Aftershock: A Donovan Nash Novel (A Donovan Nash Thriller) (6 page)

William slid into the Mercedes with the ambassador, and it sped away being tailed by one of the SUVs. Above the noise of a departing airplane, Buck introduced a slender, almost elegant man. “Donovan, this is Dr. Malcolm Lane. He’s the lead man down here with the USGS. Dr. Lane, this is Donovan Nash.”

Donovan shook Lane’s hand, surprised that such a firm grip would come from the rail-thin scientist. Donovan had read in one of William’s dossiers that Malcolm Lane was a noted volcanologist, who’d spent nearly his entire professional life studying the volcanoes that ranged from Mexico all the way south to the tip of Argentina. Lane was nearly bald, half-moon glasses were perched midway down his smallish nose, a measured smile seemed frozen on his face. The volcanologist wore creased khaki slacks and a denim shirt with USGS emblazoned across the left pocket.

“Dr. Lane. Nice to meet you, I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Please, call me Malcolm. Yes, it’s been a very difficult time. We’ve lost people before. When you study volcanoes for a living, something’s bound to happen eventually. But we’ve never lost people as senselessly as this. There will be plenty of time to discuss that later. Right now, I’d like to say what a pleasure it is to finally meet you. Your reputation among scientific circles is well deserved. I can’t thank you and Eco-Watch enough for bringing in your equipment and expertise at the last minute. You’re a godsend.”

“No thanks necessary, we’re all on the same team,” Donovan replied, trying to shrug off the kind words. From long-established patterns, Donovan always tried to avoid being singled out or put in the spotlight. “So, where are we with
Scimitar
? Has it arrived yet from California?”

“It arrived yesterday,” Malcolm replied with unconcealed enthusiasm. “A private cargo jet flew in the
Scimitar
, as well as Professor Murakami and his staff. They also brought in equipment we weren’t expecting. We’ve set up our entire operations center in the hangar over there. Would you like to take a look now?”

Donovan was more than curious what extra equipment had been added to the manifest. He’d been privy to the specs on
Scimitar
for nearly two years. The project’s funding had come in large part from an Eco-Watch grant given to the University of Hawaii, which, in conjunction with NOAA and the USGS, had developed the remarkable aircraft.

“I’d love to see the
Scimitar
.” Donovan couldn’t help but be impressed with Lane’s enthusiasm. Donovan was also curious about Professor Benjamin Murakami, the brains behind
Scimitar
. A tenured professor at the University of Hawaii, Murakami had delved into the problems of gathering data from active volcanoes using a highly modified Predator UAV, or unmanned aerial vehicle. Donovan had been skeptical at first, as a pilot with over 12,000 hours of flight experience, he knew he probably harbored a built-in bias about planes without pilots, but the technology was very real and had a proven record. After learning more about what Murakami was trying to do, Donovan had approved the funding for the project. Murakami had been ingenious, blending off-the-shelf technologies to create a revolutionary aircraft that could withstand not only the heat, but also the extremely corrosive properties of the volcanic ash cloud. This represented the first actual trial for the
Scimitar
involving an active volcano.

“I trust all the modifications on the Eco-Watch Gulfstream went smoothly?” Malcolm asked. “We’re really in a bind as far as
observing Mt. Atitlán, and right now the
Scimitar
is our best bet to understand what might be happening.”

“I’m not sure I fully understand.” Donovan said.

“Rick and Oliver were trying to install seismic monitoring equipment directly on the mountain when the attack took place. The USGS has banned all personnel from the area. With the weather what it is this time of year, we usually only get a small window of opportunity in the morning to actually observe the mountain itself, before the clouds and rain make visual assessment impossible. There are satellite resources, but they make a limited appearance overhead, and the time delay for analysis is less than ideal. We have seismic arrays in place at two other volcanoes, but they’re quite a distance, so the readings for Atitlán aren’t as precise as we’d like. If we can get the
Scimitar
in the air, it would give us a great deal of information we simply don’t have right now. Of course, the helicopter you’ve provided will go a long way in helping us monitor the situation as well.”

Donovan stopped and turned toward Malcolm. “A helicopter?”

“Come, it’s in the hangar with the
Scimitar
. I’ll show you.” Malcolm gestured to one of the doors on the side of the hangar. “We’ll go in this one, all the rest are locked.”

Donovan followed Malcolm inside and stopped just inside the hangar to give his eyes a moment to adjust. When they finally did, he could see the ominous black shape of the
Scimitar
. Next to it sat what looked like a brand new Bell 412 helicopter. It lacked any paint except for a base coat of white. The only markings were on the tail, a United States registration number: N819EW, the EW he knew stood for Eco-Watch. It was a replacement for the Bell 407 that had been lost in Alaska. After some deliberations, he and Michael had decided to go with the twin-engine 412 for operations out at sea. As far as he knew, this machine, which was destined to be based aboard the Eco-Watch ship
Pacific Titan
, wasn’t being delivered for two more months, and should still be at the Bell helicopter factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

“Mr. Nash? Buck!” A woman, more cute than beautiful, called out as she stepped from behind the helicopter. She wasn’t tall, no more than five feet five, she’d lost some weight, and was less pear-shaped than when the two men had last seen her. She wore overalls and her wavy brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but her fully charged smile was just as infectious as always.

“Janie Kinkaid, I can’t believe it’s you!” Buck put his arms around her, the two hugged intensely, he lifting her off the ground and then returning her gently to earth. The two had grown close after serving together on an Eco-Watch mission in Alaska.

Janie turned to Donovan, cocked her head, and studied his long hair and beard. “Mr. Nash, I assume you’re in there somewhere?”

Donovan reached out and gave her a hug. Janie had shown them all, firsthand, that she was one of the best helicopter pilots around. He and Michael had first met her years ago in Australia. They learned she’d grown up with four older brothers, and had developed a wicked sense of humor as well as a rough-and-tumble attitude toward life. One night in Perth, Michael and Donovan learned firsthand that they couldn’t out-drink her—it hadn’t even been close.

Janie was typically based aboard the Eco-Watch ship
Pacific Titan
. Three months ago she’d been injured in a helicopter crash, the same crash that had injured Lauren and Buck. Thanks to Janie’s remarkable flying and Buck’s quick thinking, they all escaped with recoverable injuries. As far as Donovan knew, Janie was supposed to be recuperating from a broken elbow at home in Australia. To find her in Guatemala was a complete surprise.

“It’s good to see you,” Donovan said as they disengaged. “How are you? How’s the elbow doing? Why are you here?”

“I’m fine,” Janie nodded. “Since I was cleared to return to flight status ahead of schedule, Michael, Mr. Ross, was able to arrange with Bell to take an early delivery of our 412 last week. Eric and I finished our training, and yesterday we loaded it on
the cargo plane with the
Scimitar
and flew down here. When we’re finished, it’ll go back to Fort Worth for paint and a final inspection before we take her out to the
Pacific Titan
and her sea trials. She’s a beaut, isn’t she?”

“Eric Mitchell is with you?” Donovan asked. Eric was the helicopter pilot on the other Eco-Watch ship, the
Atlantic Titan
.

“Yeah,” Janie replied. “Michael thought it would be smart to train us both at the same time so we could standardize the new machines within Eco-Watch operational specifications. Eric’s off talking to another Bell operator based here. He should be back shortly.”

“Is it flyable?” Donovan asked.

“You bet. I’m just fussing with my new baby. You want to go up right now?”

“Yes,” Donovan replied immediately. “Can you get us out to the volcano?”

“No problem,” Janie smiled. “Eric and I will have her ready to fly in an hour. That’ll give you and Buck a chance to check out the
Scimitar
.”

“Perfect,” Donovan said, ignoring the annoyed expression on Buck’s face.

Donovan turned from the helicopter and took in the
Scimitar
. His first impression was that the drone was far larger than he’d expected. The basic airframe came straight from the latest version of the Predator. The MQ-9 Reaper was bigger, faster, and more powerful than its older cousin. Buck let out a low whistle as they both approached the nose.

“What do you think?” Malcolm asked.

“I’ve seen the military version of this thing.” Buck put out his hand and touched the black surface. “But this looks completely different, the skin feels more solid. What is it?”

“A ceramic resin,” a deep, resonant voice said from the other side of the
Scimitar
. “It helps it deflect heat, like the ceramic tiles used on the space shuttle, only four generations more advanced.”

Donovan discovered a short, rather rotund man walking
their way. He had on white coveralls and was wiping his hands with a rag. A full head of black hair framed an oval face and bright smile. From five paces away Donovan could see the unmistakable intelligence in the eyes of Professor Benjamin Murakami. Donovan held out his hand in greeting. “Professor, I’m Donovan Nash. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you—and the
Scimitar
.”

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Nash.”

“This is my colleague, Howard Buckley.” Donovan let his eyes travel down the sleek lines of the
Scimitar
. He felt the aeronautical enthusiast within him begin to formulate a dozen questions.

“Hello, Mr. Buckley.” Murakami shook Buck’s hand. “What is your position within Eco-Watch?”

“I’m in charge of logistics,” Buck replied instantly. “I’m sort of Mr. Nash’s go-to guy.”

“Ah, I see. We should all have someone like that in our life.” Murakami turned back and faced Donovan. “Well. What do you think?”

“I’m intrigued,” Donovan said honestly. “Why don’t you give us a walk-around, but first, I’m curious about the name.”

“
Scimitar
was a name chosen by my graduate students at the university. They likened the project to cutting through the darkness, which is exactly what the
Scimitar
will do. A round-the-clock, scientific sword if you will.”

“Perfect,” Donovan said, as he touched the ceramic-based covering that protected
Scimitar
. The UAV was big; it was almost forty feet long with a wingspan of sixty-six feet. It had a nine-hundred horsepower turboprop engine mounted aft, which pushed the
Scimitar
through the air at speeds close to two hundred thirty miles per hour. Aerodynamically, the tail was V-shaped, a proven design with the benefits of less drag. The graceful wings were built like a glider’s—long and straight, for high endurance and maneuverability. The one characteristic that Donovan couldn’t get used to, no matter how many times his
eyes swept across the carefully constructed airplane, was the fact that there were no windows, no cockpit. The
Scimitar
was going to be flown by a pilot who may have never actually flown a real plane. The operator sat in a mobile control room and flew the
Scimitar
from miles away.

“This is, of course, the business end of the aircraft.” Professor Murakami gave the
Scimitar
a gentle pat on the nose. “I won’t bore you with all the technical specifications, but suffice it to say, we have a full-color nose camera that the pilot uses for navigation. There is also a variable aperture camera, which is not unlike a television camera that functions as
Scimitar’
s main set of ‘eyes.’ We also have low light or night viewing with the infrared camera, as well as SAR, or synthetic aperture radar, for seeing through smoke, clouds, or haze. Each one of the cameras can produce either video or still frames. As for the particle sensors, we carry a sophisticated mass spectrometer to sample gases directly from the plume. We can read the amount of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and hydrogen sulfide. As we measure the gases, we also log the winds aloft to keep a running calculation of where the gases are headed.”

“Impressive,” Buck said. “Has any of this been done before?”

“No, not at the level we’re about to attempt.
Scimitar
will actually be able to loiter in and out of the plume for hours, measuring changes and showing trends about what’s happening deep within the mountain. We haven’t yet installed the necessary satellite uplink capability. We’re still working on that issue. Antennas don’t react well with the caustic ash and gas from a volcano. That’s where Eco-Watch comes into play. We need a set of eyes to help guide the
Scimitar
in real-time
and
maintain a line-of-sight data link. Our pilot will be in the back of the Eco-Watch Gulfstream controlling the
Scimitar
. We’ll also have the advantage of the Gulfstream flight crew looking out the window, sort of like a mother ship.”

“Well said,” Malcolm nodded his approval. “The ability
to monitor a volcano, day or night, without being hampered by clouds, or even steam and ash, is unprecedented.”

“How did you solve the problems of keeping the engine free of ash, and protect it from the high temperatures?” Buck asked. “We all know volcanic ash is a deadly mixture of rock and glass fragments. I remember a Boeing 747 that flew into an ash cloud over Alaska, and all four of its engines shut down. They almost crashed before they could restart enough engines to make an emergency landing.”

“That was the first of many problems we needed to address,” Murakami said. “There are elaborate filters for the engine, but the heart of what protects the
Scimitar
is a liquid nitrogen heat exchanger. We circulate super-cooled jet fuel throughout the airframe. Everything that the heat of a volcanic plume could affect is protected by this system, including the air that is ingested into the engine.”