Every Man A Judas

By James Wilber

Tom Jensen is a successful entrepreneur with a bright future. He is engaged to a beautiful woman, has a brilliant career, and is poised to become extremely wealthy. Tom is a loving son, a trusted member of his firm, and a devoted friend. His devotion is his undoing. When jealousy erodes the friendships that Tom holds dear, he becomes victim to every manner of betrayal and loses the life he has worked so hard to achieve. Left for dead and imprisoned, Tom’s life is on the line and he needs every bit of help he can get just to survive. If he manages to live, then he has sworn to exact revenge on the friends for whom he once would have given his own life.

Tom risks all, for this betrayal will not stand. Under the mentorship of an old British soldier, who was also left for dead, Tom learns the skills that his vengeance will require. If Tom survives his ordeal and evens the score, he knows he will likely change into a man forever hardened. Tom now knows that inside of every man there is a Judas who harbors dark thoughts of betrayal, avarice, and murder.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Wilber
• Release date: Jan 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781939337313

Book preview

Chapter 1

Nice, right? Tom Jensen asked as he watched his friend Kyle assertively shift the gears of Tom’s new Porsche cabriolet.

The top was down and the smell of sea air made the early evening drive both idyllic and typical of a day’s end in San Diego. The setting sun was burning the evening sky into a dark shade of orange. The agile light-blue Porsche was racing into the winding turns that led into the beach town of La Jolla. Tom was anxious to get back behind the wheel of the car that he had owned for less than two hours.

It’s a fun little car, Kyle answered. You know, Tom, I don’t think if it were mine that I’d let you drive it.

Tom smiled. He knew that his best friend of over ten years was telling the truth. Tom didn’t cling to his possessions in the way that his Kyle did. Kyle put the Porsche into an aggressive turn as he sped down the coast road. At the apex of the turn, the rear end of the little sports car fish-tailed in protest. Both men felt their pulses quicken. Kyle’s face paled but he did not concede that he was nearly out of control. Tom smiled with some concern though he did not feel the need to embarrass his friend.

Well, I’m a giver, Kyle. That’s just one of the differences between us, Tom answered. Now pull over and give her back.

Kyle drove on for another quarter of a mile until they came to the restaurant they were headed to.

Thanks for the spin, Kyle said as he pulled into the valet stand. He handed off the keys to the young man who sprinted from the stand to open the car door. Both men got out of the car and headed into the La Valencia Hotel, which housed the Whaling Bar, a La Jolla institution.

As Tom’s eyes adjusted to the dark interior he recognized Paolo, who was his favorite waiter. Paolo was in his late fifties and a true professional; he had been a waiter for more years than Tom had been alive. Paolo wore his uniform with the pride of a ship’s captain and he commanded a similar level of respect within the establishment. He began preparing for each shift with a haircut and a detailed grooming of his exquisite mustache. Every day. His burgundy coat was meticulously picked free of any lint or loose threads. His shoes gleamed like patent leather from his nightly ritual of a glass of port wine, a cigarette and a can of shoe polish. His smile towards Tom and Kyle was broad and genuine.

Ah, Meester Geensen! Paolo turned up each end of his thick mustache as he greeted the two young men. Just the two for thees evening? No jung ladies?

Just a couple of drinks and a quick supper, Paolo, Tom answered with a smile. We are celebrating a new job.

The waiter raised his eyebrows appreciatively, but did not require further details. He led the two men to their table and in doing so they walked through the entire restaurant, drawing mildly inquisitive glances from the seated patrons. It was Friday at 8:00 p.m. in the middle of July. The restaurant, like the town, had more tourists than regular La Jollans at that time of year and the two handsome young men stood out amongst the vacationers.

Tom was tall, 26 years old with dark hair and dark eyes presented on tan skin with angular features and gym muscle. He was wearing a black suit with a crisp, high-collared white shirt and black tie. The suit was tailored and Tom wore it with ease. Kyle was also clothed in a well-made suit of navy blue, which complemented his sandy hair and blue eyes. The two sharply dressed men commanded considerable attention in a beach town where suits are reserved for court and funerals. Most of the tourists wore ill-fitting tropical print shirts and cargo shorts with sandals. It was a distinction that the tourists’ wives and daughters appreciated immediately when Tom and Kyle walked past their tables.

Both men took their seats in a richly upholstered booth. Paolo snapped his fingers and a junior waiter approached with two drinks on a circular tray. He placed a scotch and soda before Kyle and a vodka martini before Tom. Paolo then recited the chef’s specials and retreated to allow time for the diners to decide. Tom picked up his cocktail and held it out to Kyle who clinked his glass in a toast.

After a long drink of the martini Tom took a deep breath and said, You know Kyle, if you ever get tired of law and order, my boss is looking for an in-house litigator.

Tom had made this proposition before but he knew that Kyle would dismiss his offer.

"You just got promoted to VP, don’t you think it is presumptuous to assume that you can already get me that job?" Kyle was not opposed to the idea, but he did not want to be beholden to anyone, even to a good friend.

No, Tom was now serious. Look, I know that working in the D.A.’s office might be fun or sexy or whatever, but the last attorney he hired was making triple what you are now, and more importantly, we could work together and that can’t turn out badly.

Tom raised his glass and took another drink.

Don’t get me wrong Tom, I want your money. I just don’t want to have to say thank you to you for it, both men laughed.

Tom smiled. Only five years out of college, a combination of good fortune and hard work had given him his dream job. He started out in a land development firm with bullish international investments as a junior operations executive. The CEO of the firm had taken Tom under his wing. After completing three large resorts, with much of the day-to-day work falling in Tom’s lap, he was rewarded with a promotion as Vice President of Operations. There was a substantial raise involved and while he would still be largely under the tutelage of his boss, Tom would get to do all the business travel that was no longer fun for the CEO. Being 26, the first thing Tom did after the promotion was buy a new car.

We’ll see, Kyle said as he finished off his drink. In any case, cheers to your promotion and let’s eat.

Ok. Just do me one favor so that you can decide without any reservations, Tom was relentless. Come to my party tomorrow night with an open mind. My boss will be there and you can see if he might be someone who you could work with, Tom hailed Paolo with a glance and continued to pitch the idea to Kyle. I’m flying to Colombia next week, and with your fluent and genteel Spanish, I am willing to bet he will make you an offer you won’t want to refuse.

Paolo approached, took their order and then was off again.

Colombia? Kyle was intrigued.

Yes, Tom answered. Alan West thinks it could be like Cuba before Castro and he wants me to scout for a potential resort development.

Hmmm. You know, the problem with Cuba before Castro was that everyone lost their holdings when Cuba nationalized.

I’m willing to bet that West is well aware of the risks in Colombia and the history of Cuba, Tom smiled with confidence in West, his mentor.

Seems risky, Kyle calculated.

It is, but West tries to balance his risky ventures with a lot of stable ones. In any case, it offers more excitement than planning a housing development in the suburbs.

The food arrived and both men ate in silent contemplation while they thoroughly enjoyed their steaks. Kyle’s mind drifted into the dark waters of a deputy prosecutor’s thoughts. Out of necessity and nature, the young man reckoned that he needed to be a benign Machiavelli.

Tom looked forward to a bright future. He basked in the optimism that youth enjoys when its troubles have always been trivial and short-lived. He had a boss he respected, a job that rewarded him and hopefully, after tomorrow night, a beautiful wife with whom he would build a family and a future.

Chapter 2

Tom did not get to drive his Porsche home that evening. After the first couple of drinks had taken the edge off of the day, Tom and Kyle proceeded to get properly drunk on 18 year-old Glenlivet. When the scotch ran its course, the two young men transitioned to Jack Daniels. The whiskey would be followed by aspirin, but only after a night’s sleep and a throbbing head demanded it. When the hour came to leave the Whaling Bar, Tom left a considerable tip for Paolo and requested a cab to drop the men at their respective homes.

The white-washed townhouse that served as Tom’s home was modest by La Jolla standards. It was a small, modern and clean two-bedroom. The luxury was not in the dwelling, but in its proximity to the beach. If Tom were awake, he had merely to get out of bed and take a few steps out of his sliding glass door to feel sand beneath his feet.

Tom lay face down and fully-clothed on his king-sized bed. The sound of his deep breathing was washed out by the relentless pounding of the surf fifty yards away.

His cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. Tom subconsciously willed it to stop. After his will appeared to prevail the cell phone ringing stopped and the house phone on his nightstand rang. It sounded like a far away dream to Tom. The house phone ignored Tom’s attempt at telepathy. He finally stirred and rolled over to pick it up.

This is Tom, He answered with a gravelly throat.

Are you sure? The voice on the other end was lovely and amused.

Hi, baby, Tom was smiling inside but his face was rebelling against the hangover. Are you back already? Tom checked the clock with a furrowed brow.

No, honey. I land in San Diego at three and remember my flight will be from Seoul because of the layover. Flight 398. I can’t wait to see you.

I can’t wait to see you either, Dani, Tom smiled at the picture of he and his girlfriend on the nightstand.

Tom and Dani said their goodbyes. Even though the young couple made a substantial income, the cost of calling on the airplane phone seemed like a waste. Tom replaced the phone on the cradle and rubbed his temples. He really was looking forward to seeing his girlfriend. She had been on a modeling assignment in Tokyo for two weeks. Tom had a surprise for her and was anxious to share it.

With the new promotion, Tom was secure in his ability to start a life with the 24 year-old model.

Dani was anxious to start a life with Tom as well. Modeling was not as glamorous as it was supposed to be and she had been pursuing her career with success since she was 15. Dani was in love with Tom and instead of imagining her next job, she caught herself imagining what their kids would look like. She well understood the sacrifices she would have to make to take her career to the next level and the thought held no appeal for her.

Tom rose from the bed and turned on the shower, undressing on the way. Steam filled the room. Tom washed away his night of excess and thought about how he wanted the evening to play out. Hidden in a safe, behind the bookcase in the second bedroom of his home, was a three carat, emerald cut, diamond engagement ring. Tom was silently rehearsing how he would propose to Dani. Tonight, he was throwing a surprise party at the restaurant where the couple had their first date three years ago.

Tom had invited Dani’s family and friends, his own father and Mr. West, who, second to Tom’s father, was the most important man in Tom’s life. Tom’s two best friends would be there as well: Kyle, who was at that very moment painfully hungover at his own house, and Rojelio, a friend from West’s firm with whom Tom worked on every project.

Tom was thinking through the evening in the same way that he planned out a business project but his thoughts kept materializing into smiles as he imagined her face when she saw the ring box in his hand and Tom descending to one knee. After dressing in a pair of well-worn jeans and a charcoal colored t-shirt, Tom looked for his car keys and then remembered the previous evening. He called a cab and headed out the door.

Finally behind the wheel of his new toy, Tom sped up the freeway towards his father’s home 30 miles north. He was looking forward to seeing his father, who lived alone. Tom and his father had always been close, but they had grown closer still since the death of Tom’s mother when he was in high school. Tom was his dad’s namesake and only child.

Tom’s father was retired and with all of Tom’s own travel and obligations, he had not managed to see his dad as regularly as he wanted to. He knew that tonight’s proposal would please his father very much. Tom Sr. had made no secret of his desire for Tom to know the same happiness that Tom’s mother had given him.

Tom parked the Porsche in front of a small craftsman-style bungalow nestled in a tree-lined neighborhood. The sun was breaking through the eucalyptus leaves and a cool breeze picked some leaves up from the green lawn and scattered them along the brick walkway. Tom rang the doorbell.

Hi, Son, Tom Jensen Sr. was obviously happy to have a visit from his son.

The elder Jensen was wearing a dark blue suit with well-shined shoes. It was clear to Tom that his dad had been looking forward to this evening for some time and had probably been ready to go since early morning.

Tom returned the smile and greeted his father, complimenting his dad’s best suit. He entered his childhood home and sat down on an ancient sofa with a homemade quilt draped over the back. His father poured a glass of water from the kitchen faucet and made his way back to the living room at the pace of a tired 70 year-old man.

Tom watched with hidden worry as he judged whether or not his father had lost some weight since he had last seen him. He made a mental note to check out the refrigerator before they left so that he could make sure his dad had what he needed.

Tom’s dad was never a large man, but he was always fit with a compact sort of strength. That afternoon, however, he looked like he was losing some of his vitality and the thought weighed on Tom who remembered so clearly the athleticism of his father who joined Tom in nearly every sport and interest from surfing to motocross and rock climbing. Those days were now filed permanently as memories. Conversation and the odd game of chess were the only sports that Tom’s dad could join him in now. That was okay.

So we are having dinner with Dani tonight? Tom’s father asked.

Yeah, Dad and there will be a number of people there so I have arranged for a car to bring you home afterwards. You’ll understand why I can’t bring you home later.

Oh I understand, Son. If I was choosing between taking me home or Dani, I would choose Dani too.

There’s more to it than that, you’ll see tonight, Tom felt guilty about not sharing more details, which conflicted with his overall happiness.

A small dog was barking from the back patio. Tom’s father got up from his easy chair to check on his dog. Tom took advantage of the time to get up and make his way to his dad’s bedroom. He spotted his father’s wallet on top of a large but plain wooden dresser. Tom quickly put five crisp hundred dollar bills into the billfold before hurrying back to his seat on the sofa.

Tom took a drink from the water glass as his dad returned to his seat. This was the routine through which Tom was able to help his dad. Pride and respect demanded that every charity be handled quietly.

Should we go? I just have to grab my wallet and house keys. his dad asked. He was anxious to get out of the house and spend time with his son. The two Jensen men locked up the house.

New car? Tom Sr. inquired.

Tom was a little embarrassed to show off his luxuries in front of his humble and frugal father.

Yes, he said but Tom couldn’t think of anything to justify the purchase so he stopped speaking.

Looks fun, Tom’s father said with a spirited twinkle in his eye.

Want to drive? Tom said with baited breath.

Maybe next time, Son, Tom’s dad was master and commander of a 1970 Ford pickup truck that was in immaculate condition. He did not think that he was ready to figure out a car that was 40 years newer. But he was happy that his son offered. It showed that he still was happy to share all he had.

The two men drove off, back down the coast. Tom could feel his pulse buzzing as the evening drew nearer.

Chapter 3

The sound of passenger jets taking off and landing could not drown out the quickening heartbeat that Tom felt. He had taken his father to lunch and then dropped him back at the beach house to watch the History Channel before rushing out the door to pick up Dani.

He parked the car and jogged to the arrivals gate. He triple-checked her flight number, gate and arrival time before joining the other spouses, parents and friends that waited to greet their travelers.

She was not hard to spot. Tom saw the double takes and zombie-like stares of the men around her and then followed their gazes to his girlfriend. Dani was oblivious to the other men. She was not naive but she learned as a teenager that the appreciation of men was a mixed blessing and that there was no way to properly deal with it. She saw it as a state of being, without ego or irritation. It added to her charm.

She spotted Tom and gave a large genuine smile. Her blue eyes seemed to light up. Her auburn hair was in a ponytail. She wore minimal makeup, and was simply dressed in a v-neck t-shirt and jeans but she could not hide her natural beauty. Tom moved towards her and they embraced. In doing so, Tom earned the animosity of every man that had said to himself ‘what if …’ while studying Dani. The young couple was oblivious to the world around them. They kissed briefly but in a way that conveyed their mutual eagerness.

Tom impatiently waited for her luggage at the baggage claim and was not shocked to see that there were enough suitcases for a 12-man expedition to Africa. He hailed a porter and they loaded the bags onto a luggage carrier.

Once at the car, Dani squealed. The porter held out his hand and rolled his eyes. Tom paid the man and loaded the bags into every square inch of the little car. Dani was investigating every detail as Tom opened the door for her.

I can’t wait to get home, Dani suggested with a mischievous glint.

Tom smiled, "Dad’s at my place. I’ll take you home and make