Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Theo stepped into the meeting room in the admin building, bracing for the tension he knew was waiting inside. Poppy Miller stood at the head of the long table. Morgan Delgado hovered by the wall, arms crossed, his scowl daring anyone to challenge him. Kai lingered near Poppy’s chair, wearing that polite, oh-so-helpful expression that made Theo’s skin crawl.
Poppy cleared her throat, lifting the folded letter. “The board has issued a new directive,” she began, voice taut. “They’re alarmed by these so-called accidents.”
That statement sent a ripple through the staff. Theo glanced around, noting furrowed brows and anxious murmurs. Poppy tapped the logs on the table, frustration edging her tone. “We’ve also got scheduling anomalies—logs showing staff completing tasks they swear they never touched. I’ve spoken with the board, and they want a structured investigation.”
Morgan raked a hand over his face. “If leadership had funded my budget requests,” he ground out, “we wouldn’t be stuck with cheap, outdated gear.”
Staffers exchanged uneasy glances. Theo stepped forward. “We almost had a drowning yesterday. Whether it’s old gear or something else, we need answers.”
Poppy inhaled and turned a page of logs, her pen drumming on the table. “Before we jump to conclusions, let me share the board’s second directive.” She held up the folder. “They’ve ordered that we form an Incident Response Team. This team will have full access to logs, sign-out histories, even potential camera feeds once we get them installed. We’re stepping up security measures effective immediately.”
Logan Carter spoke up from across the room. “Good. Because new trainees are panicking. If we don’t contain this, we won’t have any students in the fall session.”
Poppy continued reluctantly. “That being said, the board has suspended overnight modules until we conduct a full investigation. I know it’s drastic, but the board and our insurance reps are adamant. We have inspectors arriving this week. If we fail that check, we lose coverage and will have to cancel the charity climb.”
Multiple people grumbled. Poppy took a deep breath before continuing. “Starting today, no one touches any gear without two staff members signing off. That’s non-negotiable.” She eyed the staff. “If you see anything suspicious, you report it to me or the Incident Response Team.”
Morgan sneered, looking ready to snap. Kai placed a gentle hand on Poppy’s stack of documents. “I can help coordinate the Incident Response Team,” he offered. “The logs, sign-out sheets, official statements—all in one place.”
Poppy pressed her lips together. “We’ll talk about that later,” she said, then raised her voice to address the room. “We reconvene in forty-eight hours. I want a progress report from each department.” Poppy looked around the room, shoulders squared. “Meeting adjourned. Let’s figure this out before it destroys our academy.”