Then grew.
Naomi looked toward Benjamin.
He smiled sadly.
And for a brief moment, she felt Ruthie standing beside him.
The emergency came four nights later.
A line of thunderstorms moved through the northern hills.
Most of Halbert County had been dry for weeks, but the ridge received a sudden heavy downpour.
Runoff entered the quarry.
The groundwater-management equipment began operating under conditions different from those of the preceding dry spell.
At the same time, the unstable old conduit beneath Naomi's pond experienced another major change.
Naomi was in the kitchen when the first warning arrived.
An automated monitoring alert indicated a rapid change in pressure near the pond.
She called Claire immediately.
The engineer reviewed the information.
Then instructed Naomi to remain away from the lower pasture and follow the established emergency plan while the responsible agencies assessed the event.
Naomi looked toward the window.
Dark clouds covered the hills.
The barn roof rattled in the wind.
Then a deep sound rolled across the back pasture.
Not thunder.
Something lower.
More sustained.
For a moment, the farmhouse windows seemed to vibrate.
Naomi felt her heart racing.
She walked toward the living room.
"Malik! Zuri!"
The children appeared.
She told them they were leaving temporarily.
Both looked frightened.
Malik grabbed his backpack.
Zuri reached for her stuffed rabbit.
Naomi helped them put on their shoes.
Then called Dale.
He answered immediately.
"I hear it."
She froze.
"What?"
"The pond."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Dale continued.
"Sounds like something enormous is moving under the ground."
The official response involved county emergency management, engineers, and personnel responsible for the quarry's water system.
The agencies coordinated precautions around the unstable area.
People were kept away from the lower pasture.
Nearby landowners were notified.
And the industrial water-management activities associated with the suspected connection were reviewed under emergency conditions.
Naomi didn't attempt to operate the buried gate.
She didn't approach the pond with another rope.
And she didn't allow anyone to treat the situation as an opportunity for a dramatic experiment.
She loaded the children into her vehicle.
Then drove toward Dale's house on higher ground, where they could wait safely while the response continued.
As they passed the old white barn, she looked toward the pond.
Even from the road, she could see dark water moving in broad circles.