Page 89 of Lion’s Den

“Describe it.”

She sat for a moment, trying to figure out how to describe the sound. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before. I heard a chuff-clank, chuff-clank, like something heavy exhaling.”

Cam and Isaac glanced at each other, then back at her. Both of them had thoughtful expressions on their faces.

At least they weren’t laughing at her. Sedona would take thoughtful over outright hilarity any day.

Cam stilled, then glanced around the small clearing. “Rhys, did you bring your computer?”

“Never leave home without it. What do you need?”

“A detailed map of this area.”

“Coming right up.” Rhys sat on the ground beside Cam and Sedona and booted up his laptop. His fingers flew over the keyboard. A minute later, he turned the computer around so they could see the map. With a couple of taps of his fingers, the view expanded so they could see what businesses were around the area.

Cam pointed at the screen. “There. Campbell Rock Quarry.”

“You’re kidding.” Sedona looked from one man to the other, but they were both in agreement. “A rock quarry? You got that from my lousy description?”

“The sound you heard was a rock quarry conveyor system paired with a pneumatic compressor that cycles every few seconds.”

“How do you know this?”

“We’re a search and rescue team. We’re trained to recognize industrial audio sounds among other noises, and nothing else makes that exact rhythm. Tennessee has quarries, gravel pits, and aggregate yards all over the place, so it’s not unusual to hear those sounds you described.”

“One problem, though,” Isaac said.

“Yeah, I know.”

Sedona scowled. “Well, I don’t. Let me in on the secret.”

“Even though we’ve identified the noise you heard, sound carries over a mile in open terrain. You’re in good shape, but you’re not a marathon runner.”

She snorted. “Not on your life.”

The men chuckled.

“Did you hear the noise clearly?” Cam asked.

Sedona thought back through the impressions and memories muddled by fear and Ketamine and prayed she didn’t lead Cam and the others astray because of a fake dream. “When I escaped out the window, I heard that sound clearly.”

Cam froze. “You escaped out the window. Was it a one-story building?”

She shook her head.

“You escaped out a second-story window while you were still feeling the effects of Ketamine?” Spencer asked.

“What choice did I have?”

Again, The Thunderhawks exchanged grim glances. Cam looked like he would puke any minute. “That was incredibly risky, Sedona.”

“I wanted to see how our story spun out. If you and I could be together, I wanted us to have that chance.”

Cam turned her partway so he could see her face. “I’ll say one thing, then we need to get back on track. Thank you for thinking of me, for giving us this chance to be together.” He pressed a hard, possessive kiss on her mouth. “Much as I’d like to do that again, there’s no time. So, I’d guess with the fear and adrenaline running through your body, you probably covered about a mile. While you were running, was the sound you heard getting louder or softer, more indistinct?”

“Softer. Definitely more of a rumble than the chuff-clank I heard outside the building.”

“You can probably track her trail back to the building she escaped from,” Isaac said. “If the trek is too hard for Sedona, one of us can stay with her while you and the others go on.”