Black Promises (Blackwoods College)

Dr. Silver’s practice looked like any number of doctor’s offices. Nondescript outside and plopped right in the center of an office park. He’d been in the same place at least since I’d gone to see him all those years ago, and the sight of his door made my stomach twist. I stared at the nightmare-seared outline of the windows and the shrubs that hadn’t changed in over a decade, and all I wanted to do was run.

The panic threatened to swamp me. I felt this way the last time I came here—the one and only time I rode my bike out to scope the place during one of my many planning sessions. I nearly freaked out then and I was about to freak out again, except Jarrod was watching me carefully, and he leaned over to put one massive hand on my thigh.

“It’s just an office,” he said softly. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

I closed my eyes. I was so embarrassed and angry and confused, but his hand felt good and his voice was strangely calming.

“I know that. I just, I can’t help it.”

“You’ll be okay. Take some breaths. Try to get yourself under control.”

I shook my head. “This is a bad idea. I can’t do this. I’m making a huge mistake.”

“Cora.” His hand tightened on my leg. “Breathe deep. We’re going to kill this fucker and I can’t have you losing your shit when it happens. Now suck in some air and blow it out your nose real slow.”

It took a few minutes, but I managed to get my heart rate down to something manageable. He nodded to himself when I brushed his hand away and seemed almost pleased. I couldn’t tell if he was good to me right then or if he was being a total selfish dick, and figured it was a mixture of both.

“Don’t look so smug,” I said angrily and I knew I was taking my frustration with myself out on him.

“I’m not smug.” He leaned forward, staring at the office. “Just happy you’re not full of shit.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was thinking last night about how I’d feel if you were wrong, but that reaction proves it.”

“I didn’t realize my character was in question.”

“We plan on murdering a man. Everything’s in question.”

An older woman came out of the office. She blinked around at the streetlights then scurried off to her car. I wondered if she knew any young kids that went to see Dr. Silver, or if she brought her children or grandchildren to see that predator fuck. Each and every person that went in there was in danger and they had no clue.

“You know what’s messed up?” I spoke quietly, slumped back in my seat. Exhaustion fell over me like a weighted blanket. I should’ve been pissed that he was questioning me, but I couldn’t blame him, not really. “He’s a chiropractor.”

Jarrod grunted. “So what?”

“He cracks people’s spines. Have you ever been to a chiro before?”

“Chiropractic medicine is bullshit. It’s descended from early twentieth-century spiritualists. The founder believed he was cracking ghosts out of bones.”

I tilted my head in surprise. “I didn’t know you were into this stuff.”

“I like to read.”

“Huh.” I turned away. “Not just a meathead then.”

“What were you going to say?”

“They crack your neck. If you’ve never done it, you don’t realize how invasive it is. One wrong move and he could mess you up for life or even kill you. This pedophile demon’s in there taking the lives of his patients into his hands every day and nobody realizes what he is.”

“That’s why we’re doing this.” His face clouded as his hands gripped the steering wheel. “So he can’t hurt anyone again.”

“Is that why you signed up? For justice?”

“For justice and your virginity.”

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the office.

We sat there for a while. He moved his truck twice, parking in different spots, but always with a view of the front doors. As the night wore on, fewer patients showed up, until the cars cleared out and the nursing staff began to leave. Dr. Silver didn’t show himself for an hour after closing, but he finally stepped onto the sidewalk wearing scrubs and a jacket, his hands shoved in his pockets, and walked toward a shiny BMW.

“Here we go,” Jarrod said, hunger in his voice.

That should’ve freaked me out. He was too excited for what was about to happen. A normal person would’ve been scared and nervous, but Jarrod seemed like he was more alive than he ever had been before—animated, engaged, and ecstatic.

We followed him. Jarrod was good at it. He kept a car behind at all times as we navigated to the nicer part of town. The houses were all massive and spread apart, and Dr. Silver lived down a long, tree-covered driveway.

I’d been there before. His house was a palace: white walls, columns, big-ass porch, gorgeous swimming pool in the back, everything you could imagine. He was a bachelor, had no kids, no girlfriend, and a single yellow Labrador.