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Jessica
I stared at Cyn’s statement, unable to form a coherent response. Finally, I typed: What are you talking about???
“Can you work any faster?” Cyn said, aloud.
“I’m trying, okay?”
Cyn took over the keyboard and pounded out a reply, as I tried to make sense of the situation. I’d never been to Yellowstone, but I knew it was the site of Old Faithful, the geyser that shot off with amazing regularity. Along with being an awesome and popular nature preserve, the park was the site of many hot water springs and geysers. So, what causes hot water springs? Clearly, there must be a heat source within the earth. That heat source would have to be intense. Hot enough to create molten lava. Then I said to myself, Consider Yellowstone’s location. Not far from the Pacific Rim and the volcanic mountains in the Cascades. Mountains like Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier and, of course, the infamous Mount St. Helen’s. But I had no idea that Yellowstone itself was part of a volcano.
I read along as Cyn typed her missive:
Homeland Sec’s been watching Yellowstone Park a while. Park is located within basin—crater of one of earth’s biggest volcanoes. Thought to be extinct. But it’s active and geologists watching with concern. Recently, ground’s been swelling and there’s been more earthquakes. According to scientists, this could mean Yellowstone coming close to eruption.
I read this with alarm and typed: So the drilling could be to plant explosives to push it past the brink?
Cyn nodded.
“Jesus,” I whispered. The word slipped through my lips, like an exhalation.
I typed: What are the chances this will work? Wouldn’t they need massive explosives?
Cyn’s response: We think they’ve been stockpiling nuclear weaponry. Easy to do these days. Terrorists network on the Internet. It’s beyond frightening what they can get. Bombs in the right places could cause the biggest explosion in centuries. Since the last time Yellowstone erupted.
I cringed at her response. What happened last time? I typed.
Cyn wrote: Ash spread for thousands of miles. Boulders blew halfway across the continent. Explosion spewed enough debris to fill Grand Canyon. Destroyed almost the entire western half of North America. But winds carried ash around the world, disrupting our eco-systems. This could kill millions, even billions, and affect everyone. Global economy would collapse. And imagine the hospitals and emergency service systems. People would die or panic.
I digested this information. If their plan works, of course, I wrote.
Cyn typed: That’s a big ‘if.’ Do you want to take a chance that it won’t?
CHAPTER FORTY
Jessica
Cynthia mouthed the words, “Keep typing.” She seemed to be pondering as I did. “What happens now?” I wrote.
Cyn snapped to attention. “Finished?” She nodded to show I should answer in the affirmative.
“Yeah. I’m done,” I announced.
“Good,” she said. “Let’s take a look.”
I wondered why the public hadn’t been warned but had a feeling I already knew. Such information would likely cause folks to panic. Homeland Security would want to nip this in the bud before the group had a chance to make it happen. They’d want to keep the matter quiet for any number of reasons. All the businesses and local economies would be affected by a rash announcement of an impending supervolcano explosion. Besides, it was preventable, if we could just get the information to the right people in time.
“This will do,” Cyn said. “You can pack up now.” She hooked the laptop to the device on the shelf, printed our typed Q and A, saved it to a thumb drive, and then deleted it from my laptop. I removed Cynthia’s flash drive, stowed it with the thumb drive in my purse, and shut the laptop down. After I packed the computer and printout, she handed me her gun. I stared at it, unwilling to move or handle it. What am I supposed to do with this?
Cyn pulled out a notepad and pencil: Hit me on the head with the gun. Hard as you can. When I fall, run. Turn right, go down the hall, look for door. Notify Feds. They’ll pick you up.
I shook my head. She mouthed, “Do it.”
I gawked at the gun. Then at her face. I couldn’t.
“Do it,” she mouthed again. Cyn looked impatient.
I realized this was supposed to be my escape. I knew what I had to do.
“I’m sorry,” I mouthed as I hauled back and swung the gun at her.
