Chapter 49

Outside the Ice Tube, Mauna Kea, Hawai‘i

Mac and Jenny stood right where they were, next to the jeep, and waited for Iona to get to them.

They heard the roar of more jeeps behind them and found themselves in the middle of the bright lights from their high beams; they actually had to jump out of the way to keep from being hit by the jeeps whizzing past them.

These jeeps carried more men in hazmat suits, and as soon as the vehicles stopped, the men ran inside, all of them holding LED spotlights and what looked like large handguns but that Mac knew were Cold Fire extinguishers.

A minute later an army fire engine arrived, two soldiers in the cab and one standing in the open back door next to a water pump, hose already in his hands.

The fire engine pulled up next to the jeeps; the soldier in back was already on the ground, hauling the hose toward the entrance.

Iona reached Mac and Jenny, out of breath, chest heaving beneath his yellow suit. When he took off his helmet, Mac could see the sweat pouring down his face.

"What's happening?" Mac asked.

Iona tried to speak, but he was still breathing too hard. His eyes were fixed on the entrance and the smoke now pouring out of it.

"Iona!" Mac said, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him close. "What the hell is going on up there?"

"There… there's been a spill," he said. "One of the broken canisters… we're basically trying to flush it."

"What do these men think they're attempting to flush?" Mac asked.

"Decayed nuclear waste," Iona said. "Spent waste from navy vessels and private power plants they've been told has been here for thirty years. Even some solidified waste." Iona looked around. It was just them. He lowered his voice anyway. "We've made them take the same precautions they'd take if they knew what was really in that container," he said.

Mac said, "You're sure it's just the one container?"

"Yes," he said.

Mac stared past Iona, wanting to get a closer look. He told Jenny to stay where she was and ran up the hill; he got maybe ten yards inside the cave before one of the men in hazmat suits stopped him. The soldier's voice was tinny and nearly inaudible behind his mask when he said, "That's as far as you go." He stepped in front of Mac.

"I work for General Rivers," Mac said.

"Same," the soldier said.

Beyond him, Mac could see the black stain near the entrance, as if an inkwell had been turned over.