At the Maine Paper Industries arrival building, Irwin Mollison, an unemployed millworker and Institute stringer, watched the Suburban depart the airstrip with three passengers. He phoned in a status report to Tony Stackhouse, identifying a man, a woman who announced herself as Julia Sigsby, and a bruised boy with a bandaged ear, Luke Ellis. Mollison also noted that Dr. James Evans had remained on the plane.

Tony Stackhouse acknowledged the update and reviewed his plan. He had arranged a bus by the flagpole, per the exchange terms, and placed Doug the chef and Chad the caretaker in trees beyond the admin building to cover the driveway approach. He stationed Zeke Ionidis and Felicia Richardson on the admin roof behind a parapet to remain concealed until firing began, with Gladys set to activate poison gas via the HVAC system before joining the rooftop team.

Stackhouse intended to create a crossfire when the Suburban pulled in, accepting some personal risk by standing near the flagpole beside the bus to play his role in the setup. He considered it an acceptable risk given the tactical advantage. He also relied on the co-pilot’s report that Evans had stayed aboard the Challenger, simplifying the scenario outside.

Anticipating a possible attack from inside, Stackhouse ordered Rosalind to guard the access tunnel door on F-Level of Front Half. He wanted her away from the exterior ambush and ready to stop any Ward A push that might try to breach the door amid the growing psychic hum. Stackhouse feared the children might use Luke Ellis’s arrival to coordinate a rear assault similar to the chaos already caused in Back Half.

As he finalized the positions and timing, Stackhouse internally assessed his readiness and concluded he was prepared. He minimized the threat of Tim Jamieson and Luke Ellis as an adult outsider and a kid, convinced that within ninety minutes his plan—crossfire and chlorine gas—would end the standoff.