Page 78 of Obscurity
Through a gap in the trees ahead, Olive saw the temporary camp she’d spotted from Brad’s place. But as they crept closer to get a better view, her stomach clenched with a mixture of anger and understanding.
The encampment was larger than she’d expected. There were at least two dozen tents arranged in rough rows, with a central area containing what appeared to be cooking facilities and basic sanitation. Two other large buildings had been erected on the other side. Each structure had been painted an olive-green color, almost as if to camouflage them.
Clothes hung from makeshift lines strung between trees, and she could hear the quiet murmur of conversations in Spanish drifting through the evening air.
“Migrant workers,” Jason said.
“Living in conditions even worse than the festival accommodations.” Olive felt sick as she took in the scene.
People here were clearly making do with minimal resources. They’d been hidden away where no one would see them or ask questions about their presence.
The question was: Why? What were these people being forced to do in hiding?
As Olive and Jason watched from their concealed position, she noticed details that painted a troubling picture.
The workers moved with the careful efficiency of people who’d been living this way for weeks or months. Children played quietly between the tents while adults prepared simple meals over small camp stoves.
“Hector,” Jason said suddenly.
Olive knew he was thinking the same thing she was.
The missing worker who’d supposedly just “left” without collecting his pay. Had he really left, or had he discovered something that made him a liability?
She knew what her guess was.
“This is bigger than we thought,” Olive whispered. “Way bigger.”
They weren’t just dealing with a fraudulent festival or even simple criminal activity. This was an operation that required a substantial workforce, people who could be kept hidden and controlled, people whose disappearance wouldn’t necessarily be investigated by authorities.
The implications were staggering.
“The mine.” Jason’s tone sounded grim with determination. “Now more than ever we have to check out the mine.”
Olive nodded, watching as the last light faded from the sky above them. The timing couldn’t be better. Full darkness would provide cover for their approach.
Questions tumbled in her mind, the biggest being whether she and Jason were prepared for what they might find when they finally made it inside that mountain.
CHAPTER 56
Olive wished there was a way she and Jason could get to the other two buildings near the campsites, but it was too risky. There was no way to get inside without being caught.
She turned to Jason as they threaded their way through the woods. “Do you think Brad is trying to extract any leftover coal or something?”
He shook his head, his jaw tightening. “No, it would be noisier. There would be more equipment.”
“So what exactly is going on? What is so important that these people are willing to either abduct people or worse in order to not ruin their plan?”
“That’s a good question. But I echo Tevin’s concerns about going in the mine. It’s risky. Once we’re in there, we’re essentially trapped.”
“I think we need to take that risk.”
His jaw flexed again. “I don’t like the idea of you being in there.”
She appreciated his concern. She really did.
But she had a job to do, and his feelings for her couldn’t get in the way.
She placed a hand on his forearm. “Jason, if you weren’t with me this wouldn’t even be a consideration. It’s just part of doing my job.”
