After alerting security, Gladys has Winona escort Avery Dixon and Stevie Whipple back to their rooms with orders to remain there. Stevie denies knowledge of the trench under the fence, but Winona silences him. Trevor Stackhouse arrives with Mrs. Sigsby to inspect the dip under the chainlink fence at the playground.

Mrs. Sigsby initially dismisses the possibility of anyone crawling under, except perhaps Avery Dixon. Stackhouse deepens the dip into a trench to demonstrate the potential breach. While Mrs. Sigsby worries about the implications for the Institute’s security and her position, Stackhouse urges her to look more closely.

Stackhouse points out dried blood on the fence and additional blood on a partially uprooted bush outside the perimeter. The sight alarms Mrs. Sigsby, who fears the consequences of an escape from what is supposed to be a highly secure, secret facility. She radios Zeke Ionidis to verify resident locations via the locator system.

Zeke reports “perfect attendance,” listing counts across Back Half and Front Half, including one resident supposedly in the playground. Stackhouse compares this to the empty playground and challenges the report. The discrepancy raises the likelihood that someone has defeated the locator system.

As Zeke attempts to zoom in on the playground signal, Mrs. Sigsby spots a glittering object on the basketball court. She retrieves it and reveals most of an earlobe with an embedded tracker button, confirming that a child has removed the tracker and escaped through the trench under the fence. The physical evidence contradicts the locator data and exposes a critical security failure.