Page 73 of Judas

Anyway, back to Dumb and Dumber.

“Are all you cops the same? Who, this. What, that. Where, how, bla bla bla. I’ll tell you what I want you to know when I’m ready to do so. Until then, keep breaking me.”

I well up the slimiest ball of coagulated blood and spit I can, then launch it at—Babel, that’s his name… ironic. He doesn’t flinch, arms crossed over his chest with a brow lifted. Kace, not such a good boy anymore, doesn’t move either. He’s sitting astride an armrest of the sofa that still smells new. They’re both wearing your typical militia garb; dark, long sleeve shirts, though I can see tattoos peeking up Kace’s neck and down his hands. Both in boots, too, but Kace is wearing black combat pants while Babel is in camouflage. Not the imitation kind from a sports store, the real deal.

“You two have interesting names, you know that? Babel, where the united people gathered to establish glory. Then in Luke 18:8, English standard version, it says, ‘I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ Ominous. Are you a man who doles justice, Babel, or someone who loses everything they touch?”

His poker face is impressive, but I move on to Kace instead.

“Havok, biblically we’re talking about devastation, a stain, a disgrace who destroys. Acts 8:3 says, ‘as for Saul he made havoc of the church.’ You’re definitely a disgraceful stain—fitting.”

“Don’t quit your day job, funny guy,” Babel quips.

Feigning mockery, I pout. “I think I’m quite funny, thank you.”

“I’m getting tired of this,” Kace spills.

“Tired of what?”

Both men turn and look at the door, where Nadia stands with a half-awake Sadie who looks like she’s been to hell and back.

Hah, too soon?

She’s barely hanging on from the looks of it. She’s in more clothes now, clean, hair doesn’t look like a rat’s nest. Mama must be taking good care of her—I would have done the same if theungrateful pain in the ass just let me do what needed to be done. Either way, they have both been sleeping the daylight away, trying to catch up on beauty sleep, I suppose. Or letting their souls rest—hahaha.

“His bullshit, babygirl. That’s all.”

“Welcome to the club,” Nadia grunts at Kace.

Oh no, things are already rocky between the two of them? Good.

“Need help?” Babel asks, getting up to offer Nadia a hand with Sadie well before Kace tries to.

Not setting a good precedent, pretty boy.

They’re fun to watch together. The uncomfortable tension lingering between all four of them—never mind me watching. I’m just the cherry on top, wondering how long it’s going to take them to figure out that sweet girl they’re treating like glass is going to wreck all of them. Nadia saw the tail end of a psychotic episode yesterday; she’s deep in the trough right now. It will come back with a vengeance. Every time Kate is out and about, she gets more volatile. I wouldn’t be surprised if she starts biting and ripping the flesh off next.

“No thanks, I got her,” Nadia answers.

“Touching family reunion. We have the dead, the depraved, and the depressed.”

“You’re not part of the family, don’t include yourself in that list,” Kace adds.

“Oh, I’m not. That’s you three. You’ll see,” I inform him, my grin like that of the Cheshire cat.

“The fuck does that mean?” Kace snaps.

“She’s on, well, was on Risperdal. It helps with psychosis and schizophrenia,” Nadia answers for me.

“You mean she’s like him?” he asks, twisted on the armrest, inspecting Sadie as Babel sits down with her on the sofa. She’s starting to come around and I’m excited to see this outcome. It’slike I’m sitting outside of an old TV screen, the glass buzzing with the energy and sound of static when it’s actually the strain between them. The best episodes of life and I get to witness it all firsthand—this is my favorite show after all.

“Yes, Kace, that’s exactly what I mean. I don’t know the extent of it, since I only managed to see the bottles before I had to leave her room but they’re gone. The pills. I’m sure dumb-shit over there didn’t grab any when he kidnapped her.”

Oh, she’s not happy with him at all.

He shakes his head and gives her his back then pushes his big-as-hell body up from the couch, moving over to the table of torture devices he has been gradually working through.

“Come here.”

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