Page 92 of Eruption

Sam Ito walked outside and got his phone out and called Imani Burgess at J. P. Brett’s hotel, the Lani, to tell her that he’d been unable to locate Sergeant Noa Mahoe. Neither one knew that they never would.

While Imani Burgess waited for their source, or at least someone they hoped would be a source, she sipped a white wine and thought about Dr. John MacGregor and her interview with him, if you could call it that.

She was certain that MacGregor wouldn’t have been as dismissive as he had been if she and Sam weren’t onto something. Imani just didn’t know what, exactly. She was convinced that Dr. John MacGregor was hiding something. She was also convinced the army was hiding something, and not just about the eruption.

Imani was about to check her phone again to see if Sam had called when a familiar woman slid onto the stool next to her and apologized for being late. Rachel Sherill, the botanist.

“You said in your email that you had a story to tell me,” Imani said.

Rachel Sherrill nodded and motioned to the bartender.

“A horror story,” she said, “about the United States Army.”

Just then the lights went out.

CHAPTER 66

Lani Hotel, Hilo, Hawai‘i

Rivers and Brett were still going at each other when the lights came back on in the ballroom.

“How could you go behind my back this way?” Brett snapped.

“If you look at the big picture,” Rivers said, “you’re the one who thought he could go behindmyback, and Dr. MacGregor’s, poaching two of his people at a time when he needs all the help he can get.”

“I do what I have to do.”

“So do I, Mr. Brett,” Rivers said. “So do I.”

Brett wasn’t backing down. “Sometimes I ask myself what I’m still doing here.”

“Sometimes, Mr. Brett, I ask myself the same damn thing.”

Brett stood, nearly knocking over his chair as he did. “I don’t have to listen to this shit.”

“We both know you’re not going anywhere,” Rivers said.“Now sit your ass back down and listen to what Dr. MacGregor explained to the president a little while ago about the additional steps we have to take to save your ass and this island.”

Mac stood up and walked to the front of the ballroom.

“Okay, I’ll get right to it, we’ve clearly wasted enough time here already,” Mac said, looking directly at Brett as he did. “This thing might happen sooner than we thought, judging from the events of today. It’s why the first thing we need to do, and I mean first thing in the morning, is start covering as much territory near the Military Reserve as we can with metal sheeting.”

Brett laughed suddenly. The sound came out raw and harsh.

“Perfect,” he said sarcastically. “You’re going to turn this island into more of a firetrap than it already is if the general lets you. Just how harddidyou get hit in the head today?”

“Let him finish,” Rivers said. “Or youcanleave.”

“It’s going to have to be material with an extraordinarily high melting point,” Mac continued, ignoring Brett. “My team and I”—Mac paused—“or at least, myoriginalteam, gamed this out early on. Tungsten melts at six thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Titanium is right around three thousand degrees.”

Rebecca raised a hand. “You know this whole area better than anyone,” she said. “So that means you know how many square miles we’re talking about.”

“Trust me, I do,” he said. “But I believe the job is doable with the full backing of the army. Just one more thing we’re throwing at the mountain and hoping sticks.”

“Full backing, and cost be damned,” Rivers said. “There are no titanium reserves in the National Defense Stockpile, so the president has authorized me to do whatever is necessary to get this job done. We’ve purchased titanium from Japan and even China to go with the small amounts we’ve already brought in from mines in Nevada and Utah. It’s not as much as we need, but it’s all we’re getting on short notice. The president is more awarethan ever of what we’re up against and the unimaginable consequences if our mission fails.”

Mac walked back to his table and picked up a folder filled with colored maps.

“Look at the highlighted areas,” he said, passing the maps around. “If this works,” he said, “we can still bury the bombs and get rid of most of the dirt and rocks in the time we have left before the eruption. Questions?”