Page 59 of Blackwood

Knox tosses him a med kit. “Let’s start pulling them out. Waters are in the back. Trauma blankets too.”

Tex is beside me in seconds. “You good?”

I nod, holding the boy tighter. “He needs to be seen first. His little arm is definitely broken.”

Tex doesn’t ask questions. Just turns and starts helping Kenji and Laing guide the other kids out. Nate pops the side door open wider and lays out a blanket.

He still hasn’t spoken. Still hasn’t let go.

“I guess we’re just going to sit together then,” I say quietly.

He stays quiet. Doesn’t flinch when the ambulance pulls up, sirens fading into the dock noise like static in the background. He just clings to me like I’m the only solid thing left in the world.

I sit with him in my lap while the medics examine him. They shine lights in his eyes, check vitals, whisper things like“clean break”and“dehydration.”I just keep holding him.

Outside it’s chaos. Controlled, but chaos all the same.

The feds are here now. So is Child Services. Though, not the usual CPS vultures. These are our people. Project Dylan has vetted and placed child service agents in every region of the U.S. They’ll track down the real families if they exist. And if not, they’ll place the kids somewhere safe.Somewhere good. Where they’ll actually get help. Therapy. Healing.

I spot Laing and Kenji slipping into the shadows the second badges start flashing. They can’t be here. Not officially. Not legally. They can’t risk the wrong person seeing them here.

I don’t blame them.

A guy in a Bureau windbreaker approaches me like he owns the oxygen around us. Clipboard. Mirrored sunglasses. Government-grade attitude.

“I’m gonna need to ask you a few questions,” he says. “What’s your name, who authorized this op, and why we weren’t notified in advan—”

“Back the fuck off.”

He blinks, taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“She’s with me,” Nate says, stepping in like he was summoned by sheer rage. He flashes a badge with the confidence of a man who’s used it to walk into hell and back. “Homeland Security.”

The agent mutters something but walks off, clearly pissed. Nate gives me a quick nod and then heads straight toward Mr. Official.

The medics finish bandaging the little boy’s arm. One of them murmurs something about transport options, but I barely hear them.

The boy’s still in my lap, still clinging, still silent. I shift slightly, brush the hair off his forehead.

“Hey,” I whisper, soft and steady. “Can you tell me your name baby?”

His lips part, barely a breath. “Ollie.”

“Hi, Ollie,” I whisper. “You did so good, okay? You were so brave.”

He just blinks at me, lip trembling.

A familiar voice approaches from the open doors. “Bella”

I look up. It’s Alyssa Park, dark blazer, soft voice, and blue eyes that don’t miss anything. She’s one of ours. Embedded.Trusted. She’s pulled more kids out of hell than most people even know exist.

“I’ve got him from here,” she says gently. “He’s on a missing persons list, taken from a park in Santa Monica three weeks ago. We’ve already contacted his parents.”

She smiles. “He’s going home.”

“Did you hear that, buddy? They’re going to take you to your mommy and daddy. You’re going to be safe now, I promise.”

He doesn’t move at first. Just looks up at me like he’s trying to decide if I mean it.