A plane flies over a field where illegal immigrants are working for non-existent wages. One of them, Javier, plans to escape warn but his friend Francesco warns him that others have tried… and disappeared. An older man collapses and the foreman gives him some water and orders the boys back to work. That night, the two of them make a break for it but something growls at them from the cornfields. Then something blasts its way through the field toward them and grabs Francesco just as Javier gets out of the field. Javier runs down the road while behind him, something moves back through the corn.

Lana is still considering Lex’s proposal and he admits he made it impulsively. Lex sends her off to a museum while she thinks things over. Clark comes into the barn and finds Javier, who was cut a bit in the escape. Javier speaks English and explains to Clark what happened, and asks him not to call the sheriff as he’s in the U.S. illegally. Clark agrees to help him find Francesco and goes to the old McNally farm, where he talks to the owner Jed. Jed expresses his condolences about Jonathan’s death and says all of his workers have their papers. Once he leaves to get a part for Clark, Clark asks after Francesco but doesn’t have much luck and only gets a couple of words before Jed returns.

Clark goes back to the house to talk with Martha, and Deputy Morales shows up to check out a spotting of an illegal alien. They take him out to the barn for him to look around but he doesn’t find the hiding Javier. Javier translates the words as “big tree” but before Clark can go to investigate a large willow tree that Javier remembers, Martha tells him he can’t interfere as she swore to uphold the law. Clark insists on protecting Javier, just as Martha and Jonathan ignored the law to protect him. She agrees to give him 24 hours before calling in the law.

Clark meets with two of the workers at the willow tree and they describe how the ground swallowed up the missing workers. Clark uses his x-ray vision and spots a number of buried skeletons.

Clark has Javier stay with Chloe and she tries to locate his mother. They’re interrupted by Jimmy, who wants to take Chloe on a date. Clark also arrives but doesn’t mention the skeletons to Javier, but lets Chloe know what’s going on privately and tells her he’s called the sheriff. Chloe has checked things out and determined LuthorCorp bailed out the farm. Clark goes to confront Lex who denies any involvement in the deaths. Back at Chloe’s apartment, Jimmy wonders if Clark is jealous of her but Chloe says they’re just friends. Javier has slipped out and they’re just too late to catch him.

Clark arrives and Chloe lets him know what happened. The next day, CSI teams are excavating all of the bodies and Clark arrives to find Jimmy there taking photos. Deputy Morales tells them McNally is being taken away and the workers will be deported as illegals. McNally is unrepentant and says Clark and Javier will pay, then he bursts free and tunnels into the ground.

At the manor, Lex is reviewing tapes of the crime scene and confronts Dr. Bauer, one of his employees who was working with McNally and knew about his powers. Lex wants McNally found and found now.

Clark checks with Chloe at the Daily Planet who has confirmed he has meteor-related powers. They overhear a radio report of Javier being spotted in Granville near where his mother works. Clark goes there while a bus driver gets Javier out and gets him away before the police can arrive. Clark superspeeds to his truck with Javier and they head for home.

Chloe and Jimmy track down Javier’s mother Esperanza and let Clark know by cell phone. He tells Javier that Francesco’s corpse was identified and Javier insists on getting out. He runs into a field and admits his guilt for bringing Francesco along. Clark is suddenly sucked under ground by McNally, and Javier runs for it. Then McNally comes shooting out of the ground… Clark has taken care of him.

Clark and Javier return to the farm where Esperanza is waiting for her son. Martha assures them they’re working to get them legal status.

Lana returns to the manor and is impressed with all the wealth and influence that Lex brought to bear for her, and what they can do with it for good. She shows him the article on the illegal workers.

At the Daily Planet, Jimmy announces he’s got an apartment for Chloe but she’d prefer to stay in Smallville. Clark is waiting for them and Jimmy apologizes for taking away Chloe. A puzzled Clark accepts his apology and after Jimmy leaves, Chloe assures him that even he can’t do anything.

Later at the barn, Lana comes to visit and leave some paperwork from LuthorCorp sponsoring the residency of the workers. Clark points out that Lex is just doing it to clean his hands and Lana takes offense, saying it was her idea and Lex has never lied to her.

In a secret lab, Dr. Bauer and Lex examine the sedated McNally and Lex walks out through a corridor of Level 33.1 lined with the cells of his imprisoned subjects.