A sudden blast of warm, chemical-tinged air escaped from the pit. “There it is!” a worker yelled. The pipe appeared—thick steel, slick with condensation, vibrating rapidly like a living thing trying to tear itself apart.
Navarro leaned over it. Her voice was low, urgent. “This pressure is off the charts. If this seam fails, it’ll blow half the enclosure open.” Maria’s knees weakened. “But—what caused it?” “Malfunction upstream,” Navarro said. “A blocked valve. Pressure rerouted here. If it weren’t for your elephants—this wouldn’t have been found until it was too late.”