Restlessness pushed her back to research. She dug through public works records and geological archives. There it was: a decommissioned geothermal plant built directly over the fault vents of Marlin Ridge. The last inspection report, dated five years ago, mentioned “minor thermal fluctuations.” Recent data showed pressure trending upward.
Helen stared at the charts. The anomaly mirrored the kind of pattern Ward had reportedly investigated before his disappearance. Her fingers trembled as she compared coordinates. Everything matched. The town above those vents had only grown. Schools, subdivisions, new housing projects—all rising over old faults.