4. THE MAN WHO CALLED IT A DRY RUN

Mara reached the mill gate at a run. A security guard in a white pickup blocked the entrance. His badge identified him as Gordon Bell, temporary site security.

“You can’t go in,” he said.

“I’m the route engineer.”

“Show me your pass.”

“My pass is in the house because someone just smashed my window. Call the move manager.”

Gordon looked at the clipboard on his seat. “Supervisor says no visitors during testing.”

“It’s not a visitor. I’m the person who wrote the exclusion plan.”

He gave her a tired look. “Everybody says they’re the person who wrote something.”

Mara reached past him toward the radio clipped to the dashboard. He caught her wrist, not roughly but firmly.

“Don’t.”

“Four children are inside your turning zone.”

That changed his expression. He released her and lifted the radio.

“Control, this is Gate One. Possible pedestrians in east lane. Confirm hold.”

Static answered. Then a man’s voice: “Negative. Dry run underway. Maintain perimeter.”

“Control, repeat, possible children.”

“Copy. We’ll clear them. Maintain perimeter.”

Mara recognized the voice. Owen Kells, the contractor’s field manager. He was the man who had moved the schedule and dismissed her concerns about the unprotected gates.

“Give me that.” She took the radio from Gordon. “Owen, it’s Mara Venn. Stop the platform.”

A pause. “How’d you get on site?”

“I’m at the gate. Your people have removed my barricade. There are children behind the mural wall.”

“This is only a positioning exercise.”

“The platform can still sweep the east gate.”

“We’re ten meters from it.”

“Then stop ten meters from it.”

Another pause. “Mara, we have a crew on a tight window. I’ll send someone to clear the kids.”

“Stop first.”

He did not answer.

Mara looked past Gordon’s truck. Through the gate she could see the transport platform creeping along. Its rear wheels were steered independently by a hydraulic unit. When the tractor turned, the platform’s back end would swing toward the fences before aligning with the lane. A person standing at the east gate could see the tractor safely pass and then step into the path of the rear assembly.

“Gordon,” she said, “do you have authority to close the gate?”

“Sure.”

“Do it. Now.”

He pulled the sliding barrier across the entrance. The truck inside stopped several yards short, and a driver leaned out to protest. Gordon ignored him.

Mara ran along the outside fence toward the laundromat. Her phone vibrated: Lenora had reached five parents. Three children were unaccounted for. Doreen had found four, but she couldn’t get them out.

Mara called Lenora. “Where’s the community-room key?”

“In my kitchen.”

“Does it open the laundromat gate?”

“No. That’s a separate padlock. The old caretaker has it.”