Page 34 of Whirlwind

I dare to look at Joey, who’s blushing as he chuckles. “Good to hear. Make sure it doesn’t go off prematurely,” he teases.

My chest shakes with laughter as Hawk ends the call. There’s definitely something going on between them, and I can’t wait to ask Joey about it later.

The paved road comes into view, and sure enough, there are some other chasers around. We send them a wave as we turn on the road and continue to haul ass to where we think the tornadowill drop. The closer we get to the storm, the heavier the rain becomes, and the wind picks up speed.

“Look at the right side of it,” I say, on the edge of my seat figuratively and literally. “I think we’re going to get a touchdown soon.”

In the distance, only a couple of short miles away, an open farm field starts to swirl with dirt and debris. The dark wall cloud above it is telling me that I’m right.

“Look at that intense motion,” Ryker says, voice breathy and reverent.

Goosebumps break out over my arms, and I start to vibrate in my seat. This is it—another tornado. We’re lucky that we’re getting one out on our first chase today, which makes me wonder how many more we’ll come across tonight. It’s more common for tornadoes to touch down in the afternoon or evening because the sun has had time to heat the ground, creating the necessary instability in the atmosphere to produce severe storms—specifically, tornadoes.

“I think this road is perfect for launch,” Ryker says. “Do you agree, Ms. Buckley?”

I ignore the formality and observe the storm. “Yes, I think so.”

“Holy fuck!” Joey bounces. “It’s happening!”

“I’m opening the hatch above you, Joey!” Ryker yells over the growing noise of the wind through his open window. “Launch your drone.”

“Anything for you, T-Daddy!”

Ryker grins, and it makes me happy to see him be nicer to my old friend. From the driver’s seat, he presses a button, opening the hatch above the back seat. Rain falls in, getting mostly on Joey but splashing on me and Ryker, too.

Joey laughs, giddy in his excitement. He slips on his goggles, ready to pilot the drone, and effortlessly launches it through the hatch into the stormy sky with his controller. “Fuck, this never gets old,” he says. “It’s like having a front-row seat every time.”

I grin widely as I look at the storm, balancing the laptop on my legs and opening my window. The gifted camera around my neck still feels heavy with unanswered questions, but it’s mine now; I may as well use it. It would be a shame not to, right?

I fiddle with the buttons, quickly adjusting the focus and exposure before aiming it out at the developing tornado.

“That’s a textbook wall cloud,” I say with an awe similar to what Ryker had in his voice a moment ago. I snap a few pics then pull back. “Professor West, speed up.”

His head snaps to mine, and I’m not sure if it’s because I called him “professor” or because I’m telling him to hurry.

“It’s on the ground!” I yell, pointing to the left.

He follows my finger. “Hell yeah, it is.” The enthusiasm laced in his deep voice makes my toes curl. It strikes me that I’m living my dream right now: I’m on a chase with Tempest TrackersandI’m giving directions, the very image I’ve dreamt about and manifested nearly every day since I was a teen.

Ryker West is next to me, Ezra and Hawk are behind us, and one of my friends is in the back seat. I’m here, right now. And there’s a tornado in front of us.

Holy crap!

My earlier spiral floats away like a distant memory, and I watch as the tornado gains strength. Currently, it looks almost like a rotating dust cloud that’s dropped from an ethereal mass of dark gray clouds above it. But as it starts to condense, it takes on the tightened shape of what we call a “drill bit”—wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

“Look at the motion on that, look at the motion!” Ryker exclaims.

“Yeehaw, baby!” Joey hoots. “So fucking pretty.”

“We’re catching it. This one is it!” Ryker adds.

Extreme elation builds between us until it feels as if Thor is going to explode from our energy alone.

“This footage is fucking epic, y’all. Wait till you see!” Joey yells. “I bet Hawk and Ezra are freaking out.It’s so good!”

I’m sure they are, because this kind of moment is what chasers live for, no matter how many times we witness it.

The tornado is in a field on the left side of the road, swirling and twisting, the base of it getting bigger as it stays on the ground. It’s probably no more than a mile and a half away.

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