Chapter 84

Summit Cabin, Mauna Loa, Hawai‘i

The army had taken over the Summit Cabin, on the rim of the large summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo, with its sweeping view of the true summit. An army helicopter had just delivered Mac and Rebecca to this temporary command post so they could determine when and where to begin detonating the first of Rebecca's explosives.

"To do it right," Rebecca had told Mac and Rivers, "I need to have eyes on the target."

The pilot told them to contact the Military Reserve to arrange for their pickup. "How soon?" he'd asked Mac before he left.

"Soon."

Mac and Rebecca stared across at the summit when the pilot was gone.

"I need to get set up," Rebecca said finally.

"And then we wait," Mac said.

Mauna Loa was still at an uneasy rest.

But not for long.

Another quake hit. Mac had stopped measuring one quake against another. Today they all felt big, as if the volcano were firing a round of warning shots.

They took refuge inside the cabin. That was when they felt the walls and windows begin to shake and heard an unmistakable sound.

Eruption.

They ran outside and looked toward the summit of Mauna Loa. Through the thick, dark smoke of an ash cloud, a fireball burst, setting the sky ablaze.