Monday passed quietly. Adam and Dean's pictures had turned out well. Adam sent some to Shane, via email. Shane was pleased and asked Adam to send a packet of the hard copy pictures to the office. Adam made sure Dean's pictures were sent as well. Adam was sure they would both have pictures in the special magazine about the old west. Dean was very happy.
Seth and Chris spent the afternoon in the ROW and gathered some pre-storm data. They also refined the forecast for the chase on Tuesday.
Hunter and Roman worked on the probes to make sure they were ready. Kenny Omega watched with interest and asked a few questions. Hunter was impressed that Kenny's questions were serious and not the usual "fan" questions.
Shawn was pleased when Beth Phillips stopped by. She took him grocery shopping and was glad to do so. They never once talked about Styles, Morrison or the weather. It was a pleasant outing for both of them.
Once again they all slept in the Jericho's room. Kenny had agreed it was the best thing. Frank and Flash replaced Jim and Finn as the K-Nine unit on outside patrol. The night passed quietly and peacefully.
Tuesday morning dawned bright and by eight a.m. it was already ninety degrees with one hundred percent humidity. It was the first ingredient they needed for storms that afternoon. The Weather Channel was on the television as Chris worked out their final plan for the days chase.
"Okay, here we go. Scout, you will go forty-five miles to the southwest. Dean, the live stream is up to you. Put an announcement on our social media that we may have a chase today. Rover, forty miles to the northeast. ROW will be here on the Gray, Ford county line. Everything looks good, but, I don't have the twitch. Maybe it's hiding from me." Chris rolled up the map and gave it to Hunter.
Adam finished checking his camera gear. "What's going to happen when we leave? I mean, with the vehicles gone, will the K nine unit leave?" He was worried about their rooms being unprotected.
Kenny Omega spoke up. "Jim and Finn will stay. We are not about to leave this area unprotected. I was just going to ask you to leave him a room key. Everything will be alright."
Adam smiled. "Oh, good. I was worried that… he could sneak in here and hide. Now, I can concentrate on work. Thanks, Kenny."
Kenny checked his weapon, the holstered it. He was dressed in a Jericho Storm Chase, Inc. tee shirt, and jeans, just like the others. "No problem, Adam. It's our job to make sure you feel safe, and you are. Now, I will be at the ROW. Hunter, Shawn, you have your weapons?" He looked over at the Helmsley's.
Hunter patted his gun, holstered in his waistband. Shawn did the same as he spoke. "Yes. Checked and ready. I will not shoot to kill."
Kenny smiled. "As long as you aim for the legs, you can disable. None of us ever want to kill." He gave Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder.
At noon, the Jericho armada pulled out of the hotel parking lot. They drove to the county line. When they arrived, they did the usual pre-chase ritual. This time there was a grove of shade trees they could picnic under.
Chris went to the edge of the road. He scooped up a handful of dirt. He watched as the dust swirled and fell. He looked out to the horizon. In the far distance, clouds moved and puffed. Chris then went back to the others.
"Towers will start building soon. Be ready to move out in an hour or so." Chris instructed his team.
Kenny had watched Chris and the dirt. "It twisted a bit. There is some cool air blowing towards the southwest. The Native Americans, best weather forecasters… or at least they were."
Everyone looked at Officer Omega. It was Adam who spoke. "You're the first person who didn't ask Chris what he was doing. You really have studied the weather." He had a touch of awe in his voice.
Kenny ducked his head. "Weather study is my second calling. I dunno, I just find nature exciting. It's unpredictable, like being a cop. You never know what will happen next." He gave a shrug.
"I understand that. Still, one day I hope we can figure out how to make it more predictable, at least for watches and warnings. Look Kenny, when things start to happen, I can get a bit… touchy. I don't like being disturbed. I have the safety of my team on my mind. I don't want to have to worry about you too. I'm trusting you will know when to come into the ROW if a storm comes up." Chris spoke frankly to Officer Omega. He wanted no nonsense during a storm.
"You just forget I am even here. I do know what to do. By the way, you alarm system is very impressive. It will help me a lot." Kenny gave Chris a nod. He wanted the man to know he was serious.
"Hunter and Roman came up with the idea." Seth spoke with a smile of pride at Roman.
When the hour passed, everyone including Kenny pitched in and cleaned up the lunch debris. Shawn saw that drink coolers and snack boxes were loaded into Scout and Rover. Hunter and Roman took another look at the map.
"We've got good exits for probes. You know the drill, if we can, we will." Hunter spoke with a nod as he rolled the map.
Roman returned the nod. "Got it. Listen, I have decided to drop the lightening rods. It's too hard to set them then pick them up. They also didn't work as well as I hoped and they caused too much radio interference. Well, I had to try." He was a bit disappointed, but he also knew he was right. The rods had not been worth the effort.
Hunter gave Roman a pat on the back. "You don't know if you don't try. Maybe we can come up with another idea. You're right about the radio interference. Come on, time for the prayer circle." He led the college student to where the others waited.
The eight men held hands and bowed their heads as Shawn gave a prayer. The prayer ended with a chorus of "Amen." Shawn was glad when Kenny had taken part in the prayer circle.
Chris clapped his hands to give his final instructions. He was interrupted by the NWS alert. Seth dashed into the ROW to listen.
Seth returned a few minutes later. "Tornado watch, including Dodge City. Storms expected around two or three. The usual hail, high winds and potentially flooding rains."
"Thanks, Seth. Okay, move out when you're ready." Chris went to Adam and kissed his husband good bye. The others did the same. Kenny double checked the alarms, mainly to give the others their private moments.
Chris, Seth and Officer Omega watched as Scout drove to the south, and Rover to the north. It was the first time Seth felt isolated, but he wasn't really afraid, he knew they were safe.
"I'm going up on the roof, holler if anything happens, kiddo. Seth, you are doing a really good job." Chris gave Seth a pat on the back.
Seth let a boyish grin cross his lips with a dust of blush on his cheeks. "I'm glad, Chris… Doctor Jericho… thank you." He hurried up the steps of the ROW. Seth really didn't handle compliments very well sometimes.
Chris chuckled at Seth and climbed up the ladder to the roof of the Radar On Wheels. "Hey, Kenny. You can join me if you want." Chris called down to the police officer. Kenny walked around, and his eyes seemed to be glace everywhere at once.
Kenny gave Chris a thumbs up and deftly climbed the ladder. It was a better vista than he thought. "This will be a great place for me to watch from. Especially parked on a rise."
"Just watch out of the antenna farm. If it storms, get off. We have lightening rods as you can see. They keep the radar from getting hit. So, lets test your skills. What do you see?" Chris used his "Professors" teaching tone of voice.
Kenny chuckled. "Don't worry, Doc. I'm not going to be up here during a storm. Okay, thunderheads are building. Looks to be an hour or so before anything happens. You can feel the cold air flowing toward the dry line. That's why the thunderheads are starting to form." He spoke with confidence.
"You do know your weather. I'm impressed. Can I ask why you chose to become a cop instead of a meteorologist? I don't want to pry, if it's too personal." Chris asked as he and Kenny sat down on the roof.
Kenny pulled out and lit a cigarette. "Hope you don't mind.." He looked at Chris, brow arched.
"Not at all. Adam and I both smoke, but not as much as we used to. Dean is the only other smoker. Just not in the ROW please." Chris replied with a nod.
"I never smoke inside. Anyway, I had a younger brother. He was killed during a convenience store robbery. It was his first summer job. The asshole came in, shot my brother and got away with a grand total of two hundred dollars. The Mounties were really fantastic to me and my folks. Plus, they nabbed the guy in less than an hour. I vowed to try to stop another family from going through what we went through. So, I became a Mountie. When my folks died in a car crash, I had to leave the 'Peg'. I wanted to be in the mid west for the storms, and Dodge City won. It also helped that one of the Inspectors in Winnipeg is friends with the Chief here. I still love the weather and keep up with studies, but my love for my brother was and is the better calling for me." Kenny was frank, open and honest.
Chris gained a lot more respect for Kenny. "I'm sorry for all your losses, Kenny. You made the right choice for the right reasons. I guess I got my Doctorate for my mom..." Chris then went on to tell Kenny about his mom and the incident that happened and a little of the less personal parts about VORTEX. Chris figured story for story would help build the trust between them.
Kenny tossed his spent cigarette into the dirt below, after spitting on it. "I'm sorry about your mom, but you did the right thing. I guess the important part is, we both didn't let things drag us down. Sounds like Adam is really special. Makes me miss my husband. His name is Kota, and he is in Japan right now. He goes over there every summer to teach athletics to special children. Plus, he gets to see his family. It helps that he's gone during storm season, keeps me from going insane missing him." Kenny pulled a picture of himself and Kota on their wedding day out of his wallet.
Chris looked at the picture with a smile. "He is very handsome. What a wonderful thing for him to do. And it's cool of you to let him go for so long. I'd be lost without Adam..." Chris was halted when Seth called out to him.
"Thunderstorm warning for northern Meade and southern Gray counties. Headed our way at fifteen miles per hour. We should hear from Scout soon, I would guess." Seth gave his report.
Chris stood. "Time to go to work. We really appreciate your being here, so we can concentrate on work. Help yourself to the coolers, you're part of the team." He shook Kenny's hand, then climbed down and went into the ROW to work.
Kenny stayed on the roof of the ROW. He really did have a great view of the area. He went on alert when he saw a cloud of dust, a vehicle was coming down the road. Just as Kenny climbed down, the alarm went off to announce the oncoming car.
"Car coming. Stay put. I'm closing the door." Kenny was deadly serious as he shut the door. He then went to the back of the ROW. He was hidden by the radar's sliding cover. If it was Morrison, Omega wanted to catch him by surprise.
In the ROW, both Chris and Seth intently watched the GoPro footage of the approaching vehicle. When it came into view, Chris grinned.
"I'll be dammed." Chris jumped up and opened the door as the car stopped at the ROW.
Chris was suddenly blocked when Kenny Omega stood in front of him, gun drawn. It was if the officer had appeared out of nowhere.
The man getting out of the car froze as he saw a gun pointed at him. His eyes went wide.
Chris gently put a hand on Kenny's arm. "It's alright Officer Omega, I know him. There is no danger. He's my friend, Sam Zayn, from the National Weather Service Office in Norman."
Kenny relaxed and in a swift movement, holstered his weapon. "Alright, you can move Mister Zayn. Sorry about that, but it's my duty to protect. I'll be up on the roof." He smiled at Sam, then Chris. He deftly climbed the ladder and began to keep watch again.
Chris went to his friend and hugged him. "Good to see you, Sam. What the hell brings you out here?" He slowly led Sam up the steps of the ROW.
Sam laughed. "That's some guard dog you have. I'm on my way to Houston, to visit my Aunt for a couple of weeks. I heard you were in the area, and I got an alert about a possible live stream. I know you well enough to guess where you were. I took a little detour. I've been looking for you for the last hour. Ran into Hunter and Adam, they sent me here. I asked Adam not to radio and tell you, wanted it to be a surprise."
Chris chuckled. "Guess Adam didn't think to tell you about Officer Omega. Oh, I'll explain. Come on, I want you to meet Seth Rollins. He's one of my college interns. That boy will be the head of the NWS or NSSL one day..." Chris continued to talk as he took Sam into the ROW to meet Seth.
At the Rover, Adam spoke to Hunter. "I can't believe I forgot about Kenny. I hope he doesn't shoot first, ask questions later when Sam shows up." He had a worried look on his face.
"I am sure Kenny has a level head. Now, Sam worked with Chris on the prototype for VORTEX right? I've heard about him, but today is the first time I've met him." Hunter watched the radar as he spoke.
Adam adjusted a setting on his camera. "Yes, he was two years behind Chris, but he was going for his Doctorate, so Chris put him on the team. He's a good guy. Used to come over a lot, but since he started working at the NWS, we hardly see him. Chris will be happy to see him again. So, what does the radar say?" Adam glanced over at Hunter.
"Storms growing. Shawn should be reporting it soon." Hunter pointed to the storm just entering their radar screen.
At the Scout, Roman stood on the roof of the truck with Dean. Shawn sat in the truck and watched both the radar and the sky. He had a feeling that something was about to break, he did have that twitch, especially in his back.
Roman had the FLIR camera, but so far it was just the normal mix of warm and cool air. So far, this system looked to be normal. But he also knew that could change in an instant.
Dean let out a sigh. "Doesn't look too good, does it?" He looked over at Roman, brow arched.
Roman took another look at the FLIR. "Not really, but, you never know. You realize Seth's birthday is on Saturday."
"And yours is tomorrow. Ro, we haven't been able to do any shopping, but you know how Sethie and I feel about you." Dean did feel bad. All the mess with Morrison made a surprise shopping trip impossible. He just hoped they could still have a surprise party on Saturday.
Roman guffawed. "I don't care, D. You know that. Having you and Seth is my best possible gift. We should do something for Sethie, maybe on Saturday. Maybe we can go shopping or at least out to dinner..." He paused and looked toward the storm. Thunder rumbled.
"Wow… did that change. Shawn?" Roman pointed out the storm. It had gone from nothing to evil, green and reddish clouds.
Shawn got out of the truck. "I blinked and yeah, I see it. Going to call Chris."
At the ROW, Chris and Seth waved goodbye to Sam Zyan. The man wanted to get down the road before the storms hit. It had been a short, but nice visit. Sam promised to try to see the Jericho's more after the season ended.
Chris shook his head with a laugh. "That was totally random. It was nice to see Sam though. I think he just wanted to see our creation out in the field. Sam was invited to join VORTEX, but when he found out what happened with me, he refused. He was the only one that stood up for me like that. I owe that man a lot."
"It cost him his Doctorate, didn't it?" I wonder… if I would be so selfless..." Seth hoped he was never in a situation like that.
Chris sighed. "Yes, but not how you think. It wasn't the University, it was Sam. He chose not to continue. Said he could do better without it. I actually realize now, he was more pissed off than I was. Sam did alright though. He's the third highest in rank at the NWS, so he did good..." Chris was halted by a radio call.
"ROW, this is Scout. Chris, this thing blew up in the blink of an eye. Sending FLIR footage. Scout out." Shawn's voice was filled with excitement.
Seth dashed into the ROW. Kenny called down from the roof. "Hey Doc, this thing is gonna blow, the caps are busting."
"Thanks, Kenny. Yeah, just got called. We're going inside now. Time to work." Chris called back as he went into the ROW.
The NWS alert went off. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the storm. Kenny climbed down from the roof of the ROW. Lightening was becoming a threat.
Kenny stood on the steps, ready to go inside if the rains started. The winds had picked up and the thunder was more frequent.
"ROW, this is Scout. Live stream has started. I've never seen a beaver tail grow so fast. Wall cloud has formed. The storm is changing by the second." Shawn's voice cracked over the radio on the ROW. He had even more excitement in his voice.
Chris keyed his mic. "Scout, ROW. Got it. Storm ocean has exploded like a tidal wave..." Chris pushed a button and spoke again. "Rover, ROW. Scout you too. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt ground probes. This storm is too fast and too unpredictable. May be possible for rocket probe, but only with extreme caution. Keep on high alert. ROW out." Chris firmly instructed his team.
Seth had the live stream from Dean up on a separate I-Pad. His eyes dared from screen to screen. "I've never seen anything like this. Chris, look at that beaver tail, it's grown to at least half a mile long in less than five minutes. And look at those scuds. Any one of them could form a funnel." Seth also had excitement in his voice.
Before Chris could respond, the NWS alert sounded again. The announcement was for a tornado warning for Gray and Ford counties. The storm had been upgraded to a PDS, and that a tornado was imminent.
"… The storm will pass to the west of Dodge City. The towns of Moscow, Ryus, Plymill, and Pierceville take cover now. The storm will pass between Dodge City and Garden City. If you are in this area, please, take cover now. This is a particularly dangerous storm. Repeating..." Seth turned the radio down and looked at Chris.
At the Range Rover, Adam stood on the roof. Hunter stood on the foot rail of the driver's side. Hunter spoke. "Just look at that. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Adam, do you see what I see or are my eyes going crazy?" HE had a pair of binoculars trained on the storm.
Adam had his camera firmly on his shoulder. "No, your eyes are not going crazy. I see it too. Do you know the… no, it can't happen… it just can't happen..." His voice faded as he thought of the potential devastation that could occur.
At the Scout, Dean stood on a rise and had his camera focused on the storm. Being that he was on the live stream, Dean described what he saw. "We are looking at six possible tornadoes. This is incredibly unusual, and potentially devastating. If you are in the Dodge City area, take cover." He kept his voice calm, but Dean wanted to shout. Never in his life had he seen six funnel clouds in one storm… not many people had.
By the Scout truck, Shawn held the FLIR camera. "I've seen three funnel clouds at once, like that storm earlier in the season… but… only one of them touched down. I've seen multi vortex tornadoes, but never in my life have I seen six funnel clouds. And they are all so well formed. Anyone of them or all of them could touch down." Shawn spoke with an awe filled tone as he watched the monstrous storm.
At the Rover, Hunter stared with much the same expression that his husband wore, nearly a hundred miles away. "Adam, we have to probe this, we just have to. I think we should go now. We can't wait."
Adam had slid down to the ground. He looked over at Hunter. "I agree, but I am going to call Chris." Adam reached for the radio mic. He wasn't going towards that monster without his Lion.
Chris stood on the steps of the ROW. Even he had never seen six funnel clouds from one storm. The most frightening thing was that all six funnels were well formed, and could be individual tornadoes, instead of joining up to form one massive twister.
"ROW, Rover. Chris?" Adam's voice called out.
Seth responded. "Rover, ROW. I'll get him. Chris is outside. Hang on..." Seth called to Chris. "Boss, Adam is on the radio. He asked for you."
Chris turned to Seth. "Thanks." He went inside the ROW. He picked up his radio mic. "Rover, ROW. Go ahead, Adam." He had a feeling what was going on.
"ROW, Rover. Chris, is this real? Sorry, we want to move in on it now. We've got to try to probe this. We need to know the best way to approach. If they all come down..." Adam's voice was a mix of nerves and excitement.
Chris knew probe data of the storm would be priceless, but so was Adam. Did he want Adam and Hunter to take the risk? He looked over at Seth.
"What do I do, Seth? This data would be incredible, but sending Rover so close? If those funnels come down, they could be surrounded. Would you send Roman or Dean?" Chris knew it was a rough question, but he valued Seth's opinion.
Seth looked hard at Chris. "Personally, I'd keep them as far away as possible. But, I also know they would want what's best for our work. So, I'd have to let them go… and pray they stay safe. It's hard, because we are safe here, at least compared to them. But, we all knew the risks. Besides, Hunter will keep Adam safe." Seth spoke honestly. He was glad it wasn't his decision.
"ROW, Rover. Chris, we can do it. I've studied the map. We've got several good exits. If we don't go now, it may be too late. We will never get a chance if they drop. Adam agrees. Don't worry, I will get us in and out. If I see we can't, I'll drop back Please, Chris. We may never see anything like this again." Hunter tried not to sound as desperate as he felt. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Chris rubbed his face with his hands. He sighed, then keyed the mic. "Go for it, but Hunter if the two of you… just be damn careful. Don't even try if one funnel touches down. Get in, get out and get back to your observation point. Adam, I know you can hear me too, I love you. Keep your pretty head inside, no hanging out the window. Now, go probe that monster." He nudge Seth and pointed to the map screen.
"I love you, Chris. We're on our way. I promise, no risks and Hunter promised not to make any roads. Rover, out." Adam's voice was filled with love as he spoke to his beloved husband.
At the Scout, Shawn had heard the conversation between ROW and Rover. He smiled when Hunter's voice called to him. "Scout, Rover. Guess you heard. We will be alright, I promise. I love you, Shawn. See you later." Hunter's voice rang with confidence, and love.
Shawn held up his radio and keyed to talk. "I love you, Hunter. See you soon." His reply was simple but there was nothing else he could say.
Seth had placed the road map over the radar image. The blue dot of the Ranger Rover was on the move, rapidly, toward the storm. The red dot of the Scout was stationary at its observation point.
Adam carefully studied the map on the computer, as Hunter sped toward the six funnel storm. "They are slow in dropping. They are just there, spinning in the atmosphere." Adam stated as he now filmed the storm through the open passenger window.
Hunter concentrated on driving, but he also had an eye on the storm. "I would guess they are battling to see which is the strongest… in a matter of speaking. The longer they spin like that the better. We should be there in ten minutes. I can't go faster on a gravel road."
Adam chuckled. "Makes sense, I suppose. Dean is doing great on the live stream, about fifteen hundred are watching." Adam reported. He had the live stream going on his cell phone.
"You've done a great job with Dean. He is a good kid. I think he just needed someone to believe in his talent, other than Roman and Seth." Hunter stopped talking to make a fast turn. Now, the Range Rover directly faced the menacing storm.
Adam looked up from his cell phone when Hunter stopped the Rover. "Oh my God. Hunter are you sure about this? The funnels have dropped a bit more." Adam filmed the six funnel clouds. It looked like the hand of the Devil himself was reaching for victims.
Hunter took a moment to study the storm and the map. "If we take this road, and come around from the southwest, we will be alright. If they touch down, they will move away from us… probably."
Adam still filmed. "You're right. We can't pass this up. Let's go for it." Adam trusted Hunter and knew they would be as safe as possible.
Seth watched the blue dot on the map overlay screen. "Chris, they are moving again." He called out to his boss. Chris had gone to the door to look out.
Chris immediately went inside and sat back down. He put his glasses on and leaned in to look at the maps and the blue dot. "They are going around to the south, southwest. That's smart thinking, Hunter." He intently watched as Hunter and Adam drove around the storm. They had to pass under the edge of the storm first.
Hunter had a hard time as he steered the Range Rover under the back edge of the storm. "We're about there. Warm up the probes, and this time, keep your blond head in the car." He didn't want to have to worry about Adam's usual antics.
Adam pressed the buttons that prepared the launch of the probes. "Don't worry. You heard the boss. He made me promise to keep my head in. Probes are ready."
"Okay, I want to try to get all six in. We've never done that before, but one for each funnel. If I can do it. Adam, it means going into the bear's cage. Are you willing?" Hunter asked as he approached the road that would lead to the first, nearest funnel cloud.
The bear's cage is the curtain of heavy rain that wrapped around the rotating updraft of air. It is a sure sign of a tornado. When a chase team enters the bear's cage, they risk being directly hit by a tornado. The rain means the tornado won't be seen by the chase team. Rain wrapped tornadoes cause more deaths because they aren't visible to those watching.
At the ROW, Chris and Seth watched the blue dot on the map. Kenny Omega stood behind Chris and looked at the computer. He'd come into the ROW to cool off a bit and hide from the afternoon heat.
It was Kenny who spoke. "They aren't really going into the bear's cage are they? One of those funnels could come down at any moment and be lost in the rain." He couldn't believe what he saw. Hardly anyone drove into a bear's cage, especially not on purpose.
"Hunter has done it many times. It's what we have to do to get data we need. I… trust Hunter..." Chris' confidence faded as he spoke.
Seth knew that tone of voice. He knew Chris was worried stupid, and he didn't blame him. "They will be alright. Hunter got them out of that other mess and this time, they have plenty of roads." He tried to be confident, but it was hard. Hunter and Adam were in danger.
At the Scout, Dean continued with the live stream. "So far, the six funnels haven't touched down, but the rotation of the storm is getting tighter. Just a reminder, anyone within seventy-five miles of Dodge City needs to be under cover. If anyone you know is out on the Arkansas River, or where they might not have radio or television, call them on their cell phones and warn them. I'll be back with an update when needed. In the mean time, continue to watch the stream." Dean then switched the stream to the GoPro on the truck. Seth had made a relay switch that made the transition easy.
Dean lowered his camera and walked up to the Scout truck. Roman had taken over the FLIR camera when Shawn's hand began to shake. Shawn watched the storm through a pair of binoculars and hoped to catch a glimpse of the Range Rover.
"I think I see their ambers. They are going for the southernmost funnel first." Shawn spoke out loud, but his voice was lost in a loud rumble of thunder.
Roman looked at the sky. "We'd better get in, lightening is becoming a real threat." No sooner than Roman spoke, a bolt of lightening hit the ground less than five hundred yards away from the Scout.
Shawn, Roman and Dean piled into the Scout truck and closed the doors. The thunder that rumbled actually shook the truck like a small earthquake.
"That was too close!" Dean exclaimed as he focused his camera out of the window of the Scout's club cab.
Roman chuckled a bit. "Yeah. You'd better tell them we're okay on the live feed. A lot of comments about it already." He was filled with excitement. The found the lightening so damn fascinating.
Shawn still looked through his binoculars. "Good idea. Dang, I can't see the Rover. Well, give me the FLIR, I have the better view. It will keep my mind off things." He looked at Roman.
Roman handed Shawn the camera. "We've been getting some good data. The mix of warm and cold air is different in each funnel. It might be important to see which mix causes the tornado to drop."
"Good point, Roman. Chris has been quiet, that means he is very worried..." Shawn's words faded as he tried not to thing of his husband and Adam.
Dean switched the live stream back to his camera. "I'm back folks. We are fine. The lightening was close, but we weren't hurt. We are safe and sound in our Scout truck..." He went on to tell more about the storm.
Hunter stopped the Rover just long enough to Adam to fire the first probe. "We aren't watching, we're going to fire and move. It's the only hope we have at getting all six funnel clouds." Hunter explained as they quickly sped off.
At the ROW, Chris and Seth watched the blue dot with baited breath. They were so intent, neither of them seemed to hear the alarm that meant a probe had entered a storm.
Kenny Omega looked over Chris' shoulder. "What's that alarm for? It's not a security alert." He wondered why Seth and Chris seemed to ignore the alarm.
Seth looked over at the computer that collected probe data. "Two are in. Good thing it starts to save immediately. I didn't hear it. Oh, three are in. I can't believe it!" He was excited as the data came in fast and hard.
Chris' eyes never left his computer. "They are the best. Oh… oh… no… no..." He jumped up from his chair so fast he nearly knocked Officer Omega to the ground. He dashed out of the ROW and Chris climbed up onto the roof of the ROW.
"Sorry, Kenny. He's worried to death. Two of the funnel clouds just touched down. Look." Seth's voice was filled with worry and his face was pale.
Kenny looked at the map on the computer. He saw that the blue dot of the Range Rover was caught between the two funnels that had touched down on the ground.