"He thinks being useful is how he earns the right to stay," Mrs. Reed said. Mara looked toward the workshop, where Eli was helping Jace label copied notebook pages. "We're trying to teach him otherwise," she answered.
Mrs. Reed was quiet for a moment. "Then please don't give up when he tests whether you mean it."
As dusk approached, Jace received a second urgent message from Cross's office. The investigator had accepted the evidence summary and authorized contact through a joint federal investigative team, but formal coordination of the warehouse response was still underway. Officials needed to confirm the presence of people in immediate danger, establish the relationship between the facilities, and ensure that compromised county personnel would not be alerted. The process was not fast enough for Rhett's anger, though he understood why an incomplete operation might leave innocent people in worse danger.
Foley called at six fifteen. "Norah's message channel has gone silent again," he said. "The last indication was that people inside the facility had begun questioning her credentials. We may already be late." Rhett looked toward the map, where Mara had marked the warehouse with a red square. "Do you have another contact?" he asked.
"One," Foley replied. "But if she doesn't answer, don't assume it means she's lost. Assume we need to move the information to the people who can intervene." Rhett repeated the secure federal intake number, and Foley confirmed that he had forwarded his own records. Whatever happened next, he was no longer the only person who could explain why he had been watching Hale's businesses.
Mara gathered Rhett, Deak, Jace, and the two riders who volunteered to assist with transportation and observation, Coyle and Hatch. She laid out a plan that emphasized distance, accurate reporting, and preserving access for emergency responders rather than attempting a private assault on the property. The riders would position themselves on public routes to report unusual departures; Jace would maintain contact with the outside investigators; Foley would be the link to Norah if she managed another message. Rhett would remain available to coordinate the club's vehicles if people needed to be moved to safety.
Eli was to remain at the clubhouse with Deak and the child-protection liaison who was expected later that evening. He accepted the plan with a silence Rhett did not like. When Rhett asked whether he understood, the boy said, "Yes," then returned to his notebook without looking up. Deak caught Rhett's eye and nodded that he would stay close, but Rhett still felt uneasy as he put on his jacket.
Before leaving, Rhett found Eli at Caleb's old workbench. The boy was touching the scar left by the welding tip, following its shape with one finger as though reading a line of handwriting. "That's where your dad put something hot without thinking," Rhett said. Eli looked up. "He was careless sometimes?" he asked, sounding almost hopeful.