Chapter 8: The Chain of Command
Captain Vance walked into the living room, his heavy boots echoing slightly. He didn’t look at Rachel with anger; instead, his eyes held a tired, complicated mixture of pity and professional dread.
“Miller, Jenkins,” Vance said, gesturing toward the hallway. “Get the kids out of here through the back exit. Put them in an unmarked unit and take them straight to County General under secure guard. Do not use the main highway.”
“Captain, what about Rachel?” Jenkins asked, glancing back at the sofa.
“Rachel stays,” Vance replied flatly. “She’s technically an accessory to falsifying a death record and harboring a fugitive minor, regardless of the extenuating circumstances. But more importantly, if those men outside realize we’ve found Leo, this house is about to become a very dangerous place to be.”
Rachel stood up, her knees buckling slightly before she caught herself on the back of the sofa. Her green blouse looked entirely out of place against the grim reality of the situation. “Take my children,” she pleaded, her voice cracking with desperate urgency. “Just get them out of here. I don’t care what happens to me, as long as Leo sees the sun tomorrow.”
Miller hesitated, looking between Captain Vance and Rachel. The protective instinct that had driven him to kick the door open now warred with the strict protocol of police procedure. He looked at Lily, who was clutching her stuffed bear while paramedics gently guided her toward the rear kitchen door, with Leo walking slowly beside her, blinking in the bright indoor light.
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“Go, Miller,” Vance ordered sharply, reading the hesitation in the younger officer's posture. “I’ll handle the transport paperwork for Rachel. You secure those kids.”
Miller nodded once, turning on his heel to follow Jenkins toward the back of the house. The kitchen was quiet, smelling faintly of old coffee and bleach. As he opened the back door leading out to the small suburban backyard, the cool evening air hit his face, carrying the scent of pine and distant exhaust fumes.
