The Other Side of the Glass

Bernard and Wooton travel to the Seawright factory, where Mr. Corelli calls the hidden symbol a manufacturing defect. He says an employee marked the glass while its chemical coating was wet and has been dealt with. Seawright will replace the affected windows, but Corelli also offers Bernard money and a form declaring the matter completely settled. Bernard refuses the payment, and Wooton demands answers about the plea for help. Corelli angrily sends them away.

Bernard's truck refuses to start before they can leave the property, and Seawright's security chief, Mr. Henderson, has it towed from the grounds. At a nearby garage, Wooton spots the Power Boy symbol painted beside a playground. A boy named Joseph knows about the sign and tells Wooton to watch the glass factory at midnight if he truly wants to help.

Bernard thinks following a stranger's mysterious instructions is foolish. Wooton, however, sees a chain of unlikely events: the symbols, the cleaner, the factory, the breakdown, and Joseph's message have all led them to the same place. He wonders whether God is drawing them toward someone in need. Bernard reluctantly agrees to join him, and Whit comes too.

From a vacant lot across from Seawright, the three men watch unmarked trucks back up to the loading dock. Men, women, and young teenagers climb out and enter the factory for a midnight shift. Henderson soon orders the observers away, claiming Seawright has just bought the lot. His knowledge of Whit's name makes the encounter even more suspicious.

Whit contacts Dell Hayworth at the State Department of Labor. Dell has wanted to investigate Seawright, but the company's importance to Greensburg has discouraged his superiors from acting without proof. He cannot officially send Whit and his friends to investigate, yet he makes it clear that photographs, video, and testimony from workers could give him something he can use.

Wooton returns to the playground and follows Joseph into the woods. Joseph says a whistleblower named Freddie C. exposed Seawright's secret labor operation and then disappeared. According to him, recruiters have lured poor people from other countries with promises of good jobs, taken their passports, and frightened them into silence. Seawright works them through the night for very little money, even exposing adults and children to dangerous chemicals.

Wooton asks why Freddie's family has not fought back. Joseph's answer reveals how alone he feels: he is all that remains, and a child cannot stand against Seawright by himself. The Power Boy marks are a desperate attempt to find someone willing to help.

Before Joseph can explain more, Henderson and his men arrive. Wooton tells Joseph to run, but he cannot escape himself. Henderson calls him a nuisance and takes him away, leaving Joseph's warnings unproved and Wooton in Seawright's hands.