"Yes, Mr. Daniels said firmly. What they did to your daughter... that crossed a line, and I'm tired of watching good kids suffer while these boys get away with everything."
Elijah felt a surge of hope. "Would you be willing to testify at a school board hearing?"
"If it comes to that, yes."
When Elijah returned home, he found Amaya sitting at the kitchen table working on her laptop. "How did it go?" she asked.
"Better than expected," Elijah replied, setting down his keys. "We have an ally. Your history teacher, Mr. Daniels."
Amaya's eyes widened. "Really? What did he say?"
As Elijah explained, Amaya's expression shifted from surprise to determination. "So, we're not alone."
"We never were," Elijah said. "The problem is getting people to speak up. Fear is a powerful silencer."
"Then we need to be louder," Amaya said, turning her laptop to show him what she'd been working on: a carefully edited video montage of their surveillance footage combined with Lexi's video and screenshots of the anonymous texts she'd received.
"This is good," Elijah said, reviewing the footage. "But we need more—something definitive that links Brett directly to both the hair-cutting incident and the locker setup."
That evening, as they were discussing next steps, there was a knock at the door. Elijah answered to find an unexpected visitor: Mayor Richard Carson, Brett's father.
"Lieutenant Commander Walker," the mayor said with a politician's smile. "I thought it was time we met, neighbor to neighbor."
Elijah's expression remained neutral as he invited the mayor inside. Richard Carson was a tall man with the same sandy hair as his son, though his was graying at the temples. He carried himself with the entitled confidence of someone unaccustomed to hearing the word no.
"I understand there's been some unpleasantness between our children," the mayor began once they were seated in the living room.
"That's one way to put it," Elijah replied coolly.
"Boys will be boys, you know. High school pranks get out of hand sometimes."
"What happened to my daughter wasn't a prank, Mayor Carson. It was assault."
The mayor's smile tightened. "That's a serious allegation. One that could be damaging to all involved if it were made publicly."
"Is that a threat?"