Hunter rapidly drove the Ranger Rover toward the tornado that tore up the ground of the natural gas field. Adam hung out of the passenger window and filmed. Carrie Reynolds sat in the back seat. She was both nervous and excited. It was the same feeling she often had when involved in a police chase.
Several miles away, Roman, Shawn, Beth and Dean watched the storm. Shawn had the FLIR camera trained on the storm. Dean filmed from the window of the club cab. He spoke as he filmed. People watching the live stream needed to know what was happening.
Even further away, in the Radar On Wheels, Chris and Seth watched everything at once. They could see the FLIR stream, the live stream and GoPro feed. They also watched the radar and kept an eye on the blue dot of the Rover as Hunter moved to probe the storm.
Officer Kenny Omega forgot about the weather. He was on full alert. He knew if Morrison was going to try anything, it would be during the chaos of a storm. He walked around the ROW, rifle in hand. Ken Miller had told him it didn't matter if Morrison found out Kenny was a cop. Morrison had to know he was as chased as a storm. If it made Morrison panic, all the better. It meant he might be more apt to make a mistake. Mistakes got you caught.
"ROW, Scout. This thing is tightening up and growing in intensity. It's going to wreak a lot of havoc. Looks like it's headed right for Pampa. Scout, out." Shawn's voice echoed in Chris' headset.
Seth nodded. "He's right. The winds have increased to one hundred sixty five miles per hour, that's EF three damage. I hope Hunter is paying attention. At least this storm is steady in movement."
Before Chris could respond to Seth, Adam's voice was heard. "ROW, Rover. We are calling for a check. We have a way in and a way out. We need to know if there is a risk for a wobble." Adam sounded excited.
Chris responded. "Rover, stand by one minute, will check radar and visuals." Chris got up and went to the door. Kenny stood on the bottom step, rifle in hand, as the wind blew, lightening flashed and thunder rumbled.
"Looks bad, headed right for town. I hope everyone is taking cover." Kenny stated in a grim voice. They were about twenty miles from the tornado. Chris and Kenny could see the debris cloud of dust and trash thrown up by the twisting storm.
"Yes, it does. They have to probe. Looks to be steady, tracking northeast. Yes, eastern Pampa is in trouble." Chris spoke flatly as he went back inside. He looked at the radar. "Put the storm … oh you did. Thanks, Seth. The storm is steady. The escape route is behind the storm. Hunter can do it." Chris gave a nod and picked up his radio mic.
"Rover, ROW. Clear for probe launch. You will be behind the storm. Track in with Scout. Be careful, I love you. ROW, out." Chris ended the call. His eyes immediately went to follow the blue dot on the screen.
In the Range Rover, Adam ended the call with Chris. "...we will be. Love you, Rover out." Adam turned to Carrie in the back seat.
"Strap in and once I take this cover off, don't touch. We will be alright. We have a good exit behind the storm." Adam was serious as he spoke. He quickly opened the center console to reveal the launch controls.
As Hunter sped toward the storm, Adam pressed the buttons that armed the rocket probes. Carrie watched quietly and stayed back out of the way.
At the Scout, Roman, Shawn, Dean and Beth took a moment to pray for Hunter, Adam and Carrie.
"...we ask for your protection in the path of the tornado. We ask this in His precious name, Amen." Shawn finished the prayer. He went right back to aiming the thermal imaging FLIR camera at the storm.
Beth held Dean's cell phone and helped by watching the live stream. Still her eyes flicked warily for any sign of Morrison. "Wow, Shawn. About ninety percent of the people watching typed Amen or used the praying hands emoji." She was impressed with how many people cared about the team.
"That's nice. Will you please tell them thank you. Roman! Watch the lightening, son!" Shawn ducked back into the truck. He'd had his upper body out of the passenger window to film.
Roman sat on the sill of the driver's side window. He had his camera and worked on his skills at taking lightening pictures. He slid back into the seat when a bolt of lightening struck the ground a couple of hundred yards away from the Scout truck.
"Yeah, that was close. Is it wrong for me to think it's beautiful?" Roman caught his breath. He had actually felt the power of the electricity in the lightening.
Dean leaned up and put a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Ro, it's okay, it is beautiful. Even though the tornado is going to cause a lot of damage, it is beautiful in the way it moves. There has to be something good, even in the worst of things. Oh… I can't say it right." He sighed and looked over at the live stream. He'd switched it show the GoPro angle. It was safer than having his head out of the window. The winds and lightening had greatly increased.
Shawn still filmed, but his window was only down enough to stick the camera out. "I know what you mean, Dean. There is beauty in ugly, so to speak. Roman it is beautiful..." He was interrupted by the NWS radio.
The announcement warned the residents of Pampa, Texas that they were in immediate and eminent danger. The middle and eastern parts of town were in the most danger. The announcer spoke in one of the firmest tones of voice Shawn had ever heard in all his years of chasing storms.
At the Ranger Rover, they heard the same announcement, but were too occupied to really listen. Hunter quickly stopped the Rover, with the skid on the chat and gravel road.
"Ready? We've got one chance." Hunter looked at Adam, then to the tornado that was just a mile away.
Adam nodded. "All systems green. Ready when you are." His hand hovered over the six launch buttons. His camera was in its dashboard "tripod" and was aimed at the tornado.
"I'm set, go for it." Carrie assured when Adam looked at her, brow arched.
"Alright, here we go!" Hunter gunned the engine, the Range Rover sped closer to the tornado. The road they were on would be crossed by the tornado. They only had split seconds to fire the probe and flee.
Back at the ROW, Chris and Seth watched the blue dot as it drew closer and closer to the red and green mass on the computer screen.
Seth glanced over at his boss. Chris' hands gripped the arms of his chair so hard, his knuckles were white. Chris appeared to stop breathing. Seth also noticed Chris' body trembled. His admiration for Chris grew deeper. It must be so hard to constantly send the person you love most in the world into the path of a tornado.
Seth couldn't help it. He reached over and put a hand on Chris' shoulder. "He will be alright." His words were simple, but they came from the heart.
Chris' eyes never left the computer. "I love him, Seth. More than I can ever say in words. It's hard to send him out there. We used to do it together, but, I have to be honest, Hunter is better. He can calculate aerodynamic stuff that I can't..." His words faded as he leaned in to look at the computer. The blue dot was no longer visible as the green and red blob obscured the road. All he could do was wait and see if the blue dot emerged further down the road.
Kenny stepped into the ROW and closed the door. He went to the cab and looked out of the passenger window as best he could. "I thought I saw a flash of yellow in the field. Not sure if it was a shirt or a piece of debris. Better safe than sorry." He honestly wasn't sure what he'd seen, but he had seen something.
Seth knew Chris hadn't heard Kenny, so he spoke. "Thanks, Kenny. Yellow is an off color for debris."
"ROW, Scout. Have you heard anything yet?" Shawn's voice called over the radio. It was unusual, normally Shawn never called like that.
Chris looked at Seth. "He never does that. Have they seen something… wait..." He looked at the computer. The blue dot emerged from under the blob on the screen. It moved towards the exit route.
"Thank, God." Chris picked up his radio mic. "Scout, ROW. No, but they are headed to the exit route. What's up Shawn?"
"ROW, Scout. Thanks. We thought we saw an explosion of some kind. Guess lightening or the tornado hit something. We are going to track in. See you soon. Scout, out." Shawn sounded very relived.
"Must have hit something..." Chris was interrupted by Adam. "ROW, Rover. We got two in! Lightening hit something in the field, rocked us a bit. We're on the exit road. We will track in behind Scout. See you soon. Rover, out."
"Why the fuck didn't the probe data alarm go off?" Seth stood, hands on his hips. He looked at the computer that took in the probe data. "It's working, but why didn't the alarm go off?" Seth was confused.
Chris looked over at the data collection computer. "You're right, it's collecting the data. Thank God for that. You'll figure it out, Seth. There are the data chips on the probes for back up… Kenny, what are you doing?" He noticed the law enforcement officer as Kenny leaned over the passenger seat, rifle in his hands.
Seth chuckled a bit and explained why Kenny was there. Chris shook his head. "I never noticed."
Kenny pulled out his cell phone and called his boss. He explained what he'd seen. "…yes they are on their way back… yes, both of them…. Alright will do… no, nothing, probably some kind of debris, but I am on alert… yes, Sir… see you then… yes… bye." He pocketed his cell phone.
"Boss and Brother Boss and Chief Layfield will be here shortly. They are going to meet up with Scout and Rover… look at that monster..." Kenny stopped talking.
The tornado moved in front front of the ROW, even from ten miles away, the winds rocked the semi-truck. Thunder rumbled and lightening flashed. The tornado was headed right for Pampa and showed no signs of stopping.
"Seth! Shut her down, now!" Chris barked as the ROW gave a hard rock in the wind.
Seth immediately began to shut down the radar so it could slide into its "house". He should have done it sooner, but his my was on why the alarm hadn't gone off.
"Okay, boss. Radar is safe at home. Sorry, I should have done it sooner." Seth was mad at himself. He flopped into his chair in defeat.
Chris smiled at Seth. "It's alright, Seth. It's safe now. You're like me, I am harder on myself than anyone. We're going to be in search and rescue mode. Kenny… we will be able won't we?" He looked at his "cousin."
Kenny rubbed his chin. "I don't have a problem with it. Boss might. We will talk to him when he gets here. Some things are more important that Morrison at the moment."
Before Chris could speak again, the HAM radio came to life. The tornado had entered the outskirts of Pampa and left of trail of damage behind. Spotters reported the tornado as it spun onward.
"Last time it was west Pampa. Tremendous damage. It destroyed two hundred and fifty homes and businesses with over thirty million in damages. Looks like the east side could suffer the same. The main business district is on the east side. Whoa, it just took out a power station." Chris spoke in a grim voice, as he looked out of the windows. The sky had exploded in blue light, indicative of transformers being hit. They heard the faint buzz of electricity under the thunder.
Seth leaned in to look at the radar image. "Chris… is that… no, it couldn't have grown that much." He pointed to a circle on the screen.
Chris leaned over to look. "Yes, afraid so. That is the debris cloud. It's tearing east Pampa apart." He was halted by frantic voices on the HAM radio.
"Borger EMS is on the way! Amarillo is also sending EMS! This is terrible." Another voices was heard. "They are sending teams from Albuquerque, will be here by early morning. Oklahoma City, too!" It just missed the hospital, thank God! We need help!" More calls, much the same filled the ROW. Chris finally turned the radio down.
"The second they get here, we leave. Seth, get her ready. Save everything. Honestly, I don't care what Sergeant Miller has to say, we've got to help people." Chris gave Kenny a pointed look. He wasn't angry just determined.
Kenny looked at Chris. "I am with you, Chris. Maybe this is wrong, but I hope the tornado got that prick Morrison." He was just as grim faced as Chris.
The approaching vehicle alarm made everyone jump. Kenny looked at the GoPro footage. "It's Scout, Rover, Boss and Layfield." Kenny slung his rifle over his shoulder and opened the door. He let down the steps he'd retracted earlier. Chris and Seth were on his heels.
The rains didn't yet fall, but you could smell it in the air. Lightening flashed and thunder rolled, but it was a bit further away. In the west, the sun tried to break through. The rays had an evil, red tint through the storm darkened sky.
Kisses, hugs, handshakes and greetings were exchanged as the team was reunited. Beth was glad to see that Carrie was alright. The chatter continued for a few minutes, then Chris took control. He addressed Detective Sergeant Ken Miller.
"Ken, we are going into search and rescue mode. The are calling in help from New Mexico and OK City. Won't be here till early morning. They need help now. I know Morrison is a threat. Give the others vests, and let Kenny come with us. Roman and Den can help him keep guard. I am not asking, I am telling." Chris was firm. All his fears from years ago were long gone. He was going to help, no matter what.
Detective Sergeant Ken Miller held up his hand. "It's alright, Chris. I do understand. John, did you bring them?" He looked over at the Chief of the Pampa Police Department. Ken could tell the man was worried.
John Layfield was on his radio. He pulled the keys out of his unmarked car and tossed them to Ken with a nod to the trunk. John's face was hard and grim. His town had just been attacked by a violent tornado.
The tornado was still on the ground. John's husband was on the other end of the radio. Ron had an entire county either buried under rubble or hiding from the still twisting winds.
Ken looked at the assembled storm chasers. "You will wear the Kevlar vets. You can wear them under your shirts, that way they won't get in the way of your safety equipment. Like Chris so eloquently put it, I am telling, not asking. Kenny, break em out." He handed the officer the keys from Layfield.
Hunter spoke as second in command. "Come on, guys. We are wasting time." He was the first to follow Kenny.
No one really liked the idea of wearing a bullet proof vest, but, the also didn't want Morrison to sneak up on them with no protection. They all followed Hunter. Soon, all seven storm chasers wore a vest. Adam, Hunter and Shawn wore their vests under their shirts. Chris quickly changed his vest to be under his shirt when Shawn explained their rescue equipment could get caught in the straps and Velcro. Roman and Dean wore theirs over their shirts, as they wouldn't be using any of the S and R gear. Seth thought they looked so handsome, he changed his vest to be over his shirt. Now they looked like the team they were, like brothers in arms.
Chief Layfield ended his call. He joined the storm chasers as they stood at the back of Scout and Rover. Shawn over saw the preparation of their S and R equipment. Roman had gone to the ROW, he had to make it ready to roll.
"Sorry it took me so long. My town is a mess. Damn these storms. The west side took years to rebuild, some are still recovering and will be for years to come. Now, it's happened again. The eastern side and parts of downtown are in shambles. Ron said the tornado is still tearing up the county, but it has weakened… a bit. It's going into Roberts county. I'm sorry, but I can't make Morrison top priority right now..." Chief Layfield was interrupted by another radio call. He held his mic to his mouth and told the caller to speak.
"Chief, this is Sergeant Ziggler. I hate to have to tell you this, but, Hobart Street was nearly leveled…. K and J's was… hit. We haven't been able to get there. We have to clear the street. It's slow, we have to dig out the city works vehicles. We need all the help we can get. Chief, I'm sure the boys are safe… it has a basement. Ziggler clear." Ziggler's voices was filled with emotion. He was engaged to Justin Gabriel-Layfield.
"Alright, Dolph. I have four search and rescue people with me; one is a registered nurse. We will be there as quickly as possible. Dolph, Justin… will be okay. Does their pop know? Layfield, clear." John's eyes filled with even more worry. His boys were now on his mind.
"Good. I don't know if pop Ron knows or not. County is in chaos right now. Want me to tell him? Ziggler, clear." Dolph sounded stronger. His voice was more steady.
Layfield sighed. "Yes, they are. No, Dolph, I will tell him. We're on our way. Stay strong, son. I am counting on you. You know what to do. Layfield, clear and out." He ended the call. He then spoke to those around him.
"Let's pull out. I'll lead you into town. If we can, we will park your rig at the hotel, it's closer than the safe house. I'll spare a man to stay with it. I now have to tell my husband our boys… Go! Let's go, now!" Layfield's friendly smile was gone. He almost wasn't sure what to do. Instinct took over.
Shawn took a brief moment and laid a hand on the Chief's shoulder. "I'll pray for them, John. I will pray for everyone. Stay strong for your boys. We will help them. I promise." He gave the man a soft smile.
John gave Shawn a nod. Five minutes later, the line of vehicles moved down the road toward Pampa. Chief Layfield drove the first car followed by Rover, ROW, Scout and the Miller twins. They all had their emergency light bars flashing.
When they got to the Ranch House Motel, it looked like a severe rainstorm had hit. There were a lot of leaves, small branches and other trash in the parking lot, but none of the buildings had been damaged. The power was out, and all gas lines had been turned off. But otherwise, that part of Pampa had been spared from major damage.
Roman parked the ROW close to their rooms. Better it was out in the open than hidden behind the motel where it would be even darker.
Carrie Reynolds spoke up. "Chief Layfield, don't waste men to come here. Beth and I will stay. Hunter, set the alarms and show us how they work."
Kyle smiled at his aide. "Thanks, Carrie, Beth you too. The ROW will be safe with them Chris. Hunter, go ahead. But fast, we need to move."
Hunter, Shawn, Carrie and Beth went to the ROW. Shawn wanted to show the ladies where the food and drinks were. He told them to help themselves. Hunter then showed them how to operate the alarms and how to set the steps. One of the Police women would be inside, one outside. Hunter left the keys with Carrie.
The others quickly used the bathrooms in the three rooms of the storm chasers. They all wished for a cup of coffee, but there wasn't time.
While the others had been inside, John Layfield was on his radio. His first call hat been to his husband. Ron had been devastated to hear about the danger their boys could be in. The problem was, Ron had to be out in the county to direct things. John fully understood and promised his dear husband he would keep him updated. John then made calls to get things organized in town.
Normally the county and town used the same radio channels, but due to the chaos and confusion they didn't want a lot of cross-talk. Ron and John would communicate on a private channel or their cell phones. At the moment, local service was down. Soon, everyone had gathered around Layfield's car.
"Ken, Kyle ride with me. The less cars the better. I know you need Scout and Rover for the gear. Alright, let's go. Kyle, please drive, I want to be able to look." John gave his fellow officers a look of desperation.
Kyle got in the drivers seat. He understood exactly how John felt as a Chief and a parent. After a short talk, Dean rode with Shawn and Hunter. Seth and Roman, along with Kenny rode in the Rover with Chris and Adam.
Carrie and Beth watched the three vehicles pull out. They looked at each other. To be honest, they were glad not to have to face the prospect of sifting through the rubble for people. Besides, the ROW did need to be protected. Morrison was still out there. The chaos would be a perfect time for him to strike.
John Layfield looked out of the passenger window. "My God, the damage… it's ninety-nine all over again. How do I even start to pick up the pieces? And our boys… my babies… Kofi was so tiny when we picked him up… Justin was two and so shy..." His words faded as he continued to look at the devastation the tornado caused.
Kyle glanced in the rear view mirror, he felt his brothers stare. When he looked, he saw Ken's eyes. The brothers had that twin connection. For once, they didn't know what to say. Their eyes shared one thing, to help John in anyway they could.
Kyle had to stop a few times. The others behind them also stopped. They had to remove large limbs from the road. The men also had to watch for fallen power lines. It took them nearly an hour to go four miles. John Layfield was constantly on the radio. It kept him from thinking too much about his sons.
"Go left at the next intersection. Where those patrol cars are. That's Hobart Street." John still couldn't believe the damage. People stood like statues or moved like robots as they stood in their yards. Roofs were gone, parts of homes leveled.
In the Rover, Chris also saw the damage. It's an EF four at the least. Been a while since we've seen this much damage. It looks like it was at least half a mile wide. Adam, we have to learn how to stop these things… we have to." Chris spoke with sadness in his voice. He had to do something.
Adam filmed as they drove. Accessing the damage was important. "We can't stop them, Chris. But, we will help builders come up with better and stronger materials. We can help make sure people take every warning seriously. We make a difference, Chris." He reached over and caressed Chris' leg. He hated it when Chris got so down. Adam knew it stemmed back to his mother's tornado injury.
Dean also filmed, but for Jericho Storm Chase research. This wasn't the right thing to put on a live stream. He filmed out the left side as he knew Adam would be filming out of the right. Dean had seen a lot in his young life, but nothing like this. He never felt the tear that ran down his cheek.
Kyle stopped. A young police officer directed for them to pull into a small parking lot that had been cleared of debris. Hobart Street was blocked by a huge oak tree that had been dropped by the tornado. No telling had far the tree had traveled.
John sighed. "That's Sergeant Dolph Ziggler. You need to know, he is our future son-in-law. He and Justin are getting married in August. Please know he might be a bit… tetchy. He is also my aide." Layfield sighed again as they got out of the car.
Chris, Adam, Hunter and Shawn began to grab their search and rescue gear from Scout and Rover. They had special backpacks for their tools, ropes and flashlights, which could be used as headlamps. They each had advanced first aid kits. Shawn also had a trauma box, filled with medications that as a Registered Nurse, he could administer.
"We'd better break out our vests and hardhats for this one. Hunter, bring the defibrillator. Better to have it, than waste time coming back for it." Shawn spoke as the leader of search and rescue mode.
Roman took the heavy case from Hunter. "We can carry the bulkier stuff. Leaves your hands free for other things. I know we can't do S and R, but we can help and watch your backs." He nodded for Dean to take the heavier trauma box from Shawn.
Shawn nodded. "Alright, grab the extra safety reflection vests and hardhats. Stay back and out of the way. But, what you're doing is a huge help. Seth, grab extra ropes and flashlights, it will be dark soon. Darker with no power. And all of you, please, please watch for downed power lines and treat any that you do find as live. Keep your ears open for cried of help or moans. Also, watch and listen for falling debris. Ready?" While he spoke, the others had geared up.
The seven storm chasers wore light nylon hunter orange vests with silver reflective strips. The back of the vests read "Jericho Storm Chase, Search and Rescue." They also wore white hardhats with Chris' tornado name logo.
Adam quickly spoke. "Dean, grab my everyday digital camera. Take as many damage pictures as possible, just… no victims. It is all part of gathering data. It will free me up to fully concentrate on S and R. Okay, let's go help." He gave Dean a nod.
Dean quickly got the small digital camera and a memory chip. He felt proud that Adam trusted him for such an important part of their data gathering. Seth took the trauma box so Dean would be able to photograph. Dean put a coil of rope over each of his shoulders so Seth could carry the box and the smaller case of extra flashlights and batteries.
When the group of storm chasers turned rescue team joined the law enforcement officers, Chief John Layfield spoke. "I will set up my command center here. This is my aide, Sergeant Dolph Ziggler, he is also Justin's fiancé. He will go with you as he knows the area. Help is coming and some are already out there. I am on channel one, keep chatter to another channel. If… the boys… call me, don't put it on a general channel. Thank you for helping, despite Morrison still being out there. Officer Omega, carry your Carbine. Dolph, make sure our boys know he is with us. Alright, go do what you do." John B. Layfield spoke like the Chief he was. He had to put his job first, the entire town needed him, not just Justin and Kofi.
Dolph led the rescue team towards Hobart Street. As they left, the Pampa Police Department Command and Control vehicle pulled into the parking lot. It was a large RV that had been converted into a rolling police station. It even had a holding cell in what was once a bedroom.
"Luckily, most of the businesses were closed. It is Sunday. It's the restaurants that were open. Most of North Hobart is restaurant row. The good thing is, most of them have basements, bad thing is, they are usually filled with stuff as storage. Only Justin and Kofi keep theirs clear enough for people to shelter in. Comes from Kofi's fear of storms. Guess you know how dad John and pop Ron adopted him. Anyway, if you hear someone call out, stop. If a building has a red X, it's been checked and cleared. We will do the same." Dolph pointed to a can of red spray paint stuffed into his belt. He too was dressed for search and rescue mode.
As they walked, the sun came out, and the skies cleared. Rain had cooled the air, but not much. The tornado had roped out and dissipated. It had left a twenty mile long and half mile wide path of damage. The cost of the damage would be in the millions. The storm chasers also knew, people had died, they just didn't know how many.
As they walked down the street, they saw both police and firemen search through broken buildings. Regular people were also out doing what they could. They wanted to help their friends and neighbors.
As the team made their way further north on Hobart Street, Shawn would occasionally stop and bandage a few minor wounds on people. Most of them were cut sifting through debris as they looked for victims.
When they got further up the street, it was more chaotic. They had passed stores and offices that were closed, now they were where restaurant row started. Restaurants were busy on Sundays, especially after church.
"Dolph, where is K and J's Pizza? We can go there first." Chris asked as Hunter and Roman pulled a big branch off the road. They wanted the way as clear as possible for emergency vehicles.
Dolph pointed. "Half a block up, on the left..." He was halted by a faint cry for help.
Shawn stopped walking. "Shush!" He barked sharply. He too had heard the faint voice.
"Help us! Help us!" The cry was faint, like it came from under the ground.
"Sounds like they are in a basement. It's Joe's Cafe. We'd better go in." Dolph went through the door as the glass was shattered.
Chris turned to the college grad students. "Stay here, and stay alert. Be ready with the gear."
Kenny looked at Chris. "I'll stay too, orders. I'd rather help, but… call if you need extra hands." He hated to not help the injured people, but Morrison was still out there. The confusion would be an excellent opportunity to strike.
"Thanks, Kenny. We will. We will send out those we can." Chris gave a nod to Kenny and the college trio. He hurried after Adam who'd entered the one time cafe.
"I'm gonna take a few pictures. I won't wander off." Dean looked at Roman and Seth. At least he could do something useful.
Kenny looked at Dean. "Stay close, please. He could target anyone now." There was no need to explain who "he" was.
Dean gave Kenny a nod. "I will, I promise. Just going across the street." He did just that. Dean wanted pictures of the cafe.
Seth watched Dean cross the street. Roman saw the worry on their angel's face. "He's okay, Sethie. Dean can look after himself. He's a tough son of a bitch." He gave Seth a smile.
Seth looked at Roman. "I know, Ro. It's not Dean, it's all this. Why… can't we stop it? Why do people have to get hurt or die?" While Seth was a very strong young man, like Adam, he was very sensitive.
Roman put an arm around Seth's shoulders. "I don't know why. But all the research and getting data will help. Be our strong boy." He kissed Seth on the temple as Dean joined them again.
Hunter came out of the damaged cafe. "Roman, we need your muscle. They are stuck in the walk in freezer. The door was damaged, we can't open it. You can help."
Roman didn't hesitate. Dean knew he was also strong. "Stay with Kenny. Hold this." He gave Seth the camera and a kiss. He dashed away after Roman.
"Gah! They treat me like a baby! I can out power lift Dean any day and he knows it!" Seth pouted as he watched Dean follow Roman. The pout didn't help his argument about being a baby.
Kenny smiled at Seth. "They don't think you are a baby. They love you and want you safe. Don't give them a hard time." He gave Seth a wink.
Seth shrugged. "I suppose so. Just bugs me sometimes. But yeah, I understand. Thanks, Kenny." He returned Kenny's smile with one of his own.
After what seemed like hours, but was really only half an hour, six people came out of the cafe, along with the Jericho team.
"Thanks again for getting us out. It was frustrating to be so close to freedom, but not able to get out. How bad is it, Dolph?" An older man asked as Shawn and Adam began to clean and bandage small cuts and wounds on the once trapped victims.
"Pretty bad, Joe. I am sorry about the cafe." Dolph looked at the older man with sympathy in his eyes.
Joe shrugged. "I'll rebuild. Have been to Justin's yet?" He let Shawn clean a small cut on his hand.
"We were on our way up there. Go down to the corner. Chief is down there with Command and Control. They will help everyone get … home, or to a shelter. Can you all manage alone?" Dolph looked at the rescued people. It gave him hope that Justin and Kofi were alright.
Joe nodded. "Yeah, we will get there. I am sure Kofi and Justin will be alright, they have the cellar. Alright folks, let's get to safety. When I reopen, dinner on the house." He would stay with his customers and see them to safety.
"Okay, clear to go. You might want to get tetanus boosters from your doctors. Keep your bandages dry and clean. If you start to feel odd, go to the hospital. Good luck, everyone." Shawn spoke to the victims. Luckily, there had been no really serious cuts or injuries. He was okay to let them go without further care.
Joe shook hands with Shawn. "Don't worry. I will see to everyone. Thank you again so much for your help. We took cover when we saw your live stream. You saved lives today." He shook hands with all seven members of Jericho Storm Chase, Incorporated.
Joe then led his customers back toward the parking lot where they would get the further help they needed.
Shawn and Adam quickly packed up their first aid kits and were ready to go. Dolph led them further up the street. They all had their ears tuned for more cries of help.
As the group made their way to K and J's Piazza, Dolph became more worried. The further north they walked, the more devastating the damage.
Dolph suddenly stopped. The building in front of them was nothing but a pile of rubble. A twisted metal sign read: K and J's Pizza.
Dolph's heart felt like it stopped beating. "My God… it's gone… they… Justin… Kofi… they are under… " Dolph's words faded. There was no possible way anyone in the destroyed building could be alive.