Bad Games 2 - Vengeful Games Read Online Free PDF

seated on his mother’s lap, her stroking his fuzzy brown head of hair) had nothing to do with the events surrounding Crescent Lake. It consisted of the doctor asking the Lamberts fundamental questions in regards to milestones achieved by their son during his developmental years, in addition to behavioral patterns in his daily life.
    Amy and Patrick answered frank and with zero hesitation; they were in fact, somewhat proud as they sensed that each answer they provided was almost assuredly positive:
    No—there were no abnormalities before, during, or after childbirth.
    No—our son did not suffer any head trauma at any time throughout his life.
    Yes—our son walked when he was expected to, spoke when expected to, and no, our son never wet his bed; he was actually potty trained in less than a week at the age of two.
    A few more questions:
    Cruelty to animals?
    No way.
    Unusual signs of aggression?
    Nope.
    Poor impulse control?
    No, sir.
    Irritable temperament?
    Quite the opposite.
    Lack of empathy towards others?
    Again, quite the opposite.
    Dr. Bogan closed one notebook and retrieved a second. He then asked Amy and Patrick if he could speak to Caleb alone. The Lamberts hugged their son, told him they loved him, then joined Carrie and Mrs. Bogan in the neighboring room.
     
    *
     
    Although acquaintances with Dr. Stone, it was not uncommon for Dr. Bogan to receive referrals from doctors he had never met. He was that good.
    Dr. Bogan believed that working with children was a special craft; the younger the child, the more subtle the approach. If the doctor cozied up to the child with sunshine eyes and a syrupy tone, the child would likely shrink further into his or her shell, only poking their head out once the blatant bastard had disappeared. And while his peers sometimes scoffed at the notion that children of such an early age were capable of identifying—and therefore rejecting—such deliberate behaviors in adults, the good doctor liked to remind them that children often cried when they sat on Santa’s lap, even with their parents close by.
    And so now, alone with the boy, Dr. Bogan had but one thing he wanted clarified. Caleb had already stated that he put thumb tacks into Amy’s slipper because he thought his mother would find the prank amusing. What Dr. Bogan wanted to know was if Caleb, after bearing witness to the brutal games orchestrated and enjoyed by two grown men (despite any anguish it caused his family), did what he did because of his age, and thus, his inability to understand the ramifications of physical humor? Or did the boy, perhaps already armed with the terrifying ability to exhibit convincing deception, injure his mother because there was a part of his fledgling mind where a sinister need festered … and Caleb himself thought the prank would be amusing?
    The former seemed likely; the latter frightening.
     
    *
     
    The session was over. Dr. Bogan opened the door to the adjoining room. Caleb walked past the doctor and made a bee-line towards his mother who stood talking to Mrs. Bogan. Patrick sat on the floor reading a book to Carrie, her head on his lap.
    Amy instantly leaned down, kissed and hugged her son. Patrick told Carrie to sit up, then got to his feet. Both parents looked at the doctor. He smiled and gestured for them to follow him into his office.
     
    *
     
    Dr. Bogan is short and exceptionally thin. His bald head appears disproportionately large above the skinny neck that supports it. Yet it took less than five minutes in the man’s presence before Patrick realized that Dr. Bogan was a titan. His insight seemed capable of demoting even the most advanced text to amateur status, and is contained within a calm, assured manner without the slightest hint of arrogance.
    Despite his considerable size, Patrick soon felt the smaller of the two men, but never once felt threatened by this revelation. It only added to Patrick’s admiration for the man—he was brilliant, and without a condescending