He answers immediately. "Stryker."
"Kessler was at Lucas's school yesterday. Posed as CPS, tried to get information on the kid's enrollment and home address." I move to the front window, checking the street out of habit. "Secretary refused to give him anything, but he knows where Lucas goes to school. That narrows their search grid significantly."
"Damn." Kane's voice goes flat in the way it does when he's already running tactical calculations. "They're escalating faster than we projected. What's your current status?"
"Still at Rachel's house. No direct threats overnight, but if Kessler's making moves in person instead of running remote surveillance, we're out of time for defensive posture."
"Agreed. I'm activating the safe house now. Sarah's logistics contact has a ranch property outside Tucson. Defensible position, clear sight lines, off-grid enough that Committee database searches won't flag it." I hear keys clicking in the background as Kane pulls up the details. "Get them packed and moving by midday. I'll have supplies delivered within the hour."
"Copy that."
"Stryker." Kane's voice drops. "Watch your back. Kessler doesn't do personal reconnaissance unless he's planning to strike soon. He's mapping vulnerabilities, identifying the best approach vector. You're not just protecting them anymore. You're bait."
The call ends.
Phone lowers in my hand as I stare at Rachel's living room. Photos of Lucas covering every available surface. A life built carefully from the wreckage of trauma and survival. Normal things like soccer schedules and grocery lists and permission slips held to the refrigerator with magnets shaped like cartoon characters.
All of it about to get uprooted because a six-year-old kid took a shortcut through the wrong alley at the wrong time.
My phone starts buzzing with incoming texts. Texts Tommy had re-routed to my phone. I pull it up and feel my stomach drop.
Unknown number, Tucson area code:
Black SUV followed me home last night. Circled my block twice. Should I call police? - Andrea
I don't recognize the name immediately, but I forward it to Kane with a single word:
Who?
His response is almost instant:
Rachel's coworker. Nurse at the clinic where she works. Committee's mapping her entire network.
Another text arrives before I can process that. Different number, same area code:
Someone keeps calling and hanging up. Six times since midnight. I'm scared. - Maria
Then another:
Strange car parked across from my apartment building. Been there since last night. - Beth
My phone lights up with an incoming call from Kane before I can respond to any of them.
"They're hitting everyone in Rachel's circle," he says without preamble. "Sarah's running the data. Multiple people reporting surveillance or direct harassment. The Committee isn't just hunting Lucas. They're applying pressure to anyone who might help Rachel hide him."
"That's significant resource deployment for one witness."
"Because this isn't about Lucas anymore. It's about sending a message to anyone who thinks they can protect witnesses from Committee retaliation. If we successfully relocate him, it proves the Committee's intimidation tactics can be beaten. That threatens their entire operational model." Kane pauses. "Sarah's coordinating protection details for everyone we can identify in Rachel's network. Tommy's reaching out through securechannels to warn people. But Stryker, they're moving faster than we can establish coverage."
"Understood. What's our tactical approach?"
"Get Rachel and Lucas to the safe house. Secure the perimeter. Then we shift from defensive to offensive posture. We can't just hide them indefinitely. We need to eliminate the threat at its source."
Call ends and I'm left standing in Rachel's kitchen with my phone full of frightened messages from people who made the mistake of being Rachel's friend or coworker.
Rachel emerges from the hallway with a duffel bag over her shoulder and Lucas trailing behind her in fresh clothes. Kid looks more sleepy than scared, rubbing his eyes with small fists.
"We're going to a ranch?" Lucas asks, perking up slightly. "Do they have horses?"
