The old sugar mill stood abandoned on the edge of town—great stone walls covered in moss, rusted machinery half-buried in weeds. Zara arrived at noon exactly, her hand never far from her weapon.
A figure emerged from the shadows of the main building—Winston, the leader of the sugar workers. His face was grim, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"You're the one who sent the message," Zara said, keeping her distance.
"I am," he replied, his voice heavy. "I've been watching you work with the farmers, trying to do the right thing. I can't let this go on any longer."
"Let what go on? What do you know?"
Winston pulled out a worn photograph and handed it to her. It showed a group of people standing in front of the mill including a younger Sasha, a man who looked like her father, and…
"Clara," Zara breathed, staring at the image. Her mentor stood in the center, smiling, her arm around Sasha's shoulder.
"Clara founded The Root fifteen years ago," Winston said quietly. "Started it as a way to protect farmers from land grabbers but somewhere along the way, she lost her way. She became what she was fighting against."
Zara shook her head, refusing to believe it. "That's impossible. Clara helped us take down Thorne—she's been working to destroy The Root this whole time."
"Has she?" Winston asked. "Thorne was getting too ambitious, talking about overthrowing the government. Clara needed him out of the way so she could take full control. She used you to do it."
He pulled out another document financial records showing transfers from offshore accounts to Clara's personal bank. "She's been planning this resort project for years. The land in Bellflower, the Southern Province it's all part of her plan to build an empire. Sasha's been working for her from the start."
Zara's mind reeled. Every victory, every trust she'd placed—had it all been a lie?
"Where's Chen?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Vance has him at the plantation house," Winston said. "But Clara's the one calling the shots now. She's planning to stage an attack on the farmer's meeting in Riverbend tomorrow blame it on Vance, then step in as the hero who saves them all. It'll give her the public support she needs to push through her development plans."
Before Zara could respond, the sound of approaching vehicles echoed through the valley. Winston's face darkened.
"They found us," he said. "You need to go warn the farmers. I'll hold them off as long as I can."