Because Adam always wanted to stay off the Interstates as much as possible, they were now on US Highway 54 East. It was 354 miles from Guymon, Oklahoma to Independence, Kansas. Three and half hours into the six hour drive, the Jericho storm team had stopped for a late lunch.
Adam swallowed his bite of sandwich. "So Dean, anything worth photographing?" He asked as Dean sat down on the blanket next to him.
Dean had gone into the bushes to take a pee and have a look around the area. "Lots of flowers and grasses, but nothing out of the ordinary. Still, we could always find something to take pictures of." He smiled with Seth handed him a huge ham sandwich. Roman sat with Hunter, lost in a conversation about lightening.
Adam smiled, Chris' head rested in his lap. "Naw, we have enough flower shots for now. In June we will take more, wild roses come out then. But, if you want, go ahead, you don't need my permission you know." He smiled again as Chris let out a soft sigh of contentment, his eyes closed.
Dean took a sip of his cola. "No, I agree. I'd rather rest. I love to photograph roses. So many details in the layers of petals." He finished his sandwich, then mirrored Chris and laid his head in Seth's lap.
Shawn sat back against a tree and smiled. Chris and Seth still wore bandages, but were alive and well. He prayed that John Morrison would get the help he needed. He was obviously a disturbed young man. For now though, Shawn was content. They were all back to doing what they loved.
Three hours later, the Jericho storm team pulled into the Palace Inn. It was a newly refurbished hotel, in a wooded section of Independence, Kansas. All the rooms were outside and there was just one level. It was perfect. The Jericho's had a corner room, the college students in the middle between the Helmsley's and Jericho's. Inside once again, their rooms adjoined. It didn't take long for everyone to get settled.
Chris and Seth were at their computers. Chris drew an outline map of the US in about ten seconds. Seth shook his head with a grin.
"It's okay, Seth. I've been married to him for almost six years. I still can't do it." Adam spoke with a laugh.
Chris chuckled. "Well, at least Florida doesn't look like an elephant's trunk anymore when you draw the map." He gave Adam a wink.
Roman and Hunter came into the room. "The alarms are set. They will only sound in here, no need to wake the entire neighborhood. Try the I-Pad, Seth." Hunter spoke with a nod to the alarm remote in his hand.
Chris finished a complicated math formula with a flair of his pencil. "Alright. Tomorrow we chase. The dry line will be right on top of Independence. The cold air is pouring in from the Rockies. If nothing else, we will get severe thunderstorms. However, the way the weather has been going, be ready for anything. Hunter, I will leave it up to you about probes. Just… do not make roads and make sure of your exits. Shawn, follow Hunter's instructions."
Roman spoke up. "Am I still driving Scout?" He was worried about leaving Seth behind.
Adam answered. "I think Dean should go with Shawn. My ankle is almost back to normal. He can get great shots, and Dean doesn't need my help. So, I'll leave it up to you to decide, my Lion." He gave Dean a look of pride and confidence.
Chris looked at Roman. "As head of the lightening research, where do you want to be. Remember, Seth and I a perfectly safe." He wanted his team to focus on now, not the incident in the past.
Seth gave Roman a hard look. "Go where you need to go, Ro. You can't put your portable rods near the ROW. We have enough worries about lightening, without you drawing more in. Ro, we are safe and secure." His look turned to a soft smile.
Shawn added his opinion. "Why don't we try a new arrangement. Roman, go with Rover. Dean in Scout with me. If you do have to move out quickly to probe, you can come back for your portable rods. We are only two weeks in. We need to keep mixing things in the field as much as we can, from as many angles as we can."
Chris listened to his team, after all they were the ones out in the field. "Shawn is right. Okay then, Shawn, Dean in Scout. Hunter, Roman and Adam in Rover. We will head out at eleven. Forget everything but the weather. People are counting on us." He gave his final orders with a clap of his hands.
Dean looked at Adam. "I won't let you down, Obi-Wan. I'll take the best photos and video of my life." He spoke with utter confidence and gave Adam his most determined look.
Adam beamed at Dean. "I have every faith in you, Padawan. Remember, you and I are not competing. If you get the best, I'll broker it. Dean, when we get back to Norman, I am going to speak to Shane. No reason why WWE shouldn't give you an independent contract. You're better than some of the guys that are on full contract." He spoke in a thought filled tone of voice.
Dean's mouth fell open and both Roman and Seth slapped him on the back. "You'd… but I'm just a Cincinnati street rat… thank you, Adam, oh thank you." Dean's eyes held back the tears that threatened to fall. Not since the librarian and her daughter had Dean been treated with so much care and respect.
"You are not a street rat, Dean. You are an artist, you deserve this." Hunter spoke like a proud father.
Chris smiled with pride as well. "He is right, Dean. You do deserve this. I will say this too. I am going to make sure Byron Allen knows about you. Adam will help you put a package together for him." Chris looked at his husband. Adam nodded in definite agreement.
Dean's mouth fell open even more. "Byron Allen? Owner of Entertainment Studios, who owns The Weather Channel? Oh… Doctor Dean Professor, oh hell, Chris, thank you. Adam, thank you. You know… for… you… all really..." It was more than Dean could take. He grabbed his smokes and dashed outside.
Shawn started to follow, but Roman gently stopped him. "Give him a few minutes. It's his way of dealing. He's just… no one has cared about him like you four have. Thank you, just, thank you."
Seth quickly swiped his eyes. "I thank you too. You've given us the Dean we always knew was there. We believed in him, but to hear it from others… it's what he so badly needed." He leaned against Roman with a smile.
Just as Roman was about to go check on Dean, the auburn haired man returned. "Any way to photograph a meteor shower?" Dean asked Adam, brow arched.
Everyone hurried outside to see what was going on. Every so often a "falling star" streaked across the sky. The hotel was in a perfect location. It was far enough out that the lights of the city didn't block the sky.
Adam sighed. "Damn, that's amazing. Sadly, I don't have the equipment. You need a telescope with photographic filters. Space photography is a whole different animal. Not worth the investment for me. I can't specialize in everything." He grinned as he pointed out another "falling star." Adam was securely wrapped in Chris' arms for the romantic sky gazing.
364 miles away, in Guymon, Oklahoma, John Morrison paced the hotel room like an expectant father. The day had not gone well. The lady at the rental place had identified him as the man who had rented the old blue truck. There was, however, one saving grace, the sex shop had been closed. A note on the glass of the door said the owner had been called out of town due to a family emergency. She hoped to be back by the end of the week. Without her statement, there was nothing Detective Miller could do.
While AJ Styles was ordered to stay in Guymon, Sergeant Miller said he was free to leave the hotel. He could chase storms, but he had to stay in Texas County, and he would be watched. John Morrison was under house arrest, and had to stay in the motel room. Styles did manage to talk Sergeant Miller into allowing JoMo to use the swimming pool. Under cover officers and a K-9 unit were still on guard. JoMo was at least able to go outside, thanks to AJ's convincing speech.
JoMo decided to go to the pool. Maybe once he was outside, he could figure something out. He had to get away, AJ or not. Drew needed his justice, and JoMo would get it for him.
In Independence, Kansas, the morning dawned to the hottest and most humid day so far. At ten in the morning it was already 95 degrees, but with the added moisture in the air, it felt like a 101 degrees.
Chris and his team were in the Jericho's hotel room, where it was cooler. A map of the area was spread out on the bed. Chris had circled the expected chase area.
"Alright. Scout, you go here. That's about forty miles to the southwest. Rover, here, thirty miles to the northeast. Row will be here, about halfway in between Scout and Rover. Roman, you do your thing, but, like Hunter said, if you have to run to launch, leave the rods. I'd rather buy new materials than lose a probe launch. Oh, about the FLIR, better let Shawn have it. Scout will get the first view of the storm. We've got to get a second FLIR from the University. Maybe we will be close to Norman soon. Any questions?" Chris looked at his team with a commander's eye.
No one had any questions, so Chris spoke again. "Then mount up. We'll eat lunch when the ROW is parked. Shawn?" He looked at the preacher with a soft smile.
The team held hands as Shawn prayed his usual prayer over them. Hunter smiled, now Dean always bowed his head and closed his eyes. He was so proud of the troubled youth.
A short time later, the ROW was parked up and the radar on. They were about thirty miles west of Independence, in the middle of farm land. Shawn and Adam made sandwiched under the shade of a lone tree. Seth and Chris were in their "office", computers on and working.
Dean set the two GoPros for security and checked their angles on the I-Pad. They were perfect.
Hunter and Roman set the warning sensors a quarter mile up the road, then a quarter mile down the road from the ROW. When a vehicle broke the beam, and alarm on the I-Pad would sound, and Seth would check it. If it looked like a threat, they would have time to shut and lock the doors of the ROW. Chris could quickly drive the ROW away if the threat of danger was enough. The system had been tested and worked perfectly. It left the team wondering why they hadn't thought of the idea years ago.
Chris looked at the sky as he and Adam sat on the steps of the ROW and ate their lunch of roast beef sandwiches. "I've got that twitch, babe. We're going to see one today. I just hope we aren't getting the entire season in two weeks."
Adam took a sip of root beer, then spoke. "You said this would be our busiest season so far. It's almost like the storms are starting to think before doing anything. Towers are starting to go up. We'd better chew faster." He took a bite of sandwich so big, Adam looked like a chipmunk. It made Chris laugh.
Before lunch was over, the NWS radio belted out the first weather alert. "The National Weather Service in Kansas City has issued a PDS Thunderstorm watch for the following counties in southern Kansas: Cowley, Elk, Chautauqua, Wilson, Montgomery, Neosho, Labette, Crawford and Cherokee. Strong to dangerously severe thunderstorms may develop fifty miles either side of the outlined warned area. Strong winds, golf ball sized hail, dangerous lightening and strong tornadoes are possible. The watch runs from one o'clock until seven o'clock… repeating…" The information was repeated, but Seth turned the volume down.
"Okay, we are in the middle of Montgomery County. Scout will be in Chautauqua and Rover will be in Neosho. We should be in perfect position..." Seth pointed out to Chris as he nodded to the radar screen on the computer.
Hunter bristled. "You be careful. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, hard day." He pulled Shawn in close and kissed his man.
Shawn returned Hunter's kiss. "Yeah, I feel it in my back, and yes, I am alright. You know how it goes. I love you, Hunt." He and Hunter kissed again.
Hunter gave the Scout keys to Dean. "Try not to hit every pothole. Good luck." He ruffled Dean's hair with a grin.
Roman gave Shawn the case the FLIR camera. He then pulled Dean in for a kiss. "Be careful, I love you, D."
Seth had come out to kiss Dean while Adam had gone to in to kiss Chris. "Love you, baby. Watch the I-Pad. Run if you must, no shame in it." Dean spoke softly to Seth, then kissed him.
"Don't worry, D. Chris and I will be like cheetahs if we have to be. Be good. I love you." Seth kissed Dean. Then Seth and Roman kissed and exchanged I love yous. Roman then did the same with Dean. Dean went to the Scout, Roman to the Rover, and Seth went back inside the ROW.
Chris walked Adam to the Rover. "I love you, Adam. Be alert, be safe and video all you can." He made sure his husband was seat belted in securely. He kissed Adam and closed the car door.
"I will. I love you, Chris. Stay safe." Adam leaned out of the window and kissed Chris as Hunter swung the key and fired up the engine.
Chris watched his team. Scout went toward the southwest while Rover went to the northeast. He looked up at the sky. Seth watched as Chris scooped up a handful of dirt and dried grass. As Chris slowly opened his hand to let the debris fly. Seth could see it swirl, like a tiny tornado.
"I saw it! I saw it that time!" Seth spoke with excitement.
Chris turned and smiled. "Now, close your eyes and face the wind. Tell me what you feel." He nodded to Seth.
Seth closed his eyes, he held his arms out, his palms faced the breeze. "The air is mixing. The wind is warm and cool..." They were interrupted when the weather alert sound went off. The two men hurried back into the Radar On Wheels.
Shawn couldn't stop the groan of pain when Dean hit a bump in the road. A smooth dirt road was hard to find "Shawn, may I ask. How did you hurt your back? You don't have to tell me. Oh, here comes another one, brace yourself." Dean saw the bump approach, this time he was able to slow down.
Shawn held tight as Dean eased over the rough spot in the road. "It was a stupid accident. I was a bit drunk and very stoned. I was riding my bicycle to the campus library. Because I was impaired, I misjudged the distance to the building. I crashed into it, full speed. I very nearly broke my back. It has bothered me ever since, especially in bad weather. It helps to remind me how I stupid I was. If my back is any indication, we are in for some hard weather today. I'm used to it, so don't fret about me. You just worry about your work." Shawn explained honestly. He wasn't about to lie and if he could still help Dean move forward, he would.
Dean glanced over at Shawn. "Thanks for sharing that. I guess I am lucky, despite all the shit in my life, I managed to avoid drugs and alcohol. Even now I don't drink. You're a good exampled of beating it and staying sober." He wanted Shawn to know how much he simply appreciated him.
"I can only try. Most of the time I am fine, but there are moments that I crave so bad, I nearly give in. My faith and Hunter is what keeps me from tipping over the edge. It also helps to know, if I ever did slip, Hunter will be there to get me back on track. That's a huge thing, to know that if I do screw up, he will still love me. Oh, turn off, next left, two miles. There should be a pull off." Shawn had nearly forgotten why they were bouncing down a dirt road.
Dean made the turn. "You know, I love Roman and Seth, but, I didn't understand it, until… well, you and Hunter and the Jericho's… I truly get it now. I know a lot of people don't get our relationship, but the four of you accept us. I just wish… oh well, this the spot?" Dean slowed down on a small rise. There was nothing but open fields and plenty of room to park off the road.
Shawn double checked the map and GPS. "Perfect. Not that traffic is an issue. Dean? Did you have more to say?" Shawn asked as they got out of the truck. They began to unload their equipment.
Dean pulled out his beloved camera. "Please, don't say anything, but I wish threesomes could marry or at least something like it. Well, we love each other, we don't need a paper to prove it. Oh wow..." Dean looked to the south as he spoke. The clouds were building fast.
Something told Shawn to keep quiet about the commitment ceremony he'd told Roman about, so he did. He didn't want to lie, so Shawn changed the subject, the clouds made it easy.
"Those towers went up in the last ten minutes. Bet we have warning in..." Shawn was halted when their NWS radio alerted them to an EMS announcement.
Meanwhile, the Rover had just reached their observation point. Hunter helped Roman set up his portable lightening rods, about a thousand yards from the Rover. They also put the two rods about five hundred yards apart. It was about a ten minute walk from the Rover.
Adam listened to the NWS warning as he got his cameras ready. He put two still shot cameras on tripods, each one focused on one of the rods. Once the storm began, he would set them to shoot every five seconds, at the slowest possible shutter speed.
"We've got a warning for Cowley, Elk and Chautauqua counties. Shawn said the towers went up in ten minutes. They are safe and have a great vista." Adam filled in his companions as Hunter and Roman returned. Hunter gave a nod as he sipped from a bottle of cold water he took from the cooler.
At the ROW, both Seth and Chris froze. The alarm had gone off. A vehicle was approaching. Seth got up and quickly closed the door and retracted the steps.
Chris looked at the I-Pod. He gave a chuckle. It was a tractor. An older farmer drove with a small boy on his lap. They drove past with barely a glance at the ROW. The farmer was too worried about getting his grandson home before the storm broke.
"Well, it worked. But, just like storm warnings, we have to treat each one as real." Chris spoke firmly as Seth opened the door and put the steps back down.
Seth took his seat. "I agree with you, a thousand percent. Wow, look at this."
"ROW this is Scout, come in ROW." Shawn's voice called out over the radio, he sounded excited.
Chris keyed his headset mic. "Scout this is ROW, go ahead."
Shawn responded. "We have upper level rotation. Sending FLIR footage now. Scout out."
Seth's fingers flew over the computer keyboard. "Wow, this is even better than before. You can actually see the air change color as the warm and cold mix." He quickly moved his fingers again. The resolution of the FLIR footage became more clear.
Chris was mesmerized by the FLIR footage. "This is… history." His words were simple, but said so much. Seth could only nod in agreement.
Both were brought back to reality when the NWS alert sounded. At the same time, both Scout and Rover called in over their radios. At the exact same moment, Chris and Seth looked at each other.
"Tornado." Chris and Seth said together with a chuckle. "You take Scout, I'll take Rover." Chris ordered as he once again keyed his mic.
"Go ahead, Rover, this is ROW." Chris was always careful to maintain radio protocol, after all everything was recorded. Sometimes though, he did forget.
Hunter's voice crackled over the radio. "We think we have a touchdown, still to faraway to be sure...whoa… sorry, the lightening is closing in on the rods, draws static. Rover, out." The connection was horrible because of the close lightening strikes.
"ROW to Rover. Yes, Scout and the NWS have reported a tornado. It's headed your way, but slowly. Shawn said it looks to be an EF two. Keep your heads down, ROW out." Chris reported from the written notes Seth passed him as the younger man spoke to Shawn.
At the Range Rover, both Adam and Roman's cameras clicked. The lightening rods worked better than Roman could have hoped for. The three had taken cover in the Rover.
"Roman, the storm is still twenty five miles away, so why is lightening hitting the rods here? Is their draw that powerful?" Adam asked as he filmed the rods with his video camera.
Roman gave a light laugh. "Ever hear the term, bolt out of the blue? That's what these are. They got that name, because it can seem like the bolt comes from a clear, blue sky. They can come from the front of the storm like these now, but they mostly come from the backside of a thunderstorm. They have traveled as much as thirty miles from the actual storm. Golfers are at the highest risk of being struck by a bolt out of the blue. They assume, because the storm is so far away, they aren't at risk. And if you think about it, a Golfer is holding a portable lightening rod in his hand, in the form of a golf club. This is one of the questions I am working on, why do they occur? Does the intensity of the storm factor in? Is it the extra dry air? The amount of total known knowledge of lightening could fit on a postage stamp… in comparison to the vastness of storms."
"That is exactly why I never go out on a golf course without checking a radar first. Um, Adam? You might want to film that?" Hunter pointed to the tornado that moved closer to them. It looked like the trunk of an elephant was doing a very bad belly dance.
The radio in the Rover echoed to life. "Rover, this is Scout." Shawn's voice made Hunter smile.
Hunter picked up his radio. "Scout, this is Rover, go ahead." He ducked as another bolt of lightening hit one of Roman's rods.
"We're going to start tracking the back of the storm. So far, all open fields, but Independence is in the direct path. Are you going for a probe?" Shawn asked as the radio crackled again.
"No, not going for a probe. No roads out to where the tornado is. If we can, we will try later. It has slowed down, but, not roping out, could be getting bigger. Stay well behind and on main roads. We will move soon, when we get a steady tracking direction. Rover out." Hunter filled Shawn in on their plan. He was a bit frustrated that once gain there were no roads to launch a probe from.
"Ten-four, Scout out." Shawn responded quickly.
Hunter chuckled, both Adam and Roman hung out of their windows and filmed. The tornado had quickly sped up again, and was tearing through a field. Hunter wanted to try to find a way to intercept and fire a probe into the storm.
"Roman, I want to try for a probe intercept. What about the rods?" Hunter feared being struck if they tried to take the rods down now.
Roman stopped filming and turned in the backseat so he could look at Hunter. "We can leave them. Not about to risk getting struck. I've written down the GPS. So go when you're ready, boss." He smiled at Hunter.
Adam had his camera out the window and filmed. However, his eyes were on the map on his laptop. "Five miles west, Hunt. There is a gravel county road. We can judge better from there. I think this one is just getting started." He turned back to his camera.
Back at the Radar On Wheels, Chris stood at the door and watched the distant tornado. "Hey boss. Scout and Rover are both on the move. Scout is tracking the storm in. Looks like Rover is searching for a probe route." Seth called out to his leader.
Chris sat back down and looked at the red and blue dots as they moved on the map on Seth's computer. Chris then pushed a button. A track of the storm appeared on the vehicle tracking map. By now, Chris didn't know how they done anything without Seth.
"It's increasing in speed and size. I'm calling Sam at the NWS..." Chris spoke quickly. He then called his friend at the weather office. Independence needed to be warned if they weren't already. Seth had put the volume on the NWS radio to mute… they were too busy to keep up.
Hunter stopped the Rover at a cross roads. The tornado was to their southwest, moving to the northeast. Hunter, Adam and Roman looked at the map.
"Not worth it, Hunt. There are not enough ways out. Maybe if it gets to here." Adam pointed to an area with more roads to use.
Roman sighed. "Only problem, that area is populated." The storm looked to hit parts of Independence.
"Rover, this is Scout. What is your plan?" Shawn's voice sounded over the radio.
Adam exchanged a glance with Roman, then Hunter. Hunter nodded with a sigh. "We've got no chance for a safe probe. Let's follow it in. Switching to search and rescue mode, Rover out." Hunter knew in his heart it was the right thing to do.
Back at the ROW, Chris and Seth's eyes were nearly crossed trying to watch everything at once.
"ROW, this is Scout. Hunter says no safe chance for a probe. We are both going to track it in. We are now in search and rescue mode." Shaw relayed the current information to the ROW.
Chris keyed his mic. "Scout, Rover, understood. Can you bring Roman to ROW or should I drive?"
"ROW, this is Rover. Can you meet five miles west. We can drop Roman to you. We'll come back for the alarms." Hunter responded as he continued to follow along side the tornado. The storm was two miles from the Rover and closing in on a more populated area of Independence.
"Rover, on our way. Meet you in ten. ROW out." Chris moved up into the driver's seat of the ROW. Seth stayed in his chair and pressed the buttons that shut down the radar as they moved.
Twenty minutes later, the seven storm chasers stood and watched the tornado. It passed a mile to their west. The good thing, it was roping out. The bad thing, it had gone through a small neighborhood.
Chris was the first to speak. "Let's move. Someone may need help." He moved to get into the ROW.
Shawn led the little armada into the damaged neighborhood. Luckily it wasn't as bad as they had first feared, still, a few houses had been badly damaged. Shawn was halted by a police road block.
"We are first responders. How can we help?" Shawn asked the harried looking police officer.
"You'll have to park here, too many downed power lines. Please, check on Missus Harrison, first house. She is about to have a baby. She's my wife's best friend. I haven't been able to check on her. Tell her Steve Johnson sent you." Officer Johnson pointed out a small house on the corner. A huge tree lay across the front of the house.
Shawn nodded. "Of course..." He turned to Dean. You three stay with the trucks. Hunter, possible baby delivery." He grabbed his medical kit from the Rover.
Chris grabbed his and Adam's gear from the storage area of the ROW. "Boys, you heard Shawn. If we need you, we'll call. Seth, keep an eye out. There could be more storms approaching."
"Will do. Come on, Dean, help me watch the radar." Seth tugged at Dean. He knew Dean hated being left out on the rescues.
"Shawnie, wait!" Hunter cried out Shwan was about to go up onto the porch of the Harrison house.
Hunter didn't like the way the fallen tree looked. "Not safe. Let's check the back." Hunter pointed to the side yard.
"Oh… help me. Someone, please help me." A woman's voice could be heard as they passed by a window on the side of the house.
Shawn stood on the hard case of he medical supplies. He could just see a lady on a bed. "My name is Shawn. I'm a first responder. Is there a back door?"
The lady gave a groan of pain. "Yes… oh… break it down… my waters just broke… hurry..." She let out another groan of pain.
"We're coming. Hang on." Shawn spoke in a confident tone. He jumped off the box and led the others to the back of the house.
Hunter easily broke open the back door. He went in first to make sure it was safe for the others to enter the house. Hunter also inhaled deeply. When he was satisfied there was no gas leak or other immediate danger, he let the others in.
"No gas odor, damage is in the front. Let's go have a baby." Hunter began to look for the lady.
They found Mrs. Harrison in a small bedroom, at the front of the house. Shawn turned to Adam.
"You up to this? It's okay if you're not." Shawn asked softly as they entered the room.
Adam smiled. "Yes, I am. I love babies."
"Good. Hunter, we need blankets, hot water and clean cloths. You and Chris go find them." Shawn set his box down and went to Mrs. Harrison.
Hunter and Chris went to fetch the things Shawn requested. Adam began to pull other needed items out of the medical kit. Shawn smiled at Mrs. Harrison.
"I'm Shawn, this is Adam. So, how far apart are your pains, Missus Harrison?" Shawn asked as he checked her pulse.
"About ten minutes. You know my name? How bad is the house? I was lying down when the sirens went off. I started to get up, next door has a storm cellar. When I did, my waters broke. I couldn't move. It's three weeks early… this is our… I lost our first baby… I can't lose this one… oh…" Mrs. Harrison's words were cut off when she was hit by more labor pains.
"First, relax. We will get you through this. Officer Johnson sent us. He is very worried about you. Worry about the house later, this little one is what matters most. I am a nurse and both Adam and I are well trained. Now, I need to check you. I know we are strangers, but, I am also a Pastor. Can you trust us?" Shawn wanted Mrs. Harrison as relaxed as possible.
Mrs. Wilson smiled. "I trust you, Pastor Shawn. Steve and Melissa Johnson are our best friends. I'm also Melissa, and my husband is Steve too. It's funny about our names and partly why we became friends. Not to worry, having a baby means having no dignity." She laughed as she pulled her legs up and exposed herself to Shawn, so he could check her progress.
Adam laughed. "Two couples, both named Melissa and Steve. I think that's fantastic. Ma'am, where are your clean clothes. You will feel better in a clean, dry nightgown." He asked in a calm, quiet voice. Melissa's face still held a look of worry.
As Shawn and Adam helped Melissa Harrison, Hunter and Chris gathered clean cloths and blankets from another storage area in the ROW. Shawn had collected them from church members who wanted to help those in need, that their Pastor would come across.
"This should be enough. At least there isn't any gas in the house. Now, we need warm water, but how? The power is out." Hunter was perplexed. A newborn baby could not be washed in cold water.
Roman spoke up. He'd unlocked the storage area for Hunter. "That's an easy fix. I'll fire up the engine. We can lay some bottles of water across it. It will take a few minutes, but it will work. My Uncle had a cookbook that told how to cook entire meals on the engine while driving. At the end of the day, you had a fully cooked, hot meal."
Chris laughed. "That's brilliant. I've always thought that was a joke, guess it's not. Fire her up, but let me warn Seth first. We don't want a data glitch when the generator switches off." Chris went into the "office" and spoke to Seth and Dean.
"Alright. I am not transferring any data right now anyway. Boss, there is a second storm building, it's warned for Chautauqua county. It's following the same track as the first storm. No rotation yet, but the air is still ripe for a tornado." Seth pointed out the storm as Roman started the engine.
Chris looked worried. "Keep a sharp eye on the storm. Blast the siren if you have to. Dean, help Seth, it's going to take sharp eyes. I'll be back."
Back in the Harrison house, the baby was well on the way. Adam sat on the bed so Melissa could lean back against him. Shawn was at the foot of the bed, and watched the birth canal.
Melissa was in mid contraction when Hunter poked his head into the room. Chris could hear Adam as he encouraged Melissa to breathe. He was proud of his Kitten.
"Good, Melissa, very good. You will crown with the next one. Relax now, you are doing fantastic." Shawn patted Melissa on the knee. He then looked over at Hunter.
"Here are the cloths and blankets. Roman is heating water on the ROW engine, no power in the house to heat water. It won't be long. Officer Johnson sends his best." Hunter smiled and left the box of clean items for Shawn.
Melissa laughed. "That will work. My Steve is a long hauler. He cooks entire meals as he drives… oh… " Her words were cut off by the strongest contraction yet.
Hunter and Chris left to go check on the water. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Chris went into the ROW.
"Still no rotation, but the storm is still growing. It's bigger than the first. The warning has now extended here, to Montgomery county." Seth filled Chris in on the latest weather. Dean's eyes were glued to the warning screen from the NWS.
Roman stuck his head through the opening to the cab of the ROW. "Switching back to the generator, the water is hot."
Seth smiled at Roman. "Go ahead, won't hurt anything." He pursed his lips and kissed the air, but directed it at Roman.
More thunder rumbled as Hunter took the box with the bottles of hot water into the Harrison's house. Chris had stayed with the ROW to watch the second storm. Hunter pulled up short when he heard the lusty cry of a newborn baby. He hurried to the bedroom.
"There you go, Melissa. A fine, healthy baby boy. Congratulations!" Shawn grinned happily as he laid the baby on Melissa's chest.
Adam still sat behind the new mother and supported her. "Oh Melissa, he is just beautiful." Adam's voice was filled with awe.
An hour later, Melissa and her newborn son were both clean and dry. The ambulance was finally free to take them to the hospital. The EMT's had been tied up treating injuries at a day care. Luckily there were no deaths or serious wounds. People had taken shelter.
The second storm never produced a tornado, but there was a lot of rain and some small hail.
Roman, Hunter and Dean took the Scout truck and went back out to pick up the equipment that had been left as they had chased the storm into Independence.
Chris drove the ROW with Seth as passenger. Adam drove Shawn in the Range Rover. The headed back to the hotel. Adam and Shawn decided they would go to the hospital to check on Melissa and the baby.
"… so we'll be at the hotel soon. We won't stay long. We just want to make sure they are settled and alright." Adam informed the ROW as he spoke on the radio.
"Sounds good. Give them our best. Oh, see if you can take a picture. I'd like to see the little fellow. Oh and um… Chris says he loves his Kitten." You could hear the flush on Seth's face as his voice came over the radio in the Rover.
Adam chuckled. He could hear the flush on Seth's face. "I love you, my Lion. Seth, we'll try to get a picture. Pizza later, we've earned it. Rover out." Adam ended the call.
Later that evening in the Jericho's hotel room, pizza was enjoyed as pictures of Melissa and the baby Steve Jr. were passed around on Shawn and Adam's cell phones. The Weather Channel ran in the background on the flat screen television.
"Storms, potentially tornadic are on deck for tomorrow in the area of hundred miles in around Independence, Kansas. Begin your precautions now. The storms will be of a severe nature. Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes are possible… Repeating…." The volume on the television was turned down.
Chris spoke. "We'd better get ready for round two. I've still got that twitch. I think tomorrow is going to be another long, hard day." He spoke firmly to his team.
Storms were on the horizon, but were they coming from the sky or elsewhere?