sureunbearable,wasthis:
Theyhadn''''''''treceivedasinglereport.
Notone.
"Hasanyonefoundthissilverring?"Luasked.
Neil''''''''sanswerhadn''''''''tged."."
Luorderedthediscremovedfromtheputeraireboxsenttothetechdivision.Everyvictim''''''''sdetailhadtobecataloged.Everyframesedforfaces,tattoos,scars,anythingthatcouldidentifythemonstersbehindthis.
Hewascertainthemeninthosevideoswerethetwocorpseslyingbeforehim.Butthatknowledgeonlydeepehenightmare.
Thevictimshadbeetheperpetrators.Fortyorfiftydiscs.Fortyorfiftygirls.Fortyorfiftyfamiliesdestroyed.
Andnow,thepoolofsuspects—thepeoplewhomightwantthesemendead—hadjustexplodedfarbeyondtheirusualsocialcircles.
Heheer''''''''sreportfast.Causeofdeathwasthefirststep.Withoutit,theycouldn''''''''teveonarrowthelist.
Buteverymovefromherewouldbeaminefield.
Thefathersofthedeceasedwerepowerfulmen.Theywouldn''''''''ttoleratestainsontheirsons''''''''legacies.Interferencewasiable.
Luhadtomovefaster.
Fasterthanthehigher-upswhowouldtrytoblockhisaccess.Fasterthanthehandsthatwouldreachtoeraseevidence.Fasterthanthesilehadalreadyswallowedthesegirlswhole.
Evenifthosefathersdecidedtoburythetruthalongwiththeirsons,Lucouldn''''''''t.
Nirls.
Agrimcertaintylodgedinhisgut:thisfightmightcosthimhiscareer.Maybeevenhislife.
Butherefusedtolettheirvoicesrotinthedark,bodiesbroken,spiritsshattered,pretendingeverhappened.