Wicked Tempest: A Kate Waters Mystery (Kate Waters Mysteries Book 2) by Erin Cole Read Free Book Online Page A

into geology.
    “We have emergency procedures in place,” Aaron said, hanging up the phone. “We can set up evacuation routes as soon as tomorrow.”
    “Yeah, but we’re talking about the displacement of the ocean,” Bruce said. “The Sumatra and Japan tsunamis taught us all what that kind of force can do. There won’t be enough room or time for everyone to seek higher ground, not before the first wave hits.”
    Stewart’s face lost all nonsense and fun, as though the big one had just collided into him. “Well then, we need to know for sure if the big one is close. We owe it to two million people.”
    In the corner, the seismometers beeped, signaling another quake.
    “Look.” Bruce pointed to the monitor. “That was another one, about forty miles from the Juan de Fuca Ridge.”
    Kate stood and walked over to stand behind him. Her eyes followed the trace of his finger to the side of the Juan de Fuca subduction zone, a zigzag crevice where oceanic crust melted beneath continental crust. It started in northern California and ran all the way up to British Columbia. Red dots indicating small quakes peppered off the coast of central Oregon.
    Aaron and Stewart came to join them.
    “This could be it,” Bruce said. “The location of the last series of small quakes leading to the large one occurred in the same rift zone.”
    Kate turned to Stewart. “When will the boat arrive?”
    She referred to the Dawn Maiden, a diving boat equipped for hydrographic and geographical research surveys. They planned to use it in their upcoming dive expedition investigating the slide along one of the rift zones. They intended to position seismometers and transmission cables along an active ridge of the Juan de Fuca in order to collect data on earthquake activity and ocean floor displacement. A member from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would join them.
    “I just talked with my buddy Nick Bratton yesterday,” Stewart said. “He’s already down there getting set up, so we should leave early in the morning.” He gestured toward Kate’s head. “How’s your sleep disorder?”
    She paused, caught off guard by the quick change in topic. “I’ve been taking medication regularly, if that’s what you’re wondering.” If she didn’t, her sleep disorder spiraled into sudden sleep attacks, insomnia, and hallucinations, all of which were bad in a job that put one at the summit of volcanoes, active calderas, or near underwater fault zones.
    “Good. Then you’ll be diving with us.”
    A strong kick bucked in her heart at the thought of ocean diving. She hadn’t been underwater in years. The idea of that whole expanse of cold darkness spooked her. “I thought I’d man the boat,” she replied.
    “No. They’ll have interns for that,” Stewart said with a wink.
    “Sounds planned.”
    He smiled. “Barry Crawford from the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) field office in Seattle will be there too.”
    The lights flickered in the building and then the office sank into blackness. The sound of the machines whined into silence.
    “Ah, shit!” Bruce said.
    “Hold on,” Stewart said. “The generator will kick on any second.”
    Outside, the dark clouds choked the daylight from brightening the room. They could still see each other and the furniture in the office, but the rest was all flitting shadows and a ringing-bell silence, an uncommon occurrence in the building.
    “Are you sure the generator is hooked up?” Aaron asked.
    “Unless someone unplugged the goddamn thing,” Steward replied.
    A loud crash boomed overhead followed by another smaller thump.
    “Sounds like trees are falling,” Aaron said.
    Kate moved closer to Bruce, not liking the howl of wind outside. It rumbled like rolling boulders. About a quarter of the main overhead lights flickered back on and then monitors zapped to life with an electric whir, but not all the overhead lights turned on, and the diminished lighting still cast an