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“This is crazy.”
“It’s beautiful.” Violet said in a whisper, reverence in every single syllable.
“Which one are we going for?”
“This is dangerous, Lando.”
Quirking her lips, Lando gave Violet a look with as much confidence as she could muster. “It’s what I live for.”
CHAPTER12
The storm was breathtaking.Violet hadn’t been near a storm of this magnitude in years. Her heart thundered as she stood at the fence line, Lando right next to her. One tornado twisted around, dancing. They were still farther off than they should be, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to move just yet.
This storm was unpredictable, and the winds kept changing. She didn’t need the computer to tell her that, but she could see it from the data. It was almost as if she was in the middle of a surreal movie. Diane snapped another photo, the sound of her boot scuffing the dirt knocking some sense into Violet. She had to figure out where they were going to put the box, which one they were going to go after, and somehow manage to keep track of all the funnels and changing winds.
“Diane,” Violet raised her voice to be heard over the wind. “We’re going to need everyone on this.”
“I know! Where do you want to do it?” Diane settled the camera against the wood of the fencing.
Violet shook her head, her eyes wide as she stared across the field. The tornado was still a good quarter mile off, the funnels popping down and pulling back up at random. Why was it every serious decision seemed to rest on her shoulders when they finally got to the storm? Diane was experienced enough at this point that she should be able to dive in and help out.
“I don’t know,” Violet murmured, not even sure her voice carried over the rage of the weather. She didn’t have an answer. The radio in the car bleeped, and in the distance she caught the echoing and sounds of a blaring siren. They must be close enough to some little town that they had something in place as a warning.
Diane’s eyes were wide as she looked at Violet, needing answers. The “what are we doing” question in every second. Violet had to make a choice. Data, or skip it for this one. How much danger was she going to put the team in to get what they wanted? She turned and looked at Lando, who had one thick eyebrow raised, her plump lips parted.So young.
“Lando and I will go, you be ready to get us the hell out of there.” She said it to Diane, but she stared at Lando the entire time, making sure Lando was prepared and ready for this to happen, that they would work together to do exactly what they had done the time before.
“Keep your radio on you,” Diane answered.
Violet twisted on the balls of her feet and dove into the car, grabbing the portable radio and clipping it to her side. She took Lando’s and did it for her on the side of her jeans and belt. Hopefully they’d both manage to keep their radios, but at the very least, one of them would have one.
They got back in the car, this time Violet in the front seat. She let Lando have the computer, and she used her eyes to figure out where to go. Diane spun out the tires as she hit the gas. Violet shared a look with Lando, one where she held Lando’s gaze and tried to impart how dangerous this really was going to be. A lot of storm chasers would most likely turn around or keep their distance. They wouldn’t drive headfirst into the storm, but an entire week without a storm had been enough for her. Violet wanted to make the point that this was what they were there for.
“Turn here,” Violet shouted to Diane, her excitement growing.
Lando gripped the box tighter, and Violet held on to the camera like it was her lifeline. She couldn’t let it go even though she probably wouldn’t take a single picture as she tried to keep track of the tornados and Lando as she ran straight for them. Diane turned north and sped up. The first rope tornado Violet had tracked barreled toward them.
“Stop!” Violet shouted.
Diane slammed on the brakes, jerking them forward in their seats. Lando whistled as she jumped out of the car with the small cardboard box in tow. Violet followed her as Diane stayed near the Hummer. Violet helped Lando over the fence and was shocked when Lando took off toward the tornado. She really was fearless.
Admiration blossomed in Violet’s chest as she lifted the camera and snapped a photo on instinct of Lando running straight between two funnels toward one tornado. Cursing, Violet flung herself over the fence and took off as fast as she could. Instant regret hit her as soon as she made it halfway to Lando that she didn’t grab a second box to increase their odds.
Her ears roared from the rushing wind as it came even closer to where she was. She moved on instinct, running closer to Lando, who had stopped and glanced up, no doubt trying to figure out where the best place was. Violet looked around, trying to find it herself, but she came up blank.
She reached Lando and wrapped an arm around her back so she’d know Violet was there. Leaning in, Violet yelled, “We need to put it down.”
“Where?” Lando shouted.
Violet stood stock still as she swiveled her gaze from side to side. Nothing seemed like a good place, and the tornado to the north was coming straight for them. Violet’s heart skipped a beat. “Here!”
“What?”
Violet’s eyes widened as the she stared, dirt swirling up around her as the wind speeds in their vicinity increased and then changed direction. She spun around to check where the closest funnel was and make sure they were still safe. Panic swarmed into her belly. Violet tightened her grip on Lando’s back. They had no time to drop the box and get out of the way. She leaned in so Lando could hear her. “Drop it.”
Lando set the box down and faced Violet.
“Run.” They took off toward the vehicle, turning their backs on the tornado, which was never Violet’s preference. She wanted to watch, to see the beauty that was in that power as it came ever closer to her, and to know exactly where death and destruction lay. Diane perked up on the radio clipped to her side, but Violet ignored her voice when she sounded mostly calm. It meant the tornado wasn’t coming their direction.
