Page 44 of Judas

He staggered with his prizes back to the living room, looking around at the chaos of overturned furniture, broken pictures, and empty bottles. He wanted desperately to care about the state of his surroundings, but he just couldn't. He was numb and he was glad for it. Twisting the lid off the first, he threw the stopper against the wall and filled his mouth.

Falling into the sofa, Judas took another long pull from the bottle, "I heard you last night, Yesh. I heard you whispering in my ear. I wake up and am I home? No!"

He shakes his head madly.

"No, I'm not! I'm here… in this place. Without Eliza. I gave you everything, brother. Everything! More than two thousand years you took from me… what was your plan? For me to watch humanity forever?" Another large swallow of the liquid was gone. "Then what? This feels more like a punishment than a gift." No doubt about it.

Judas had no fear of ending up in hell one day. This was darker and more tortuous than any fiery pit he could ever be thrown into. This was true hell.

Chapter thirty-two

Eliza sat up straight with a start. Pools of drool covered her arm which was, at this moment, very, very asleep. Straightening from her slumped position, she shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the search page on her home computer. Her back ached and her neck was stiff from lying on the desk for so long. Squinting at the clock, she realized she’d only been asleep for a few hours, at best.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she leaned back in her office chair to get her bearings. After leaving the office, she’d spent the better part of the night searching different combinations of the four digits and the entry in the bank log, Dra. After finding absolutely nothing, the researcher in her had dug through every article she could find about her father and his law firm. She didn't find anything she didn't already know, her snooping was fruitless and she was more exhausted than before.

But like an annoying little gnat, a few intrusive thoughts were still buzzing in the back of her brain. They poked and prodded and tickled until she couldn't ignore them anymore. The folderUncle Chet was holding. Why did he have it and why was it labeled with the numbers nine-seven-two-nine? What about a bank account was so secret, that it was protected with a password on her dad's computer? Although, she had to admit, it was a terrible password. And why didn'tsheknow about it? Eliza had to get answers, but first, she had to check on Paul.

The phone to the nurse's station rang twice before a woman with a thick southern drawl picked up. Eliza could tell immediately that the person on the other end wasn't a native of Texas but probably more Deep South like Mississippi or Alabama. After an introduction, the woman's accent became thicker, more than Eliza thought possible.

"Oh, good morning, darlin'," the voice, as sweet as southern tea, cooed. "I'm April, his nurse for the day."

"How's my dad?" Eliza asked.

"I'm pleased to report that he had a restful night. Doc's already done his rounds… your daddy's going to have another CT today. If all goes well, Doc's gonna pull him off the meds and get him to wake up," April smiled through the phone.

Waves of relief washed over her but there was something else behind the emotion. It was something she didn't expect and it even took her by surprise. She felt… afraid. But of what? There was a good chance that by the end of the day, her father would be awake and he could tell them who shot him. She should be ecstatic, but she wasn't. She felt like she was running out of time.

Shoving every concern to the back of her mind, she drew a deep breath, "Thank you, April. That's wonderful news…I'll be by later today."

Eliza hung up the phone and decided to waste no more time getting the answers she needed.

***

The thirty-minute drive to Southlake felt like it took hours and until she turned onto Continental Boulevard, Eliza thought she'dnever get to her destination. In the last ten minutes, the morning sun faded behind billowing clouds and the Texas sky turned a dull shade of grey. A thunderstorm gathered in the distance and she couldn't help but see the parallels between her thoughts and the impending squall.

Eliza slowed at the tall iron bars of the gated neighborhood. Adam's Lane was a sprawling development of brick mansions, green lawns, and good schools. After punching in her own code, the one given to her the moment she could drive, she curved around the quiet streets until she found her destination. Eliza stared for a moment at the five bedroom home with its black shutters a stark contrast against the pale sand colored brick.

There was a time when, inside its walls, Eliza found pockets of solace. Barbeques on the back patio while she and the other kids swam in the cool water of the pool until late into the night. The smell of homemade tomato sauce bubbling on the stove in the kitchen while she played game after game of Mario Brothers in the downstairs den. The comfort of nights tucked into the four-poster bed at the end of the hall on the second floor. So many memories. So much time passed.

Hesitating before she rang the doorbell, Eliza braced herself. She didn't want to accuse anyone of anything, but she needed Chet to show her what was in that file. Time was short and something inside her told her she needed her answers before her dad woke.

She pushed the bell.

Within a few seconds, a thin woman with healthily tanned skin and brunette hair opened the door. Eliza noticed her beautiful face becoming taut at the sight of Eliza's presence.

"Aunt Reba, are you okay?" her brow furrowed with worry.

Reba swallowed hard, "Sure honey, I'm okay. What can I help you with, sweetheart?"

Eliza took immediate notice that her aunt never moved to invite her inside. As a matter of fact, she seemed to position herself in a way that would demand a steamroller to move her.

"I wanted to talk to Uncle Chet—"

"Chet isn't home," his wife cut her off tersely, pursing her lips tighter.

Eliza nodded, "Oh, okay… I think he has a file I need for work. Would you mind if I looked in the office for it?"

"Not right now, honey. I think maybe you should go back to the hospital and sit with your daddy," Reba looked as though she was choking back vomit.

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