Tornado Warning (3 page)

Hurrying inside, he flipped it to a local TV station.

“A tornado watch has been issued for all of the viewing area. A fast developing squall line will be moving across the area as an outflow will force the dry line to retreat. We are dealing with a very unstable atmosphere, so please keep it here, and we’ll let you know of any warnings or danger that may arise from this ominous storm system.”

Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off of the screen as he watched the Doppler change each time it swept over the storms.

“Ryan, you gonna answer that?” Cecilia pointed at his cell phone on the table. He didn’t even realize it had been ringing until she broke his concentration.

“This is Gibson.”

“Gibson, it’s Lieu.”

“Hey, Lieutenant Cannady.”

“Are you able to go out and spot? I’m trying to get all the guys out there. It’s looking pretty rough and we need as many eyes on the storm as possible to relay back to town.”

Ryan didn’t answer at first, his worry on Cecilia and Ty. He also had a duty with the fire department. “Yeah, Lieu. Let me get with Cecilia and I’ll call you back.” He hung up the phone and slipped it in his pocket.

Cecilia folded her arms over her chest and bit her bottom lip. She knew exactly what that phone call was about. “They want you to go chase, don’t they?”

Chapter Three

Ryan thought long and hard before deciding to go chase. He had a responsibility to his family and one to the fire department, and since the storm looked to be tracking west of their area, he decided to go chase for a while. He’d keep Cecilia informed and told her to keep the scanner on. Any word of it getting remotely close and she was to take Ty down into the cellar and not come out until things cleared up.

Taking the highway south, his best bet was to come in behind the storm. That was where the strongest part would be, and he wouldn’t get stuck in a hail shaft or a rain-wrapped tornado if he stayed back. It was also the best way he had learned to find out which way it was moving.

Rain had already come through and the roadway was wet. Slowing his speed, he made sure not to hydroplane. He spotted the hail shaft immediately. It didn’t appear to be over a populated area, but he radioed in what he was seeing.

“There is a hail shaft on the south side of the storm. Looks to still be moving more northward, and right now it is over some farmland.”

“10-4, Gibson. What is your position?” Lieutenant Cannady’s voice shook. It was something that happened in the midst of action and a nervous tick Ryan had learned about his superior.

“I’m on Highway Five to the south, coming up right behind it.”

“What’s the damage look like?”

“There are some tree limbs down and the hail on the side of the road looks like it snowed out here. We’ve got some farmers who will probably need to get out here and count their cattle. Storm looks to be strengthening as it moves north. No towns in its path, but if it holds together, Roger’s Pass will be under the gun.”

“Copy, Gibson. Thanks.”

Ryan put the radio in the passenger seat and watched the sky. There wasn’t much traffic out, but the vehicles that were passing him flashed their lights and honked, probably thinking he was a moron for driving toward the natural disaster.

Pulling his phone out, he snapped a couple of pictures. He had seen some monster sized storms, but this one was a beauty, as long as it stayed away from towns. Slowing his truck to almost a stop, he pulled to the side of the highway and rolled his window down. The air was cold, almost like winter, matching the hail caught in the grass, appearing as if it had snowed. It looked like softball sized had come through, and a nearby barn had been slammed.

Gripping the steering wheel, Ryan second-guessed himself. He was well trained but had never been coached on a storm like this. The air was damp and a hint of spring blew in the wind. The sky was an ominous green mixed with gray, and the trees whipped around. Rain splattered his windshield, but it was quick, and it stopped just as fast as it had started.

An SUV came up behind him, traveling fast, but slowed as it approached him. There were two occupants inside, a male and female, and the passenger side window rolled down. The side of the car said something about The National Weather Service, and with the radio antenna and weather gadgets, it didn’t take a genius to realize they were professional storm chasers.

“You need help, sir?” The man leaned over the console and yelled across.

“No. I’m with the local fire department. Out spotting for Harper Springs.”

“Looks like it’ll miss your community. But I wouldn’t sit here too long.”

Ryan sat up in his seat. “Why’s that. We’re not safe behind it?”

“This is a new formation for us, but it looks like we’ve got a back-tracker. The anvil has shifted and it’s going to turn and come back southwest.”

Ryan’s heart skipped a beat, and he gripped the steering wheel. They were sitting right in its path, and as the storm chaser had predicted, the darkness was getting closer, coming right back down Highway Five.

He didn’t have a chance to say anything to the chasers. Rain fell from the sky, hindering his view out of the front window. In seconds, the hail shaft would be there, so he did a fast U-turn and slammed his foot on the accelerator, flooring the pickup. The engine revved and the RPM’s shot to the max, his tires skidding in the water that pooled on the road. He saw the SUV in front of him, but the red tail lights disappeared in the sheets of precipitation that came in horizontally.

He was going almost one hundred miles per hour, but it still wasn’t fast enough to escape the storm that was right on his heels. It was so dark that if the storm was tornadic, there was no way for him to know. His radio crackled in the seat next to him, but he didn’t have a chance to answer it. If he took one hand off of the steering wheel, he’d lose control of his truck.

Hail came next, and it fell in shards. There was no way to even tell how to measure it. Pieces crashed into the hood of his truck, damaging it on impact like it was a toy.

Ryan looked to his left and spotted the largest tornado he had ever seen, including ones he saw in pictures. The only thing he could think to do was go the opposite direction again, and he turned down a farm to market road. It was the only chance he had to get away before the storm completely consumed him.

~~

Cecilia made sure that Ty wasn’t in the room. The scanner was going crazy with multiple spotters reporting what they were seeing, but where in the hell was Ryan? He had just spoken to Lieutenant Cannady and then he was gone. The guys had called him several times, but he didn’t respond.

Keeping the volume on the TV low, she took a deep breath when the weatherman mentioned that the storm was backtracking. Didn’t Ryan say he was south of it? Skimming her fingers through her hair, she sat on the edge of the coffee table and kept her eyes on the report.

“Gibson, come in!”

Dead air. Why wasn’t he answering? Grabbing her phone, she dialed his number, but it went straight to voice mail. He was never one to be diligent about answering it, but right now, it wasn’t sitting well with her. It was one thing to ignore a phone call, but he never ignored the fire department on the radio.

She began to pace because it was the only thing she could think to do. She couldn’t go out and look for him – there was no way in hell she’d take Ty out in it. She couldn’t call Lieutenant Cannady or  Chief Rayburn. They were far too busy making sure Harper Springs was safe.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Ty stuck his head out of his room. At five-years-old, the boy was very observant.

“Nothing, baby. There’s a big storm and I’m just watching it on TV.” Cecilia pointed toward the television and forced a smile.

“Is daddy out there in it?”

She couldn’t lie to him. “Yes. He’s out there watching it, Ty.” She bit her bottom lip to fight off the emotions. “Go back to your room and play. I’m about to make you a snack.”

His eyebrows lifted and his eyes widened. Thank goodness it was easy to transition him to something else and get his mind off of reality. But the boy was smart. He knew what was going on, even if he didn’t ask any more questions.

She focused back on the weather report, but couldn’t hear what the meteorologist was saying over the radio traffic on the scanner. Every time someone relayed what they were seeing, she hoped it would be Ryan, but he still hadn’t answered when they called for him. Pulling herself into the kitchen, she watched the sky from the window over the sink. It was dark and rotating, but moving away. Whoever was in the path was suffering.

She grabbed her phone again and dialed her parents. With as unpredictable as everything had been, she had no clue if Fox Lake was under the gun. Her father answered after the second ring, settling her nerves some.

“Dad, it’s Cecilia. Are y’all okay?”

“We’re fine. I was about to call you. How’s the weather there?”

Cecilia sat at the kitchen table and blinked back the warmth in the corner of her eyes. “Just rained a little here. Nothing else. Ryan had to go chase. His lieutenant called and needed some guys out there.”

“Everything okay? You sound like you’re on the verge of crying.”

So much for hiding her emotions. “He’s not answering anyone on the radio.”

“Ryan isn’t?”

“No, Dad. He was there, and then the storm shifted, and now he’s not. I can’t get him to answer his cell phone either. I’m worried. He was just south of it, and then it backtracked toward him.”

There was a short pause and the silence made the knot in her stomach grow. “I’m sure he’s fine. I heard that signal has been lost in those areas. Maybe his radio just isn’t working.”

“I want to think that’s what happened, but I just… I don’t know.”

She leaned back in her chair, and Ty joined her in the kitchen. Before he could say anything, she grabbed a cookie from the pantry and poured him a glass of milk, quickly appeasing him before he hammered her with more questions. Glancing out of the window again, she wished the storm would be completely gone, but the sky was still as dark as night.

“While I have you on the phone, I’ll let you know that we did get the cellar stocked up.”

“Good! I was worried that y’all weren’t taking this seriously.”

Cecilia paced, forcing a smile. “Lots of spam, beef jerky, canned fruit and vegetables. I hope to God we’ll never have to live off of it. There’s a reason I don’t usually buy that crap. We’re so used to the fresh stuff.”

“I hope we won’t have to either.”

She began to say something else, but the rumble of a truck interrupted her train of thought, and she ran to the living room, swinging the door open. Ryan’s pick up was slowly coming down the drive.

“Dad, I gotta go. Ryan made it home. I’ll call you later to check in.”

She ended the call and ran down the steps, meeting him in the driveway. The windshield was smashed and almost gone and smoke billowed from under the hood. The dents in the vehicle were bigger than anything she had ever seen, like a giant had slammed his foot on top of it. But what caught her attention the most was the gaze on Ryan’s face – unemotional and flat as he put what was left of the vehicle in park.

“Ryan… are you okay?”

It took him a second to get out. Swinging the door open, the hinges squeaked. There was blood on his forehead from a gash right under his hairline.

“Ryan? What happened?”

Pushing his hands on the pickup, he shook his head and looked up at the sky. “I’m not sure what the hell I just saw.”

“What do you mean?” She ran her index finger near the wound. It looked like it might need stitches.

“I’m just glad it didn’t hit us. That it didn’t get near Harper Springs.” He swiped his hand across his forehead, smearing the blood. “One second I was behind it, safe, and then it’s like it got slammed in reverse and came right at me. Like I was some kind of pawn in nature’s game.”

“I’m glad you made it home.”

“Barely. I’ve never seen anything like it. Pieces of hail as big as my head. It was like a war movie and we were under attack. I saw some storm chasers right before the storm shifted. I never saw them after that. I don’t know if they made it. And the truck...” He motioned toward it, ducking his head. “There’s no way I’ll be able to salvage it. I didn’t think I’d get it back here.”

“That’s okay, Ryan. You’re home and safe. Though I think you might need to have that looked at.”

He touched his forehead again and wiped the blood on his pants. “Compliments of the windshield. I swear a hailstone the size of a cow came down and did that. But I’m fine. I’m sure the hospitals are packed with people who need help more than I do.”

“At least let me clean it up and make sure there isn’t any glass in it. If it is still bleeding in a little bit, we’re going to the ER.”

He followed her into the house, ducking past Ty’s room before he saw his dad that way. Grabbing some hydrogen peroxide and some cotton balls, she motioned toward the edge of the bed. Surprisingly, Ryan wasn’t putting up too much of a fight. Either he was too tired or he knew they needed to take care of the injury.

Dabbing the cotton ball in the medicine, she gently ran it across the cut. Ryan cringed and closed his eyes, and the liquid foamed around it. She cleaned up the dried blood on his skin, and applied another round of peroxide, satisfied when the foam stopped.

“I don’t see any glass, but we need to check it again after the swelling goes down. If the swelling goes down,” she corrected herself, cutting a piece of gauze that would fit perfectly over the wound. “Ty is gonna want to know what happened.”

“And I’ll tell him. No sense in keeping it from him. There’s no way to hide the truck and he’s not stupid.”

Cecilia sat beside him, holding his hand. “I was listening to the scanner. I was so worried when you stopped answering. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’d like to say I was perfectly safe. If I had been five seconds slower in turning around, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

She bit her bottom lip and looked into his eyes. “Was that the big one all the old timer’s said we were due for?”

Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought I was pretty good about tracking these things, but then this happened and it makes me realize I still have a lot to learn about weather. I want to say this was just a strong pattern that cleared out the atmosphere and we’re good for a while, but now I’m going to second guess everything.” He stood up and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it into the hamper. “I need to check in with the department. I hope everyone got back safely.”