The Devil's Deal Read online

  Deadly Deception

  The Devil’s Deal

  P. J. Mann

  Copyright © 2019 by P. J. Mann. All Right Reserved.

  ISBN: 978-952-69159-8-6

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Chapter 1.

  Dr. Wright kept his gaze steady on his new patient, Mr. Julius Alvarez Mendoza, as he tried to explain his problem with quitting smoking.

  His fingers twisted each other, and he kept his gaze lower, making evident his discomfort in talking about his problems in front of a complete stranger. Regardless, the stranger was a person who was supposed to help him to finally quit smoking, the questions about his private life seemed, at times, to completely miss the point of what he needed the consultation for.

  The truth was that Dr. Wright was barely listening to what his patient was telling him, and this had nothing to do with him being uninterested in what Mr. Mendoza was saying. Rather it was a question of an internal conflict that has started to take over his thoughts.

  Keep focused! You are here to listen to him and help him with his problem, reminded a tiny voice in Dr. Wright’s head. I can’t focus after what happened during the last experiment, he thought as if replying to that voice, explaining that he couldn’t stand to kill more people than necessary.

  Last time it was a disaster; I cannot agree to kill any of my patients. They are supposed to be the one to test the drug, not to be its victims, he continued explaining to himself, desperately trying to find some excuse that could possibly make him feel better about his involvement thus far.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Julius asked noticing the expression in Dr. Wright’s face.

  “Huh… No, no! I was just considering what you were saying,” he lied, knowing that he could not even recall half of what Julius said.

  Dr. Wright glanced the clock and sighed, “We will need to set up another appointment. To tell you the truth, I was considering the possibility of placing you in an experimental program aimed to help people with the same problem. It consists of a series of hypnotherapy sessions coupled with an experimental drug developed to strengthen the effectiveness of the hypnosis.”

  Julius thought for a second about the possibility and wasn’t really eager in trying anything experimental, particularly if it was something that could potentially mess up his brain. I am already pretty messed up by myself, so to be willing to try something new is way out of my comfort zone.

  “It is nothing dangerous if that is what you are thinking,” smiled Dr. Wright, as he noticed the change of expression in Julius’ face.

  “I am not sure about it…”

  “Maybe I can explain the process to you and perhaps try and convince you of its validity.”

  Julius sighed, he certainly trusted Dr. Wright considering his reputation, and it was just the word he used that made him hesitate; experimental.

  “I understand that it might sound foolish. I know you are a renowned psychiatrist, and you would never do anything to put my life and health in danger. Nevertheless, I don’t feel confident in trying anything new,” Julius’ hesitated, keeping the tone of his voice low.

  “There is no need to fear. We have run many models about this new formula. To be honest, this very same drug has already been extensively tested. The only difference is that we are constantly trying to improve it and we need more results to have it approved officially by the FDA,” Dr. Wright explained keeping the tone of his voice calm and steady; the same tone he would use during a hypnosis session.

  Julius adverted his gaze from Dr. Wright’s, he really wanted to trust him, but something made him hesitant, and he knew that this could have been a good challenge for Dr. Wright.

  Well, if it has been already tested… he began to consider, thinking about the possibility of agreeing to the test. On the other hand, if this could help me to finally gain control of my addiction combined with all these insecurities that have cursed my life for as long as I can remember… I don’t know, I need to know a little more about it.

  “Dr. Wright, I would like to know more about it. I am not saying that I do not trust you, but I need something more than just your word,” he tried to explain, hoping he would not sound offensive.

  “Of course, I can answer all the questions you might have and give you all the information necessary to make an informed decision. My aim is to solve your problem, not to give you more,” Dr. Wright smiled kindly.

  “I understand, and I am sorry if I sounded like I do not trust you…”

  “You do not need to apologize to me. I understand your reluctance, and I find it quite normal. Nobody wants to become a laboratory mouse, but in this case, I am very positive about the chances of success we might achieve,” Dr. Wright opened a drawer and grabbed a small folder. “I want you to take a look at all the information when you have some time to yourself, and next time we meet, you can let me know whether you want to be part of this program or not.”

  Julius took the folder in his hand and wanted immediately to start reading it, but he refrained from doing so I don’t want to look too eager, he thought, although his curiosity was killing him.

  “That is the reason why I handed you the folder. There you will find all the answers to all of the frequently asked questions regarding the treatment,” Dr. Wright replied calmly, as he already seemed to have forgotten the reason why he had found it so difficult to concentrate on Julius’ story.

  He took another fast glance at his watch and sighed, “Well, I think that will be all for today, we’ll meet again in seven days. Remember to schedule the follow-up appointment at the desk, on your way out.”

  “Thank you, I will. Also, I will go through the contents of this folder as soon as I get home,” Julius assured standing up from the chair and shaking the doctor’s hand.

  Dr. Wright watched Julius leaving the room, and as soon as the door closed behind him, he let out a deep sigh like his soul wanted to leave his body.

  For the rest of the day, there weren’t any other patients scheduled, he always kept those who were considered for the experiment as the last patients of the day. He knew that in their particular cases, they might have needed some extra time, and he didn’t want to rush anything.

  He grabbed his agenda and started to write some preliminary notes about his new patient and felt almost relieved about the fact that this time, there wouldn’t be a group therapy situation.

  In the beginning, I thought that having a group would have helped us achieve more consistent results. However, the previous experience demonstrated that it just increases the chances to have unwanted victims. Mr. Mendoza has a very interesting personality, which I trust will provide positive results. It is difficult to gain his trust, but he has the mildest nature I have ever seen in a patient. Under normal conditions, he would never harm anyone, and if the test results remain as positive as I expect, this will be a breakthrough in our research.

  He paused a bit, considering what he was writing, and he really hoped that the following week, Julius will have decided to participate in the test.

  “It would be a shame if we’d lose such a great patient, just because of his fear of an unknown situation,” he said aloud as he stood up from his chair. He walked around the room pondering whether to go home or stay at his desk a little longer evaluating the data he’d collected. Then, his eyes met the clock on the wall, and with a grin, he decided it would have been better going back h
ome, where Samantha was certainly waiting for him.

  “There is no use in trying to analyze something until we have confirmation of his participation in the test. I don’t want to waste my time here, Sam is the most important person, and she deserves my time more than this bullshit.”

  That said, he grabbed his coat and left the building, determined to forget about his job, the program, and everything that was not connected directly with his private life.

  As he was driving home, Julius could not stop thinking about the contents of the folder Dr. Wright gave him. He was tempted to pull over and start reading before even making it back home. It took an enormous effort to resist until he was back in the privacy and comfort of his apartment.

  He sighed as he came into the living room.

  He should have been used to the fact of not having his girlfriend living under the same roof anymore, as it had been about a year since he regained his ‘single’ status. “I am not sure how much time this is supposed to take, but it seems like I miss her more and more every day,” he whispered, sadly shaking his head as he took off his jacket.

  He was aware of the differences that tore them apart, but he was still hoping that perhaps they could eventually overcome them together.

  “Who am I trying to fool?” he said, meeting his gaze at the mirror in front of the coat rack. “You should have known that she was looking for someone who could at least manage himself,” he growled at his image.

  He remained standing in front of his image as if anticipating an answer or a solution to his problems to present itself.

  He felt lonely and miserable.

  His eyes fell upon the folder he left on the table waiting for him, it felt like within those pages there was the answer to his questions, but the price for them was something he wasn’t ready to deal with yet.

  “There shouldn’t be anything to fear. Dr. Wright is a respected professional, and he is renowned for his many contributions in the field of modern psychiatry,” he tried to rationalize that sinking feeling in his gut away as he grabbed the folder back in his hands.

  He was still dying with curiosity to peek inside and dig into the information, but what a few minutes ago seemed to be irresistible, now it seemed threatening.

  He took a deep breath and sat on the kitchen chair, with another breath, he opened the folder and started to read. There were listed all the results they’d achieved thanks to the drug they were using in the study. The drug itself could not really be called experimental, considering the number of people it had been tested on, but he was aware that before being accepted by the pharmaceutical community those numbers were not enough.

  He went slowly through every page, trying to understand everything and to make up his mind whether he could consider it as something reasonable or not.

  It wasn’t easy reading, there were many things he didn’t really understand, but those were mostly medical terms. If he was honest with himself, these results did seem promising.

  “What if this really is going to be the solution to my problems? What if with this drug, I can really quit smoking and improve my self-confidence?” He dropped the document he was reading and kept staring at the wall, as his mind raced with the opportunities opened in front of him.

  He shook his head, and realized he was smiling, “I need to do all I can, and this is an unmissable chance. God, I cannot even think for how many years I have been waiting for such a chance.”

  He stood up from the chair, feeling almost electrified with the excitement, his heart was beating fast, and he could not stop smiling from ear to ear.

  “Yes! I cannot even think about waiting until the next appointment in seven days. What if he finds another patient who will agree to the test and will rescind his offer?” He grabbed his mobile phone, ready to call Dr. Wright at once.

  Suddenly a doubt grabbed him, as he looked at the clock on the telephone screen, “is it going to be too late for a call?”

  “Oh well, the longer I wait, the later it will get,” that said he dialed Dr. Wright’s telephone number, waiting impatiently for him to answer.

  Every ring was like stabbing his heart when finally, a voice answered.

  “Bernard Wright.”

  “Uhh… Good evening, Dr. Wright, this is Julius Mendoza Alvarez.” he was already regretting having called him so late. “I am dreadfully sorry to disturb you at this ungodly time of the evening, I wanted to talk about the folder you gave to me this afternoon.”

  Dr. Wright was surely expecting him to call, but not so early; he didn’t know what to say but tried his best to sound calm.

  “Mr. Mendoza, there is no need to apologize, please let me know if you have any questions about it.”

  “Well, to be honest, I do not really have any questions, rather I have to say that after reading the documentation you gave me it convinced me to take part in the test. I just wanted you to know as soon as possible because I was afraid I could not wait for the next appointment to tell you this.” He spoke very fast almost surprised about the speed with which he could talk.

  He felt somewhat amused about himself.

  Dr. Wright smiled pleased and relieved. He was sure that Julius would have accepted, but like with every patient he dealt with every day, he was aware that unpredictability of behavior was a feasible parameter to be included in his equations.

  “Well, Mr. Mendoza, I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting your call so quickly. I was certainly hoping the dossier would help you to make an informed decision, but you seemed so determined to stay out of any experimentation, that I was afraid you would have passed on this opportunity,” Dr. Wright admitted.

  “And that was exactly the mistake I was going to make before I could take a look through the papers you gave me. Those results are impressive, and I would be just a fool if I let this opportunity slip through my fingers. I understand that I could have given you my final decision next week, but I could not wait. Now I realize I have disturbed you at an improper time…” Julius was practically jumping out of his skin with the excitement and felt almost intoxicated by the feeling pervading his heart.

  “There is no reason to feel ashamed or sorry. My job is to be available to my patients, and if this requires me to be reachable outside the normal office hours, so be it. The most important thing is giving you the chance to get rid of your problems,” Dr. Wright assured keeping his voice steady and calm.

  Julius drew a deep breath, “thank you once again, Dr. Wright, and I’ll see you next week.”

  “One more thing, though,” added Dr. Wright before hanging up, “I will email you the telephone number of Prof. Doyle. He is my colleague at the University, and you will have to arrange an appointment with him to perform a series of tests to make sure that you won’t have any issues by using this drug and also to calibrate the dosage that is tailored just for you. You do not have to call him right away, but it would be good if you could call him as soon as possible.”

  “Of course, I will call him tomorrow morning,” he reassured chuckling. “Thank you once again and have a good evening.”

  As soon as he ended the conversation with Dr. Wright, Julius felt as good as he’d ever felt in his whole entire life. He had that amazing feeling that, for the first time, everything was going perfectly, and the light at the end of the tunnel of his addiction was close.

  “So, close I can almost touch it, and I can’t even tell how happy I do feel,” he walked excitedly. “I need to tell someone…”

  He grabbed the phone and dialed his mother’s number. If there was a person, he knew he could talk to about his problems it was his mother, despite all the problems he had with his family over the years.

  With his father, the situation was, a bit complicated. He never accepted Julius’ life choices, and particularly his choice in careers, and that caused them to argue quite often, until Julius decided that it would have been better leaving his home, never to return.

  “Julius, what a surprise. Is everything okay?” His mother
answered apprehensively, noticing the unusual hour for him to call.

  “Everything is fine, Mama, don’t you worry. As I told you once, I am going to start a series of psychotherapy sessions with Dr. Wright, and I just finished talking with him about my addiction, and he suggested that I try a new therapy he’d been testing on other patients too. He’s very confident about the chances to get rid of my smoking habit,” he grabbed the cigarettes from the pocket of his shirt and lit one up, inhaling deeply.

  It was funny, to even consider the possibility to get rid of that stupid need for nicotine.

  “That is the best news so far, you know how your father also fought that addiction his whole life and never found any treatment that could help him quit. Hopefully at least one of the members of my family will be able to get rid of that poison,” she growled frustrated with the situation, and thinking about the damages that seemingly innocent habit wrought on their family and friends.

  “I know, but believe me, I have tried everything…” he commented ashamedly, with a lower tone of his voice.

  “Don’t you worry, sweetheart, you know we all make mistakes and poor choices. The great news is that you are ready to do whatever it takes to rid yourself of the addiction, and the second piece of great news is that you’ve found a good psychiatrist like Dr. Wright to help you,” she reassured. “I was just talking about it with your uncle today, and he was telling me that this Dr. Wright seems to have a great reputation. He also said that Cinthia, your cousin, was treated by him, and she was extremely satisfied, I am sure he will be able to help you.”

  “Oh, have you spoken with Uncle Steve?” He wondered. “It’s quite a long time since last time I have seen him, how is he doing?”

  “You know him, he is always traveling around the world like a headless chicken,” she giggled. “He returned from one of his trips, and he called me to check in and tell me all about his travels. Well, you know there isn’t much happening around here, so you have been our main topic of conversation.”