The Blackfire Protocol by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 6

Frank spent the summer in relative isolation. He had not made many friends in school, and those he thought of as friends were barely acquaintances. He knew them by face and name, and although there was some occasional conversation, he would never let anyone get too close. Along with his personality change came the issue of trust, and Frank trusted no one. The only exception was his parents. They had been there for him during the darkest time of his life, and regardless of the person he had become, they would be there again should anything happen in the future. If he loved anyone, it was them.

Throughout high school, Frank kept himself apart from everyone, and there was never a girlfriend. He

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simply never developed an interest in anything romantic. He did, however, notice that a few girls seemed to take an interest in him, but his cold demeanor kept them at bay. But that was in high school, and although that part of his life had passed, his good looks still drew the attention of young women. By this time, Frank had learned the art of behavioral manipulation. If he wanted to draw someone in, he did it; if he wanted to repel someone away, he did it. It was all so simple and could be accomplished with nothing more than a look—a facial expression; a glance. He was a master of manipulation, and he was certain this skill would serve him in his objective—the goal of his life. But now it was time to take the next step. A year before graduating Frank had been accepted to George Washington University, an Ivy League college in the heart of Washington, DC. It was the perfect place to sharpen his developing sociopathy, but there was only one problem—there were people. They were everywhere, and Frank, having been used to small town life, quickly came to feel a deep disdain for all of them. He never liked being around people, but these he saw as being akin to cockroaches -- things that begged to be crushed underfoot. They made him nervous, and he often went out of his way to isolate himself from them. For Frank, humankind was a disease, and while a cure would never be forthcoming, he could take precautions so as not to be infected by their mediocrity.

In spite of the crowds that seemed to envelope him both on and off campus, Frank had a means of separating himself from them. With his graduation

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from high school, he received a full ride scholarship for the next four years at George Washington University. It was a sum of money that was rarely given out to anyone, and the last thing he planned on doing was squandering it. Although DC was an expensive place to live, he managed to find a small, inexpensive apartment only ten blocks from the campus. He had his solitude, and the landlord had his doubts about Frank’s sanity. But this was by design, as he wanted to be left alone—even by the landlord.