The weather has gone weird. Is it a natural phenomenon or is something more sinister at work ? Extreme weather.
"Mr. Storm, Sir," said Tom. "Have you noticed all the weird weather we've been having lately ? Do you think it might be symptomatic of global warming. You know, affecting the weather patterns and making it more extreme ?" he asked, looking up at the taller man.
"Well, I do have a theory about that Tom," said the man, obviously pleased to have the opportunity to speak to an appreciative audience. "I've been interested in extreme weather patterns for some time."
They were led down to what looked like a large control room, with many screens, switches, dials and control panels. "This is the centre of our operations here," explained Mr. Storm waving his arms around the room. A few park rangers looked up surprised at the boys coming into the room. "Sit down there," he ordered Dan, pointing to a chair. Dan frowned, looking as if he were getting tired of being bossed around. Mr. Storm squeezed Tom's shoulders with his arm, and Dan reluctantly did as he'd been told. Two rangers stood at his shoulders.
"We have to be careful because there are shadowy forces at work across the globe Tom. Forces who seek to hide the true nature of our changing climate. Forces who want to protect the industrial might which is surely destroying the environment we depend upon for our survival," said Mr. Storm, his voice steadily rising and becoming more angry. Tom realised that the man was paranoid. "These forces are constantly trying to gain entry to our secrets and destroy them !" shouted the man, staring angrily at Dan. Dan shifted nervously in his chair. "People like this !" he shouted, pointing at Dan.
"What ?" asked Tom. "But, this is Dan. He's just a schoolkid !" he said, laughing.
"Your friend is not what he seems," said Mr. Storm. "We found these," he said, sweeping his hand at a table covered with Dan's various spy gadgets. There was a spy-pod, his phone, the crushed earpiece and a broken microphone. Tom stared at them curiously, then he turned and stared at Dan, looking puzzled.
"I don't get it," he said.
"Never mind Tom. We have all been deceived !" shouted Mr. Storm. His manner was becoming steadily more erratic. Tom was starting to wonder if he was merely paranoid. "When I began my research I believed that we could control the weather. We can make any weather we want. And do you know what they said ?" he shouted, rounding on Dan.
"Oh I'm going out on a limb here. Let's just make a wild guess. They said you were crazy ?" asked Dan, sarcastically. Tom knew that Dan was being pushed to his limit, but he held his breath at what Dan had just said. He was right to be wary. The furious Storm, lunged at Dan, grabbing his throat in both his hands and squeezing. Dan made a choking noise and reached up to try to throw the man off. The two rangers grabbed his arms to stop him. A terrified Tom watched helplessly as his friend was being slowly choked unconscious.
"Stop ! Stop it !" Tom screamed. "You're killing him ! Please !" he begged, genuine tears in his eyes.
Storm looked around in surprise and appeared to calm momentarily. He let go of Dan's throat, who collapsed back into the chair, his chest heaving for breath with unfocussed eyes, just barely conscious. The man looked at Tom, who was standing shaking with tears now rolling down his cheeks. "Tom, we have to be strong if we are defeat the forces of evil. I will show this unbeliever the force of nature. He will see for himself the true face of the weather !"
The two rangers looked at one another. "The other students are still in the field," said one of the rangers. "Will they be safe ?" he asked.
"Safe ? Of course they won't be safe. None of us are safe. The very nature of the planet is changing !" exclaimed Storm. The two men glanced at one another, but lifted the still panting Dan's arms back to tie them. Then one took a small metal cylinder out of a cupboard and carried it out through a heavy door into a large stone yard with a central, circular stone area surrounded by metal grilles in the ground, and placed it on a low stone plinth.
When he returned, Mr. Storm set a series of controls before grabbing a large red handle and lifting it up. The first thing Tom heard was the heavy metal door clicking bolts shut. "We are protected by heavy shielding in this room. We are quite safe," said Storm, smiling benignly. Tom looked out of the window in horror. Would Zoe and Aneisha and the others be safe ?
Next Tom felt a vibration running up through the floor. A loud humming noise seemed to be coming from the ground itself. The next thing he saw was a misty substance rising up through the grilles in the ground in the yard outside. The misty stuff started to swirl around, steadily spinning faster and faster. As it spun Tom noticed that leaves lying on the ground in the yard were starting to lift up into the air and spin around too. Tom's mouth was dry. He didn't know what to do. He felt helpless. The next thing, the spinning wind took on a form of its own, made of leaves and dust. It was a miniature tornado. Waves of light started spilling out from the tornado, rippling across the yard. The waves seemed to hit the huge glass window in front of them and bounce off. Storm stood at the window with a satisfied smirk on his face. Lightning crackled across the tornado as it took off across the yard and out of the entrance at the back.
Zoe and Aneisha had been watching the house closely when Zoe spotted Mr. Flatley approaching with the ranger and the group from the woodlands, with the exception of Dan and Tom of course. "All right everybody, it's time to pack up your things !" shouted Mr. Flatley. Zoe and Aneisha hastily packed their binoculars away in their backpacks, made a few last marks on their worksheets and then headed for their head teacher. As all the teens gathered together the ranger started collecting their worksheets, thanking them for their efforts.
"Can you feel that ?" asked Roly. "It feels like a mini earthquake or something," he added, looking uneasy. Everyone stopped what they were doing. They could all feel the ground vibrating beneath their feet. Next they heard a strange throbbing noise.
"Oh my God !" said the horrified ranger. He spun round and stared at the house, as a sort of dark column came out between the walls at the back of the house.
"What's that ?" asked Byron.
"My goodness ! It looks like a tornado !" said Mr. Flatley, looking astounded.
The spinning column got closer. It was gathering soil, grass and leaves as it got closer. It seemed to be getting bigger and they could now hear it roaring. Flashes of lightning cracked across and out from the spinning maelstrom.
"What do we do ?" asked Aneisha.
"Run !" shouted the ranger. He started running and realised that the group were not with him. "For God's sake, run !" he yelled. "Follow me !" he shouted, running back towards the farm buildings where they had first met.
The teens and their teacher took one more look at the approaching tornado and then started racing after the ranger. "Let me through. ! Let me through !" shouted Mr. Flatley.
"Nobody is stopping you Mr. Flatley !" shouted Aneisha.
"Oh, you're right," agreed Mr. Flatley, obviously in a flat panic. As the least fit member of the group, he was in any case falling behind steadily.
The tornado was getting closer and closer. They could feel the wind spilling off the sides of the spinning giant. Leaves and debris were flying through the air around them. "Get inside !" screamed the ranger above the noise. Frank was standing beside the minibus, looking puzzled. Then he saw the approaching tornado and his mouth sagged open. The ranger ran for the house, hastily unlocked the door and yelled at everybody to get inside. Frank followed the teens inside. Mr. Flatley arrived last. They hauled him inside and slammed the door shut. The ranger locked it from the inside. "Get right inside the building. Stay away from the windows !" he shouted.
They all did as they were told, and suddenly the tornado was on them. Most of them were in a central hallway which had no windows. They heard windows smashing around the house and a fierce wind blew all around them tossing pieces of paper into the air. They could hear tiles sliding off the roof and smashing on the ground outside. They all crouched together on the floor, hanging on to each other. Some people screamed, but most just held on to their friends, hoping and praying that they would get out of this alive.