Three days later, the group drove to Port Antonio as the sun began to set. The resort was lit up like a jewel against the darkening coastline, strings of lights twinkling from palm trees and the grand entrance arch. Zara, Chen, and Maya had dressed in their best clothes—Zara in a simple blue dress, Chen in a linen suit, Maya in a white blouse and skirt—looking every bit like the donors they were pretending to be.
The Jermaine and his team had positioned themselves around the resort grounds—one at the main gate, another near the parking lot, and two more along the path leading to the beach pavilion. They'd agreed on a series of hand signals to communicate without drawing attention.
Inside the gala, the air was filled with music and laughter, guests mingling with glasses of rum punch in their hands. Zara recognized a few faces from the local government—men who'd claimed to care about the community but had always turned a blind eye to The Root's activities.
"Stay close," Chen whispered as they made their way toward the patio that overlooked the beach. "The pavilion is just past those hedges."
As they stepped outside, Maya pretended to stumble, dropping her clutch on the ground. While she bent to pick it up, she discreetly placed a small listening device near the base of a lamp post that stood between the patio and the pavilion.
"Excuse me," she said with a smile to a passing security guard. "These heels are killing me—I'm not used to all this fancy footing."
The guard chuckled and waved her on. Zara led them toward a small seating area near the edge of the lawn, where they could see the pavilion clearly. Through the windows, she spotted Rico standing by the door, his eyes scanning the grounds. Next to him was a man she'd only seen in photographs—Mr. Thorne, tall and sharp-dressed, with silver hair and eyes that seemed to see everything.
They settled into their seats, Chen pulling out his tablet as if checking messages. In reality, he was connecting to Maya's device, and within seconds, they could hear the voices from inside the pavilion.