Publisher's Synopsis
A petroleum pipeline under construction across California and Nevada is killing desert tortoises. Millions of butterflies are migrating across the pipeline route. Global Pipeline hires Sean O'Flaithearta and his team to monitor the pipeline route to prevent the tortoise mortalities. Sean is testing a new system to record bats' ultrasonic calls and simultaneously photograph them as they drink at a desert spring. Among his ultrasonic recordings made at the spring are unusual sounds that are not made by bats, but by vehicle brakes. The ultrasonic squeal produced by a vehicle is showing up at both the desert spring and at the pipeline operations yard. Why is someone leaving the pipeline yard and going to an isolated desert spring late at night? Someone is killing tortoises and digging up rare cactus along the pipeline route. Pipeline headquarters in Oklahoma has demanded that a pig launcher be installed on a hard-to-access ridge along the pipeline trench. A mysterious man is watching the pig launcher installation work. Sean's equipment at the spring records two brake squeals and two gunshots. The newly-hired Cajun heavy equipment operator that is preparing the pig launcher site is found dead - murdered - in the hole he is developing. What is going on?
