Meltwater Read Free Page B

proving himself over a three-month trial period, he soon became a vital member of the team. He claimed he didn’t think like a finance guy, and he didn’t dress like one, but it was thanks to him that Freeflow hadn’t run out of cash months ago.
    ‘Yes?’ Erika couldn’t help returning his smile.
    ‘Given this security hiccup, we could go and see the volcano. This afternoon.’
    ‘We’re not here to sightsee,’ Erika said.
    ‘Of course not,’ said Nico. ‘But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It would only take a few hours. I told the people we rented the house from we were Internet journalists here to report on the volcano. It would be good for our cover if we actually went to see it. And it would be an excellent way for the team to get to know each other.’
    Erika glanced at Dieter. ‘Are there not things we can be doing in the meantime?’
    ‘Some things, maybe. But it would be safer to wait until Apex is sure the system is secure. And the volcano would be cool.’
    It would. Erika had arrived at the house desperate to get going, but she knew that waiting for Apex to give the all-clear would be painfully frustrating. A few hours wouldn’t make much difference. And Erika never underestimated the importance of the team’s morale. She would have preferred a trip to the Blue Lagoon, but . . .
    She nodded. Nico’s smile broadened, almost like a little boy’s. It was kind of cute. ‘How do we get there?’
    ‘Dúddi’s father has a superjeep. Dúddi can drive us.’
    ‘OK,’ said Erika. ‘We’ll leave in an hour.’
    ‘I’ll arrange it,’ said Nico.
    ‘I have a feeling, Nico, that you have already have.’
    ‘Is that it?’
    Erika pointed to a dome-shaped mountain whose snowy cap was glimmering in the sunshine. They were driving through a flat flood plain covered in brown grass. The ‘superjeep’ was basically a Ford Super Duty on giant wheels, and it held the seven of them comfortably: Erika, Ásta, Zivah, Franz, Dieter, Nico and Dúddi, who was doing the driving.
    ‘No, that’s Mount Hekla,’ said Ásta. ‘It’s one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes, but it’s quiet at the moment.’
    ‘So where is it, then?’ asked Erika. ‘Can we see it yet?’
    ‘Straight ahead,’ said Dúddi.
    Ahead the brown plain met the foot of a long mountain ridge. The ridge itself was hidden in clouds.
    ‘Oh,’ said Erika.
    ‘Yeah, there are two glaciers up there, Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull. The volcano is on a ridge called Fimmvörduháls just between them.’
    ‘In the clouds.’
    ‘Yes, in the clouds,’ said Dúddi. ‘For the moment. But this is Iceland. Clouds come and clouds go.’
    ‘Are we going up on the glacier?’ asked Franz, the Swiss guy.
    ‘We sure are. That’s why we need the jeep.’
    ‘Is it safe up there?’ Zivah asked.
    ‘Of course it’s safe,’ said Dúddi. ‘I went up there in this with my dad last week. It’s an awesome sight, believe me.’
    They drove on; to their right lay the Westman Islands, volcanic cubes of rock scattered like dice across the sea. They crossed a broad river and skirted the southern edge of the mountain range. Farms nestled in the shelter of the ridge, and horses dotted the meadows that lined the road. They passed a waterfall, a broad curtain of white slipping off a cliff edge, before turning off the main road and heading upwards on a track. Soon they were on ice. The glacier.
    It was cool, Erika thought. It was also cloudy. In a moment they were in something close to a whiteout, snow beneath them and white water vapour all around them. Dúddi slowed down. He appeared to be following the dozens of tyre tracks spreading across the ice.
    ‘Do you know where you’re going?’ Erika asked.
    ‘Sure,’ said Dúddi. ‘I just follow the tracks. But I’ve got my GPS here.’ He tapped the instrument mounted on the dashboard.
    Every now and then headlights would appear out of the mist, as a jeep made its way past them down the