With the nickel mine back on track and the bank's foreclosure action briefly averted, Brian finds that CCR's revived 19th century gold mine is under threat when concerns are raised about a nearby creek. Locals and environmentalists are pressuring for its closure. Caz finds herself bullied by her old 'greenie' friends as she investigates the site. With the Hong Kong bank inexplicably refusing to extend CCR's credit and matters exacerbated by a threatened frog species, a solution devised by Caz and Max nearly collapses when human bones are uncovered in an old mine shaft. How long have they been there and how did they end up at the bottom of a mine shaft? Meanwhile, Brian attempts to reconcile with Tess. However, his efforts backfire when his old mentor, AEL's managing director Nigel Hay not only shares some disturbing information, but Brian discovers that his own father-in-law, Iain Blair, may well be the hostile member of the Board.