Since this is some you all's 1st time reading excerpts from a Burke novel: Burke is a prototypical abused child. He's meant to symbolize abused children. He's full of rage and fear about what happened to him as a child.
You know how they say, all things come to those who wait? Burke is the guy that waits in ambush. It's unfair to say he hunts freaks, because he only hunts individual freaks — he's not out to rid the world of all freaks. The reason Burke understands them so well is because there's no training in the world like being a victim.
I'm not saying Burke's not an honorable person. What I'm saying is he's not this mythological chump who runs around doing fine things just to be doing them. Nor is he a vigilante. He feels things very personally.
Burke is a patriot, but his country is like about ten square feet around him. He's a survivor, and he's willing to do whatever he has to do to survive.
http://vachss.com/av_interviews/int_mean.html