Carter Hayes — Point of View
Hayes stood outside the community center’s back office, the printed file in his hand, feeling like it weighed ten pounds. He’d barely slept. Whitfield’s warning still echoed in his head. If Solstice realizes you’re looking for him, they’ll erase him.
He knocked. Eliza opened the door, and her eyebrows rose. “You’re back early.”
Hayes stepped inside. Evan, Marianne, and Leah were all gathered around the table. Elijah wasn’t there. Hayes cleared his throat. “I found something. About the man with the limp.”
Leah straightened immediately. “You identified him?”
Hayes shook his head. “Not exactly. But I found his file.”
He placed the folder on the table. Eliza hasn’t touched it yet. “What’s in it?”
Hayes exhaled. “A restricted contractor record. Solstice Protection. Assignment: BR‑12. Role: Maintenance and systems technician.”
Marianne frowned. “Maintenance?”
Hayes gave a slow nod. “He’s not security or management. He’s maintenance — the one checking sensors, locks, and electrical systems. The one walking those hallways every day.”
“The one who would hear the clicking,” Leah whispered.
“The Bureau can’t access his medical file,” he said. “Solstice sealed it. Even his name’s redacted. And there’s a flag attached to his record.”
Eliza’s voice sharpened. “What kind of flag?”
Hayes hesitated. Then: “Internal Concern — Do Not Assign Solo.”
The room went still.
###
Elijah Greyhawk — Point of View
Elijah stepped into the doorway just in time to hear it. “Do not assign solo.”
He froze. Everyone turned. Hayes swallowed. “Elijah—”
Elijah walked forward slowly, eyes locked on the folder. “That’s him,” he whispered. “That’s the man Aiyana remembers.”
Hayes nodded. “I think so.”
Elijah’s jaw tightened. “What does the flag mean?”
Hayes hesitated. “Whitfield said… he tried to report something.”
Elijah’s breath caught. “What?”
Hayes met his eyes. “Children.”
Elijah closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself. When he opened them again, something had changed.
###
Eliza Morningstar — Point of View
Eliza watched Elijah’s posture shift — not anger, not panic, but something deeper. Resolve. “Elijah,” she said softly, “come look.”
He stepped closer to the table. Hayes opened the folder, revealing the redacted employment record, the BR‑12 assignment, and the restricted medical file. Elijah stared at the page.
“This man tried to help them,” he said. “He tried to report it. And they shut him down.”
Hayes nodded. “Solstice locked his file. Not us.”
Leah added, “He’s still active. Still assigned to BR‑12.”
Elijah’s voice dropped. “Then he’s in danger.”
###
Carter Hayes — Point of View
Hayes swallowed. “He’s in more than danger. Whitfield said that if Solstice realizes we’re looking for him, they’ll erase him.”
Elijah’s head snapped up. “Erase?”
Hayes nodded grimly. “People disappear in these networks. Adults too. Especially the ones who talk.”
Elijah’s hands curled into fists. “He’s the only adult who ever tried to help those kids,” he said. “Aiyana trusted him. She remembered him.”
Hayes nodded. “Which means he’s our best chance at getting inside BR‑12 without walking into a trap.”
Elijah stepped closer, voice low and steady. “Then we find him. Before they realize we know.”
###
Marianne Keeshig — Point of View
Marianne crossed her arms. “Elijah, slow down. We don’t know where he is or even his name. We don’t know if he’s even allowed off‑site.”
Elijah didn’t look away from the file. “He’s alive,” he said. “He’s scared. And he’s trying to warn someone.”
Leah nodded. “He looked at the camera. Like he wanted to be seen.”
Elijah’s voice softened — just barely. “He wanted to be found.”
###
Eliza Morningstar — Point of View
Eliza stepped between Elijah and the table, grounding the moment. “Elijah,” she said gently, “we’re going to find him. But we do it smartly. We do it together.”
Elijah met her eyes. For a moment, the room held its breath. Then he nodded. “Together,” he said.
Hayes exhaled, relieved. Eliza turned to him. “Hayes,” she said, “you did well bringing this to us.”
Hayes blinked, surprised. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Elijah added, “And now we use it.”
###
Elijah Greyhawk — Point of View
Elijah studied the redacted file one last time: a nameless man with a limp, a yellow patch on his uniform, a quiet voice, and a whispered apology. Someone who had tried to help — and maybe still was. He straightened. “We'll find him,” he said. “Then we go into BR-12.”
Eliza gave a firm nod. Evan followed. Leah did too. Hayes was the last to agree, because for the first time they were all united. And the limping man was no longer just a clue. He was the key.