The Vespidian Arc 1 Contamniation, Chapter 4
Interlude: Grains of Sand
Saar never really had to worry about his daughter getting into trouble, not in the last five years. That was something adventurous people did. After she dropped out of college, it seemed that all ambition and anything even remotely resembling a will to get out there and do something had been stripped from her. It was as though she had given up and did not care if she was successful. It hurt a lot to see her like that. She was driven and motivated before college but had returned despondent and reclusive. No matter how much he asked, she never did tell him exactly what happened.
She had once said, "I just got tired of caring."
College became something of a taboo phrase around her, and just mentioning it was usually enough to make her completely shut down in a conversation. Unless she was outraged, then it would invoke a yelling match.
Whatever trauma she endured from it had turned her into a slacker. At the least, that was it on the surface; he could tell that it was more profound than just being lazy and hoped that if she had enough time, she would pull herself out of this slump Vesper always had before.
This time, however, wasn't the same.
It only got worse. The years ticked by, and she withdrew even further from the world, delving into games as though to escape reality. As though fleeing some dark and terrible event. She had to be dragged out of the basement for most anything. He only wanted her to get it together, stand back on her feet, and start doing things, but she was content with eating ramen and staring at a screen like a brainless zombie.
It made Saar angry to see her wasting her life down there. She was dug in like a tick, though, and refused to budge. His only solace was that she had no interest in drugs, and he had seen many of her age group fall prey to it and end up as junkies. There was, unfortunately, an epidemic of opioids and other things like heroin raging through the city. It was likely the Angels of Hell pushing drugs again, but that was more of a symptom of how society seemed to be falling apart these days.
Life moved on, but then she got that game, that damned game. The Shattered Realms Online. It was the first time in years that he had seen her smile. Little did he know that it would consume even more of her time. She would stay down there for days playing it non-stop. It had become an addiction, a rather destructive one as well. She once prided herself on her hair and how toned her muscles were, but now she hardly even maintained basic hygiene. She was just down there playing that game, and it had to stop, so he confronted her.
He would never hit her or anything; in fact, the last time he bent her over his knee and spanked her was in middle school. Vesper was afraid whenever he raised his voice; then again, so were most people. This was the only time in her entire life that he truly yelled at her, and they both regretted it. She did not leave her room for the ensuing month; not even Caroline, her mother, could get through to her. Not even the scrumptious Thanksgiving Day dinner could lure her out; food had always been her weakness. It had been her favorite, turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. She would sneak out late at night to raid the fridge to avoid them. He knew because he caught her red-handed, and she scurried back into her den like some sort of rodent.
One day either she had burned herself out on the game or calmed down, but there she was, sitting on the couch watching TV. It was the first time they had talked face-to-face in a long while. She had dark circles under her eyes from not sleeping properly, and she listened to everything he said. Things began to look up from there. She would still have her binges, but they typically only lasted a few days, and she would actually do things around the house and show her face before he left for work. She had become rather mousy, a far cry from how confident and outgoing she had been. But when she was playing that game, she was completely different. She was malicious, insidious, and downright evil.
Once, he watched her slaughter a whole herd of baby seals like it was nothing. She skinned them and everything. Then she proceeded to spawn camp some poor bastard and steal all his things. His friends tried to help, but she butchered them all like lambs and robbed them as well. The more she did it, the more people came to challenge her until the chat was filled with bounties to kill her, and whole guilds started showing up. It was a bloodbath. When she left, they were crying and had all been reduced from level fifty to one. In the game, if you died, you lost a level and dropped some of your equipment. Saar did not understand it properly, but he could tell she was very good at that game. Apparently, this was how she made money in there. It was cringeworthy how she grinned the whole time.
The game had become something of an outlet for her aggression and pent-up rage. There was a lot of it. He had no idea where it could be stemming from, though. In real life, she was timid, good-natured, and was more likely to harm herself than a mouse. Granted. she was foul-mouthed, lewd, likely stalking some Internet idol, and needed a shower, but overall she was a good girl. She was certainly not the violent type; seeing her do that, though, was eye-opening. Vesper dismissed it as not real, but to be able to do that while laughing hinted at some deep seeded problem. There was an upside, though. She knew full well the difference between reality and fantasy. She just needed to be pointed in the right direction. Maybe it was society?
Saar was naturally very worried about his daughter's prospects. If she never left the house, then she would never make friends or get a boyfriend, for that matter. It was concerning, to say the least. He picked at her about it just about every time he could because he didn't want her to end up all alone later in life.
Other parents were having similar problems, though not as extreme, except in one case, it was worse. The kid across the street killed himself after college. Apparently, he had racked up a huge student loan debt and couldn't take the pressure since he could not get a job. Then again, it was an Underwater Basket Weaver degree. Saar didn't know what the hell the kid was going to do with it. If anything, he blamed the school for ripping the kid off with that worthless thing. He could not think of any jobs it would be useful. Well, besides basket weaving underwater, there was not exactly a crazy demand for that.
Engineering or Architecture would be much better prospects, they were some of the highest paying straight out the gate, and demand was pretty good. Vesper was better than that, though, she might be weird, but she was not suicidal. She avoided conflict like the plague. It had been the main reason he was not worried too much about leaving her alone in the house while Caroline, and he were at work. She rarely even went outside, so why should he worry? He was most concerned about a burglar, but the front of the house looked a little beat up, so nobody would think to rob the place.
~~~
Then the 8th of February came. A day like any other, well, actually a better day than most, at least at the start. Saar was rather happy when he left for work. He had finally broken through to her or at the least gotten well on the way to rehabilitate her. Who knows, she might even start working if he introduced her to his boss. They did need a new waitress, and it might entice her to pay attention to how she looked, perhaps even find a nice boy. It also helped that she was very good with money. To say that she was stingy with her dollar would be an understatement. He would talk to her about it when he got home.
With a spring to his step, he walked down the old walkway to the truck in the driveway. It was a newer one with glossy red paint, it was somewhat intimidating to look at, but that was good since he worked in the slightly less upscale side of town. Not in the slums or anything, and certainly not the exclusive North West side; it was somewhere in the middle. Despite only being a bouncer, Saar made quite a bit of money. He gave a casual glance over the house and set off.
The Atomic Strobe could be seen from a reasonable distance due to the spiraling neon lights on an antenna. It was a strip club on one side and a nightclub on the other. A little strange, but it worked well, and people came from all around. It was one of Bronson's three major hangout spots for young adults. The only problem is kids get stupid when drunk and tend to get into fights. Drug use was frowned upon, but it was still there. So his usual day would consist of around three arguments with kids, dragging out those too drunk to drive, and getting a taxi for them. A few times, he had to beat up a stalker that was following around one of the dancers. The one thing that Saar always dreaded at work was that a Super would come in to wreck the place. He might be pretty strong, but that doesn't mean shit. You can't fight super freaks. They could throw a fireball at you, or it could be one of those damned were-beasts from the slums.
Glitter Kitten was something of a menace; she owned the Sparkle Kat Cafe, the only strip club and whore house in the slums, well, actually the city since prostitution was illegal, not that it stopped them as there were no laws down there. She employed all the Supers who had transformed into less than humans, anthropomorphous mostly though there were a few others. She was reasonable, but her gang was running wild down there. Sometimes they would roam up and cause problems. That was what the Hero League and the Scarlet Souls were for.
The Scarlet Souls were the local Super Villain gang that controlled the city's northern section. They also happened to own the Atomic Strobe. One might not be too happy about super-powered thugs running around the place, but for the most part, they were decent people. They did not screw around with civis, lay low, and did not like attention. The only time you would even know they were about was when another gang encroached upon the area. Fold was the name of the boss, and his power was that he could make portals, which made getting around undetected very easy. Things had been relatively peaceful as of late.
When he thought about what sorts lived down in the slums, Saar was actually glad that Vesper did not get out much. Ten years back, the nuclear power plant melted down just south of the city. They were lucky the city did not end up like Chernobyl. Though they contained it, the residual radiation mutated animals, and they wandered into the poor districts and the ghettos. The result was an outbreak of rabid animal people. Most were put down, but those that did not go completely feral formed a gang, the Mad Dogs. They quickly took over drug trafficking and prostitution in the area. They either killed their rivals, converted them, or drove them out. Since then, the whole south of the city has been referred to collectively as the Slums. The police and heroes fought them for a long time, but two years ago, they gave up and decided to simply contain the spread. Since it had been relatively quiet, the gang turf wars were the only disturbances.
Saar had never been the so-called looker. He balded early in his twenties, which made him shave his head. Facial hair was not his thing, so he kept it baby smooth. His body structure had been large even in college when he was on the football team, a defensive lineman number 68. The flat face and dominant chin created an authentic macho look. He was a more quiet and kind man. Still, he often intimidated people without even meaning to, including Vesper. This was especially true if he wore sunglasses and a suit. Luckily she had taken more after her mother and only got his nose.
He looked more like a thug than much else, which was not so bad considering the occupation he got into. Being able to make some little shit piss his pants just by glaring at him was rather rewarding. The leather jacket, with a random book in the inner pocket, was more to ward off knives than much else. One would be surprised at how shady some people get; that would be why he makes the big bucks. Over the last ten years, he had been stabbed eight times, shot twice, and wrestled with a Super before he ended up beating him unconscious with a beer bottle. Luckily, the Super was just some kid with Pyrokinesis, not telekinesis or super strength. It also helped that he was not a very high rank. After a little chat, the kid joined the Scarlet Souls and turned out alright.
Saar's focus returned to his surroundings. He stood at the door, checking IDs. There was this punk-ass kid who was clearly underage and had a fake card. He looked it over for a moment, considering what to do. He decided to just get rid of him. "Beat it, kid; come back in a few years."
"Hey man, it's legit. I am twenty-two." Complained the teen. Saar gazed down at the youth, not hard; he was six foot. His look sent shivers and spiders crawling down the line, waiting to get in. It took a few moments before he ran off.
"Fucking kids," sighed Saar.
"Hey, you should like come in here and look at the news," said a young woman behind him. It was Rosie, one of the dancers, dumb as a brick but a nice girl. Blond, fake tits, pouty lips, and barely a g-string to her name. The big dummy kept wasting her money on her deadbeat boyfriend. She looked like, well, she was a bimbo. Word around the bar was that she was easy.
"Why? I am on the clock," asked Saar.
"Something like happened by your house. You live up on Greenman Drive, right?" She asked, genuinely worried. This girl was usually nothing but smiles and cotton candy, so if something was bugging her, it must be serious.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, like something blew up around there."
Saar scrunched his face up and yelled. "Charlie, watch the door for a few."
"Alright, alright," complained a shorter man in a suit. He wore sunglasses even though it was dark out and had been for a while now.
He walked inside, shoving aside several stumbling drunks. Lights flashed through the odd mist that seemed to pulsate as though it were alive, and people danced within it to the roaring music. It was a writhing sea of sweaty bodies mashing together. It was like this most nights, full and seething with people. It was good for the business, but many of these kids should have better things to do. He passed a little huddle of people trying to stay to the side. The telltale sound of a lighter and sucking made it obvious they were getting high. Not to mention the plume of smoke and coughing. He frowned, ignoring them; it was just weed. Not like it was some hard shit. Saar entered the back room, looking up at the giant plasma screen. It was breaking news.
"Roughly an hour ago, debris from the International Research Station crashed in the forest reserve near Greenman Drive. There have been no reported injuries besides the scientists who were on board when the Spore struck the station; all personnel on board the station are presumed deceased. First responders arrived on the scene minutes ago. The Hero League has quarantined the area and prohibited anyone from entering. Some dangerous chemicals are leaking from the wreckage, and they have begun investigating the crash site."
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Rosie asked. "Like, is that a big deal?"
Saar shook his head and walked back out to finish his shift. Vesper was likely playing her games and did not even notice the station crash. At most, she felt a small earthquake. It was times like this that he was thankful that she minded her own business and had her head so deep into that screen the world could end, and she would not know it. The rest of the night passed without too much trouble. A random fight, and he had to drive one of the strippers home. Her car had broken down, and she did not want to walk this late at night. He did not blame her. Super freaks were running around after all. It was a manageable detour, so he elected to do it. She thanked him for the ride, and he arrived in his driveway ten minutes later.
It had been a relatively quiet day, with only two fights. Saar yawned and made his way inside. Usually, he would just go to bed, but something was bugging him; normally, Vesper left most of the lights on after her little expeditions through the house. It was nice to come home to a lit house, even if it raised the electricity bill. However, tonight there were no lights on besides the kitchen light. It seemed odd. His daughter was something of a creature of habit, and she seldom turned lights off. She did not like the darkness.
He checked on Vesper, half expecting a locked door and low moans echoing from inside. Saar knew far more than he wanted to about his daughter's intimate rituals. Right around now, he usually steered clear of bothering her for a good reason. She was not exactly modest. Often she would run around the house with just a towel on after taking a shower, mostly during summer, but still. The silence was a strange thing to be heard from her room. Usually, he could hear her loud-assed computer fans trying desperately to keep the motherboard cool or her talking to the streamers.
He knocked and waited a few moments for a reply. Nothing. He hit again, then entered the pitch darkness. Roaches scattered when the light turned on, and the trash attracted pests again. She, however, was nowhere to be seen. He scoured the room and came up empty. Saar stared at the blank computer screen. He could not remember the last time it had been completely off. He glanced at the posters of Ichigo and the Moon Sailors, then shook his head.
At this moment, he recalled the call about the router, and sure enough, it lay on the floor, shattered. Vesper had not even cleaned it up. She couldn't have been playing games if there had been no connection. Apparently, the Gear account would only work with the Internet. Where would she have gone? Saar systematically went through the house.
She was gone.
This was… concerning. Vesper had no friends. Well, there were those people that she chatted and played games with, but not real friends, none of them even lived in Bronson, and she had never met them in person. That chat was a bad influence on her, and as far as he was concerned, they were just a bunch of perverts looking at her like a piece of meat. It was why he wanted her to stop the streaming and get a real job, something to be proud of.
However, that was a discussion for another time. There were no signs that the place had been robbed, and she had laundry still in the dryer. He called her cell phone, and the number was either out of service or off and went straight to voicemail. He sat on the couch, wondering where the hell she ran off to. The news did little to distract him while he waited for her to return.
Morning came, but Saar had not slept, and Vesper never showed up. He called the police, "Hello, hello?"
"This is nine-one-one; how might I be of assistance?" replied the rather bored-sounding operator.
"My daughter has gone missing."
"I am sorry, sir, but how long has she been gone?"
"I don't know, about nine hours or so."
"Are you sure she is not a friend's house?"
"She doesn't have any friends." Saar was felt a little sad about saying that, but it was true.
"Well, maybe she is just out with a boy or something. Call back after twenty-four hours, and then we will see what is happening. It is probably nothing. We get a lot of these this time of year. Unless it is urgent, we are too busy to deal with runaway cases."
"Wait, I live on Greenman Drive. She might have gotten involved in that crash today."
"If she was, the Bronson City Rescue Team Heroes are already on site and investigating the scene, and they will get to the bottom of things. However, remember that they are incredibly busy maintaining order across the city. You can't expect them to drop everything to search for your missing daughter. Hopefully, she will return after being drunk or something. You know kids, they are stupid."
"She is not like that," replied Saar, but the line was already dead.
He sat, rocking on the couch. Saar could not remember the last time he was this worried. However, she needed to be missing for more than twenty-four hours for a missing person's case to be opened. The local law enforcement had their hands full, with the rabid animal people and supervillains running all over. Not to mention all the mutants in the sewer. The new crash site probably had stretched things a bit thinner than usual.
He slumped on the couch and dozed off to sleep, or rather tried to, hoping she would be there when he woke up, and he was just overreacting. She was an adult, after all, so surely she would come back. Maybe she just went out to get something to eat and lost track of time playing a game on her phone. It was a stretch, but he was desperate.
She did not return.
Rain filtered in as a thunderstorm descended. He had not slept a wink. He left a note on the kitchen table telling her to call him before taking his truck out to search for her. Night came, but she had vanished without a trace. The downpour would wash away what little evidence there may have been. Saar sat there staring at the phone. He was about to make one of the hardest calls in his life.
"Hey honey," said Saar, his voice strained and tired.
"What is wrong? You don't sound too good," replied Caroline.
He was silent for a long moment. "Vesper is missing."
"Wait, she actually left the basement?"
"Listen to me. She did not come home last night, and I don't even know where she would have gone."
Caroline took a deep breath. "Alright, I am coming home. Call the police and get a report going. Hopefully, somebody saw something."
"I will see you tomorrow. With luck, we will find her before then."
He hung up the phone and called 911 again. This time they were far more accommodating. Some of the Bronson PD arrived. It was all a bit of a blur. He filed the paperwork. He gave them pictures of her, and they took her computer to see if there were any clues as to where she went. Her cell phone was still dead or disconnected. Saar called in to take the day off and began his search again. Through the pouring rain, he scoured everywhere he thought she would go.
It was no use.
For the eighth time, he circled the neighborhood, knocked on doors, and asked people if they had seen her. It had gotten to the point where they would not even open the door to hear him out. It did not help that most of the neighbors did not even know she was still living there since she had hardly left the house. It was ultimately fruitless. By the time he returned home, it was already in the early morning hours, and the rain had passed. The couch beckoned, and he passed out when he crashed on the cushions.
The sound of the television woke him, and Caroline stood watching it. It was the news. "As of yesterday morning, Vesper Walda Vasska went missing. If anyone has information or has seen anything, please report it."
She stood there rigid, with a scowl, and her dark hair was a little messy. Her business dress was wrinkled, and it looked like she had been up all night. She was drinking coffee and looked like she might strangle somebody if they said something wrong. Her frown was twitching slightly. Yup, Vesper really took after her mother.
"Where the fuck did she run off to?" said Caroline, rubbing her tired eyes. She had been crying.
She paced restlessly, and Saar grabbed her hand to make her stop. "You have any ideas where she would have gone?"
She shook her head. "Not a clue. This is the first time in years that she has gone without her computer for so long. She might just wander back on her own."
"What was that place she always ran off to as a kid? That old tree remember?"
"What, that rotted-out tree in the back? I suppose it is worth a shot."
They walked along the muddy path and soon came to the edge of the property and the fallen tree. The old gnarled bark was gray, and rot had spread, making half of the tree fall. It was still with only the chirps of blue jays and the buzz of mosquitoes. There was nothing here to even hint that Vesper had come recently. Their hearts sank, it had been a long shot, but now they could only rely on the police.
That afternoon Officers arrived at the house with a hard knock. Saar opened the door to a tall, bulky white, blue suit of cybernetic-powered armor. On the shoulders, a pair of siren lights sat idle. The helmet was blank, leaving an expressionless chromed-out face.
Flanking behind this massive man were several more nearly identical members of the Cyber Swat division of Bronson City. They dealt with any super-related crimes or cases. The only real difference between them was that the one in the lead was taller than the others by about a whole head's height. It was an odd thing for Saar to have to look up to someone when talking to them.
The big one was Enforcer, the leader of the Cyber Swat division. It was odd for such a highly profiled city hero to be here. Especially when his normal area was in the city's southern section, quelling the constant subhuman raids.
Behind them, a craft was situated on the lawn; it left deep grooves in the grass from the landing gear and the open loading ramp. It was the search and rescue team led by Medavac. Medavac was only a little smaller than Enforcer. Unlike Enforcer, he didn't bother wearing a helmet. He had an older, craggy face scarred from years of battle. Short silvered hair. Saar knew just about all of the local heroes. Medavac was a veteran. Though he was a rougher sort by all accounts, he was a kind person.
Conversing with Medavac was yet another high-profile hero. Fire Chief. He led the super suit-enhanced firefighting teams of the city and was responsible for majority of the power augmented suits in the city. The suit was around the same size as Medavac's, but instead of being crisp white, it was a bright orange color with yellow reflective stripes. The helmet was similar to the usual firefighter gear, except for the completely sealed and tinted gas mask-like apparatus. It gave him a very mechanical appearance. On his shoulders were lights that strobe red and white when turned on. His back had a heavy looking tank and a large water canon connected to it.
To have the entire local rescue team here was a little intimidating to be honest. Well, one member was missing, Neon Nurse. By this point, Caroline had arrived behind Saar, looking at the Heroes, a hopeful glint in her tired eyes.
Enforcer spoke up, "You reported a missing persons case? Mr. Vasska. All details should be handed over efficiently in such cases, as time is a sensitive issue. Due to the issues at hand, a lot of time has already been wasted. The longer we delay, the less likely; statistically, she will be returned alive, if at all."
Saar nodded, letting them in. Enforcer slowly looked over the room as though scanning it for something.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Saar.
"Negative. I was merely scanning for contamination. You are clear." replied his deep synthetic voice.
"Clear? Oh good," said Medavac letting himself in Fire Chief followed him in shortly after.
The living room had never felt smaller with these massive armored men looking things over. Medavac had a cheerful mood to him, despite the circumstances.
"Contamination?" asked Caroline.
Enforcer replied almost mechanically, "Affirmative. From the crash site, extremely volatile chemicals were released and have since been contained, and I was ensuring that it had not spread. Since you believed that your daughter was involved in this incident, and if she was exposed, she has not returned to this premises."
"I see, and that helps us how?" asked Caroline, growing irritated.
"It removes a search location and narrows down my search parameters."
"Obviously, she is not here. I wouldn't have reported her missing if she was, " Saar said, eyeing the machine man up and down.
"Mr. and Mrs. Vasska, I must keep all options open and available. We have come here today to gather evidence and ensure that she has not been murdered and her body has been disposed of on the premises. The family is considered a prime suspect until investigations have been settled. If you have nothing to hide, this part of the investigation will be settled in short order. I request that you comply with my search."
Saar stared at Enforcer's faceless helmet. The accusation hit him from a blind spot, "You think I had something to do with her disappearance?"
Caroline's face went from disgust to outrage in the span of half a second as she shouted, "How could you even insinuate that we had anything to do with her disappearance!"
Medavac slapped a hand on Enforcer's back making him shift slightly, "Enforcer, come on now. They are going to misunderstand if you say it like that."
"It is the optimal-" started Enforcer's mechanical voice before it was shut down by Medavac interrupting him, "People are not optimal. You gotta understand that old friend. If you are too direct, you can be off-putting. You have been spending too much time with Neon Nurse."
Fire Chief spoke up, diffusing the situation, "Calm down. We are not saying you did; we just want to rule out that you did it before moving on to other areas. From your description, she never leaves home, so it is logical to look over the house first."
"So wait, you think she might still be here somewhere?" asked Caroline.
"It is a possibility. I will ask again for your compliance." replied the cold, almost mechanical man.
Saar nodded, "Do what you need to do. Just find her."
"Compliance has been noted. I will begin my investigation," replied Enforcer.
Several disk-like drones separated from his back. They scattered about the house as Enforcer walked through the kitchen out the back door. He crouched down, observing the ground. Slowly his metal hand traced along a depressed spot in the muddy ground.
"Mr. Vasska, what size shoe does Vesper use?"
"A woman's 8. Why?”
"Parameters have been met. I will begin tracking at once." Enforce said, jolting upright.
His drones circled out of the house, and Enforcer efficiently moved in, not quite a run but certainly faster than a jog. His heavy footfalls faded to the twists and crashing of branches breaking upon his metal exterior. The cybernetic police officers ran into the woods, following his lead.
Medavac smiled, giving a Saar a reassuring pat on his shoulder, watching the mechanical man bulldoze off into the woods, "Looks like he has got the trail. We will find her in no time."
They left in search of Vesper, with the roar of the flying rescue craft fading into the depths of the woods. Unfortunately for all involved, the search proved fruitless, and it was as though Vesper had fallen off the face of the earth.
Days turned into weeks. There was no ransom call, so the likelihood that she had been kidnapped was close to zero. Enforcer and his sophisticated drones had followed a trail into the forest but lost it around the crash site. The local search and rescue team with Supers: Medavac, Enforcer, Neon Nurse, and Fire Chief were stumped. It was like she never existed, to begin with.
The police called off the search and all but a tiny sliver of hope had been extinguished. The Supers were still keeping an eye out. However, they did not promise anything. The more time passes in such a case, the odds that the missing person will be found alive plummets. To most, Vesper had been written off as dead after the weeks turned to months.
Saar would not believe it. He dared not consider that she was dead. The following months were a swirl of regret and self-loathing. Caroline fell into heavy alcoholism to cope with the reality that Vesper was dead and not coming home. She blamed herself for always being harsh on her daughter, pushing her and challenging her to rise above where she currently was. She had always thought it was the right thing to do, it was how she had become successful, but now there was a gnawing doubt.
There were even assumptions that she had run away from home, but that did not pan out. She had taken nothing with her; if it was their daughter, they knew she would have taken that damned computer. Caroline had lost motivation to do much besides lay around the house drinking herself into a stupor. He could not watch it any longer and took her in to get help.
She yelled at him, blaming him for not correctly watching her. He took all of her abuse, physical and emotional. Despite how work kept Caroline from home, she cherished Vesper. The two were very close, and it was devastating to her to even fathom the loss. Her little Evening Star was dead, never to be seen again. It took a long time for that to sink in.
After an excruciating three months of counseling, Caroline was mostly cured of her binge drinking, but she was cold and distant now. She hardly ever returned home from work, and there were rumors that no one wanted her as a manager due to how strict, unyielding, vicious, and impersonal she had become. The only upside was that she got a lot more work done than before, she forced an idol into stardom, but she was never thankful to her and more than happy to be under someone else after her debut.
Saar was still in denial. Not even after four months could he accept that Vesper was really gone. He never spoke to Caroline about it anymore. It would end badly; usually, things broke, and he was tired, so very tired of it. Every day he went out to search for hours before going to work. He had let his appearance decline, he no longer shaved daily, and his balded head had sprouted gray hairs.
June came just like all the other months. The 10th rolled around, and the phone rang. It was an unidentified number. He answered it vaguely, expecting to hear the robotic voice of a telemarketer, to his surprise, he listened to a deep Russian voice from the other side and dropped the phone.
"Mr. Vasska. We need to talk. It involves your daughter."