“Alex. It’s Nicole. I need to speak to you. Do you have a minute?” Nicole asked anxiously, hoping Alex could help.
“Of course,” said Alex. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Nick. I’m really worried about him. He’s not been himself these last few months. Something is going on with him.” Nicole paused. “He’s……..different.” Nicole struggled to keep her voice even, fighting back the tears.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Alex said. Nicole poured her heart out, telling Alex everything about Nick’s strange behavior, the nightmares, and the lack of sleep. His paranoia about some man, only referring to this person as “him”, but never revealing to Nicole who he was speaking about. She told Alex how frightened she was, and that she felt she had to walk on eggshells around Nick, scared he would explode at any given moment. As Nicole spoke, Alex listened, confirming his suspicions.
“Please help me, Alex. I didn’t know who else to turn to. I’ve tried to get him some help, begged him, but he refuses.” Nicole burst into tears, unable to contain herself any longer.
“It’s going to be alright, Nicole. I’ll do everything in my power to help him,” Alex said, trying his best to reassure Nicole. It was obvious to Alex that she desperately wanted Nick to get treatment.
“Thank you, Alex. I knew if anyone could do something, it would be you.”
Alex put the phone down, leaned back in his office chair. He knew what he had to do. He’d speak with his superiors, informing them of Nick’s behavior. Usually when an employee starts to show signs of a breakdown, a psychiatric referral is made, and the person undergoes an evaluation. Hopefully, Nick would agree to psychiatric treatment if recommended. And, thought Alex regretfully, he felt almost certain that’s exactly what Nick would require.
Alex spoke to his supervisor, expressing his worry and concern regarding Nick’s mental health. He also relayed his conversation he had with Nicole and her ever-growing fear of Nick. Both Alex and Nick’s supervisor and the department manager agreed Nick needed a psychiatric evaluation as well as a drug test, in case Nick’s bizarre behavior was a result of substance abuse.
On the day of Nick’s psychiatric evaluation, he was called into the main conference room. By this time, Nick was a total mess. He had not slept in three days, barely eaten, his appetite completely gone. He was jumpy, any noise caused extreme irritation. Nick looked at everyone warily, including Alex, deciding no one was to be trusted. Nicole left him. This only added to his psychosis, believing that she was ‘in’ with Vincent Rossi. In fact, Nick thought that everyone was all part of one big conspiracy to kill him.
It did not take the psychiatrist conducting the evaluation long to realize Nick Stone was indeed unraveling. A full-blown psychotic breakdown was happening in the mind and body of this man. After a series of routine questions, Nick suddenly leapt across the conference table, holding a knife up against the psychiatrist’s neck.
“I know who you are,” growled Nick. “You work for him, don’t you?!” Nick pushed the knife harder against the doctor’s neck, ready to slice his throat.
“ANSWER ME!!!!” Nick screamed into the psychiatrist’s ear, practically blowing his eardrums out.
The doors flung open and several security guards pulled Nick off the doctor, kicking and screaming like a wild, feral animal. Alex, his supervisor, and the department manager all came rushing to the scene, having been watching the evaluation behind a one way mirror.
Unable to be subdued, the good doctor gave Nick an injection of thorazine, a heavy-duty tranquilizer, and ordered an ambulance to rush Nick to the nearest psychiatric hospital. Nick fought as hard as he could, but was no match against the powerful drug.
As Nick faded into oblivion, he saw Alex, standing in a corner of the room, a look of sorrow on his face. This angered Nick greatly, who, in his haze, mistook the look as pity.
; “Ffff…..Fuccc…..FUCK YOUUU!” Nick managed to holler out, pointing at Alex. “You. You did thissss too meeeee…….” Nick passed out, the drug finally taking effect.
The paramedics arrived, whisking Nick away to the hospital. The psychiatrist, having not been pleased about Nick putting a knife to his throat, turned to Alex. “You did the right thing informing us. Nick will get the treatment he most certainly needs,” he said, rubbing his neck.
Three months later
Alex McCall missed his partner. He had visited Nick twice since his hospitalization. Both visits were the same – Alex attempting to converse with Nick, while Nick sat in a wheelchair, staring into space. It was too much for Alex, who felt a massive sense of loss and sorrow for what had happened to his partner, his friend.
Alex’s sense of loss and sorrow would only become much deeper and wider in the months that followed. His lovely pregnant wife, Michelle, was involved in a hit and run accident while riding her bike in London, and died instantly. Alex and the team at MI-5 knew it was no accident, knowing full well it was Rossi’s gang of Mafia out to get Alex. Alex slept with one eye open, paranoia a way of life. Eventually, MI-5 tracked the assassin down, killing him and his accomplices. A few months later, Alex quit MI-5. He went underground, still grieving the loss of his wife and unborn child, living in his own private hell.
Nick Stone, too, lived in his own private hell. Six months of intensive psychiatric treatment, and still no discharge date in sight. His doctors and therapists all said he was progressing, but that he still required in-patient hospitalization. No matter, Nick thought. He would continue to play the game, telling them what they wanted to hear. One day he would be free. And then he would find Alex. Retribution. Pay back.
As Nick was thinking about all of this, he stood in front of a window, staring out, gripping the black bars that covered it, his pale blue hospital gown hanging off his skeletal frame. Slowly, a faint smile spread across Nick’s face, his head titled. He stood there for hours, a thin line of drool dripping down the corner of his mouth.
Chapter 23
The Mediterranean sun warmed Caprice’s body, giving her a bronzy, all over glow. She stretched her long, tanned legs, while turning over on the lounge chair. Caprice closed her eyes, inhaling the salty sea air.
After Sergio’s violent outburst, Caprice quickly regained her composure. She had excused herself to the bathroom, taking time to reapply her makeup, dabbing her neck with perfume, smoothing down her hair. All the while, she thought about how she was going to make Sergio pay for treating her badly. She was not one of Sergio’s little whores he could slap around. She was Caprice Belmonte, after all. Men did not handle her roughly – well, only when she wanted them too, Caprice thought, smiling.
Caprice had returned to their meal, slipping into her seat. Sergio was busy ordering his butler to hurry with dessert. Caprice smiled warmly at Sergio, running her bare foot up his leg, knowing how to regain control over the situation.
After dessert, Caprice whispered into Sergio’s ear, “I have another dessert for you, bell’uomo.” She took Sergio’s hand, leading him to the bedroom. Caprice put on some sultry music and began slowly undressing, her hips swaying to the beat. Turning away from Sergio, she unzipped her dress, inch by inch, letting it fall to the floor. Caprice enjoyed this seductive dance, putting on a private show just for Sergio. She loved teasing him, wearing nothing but a smile and her Louboutins.
Sergio, too, loved every second of it, his cock getting hard. Sergio knew with Caprice that he had to let her know who was in charge, otherwise she would walk all over him. Caprice had to learn to respect him, he thought. Sergio licked his lips as Caprice turned around, bent over, grabbed her ankles, giving him a full view.