Ground movement could have damaged the isolation works.
Or activity elsewhere in the drainage network might have reconnected part of the abandoned system.
Naomi studied the drawing.
"Like construction?"
Benjamin nodded.
"Potentially."
He pointed toward the northern end of the map.
"This conduit ran toward the old limestone excavation."
Naomi remembered Dale mentioning the quarry.
Benjamin continued.
"The excavation changed hands several times. I don't know what the current owners have done."
He looked directly at her.
"But if someone has started moving large quantities of water through that old corridor, your pond could be receiving pressure it was never designed to handle."
Naomi felt her stomach tighten.
She thought about the rising shoreline.
The bubbling.
And the crescent of sinking ground.
Then she looked toward the old county document.
"How do we find out?"
Benjamin took a slow breath.
"With qualified engineers, current operating records, and a careful investigation. Not another rope."
Naomi laughed nervously.
"Fair enough."
The older man smiled.
Then became serious again.
"Until somebody establishes what's happening, stay away from that bank. Keep the children and cattle clear."
She nodded.
This time, she didn't need convincing.
The old quarry was no longer abandoned.
Naomi discovered that two days later.
She drove toward the northern ridge after dropping Malik and Zuri at school.
Several miles beyond the farm, a narrow paved road climbed toward a large industrial entrance.
A sign beside the gate read:
RIDGELINE MATERIALS — HOLLIS RIDGE OPERATIONS.
Beyond the fence stood several enormous pieces of earthmoving equipment, metal processing structures, and a long line of gravel trucks.
Dust drifted above the excavation.
Naomi parked on a public roadside turnout and studied the site from a lawful distance.
She remembered the old quarry as an overgrown depression filled with weeds.
Now it was a major operation.
A modern industrial facility had replaced the quiet hillside of her childhood.
She took photographs of the visible conditions.
Then drove back toward town.
At the county office, she requested information about the quarry's recent permits and water-management activities.
The clerk directed her to several public files and explained how to request additional records.
Naomi spent the afternoon reading.
The quarry's current operator had acquired the property three years earlier.
The site had been expanded.
New processing equipment installed.