Psychiatrist Robin Cameron seems on the verge of success with an experimental program that uses a magnetic helmet to trigger, then modify, old angers that cause criminal behavior. She has been working with a promising candidate for behavior modification, an atypical serial killer Justin Gray--his murders of high school girls involved mixed motivation--he didn't torture them or sexually molest them, and he has to drink to deal with death. Another, very reluctant, subject of her experimental treatment is LAPD Sergeant Alan Brand, who unwittingly admits to a cold-blooded killing while under Robin's care. When Gray escapes and Robin's teenaged daughter, Megan, is kidnapped, Robin doesn't know who to accuse or whether there s something even darker, nastier and more complicated afoot.