By early afternoon, Jace had confirmed that the pending property transfer was not just a legal formality. Commercial filings indicated that a buyer intended to take possession of the site and its contents, while freight reservations linked to the address suggested that movable assets would leave before the transaction closed. The paperwork did not identify human beings, and Jace was careful not to pretend it did. But Eli's recent observations and Norah's warning gave those otherwise ordinary entries a terrifying context.
"The deadline is no longer four days," Mara said after comparing the new reservations with Foley's information. "The movement could happen within forty-eight hours. Maybe sooner if they know their cover has been compromised." Rhett studied the map and remembered the last time he had promised Caleb that the club would be there if he needed anything. Caleb had smiled and changed the subject, and Rhett had allowed him to do it. This time, there was no chance to mistake silence for safety.
Foley proposed contacting Alderman Cross through a protected office line outside the county. Jace agreed that Cross was the strongest lead, but warned that sending unverified files to any unknown address could compromise witnesses. They decided to transmit an initial summary through official channels while retaining the original evidence packages until identity and authority were confirmed. Rhett insisted that the request include immediate action to safeguard people at the warehouse, not merely a promise to investigate when paperwork allowed.
The response came sooner than expected. An investigator in Cross's office confirmed that Cross had worked on a related financial investigation and was away from his desk, but that a designated colleague could receive urgent referrals. Foley supplied his license information and the reference to Norah's existing case, and the office issued a secure intake number. It was not the sweeping rescue order Rhett wanted, but it meant the evidence was reaching a channel Hale did not appear to control.
At the table, Eli drew a new map from memory. This one showed the warehouse's public entrance, loading spaces, and the approximate interior area where he had seen the detained people. He put question marks wherever his view had been blocked. Mara praised the question marks more than the rest of the drawing, explaining that uncertainty identified areas where responders would need to be especially careful.
"You're not going back there," Rhett told him. "Not to show anyone a doorway. Not to guide anybody. You can describe what you saw and let trained adults do their jobs." Eli's expression closed.
"I'm the only one who knows the place." Rhett lowered himself into the chair opposite him. "Then the most important job you have is telling us accurately what you know while staying alive. Your father would have understood that."
"My father went there," Eli said. The challenge was quiet but direct. "He knew it was dangerous." Rhett considered his answer before speaking.
"Your father was an adult who made choices that cost him everything. I loved him, and I'm proud of why he made them, but that doesn't make every choice safe or wise. You are his son, not his replacement."