3. Linda #2
"Hyrum actually wrote to us this morning, apologizing for the lengthy delay in getting the final assessment to the Wayne Group," Darius said, a mocking edge to his tone.
"He claimed that to be very thorough, he had another independent archaeological team going over the site just to ensure the historical findings of the first excavation crew were entirely accurate. "
Isabel frowned, looking across the table at her brother and then at Owen. "Is that a normal process? Having a second team repeat the work of the first?"
Owen shifted in his seat, his fingers tightening slightly around Isabel's hand as he drew on his decades of field experience.
"In standard commercial CRM, Cultural Resource Management, it’s highly unusual unless there’s a major dispute," Owen explained, his voice calm and authoritative.
"But under state compliance guidelines, if the initial survey uncovers something of highly significant national value, the state agency.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“Or the developer can request a peer review or a secondary, independent verification team to audit the methodology.” He glanced up at Isabel and Linda noticed his eyes soften.
“It's usually done to protect the project from future litigation, but in this case, the Winebergs are clearly using it as a strategic stall tactic.
They want to prolong the project freeze, running up the Wayne Groups' municipal holding fees and insurance costs until the land becomes a financial black hole Darius is desperate to unload. "
"I'll personally review the foundational ground lease documents and the corporate structure of the class-B minority shares," Penny stated, her voice carrying the clear, authoritative weight of her legal training.
She leaned slightly across the table, her gaze locking onto Michael.
"Michael, I'd like you to sit in on the analysis report with me as soon as we get it if you’re willing.
Your practical experience with local zoning ordinances and historical district compliance is exactly the secondary filter we need to ensure the Winebergs can't spot any vulnerabilities in any of the reports we get done. "
Michael gave a slow, deliberate nod, his fingers tapping a quiet rhythm against the wood grain of the table.
"I'm in. We need to verify that the restrictive covenants on the underlying deed can withstand an aggressive municipal challenge if Thompson tries to utilize his political leverage to alter or push anything through to manipulate the outcome," Michael answered Penny, then turned to Darius.
"We will need to ensure Michael is onboarded to the Wayne Group as a consultant, but we will keep it between us to ensure it doesn’t get leaked to Rory," Darius interjected smoothly.
He leaned his elbow comfortably on the table and clasped his hand in front of him.
His gaze moved between Michael and Penny.
"Up until the exact moment we possess those finalized reports and the Winebergs have officially played their hand regarding the Hearts Hotel debt structure, we cannot afford to let them catch even a whisper of Michael's direct involvement. "
Linda watched her brother’s analytical eyes scan the room, his corporate mask locked into place.
"If Thompson or Debbi suspect for a single second that the Heart family is actively collaborating with the Wayne Group in any capacity," Darius explained, his tone dropping into a low, serious register, "they will immediately withdraw their offers, bury the paper trail, and pivot to an entirely different corporate entity to insulate themselves.
But the moment all the archaeological reports are securely logged on our server and we are ready to execute the public takedown, we will make Michael's participation fully official. With Penny’s corporate background and Michael's extensive municipal legal mind driving the joint defensive front, the strategic impact will be significantly more powerful than anything the Winebergs' private counsel can counter. "
"Which means our primary focus right now has to remain entirely on the physical evidence," Linda said, her voice steady as she skillfully integrated her own professional background into the operational framework.
She looked across the long table, her eyes shifting from Owen to the veteran archaeologist sitting beside her brother.
"Owen and I, operating under the direct academic oversight of Anna, will systematically list, cross-reference, and document every artifact profile we recover at Hearts Hotel.
We will run a parallel comparative audit against the original Charleston laboratory logs that Gill preserved for the site in South Carolina. "
Owen shifted slightly, his shoulder brushing against Isabel's in a quiet show of absolute solidarity.
"By mapping the strict geological provenance of the authentic Calusa strata here against the specific, anomalous strata patterns found on the East Bay Street harbor tract, we can establish a definitive, peer-reviewed baseline.” Owen’s eyes met Linda’s.
“If the Winebergs planted artifacts in South Carolina, the soil signature anomalies will prove the fraud beyond any academic or legal doubt. "
"And once we officially receive those delayed survey reports from Hyrum's consultant team," Anna added, her calm voice drawing the immediate attention of the table, "we will immediately bring in an independent, certified federal survey team to issue a comprehensive second opinion. We will do it on the quiet.” She looked at Owen and then Darius.
“We won't rely on regional commercial contractors who might be susceptible to political pressure from Thompson’s campaign office.
This independent team will perform the real, definitive ground analysis for both the Charleston harbor site and the Hearts property. "
Michael leaned back in his heavy teak chair, his brow furrowing as he glanced toward the far end of the table where the newcomer sat.
"That covers our legal and academic lines of defense. But what about Gill? Where does she fit into our immediate operational security parameters?" he asked.
Gill offered a small, appreciative smile, though her clear eyes remained sharp and defensive as she met Michael's gaze.
"I cannot be seen to be affiliated with either site," she stated flatly, her gentle voice carrying a hard, realistic edge born from years of professional exile.
"Due to my previous legal encounters with Debbi and the non-disclosure agreements the university forced me to sign ten years ago to protect their funding, any public connection between my name and a Wayne Group development project would immediately trigger an automatic injunction from the Winebergs' corporate lawyers.” Her eyes flashed with a quick spark of anger.
“Debbi would use the litigation to seize my original research drafts before we can present them to the academic journal's ethics board. "
"None of us can leak a single detail regarding the fact that Gill is even on this island," Linda told the group, her protective instincts kicking in as she took in the weary slope of her friend's shoulders.
She looked around the table, ensuring she held the eyes of every member present.
"She will be staying secretly at Heart House under our direct supervision until the exact moment we are ready to expose the Winebergs' systemic fraud to the press. Until then, she remains a ghost."