“Follow me.” Turley started striding away, and Kade followed, while Ellie hurried to keep up with the two tall men.

Turley led them toward the hole in the mountain and disappeared inside. Kade followed, but Ellie hung back. Her heart was pounding, her palms sweating. Her breath hitched in and out a little too fast.

She was hoping it wouldn’t happen, but she’d had a fear of tight places since she was a kid. Since the dirt-and-log fort she’d built and played in with her dog, Tuff, had caved in on her. She’d been buried up to her neck for hours when the rain had started, turning the dirt to mud. She’d been sure she was going to die that day.

Kade paused and looked back. “You coming?”

She moistened her lips and nodded. She could do this. The accident had happened a long time ago. She just needed to take a few deep breaths. She followed Kade and Will Turley into the mine, which felt cool and damp, the air heavy with the scent of moist earth.

Kade fell back to walk beside her. “You okay?”

“I’m not crazy about places like this, but I’ll be all right.”

“You can wait in the truck if you want.”

“I’m fine.” He kept an eye on her as they headed deeper into the main shaft. She could see quite a way down the tunnel, which was lit by a string of overhead lights. A compressor pumped air along a tube that ran deep into the mountain.

When Turley halted, Ellie forced herself not to turn around and run back outside.

“There.” Turley pointed toward a dark hole off to one side. “That’s a tunnel we just started digging off the main shaft. The explosion turned it into a pile of rubble. A small crew was preparing to go in. Dick Murphy had just started to check the air when the explosion went off. We drove him to the hospital. He was hurt real bad.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Did any of the miners see anyone unusual in the area?” Ellie asked.

“They were all busy working. It was early, so I figure whoever did it was up here last night.”

Kade walked over to examine the pile of rocks that had collapsed into the tunnel but hadn’t completely sealed it off. Turley climbed to the top of the rocks and ducked through the low opening that led to the other side.

Ellie thought of the dark hole Turley had gone into, and her chest clamped down. Kade handed her his Stetson.

“Why don’t you go back and take a look around outside? I’ll be out in a minute.”

Ellie didn’t argue. She was doing her best not to hyperventilate. “Okay,” she said a little breathlessly.