CHAPTER 35Ricky Jakes hated his "assignment," a poor paying menial job at a local nut house for old people. The twenty-two year old thought his future promised better things—at least that's what they told him. A young man of limited intelligence, the victim of alcohol poisoning in the womb, Jakes lived mostly in the Oliver Twist Home for Children, an orphanage—except for two unsuccessful placements with foster parents. The first set proved physically abusive, but the second clung desperately to patience until the teenager's third arrest for petty thievery.
On his return to the orphanage, Jakes met a "counselor" known only as Barney. Barney was hired with false credentials, something the authorities never investigated because they couldn't keep anyone long enough to warrant the effort. Bes
