The days grew hotter as the end of the summer approached. The work wasn’t hard, Cam found. The women and a few men went into the fields in the valley nestled between the mountains. The plants grew well there on the slopes of the mountains and required little tending to grow to their full height. It was easy to pick the tender young leaves. They went from plant to plant, picking the leaves. The big burlap bags that they filled were heavy, but they put the straps over their shoulders and lugged them back to the compound anyway. The guards stood around talking and joking with each other but watching the workers as they tended the plants. Their guns were always ready. Nothing seemed to escape their eyes.
Cam threw herself into the work. It was easier not to think about what she was doing. She
