Page 78 of Heartless Legacy

The one thing Thea is, is a fighter and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure she’s in the safe zone. My visit with my grandfather ends and after saying goodbye to my grandmother, I head to my car to head back to campus.

I receive a message with coordinates when I’m about five miles from campus. I swing a right at the stoplight, and happily navigate my car to the parking garage on the Northeast side of town. A challenge is exactly what I need to distract me from my problems.

Deacon

Yesterday, Thea received coordinates and a meeting time from the Phoenix switchboard. Today, we’re in an office in the back room of an auto-body shop in Los Angeles. The room has bulletproof glass for windows. “Get a lot of gunfire around here?” I ask as we enter the office area.

The person we’re meeting rises from her seat behind the desk. “We believe in being prepared. Hello, I’m Harper Sagebrook.” She says, taking a step forward and reaching out to shake my hand. She’s mindful not to touch Thea, giving her a curt nod before returning to her seat, and gesturing for us to take the ones in front of the desk.

Things get a little awkward when nobody speaks for several minutes. Harper finally breaks the silence. “I’m sure you’re wondering why Operations had you come here.”

Thea balances on the back legs of her chair. “I am.”

“The hub posted an assignment to check in on you, and I accepted.”

I straighten in my seat. She’s a shrink. This’ll be a quick meeting. She goes on to ask, “How are you doing with being back in Canyon Falls, Thea?” Thea shrugs, still rocking the chair back and forth. “Have you started on your list yet?”

My gaze goes from Thea to the doctor, then back again. What list? As if reading my thoughts, the doctor says, “Thea, I’ve reviewed your treatment records from Nevada, and I understand a traditional therapy model doesn’t work for you. The clinical notes say you find it easier to take a more hands on approach to healing. Isn’t that right?”

Another shrug.

Harper asks, “How many people are on the list?” Thea remains silent, and another question follows, “Have you takenany sort of action towards anyone on the list, or are you still in the planning stages?”

I think the doctor and I are both surprised when Thea answers, “Planning, but I need to put it on hold.”

“And why is that?”

Thea finally stops rocking, sets the chair on all four legs, and leans forward. “How do your reprogram someone that’s been brainwashed?”

“Do you feel like you’ve been brainwashed?”

“This is one of those hypothetical situations where I’m asking for friend.”

Harper studies Thea, settling back in her chair, posture relaxed. “Brainwashing, or cognitive manipulation, which is what I think you’re talking about, is a manipulation of someone’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sometimes that requires creating circumstances and situations that force the subject to align with a specific way of thinking that mirrors someone else’s. The ideal candidate is someone vulnerable, or isolated. The one in power will do what they can to make them more so; by alienating them from people they care about. Solitude and forced reliance on their abuser allow them to be indoctrinated. They can either tap into that person’s need to be wanted, loved, validated. To belong. Or into their fear, anger, and resentment. The overall goal is to strip the person of identity and rebuild them into the person the abuser envisions. Both circumstances create lasting mental effects and trauma.”

“So how would someone undo the behavioral modification?” Thea waves her hand. “You know, once they worked through their therapy checklist.”

I expect the doctor to tell her not to make a list, and to book more sessions, but she says, “I would suggest the name should come off last, after the victim is rescued and well on the road to recovery. We don’t want to take away the goal of finallyconfronting them too soon, because it’s likely giving the victim a purpose. A reason to do the work to heal, and ultimately we want them to be able to show the abuser that they didn’t get what they wanted.”

She scribbles something down, then says, “There has to be a support system in place. A system the victim has already chosen to rely on, and he or she has to be able to see that they were victimized, and that the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors they’re manifesting are a result of the manipulation they’ve endured. Depending on the techniques used, that kind of healing could take years, Thea.”

“She can wait.”

“Then she should take it one step at a time. The first step is for her to realize that she’s not alone. Her chosen support person or group would need to be there for her, but not push her to reveal anything that’s happened. Your friend might not be ready to rehash what she’s been through. Just be her friend. Slowly suggest things that interested her before, but it’simperativethat you follow her lead and watch out for anything triggering. You’ll be looking to replace the negative association with words, thoughts, situations, and stimuli with positive ones.”

I don’t miss the way the doctor cuts her eyes at me. This advice is for me. Noted. Thea stands and heads for the door, signaling the therapy session is over. She pauses and turns back to the doctor, and asks, “You got a card or something?”

“I do.” Harper stands, pulling one out of her pocket and slides it across the desk.

I join Thea at the door, and hand the card to her. She frowns at it. “It’s just a phone number. Where’s your office?”

Harper comes to stand in front of the desk and leans against it. “Wherever I need it to be. Traditional therapy models don’t always work for me either.”

Chapter 48

Thea

Idon’t like him. The guy standing beside LJ, who she’s introduced as her boyfriend. I. Don’t. Like. Him. He’s standing there with his perfectly pressed slacks, his perfectly styled hair, and his perfectly charming smile; and I don’t like him. It’s not that he’s done anything rude or suspicious since our introduction. He’sperfect, and that’s the problem.

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