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Back Gone Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. Acknowledgements
  75. Reading Group Questions
  76. Read More
  77. I

‘Well, in the range of psychopathy, we have our out-and-out serial killers, those guys who can’t keep a lid on their desires. And, yes, they are usually men. Then we have our general criminal psychopaths, whose impulsive and egocentric natures cause them to reject society’s laws. And then we have the likes of you, Lana, the functional psychopaths. Personally, I prefer to think of you as the hidden psychopaths. You live and thrive within society, hold down jobs, have relationships, raise families, because you mimic what is required. I know that the normals can be incredibly frustrating and stupid at times, but you learn to cope. You find a way to escape through drink and drugs, or you hide for a time so that you can indulge your own needs. Sound familiar?’

Lana had nodded.

‘And then, finally, you have us.’ Sarah gestured around the circle. ‘And we are the ones that the normals should really be scared of, because we don’t just live within their society, we manipulate it. And we do it so well that they have no idea we’re even doing it at all.’

Lana had thought of the bosses she’d worked for and how easily she had manipulated them. ‘You said I was special and had potential?’

‘I did and you do.’

‘How? For what?’

‘Dr Bloom once told me that there’s no such thing as normal. Everyone is unique. But, for me, there is a massive difference between those governed by their emotional attachments and those who operate in the realm of logic and reason. Psychopaths play to win and there is no bigger game than life. So I have a final challenge for you. It’s a choice.’ Sarah had picked up two metal boxes from the floor beside her chair. They were each the size of a standard glasses case and identical apart from the numbers etched on to their lids. She had held them out for Lana to see. ‘You have a daughter and you have friends. If you select box zero, we will send you home, with our very best wishes, to continue hiding in plain sight.’ Sarah had moved her head a little closer to Lana’s. ‘However, seeing as you have proven yourself to be a true psychopath, if you select box number one, we will enable you to have the life you truly deserve. The only condition is that you will never be able to go home.’

‘Join you, you mean?’ Was Lana hearing this right? Did they think she had the potential to be one of them, powerful enough to manipulate society from behind the scenes?

‘Make your choice, Lana. And all will be revealed.’

And so she had.

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