Page 9 of PSYCHOlogical

Chapter Four

Doctor Rhoades

Although sociopaths and psychopaths both disregard the safety and rights of others, the similarities between them end there.

Psychopaths have difficulty developing an emotional attachment with others. They form shallow relationships with the intention of manipulating the other in a way that benefits the psychopath. Regardless of how much they may harm others, psychopaths observe no guilt regarding their behaviors whatsoever.

People are viewed as nothing more than a potential means to achieve the psychopath’s objective or to further his goals.

Psychopaths are generally perceived by outsiders as being charming and trustworthy. They often hold steady jobs. While they tend to be well-educated and may have a genius-level IQ, they often learn a great deal of what they know on their own.

When a psychopath engages in criminal behavior, they tend to do so in a way that minimizes risk to themselves. They will carefully plan each criminal act to ensure they don’t get caught, having contingency plans in place for every possible outcome imaginable.

The behavior of the sociopath, on the other hand, is more impulsive and erratic. They have difficulties allowing themselves to become attached to others, although some may form an attachment to a person they feel is like-minded. Unlike psychopaths, most sociopaths don’t hold down long-term jobs. A normal family life is an uncommon thing for a sociopath.

When a sociopath engages in criminal behavior, they typically do so impulsively. They do little to calculate the risks or consequences associated with their haphazardly planned crimes.

Sociopaths may become agitated and anger easily, sometimes resulting in violent outbursts. Those types of behaviors increase a sociopath’s chances of being apprehended.

Because psychopaths minimize their risk, plan to the point of excess, and act without impulse, they are the best choice to be an operator in the program.

The man sitting in my office possessed the worst possible characteristics of each disorder. Remorse, guilt, and empathy were things he never felt. Yet, he took the uncalculated risks of a sociopath. His violent outbursts were often the result of impulsive behavior.

One would never guess his diagnosis by talking to him, or by looking at him. He was kind, charming, and attractive. Always tan with a lean muscular build, he wore his sun-bleached hair long enough that he constantly needed to sweep it away from his face. He could easily be anyone’s neighbor or the guy sitting next to you at a coffee shop.

He whistled when he walked, and always took time to stop and tell anyone who’d listen one of the thousands of jokes he’d memorized. He was a master at manipulation if there ever was one.

“Would you like to explain what caused you to go outside the boundaries set forth in your assignment?” I asked.

“A good number of things,” he explained. “My decisions were in the best interest of the program’s anonymity, and the security of the Nation.”

“There were risks taken that—”

“I was there,” he blurted, unsuccessfully attempting to hide his frustration. “You weren’t. For me to explain it to you would be like trying to explain algebraic equations to a duck.”

“Why don’t you give it a try,” I said.

He leaned over and peered under my desk. “Do you have a pet duck?”

If I did, I damned sure wouldn’t let him near it. He’d torture it, eventually kill it, and get some odd sense of satisfaction out of it. Then, he’d lie to me about the circumstances surrounding the murder.

I let out an exaggerated sigh. “I was meaning the assignment, Mister Shephard.”

He grinned. “Oh.”

While contemplating his response, he glanced around the room. Shephard was cold, calculating, and manipulative. He was a master at controlling others. Through his false expression of emotions and his ability to act in award-winning fashion, he convinced those around him of the lies he so easily concocted.

After taking a precursory look at everything in my office, he met my gaze. His bottom lip was jutted out and quivering.

“The assignment was to eliminate the target away from home by any means that could be perceived as natural. After performing three days of surveillance, I determined that his time at his office was never spent alone. A woman, who I assumed was his secretary, remained there until he left, regardless of the time of day he chose to leave. This left his home as my only viable option.”

He drew a long breath and continued. “The master bedroom of his two-story residence was located upstairs. In hope of mimicking a fall down the stairs that ended with a broken neck, I entered the home under the assumption he was alone. The assumption proved false. Risk assessment is a critical part of each assignment. I weighed the risk, made a decision, and completed the task.”

“The file indicated he was married,” I argued. “The target being eliminated away from the home minimized exposure, and in turn, minimized risk. The outline of the assignment was clear. You chose to modify the instructions in your intel sheet without authorization. The target’s wife was guilty of nothing.”

“In a perfect world, it would have happened differently. Sadly, I don’t operate in a perfect world. I’d sure like to. In this profession, it simply doesn’t happen. We’re forced to adapt and overcome.” He let out a long sigh. “I’m pretty upset about how this played out, Doctor Rhoades. I wanted it to go differently, not only for me, but for you, and for the deceased.”

His incessant lying was frustrating. I remained emotionless, hoping to convince him I trusted and believed him.