Just great, just fucking perfect. My first case is persuading a demon of all places to leave its home and stop killing people. Why could not I get anything better than this?
I patiently stood near the side of Mervin’s office door, told to wait for further instructions until he finished talking with Walker in private. Both men were deep in discussion about what they should do next concerning this case. I could hear their hushed voices from inside the room, but I did not want to eavesdrop on them because I know how annoying it can be when someone else does that.
For what appeared to be minutes, the door opened with Mervin standing there with a neutral expression. He walked over towards me as he informed me about my case, “you will be occupied by two officers; Mano and Helson. I presume that you know these two gentlemen?” Mervin gave me a nod, prompting me to answer him, “yeah, I do.”
“Good, I will bring them to you as protection, wait here for a moment please,” he then left the hallway in search of them. A few moments later, Chief Walker stepped out of Mervin’s office and approached me with his arms crossed, wearing a serious look on his face, “I never would have expected that Mervin would choose a dangerous case like this one for your first assignment. I do not even know if we have enough human resources to help you, much less the resources needed to deal with this supernatural threat.”
Walker’s words made me sigh heavily, feeling helpless, which is something I am very familiar with due to all the problems I had been facing in my life. This time, it was different however, because now I am faced with an unknown enemy unlike anything I ever encountered before. My eyes wandered around aimlessly, trying tried to find some way or means to resolve this problem, “what do you mean by this first assignment? Isn’t this what any cop does in their jobs?”
The Chief chuckled softly, shaking his head at me while rubbing his chin. He then answered me, “recruits do not go to dangerous cases like this, usually they only get assigned easy and safe cases that are not related to the supernatural. The only reason you were chosen for this case is because of his high expectation of you, so we need you to succeed in this matter no matter how hard it gets,” he paused briefly, staring at me if expecting a response from me.
I did not say anything, just looking at him with uncertainty, waited for more information on the subject. Eventually, Walker continued speaking, “but I think you will succeed kid,” calling me kid felt annoying since I am twenty, but the Chief was right about me surviving or winning the odds. I might be able to handle myself well sufficient against this threat, though I still have doubts about whether I can take care of two officers.
He took out a cigar from his pockets and lit it up, puffing out smoke as he leaned back onto the wall behind him. He looked tiredly at me with deep exhaustion in his eyes, “need a lighter?”
Ha, a lighter? I already have one.
As he out his cigar, I followed suit; pulling out the last previous pack of cigar and lighting it up. As soon as it was lit, I inhaled deeply from its sweet scent before exhaling slowly while staring at the burning end of my cigar. It’s been awhile since I had a chance to enjoy a good cigar. Sad thing is that this was the last piece I got from its pack, holding it with my other hand.
Noticing my disappointed expression, he motion me to relax by taking another puff from his own cigarette, blowing out the smoke into the cold air. “You can give me that empty pack Adam, I can throw it away for you,” he offered.
I obliged, handing over the empty pack of cigar to him, “thanks Chief,” I said with a small smile. Walker nodded, placing the empty pack inside his coat pocket as he stood up and stretched his arms out wide before saying, “you are welcome.” He then turned towards the opposite side, walking away and leaving with my own thoughts behind.
My cigar was long gone now, having smoked all of it down. I sighed lightly after throwing it away like it was nothing, trying to calm myself down, I decided to sit on the dirty floor with my head down and eyes glancing around the hallway at people who were moving through their daily business.
I sigh again, looking up, noticing a few police officers walking past me. They appeared rather busy with what they do which was understandable, considering the situation we are all in right now after the destruction of my facility went into the news. My gaze fell back onto my right before I noticed something that caught my attention, Mervin with two identical officers side to side wearing their black suits.
“Its them,” I mumbled to myself, Mano and Helson; it has been quite some time since I last saw them. I stood up and walked towards them, passing by many other police officers doing their jobs as well. I try not to get too close but they appear to notice me anyway.
“Hey! I remember you,” Mano said with a stockier build than his partner, approaching me while giving a small wave of his hand. “You are that psychiatrist guy we brought to question?” He asked.
Helson, the taller and lean muscular body nodded, “You are Dr. Adam, aren’t you sir? The person who survived that facility of yours?” He asked. I nodded as I answered, “yeah.” As soon as I did so, both men’s eyes widened in shock, especially Helson who took a step back from me.
Mano tried to recover himself, “sorry about that, but its been awhile since we have seen someone like you around here,” he apologized while scratching his head. I gave him a smile to reassure him and said, “its fine,” I told them with a light tone. Mano and Helson looked relieved, having stood there while looking at each other then back to me, having exchanged glances between themselves.
Mervin interrupted our small talk, “if I have your attention gentlemen,” the mouse man spoke with his usual calm voice. He stepped forward and explained the instructions for us, “Adam will take part in investigating a haunted home. I want you two to occupy him as added protection in case if anything goes wary,” his head turning to face the duo, “Adam is quite capable of dealing with things supernatural or otherwise; however, I do not wish to risk anything until we know what threats we are facing. In any case, it would be best that you two keep an eye on him as well.”
Wait what? Since when did I said something about being capable of dealing with things like the supernatural?
The two men behind him look at each other before saying in unison, “we will do as ordered sir.” They bowed their heads respectfully towards him as Mervin casually walked at my side before placing his hand on my shoulder, speaking in a low voice, “I trust that you will succeed Adam,” he told me, making sure no one else could hear his words.
When the words were spoken, Mervin left without any additional conversation and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the two police officers and myself alone together. We both looked at each other and gave a slight nod in agreement, “we should get going,” they said in unison.
“Right, lead the way then,” I told them, walking off to follow them out of the hallway. As we reached the main public lobby, I was surprised by how crowded it is with people everywhere, employers and visitors alike. Everyone appeared to be rushing around with purposeful actions, hurrying up to reach their destination while also conversing with others in hushed tones, few even stopping to exchange greetings or simply take pictures of each other.
None of it mattered. After exiting the building and entering the police vehicle that we have been provided with, the interior looks just like any normal police car with the exception that it is much more spacious than expected. The driver’s seat is large enough for two grown adults to sit comfortably inside. The rear passenger door can easily fit four passengers, but I am the lone occupant in this car.
I sat on the back while Mano and Helson sat in the front with Helson taking the driver’s seat to drive us to our destination. I had already memorized the address from Mervin and Walker during our conversation in the office, knowing exactly where to go. But before we got there, I needed to fill them the danger that lies ahead of us.
“You guys know what we are dealing with, right?” I asked them, “just wanting to ensure what you guys are getting yourselves into,” I added. Both men nodded in affirmation, “yes, we do understand Adam.” Helson replied with a serious tone, staring straight ahead at the road while driving. He does not look bothered by my question, likely they have dealt with this before or are in denial.
Suffice to say, it is probably the latter due to their sweating profusely if under great mental stress despite having no apparent reason to worry about it. However, that is not going to stop me from being vigilant around them, not until I am certain of their answer.
“You sure? Because I am sure this is going to be dangerous as hell, even though I have a feeling that everything will work out in the end,” I told them, staring at both of their faces intently while I continue talking to them, “and I do not want to take any chances of you two losing yourselves over me.”
Both looked surprised by my statement, but Mano quickly regained his composure and spoke up. “We understand your concern bud, but we know what we are dealing with, Mervin told us about it. There is a demon that you must persuade to leave, right? I am hopeful that things will for us,” his voice was filled with optimism, although there is a noticeable hint of fear present in it.
These guys…I can tell that they have been in this job for years now and based on their approach to this, I am very certain that they had moments of almost dying before. But if I wanted to, I could convince them to leave this case, just to have them survive.
No…no, what am I thinking? Having them at my side increases my chance of survival by tenfold. They are like bodyguards, protecting me from harm when the need arises. If I did that, then I might be the one that dies instead. It is too risky, and it is better to keep them with me than let them depart.
Because in truth, I do not want to die for my father’s last wishes of me. So I decided, if it means using their deaths for my survival, then so be it. I would rather have these two sacrifice for me instead of myself. I am no hero nor villain, just a guy who has lived a hard life, surviving only by being cynical and pessimistic while picking the best options for me to succeed in my job.
Silence fell upon us as we transverse through the roads of this city, heading towards our destination. The silence was broken after some time, as Mano spoke up. “You are truly an odd guy,” he said, his voice shaking slightly from unknowable fear, “I can see why Mervin trusts you with such a dangerous task.”
“It is because I am the self-proclaimed world’s best psychologist,” I answered him casually without breaking eye contact, “and before you ask, no. I am not a fraud or anything like that, although I have my own way of doing things. But I am not lying when I say I am one of the best psychologists out there, but unfortunately, some people find me too skeptical of hearing such claim.”
Mano nodded and replied. “That is understandable. You know, it might be a good idea to tell us your story if you don’t mind. That way, we will understand better about who you are, and perhaps even trust you more,” Mano suggested, trying to comfort me as much as possible. I took his words into consideration, deciding that telling them the truth would help make things easier for everyone involved here.
And then I began my story.
