Page 63 of Through the Storms
“Oak.” Britt’s panicked voice came through her helmet. “Are you still there? Goddamn it, answer me.”
“I’m here. Just concentrating.”
Two sighs of relief filled her ears.
“Get ready, Oakley,” the lead said. “In five, four, three…”
Oakley put her hand on the red button and struggled to control the car with her left hand.
“Two, one, push it,” the lead yelled.
The sound of an oncoming freight train reverberated as Oakley punched the button.
CHAPTER 25
Carol peeked her headinto Lana’s office, but she stayed in the hallway.Odd.Carol normally barged right into Lana’s office.
“Um, have you seen the news?” Carol asked from the hall.
“No, why?” Lana set aside the report she had been reading and met Carol’s gaze. Something was off.
“Uh, have you talked to Oakley?”
Lana shook her head. “No, why?”
“Are you sure?” Carol took one step into Lana’s office.
“I think I’d know if I talked to Oakley.” Lana picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. “Oh, shit. It looks like I missed a call from her.” Lana pursed her lips as she looked at the time the call had come in. “I ran down to the studio for a bit. Forgot to take my phone.”
“You might want to take a look at The Weather Channel.”Carol slid farther into the office but didn’t sit.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Lana scowled. Carol wasn’t the type to tiptoe around. “Would you sit down? You’re making me nervous.”
Carol sat on the edge of the chair across from Lana and pointed at Lana’s computer. “Just pull up the latest news from The Weather Channel.”
Lana’s pulse raced. “Did something happen to Oakley?”
“She’s all right,” Carol blurted out. “Just pull it up.”
Lana clicked onto The Weather Channel,and her attention was immediately drawn to a smiling Oakley.Thank god.She clicked on the video.
“We are here with storm chaser Oakley Pierce. Oakley has just completed a daring run.”
The camera panned to Oakley, who was wearing a helmet and sporting a huge grin. Oakley glanced away from the camera for a split second and then nodded and pulled off her helmet. Her hair stood up in all directions, but she made no move to smooth it.
Lana smiled. No doubt, Oakley was adorable in an impish way.
“Lusting?” Carol asked.
“Shut up.” Lana glowered, having forgotten Carol was watching. “I’m trying to listen.”
“Oakley,” the reporter said, “can you tell us what just happened?”
The camera swung around to a car that was upside down in the ditch.Shit.It was Oakley’s stupid car. Lana put her hand on the computer screen. Had Oakley been in it when it flipped?
“I’m hoping to have just made history,” Oakley said with a huge smile. “I won’t know how good our data is until the Weather Service analyzes it.”
“Can you explain how you made history?” the reporter encouraged.
