The words hung in the air like a storm cloud.
"I never wanted to betray this family," Brian repeated, his voice shaking. "But someone is threatening my mother's life."
The workers stood in stunned silence beneath the old mango tree.
Choolwe stepped closer, her expression calm.
"Brian," she said gently, "look at me."
He slowly raised his head, tears streaming down his face.
"You are not alone anymore."
Brian fell to his knees.
"I'm sorry, Madam Choolwe."
"I made a terrible mistake."
Chanda helped the young man to his feet.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
Brian wiped his eyes before speaking.
"Three months ago, my mother became very sick. She needed expensive treatment. I borrowed money from people I thought were helping me."
"But they weren't helping," Tamara said.
Brian shook his head.
"They worked for Mr. Kunda."
The family listened carefully.
"At first, they only asked me simple questions."
"How much land does the family own?"
"Where do they keep their documents?"
"Who manages the business?"
"I answered because I was desperate."
His voice cracked.
"Then they demanded more."
"What more?" Choolwe asked.
"They wanted copies of your land documents."
"They wanted to know where the old records were kept."
"And when I refused..."
He paused.
"They threatened my mother."
Tamara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Where is your mother now?"
"In a small clinic outside the district."
"They said if I stopped helping them, she would disappear."
Choolwe looked toward Inspector Simutwe, who had arrived at the farm earlier that morning.
The inspector's face grew serious.
"This is no longer just fraud."
"It is criminal intimidation."
Brian nodded.
"There is something else."
Everyone waited.
"I was the one who unlocked the storage shed."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
"But I didn't steal anything."
"Two men came later."
"They searched through the files."
"They took the partnership contract."
"I wanted to stop them..."
"But I was afraid."
For several moments, no one spoke.
Finally, Choolwe broke the silence.
"Thank you for telling the truth."
Brian looked surprised.
"You're... not dismissing me?"
Choolwe shook her head.
"My mother taught me that justice and mercy can walk together."
"You made a wrong choice."
"But today you chose the truth."
She turned to Inspector Simutwe.
"Can we protect Brian and his mother?"
The inspector nodded firmly.
"From this moment, they will both be under police protection."
Relief washed over Brian's face.
For the first time in months, he no longer looked like a frightened young man.
He looked hopeful.
---
That afternoon, Brian led Inspector Simutwe and Choolwe to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.
"This is where they met me."
The building was empty.
Old machinery covered in dust stood against the walls.
But in one corner, the inspector discovered something important.
A stack of printed maps.
Photographs of the family farm.
Copies of land surveys.
And a notebook listing several farms in the district.
"This wasn't only about your land," Inspector Simutwe said.
"They've been targeting other families too."
Inside the notebook was a list of names.
Some had check marks beside them.
Others had the word 'Resisting' written next to them.
Beside Choolwe Mweemba appeared one chilling instruction:
"Use family division if purchase fails."
Tamara stared at the page.
"They planned to turn us against each other."
Inspector Simutwe carefully closed the notebook.
"I think we're dealing with a much larger operation than we imagined."
As they prepared to leave the warehouse, Brian noticed a photograph lying beneath one of the tables.
He picked it up.
His face suddenly turned pale.
"What is it?" Choolwe asked.
Brian handed her the photograph.
It showed Mr. Kunda standing beside several men in expensive suits.
One face immediately caught Choolwe's attention.
She knew him.
Years ago, he had visited the farm as a distant relative during a family funeral.
She whispered his name in disbelief.
"...Uncle Kelvin."
The room fell silent.
Mweemba's warning had come true.
The greatest danger had not come from strangers.
It had come from someone within the family itself.