Page 47 of Judgment Day

“You always say things to make me blush,” he accused.

“You like it.”

“I love it. Now, focus, Executioner.”

“Okay. Okay. I’ve got a plan.” She faced the computer screen. “We’ll use the vape holes in the cameras to take out the guards outside the house. Then we’ll have our glitchers fry the judge’s outside cameras, so he won’t see us coming. We’ll kill everyone who gets in our way once we’re inside. And then we’ll find the judge. He’ll go down to the basement, probably. That door has a special lock on it.”

“I figure you know a way to get into it.”

“Yup. That maid I told you about, the one who was nice to me when I was little. She gave me the code a few years ago. She said the judge never changes it. According to her, the code is six digits. And it’s his mother’s birth date.”

“Why would she tell you that?”

“I went looking for her a few years ago. I found her living in a rundown apartment. She still worked for the judge. I promised her that I could free her from him. Of course, she was afraid. She’d tried running once. His men had caught her. She said they beat her so badly that she now walks with a limp. Fear kept her from running again. When I explained to her that I now worked for an organization that could protect her, she started to trust me a little. After a lot of convincing, she helped me come up with some of the evidence I needed to expose the judge. The Timeless took her in at my request. Right now, I believe she works as a secretary at one of the schools. Her name is Debbie Stanton, and her picture is also on the judge’s watch list. She told me her story of how the judge took her in when he found her and her best friend on the streets, homeless. He promised to help her. Instead, he used her to entertain his friends. Since it was better than living on the streets, she stayed. When she aged out...”

“Aged out?”

“Yeah. It means she got too old for his friends’ tastes.”

“How old was she when she aged out?”

“Twenty.”

“Those sick fucks.”

Exa nodded. “She said the first thing he asked her when she first met him was, have you started your period? When her friend said no, he looked at Debbie. She said yes, so he took her. He used her until she was twenty, then made her part of the kitchen staff. She was only used after that when one of his friends was bored and wanted to play with her. She tried leaving, but, as I said, he always found her. I didn’t bother asking her why she hadn’t reported him. I already knew the answer. Fear. Or maybe shame. Sometimes both. It’s easier to place the blame on yourself than it is to place it on the person responsible. Anyway, back to the basement code. She said the judge hates change, which is why he never changed the code all these years. But not many people know it. She only knew it because she was messing around with one of his guards, and he let it slip. Then he beat her and told her if she ever told anyone, he’d kill her.”

“Damn.”

“I know, right? Some people look down on women who find themselves in that position. But, they need to stop and ask themselves what happened to make those people fall that low. Some of them never stood a chance. Life just hasn’t been kind to them. Folks who are privileged will never understand why those who are not privileged sometimes get trapped in the darkness, unable to get out.”

“I understand. My sister got trapped in a life she hadn’t wanted, and it was no fault of her own.”

“Privileged men like the judge take advantage of those already facing hardships. He preys on their weakness. He deserves to feel their pain.”

Scar nodded. “We’re going to show him what it’s like to be the prey. Not just for you. But for all the women he’s hurt. I can see it in your eyes that the rage you carry isn’t just for you. It’s for them also.”

“You’re right. I’m not killing him just for me. I survived. I’m thriving now. I’m doing it for all of those who didn’t make it out of the darkness. I have a list of names I want to recite to him. I want him to remember them. And if he tries to hide in the basement, I’ll just enter the code and join him there. If, for some reason, he’s decided to change the code, I’ll just use one of Arson’s explosives to blow the door off its hinges. Either way, I’m getting my hands on Judge Bailey.”

Scar smiled at her. “I love when you get that violent look in your eyes.”

“Now, who’s not focusing?”

“My bad. Finish telling me your plan.”

“That’s pretty much it. It sounds simple. But it won’t be. That’s why I’ll have Seven on comms and monitoring the cameras. Since Liam has hacked into the judge's cameras inside the home, I’ll have him continue playing a clip on a loop, so the guards won’t realize something is up until it’s too late.”

“I’m sure the Kid, I mean, Liam, can handle that. I can have Declan fly us there. It’ll be faster than driving. We’ll just need to find a clearing to land at.”

“I’ve got a cottage not too far from the judge’s house.”

“Really?” Scar asked.

“Really! I purchased it years ago for this very reason. There’s a trail behind the cottage we can take to get to the judge’s property. It’ll involve a lot of walking. I’m already tired just thinking about it.”

“Does he have cameras back there?”

“Yup. Which is why we need Liam to have them playing on a loop. We can’t let the enemy see us coming. If they do, we won’t stand a chance. If we leave tonight, we can rest in the cottage and then attack in the wee hours of the morning while the judge sleeps and the guards are a bit lax.”

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