Jonathan felt a surge of protectiveness, not just for Emily but for Marcus, too. What had driven this boy to risk everything to confront him in such a public, vulnerable moment? He needed answers, and he needed them now. With a nod to the priest, he signaled for the ceremony to pause, the murmurs subsiding as all attention focused on the unfolding drama.

“Tell me everything you know, Marcus,” Jonathan urged, his voice a mix of authority and pleading.

Marcus took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “It was three nights ago. I was sleeping in the alley behind the diner on 5th Street. A van pulled up, the kind that doesn’t belong in my part of town. I hid, but I saw them — two men, dragging her out. She was fighting, but they had her tied up. She saw me and yelled for help before they shoved her back in.”