Read Online Volcano by Gabby Grant - Free Book Online

briefest
communique, if intercepted, would implicate Joe. Joe who had
put his own life on the line to save her- twice now, counting years earlier in
Spain.
    Another burst of wind and Ana shoved her frigid hands into
the pockets of her nubby cardigan, knowing there must be a solution.
    All she had to do was find it.
    Instead, her grasp settled on the fine plastic edge of a
credit card. Thank God, she thought, pulling it from her sweater and angling it
toward the light. Perhaps she could rent a car.
    But when she titled the fine slip of plastic toward the
glower of passing headlights, Ana saw it was only her library card.
    Damn.
    She stepped out from under the bridge momentarily to study
the far end of the highway.
    The sign on the billboard hung like a beacon: Rueger’s
Hotel.
    Ana looked down at the card in her hand remembering the time
the kitchen door had accidentally swung shut on her while she was carrying in
groceries, leaving baby Isabel trapped alone inside. It had taken less than
thirty seconds, she recalled, lifting the pale beige card into the filtering
moonlight. Less than thirty seconds to shimmy the narrow plastic plane between
the knob lock and the doorframe and pop the door open wide.
    Ana tucked the card back in a pocket, her confidence
renewed.
    Literacy was about to become a life-saving experience.

 
    ***

 
    Mark and Albert Kane sat around the oval conference table
with several other people. Among them, Colonel Roberts from Computer Operations
and Bill Rush from DOS Building Security sat at attention. It had been a long
day, getting longer still on a night meant for making merry as the dawn of
Christmas Eve approached.
    “We want all hands on this,” Albert said. “No stone
unturned.”
    The faces around the room were solemn. Not a soul dared
check his watch or make mention of the impending holiday.
    Nobody had to tell the people in this room that the woman
who was missing was DOS Assistant Director Albert Kane’s daughter. And, whether
or not they were individually privy to the whole story, everyone seemed to know
things had not always gone exactly swimmingly between Kane and his daughter.
    “I’m ready to start hearing ideas,” Mark said, thumping his
pen against the table. “Real ideas. No more of this subtle bull crap about how
or why it couldn’t have happened. The fact is, gentlemen...” Mark paused and
smiled at Colonel Roberts. “Lady and gentlemen is that: a) someone penetrated
the information system firewall at the DIPAC, here at DOS, and likely at other
subordinate organizations around the globe; b), there is some sort of international
intelligence scare in the making; and c) someone has--”
    The door cracked open and Marianne Miller leaned her tightly
manicured head into the room. “Apologize for the interruption, sirs, but I’ve
got an urgent call on line eight for Mr. Neal.”
    Mark stood quickly and picked up the receiver on the secure
phone on a credenza at the far end of the conference room.
    “Neal, here.”
    “Sir, this is Major Walker down at the DIPAC.”
    Mark felt a split-second of lightheadedness as he fought the
urge to panic about his daughter. “Is it Isabel?”   Mark began, feeling all eyes on him in
the room.
    “No, sir. Thank God, nothing like that. She and Maria are
holding up just fine.”
    Mark breathed an audible sigh of relief then turned away
from the others who suddenly seemed very intent on studying the varnish of the
conference table’s wood.
    “But it’s bad news,” Major Walker
continued. “Very bad news, I’m afraid.”
    “Don’t keep me in suspense, Major.”
    Major Walker cleared her throat. “We’ve had our first
verified reports of casualties.” She paused a moment, letting that sink in.
    Mark brought a hand to his forehead. “Was that a plural,
Major?”
    “The intelligence scare, sir. This thing has been cutting
two ways. Either people are getting frightened out of their jobs and quite
literally resigning or else somebody