The strange whirring noises had been heard for weeks, coming from near the old tree that provided shade from the hot Nevada sun. With the kids now involved, Jim knew he had to do more to determine what was happening. Jim stared at the old tree, thinking hard about the strange noise echoing in his mind.”Dad, did you hear it again?” Molly asked, breaking the silence. Jim nodded, his gaze fixed on the backyard. 

That night, Jim could not stop thinking about the strange sounds. The next day, Jim contacted a local tree expert called Mark, who came to his house that afternoon. Over the next few days, the noises got louder and louder. Jim could even hear the strange hum during the day. 

But before he could cut it down, he decided to try one last thing. He borrowed a metal detector from a friend and scanned the area around the tree. If there was something metallic underground, it could explain the noise. As he moved the detector around, it beeped furiously near the roots. Jim’s search with the metal detector revealed nothing conclusive, only more frustration. The following day, Jim made up his mind. The tree had to come down. He arranged for Mark to help him with this later that week. In the meantime, the noise seemed to grow louder, filling the air with its unrelenting hum. One afternoon, Ben came running into the house, pale.

“Dad, the ground… it’s vibrating,” he said. Jim ran outside, feeling it, too. It was faint but unmistakable.”It’s happening again,” Jim muttered.

Word spread through the neighborhood about the strange noises. People started to stop by, curious and worried. 

 As Mark started the chainsaw, Jim held his breath.

When Mark had gone halfway, the chainsaw suddenly stopped.

Jim and Mark started digging at the bottom of the tree with the chainsaw broken. The deeper they dug, the louder the rumbling got.

They kept digging, and they found more of the metal surface. It was round and about five feet across, with a handle in the middle.

Mark swallowed hard. “Let’s get this over with.”Together, they pulled the hatch open. Jim called his old army buddies, Greg and Sam, explaining what they’d found. Armed with torches and rope, they descended into the dark tunnel. The tunnel was narrow, damp, and lined with smooth stone. As they moved more profoundly, the humming sound seemed to surround them, coming from the walls themselves. Jim noticed writings etched into the walls as they moved down the left tunnel. “Do you know what these are?” he asked, pointing them out to Greg. Greg squinted.”No, they look official, like government stuff.”The humming grew louder and louder, almost overwhelming. The tunnel opened into an enormous underground chamber filled with machinery that hummed with an eerie life of its own. The room was filled with old equipment, dusty but still working.”This looks like government tech,” Sam muttered. 

When the authorities arrived, they took one look at the chamber and immediately ordered everyone out.

Jim just knew there was more to it. He got his phone out and texted Greg and Sam: ‘Meet me tonight. We’re going back.’

‘They can’t just take my home.’

Greg nodded, looking determined.

Jim reached the edge of the property, pulled out the wire cutters, and made a small hole in the fence.

The tunnel felt colder than before, and the hum of the machines could be heard through the stone walls. Jim switched on his torch, the beam cutting through the dark. The tunnel opened into the same chamber as before, but now it was fully illuminated, with equipment buzzing around the machinery. In the center was a large cylindrical device, humming with power. Jim led them closer, hiding behind stacks of crates. He spotted a blueprint pinned to a wall.”This is military-grade tech. We need to get out of here before they find us.”

Just as they were about to leave, a loud alarm sounded, red lights flashed, and the personnel stood to attention. Soldiers flooded the area, their footsteps echoing behind them. Having had army training, the tunnels twisted and turned, but Jim navigated them through the dark, listening to the soldiers’ footsteps grow louder. As Jim scrambled out of the hatch, the footsteps of soldiers echoed in the night. 

In the end, the Knowles family was moved to a bigger, more modern house nearby, thanks to the army. Sarah was amazed at the new space, but Jim felt something was missing. “There is no back.”

One night, Jim, Greg, and Sam returned to the old property without permission. They were caught by military guards near a tunnel that was sealed off. An officer said to them, “You’ve crossed the line. You’ve been moved for your safety. Do not return.”They were let go with a final warning, but as Jim walked away, he could still hear the sound of the tunnel. No matter how comfortable their new home was, he couldn’t forget what was under that tree.