“Useful.”
That word lands heavier than the rest.
“You built something impressive,” he continues.
“Destroyed something impressive, too.”
So they know.
Of course they do.
“Word travels,” I say.
“It does.”
“And yet here you are,” Eli says. “Sitting in my church.”
“Last I checked,” I reply, “churches were open to the public.”
“They are.”
Another pause.
“But this one is… selective.”
I study him.
“You recruiting?”
“Always.”
“For what?”
He considers that question like it deserves a real answer.
“For the future.”
“That’s vague.”
“On purpose.”
I cross my arms.
“You run a search-and-rescue group.”
“We do.”
“You run a volunteer network.”
“Yes.”
“And you recruit people with specialized skills.”
“Yes.”
“So what’s the real operation?”
Eli smiles again.
