Kathleen stood stiffly at the General's jeep, a small duffle at her perfectly polished booted feet, a book in one hand, the other placed behind her back. With her woodland camouflage battle dress uniform creased to perfection and her stiff blue beret perched atop her perfectly coiffed blonde hair, she cut an imposing figure, Flint thought as he and his commander walked up talking about the recent turn of events in the General's home state, and as it turns out, the Major's home state as well. He watched as Spitfire snapped to attention as he and Hawk walked up, and promptly snap one of the smartest salutes Flint had ever seen.
"What do we know about the volcanic eruptions in that area, Flint?" Hawk asked his third in command as he absently returned the Major's salute. "Spitfire, you know you don't have to salute here, right?"
"Sir? No, sir, I wasn't aware of that." She dropped her salute as she cringed slightly, she wasn't comfortable with this whole codename thing and Hawk could see it.
"Also, you don't have to wear your uniform perfectly."
"I'm very proud of my uniform, sir, I worked hard for it. Not many women make it through SP school, sir. I believe I'll keep it." She said huffily.
"As you wish." Hawk climbed into the passenger's seat. "Spitfire, you're driving."
"Yes sir." Kathleen slipped into the driver's seat after throwing her duffle and book in the back, started the car and drove off after Flint climbed into the seat behind the General.
"Now, Flint? The volcanic eruptions?" Hawk prompted.
"According to the research, it's impossible. There are no active volcanoes in Colorado, sir." Flint said "And if it's not active, there's no chamber for the lava to come up from."
"That's not exactly true, Warrant Officer."
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Flint's eyebrows raised in question and annoyance, annoyance that someone would actually contradict him.
"There's a dormant volcano located in Colorado." Spitfire corrected. "A dormant volcano is one that may not be active, per se, but, rather, sleeping. It can become active at any time." Spitfire stated. "There's still a magma chamber down there. And its only called lava once it erupts onto the surface."
"Ma'am, with all due respect, I looked into this." Flint countered.
"Warrant Officer, I'm completing my Master's in Geology at the University of New Mexico and my research has been on the volcanics of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Right in that area, to be exact." She calmly informed Flint, who just stared at her dumbfoundedly. Hawk looked at her sideways, it wasn't often that someone challenged the philomath Warrant Officer, well, except for his equally scholarly girlfriend, that is. This officer was definitely a challenge not only to him but to his staff as well. Inwardly, he smiled. He knew made a good decision to bring her aboard, even if his intentions weren't completely honorable, initially.
"So, tell me about the area, Major? How much damage could Cobra do?" Hawk prodded.
"Well, the only volcano that's erupted in the last 10000 years was Dotsero. It last erupted about 4000 years ago."
"If it erupted 4000 years ago, then how can Cobra have gotten it to do so now? Doesn't that make it extinct?" Flint asked.
"Actually, extinct means the volcano hasn't erupted in recorded times. And the fact that it could erupt now, well, that's not odd. The reason is that each volcano has its own recurrence time. For instance, Mount Shasta has a recurrence interval of about 600 years. There's another volcano in Sao Miguel that has a recurrence interval of about a thousand years."
"Okay, but, how can Cobra have gotten this thing to erupt?" Hawk asked.
"That is a good question. But, if the heat levels underground are what we think they are, then maybe if they send a nuclear warhead down there. Well, maybe. But, that's just supposition."
"Well, General, if Cobra can control the weather, why not be able to build a weapon that can trigger a volcanic eruption?" Flint mused.
"Well, they've done it. So the question now is, what do we do to stop it? Suggestions?"
"None, sir. We're just going to have to let the volcano go through its motions."
"Well then. Let's see if we can at least save a few towns and make a difference." Hawk said. "Step on it, Major." He slumped slightly in his seat as he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, a lecherous smile on his face. Flint followed suit in short order, leaving Kathleen to her own thoughts, the crackling of the jeep's radio and occasional military radio chatter that emanated from the second two-way radio and the two men's growling snoring for the next three hours.
She glanced over at the somnolent general and his third in command, both snoring rather loudly. She didn't want to wake them, but at the same time she didn't want to hear the snoring any longer. Though, at this point, she really wasn't sure which was louder, their snoring or her stomach. They had to stop, half the team had to use the latrine, a quarter had to eat and the other quarter including herself, had to do both. Quietly, she picked up the microphone and provided the order to stop at the next roadside café they found. And then prayed it wasn't going to be that far away. Based on the information she had her sergeant find out, they should be close to something, anything. She was holding her breath and her bladder at that moment. And there it was, the sign for the little pizza joint Wilkes told her about. As she took the exit, she found out she didn't have to wake up either gentleman. The change in engine noise was enough to rouse the men. And to full wakefulness no less. That, she marveled at. She couldn't even remotely function without at least two cups of coffee in her first.
"We're here already?" Hawk asked.
"No sir, we're about five hours out. But, the team needed a pit stop." She said simply.
"Understood, Major. In fact, I could use one myself."
"Of course, sir. We're also stopping for food, sir."
"Sounds good. Flint?"
"I could stand to eat something myself." And check on Lady Jaye, he thought that one rather than speak it aloud. He knew that although the General was aware of their relationship, the Major wasn't and she was clearly a stickler for regulations. He knew she was stuck with a young female greenshirt that drove her crazy with all her questions. The young lady had latched onto Alison, Shana and Courtney the day she arrived and while all three women were happy to see a recruit taking such interest in the team, the teenager, she was still not quite twenty, was swiftly becoming a nuisance. Flint felt for his lady love, especially since he'd had the opportunity to sleep for the past three hours while she's been stuck loquacious youngster.
"Major, join me for lunch. We have a few things to discuss."
Hawk stated simply as he climbed out of the jeep.
"Sir, I was hoping to speak with my sergeant."
"Not a request, Major." He said simply as he walked away.
"Yes sir." She sounded dejected to him, as though having lunch with him was a chore, a disappointment. Had he really been that bad? Hawk wondered silently.