Matthew's first day back at work was one of the worst days of his life, having to bend and twist and carry things with the rip in his gut still healing. Several times when he tried to reign the horses in he could feel the newly reforming skin tear, causing blood to soak the fresh bandages Dom had helped him put on that morning. He wore a black shirt to make sure that if the blood soaked through it wouldn't be noticed by anyone in his detail. The good part was working in the barn meant he was out of the sun most of the time, which was a blessing since the painkillers in his system were raising his body temperature a bit, and with the manual labor on top of it being in the sun was just asking for heat stroke.

His second day back, a Wednesday, Matthew noticed something even more strange than the guard standing by the back door of the barn all day. Finally the door opened for the first time since they had gotten there, but what he saw didn't please him much. One of the members of Shawn's gang, Telly, came through from outside and talked to the guard for about two minutes. They talked quickly and in hushed voices, glancing around every few seconds to see if anyone was watching. The barn was empty aside from Matthew, who was in a horse stall and out of sight. He could see the two of them talking through a crack in the wood but they couldn't see him. Telly shook the guard's hand and exited through the door he came in while the guard fired up his radio, saying something in Honovi that Matthew didn't understand. He waited until the conversation was over before moving again, trying not to draw attention to himself.

When lunchtime came he hung back a bit, taking his time finishing up the left side of the barn stalls to see if maybe the guard would move to get some food. He did not. After five wasted minutes Matthew bailed and hurried to the truck to find Dom, who was sitting under a tree off to the side eating an apple.

"What's the word?" asked Dom.

"I saw one of the guys from Shawn's crew come in through that back door in the barn."

Dom perked up and stood so he could talk quieter. "Really? What did he do?"

"Nothing. He talked to the guard and then went back out."

"I wonder what that's all about. He- Shawn -said that we had no idea who he was and what he could-" Dom suddenly went quiet and put his hands on top of his head, smiling with tongue in cheek. "They're growing back there."

"Say what?" asked Matthew, finishing his orange and tossing the rind into the tall grass.

"Weed. They're growing it in the field behind the barn. Think about it," Dom pointed to the barn and talked excitedly, "how do they have stuff to smoke at the park? Where are they getting the alcohol and how can they afford it?"

"I don't know, what are you thinking?"

"Del has Shawn's gang growing weed and distributing it, then kicking back the profits to the Honovi. He gives them a cut, on top of what they make on work detail, so they have extra cash to pay scavengers to leave the town and go raid liquor stores and houses for whatever they want."

Matthew searched for the guard and found him once again in the same spot. He had brought in a chair and positioned it next to the door so he could sit down and take a break every once in a while without leaving the barn. It would make sense that they were growing marijuana with the way that door was guarded and how secretive he and Telly were being. Dom caught eyes with the detail leader who waved him over so he tapped Matthew on the chest, pointing him back to his spot.

"We'll talk more about this at home."

When the end of day horn sounded all of the field workers came back to home base, situated in front of the barn. Dom took his gloves off an stuffed them in his back waist as he walked toward the trucks to take them back to town. Matthew finished up feeding the horses for the night and went to lock up the large doors before he was stopped by the same guard that blocked the back door.

"We need those left open today."

"Oh, OK" said Matthew, stepping away towards the truck. "Just make sure the horses are OK before you lock up."

"Don't worry kid, I've worked with animals all my life. They'll be alright."

Matthew walked over to the truck and met Dom just as he was hopping onto the back. Dom looked up and noticed the doors to the barn were still open, something that hadn't happened since they started working there. He watched the guard walk back towards the right side of the barn and disappear next to it, wondering what was different about that day specifically.

They didn't dare speak about it on the truck on the way back to town, even though they sat in an open back and the wind provided good audible cover. The risk of being overheard talking about shady dealings with the tribe and being ostracized was greater than one of the workers siding with them in their theory and intent. They weren't even sure what their intent was. What would the information be good to them for, what could they do with it? Use it to blackmail Shawn into leaving them alone? Pressure Del into giving them whatever they wanted? The allure of being able to go and get whatever they wanted without being hindered was strong, but the use of blackmail wasn't something Dom wanted to get involved in.

Tori buzzed through lunch like a busy bee, restocking the cart when the rush was through. A truck had pulled up right after one o'clock and Tori helped guide it backwards to the stand. The truck contained apples, bananas, oranges, melons and some bread, which was meant for another stand. The driver got out and nodded to Tori as he brought down the tailgate.

"We're running low on fruit. We have probably one more truckload after this one and all of the surrounding areas will have been cleaned out."

"Well we'll just have to deal with that when it comes I guess" said Tori. "What are the stands going to do for product?"

"You'll probably get reassigned jobs until fall when the garden and field harvests come. This is the first year, it's gonna be rough for a few until we get a surplus." The man held a clipboard out in front of Tori and she signed saying she received the produce and then grabbed her own clipboard, marking down what all they had received and what they were short on. "I don't really understand it though. We had quite a bit not too long ago. Del even said we were looking great for the first year, but now we're down?"

"Maybe he underestimated how many people are here?"

"I don't know. But whatever the case, we both might be switching jobs soon."

It took about fifteen minutes to unload all of the produce from the back of the truck and get it situated so she could clear out the crates for the delivery man, a lot of bending and twisting that she wasn't used to from not having worked in a while. Once the crates were loaded back on the truck the man waved goodbye, hopping into the cab and speeding off. Tori looked over at Ralph, who was snoozing in his rocking chair, and wondered what he would do for reassignment. He wouldn't be able to do the physical labor jobs. Perhaps there was some kind of job he could do at the YMCA that would keep him paid and able to work. He coughed in his sleep and readjusted, opening his eyes a crack to watch Tori work.

"I know what you're thinking, but you don't have to worry about me. I don't have much longer in me anyway, kid."

"Why do you say that?" asked Tori.

"I can just feel it. In my bones. In my chest. When you get old you can just tell when your time is coming." He leaned over the side of the chair and grabbed his bottle, standing up to head inside. "I plan to deal with it head on myself. Never was one for taking the easy way out."

Tori admired the old man's spirit. She hoped that one day she would be his age and still kicking. At the same time Ralph made her miss her father. He was a strong, masculine guy but somehow managed to walk a fine line of softness and understanding. Tori ached to see her family, even Trina. Her sister wasn't always the easiest person but she loved her nonetheless, and with everything so uncertain the thought that any member of her family, or even all of them, could be dead already or die at any moment, really racked her nerves. Ralph seemed to pick up on his coworker's stress by the way she worked with such a stiff posture, chuckling to himself as he fished out another glass.

"Hey kid, come in here" said Ralph.

Tori finished the box she was working on and tossed it aside, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. "What's up?"

"Have a drink with me." He slid the small glass of whiskey down the line and Tori cradled it in her hand, picking it up and smelling it.

"Strong."

Ralph held his glass up and looked Tori straight in the eye. "You remind me a lot of my daughter. She looked just like you when she was your age. Spunky, full of love and life." He looked at his own drink for a minute then set it down on the table and drew a deep breath. "I was born in 1944, and 1962 I was fighting in Vietnam. By the time I came back for good my little girl was almost eleven years old. She didn't really know me since I was gone most of the time, but she wasn't bitter." He laughed and looked down into his glass as he swirled the liquid around. "No, I don't think she could be bitter if she wanted to. But I know it hurt her to not have me around. It killed me every time I came home and left again, seeing her standing there with her mama waving me and the other men off. I tried to keep good memories of her in my heart when I was overseas but the things you see in war..." He trailed off for a second and downed his glass, pausing before refilling it. "You can't just come back home and pretend everything is OK after you experience something like that." His voice shook as he spoke but he covered it up by clearing his throat and pouring another drink.

"What happened to your family?" asked Tori, finally downing her glass in one. She blew out a breath to take the bite out of the drink.

It took him a minute to answer, and when he did his voice was quiet and he spoke slowly. "They didn't have a life with me anymore," said Ralph, "I had to let them go."

In that moment Tori saw forty years of painful regret surface in Ralph's eyes. She felt a caving feeling in her stomach like she was going to throw up and her eyes burned with tears. It was amazing to her how much people could really keep bottled up without ever showing it. He downed his glass once more and looked out the window. At the end of it all Ralph was unraveling just the tiniest bit but he didn't want anyone to see it, so Tori pretended like she didn't notice and reached her arm forward for another drink. Ralph smiled at her and poured another for each of them.

"You better slow down there chief or you won't make it home again" said Tori.

"Don't worry about me doll face, I'll be just fine."

Matthew and Dom saw Tori at the stand as they got off the truck from the fields. She hadn't left work yet so they decided to head on over and see if she needed any help finishing up. The rest of the field crew split off into different directions, some heading home and some heading towards the shops.

"Hey guys" said Tori as the boys approached. "Good day?"

"Always," said Dom, "I love working outside."

"You love working period" said Matthew.

"Yeah well someone has to get things done, might as well revel in it instead of making yourself miserable."

"Smart kid" said Ralph, tapping him on the shoulder as he passed by. "You kids have a good afternoon. Tori, be good, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Tori and the boys headed back to the apartment complex to find Marie and Diana were already there. Marie instantly clung to Matthew in a hug and snuggled into his neck, earning a chuckle from everyone else. Matthew made a face and pulled her in close, relishing in her softness and warmth and the smell of her hair. Dom ushered everyone into the living room of the boys' place and got right down to business.

"Sorry to break up your little moment but we need to talk about what happened today."

Tori and the girls took the couch while Matthew and Dom sat on the floor. Tori leaned into Diana's side and Diana draped her arm over Tori's shoulder so they could both get comfortable.

"We think they're growing weed behind the barn at the fields" said Matthew. "They guard the area way too well for it to just be about protecting the food, and I saw one of Shawn's gang talking to a guard today."

"OK," said Tori, "what does that mean for us?"

"If they're growing weed and have people like Shawn and his goons pushing it in town, I guarantee there's some other stuff going down." Dom waved his index finger in the air. "You guys remember Ron?"

"Yeah," said Matthew, "what about him?"

"He was yelling about this place, saying we shouldn't trust the Honovi and that the people here are being used. I think he was onto something and they disappeared him."

"Before we get ahead of ourselves we need to go scope out the farm and see what's going on" said Matthew. "Right before it gets dark we head out there so we can watch what happens."

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Dom.

"We take Tori's car. There was a couple dozen in the parking lot before hers got there so I'm pretty positive it hasn't been drained for the work trucks yet."

"Sounds like a plan. Now we need you three to stay in town here to keep up appearances." Dom pointed to the girls in a sweeping motion. "If anyone asks where we are, say we went for a run or something."

"OK then," said Tori, "but if you get shot in the ass or something out there I'm not helping you get dressed."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Dom winked and Tori laughed loudly, burying her face in Diana's hoodie.

Tori noticed that she was lying up against Diana, who was playing with her hair, and Marie was sitting behind Matthew with her legs on either side of him and her arms around his waist, yet Dom was shuffled off to the side a bit by himself. She was suddenly stricken with sadness that they all had someone to take comfort in, to experience life with and come home to, but Dom was the odd man out. He sat and watched the screen as he and Matthew played their game to pass the time, smiling and laughing along with the events of the story and Tori couldn't see any bit of loneliness in him. Although, they say the loneliest people are the best at hiding it.

When the game was over Dom got up and headed into his room to get ready for the night. He strapped a combat belt around his waist that held a multitude of different pockets and compartments. A few for ammo clips and repair tools, a slot for a flashlight and a holster piece for a sidearm. He clipped his radio to the COM slot on the left and fished his slim flashlight out of his bag and slipped that into place as well. Once everything seemed to be in place he checked over his gear and started forming a plan in his head of what they would do with possible escape scenarios and a way to talk themselves out of trouble if they got caught.

The plan was to drive out towards the fields and ghost ride, which was driving with the headlights off, up as close to the barn as they could without being heard or seen. The next step was to slither silently through the tall grass up to the back of the barn to a close enough distance that they would be able to hear any conversations going on but be far enough away that people standing casually wouldn't spot them. Once they got close enough they would listen in for as long as they could and watch what happened, taking mental notes of who was there and what they did. Then they would slither back to the car and wait for everyone to pass by before heading back into town themselves.

Dom sat on the edge of his bed and looked out the window as the sun gave signs of starting to drop in the sky. The buildings further out from the town line looked smaller and smaller as they got closer to the horizon, and he realized that the city itself wasn't really all that big. It wouldn't take long to pick the surrounding areas clean to sustain even their little town of a couple hundred people, and the town had been working for roughly two weeks before they had ever arrived. Factor in all of the people from around the area that would be scavenging for themselves, and you have an equation in which the true answer didn't match what was happening. Dom heard laughter from out in the living room and it made him smile. He didn't have anyone of his own to come back to everyday, but that wasn't what he needed. He had his family, and they were the ones that kept him together.

When the time was ready Dom emerged into the living room ready to go. He donned a black outfit with his combat belt stacked with gear and comfortable boots that were durable yet easy to run in. Matthew came out of his room moments later with a nearly identical outfit, the only difference being his shirt was a dark green instead of black. The girls stood up and everyone exchanged hugs and good luck wishes, with Marie giving Matthew a kiss on the cheek. He burned a little red and the other girls laughed but there was no time for teasing. Dom set up a watch sync and after that they were off into the night.

They reached City Hall without encountering anyone else since it was a weeknight. The guards were inside and the parking lot was clear so they moved forward, finding the car and getting in within a few minutes. Dom looked around the dash with his flashlight to learn where the light switch was, then he started the engine and turned the lights off immediately, looking around to see if anyone saw the flash. He let the car run for a minute to see if maybe the noise had alerted the guards, but no one came out so he crept forward slowly to the edge of the lot, looking both ways out of habit before heading out towards the fields.

When they were within a few miles of the barn Dom switched the lights off again and they ghost rode the last stretch by light of the sunset. Just as the barn came into view he pulled the car off the road into the field, driving it out a bit so it wouldn't be glossed over by headlights and reflect. Matthew got out first and surveyed the area, waving Dom forward when the coast was clear. They sneaked as quietly as possible to a position about fifteen yards from the back door of the barn that Matthew's guard friend was so intent on keeping safe. It took a little while but eventually a few people emerged from the field and headed towards the door, knocking twice very concisely. The same guard opened the door and stepped out.

"What's it looking like out there?"

"Plants have started off good, if they stay this way we should have a good harvest."

Matthew and Dom both recognized Telly from Shawn's gang as the one that answered the guard. Dom figured he and some of the other guys must be the messengers between Shawn and the Honovi.

"You better hope so, for your sake" said the guard.

"Why can't we meet this boss? If he's such a hard ass and my life depends on giving him good crop I at least wanna meet the guy that's gonna snuff me out should things go sideways." Telly looked upset but the guard just chuckled at him.

"You don't get to meet the boss for the same reason that I don't get to meet the boss; we don't need to. Your business isn't with him, it's with me, and my business is with Del."

Matthew and Dom exchanged confused looks in the dark. Boss? Surely they didn't mean Del, since they both knew who he was and had talked to him on many occasions. But if not Del, then who was it? The thought that Del was working for someone higher up hadn't even occurred to anyone in the group, but it seemed to be a real possibility with the way these two were talking. Matthew scooted a foot or two to the left to try and see if he could get a look at the other guys' faces.

"Well I have sick plants that need to be tended so let's get this done, John" said Telly.

The guard, who's name was apparently John, propped the door open and walked over to where Telly and the other guys had come from, and they each came back with potted plants in their arms. They made two trips each and loaded up a truck that was backed up to the barn, letting the door shut behind them as they went in. Matthew and Dom skirted around to the front side of the barn to the area they usually talked during lunch. Telly closed the tailgate and he and the others piled into the truck and backed out slowly, obviously trying not to tip over the plants in the bed. Once they hit the road John locked up the barn and followed not far behind them.

"What the hell was that?" asked Matthew, standing up and stretching out his legs.

"Well obviously there's someone else at play here. Del is only second in command, or he might not even be that high. What we do know is that this just got a lot more complicated and we need to get out of here before we get caught."

"I hope we can get the car back without getting busted."

"Wanna practice some hand to hand combat before we go, just in case?" Dom laughed and tapped Matthew on the cheek in a mock slapbox move but Matthew shook him off with a grin.

"I can kick your ass anytime, right now we need to move."

They backtracked to the car and got in, driving back slowly in hopes to not draw any attention. Dom tried to remember the shortest route possible back to City Hall that circumvented any residential routes since he didn't want anyone to see them, especially because it was too dark to drive without the lights. The best he could do was round a corner in front of their building for a brief second, shining lights into the lower floor's windows. Dom slowed down as they neared the parking lot and Matthew hopped out, running ahead a ways to see if he could spot anyone outside of the building. He didn't see anyone and waved Dom forward to the spot they'd taken the car from. No one came outside so they scurried from the area as quickly as possible.

Inside they found Marie playing some stick figure game on the Xbox while Tori and Diana laid on the couch and watched. As soon as the boys entered they sat up and Marie shut off the game, all anxious to hear what happened on their little trip.

"So what's the news?" Diana asked.

"They're definitely growing weed, but that's not the worst part. There's another boss above Del, and apparently no one has any clue who it is."

The group sat in silence and pondered the their recent revelation. Supposedly Del was working under someone, but who, and for what? They all pictured some creepy shadow figure lurking in the alleyways watching their every move. For some reason none of them were really all that surprised that their town's beloved Mayor was working for some assumed-to-be shady guy that was yet to be identified. Tori could feel it in her gut the minute they started speaking to him that he wasn't genuine, and the proof was starting to come forward piece by piece.

"If Del is answering to someone else he must have something the bigger boss wants," said Matthew, "or else there would be no reason to have him on the payroll."

"Yeah, but what?" asked Dom. "Yeah we have a ton of food but there's a lot of us here, and we can't afford to be giving it away."

"Wait a minute," said Tori, "who said we have a ton of food?"

"We've seen it" said Dom. "We work out at the fields. A lot of times we see trucks coming into town from areas beyond the town line filled with stuff."

Tori thought about her conversation with the delivery man at her produce stand. "When I got my last delivery the guy told me that there would only be one more and then we would be out. Why would he tell me that if we have a ton?"

"What do we have?" asked Dom. "I was thinking about this earlier. Del and the tribe are sneaky, there's no doubting that. Shawn and his crew, they're sneaky but also dangerous. Del is saying one thing to the people that doesn't really ring true with reality. Tori's new evidence backs that up. They're growing weed, and on top of all of it, there's someone else at the helm that Del answers to, but no one knows who it is."

"It's like a puzzle" said Matthew. "We have some of the pieces and can maybe try putting part of the border together, but we can't really get any of the meat of it done since we're missing pieces and the box is upside down."

Dom smiled and ruffled his brother's hair. "You're a smart kid you know that?"

"Yeah I do, thanks."

"If you were as humble as you are smart you might be the next Carl Sagan."

The group rested for the remainder of the night. Dom started the movie over that he had been watching so everyone could see it, and when it was over they split to their own areas and went to bed. Dom waved to the girls as they headed out then went into his room and shut the door behind him. There were a lot of things going through his mind, none of which made him rest easy. Militia activity close to them. A boss above Del that no one knows. Secret drug farms and disappearing food. A lot of questions with no answers and a lot of potentially dangerous situations, and with the festival coming up, the next few days were going to be interesting to say the least.