Adam paced the floor of the bedroom he and Chris had been given. He chewed his fingers like a hungry dog after a bone. Chris watched. He knew there wasn't anything he could do until Adam calmed down._
After the news that Morrison had stabbed AJ Styles, then vanished, Chief John Layfield arranged for the storm chasers to be moved to a safe house, about five miles southwest of Pampa. The ranch style house, which was fully furnished, was for sale. Chief Layfield knew the Realtor. The man had been glad to let Chris' team use the house.
The two story house had six bedrooms, four upstairs and two downstairs. There were four full bathrooms, living room, dining room, a large airy kitchen and a den. The den had once been the garage. It was converted to the den when the owner decided to build a bigger garage onto the house. So now the house had a three car garage with a storm shelter underneath it. There was a lovely pool with a large deck and barbecue area in the backyard. The house sat on the edge of two hundred acres of prime grazing land. The property also had several out buildings, that included a barn. The barn is where Roman had parked the ROW. It was totally hidden from sight. Scout and Rover were safely parked in the garage with the door closed.
Kenny Omega, Kyle and Ken Miller, Beth Phillips and Carrie Reynolds were also at the house. Sheriff Ron Simmons and Chief Layfield also had men assigned to each out building, all of them were K-9 Officers. However, anyone driving by would never know the house was guarded like a fortress. No marked or unmarked police cars were visible.
Adam stopped and looked out of the bedroom window. He could see cows grazing peacefully in the pasture beyond the backyard. He also saw Seth, Roman and Dean in the pool, Kenny Omega with them.
"How can they just play in the pool like nothing happened? We were just at the water park!" Adam spoke with anger in his voice. He spun on his heels and looked at his husband.
Chris looked at Adam with a soft smile. "It's their way of coping, baby. Roman and Dean want to keep Seth from… doing what you're doing. Sweetheart, please relax. We are safe here. Why don't you go downstairs and make some of your delicious spaghetti?"
Adam flopped down on the bed next to Chris. "You want me to cook? I'm so… I'd probably burn the house down. Besides, the sauce has to simmer all day. Oh, I'm… not mad at the boys, I know they are worried. I wonder how AJ is. No matter what, no one deserves to be stabbed. Why on earth would Morrison have done that? AJ was his protection." Adam laid his head on Chris' shoulder and wrapped his arms around Chris' waist.
Chris kissed the top of Adam's blond head. "No, I don't really expect you to cook, unless you want to. I don't know, baby. Kyle and Ken think that perhaps Morrison wanted to silence AJ so he could make his final plan. I do know we are safe and we will stay safe. Baby, we have to to chase tomorrow, it's going to be a big storm. We have to concentrate on our jobs. Will you be my big, brave strong Kitten?" He wrapped his arms around his husband and held him close.
Adam nodded. His cheek rubbed against Chris. "I know, Lion. I will do my job, but it doesn't mean I won't worry. It's you that psycho is after. I thought all this had ended five years ago. Now, it's right back in our faces. Chris if… I couldn't live without you." He would stay strong and chase, but he was deathly worried about Chris.
"I'm proud of you, Adam. I do know how hard this is for you. You know Seth and I will be perfectly safe. I thought it was behind us as well. As soon as they catch Morrison, it will be behind us, for good. Now, let's go join the others." Chris gave Adam a loved filled kiss.
Adam smiled. "I would feel a lot differently about this, but I do trust Kenny to keep you safe. Okay, let's go, I need some coffee." He returned Chris' kiss.
Chris turned serious, and held on to Adam. "Adam, I truly love you." He pulled Adam in for a tender kiss. It was filled with all the love in his heart.
Adam's eyes filled with tears. "I truly love you, Christopher." They kissed once more. Hand in hand they went downstairs to join the others in the kitchen.
Kenny, Kyle, Ken and Hunter sat at the kitchen table. The large table sat back a bit in the curved area created by a bay window and looked out over the backyard and pool. It was a cozy nook. Shawn leaned against a counter and waited for the coffee to brew. Carrie and Beth had gone shopping before they came to the safe house.
"Hey guys, coffee will be ready soon. The ladies came with groceries. They are upstairs getting out of their disguises. Carrie insists on cooking dinner. She said we need a good dose of home cooking." Shawn explained with a smile as Chris and Adam entered the kitchen.
Adam sat on the bay window bench, next to Kenny. "That will be nice. I haven't had a mom cooked meal in ages."
Kyle grinned. "You will get that for sure. Carrie raised four football playing boys. She's a fantastic cook. So...um… Adam.. are..." He was halted by Adam.
"I'm alright, Kyle. I hate the situation, but our work has to go on. I trust Kenny to keep Chris and Seth safe, and I trust the two of you. You have both have always been honest with us, good or bad. I don't have to like it, in fact I hate it, but Morrison isn't going to stop our work." Adam spoke with earnest feelings and confidence.
Kenny laid a hand on Adam's shoulder. "I really appreciate that. I will do everything humanly possible to keep them safe. So will Boss, and Brother Boss." He was deeply sincere.
Shawn poured the coffee as Adam spoke. "Thanks, Shawn. I needed this." He turned to Kenny. "I know you will, Kenny. You watch yourself as well, you are one of us now." Adam took a much needed sip of coffee.
Carrie and Beth came into the kitchen, and looked like their normal selves. Carrie went to the fridge. "How does meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn and gravy sound? Oh, and hot rolls?"
Shawn went to help. "Sounds wonderful. Now, how can I help?" He picked up a potato peeler ready to work.
Beth took the peeler from the preacher. "By taking your coffee and sitting out by the pool and relaxing. Carrie and I are looking forward to this. We both love to cook." She gently nudged Shawn out of the kitchen.
Shawn protested. "Cooking for ten men, three of which are growing boys, plus you two? I can't let you do that. I can help."
Carrie smiled. "Shawn, I feed four very active football players and their dad every day and worked full time. Let me be the mom for a while. Hunter, please take your lovely husband outside before I spank him. Now, all of you out, or we won't eat before ten. Shoo-shoo!" Both Carrie and Beth waved their arms and shooed the six men out of the kitchen and through the sliding glass door that led to the backyard and swimming pool.
"Um… I wouldn't argue with them men. Beth is also a professional MMA fighter." Ken spoke in a warning tone with a wink to Beth.
"ACK!" Shawn cried out as Hunter tossed him over his shoulder and went outside. The others followed with a laugh.
The college boys, in the pool, laughed when they saw the others being chased out of the kitchen by the two police women.
"We were just about to get out, and shower. Think it will be safe to go in?" Seth asked like he was scared to death of Beth and Carrie.
Ken laughed. "Yes, Seth it will be safe. Beth is really a sweetheart. She just wanted Shawn to sit down and relax. Go shower, boys."
Roman got out of the pool, as did Dean and Seth. They toweled off then went in to shower. They made use of all three bathrooms upstairs. They knew the others wouldn't mind. The Jericho's room and the Helmsley's room had en suite bathrooms. There was a bathroom across from the room the college boys were in.
Despite the threat Morrison posed, the group of storm chasers managed to relax. Beth and Carrie came out with a large tray each.
"Here are few appetizers, and more coffee. Who ever lived here must have had a large family. Dinner will be ready around eight." Carrie stated as she the tray down on the large, square wrought iron table with a glass top.
"Thank you, ladies. Okay, I admit, it is nice to sit here and relax." Shawn stated as he crunched a piece of celery loaded with pimento cheese.
Carried smiled. "It's relaxing for me too. With my boys away at college, I miss this. Gotta get back. Enjoy and save some for the boys." She and Beth happily went back into the kitchen.
Chris had brought his laptop and was lost in working out the forecast for tomorrow. He was soon joined by Seth, who was anxious to keep his mind occupied. The work had to be done anyway.
When Dean came out he had his and Adam's camera bags. "I thought you might want to clean?" Dean arched his brow at his mentor.
Adam grinned. "Yeah. Might as well use that new cleaning kit. By the way, you can keep it, Dean. I didn't really need one." He pulled his own cleaning kit out of his bag.
Dean smiled. "Thanks, Obi Wan. I did need a new one, but… the gifts set me back a bit." He spoke in a soft voice as to not be heard by Seth and Roman.
Adam nodded. "I figured. That's okay, you will easily make the money back. Say, we really do need to clean the GoPros on the vehicles."
Roman spoke up. "I need to do the pre-chase maintenance on them too. Kenny, can we go down to the barn after dinner? It will take an hour or so."
"Sure. I will let the K nine guys know. I'll probably go down with you." Kenny spoke with a nod.
Kyle Miller swallowed his bite of celery. "I am glad to see you going on like normal." He was impressed, especially with Adam.
At eight, the twelve people sat down at the table in the dining room and after a prayer from Shawn, enjoyed a scrumptious homemade meal.
"Well, that is a real compliment, gentlemen. There isn't a crumb of leftovers." Carrie beamed with pride.
"It was wonderful, Carrie. Thank you, and you too Beth. Now, you ladies go relax. Chris and Seth, go forecast. Roman and Dean, go do your jobs on the vehicles. Adam, go clean your cameras. Hunter, you and I will clean up the kitchen. No arguments." Shawn spoke in a stern parental tone with a look to match.
"Kyle and I will help, Shawn. Kenny go down to the barn with Roman and Dean." Ken stood and began to clear the table.
No one argued and they went about their tasks to prepare for the next days chase. When the sky grew dark, soft gas lights lit the pool area, so Seth and Chris could keep working. Adam went in and sat at the kitchen table, he needed the brighter light.
It had been a very long day. The party at the water park, the news of Styles and Morrison, the move to the safe house, dinner, then all the prep before everyone finally fell into their beds. They slept peacefully because they knew they were safe.
By seven a.m., the storm chasers were up, showered and dressed. A pile of equipment and freshly filled coolers waited by the door that led from the kitchen to the garage.
When the Jericho Storm chase team entered the kitchen, they found Chief Layfield and his husband, Sheriff Ron Simmons at the kitchen table with the Miller twins. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted in the air. There were also several boxes of donuts of all kinds along with other pastries like long johns and apple fritters.
Carrie, Beth and Kenny set out coffee cups, filled them and put out plates and napkins. Soon fourteen people sat around the kitchen table or on chairs from the dining room. They enjoyed their sweet treats, coffee, milk and orange juice.
"Fank vo dor de fonuts." Dean spoke with a full mouth.
Seth rolled his eyes. "Dean, don't talk with your mouth full, please. But yes, thank you for breakfast."
John Layfield smiled. "Not a problem. Oh, the boys are looking forward to meeting you. Your Jamaican barbecue will be on the house, if you can make it. Guess it depends on the storms." He took a sip of coffee.
Shawn looked at John. "John, what about AJ? How is he?" He was worried about Styles. No one deserved what had happened.
Layfield frowned. "Not good. He was in surgery most of the night. Morrison stabbed him fifteen times… in the back. I will always be honest with you. It was one of the most vicious attacks I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. The doctors have given him a fifty-fifty chance. So, has anything changed location wise for the storm?" He was worried that Morrison was still out there.
Chris shook his head. "No, at least not yet. There are some storms brewing up in southwestern Armstrong county. Rover will go roughly twenty five miles to the northeast, Scout will be twenty miles to the south, southwest. ROW will be here." He had pulled up the map on his ever present laptop.
All seven law enforcement officers gathered around and looked at the map. Carrie spoke. What do you think about this. I ride in Rover and Beth goes with Scout?"
Ken Miller nodded. "Good idea, Carrie. Chris, you won't need to worry. Beth and Carrie won't get in the way of a chase." He wanted Chris to know not to worry. They would do as told.
"I'm okay with that. Carrie, all I ask is you do what Hunter says, when he says. Also know, Rover launches probes into the storms. That means they get close, really close. So stay out of the way." Chris spoke to Carrie directly. He wanted he to know there was a possibility of real danger.
Carrie nodded. "Understood, Chris. We are both aware that this is real. Hunter, I will do as you say. I am there to keep you safe. I know you and Adam will do the same for me." She gave Hunter a nod of respect.
Shawn was upset. "Wait… just wait. We are not saying another word about the chase until we have a prayer circle for AJ. Regardless of how we feel about him, the man needs prayer. I will go see him at the hospital after the chase."
"You're right, Shawn. We need to do a prayer circle for Styles. Come on guys, everyone is welcome to join." Chris stood as he spoke. He might not like AJ, but he'd gained some respect for him for helping the cops.
All fourteen people joined hands. Shawn lead them in a prayer for AJ's healing and recovery. He also asked for protection from the coming storms. He also prayed that John Morrison would give up and seek the help he so desperately needed. The prayer ended with a group "Amen."
Shawn continued to speak. "Thank you. I know it is hard to pray for someone you may not like. No matter how you may feel about AJ personally, he doesn't deserve to be fighting for his life." He respected everyone for being part of the prayer circle.
Beth sighed. "I wish we could have gotten to him faster. Carrie and I were watching them. AJ was lying on his stomach, sunbathing. It was over before we realized what had happened. We thought Morrison was rubbing suntan oil on Styles' back. We didn't twig till Morrison took off like a gazelle being chased by a cheetah. Chief Layfield and his men tried to catch Morrison, but, like in Dodge City, he vanished like smoke..." She sighed again. She felt guilty about AJ as did Carrie Reynolds.
Ken placed a fatherly hand on his aide's shoulder. "Beth, you and Carrie did the best you possibly could. The ambulance attendants said Styles would have died at the park if you and Carrie hadn't acted so fast to stem the bleeding. If you would have gone after Morrison, Styles would be in the morgue. You did a fantastic job, both of you. Buck up, Beth. You have a job to do. You make damn sure to listen to Shawn, Roman and Dean. If you get eaten by a tornado, Nattie will kill me." He gave Beth a smile. He had every faith in the woman.
Beth smiled at her boss. "Thanks, boss. You always make it alright. Don't worry. I don't plan on getting eaten by a tornado." She gave Ken a nod, then one to Carrie. Both returned the gesture.
"Um… guys… we've got a thunder storm warning for extreme southwestern Armstrong county." Seth pulled off his headset, and turned his laptop to face the group.
Chris jumped into action. "Fuck! Move! Let's go! Now!" He was angry with himself for not paying attention. Luckily no one took offense, his team knew how Chris could get. Shawn had also warned the law enforcement officers of the same.
Within fifteen minutes, the Jericho storm chase team pulled out of the driveway of the safe house. Rover, driven by Hunter was the lead. Roman driving the ROW followed, and Shawn driving Scout brought up the rear. Once the ROW was parked and set at their chosen observation point, Roman would take over driving Scout. Rover and Scout would then be dispatched.
Chief John Layfield followed the storm chasers in an unmarked car. His husband, Sheriff Ron Simmons went the opposite direction to rendezvous with his men. Kyle and Ken Miller also followed the storm chasers. They would remain close to ROW, but well out of sight.
Chris sat in his chair at his computer in the ROW. With a sigh, he keyed his radio mic. "Sorry I yelled back there. It's my fault for not paying attention."
"ROW, Rover. It's okay, Chris. We know. We still love you, boss; especially me. Rover, out." Adam spoke with in such a way, that Chris knew his Kitten smiled.
Chris grinned. "I'm sorry to you too, Seth. I didn't mean to yell." He gave Seth a playful nudge.
Seth laughed. "Adam said it. We still love ya, boss." He looked up from his computer and nudged Chris back.
"ROW, Rover. Watch it when you turn off to the dirt road, huge pot hole in the dirt. Rover, out." Hunter spoke quickly so Roman would be prepared.
Roman slowed down to make the turn. "Wow, remind me to thank Hunter. Hold on to your coffee cups, boys." Roman called out. He very slowly and carefully maneuvered through a huge, deep pot hole. The ROW rocked, but, Roman made it through safely. The county road was covered with white chat, but it was well worn and smooth; except for the pot hole.
Ten minutes later, Roman parked the ROW well off the road, on a hilltop rise. He pushed the buttons that leveled the ROW, and drove the anchors into the ground. Once the lights flashed green, he spoke to Seth.
"ROW is down, set and locked. You're good to go with the radar, Seth." Roman shut down the ROW as the generator went green.
"Roman, great job with the pot hole. Dean if anyone says anything about AJ Styles on the live stream comments, ignore it. We don't want to be… well… it sounds harsh, but we can't let our reputations be drug down. Understand?" Chris spoke to Dean as the young man began to unload his camera gear.
Adam also began to unload his gear, but remained silent. Carrie waited quietly, ready to do what was asked. Kenny had gotten out of the ROW, and was already on guard.
Roman spoke first. "Thanks, boss. I'm going to thank Hunter. You were smart to put Rover in the lead." He went to speak to Hunter who stood at the back of the Rover.
Dean nodded. "Yes, Chris. I understand. I don't have time to respond to those kind of questions or comments. Once in a while, if I can, I will answer one of the serious weather questions. Styles and Morrison are no one else's business."
Seth quickly worked to get the radar online. As they waited for the Doppler, Chris turned up the NWS radio. They gave an update on the thunderstorm warning Seth had heard back at the safe house.
"Slow mover, not my favorite. They drop the most EF fives. Okay, our position estimates were spot on. Seth, we are an unstoppable team. I'll go get them going." Chris gave Seth a wink and left the ROW.
Seth sat up in his chair with a bit of pride. They had done a perfect job of forecasting their location, two days before the storm. Chris Jericho was a weather genius, or as they would say at the University; a GOAT. GOAT was an acronym for Greatest Of All Time. As far as Seth was concerned, Chris was the GOAT of weather forecasting.
Chris joined his team. They looked at the map Hunter had spread out on the hood of the Range Rover. Before he said anything, Chris scooped up a handful of dirt and let it fall. The dirt and grass had a bit of a twist to it as it fell from his hand to the ground. It was a sure sign of a tornado.
Shawn had watched Chris' actions. "Even I saw the twist that time. You can feel the mix of warm and cool air too. Looks like more thunderstorms are building." He pointed to the southwest. In the far distance, the warned storm was almost visible, and more thunderheads were building up just a few miles away.
Chris looked to where Shawn pointed. "Colliding storms. This could be a big one. Go to your positions. The storm is a slow mover. If you get a chance for land probes, go for it. Use your own discretion and knowledge. Everyone, do your best, forget everything else. Oh Dean, run the live stream as you see fit. Just remember what I said. Seth! Five minutes for prayer circle." He spoke to his crew, then called for Seth to join them. Chris knew a second prayer couldn't hurt.
Ten people joined hands and prayed along with Shawn. After the "Amen", the usual kisses and goodbyes were exchanged.
Adam, Hunter and Carrie took off to the north in the Rover. Roman, Shawn, Dean and Beth headed to the south, southwest in Scout. Seth and Chris went back into the ROW. Kenny double checked the alarms Roman and Hunter had set. He then went to the roof of the ROW and kept watch for trouble.
Kenny made a call to his boss. "Sir, they all just left. No change in the plan. Any sign of him?… okay… yes… I will… yes, Hunter and Roman set the alarms… as ready as can be… yes, I always have mine on… alright, if you think it's best… yes I did, in the box… will do… I'll stay in contact with updates as needed… yes… it's channel eight… you can watch the live stream too…thanks, boss. You too… talk to you later." Kenny ended the call. He hoped Chris and Seth wouldn't object to his bosses instructions.
Kenny climbed down from the roof of the ROW. He went to a box by the cooler that sat on the card table under the awning. He opened the box and pulled out two, lightweight Kevlar vests. Sergeant Ken Miller wanted Seth and Chris to wear them. Kenny always wore his, but under his shirt. He quickly changed, so that now his vest was over his shirt. The best way to do things was to lead by example.
Kenny took the two vests in hand, took a deep breath and went into the ROW. Chris and Seth sat back in their chairs and watched their computers. It was the literal calm before the storm.
"Chris, Seth, I have something for you. I spoke to the boss. He wants you to wear these for protection." He held up the two live protecting vests.
Chris sighed. "Feels like giving in, but, if Ken wants it, we'll do it. I see you are finally showing yours." He gave Kenny a wink and took the vests. He handed one to Seth.
"I actually don't mind. Just wish it wasn't so hot." Seth laughed a bit as he and Chris put on their vests.
Kenny was amazed. "Thanks, guys. I really expected you to argue. I kept my hidden mainly because of Adam. I understand how… sensitive he can be. I didn't want him to be more worried than he already is." He hoped Chris wouldn't take it the wrong way.
Chris sat back down. "I appreciate that, Kenny. Adam is sensitive. The incident with Drew and thinking I was dead left a deep scar. At least I can go to the bathroom alone now." He gave Kenny a wink and went back to work.
"Thanks for understanding what I meant, about Adam. I'm up on the roof of the ROW, till the weather drives me down." Kenny stated to Chris and Seth. Before he could leave, Seth spoke.
"Kenny, thanks. I do feel safer with this. Not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be." Seth gave the cop a grateful smile.
"Look, I wasn't going to mention it directly, but I have to be honest with you. I am going to be carrying a high power rifle from now on; while ROW is parked. I stored it in the undercarriage locker last night. I will put it away before Scout and Rover get back." Kenny wondered if this would be the thing that would make Chris explode.
Chris looked at Kenny. "Thanks for being honest, Kenny. None of this makes me happy, it feels like Morrison is winning. However, if Ken and Kyle think it's for the best, I won't argue about it. To be honest, aside from my feelings regarding Morrison, I do feel perfectly safe. Now, we'd all better get back to our work. Kenny, honestly, thank you." He gave his fellow Canadian a nod of deep respect.
Kenny returned the nod, then left the ROW office. He went to the undercarriage storage and took out the case that held his Colt M4 Carbine. It was one of two owned by the Dodge City Police Department. He rapidly put it together. He then loaded it from the ammo box that had been in the box with the Kevlar vests.
Kenny looked at the weapon. Normally, they only used the Colt M4 Carbine in SWAT situations. It was for when they faced extremely dangerous criminals or situations, like the bank robbery a few years ago. It was perfect for short and long range. It could be fired as a single shot or automatic fire weapon. The Carbine Kenny carried also had a scope and a laser targeting system. It was also equipped with night vision devices. Officer Kenny Omega felt the weight of responsibility as well as the weight of the weapon he carried; both were heavy.
Omega adjusted the weapon in its sling so he could climb onto the roof of the Radar On Wheels. He settled in so his back rested against the cab roof. Kenny nearly had a 360° view of the area. He could see the storm building to the southwest and beyond that, the storm that approached. His weather mind sensed this was going to be a big one. Not something the town of Pampa, Texas needed to deal with again.
In the Scout, Roman parked in the spot that had been circled on the map. They were on a rise in the middle of one of the gas fields. In the distance, the wells worked to pump the natural gas to the refinery many miles away. They looked much the same as the wells in an oil field.
"That is a slow mover. I've sent out the alert on social media that we will live stream in the next hour or so. No point in showing them nothing. I have warned those in the area to pay attention." Dean stated as he pocketed his cell phone. He grabbed his trusty camera bag and slid out of the passenger club cab. Beth sat next to him.
As Dean spoke with Shawn and Roman a few feet away, Officer Beth Phillips checked her weapon. She carried a Glock 19. It was the gun most police departments used. Beth liked it because it was lighter and a bit smaller which made it easier to conceal and quicker to draw. Beth made sure all fifteen rounds were loaded. She also felt the box of ammo hidden the pocket of the black windbreaker jacket she wore.
When Beth was satisfied, she holstered her weapon. She wore a shoulder holster, no need to remind everyone she was armed. She also knew, despite Shawn being a Pastor, would shoot Morrison if he had to, even if just to wound. Beth joined the others to watch for storms; from all sides.
To the north, the Rover was parked on another small rise. That was the interesting thing, while the area was mostly flat land, the gas fields were filled with small, rolling rises.
Carrie Reynolds had also checked her weapon, the same as Beth's, a Clock 9. She too kept her weapon in a shoulder holster. The only difference was, the windbreaker jacket she wore was royal blue.
Hunter sat in the driver's seat. He'd turned the computer to face him. He looked at the current wind speed and direction from the anemometer on the roof of the Rover. Hunter ran some calculations in his mind, about the probes. He always thought of ways to improve the aerodynamics of the probes.
Adam stood a few feet away from the Rover. He filmed the distant and forming storms to the southwest. The more he filmed, the more he felt his own twitch; a tornado was coming.
Carrie approached Adam. "Is it okay to talk?" She asked in a barely there whisper.
Adam chuckled. "Yes, you can talk. I can edit the sound. Although, I don't talk a lot, unless it is storm narration. Did you need something, Carrie?" He never took his eyes from the camera, but his tone was warm and friendly.
"I'm curious about the storms I really don't know that much about the weather. But even if know if the two storms join up… there will be a tornado?" Carrie asked as she too watched the boiling clouds.
Adam spoke. "Probably. Hold your hands out, tell me what you feel?" It was the best way he could explain.
Carrie stretched out her hands. The winds blew, not hard, but enough to be felt. "That… how can I feel both warm and cool air?"
"The cold air is being sucked into the warm air. It's like a spinning, horizontal coil. When that coil of warm and cool air, meet the dry air line, it pulls the horizontal coil up, till it becomes vertical. That vertical coil forms a funnel cloud and a possible tornado. It's a delicate balance, too much cool or warm air can make or break a storm. One day, I will tell you about our ideas on weather and the chaos theory." Adam smiled from behind his camera.
Carrie laughed. "That I do know about. Kyle and I argue about it sometimes. Chaos Theory comes into play in more than weather. Does it affect the criminal mind. Can the flap of a butterflies wings be the difference between murder and attempted murder? I think maybe so, Kyle says no. I'd love to hear what he things about the Chaos Theory and weather. Um… why is the cloud doing that?" She pointed to the changing cloud.
"Hunter! Beaver tail! Call it in, caps burst open too!" Adam called out to Hunter.
Adam continued to speak. "It's forming a beaver tail. That's where the tornado will form. Carrie, I don't mean to sound bossy, but go back to the Rover. We have to be ready to go in a split second. Don't worry, Hunter is the best probe driver in the world. But, don't tell Chris I said that." He glanced at Carrie with a wink.
"Don't worry about it, Adam. I need to know when to get out of your way. Oh, and my lips are sealed." Carrie hurried back to the Rover. Her eyes always scanned and her ears listened for any sign of Morrison. When she got into the back seat, Hunter finished his report.
"… Rover out." Hunter put his radio down and turned to Carrie. "Depending on what happens, we will have to move fast. Be sure to buckle up. Carrie, it can get close sometimes. I don't mean to sound like an egomaniac, but I am a damn good driver. Just… not to be mean, but stay out of the way of the launch pad when it's armed." Hunter lifted the center console cover and pointed out their launch controls.
Carrie looked at the launch control. "I can't wait to see how this works. Don't worry, just pretend like I am not here. As I told Adam, tell me what to do, I won't be offended. Oh..." She was startled by a sudden flash of lightening, that led to a loud rack of thunder.
"ROW, Rover, this is Scout. We have rotation in the second storm. First storm is about to mix into the second. Winds and storm ocean have increased. Live stream has started." Shawn's voice echoed over the radio along with another rumble of thunder overhead.
The NWS radio alert sounded. To no one's surprise, a tornado warning had been issued for Gray county and the town of Pampa. They called it a PDS storm and warned people to take cover immediately.
At the ROW, Chris had joined Kenny on the roof. He still trusted his own eyes over a computer. "That funnel is gonna drop soon." Chris spoke thoughtfully.
"Chris! Hunter wants probe guidance. He thinks they both have time for land probes." Seth called out as he stood at the door of the ROW.
"Be right there!" Chris called back. He quickly moved to the ladder. "Kenny, come down now, lightening is a threat." Chris gave Kenny a nod and went down into the ROW.
Kenny followed Chris down. He decided to put up the awning and table, ready to move if called for. He was also on extra alert. Morrison would know the chaos of a storm would be the perfect time to attack. He kept his rifle in reach on his back.
In the ROW, Chris made his decision. He picked up his radio. "Scout, Rover this is ROW. It's too risky for land probes. Rover, you can move for rocket probe launch. Scout, prepare to track. It's about to drop. ROW out." He had a feeling that trying to set the land probes would be too dangerous.
In the Rover, Adam filmed from the passenger window. "Chris must have a niggle. For him to say no is a big deal. Wait… wait… tornado! It's down!" Adam spoke with excitement as the tornado snaked down to the ground.
Hunter started the car. "I agree. Let's go launch a rocket probe. Carrie, hold on." He put the Rover in gear and sped off.
Closer to the storm, Roman, Shawn and Dean waited to see where the twisting cloud would go. Beth also looked at the storm. Dean filmed from the window of the club cab passenger seat. A few hundred people watch the live stream.
The National Weather Service gave a constant warning for the town of Pampa, Texas. Shawn turned down the volume.
"No need to keep listening, we see it better than they do. It's growing and it's getting stronger. I don't mean this as a joke, but I've got a bad feeling about this." Shawn spoke softly. His gut churned. They were going to be affected by this storm. He just hoped they would all live through it.