monotone, darker somehow yet at the same time with an aura of enlightenment. “I feel a change in me; I feel the outcome of a prophecy approaching, one that has long awaited fulfilment, but for which side, one cannot tell. Not all will be allowed to sing in the sun, not all will be able to dance under the stars. Man’s time can come but a choice will need to be made, a sacrifice will have to be honored.”

  Abi is freaked out; she backs away from the child, pushing herself into the door. She feels the cold of the window against the back of her head. “Gary, what the hell is going on? What’s wrong with her?”

  “I don’t know, Jesus, what the hell!”

  Charlotte turns towards him, “You need not fear anymore. There is a place for all and for all a place in time. I am here to bring you hope.”

  The glow in her eyes flares, so intense that it forces Abi to shield her eyes from it and plays havoc with Gary’s night vision.

  He loses control of the car for a moment and horns sound and fade from angry drivers, forced to avoid the swerving vehicle.

  “Gary, what do I do?” Abi says, panicked.

  “I don’t know… just help her!”

  “How?” she screams.

  As fast as it had appeared, the light in Charlotte’s eyes disappears and she slumps forward into Abi’s lap.

  The woman places a hand on her head and feels that it is burning, as though she has a fever. “Gary, she’s burning up, what the hell do we do?”

  He searches his mind for a solution, caught between decisions. He loses control of the vehicle when a forceful thump on his window makes him jump. “Jesus H Christ, what the fuck is that?” He fights with the steering wheel. Finally, he regains control and looks to his left to see a police bike reposition itself alongside his window.

  Judas looks at him in puzzlement. He shakes his head and raises his left hand. He is trying to say something but realizes Gary cannot understand him and motions for him to pull over.

  Gary sighs with relief, “It’s Judas. He’s back, thank God for that. Son of a bitch almost gave me a goddamn heart attack.” He nods and begins to look for a suitable exit to come off at and bring the vehicle to a halt. A few hundred yards down the road he finds what he needs, a small lay-by at the side of the road. He makes the necessary maneuver and then parks up.

  Judas strides to the squad car as Gary opens the car door and gets out.

  Captain Banks, Pete and Martin have pulled up behind the bike and are also exiting their vehicles, eager to learn what their next move is.

  Judas holds both his arms out to his side, “What the hell is going on? I was flashing you for almost a mile there, how did you not see that or even hear the siren?”

  “Judas, am I glad you are here, we just had a, well, incident inside the car. Charlotte freaked out man, started babbling all kinds of stuff about saving man, and sacrifices and well, just freaky stuff, scared Abi half out of her mind.”

  He stares at him, “Is she awake?”

  “Nahh, man, she’s passed out, look.” He opens the rear door to the squad car.

  Abi is holding Charlotte and the child appears to be sound asleep, nothing more. Abi smiles. “Good to have you back.”

  He nods and returns the smile. “What happened to her, Abi?”

  “I don’t know. We were having a discussion about you and then she just freaked out. Her eyes glowed bright white, Judas, bright white. After that she was saying there would have to be a sacrifice if man is to be saved, she was their salvation, something about dancing under stars,” she whispers, “it was fucked up.”

  The detectives from the other car have now joined the rest of the group and are eager for answers. As always, Martin is the first to speak.

  The passing traffic forces him to raise his voice “What’s going on guys? What’s the plan?”

  Gary turns to Judas, ignoring his friend’s question and Martin gestures his annoyance to the other two men.

  Pete holds up his right hand, patting t
he air, signaling for Martin to let it go, in an understanding that a discussion is taking place regarding much more important matters.

  “What’s going on, Judas? What just happened to her?” Gary asks.

  Everyone looks at Judas, awaiting an explanation.

  He shakes his head. “Honestly, Gary? I’m not entirely sure, but I know a man who will have all the answers. Let’s get back on the road and get to Jersey with no more fuss. Abi, just keep her comfortable, yeah?”

  She nods.

  He smiles at her then closes the door. He turns to the rest of the group. “Right, everyone back into your vehicles, let’s get going.”

  Captain Banks and the two detectives acknowledge him and make their way to their vehicle. Judas grabs Gary by his arm just before he has chance to walk away. “Did she mention a name in this sacrifice business, Gary, or anything else?”

  “Nahh, man, she just said you would have to make a choice between us all and that a sacrifice will have to be honored.”

  Tight-lipped and pondering the information, Judas concedes he doesn’t have time to contemplate what has just happened to Charlotte at the moment so he lets it go, for now. He nods at Gary. “Okay, dude, get in the car, I’m driving, let’s get to where we need to be. I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this; it’s getting worse by the minute.”

  “Amen to that, brother,” Gary remarks, and with that both men get into the car, Judas at the wheel.

  Charlotte’s first Awakening event has attracted the attention of two vile creatures within New York City. One is perched high atop one of the tallest buildings, the other sits in the back of a black limousine on Sixth Avenue. Both sport wicked smiles as the event paints the girl’s position loud and clear.

  Abaddon licks his lips and cackles; he closes his eyes then takes a deep breath. Opening them again, he looks out beyond the city, beyond the bright lights. “Show time!”

  Zenaku takes a sip of his bourbon on the rocks and presses a tiny button sat just next to the ice bucket holder in the center of the seat. He speaks to the driver in front, “Okay, it’s time. Head to Jersey City, I’ll tell you when to stop.” He smiles as the car pulls away and heads towards the Holland Tunnel, towards Jersey City.

  Thirty-Four

  Gary stares at the road ahead. Something has been troubling him since Judas made his revelation to the group about his identity and he needs answers. He looks at Judas, staring at him for a while then, begins to say something, but sighs and stops himself.

  Judas notices and nods. Without looking at him he asks, “You want to know why, don’t you?”

  He shakes his head, “I want to know why what?”

  “That is what you were going to ask me, yeah? Why does God let all this suffering go on in the world? Why would a God allow such hate on earth? Now that you know, undeniably, that He exists, you want to know the answers to all of the questions, and more importantly, why you must meet the sort of people you do on a daily basis. Yeah?”

  Gary smiles into his lap, “Is it that obvious? Is it that clearly written on my face? But yeah, you are right, I want to know why.”

  He pauses for a second, “I had a son you know, once.”

  Judas looks to his right, looks at Gary who is now staring out of the passenger window. He looks back at the road ahead; he knows where this conversation is going.

  “He was called Jacob and he was my world. He wasn’t much older than Charlotte back there when he died. Drunk-driver hit the passenger side of my wife’s… ex-wife’s, car at an intersection, killed him instantly, or so they tell me. He didn’t deserve any of that, he was just a boy, a caring and loving child, so how could He let that happen to a small child, an innocent?”

  Judas glances at him. He is choosing his words with care, choosing the best method in which to get the point across to him without adding to his grief.

  “God isn’t strictly speaking a ‘He’, Gary, God really isn’t anything. I know I refer to Him as a ‘He’ but that’s just easier for me, that is just how I choose to see Him, just a part of the ignorance of the time I was born into that has stuck with me. You wanna know how things really work, my friend?”

  He nods, “Yeah, man, I wanna know how things really work.”

  “Well, you see, every religion on the planet has it wrong and every religion on the planet has it right.”

  He shakes his head, “What the hell does that mean?”

  Judas smiles and nods, “Okay, that was a little confusing. What I mean by that is that no religion on Earth is the wrong one, but they are all wrong thinking that no other God or Gods exist other than their own. You see, there is actually only one God, but everyone sees that one God in their own way. For Christians, it is a white guy with a big flowing white beard; for Hindus it’s Brahmā; for Muslims it’s Allah.” He looks at Gary once again, “You know what, I’m probably explaining this wrong because in truth there are like, a million Gods in most religions; the point I am making is that they are all the same, one Creator.”

  He nods his head, “Okay, that’s not so hard to understand I guess, so why the pain? Why cause misery to his creations?”

  He takes a moment to think. “Okay, let me ask you a question, Gary. If you knew, positively knew, that you would live forever, what would you do with your life?”

  He shrugs, “I dunno; what do you mean, what would I do with my life?”

  “Exactly that. If you knew you would live forever, what would you do with your life?”

  He sighs and shakes his head, “I dunno, everything, nothing, I guess. I suppose I would find it difficult to motivate myself after a while, knowing that there is no end to it all.”

  He looks at him, “Exactly. You would find it hard to motivate yourself, because, you know your life would go on forever. One of the single most potent driving forces for humankind is that life is short, relatively speaking, and that you could go at any given moment. ‘There but for the grace of God’, isn’t that the saying?”

  “Yeah, it is, it most certainly is,” he replies, nodding.

  “Okay, so the same can be said about God. Gary, trust me, God didn’t do or let that happen to your son. The drunk driver who smashed into the car did. He made his own choices, just as everyone who makes wrong choices does. If God interfered, answered people’s prayers, kid-gloved the entire planet, then you would have nothing to be fearful of, just as you wouldn’t if you knew you were going to live forever. If someone wanted a terminally ill loved one to keep on living, they would ask him and BAM! So it would be. If someone wanted to win the lottery, they would pray to him and WALLOP! They would become rich. There would be no responsibility for people’s own lives; everything would be handed to humankind on a plate. That is not what He wants for you, for us. He made us to be His greatest creation, which is why He has given us something that few other creatures that he created has: choice, free will. We are in charge of our own destiny, Gary and when some choose to use that free will to oppress and destroy others, well that is when man shows his true self and rises to the occasion. God doesn’t cause bad things to happen, Gary; man does, and unfortunately, that is the price we all have to pay for His gift of free will.” He offers Gary a doleful smile.

  He smiles back. The talk has made him feel a little better. His anxiety towards God and His questionable existence had been wearing him down over the years. More to the point, if He did exist then how could He have allowed the death of his young boy? At first, he had blamed God and then outright rejected him, turning his back on religion in its entirety. However, as Judas explained it in the most layman terms, he understood it; how it is our responsibility to live our own lives as best as we can, not God’s, and in doing so, we are accountable for our choices and mistakes, not Him. He begins to think about his bad choices, and the decisions he has had to make and another thing worries him; he turns to Judas once more. “So, what about the bad choices that relatively good people make? What happens to us, will we be punished?”

  He smiles, �
��Don’t worry about that, mate, everyone gets an interview before a decision is made.” He winks and Gary laughs.

  Abi’s voice croaks up from the back seat. She has been listening to the conversation between the two men and has questions of her own. “So, Judas, which rules are the right ones?”

  He looks into the rear-view mirror to see Abi sitting up, staring at him. He knows what she is getting at. “Like I said, Abi, everyone gets an interview before a decision is made, so don’t you worry about what rules you may feel you have broken according to the men who have written them in the past, blindly I may add.”

  She remains silent for a second then adds, “But murder is a broken rule in any religion, isn’t it?”

  He looks at her in the rear-view mirror again and sees concern written all over her face. He has been around for a very long time, his skill in deciphering body language is great indeed, and he knows all too well to what Abi is referring. “Abi, let me repeat, you get an interview, and what you had to do to survive in your life will be taken into account, no matter what the circumstances are surrounding you taking a life. You understand, honey?”

  She stares at him for a second then slumps back into the seat. “Yeah, I understand, Judas, but taking a life is taking a life, even if it is an unborn child and the Catholics don’t take too kindly to that sort of thing.”

  Judas and Gary look at each other but say nothing.