Page 71 of Eruption

Finally, Mac said, “We good for the time being?”

There were nods all around. Rick and Kenny and Pia Wilson went back to their stations to check the latest seismological reports. Rebecca Cruz and her brother and their cousin Leo said they were going to the map room to go over schematics.

Rebecca said to Mac, “What’s on your agenda right now?”

“Jenny and I are going to take a ride.”

“We are?” Jenny said. “Do I get to ask where?”

“The Ice Tube.”

“Does the army know we’re coming?”

“I thought we’d surprise them,” Mac said.

“Yeah,” Jenny said. “I’m sure the big guy just loves surprises.”

“You’re driving very fast,” Jenny said to Mac when they were in the car.

“I always drive fast when I’m trying to save the world,” Mac said.

“Well, when you put it like that,” Jenny said, holding on to the dash as the car swerved. “But I’m not going to lie, MacGregor, I’ve had better dates.”

They had called ahead to Sergeant Matthew Iona; Mac put the phone on speaker. Iona said he would be arriving at the Ice Tube soon and informed them that he was now checking the canisters every few hours.

After Mac hung up, Jenny said, “You ever wonder why they call it the Ice Tube instead of what it really is?”

“You mean a toxic-waste storage facility in a volcano next door to a much bigger volcano that’s about to explode?” Mac asked.

“Yeah,” Jenny said. “That.”

“Did I forget to addsecuretoxic-waste storage facility?”

“Fingers crossed.”

“Maybe the sign of the cross would be better,” Mac said.

They arrived, signed in, and made their way to the locker room, where their heat-resistant suits were hanging. Their helmets were on top of the lockers. They changed and went back outside to the army jeep Iona had made sure would be waiting for them.

Mac drove more slowly up the narrow mountain path. He looked over at Jenny at one point and saw her smiling. She had both their helmets in her lap. “Why do you look like that?” Mac asked.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re happy, which is strange, considering our current circumstances.”

“I’m just glad to be doing this with you,” Jenny said. “Honored, actually, without sounding too highfalutin. I’m also hoping General Rivers realizes how lucky he is to have you running point on this thing.”

“Am I?” Mac asked. “Running point, I mean?”

“We both know you are,” she said.

“I don’t want to be the one to break it to Brett and the Cutlers.”

“I frankly don’t know why Rivers would want them involved,” she said.

“I’m not sure he would have brought them here on his own,” Mac said. “But now that theyarehere, they play nicely into what I’ve always felt is one of the first rules of command in the military.”

“What’s that?”