Chapter 3 - The Memory Card in the BagMaya swiped through the next ten photos in the sequence.
The images clearly documented an illegal land survey operating under the cover of night and heavy rain. In one frame, Julian Caldwell was pictured handing a thick manila envelope to a local forestry official—the very official who had signed off on the public-private land grant three weeks earlier.
“He didn’t buy this land to save it,” Maya whispered, her breath catching in her throat. “He’s using the ‘Conservation Retreat’ as a tax write-off and a public relations cover while he quietly leases the mineral rights to a mining conglomerate for millions.”
“And you captured the whole exchange on high-resolution RAW files,” Daniel said softly.
“I didn’t even realize what I had captured until I reviewed the frames around ten o’clock,” Maya said, her eyes wide as she looked at Daniel. “I saw the drilling rigs in the flash of lightning, but I didn’t see the blueprints until I zoomed in on my preview screen inside my tent.”
“And fifteen minutes after you saw them,” Daniel added, his voice cold, “your tent guy-lines were cut.”
Maya dropped her head into her hands, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. “Someone saw my flash. Or someone noticed me standing on the ridge with a 400mm lens. Julian’s security team must have reported it to him.”
Daniel reached out, his hand covering hers. His fingers were warm, steady, and grounding. “They tried to scare you off the mountain so you’d abandon your gear or surrender the card.”
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“If he finds out I still have these photos,” Maya said, looking up into Daniel’s eyes, “he’ll make sure they never see the light of day. He’ll destroy my career, Daniel. He’s a billionaire with a legal army.”
“He has lawyers, Maya,” Daniel said, his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand. “But you have the truth, you have the proof, and right now... you have me.”
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