Page 62 of Through the Storms

It had been over twenty-five years since the VORTEX project first launched to get a better understanding of tornadogenesis, but still there was so much to learn. The more knowledge they gained, the more advanced warning they could give to those in the path of the storm. It was the reason Oakley took the chances she did.

As she drove toward the ominous clouds, her senses heightened. She’d become so used to the desolate flat landscape in Tornado Alley that she rarely noticed it any longer, but today she took note of a rundown farm. The barn would likely fall in a stiff wind, let alone a tornado.

Shoots of green peeked out of the soil in the field she passed.Corn? Beans? Wheat?She didn’t have a clue. One more thingthat she paid little attention to since her gaze was normally focused on the sky.

Of all days, why wasn’t she focused on the sky? She was driving, that had to be it. Oakley knew it was a justification, but she’d go with it. She drove a couple more miles inspecting the landscape with only a cursory glance toward the looming storm.

She was brought out of her trance when Britt’s voice filled her helmet. “Hey, partner, this is where we exit.”

Oakley finally let herself face the darkness in front of her. A light rain had begun to fall, but she’d not turned on her windshield wipers. She probably better now before things got crazy.

“All righty.” Oakley tried to put levity into her tone. “You guys enjoy the show.”

The storm appeared to be following a normal path as it moved to the northeast. The clouds were still a little to the southwest of her.

“Oakley,” the lead said. “We’re looking at the radar now. We’ve got you tracked on the GPS. Our calculations show if you maintain a speed of fifty, you should intercept the storm.”

“Roger that.” Oakley glanced at her speedometer that read fifty-five. Maybe she should get ahead of it and circle back.No.This was the plan they’d agreed on, so she let off the accelerator.

The rain was heavier, so she flipped her windshield wipers to a higher speed. Her headlights came on fully.

Visibility decreased as the first hail bounced off her hood. It was still small, but she’d likely be driving into more. Oakley narrowed her eyes and strained to see through the windshield. She thought she heard the rumble of thunder but couldn’t be sure through her helmet and the hail pinging off the car.

Smoky wisps of clouds swirled underneath the large anvil over the Oakanator. She had to be close to entering the bear’s cage, as the Oakanator rocked from the increasing wind speeds.

“There it is,” Asher yelled, scaring Oakley since she’d been so focused on staying on the road.

“You see one?” Oakley asked.

“It’s coming your way. It’s gonna be a wedge.”

Shit.Of course, it would have to be a wedge. So wide it would be hard to get a gauge on where the center was.

“How wide?” Oakley asked.

“About half a mile,” the lead said. “Maybe you should abort.”

“Abort? A wedge gives me more of a chance to get the launch off.”

“You damned fool,” Britt said. “It gives you more of a chance to be blown away, too. You need—”

“It’s on the ground,” the lead called, cutting off Britt’s tirade.

Oakley’s eyes widened at the debris cloud that had kicked up off to her left. The wind howled around her, but she was still far enough away not to hear the unforgettable sound of a tornado. She had time to get out in front.

Oakley slammed her foot on the accelerator. “I’m punching the core.” The car lurched forward. She avoided looking at the speedometer, knowing she was greatly exceeding the speed limit. From what she remembered, the road ahead was mostly straight, which was good since she could barely see ten feet in front of her.

Baseball-sized hail bounced off the mesh, causing ice chips to fly in all directions, including onto the windshield. Her wipers couldn’t keep up with the slush.

“I’m hitting baseball-sized hail,” Oakley said. “Losing visibility fast. I’m afraid I’m not going to know when to shoot the cannon.”

“We’ve got you,” the lead said. “If you keep up that speed, it’s looking like twenty seconds.”

“Jesus,” Britt said.

“Get her the fuck out of there,” Asher joined Britt in her protests.

Oakley gripped the steering wheel harder as the wind shook the car more violently. Visibility was next to nothing as a piece of a barn bounced off her hood.