Page 80 of Concrete Evidence
“I’d think the risk of head pressure could take a life, not discounting the other mechanical aspects that could go wrong.” Marc shrugged. “The whole underwater setting is dangerous.”
“The man I talked to said divers could identify each other by their breath sounds. The calling fits the personality, like what you do for the FBI.”
At the Lago de Cobre Dam, the sun rose at half-mast and glistened like glass over cerulean waters. Even the riprap sparkled in the sunrise. Recreation enthusiasts already gathered with their water toys to enjoy the lake within the appropriate zone. Avery took a mental snapshot of nature’s beauty in hopes it promised a good omen for the day. Already temps soared toward a midmorning prediction of triple digits and dripping humidity. But Hurricane Braxton moving closer to Galveston’s shores stalked those in its path, and rainstormsupstream were unrelenting. Should the two combine forces, the outcome bordered on the unthinkable.
Near the diver’s crew boat, the Army Corps assisted the team into wet suits. Already in place, they checked gear, equipment, and offered last-minute instructions. One diver had a camera for the video inspection. Each diver had a transducer attached to his face mask, a device that converted the diver’s voice into an ultrasound signal. Avery had no clue how it allowed the divers and those aboveground to communicate. Except it did.
She dug her fingers into her palms.Calm, down. God is in control.
She walked alongside Marc to Lieutenant Shipley, dressed in a soldier’s uniform. Most likely he didn’t intend to stay, or he’d have worn cooler clothes.
“Morning, Lieutenant Shipley,” Marc said. “You’re here early.”
“I wanted to be on-site when the divers entered the water before I drove back to Fort Worth.” He glanced at her. “Hi, Avery. I saw you were coming. Wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We all want answers, but right now those are in the dive team’s hands. May be a long day. Add to it the storm strengthening in the Gulf.”
“My concern is confirming the dam’s structure is secure.” She wasn’t the only one caught up in fear of the weather and what it meant to those living in the reservoir area. “A third dive team inspection is costly when we have solid evidence of no issues in two previous videos.”
“I understand. We think it’s unnecessary, but we need to follow up on the construction worker’s claim.”
Long after Lieutenant Shipley had left the site, she and Marc walked the spillway.
Long after she and Marc repeated the outer inspection and noted nothing structurally wrong.
And long after those on land grew tired of waiting in the Texas inferno, the divers surfaced.
“I want to hear their first words,” Marc said. “We need good news for a change.”
Avery and Marc approached the water’s edge. The divers climbed from the water with less enthusiasm than when they’d jumped in.
The dive master helped a diver who had photographed the dam remove his gear. The two men talked in private. The dive master approached a corps member. No smiles or head nods. Avery held her breath.Please...
Marc and Avery joined the diver and dive master.
The dive master glanced at Avery and Marc. “What they spotted isn’t in the senator’s favor. The dam’s foundation elements fail to meet the standards for soft soil. The construction should have included additional rock expanding the footprint with a footer and other foundation elements that aren’t evident.” He pressed his lips together. “The repairs will take time and money.”
“Sir, Braxton is a category5,” a diver said. “On target to reach landfall in Galveston Thursday morning. This area will get hit hard.”
The dive master frowned. “The dam might not hold.”
45
MARC SENSED AVERY’S ANGSTin the stillness of the afternoon heat. The dive team’s inspection and video evidence nailed the senator’s responsibility in altering the dam’s structure. It also implicated Craig due to his position as foreman. Two men whom Avery trusted faced arrest... and as an officer of the company, she faced legal action too. How had the two previous inspections passed?
The dive master wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Hard for me to believe Senator Elliott deliberately put thousands of people in danger.”
“You’re wrong,” Avery spat out. “There’s been a terrible mistake. A dive team previously inspected it, and the dam passed.”
The dive master blew out a heavy sigh. “Since I wasn’t the dive master for the other inspections, I don’t have an answer for you. But it’s clear someone made alterations to the specs. My team saw the shortcuts, and I’ll send you a link to the video once it’s uploaded. Likeyou, I’d rather believe Senator Elliott overcompensated on the side of safety instead of what the team found.”
A corps officer called for the team’s attention. “The TCEQ has been notified. And the EAP will alert the residents with recommendations to evacuate. The hurricane headed this way increases the risk of structural failure.”
Marc glanced out at the peaceful reservoir and the magnificent dam. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Emergency Assistance Program would alert first responders and local law enforcement of the potential problem.
“Am I under arrest?” Avery said.
