He took a cautious step forward, peering around the boulder. His breath hitched. Just beyond the clearing lay a massive industrial setup, larger than anything he had imagined. Blinding flood lights illuminated the area, casting eerie shadows against the trees. Men moved about with firearms and heavy machinery.
His stomach twisted. He had expected some illegal loggers or trespassers. But this—this was an operation. Large excavation pits scarred the forest floor, their depths disappearing into darkness. Conveyor belts carried chunks of rock and soil toward waiting trucks. His hands shook as he realized the scale of what was happening here.