Judas

by Caleb Meeks

  I readied the knife I had prepared earlier, just waiting for him to step into the room. I saw the tip of his shoe step into the room, and I blindly swung the knife at throat level. He must have anticipated it, because he tightly gripped my forearm before the knife got close to him. In a split-second move, he pulled me from the corner I was wedged into and cracked my face into the wall on the other side of the door. Stunned, I didn’t immediately fight back. He took the opportunity to line me up with him, and his iron fist connected with my already traumatized face. I audibly heard my nose crack, and blood spurted from it.

  I managed to pull myself out from the daze of his fist colliding with my face and evaded the second one he was in the process of throwing. I used the second I had to put some distance between us, but he quickly recovered it. I threw a fist at him, but it was sloppy, and I knew it. The disorientation from the double trauma to my face was hard to come back from. He easily grabbed my fist from the air, and before I knew it, I felt a bone in my wrist crack. I wailed in pain, but before long, I was flooded with another rush of adrenaline, and I was able to ignore the growing pains throughout my body.

  With my hand broken, I tried to maneuver my way out of his grip. It was not as successful as I had hoped it would be. He seemed to be two steps ahead of me, and quickly readjusted so that he was in a position of power. A few swiftly placed strikes to my abdomen later, I was lying on the ground, trying my hardest just to maintain my breath. There was something about him that seemed inhuman. Once on the ground, he started pummeling me. His shoes slammed into my chest and ribcage more times than I could count. I could feel a few of my ribs cracking from the beatings. It felt familiar, whether it was from my father, or from the time Abaddon got his hands on me four years ago, I didn’t know.

  A rush of adrenaline hit my body, and I managed to grab hold of his leg mid kick and redirected him so that he landed on the ground next to me. I quickly got up from the ground and made my way out of the room. My lungs burned as I inhaled, but I willed them to keep working. Abaddon’s shoes slammed on the ground behind as he chased after me. Just knowing that he was back there was enough to keep me going. I ducked into a room in the hallway, hoping it would be a good place to hole up, at least for a moment.

  Within a few seconds, I saw Abaddon’s blood hungry eyes step into the room. “I swear, you never would have run like this four years ago.” I pulled another knife from a holster in my belt and swung it at his torso. The speed and precision would have been enough to kill any normal man, but Abaddon was a different story. He grabbed hold of my hand, spun the knife out of my hand, and since he still had hold of my arm, was able to slice a sizeable gash down my upper arm. The skin splayed without any resistance and started bleeding instantly. Without any hesitation, he flipped me around and slashed the blade across my shoulder. The knife burned as it tore into my skin. There was so much pain throughout my body that I didn’t even know what to feel. I screamed from the pain but felt numb on the inside. Part of me honestly wondered if I should just succumb to him. Maybe it was all meant to end this way? It was a fleeting thought that ended the second I heard the knife hit the floor.

  He flipped me around again so that we were face to face. He sent another fist into my face, and I collapsed to the ground. Still conscious, but unable to stay on my feet. He dropped to the ground on top of me and wrapped his hands tightly around my neck. “This is where you belong. Now, like I said, only one of us is going to walk out of here, and it won’t be you. Just let go, it’s not worth it to keep fighting this fight. You know you’re going to lose anyway.” For a moment, it was tempting. Maybe he was right, maybe I was fighting a losing battle. Maybe it was pointless to keep fighting it. Maybe that feeling inside me after talking to Newman was preparing me for this. Maybe this was my time to let go. I felt my eyes slowly start to close. The idea of letting go was so tempting. Like there was finally rest to be had if I just let go and gave in. They say that your life flashes before your eyes in moments of near death. I never knew how I felt about that, but in that moment, it was as real as ever. Memories started playing on the backs of my eyelids like a movie screen. I was taken back through the life I’d lived, starting now I met Dominic. Our life together played by, memory by memory, though only lasting for a few seconds in real life. I remembered all the talks we used to have, and all the faith he put in me even when I didn’t deserve it. I could feel the love he gave me that I never got from my family, and even in his death, he left with a message. I could see Ivan’s family flash in my mind, the kids who got out of trafficking, and then I imagined what Abaddon would do to them if I gave in. Suddenly, the voice of Dominic echoed in my mind louder than everything else. He’s got me. If whoever He was had Dominic when he was on death’s doorstep, maybe he had me too, and maybe he wanted me to keep fighting.

  My eyes snapped open again, and I could see the shock in Abaddon’s eyes. Clearly, he had thought he’d won. Even though I was aware of the injuries throughout my body, I wasn’t aware of the pain. I had one mission, and it was to keep fighting. I reached behind me and pulled out the last knife I had tucked away. Without a second of hesitation, I plunged it into Abaddon’s stomach. I could instantly feel his grip loosen, and I hit him off of me. I quickly got to my feet, and in a moment of otherworldly strength, I tipped the wooden bookcase next to me over on top of him. While I knew it wasn’t enough to keep him busy forever, and wasn’t enough to kill him, it was enough to give me an out. I couldn’t risk him getting to his feet with me being in the condition I was in, and I felt like there was a voice in my mind telling me to go. So, I left, and I didn’t stop running.

  ▪

  “This is insane.” Cadman said, sitting on the floor of his office. Newman sat across from him. There was a minefield of papers, books, and files between them. “Everything checks out. I have matched up a dozen cold cases because of this. Like this, this case was closed last year. A man was killed in his home, but no one was ever able to figure it out. It was a suggested suicide, but no one ever believed that was what happened. This gives the exact cause, name, and address of the guy who did it, and the high-level politician who hired it done.”

  “I’ve matched up another dozen on this side, and there are a number of potential hits that we can intervene in because of it, too.”

  “I don’t know why he’d do this, but it’s going to change the lives of so many people. We’ve got our work cut out for us, though.”

  “No kidding. We have to start giving out some of these cases. Have you talked to the captain yet?” Newman asked, setting a folder down on his lap, and leaning his head back against the wall.

  Cadman laughed, remembering the look on his face when he’d climbed up on top of the desk. “No, that’s not a battle I’ve had a chance to fight. I’m thinking he’s going to change his mind when he sees all this, though.” Cadman looked up from the small leather-bound book in his hands. Newman was gripping the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes.

  “Here’s hoping.” Newman lethargically said.

  “Hey, you should let someone look you over, just to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine. Just exhausted. Aside from that, I’m fine.” Newman said, putting a smile on his face.

  “You should head home.” Leo looked down at his watch. “It’s almost two o’clock in the morning.”

  “You sure?” Newman hoped he was sure.

  “Positive. I can wrap up everything here, and we can hit it again tomorrow. You’ve done more than enough today. Do you want to stay with me tonight? I’d totally understand if you don’t want to go back to yours yet.”

  “I think I’m okay. Thank you for the offer, though. I don’t really feel like anything is going to happen. I just really want to get back to my bed and finally get some sleep.”

  “Understandable. Want me to give you a ride? I mean, you could stick with the stolen truck, but that might raise some eyebrows.”

  Newman let out a fulfilling belly laugh. “One, I didn’t
steal it. Two, no, I will take a taxi or something.”

  “Alright Matt, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Leo gave Matt a hug, and Matthew turned and walked out of the room. When the two men locked themselves in Leo’s office, the building was full of confused officers, but when Matthew was walking out of the building, there wasn’t a soul. The woman at the front of the office was the only one he knew was still there.

  He walked out the front of the building and flagged down a taxi. “Where to?” The driver asked in a thick Russian accent.” Matthew turned over his address and leaned back into the seat. It wasn’t a long drive, but he fought to stay awake.

  Being in the taxi brought back the memories of the night before, though. Just about twenty-four hours ago, he was in the exact same position, heading to the same place, with the exact same night in mind. Funny how those things have a way of changing. After sitting with those memories for a short time, he decided he needed to get out of the car. He didn’t know exactly why, but he just wanted to be out of it. “Hey, man, sorry. Could you pull over and let me out here?”

  “Whatever you want, bud.” He said and pulled to the side of the road. It was a small road, just about a two mile walk from his house. While he was tired, it was worth it to have a little more time to process everything that happened. Matthew handed the man cash and stepped out of the car. It quickly sped off, and Matthew was left in the dark, completely alone. Some might have called it gutsy, but it was calming to him, for some reason.

  He stuck his hands in his jacket pocket to protect them from the cold nighttime air and started walking. While he walked, he started replaying the conversation he had with Judas in his mind. Something about it had really sunk into him, and it was the only thing he could find himself thinking about. Even though he had just solved two dozen cases, he was only thinking about the one case he couldn’t solve. It was practically sitting on his mind, like a book with the last page ripped out. Every part of him wanted more details, but he quieted the voice in his mind with the assurance he probably wouldn’t ever see Judas again.

  He was about two blocks from his apartment. He’d be the first to admit that he didn’t live in the greatest part of the city, but with the condition of the city, there wasn’t really a good part. That being said, Matthew was accustomed to seeing things on the streets and alley ways that he wouldn’t engage in. However, something caught his eye on the way down the street. Oddly, there wasn’t anyone else on the streets that he’d seen. Normally there was a crowd of the regular late-night pack scattered throughout the streets, but he hadn’t seen or heard anyone. Down the alleyway to his left, though, he could hear something. Normally, he would just keep walking, but something was almost nudging him down the alley.

  He pulled his phone from his pocket and flipped the flashlight on. Creeping down the alley, he found a person slumped over, coughing. Again, he would normally have turned and walked away, but after further inspecting the person, he saw bloody injuries all over the man. “Hey, you ok?” Almost unconsciously, the man rolled over, slumping down again, but this time where Matthew could see him. Matthew sharply inhaled when he saw the face of the man.

  Judas, the man who had just let him go, was lying in a pool of blood at his feet. He seemed unconscious, but still aware of Matthew’s presence. Anyone who knew of what Judas had done in his past would have turned around and walked away. Maybe even threw a kick into his stomach for good measure. The thought crossed Matthew’s mind, but it was inhumane, even for a criminal. With everything Judas had done for the people of the city by turning over all of that information, Matthew immediately changed his mind.

  Almost instinctively, he kneeled and tried to get Judas’s attention. He seemed mobile, but not entirely able. Matthew reached down, wrapping his arm around Judas’ back. He felt his arm get wet, so he pulled it back momentarily. Even in the dark alley, he could see his whole forearm covered in blood. He realized in that moment that Judas was in worse shape than he originally thought. Matthew quickly wrapped his arm back around Judas and lifted him up, bracing him with his arms as best he could. He knew that he couldn’t take him to a hospital, and something told him he shouldn’t call Cadman. After checking to make sure there still wasn’t anyone around, he started walking down the street. Slowly, they made their way to his apartment. Matthew didn’t know what he would do next, but he felt like it was what he needed to do. Suddenly, his desire to get home and sleep wasn’t near as important as it was just minutes ago.

  Chapter Twenty-Six.

  My eyes shot open. The lights were off, so I couldn’t see anything, and my eyes hadn’t had a chance to adjust. I was laying on a table of some sort. My eyes were quickly adjusting, but I still couldn’t make out any details of the room I was in, but something seemed very familiar about it. There was someone rustling around in a room just around the corner. Normally I would have been up and armed within a few seconds, but I was more than aware of the injuries, coupled with the crippling weakness throughout my body.

  Whoever was rustling around in the hallway behind me started back towards me. I did my best to sit up, in case they meant harm, but I was almost unable to do it. I propped myself on my good arm for elevation. I could hear his heightened breathing approaching, almost like he had been running recently. He turned the corner and looked me in the eyes as he stopped in his tracks.

  “You’re awake.” Matthew Newman, the man who I had just abducted twenty-four hours ago, stood there, looking just as shocked as I imagined I looked.

  My eyes had adjusted enough by then that I could recognize the area. I was on his coffee table in the middle of his living room. “I am awake. Why am I here?”

  “I know just as much as you do. I was on my way home, and I found you lying in an alley just a couple blocks from here.” I could tell he was fearful, but there was something about him that seemed like he was glad to see me.

  I tried to keep the puzzled look off my face. “The last thing I remember is taking off from my compound. Everything went black after that.” Admittedly, I was glad to see him too. I was eager to leave after our last interaction, but I had so many questions and curiosities that I was glad to be back with him. “In an alleyway?” I questioned.

  “Yeah, you were slumped over in an alley. I thought you were just some drunk vagrant. That’s not an uncommon sight down here, but I decided to check it out, just in case. That’s when I realized it was you. Seems like something really wants to keep the two of us together.”

  “Or someone.” I interjected. He smiled at me with what looked like a surprised, proud glance. “So, tell me, how long?”

  “I’m sorry?” He genuinely questioned.

  “How long till your police friends get here? I’m sure they were the first people you called once you got me up here. You’ll be a hero.” I said more sarcastically than I had intended.

  “Maybe I don’t want to be a hero.” He retorted.

  “Interesting. Then what’s your motive? Your plan?”

  “Maybe I’m just one of the good guys.”

  “Maybe. There just aren’t a lot of those guys left. Still, good guys don’t generally stay good guys by taking the bad guys into their houses and not turning them over to the proper authorities.”

  “Can’t argue with you there. I’m willing to make an exception for you, though. I would love to keep talking, honestly I haven’t stopped thinking about our conversation since I got back, but you are bleeding all over my coffee table, and I would like to help you.” He held up the medical supplies he was holding in his hands. “Is that okay?”

  “That would be great.” I took a labored breath. “I’ve been thinking about it too.”

  “Good.” He took a few steps toward me and held out a hand. I gripped it, and with his help, I sat up all the way. “Want to show me what I’m dealing with?” I lifted the bloody shirt I was in, wincing as I revealed the splotchy bruising across my torso, and set it on the table next to me. He took a seat on the couch right next to the table. “What happen
ed to you?” He marveled, now fully able to see the extent of my injuries.

  “That’s a long story.” I said.

  “Well, last I checked, we’ve got some time.”

  “That’s fair.” I let out an exasperated chuckle.

  “Give me your arm.” I gave him the arm with the large slit down it. “The beginning is a good place to start.” I smiled.

  “It’s hard to even find the beginning of that one. Remember that business associate I told you about, the one who killed all your men and took me?” He nodded. “Well, his name is Abaddon. I know you guys may think I’m the most dangerous criminal out there, but he takes that place. His ability to keep himself off the grid is unmatched.” I could feel his grip tighten on my arm at just the mention of him. “I know this because I used to be an apprentice, kind of. Four years ago, we all thought he’d died. He went even more silent than he ever had before, and he never contacted anyone. Turns out, that wasn’t the case. Now, he’s back, and he is both more powerful, and more blood hungry than he’s ever been. I got away from him four years ago, which means I’m his prime target. He doesn’t handle it well when people get away from him.”

  “Hence the bloody aftermath?” He chimed in.

  “Hence the bloody aftermath. This would be the second bloody aftermath, actually. He’s come at me twice since he’s been back. This one happened because I was going back to my compound. One final goodbye, I guess. Either way, he was waiting for me. He always seems to know your next move, somehow before you even do. The fact that I’m still breathing, even a little bit, is what people of faith call-”