Page 61 of Judas

“As I was saying. Want to be mindful, you may draw unwanted attention. In my line of work, that’s a bad thing.”

“Your line of work? Precious, you’re a convicted sex offender. Let’s not attribute you to a specific line of work, okay?”

“That’s not what I meant, and you fucking know it, Ra!” My words bite as much as his did.

“You’re right. I apologize. You’re referring to being a correctional officer. If it is any consolation, when I look at you, I only see a woman. Not a job, not a conviction, just a woman. Even if it's a maddening one.”

That… was sort of sweet. Much kinder than the opinions from other strangers I’ve received through the years. Makes me hatehim less. Er, no, I hate Ez—he’s the one that resembles Lucien. Ra? I… whatever. Stop over analyzing shit, Nadia.

Stepping into the little store on the ground floor, Ra releases me and I wander around to look at the things inside. It’s cute in here—a mashup of a coffee shop and ice cream parlor. There’s a door closer to the back, near the stairs I assume we will be climbing once he gets our room key, that has ‘Tails & Tales’ stickered to the glass. I sneak over to it and look through to see a small book store and OH MY GOD. Kittens. They’re… fucking hell, they’re everywhere. Curled up on piles of books and in readers' laps too. Some are playing on a very worn out rug, as others zoom around, racing and having the time of their little lives. I almost have my face pressed to the glass as I watch them, they're so cute.

I want—no, need—to go in there.

Pushing the door, an arm slides around my waist and pulls me back. Not hard, but enough to keep me from trying to move forward. A wave of sadness takes up nearly all of the room in my chest. There were many days when I was little, where I would watch other kids play with their pets but was never allowed one of my own. Dad let me have stuffed animals and robot toys but never a real one. I became obsessed with kittens for a few years; even had a kitten backpack once and used it until it fell apart.

“Always wanted a kitten.” Speaking quietly, I don’t want to frighten the babies on the other side of the glass.

“When we make it out of this, with your daughter, I’ll buy you all the kittens you want, Precious.”

“I don’t want to buy them. I want the ones who people threw away.” My voice cracks a little, making my mouth snap shut. Knowing what it’s like to be cast away.

“Come on, let’s go up to the room. You need real rest and I need to check in with Ez, see where we are at with narrowing down Lucien and Sadie’s location.”

Leaning into Ra, just for a second, I give a once-over to the shop again then turn to follow him up the stairs. He’s right, and I hate admitting it, but I’m exhausted. I haven't slept in a real bed in so long; there’s a great possibility I’ll melt into it and just pass away from comfort—and a heartbreak.

A long hot shower, a nap, real food, and a big ass cup of coffee later and I feel like a completely different person. While showering, Ra went out to the car and brought the bag of clothes up he and Ez got for me, and apparently a backpack of his own that only has computer equipment in it. No toothbrush, toothpaste or other hygiene products, clothes—nothing. Oh, yeah, that’s what he didn’t tell me. He bought this place when he put the GPS into the bat mobile and had some personal shopper stock it. When he was ‘getting the keys,’ he was finalizing a few documents and the rundown of the local area.

Opulent fucker.

With coffee in hand, the warmth seeping through the ceramic, I join him at his side. Hair piled high on top of my head, a shirt that’s too big but feels so much better than the shit I wore in Bluitt, and brimming with curiosity. Taking a sip, my eyes skim over the screens.

“Ez have anything for us to use?”

Ra tilts his head and looks me over only to return to his set up.

“Yeah. Your guy went into the national park and disappeared. The cameras caught him headed northwest but never made it to the next stop where campers hang out at. Which means he’s in this area.”

Tapping on the touch pad, he brings up a map and shows me a huge area circled in red. A single road bisecting it, mountains off to the west before they give way to the ocean miles away. To the east, it’s more of the same, just at a greater distance.

“My guess is he’s in this vicinity,” he says, circling a smaller zone within the red perimeter.

“Why that area?”

“It runs parallel to the road; easy to get into if you know what you’re looking for. This area, according to Ez, is known for having old rich people vacation homes. In the early eighties, this park was a hot spot for tourism, then the parks in the States started to improve and offer amenities that Canada chose not to allow in theirs. So, the homes were mostly sold off, some abandoned.”

At some point, my eyes moved away from the screen and focused on him. He’s a smart cookie; his brother, too.

“Your people, then.”

“Mine? No. I don’t associate with the rich.”

“Could have fooled me with how you flaunt your money around.”

Ra leans back in his chair, one hand still swiping across the touch pad as the other rests on his thigh. He doesn’t like this, being attached to money, but enjoys the benefits of it.

Double-edged sword; must suck not struggling to pay your bills or buy food.

With another sip, I turn, leaning against his makeshift desk and look down at him. I know I’m not traditionally educated, I have a high school diploma and that’s about it, but there’s no way I’m a stupid bitch. He had a well funded childhood and it’s bled into his adult life; one he can’t escape because there’s no amount of brilliance that will lift you out of poverty. It's to be a good heir and rake in Mommy and Daddy’s fortune, or starve, intelligence be damned.

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