by Kelly Holm
Leo knew their only option was to go for the door. He had gotten past this guy once before, he could do it again, right? He took a deep breath and pushed forward, but before he could get himself and Larisa out the door, something pricked him in the neck, and he suddenly everything went black, and he could feel himself falling to the ground.
“Nighty-night…” Lamar said as he injected Leo in the neck. Then he turned and quickly injected Larisa before she could get away, and she went down alongside Leo.
“What is that?” Nurse Clancy asked as she pointed to the piece of folded paper that fell out of Leo’s pocket when he fell to the ground.
“What?”
“That paper that fell out of his pocket when he fell, what is it?”
Lamar bent down and grabbed the folded piece of paper. He quickly unfolded it and saw that it was Dr. Blackmore’s organ pricing list.
“Holy shit, it’s a pricing list. How the hell did he get his hands on this?”
“Now, what?” Nurse Clancy asked.
“We have to alert Dr. Blackmore; he is not going to be happy about this. Do we know who this guy is or why he’s here?”
“No, but I know the woman came in alone. I wonder how he even got in here. I’ll go tell Dr. Blackmore we have a situation.”
“I’ll get something to tie them up,” Lamar replied, as they dragged Leo down the hallway and into a vacant room where they propped him up in a chair. Larisa was easier; Lamar just lifted her up and carried her into the room.
A few minutes later, Lamar came back into the room and tied them up so they couldn’t get away.
Chapter 17
When Mila woke the following morning, she knew she had a big decision to make, but she was torn; would she avenge her mother’s death, or would she sign the contract to partner with Dr. Blackmore and become wealthier than her wildest dreams.
What am I going to do… she wondered as she lay in bed with the covers pulled up close to her neck. If I choose to avenge Mama’s death, I’m sure I’ll feel great, but I won’t get the money. If I choose the partnership, I’ll get the money, but I wonder if I’ll always regret not killing that son-of-a-bitch. It was a tricky choice, and she knew, either way, there would be serious consequences she would have to live with.
Mila laughed at herself, this should be a no-brainer, she thought as she kicked the covers off to get up, why am I having such a hard time deciding?
Once she was up, she went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. On her way back to the bedroom to start getting dressed, she noticed the contract sitting on the coffee table where she left it last night.
Mila sat down on the sofa and re-read the first few sections; it was amazing, full of perks and bonuses, not to mention her regular salary would more than triple, giving her the financial freedom, she’s always dreamed of. Plus, she could move her practice into Dr. Blackmore’s building and have the staff she always wanted. It was like a dream; except that this dream included working with the reprehensible monster that killed her mother.
She quit reading about halfway through the contract. As Mila casually flipped through the rest of it, she noticed that the remaining sections appeared to be legal jargon that she had no
intention of boring herself with. She felt confident that she had read all the crucial pieces of the contract, and now she just had to decide if it was worth signing.
Growing up, Mila always dreamed of being one of the uber-rich; not just a little rich, but over the top, I can buy anything I want, whenever I want rich. Her mother provided a very comfortable life for her growing up, but she still dreamed of having more. She chose to become a clinical psychologist partially because she wanted to help people, but maybe more so because it was a very lucrative career.
Mila knew what people said about money, how it really can’t make you happy; but she thought that was a crock of shit preached by those who don’t have money. In her book, more money always equals more happiness. She thought again about her choices; avenge her mother’s death or sign on to make millions. If it weren’t for Dr. Blackmore being the sole reason her mother died, she would have already made the decision.
Mila understood that avenging her mother’s death came with some dire consequences, though. If she decided to go this direction and turn Dr. Blackmore in, he would most likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison. That was the good part; unfortunately, there was also a very good chance she would spend several years of her own life in a six by eight-foot jail cell just like his, because of her involvement.
Mila was sure that Dr. Blackmore would never go down without taking her with, especially if she was the one who reported him. The thought of spending any time in jail did not appeal to Mila, and she was determined to make sure that scenario never happened.
As she leaned back on the sofa sipping her coffee and pondering her choices, she glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that she needed to get moving, or she would be late for
her first patient. She quickly got up and went into the bedroom to start getting ready. As she was putting on her mascara, it suddenly came to her. It was so obvious; she couldn’t believe she didn’t think of it earlier. Why am I trying to choose? Why can’t I do both?
Now all she had to do was devise a foolproof plan. Mila’s mind started churning, at first with crazy over the top ideas, but as she continued to think, the ideas got better. By the time she was ready to leave for the office, she had a pretty good idea of what she would do.
Mila’s plan was simple and consisted of three phases. Phase one, she would stroke his ego and make him feel superior while climbing deeper and deeper into his trust circle; telling him that she was excited to be working with such a talented doctor and that the two of them will make an exceptional team. He was very egotistical, and she planned to use that to its fullest extent.
Phase two, after a couple of weeks she would ask to meet some of the others, like the surgeons and the people he deals with on the black market; slowly working her way into every aspect of the business.
Phase three and Mila’s favorite part; once Dr. Blackmore is entirely out of the business side, she’ll find a way to kill him. Nothing fancy, just something brutal, excruciatingly painful, and maybe a little humiliating, she thought.
Mila didn’t have all the details worked out yet, but the general plan was set in her mind. I’ll call him later this afternoon and ask to meet with him tomorrow, and then I’ll set my plan in motion, she thought as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. While putting the finishing touches on her makeup, she thought about her mother.
“What do you think, Mama, isn’t it brilliant? I’m going to take that son-of-a-bitch down and make him pay for what he did to
you,” she said to her reflection as Smokey looked up at her, with his big blue inquisitive eyes, wondering if it was him, she was talking to.
Mila could hear her mother’s voice in her head like she was standing right next to her; and the voice was telling her that ‘it’s a horrible plan, incredibly dangerous – just look what happened to me, and do not attempt it at any cost.’
As she looked through her closet for something to wear, she pushed her mother’s voice and her celestial advice out of her mind. Mila finished getting dressed, walked out to the living room, grabbed the contract off the coffee table and reached into her briefcase to grab a blue ballpoint pen; then she quickly flipped to the last page, took a deep breath and signed her legal name and dated it. She folded the document in half and placed it in her briefcase for tomorrow.
Mila was almost giddy with excitement; although, she wasn’t quite sure if it was because she was about to become richer then her wildest dreams, or if it was because she figured out how to avenge her mother’s death. Either way, it was starting out to be a great day.
Now that the decision had been made, it was like a sense of relief rolled over her; the world seemed right to her again, and she could finally relax. Mila decided that once she was fully in charge, sh
e would bring her friend Jessica in on a higher level, and the two of them would take the business to new heights.
Mila glanced at the clock again, it was almost 7:00 a.m. and she would have to leave for the office soon. Smokey was at her feet, slowly rubbing his soft gray furry head against her leg, and then walking over to his dish and back again. Every now and then, he would look up at her with his big blue inquisitive eyes possibly wondering if she was getting the hint. She knew this was his way of telling her that he was hungry.
After feeding Smokey and herself, Mila grabbed her phone, briefcase, and purse, and left for the office. She felt like she was on top of the world and nothing could bring her down… nothing except the text she just received from Dr. Blackmore. It was almost like she could hear the muted, bawling sound of the trombone going ‘whaaa whaaa’ all around her.
Oh no, this can’t be good, she thought as she quickly opened and read the text…
Urgent - need to see you, my office, today 1:00 p.m.
Mila wondered what this urgent meeting was all about; was it possible he figured out that she was in his office, and stole a file from his personal file cabinet? Sofia promised not to tell that she was there, was it possible she did anyway? Mila hoped that wasn’t the case; she had no idea how she would talk her way out of that one. I better come up with a good excuse, just in case, she thought.
When Mila arrived at her office, she immediately checked her schedule to make sure she didn’t have to reschedule one of her patients for this urgent impromptu meeting. Lucky for her, 1:00 o’clock fell on her designated lunch time today, so she wouldn’t have to reschedule anything.
The morning flew by, and before she knew it, it was time to leave for her meeting with Dr. Blackmore. On the drive over, she decided that if he were to ask her about being in his office yesterday after he left, she would be honest, to a point, and tell him that she had to add something to one of the patient’s files that he would see the following day. She would adamantly deny that she took any file, should he ask, and then quickly change the subject.
As she pulled into a parking spot at Dr. Blackmore’s office, she tried to relax. Even though she had a very believable
alibi, she was still very nervous about this meeting. She pulled the
visor down and looked in the mirror; her makeup was still in place, and once she ran her fingers through her hair, it would look perfect. So, she took a deep breath, got out of the car, and walked up to the building. As she opened the door, she quickly changed her facial expression to pleasant. When she saw Sofia sitting behind the reception desk, she smiled and said,
“Hi, Sofia.”
“Hi, Dr. Thorton, how are you today?”
“I’m doing great, how’s your day going?”
“It’s going pretty well, thank you for asking. Dr. Blackmore is running a little behind; he asked if you would please wait for him in his office.”
“Ok. Slow day?” Mila asked as she looked around the office waiting room.
“Pardon me?” Sofia was confused by Mila’s comment.
“I said, slow day? The waiting room is almost empty, did we cure everyone?” Mila asked as she smiled, hoping Sofia would find it funny.
“Oh, yes, it’s always slow around the lunch hour. It should pick up soon.” Sofia noticed that Mila looked a little nervous, and wondered if everything was ok.
“Glad to hear business is good. I think I’ll just go back now,” Mila realized that her joke wasn’t that funny, and quickly went back to business as usual.
“Dr. Blackmore’s office should be unlocked; you can just go in.”
“Thank you.”
As she walked back towards Dr. Blackmore’s office, she noticed Lamar carrying a woman who appeared to be passed out
into a room; she thought the patient looked vaguely like her patient, Larisa Bergman. Don’t be silly Mila, Larisa’s appointment was a couple of hours ago, there’s no reason that she would still be here. It must be someone else, she told herself.
Mila walked into Dr. Blackmore’s office. She loved the mahogany desk and the tall back leather chairs; they looked so beautiful and perfect. When I take over, I won’t be changing anything in this office except the name on the door and the degree on the wall, she thought. She walked over to his desk and sat down in his chair. It was so plush and comfortable. She closed her eyes and imagined what things would be like when she was in charge.
Mila was well into her fantasy when someone started to open the door. Mila quickly pulled herself back into reality and stood up. She had enough to worry about without Dr. Blackmore finding her sitting in his chair daydreaming. When the door opened, a young nurse with a short brown bob poked her head in.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Dr. Thorton, but do you know where I can find Dr. Blackmore?”
“I think he is with a patient. Is it anything I can help with?”
“No, I need a signature from him. I’ll come back later,” the nurse said, as she closed the door.
I wonder why he called this urgent meeting, Mila thought. I sure hope it isn’t to reprimand me for being in his office yesterday or worse yet, for stealing that file from his personal file cabinet.
Since she was alone in his office, she thought it would be a good idea to put her mother’s file back where she found it. That way, if he should question or accuse her, the file would be there, and he wouldn’t have a case. She quickly went into her briefcase and pulled it out. After making sure all the pages were in the correct order, she carefully placed it back with the other files and closed the cabinet.
While she waited for Dr. Blackmore to finish up with his patient, she looked at some of the paperwork on his desk, hoping
something would shed some light on why she was here. She looked at the names on the files, and when she spotted one of her patients, Larisa Bergman, she quickly grabbed the file and looked inside.
Mila skipped the first couple of pages because what she was really interested in was on the third page. Ah, here it is, she thought. She was quite surprised to see how good of a candidate Larisa actually was. Dr. Blackmore has her earmarked for both of her kidneys, her heart, and her lungs; this was going to be a huge payout.
Mila saw dollar signs. She had no idea Larisa would be so lucrative; she just thought Larisa deserved to die because she killed her baby. What’s taking him so long; she wondered as she looked at her watch, it was 1:15 p.m., how much longer is he going to be? She quickly realized that she was still sitting in his oh so comfortable, high back chair, and thought she better move before he walks in and catches her there.
Just as Mila got around the desk and into a different chair, the door opened, and Dr. Blackmore strolled in. He looked a little distraught, and Mila was worried that she was about to get into trouble.
“Ah Mila, thank you for coming by; I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for you,” he said, as he walked past her and directly to his desk where he sat down in his chair and let out a long sigh.
Mila noticed the look on his face and panicked. She did not want to be reprimanded for anything, so before he could say anything else, she quickly chimed in and spilled her news.
“I signed the contract.”
It seemed to throw Dr. Blackmore off his game for a
moment, which was precisely what Mila was hoping for.
“That is just terrific, wow; I was not expecting this today. I thought you might take a few days to think things over. Was there anything in it you wanted to discuss?”
Mila’s diversion worked, he completely forgot what he was upset about. His whole demeanor changed, now he was sitting taller, and had a very pleasant look on his face.
“No, I think it was pretty self-explanatory, not to mention very generous. I’m very excited to get started,” Mila said, as she pulled the signed contract out of her briefcase and handed it to Dr. Blackmore. She was incredibly nervous, more then she realized, and he noticed. He gave her an inquisitive look before he grabbed it.
; “Are you ok? You seem a little nervous or anxious.”
“Oh, I’m fine; I think I just drank a little too much coffee earlier.” She had to pull it together, he was quick and observant, and she had to remember that. If she was going to pull this off, she would have to be able to outsmart him.
As Dr. Blackmore took the signed contract from Mila, he sighed again, and then tried to smooth out the fold line. It really seemed to bother him.
“Would you mind terribly if I reprinted this and we both resigned? It’s just that I have this thing about folded legal documents.”
“Sure, that’s fine. I didn’t realize that you preferred it unfolded, I’ll remember that for the future.”
“It’s really not that big of a deal, just my one of my personal pieces of crazy I guess,” he said, trying to downplay his reaction.
Dr. Blackmore quickly reprinted the contract for them to sign. He signed first and then handed the contract to Mila for her
signature. Mila immediately signed and gave the contract back.
He looked at the signatures, smiled, and said, “Well, I am just delighted with your decision. I honestly thought you might
take a little longer to decide, but as I said, I am delighted.”
Mila could tell he was pleased with her decision to partner their two practices. She wondered why he chose her, and not someone else who had been working with him longer. Either way, she was thrilled he chose her, and couldn’t wait to put her devious plan into action; and also, to start cashing the checks.
“I think it’s going to be a very lucrative partnership for both of us,” Mila replied, as she smiled at him politely.
Dr. Blackmore took the contract and filed it in his desk drawer. He then went on his computer and created an addendum to his will, which named Mila as sole beneficiary to his estate should something happen to him, and sent it off to his lawyer.
“I completely agree. I just changed my will. You stand to be a very wealthy woman one day. Of course, this won’t go into effect for a few days, so don’t get any crazy ideas of killing me off,” he said, as he raised his eyebrow at her and smiled trying to ease the tension.
