Markus looked around suspiciously. It was a little after five in the evening. His appointment with his shrink was at six. He didn’t want to miss his session with Nancy Adler. Markus was confused and angry.
“Did you do this, Cali?” He speculated loudly to no one.
Emily and Gwyneth had been Markus’s best kept secret. He thought about Tanisha then shrugged the thought off, hailed a yellow cab and hopped in. He called Gwyneth and told her about his vehicle. Markus asked her to handle things for him.
He muttered a curse after he got off the phone. Gwyneth always expected to be repaid whenever she did him a favor. She was more than happy to take care of Markus’s car situation.
He called Sparks and told him about his car incident. Sparks listened and after hearing all the details said, “We are gonna handle this, tonight.”
Sparks hung up the phone before Markus could say anything. He cursed under his breath. Markus didn’t feel like handling anything tonight. All he wanted to do was go see his shrink and go to sleep.
When he stepped into Nancy’s office, Markus was very distressed. Marching into the office and ignoring the secretary.
“No need to knock Mr. Johnson, come on in,” Nancy said sarcastically.
“Sorry,” he said meekly. Markus sat on the couch. “My life is getting worse.”
“In what way…?” She asked. She sat on the chair that was always adjacent to the couch. “How has your life gotten worse?”
“This guy is antagonizing me. He’s stalking me,” he began then changed directions. “Fuck that! We can get into that later. On a brighter note, I haven’t had a black out since the last one I told you about.”
“That’s good news,” Nancy said. “Have you been thinking about this woman Michelle much? Is it because you’ve been blocking her out?”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind. I think it’s my other situations. I got a contract from the company I work for. They offered me an exclusive deal with them. It’s a six figure deal.”
“Good for you, Markus, congratulations.”
“Don’t congratulate me. I don’t really wanna do porn for the rest of my life,” he said sadly. “Signing will keep me in the circuit for a year, and that year will turn into a few more years. I need the money. I don’t have any other choice. If you get my meaning…?”
“You have your whole life ahead of you. You’re twenty years old.” Nancy changed the direction of the conversation abruptly. “I’ve been studying the nature of things, and haven’t exactly come up with a single concrete thing that could aid you, besides hypnosis.” She saw the way his face scrunched up. “I want you to hear me out first, Markus. And I want you to speak with a friend of mine.”
“You’ve been talking about me to people?” He asked in a suspicious tone.
“No. I have a friend named Gary Zimmerman. He’s a private investigator, more importantly he’s one the best hypnotist in the country. He could help you a great deal, Markus.”
“I ain’t feeling this, Dr. Adler.”
“Michelle, Michelle, Michelle…” Nancy said all of a sudden.
“What are you doing? Are you crazy…?”
The room began to engulf him. He felt the air being sucked out from the office as it grew smaller. Markus began to gasp and the walls moved in, bottling him in.
“I can’t breathe,” he said struggling desperately. “There are other children in the room with me…! Flies, flies, all over…”
“What room?” Dr. Adler asked, examining Markus’s fearful expression.
He attempted to rise from the couch while struggling to remain conscious. He was able to stand but crumpled to the floor. Baffled Dr Adler looked at Markus’ body lying unconscious at the foot of the couch.
Gary had jokingly suggested the technique when he called her earlier. He was fishing for information on Markus. She refused to give him any additional information but did mention a certain woman who might possibly be the trigger to the black outs and flashbacks.
“Say her name a few times, like in that horror flick, Candy Man. See what happens,” Gary said, laughing.
Gary Zimmerman would be at her office around eight. His joke was no longer a joke. Saying the name over and over did have an effect on Markus. Dr. Adler could not foresee her patient responding in this peculiar manner. Markus was completely blacked out just on the suggestion of the stimuli.
Markus awoke an hour later with a roaring headache. He was back on the couch. He remembered hitting the soft carpet when he fell. In spite of things, the carpet was a welcome when compared to his head hitting the edge of a table or while driving on the Brooklyn Bridge. He glanced at Nancy, sitting on her chair, studying him. He leered. She gave him a glass of water. He quickly drank the liquid.
“How long was I out?” Before the doctor could answer, Markus glanced at the clock on the wall. “Damn, I was out for an hour?”
“Yes,” Dr. Adler confirmed. “Did you have another flashback?”
“I did. Two actually or it was one all jumbled with the man, woman, and that little girl, the children, the flies and the room.”
“You were saying something about children, flies, and a room. Let’s talk about this. You mentioned over the phone your flashbacks are beginning to last longer and you are able to see more. What exactly do you see?”
“I saw what I dreamt when I slept for twenty-four hours. I saw a man. He was dragging me away from the two people and the girl. He dragged me to a van, forced me inside and other kids were inside the van. Then I was in a room. There were so many children and uncountable flies, if I would have opened my mouth, they would have flown inside and gone into my stomach.”
“Hmm, sounds really bizarre. Dreams are often like that. Was it scary, like a nightmare?”
“The man who dragged me away from the people was scarier than the room filled with the children, and flies. He was really creepy-like with a scar on his face. It twisted from his forehead to his chin. I saw him clearer than I’ve seen any person in all of these flashbacks. If you get my meaning…?”
“Do you still think the people you see are your parents?”
“I can’t be real sure of that, they were smiling, but I know it felt like I was being kidnapped. The little girl was crying and the man and the woman were waving and smiling. Maybe they are my parents. Who knows? The man was white, aging, his hair line receded. If I saw a picture of him, I would be able to identify him. If I saw him in the street I would know who he was. All the kids in the room were scared of him.”
“Let’s talk about this room and the children. Do you know where this room is located?” She asked.
“What do you mean by that?” He asked, without being sure what she was getting at.
“Was it a room within a house, a building, or was it an orphanage?”
“I don’t know,” Markus said, still weak and woozy.
He got a good look at the doctor. With so many things weighing him down, Markus didn’t realize how nicely Nancy Adler was dressed. It was sexy in a conservative sort of way, business skirt suit, black shirt, sand cream tie and her black jacket was on a hanger in her closet. Anything the doctor wore made her sexy since she had coke bottle curves. He smiled.
This time he could see that she indeed wore a garter. Her skirt was shorter and she was wearing black stockings. The garter held them up with clips and he saw the strap going up her thickness, her thighs.
“I love your legs,” Markus uttered almost absentmindedly.
“Pardon me,” she said, pretending he didn’t say what she heard him say.
The intercom buzzed. She got up from her seat and scurried to her desk, “Yes?”
“Gary Zimmerman is here.” The secretary answered.
“He’s early,” Nancy snapped. “I’ll be with him in a minute.”
She turned her attention to Markus. He was standing. She didn’t want him to walk out. Dr. Adler knew she was pushing things by inviting Gary over, but only wanted to help Markus.
“I
t’s ok,” Markus uttered with a frown. “Invite this Gary fella in,” He produced a sly grin.
“Are you sure?” she questioned not wanting to offend him.
Was he toying with her? Nancy Adler wondered. She heard his words coming through loud and clear.
“Let’s see what he has to say. He can’t do any worse for me than you did with that little trick.” Markus said, watching her jaw drop. He laughed. “Go ahead and greet him, invite him in.” He coldly told her before she could touch the intercom on the desk. She turned toward him, inquisitively. “I wanna see you walk. Your walk excites me.”
“Does it now?” She asked daringly.
“It does. Women generally don’t excite me because sex is work, not pleasure. When I look at you, I don’t see work. If you get my meaning…?”
“Well Markus Johnson, I’m working and when I look at you, I see a client. I don’t appreciate your behavior. I have not one iota of interest in you other than wanting to help you with your dilemma. I suggest you conduct as professionally as you can. Is that understood?”
“Yes. Sorry doctor.”
Markus almost felt ashamed, damn near breaking down right under the scrutinizing gaze of the doctor. He watched her hips sway as she walked to the door. He saw Nancy look back, wanting to see if he was gawking. She caught him red handed. He saw her lips form a sneaky grin. She hastily turned her head. Nancy playfully bent a little while opening the door. She touched one of her upper calves, a bit of her skirt went up. He saw her casually snap the strap of her garter. The door closed behind her.
18
There were no overwhelming or distinguishing features, he was modestly dressed. Gary Zimmerman was a plain looking dude. His hair was medium length and dangled like it hadn’t seen a comb in days. His shoes looked expensive but worn. He had on dark blue slacks, light blue buttoned shirt with a light blue tie haphazardly hanging from his neck not touching his shirt.
He arrogantly sat on Nancy’s chair, went into the briefcase he carried, and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels.
“This divorce is driving me up the wall.” He told no one in particular.
“This is the guy who’s gonna help me with my problems,” Markus laughed.
Markus began pacing the expanse of the wide bookshelf and then traveling back toward the door. Nancy thought Markus was going to walk out the session. He didn’t.
“This guy looks like one of your clients, Nancy. What good is he gonna be?”
“Nancy is it, Dr. Adler.” Gary said with a snicker turning from the bottle to give her his set of eyes. “How interesting,” he then directed his attention toward Markus. He immediately saw the attraction between Nancy and Markus. It mattered little to him but Gary made note of it. He had never before heard any of Nancy Adler’s patients call her by her first name. Gary held the bottle of Jack high offering it to Nancy’s patient.
Gary Zimmerman was a fifteen year veteran of the NYPD. He was a highly decorated detective who was now retired and running his own private investigation agency. He saw more with a glance than most people could see with infra red binoculars in the dark. He learned a great deal about Markus already but had nothing to judge him on yet.
“Damn!” Markus gasped, shaking his head saying no to the offered bottle. He looked over at Nancy. “Damn!” he repeated emphatically.
Knowing the drinking was more Gary Zimmerman’s stage performance than drowning misery from a divorce proceeding, though he indeed was going through a very disgusting divorce, Nancy laughed. Gary was an alcoholic but he never walked into her office with a bottle of Jack Daniels.
“Looks can be quite deceiving. Gary Zimmerman is an accomplished hypnotist, one of the best private investigators in the city and a bit of an actor.”
“Well,” Markus said, extending a hand to a seated Gary. “If this is an act, I must applaud you for doing a hell of a job. I was more than convinced you’re an alcoholic.”
Gary rose from the chair and returned the handshake.
“Some of the best roles are the ones being played off the silver screen,” he said, gazing into Markus’s eyes. “Yes,” He said to Nancy without looking at her. “He has been under the stopwatch or penlight before. I would say I’m going to have a task ahead of me. It looks like the work of an expert.”
“What…?”
Both Nancy and Markus exclaimed in unison. Markus shook off Gary’s comment before the doctor.
“I only agreed to hear you out. I didn’t say anything about being a task for anyone,” Markus said.
“After you hear what I have to say. You’ll be begging me to deprogram you.”
“Deprogram…?” Nancy uttered.
Markus sat on the couch and explained his dilemma. Gary sat on the adjacent chair, listening while taking swigs from the bottle of Jack Daniels. Nancy looked and listened from her desk.
She was amazed at how well Markus explained his situation and even more amazed at Gary’s interest. It was way past ten at night, far beyond the time she thought this first meeting between the two of them would take. Soon Gary began asking a lot of questions, asking Markus things Nancy chastised herself for not thinking of asking. She yawned. Nancy Adler was tired. She saw Markus yawn after she did, that made them laugh.
“I think I’ve heard enough.” Gary Zimmerman said, with a raised eyebrow. “I think I can help you. I won’t guarantee anything. This man with the scar on his face, this intrigues me more than anything else. I think I know who he is.”
He saw Markus’s and Nancy’s eyes widen and held a hand up, halting any further bewilderment. “I refuse to speak on it now. I need to contemplate things.” He stared at Markus. “You are in something far deeper than being expertly hypnotized.”
There was a long pause. Markus and Nancy stared at each other. Suddenly things were beginning to unravel. Gary Zimmerman’s raspy voice broke the silence.
“For starters, I think I can have you recount a great deal of the missing pieces under hypnosis. I can help you with the spells of blacking out and the weird dreams you’ve been experiencing. I can also help you find out your true identity. I doubt your birth name is Markus Johnson. This stinks of something I’ve known about for some time. When I was on the force they removed me from an investigation involving children being used as guinea pigs and being severely hypnotized.”
Markus thought about hypnosis, it made his bones shiver, but the former detective mentioned something about an old investigation involving children being hypnotized.
“Why would someone hypnotize children?” Markus asked.
“So that the child won’t be able to speak… Hypnotism can be used to reveal but it can also be used to hide. An expert can wipe away portions of your past or completely and utterly wipe out your mind,” Gary told Markus.
“Uh… What…?”
“I know it sounds bizarre but look at you. You told me you can only remember as far back as this orphanage. You said it was like you woke up and were there, like that is where your life began.”
“True,” Markus said. After a slight pause, “How much is all of this gonna cost?” He decided to talk about something more tangible, money.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted this guy prying into his head but he had no other choices. Zimmerman, still drinking from that bottle, was probably going to cost him a fortune. Nancy was correct in saying it was an act because once they began talking the drinking seemed not to have mattered.
“The hypnosis is part of your psychiatry sessions. You’ll only be required to pay Mr. Zimmerman for his other services,” Nancy said.
Her smile disarmed Markus. He was more open to the hypnosis intervention. Markus’s curiosity had been revved.
“What other services? What more would I want from him besides stopping the blackouts?”
“I’m also a private investigator. How about wanting to know who you are, who your parents are?” Gary Zimmerman said. He focused his sight on Markus and continued. “Once I successfully deprogram these psychic bloc
ks, you will remember. This will no doubt compel you to want to find out more. Such as, who you truly are and why these things were done to you.”
“I’ll see you two next Monday,” Markus said and stood.
“No Markus, you will see us Wednesday. I don’t want you passing out again. I think Gary should start as soon as possible.”
“Why so soon…?” Markus asked.
“It’s the most logical decision. I’ll explain the whole process. Maybe you can read this Hypnosis for Dummies book I got here in my briefcase.”
“I’ll get the rundown on Wednesday.” Markus said with a frown.
He walked to the door and a dizzying spell hit him as he was about to open the door. Lightheadedness overwhelmed him. Feeling like he was going to blackout again, Markus paused. All he wanted to do was leave.
“I’ll see you Wednesday at eight sharp.” Nancy said.
Markus waved and closed the door behind him. Cautiously he walked out the office and passed the secretary.
19
Markus stood in front of the building. All the things he learned today had his mind boggled. He was more confused with the clues about his situation than when he had no clues at all. Markus finally noticed that a light drizzle had started. A hand touching his shoulder roused him from his rumination.
“Do you need a lift somewhere?”
He heard the voice and Markus turned to see Gary Zimmerman.
“Yeah, I guess I do,” Markus answered.
There was a horn honking coming from across the street. Markus saw Sparks in his car waving at him.
“I guess you don’t,” Zimmerman said, holding a hand out.
“Thanks Gary,” Markus said, shaking his hand.
“You look like you could use a drink. Take this,” Gary said.
He handed Markus the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels and walked away. Markus absentmindedly took the bottle. What the hell? He thought and took a swig. He expected to feel the heat and fire of the alcohol going down his throat. He didn’t. All he tasted was ginger ale. He laughed as he walked across the street.
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