It was supposed to be a nuisance, not a scandal. He told himself again that he had emptied every casing. There was no danger, no explosive material. But each shout from below made his stomach twist tighter. When a county van rolled in with hazard markings, his palms went damp. Maybe he’d gone too far. Maybe they’d start asking questions.
Then the sound came. A hollow metallic thud from somewhere deep beneath the ground. Everyone on site froze. A breath later, a violent crack followed by a deep, rolling boom shook the valley. The ground quivered under Walter’s boots as his windows rattled. A plume of gray dust shot up from the pit.