Page 38 of Through the Storms
“No.” Carol’s voice was harsh. “I don’t believe that for a minute. I’m not sure what goes on in that head of hers, but she loves you. If I doubted that for just one second, I’d be the first to tell you to leave. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Tell me about it.” Lana groaned. “Despite all her bravado, I see the fear…no, terror…on her face when she knows she’s upset me. I can’t believe it’s put on.” A lump caught in Lana’s throat. “Maybe what it all boils down to is that tornado chasing is her first love, so I’ll never be able to compete.”
“Oh, Lana, you—“
Lana hopped to her feet. “I can’t talk about this anymore.”
“But…” Carol’s eyes filled with sympathy. “You look exhausted.”
“I didn’t sleep well. Nightmares.” She wouldn’t tell Carol they centered around that damned job interview. “Looking at the weather patterns, the possibility for extreme weather coming our way is mounting.”
“And Oakley is out there with the Oakanator.”
Something else Lana didn’t want to think about—the Oakanator.
CHAPTER 17
The vans were loadedand ready to roll. Oakley couldn’t help it; the first day with a new group always hyped her up. There was something contagious about their wide-eyed excitement. On the return trip, it was a mixed bag. Most were enthusiastic and ready to go again, while for some, the adrenaline rush was too much. On rare occasions, an adrenaline junkie who was looking for a thrill a minute was disappointed.
Oakley hopped onto the front bumper of the van. “Good morning, everyone,” Oakley said in a loud voice to get the group’s attention. “Are you ready for an experience of a lifetime?”
She was met with a chorus of yeses.
“A couple of reminders before we hit the road.” She looked out at the eager faces. “Remember we have no control over the weather. We’ll do our best to find opportunities to safely see a tornado. Judging by the weather patterns for this week, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
Several cheers went up.
Oakley held up her hand. “But remember, it will require windshield time to find the best opportunities, so we’ve got a cooler full of water and a box of snacks for the trip, so help yourselves.”
Asher climbed onto the bumper next to her as he always did. They’d found that the participants listened better if it wasn’t just one of them droning on.
“While I know my sister is telling you about the important stuff—snacks—I can’t stress enough the need for safety. At all times, you need to listen to the directions our staff gives you. If we tell you to move, it meansmove.It doesn’t mean snap a couple more selfies.”
The group laughed.
Asher smiled. “You’re laughing now, but Googledeaths caused by taking selfies.” The crowd whispered among themselves. “I know, crazy, but they keep statistics on it. And we don’t want any of you to be a statistic.”
Originally, Oakley had been opposed to Asher using a scare tactic. She’d changed her tune after they’d had a near miss when a couple didn’t follow their instructions.
“Besides, Antonio will be taking plenty of footage of the experience.” Oakley pointed at the cameraman who waved back as he continued to record. “Each of you will get a video of your experience, so we want you to have fun, be safe, and don’t worry about taking a bunch of pictures.”
“Speaking of fun,” Asher said. “We’ve already mentioned we have a special treat this trip.” He pointed to the pickup, which was the last vehicle in their convoy of three. “We’re joined by Jimmy and a team from the National Weather Service out of Norman. They’re here to analyze the data we hope to gather on this trip.”
“You all remember the 1996 movieTwister, where they were trying to release sensors into the tornado,” Oakley said. “This many years later, I’m sure you assume scientists have succeeded in getting all the information they need.”
“You’d be wrong,” Asher said with gusto, and all attention turned to him. “As much as we know about tornadoes, there is still so much we don’t know. Meteorologists like to say we know the ingredients to make a tornado, but we don’t know the specific recipe.”
“And that’s where research comes in.” Oakley pointed to the Oakanator hitched to the back of the pickup. “The Oakanator—”
“Brittmobile,” Britt called out.
“Ashatron,” Asher added.
“Whatever.” Oakley waved her hand as the group laughed. “The car comes equipped with acannon.”Oakley made air quotes as she said cannon. “It’s kinda like those prize cannons they use to shoot cool shit into the crowd at concerts, but it’ll shoot sensors into the storm. If the weather’s right, yours truly will attempt to launch the sensors into a live tornado.”
“Not to worry,” Asher said. “Oak knows what she’s doing and will take all the necessary precautions, but there might be a time Britt flies solo in the van. Our communication systems are all connected, so she won’t be alone because I’ll be feeding information directly to her.”
“I might give Britt a lot of shit,” Oakley said. “But our drivers are critical to the success of our tours. Without their quick reflexes and intuition, we’d be lost.” Oakley glanced at Britt. “There I’ve said it. Don’t expect me to say anything nice about you the rest of the trip.”
