“Harbor Point was supposed to have a two-lane access road above the flood level.”

“They built one,” Lena said. “I drove through it when it opened.”

“Then why’s it closed?”

The answer arrived with Deputy Vale.

“Grayline has three trucks blocking the east service entrance,” he reported. “Their supervisor says the road is restricted to site personnel because they’re protecting equipment from the storm.”

Lena stared at him.

“They blocked the evacuation route because they didn’t want buses near their equipment?”

“That’s what he said. I asked for a manager.”

“Who approved the route in the first place?”

“City traffic office. They said Grayline agreed to provide access in emergencies.”

Frank gave a bitter laugh. “Agreed on paper, maybe.”

Lena lifted her radio. “Director Rhodes, we have a route failure. We can move some residents uphill on foot, but bus transport is blocked. I need the county to coordinate lawful emergency access through Harbor Point or assign another verified route. The bridge inspector is holding the old crossing pending inspection.”

Elaine’s voice came back, exhausted but steady. “I have transportation and the sheriff working on it. Nobody forces a vehicle onto an unsafe road. Keep the buses where they’re secure.”

Vale looked at Lena.

“I can go back to Harbor Point.”

“Can you get a public-works supervisor and a road engineer with you?”

“Yes.”

“Then do that. And don’t threaten the foreman just because he’s the person standing in front of the fence. Find the person who actually has authority.”

He nodded once.

At Harbor Point, security manager Simon Bell was standing beneath the awning of a temporary office, speaking into two phones. He was a square-faced man in a bright yellow raincoat with a clipboard protected inside a plastic cover.

“I’ve already told your dispatch,” he said when Vale approached. “These trucks cannot move. Company safety policy.”

“The emergency plan you submitted names this road as a designated evacuation route,” said city public-works supervisor Dana Cho, who had come with Vale. “We need to confirm whether it can safely carry buses. If it can, you need to clear it.”