by Sable Hunter
“Sure. Flip on the GPS. I have a special radar screen. We can watch the action in full color.”
As Ten fiddled with the controls, they pulled away from the ranch. “You know, I was surprised to learn you chased storms.”
Clint glanced at him as they headed down the drive toward RR 2431. Skirting Lake Buchanan, the route was twisty as well as being scenic. “Really? I love football, but I find this to be far more exciting.”
Chuckling, Ten studied the bank of black clouds in the east. “Nature unleashed. I bet your manager doesn’t appreciate the risks you take.”
“Well, there have been discussions. I simply countered with injury statistics comparing the two activities. On the whole, storm chasing is a lot safer.” As he stated the fact, his mind flew straight to Jensen. He didn’t think of her as often anymore – and that was a good thing. He’d wasted far too much time worrying about her already.
“True, but the money. I bet you make a heck of a lot of money playing football.”
“I make an average salary. We’re not the winningest team in the NFL by a long shot.”
“Not your fault, you certainly do your part.”
“Maybe.” As they passed, he pointed toward the castle-like home where Ten’s sister, Ryder, lived with her husbands, Samson and Gideon Duke. “How’s are things with the trio?” Finding out one of his cousins was involved in a committed polygamous relationship was just one of the surprises he’d discovered about his newfound relatives. Clint wasn’t sure how he’d feel if one of his sisters did the same.
“They’re all great. I guess you saw on the news where the Dukes teamed up with NASA to transport astronauts to the Space Station.”
“Yea, I did. Impressive.” He turned on the windshield wipers as rain began to fall. “Of course, everyone in your family seems to be bigger than life.”
“Our family. Besides, you’re one to talk, you broke some records for the Texans this year, didn’t you?”
“A few.”
“And you wrote a book.”
“More like a pamphlet.”
“I doubt that. And aren’t you working on some type of special wind turbine?”
“Yea, one that can withstand the energy of a hurricane or a tornado. My dream is to find a way to curb the power of these storms and harness the energy for good.”
“How close are you to getting it on the market?”
Clint chuckled. “Not close enough. So, where is everyone today? When you called, I was expecting to face a panel of inquisitors.”
“Aw, we’re not that bad.” Ten waited to say more until the screen was alive with the bright radar image. “Heath and Cato are at the resort hosting an artist’s retreat of some kind. Philip is in Louisiana at Belle Chasse bringing the ranch up to speed. Jaxon’s wife, Tamara, is in Colorado visiting some friends of hers.” He tapped the touch screen to make the contrast brighter. “Ryder and her guys are at home, as far as I know. And Pepper and Judah are in British Columbia where he’s filming some television special. It’s hard to keep up with everyone, frankly. Now…how’s that?” he asked, proud of the clear image he’d helped produce.
“Looks good.” He glanced at the GPS, then back to the road. “Sounds like everybody’s busy. How about Uncle Christian? How’s he?”
“Oh…” Ten snickered. “On his second, second honeymoon, if you can believe it.”
“Ha! I guess you could say he got his second wind after that stroke, didn’t he?”
“Yea, I’d say so.” Tennessee leaned forward to study the vast bank of black clouds before them. “Damn, it looks rough up ahead.”
“It could be.” When they came to the end of the lake road, Clint headed east on Highway 29. “From the map, it looks like we should cut up 183 to Liberty Hill.”
“All right. You’re the boss. I’m just riding shotgun.” Tennessee cleared his throat. “I called Aunt Gillian, but she’s out of town.”
“She traveled with Cassidy to Florida for a cooking contest hosted by a celebrity chef.”
“Yea, that’s what she said. I told her I had something for her, and she wanted me to give it to you.”
“Why me?” Clint asked as he heard the weather alert sound. “We’re under tornado warning.”
“Geez, Louise,” Ten stared at the screen. “Tell me what I’m looking at.”
Pointing to a small blue circle within a larger red area, he said, “This is it. Do you see the reflectivity in the hook echo?” He indicated a fishhook tail on the weather mass. “This is what is known as a debris ball – and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Debris picked up by tornadic winds.”
“That’s crazy.” Tennessee stared at the pulsing formation. “And we’re heading right for it?”
“We are, so hold on. This could get crazy. Now…did Mom say why she wanted me to accept…whatever?”
As Clint turned off the main highway to take a side road, Ten did as suggested. He held onto the dash with one hand and the handle over the window with the other. “She said something about you knowing what to do with it.”
“With what?”
Turning loose of the dash, Ten reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet, then slipped out a folded piece of paper. “A check.” He handed it to Clint. “This is the Highland McCoys’ part of your mother’s inheritance. Joseph will give you the Tebow portion when he sees you at the Search and Rescue orientation.”
As Clint drove, he unfolded the check. When he checked out the amount, his jaw dropped. “This is five million dollars, Ten.”
“Yep. It’s not the full amount we want to give her, but it’s what we could get our hands on without moving funds around. We’ll get the remainder together in a couple of months.”
“This is a hell of a down payment.” Clint glanced at the amount one more time. “But I’m glad you did this. She’s had a damn hard time.”
“We’re happy to do it.” Ten nodded. “She told me about the beautiful home you bought her in Lago Vista.”
“Yea, she’s enjoying it. I’ve been staying with her while I hunt a place of my own nearby.”
“It’s admirable how you’ve taken care of her and your family. But now, she’s got the means to take care of herself. She’s secure. Independent. This money and more is hers by right.”
“Well, thanks.” When they came to a stop sign, he put the check in a safe place in the glove compartment of the truck. “Oh, look. Our storm is on the move!” After pressing a location indicator, Clint set the GPS to give directions. “Looks like we’ll be heading toward Andice and Florence.” He named two small towns northwest of Austin.
“What will we do if we catch up to it?”
“I’ll take some readings and we’ll send up some sensors if we get a chance. Thrills and excitement aren’t the only reasons I do this. I also collect data for the National Weather Service.”
“I guess somebody has to,” Ten muttered under his breath as he stared at the massive black cloud on the horizon. “Damn thing is dark and evil looking. How far away is it?”
Clint looked at the map. “Oh, we’re still twelve to fifteen miles away. The cloud bank is just huge, it’s so tall it looks closer than it is.” About that time a big, jagged lightning bolt slashed across the sky.
“Whoo-wee!” Ten hollered. “That was impressive.”
“Start watching for rotation.”
“I will.” He grinned at his cousin. “Now, this is an adventure.”
“You bet it is,” Clint agreed.
“Speaking of adventure, I’m glad you signed up to join our Wilderness Rescue team. I think you’ll find it worthwhile.”
“I’m sure I will.” At first, he’d been reluctant – but the more he looked into the opportunity, the better it seemed. “How long has your organization been active?”
“Joseph, Bowie, and Tanner have been doing this for about nine years. I’ve been at it for seven, but I served on a different team before I met Joseph and the rest of them. We all have different speci
alties, which is good. Joseph and Bowie do a lot of cave diving.”
“Is there a need for such a thing in this part of the world?”
“Jacob’s Well, a waterhole over at Wimberley, is the mouth of what’s considered to be one of the most dangerous caves in the world. Divers get into the narrow passages, kick up silt, then get turned around in the pitch-black darkness. Bowie and Joseph have both survived close calls in that network of caves. Plus, there’s always rescues and retrievals in Lake Travis. Historically, it’s a very dangerous lake.”
“I don’t know anything about diving.”
“No, but you can ride a horse. You’re strong. Intuitive. You’ll do great in mountain rescue. We’re always getting called to the national parks to search for lost hikers.”
“That sounds interesting. I look forward to learning more about the operation.”
Tennessee reached into his jacket pocket. “I brought a couple of brochures. You can see the schedule of online classes you’ll need to take and the dates for the orientation. Once you’ve completed all of this, there’s a hands-on field mission you have to pass before earning a license.”
Clint nodded. “Good thing this is my off-season. The only pressing things I have going on is my maintenance training and the project I’m working on with Kyd.”
“And storm chasing.” Ten pointed at the storm. “I think we’ve got rotation.”
About that time loud thumps were heard on the roof. “Hail! Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” Clint grinned as he turned off the road onto a dirt lane that cut across a wide swath of farmland. With rain and hail peppering the windshield, the two cousins veered closer to the tornado. “Turn on the dash cam.”
“Will do.” Ten made several attempts as the truck bounced between ruts.
“This cell is huge; it may produce multiple tornados.”
Oh, boy.” Tennessee muttered as he braced himself.
“Now, we’ve got rotation to the northeast. It’s a beauty of a storm!” Pulling over, Clint opened his door. “Come on. Let’s get out for a closer look.”
Ten followed him, but he was a bit reticent. “Are you sure this is safe?”
“Oh, yea. We’ll keep a close eye on it.” The rain was falling so hard their clothes were drenched and sticking to their skin. Clint didn’t care. As the wind picked up, he felt exhilarated. Every time lightning flashed the thunder rumbled. Suddenly, right ahead of them a vortex moved toward the ground. “Thar she blows!” he hollered.
“Wow. Amazing.” Tennessee stood stock-still, completely mesmerized.
“Look! Another funnel is forming just south of us. Let’s go put out the launcher and move down the road a piece. I want to keep you out of harm’s way.”
“I appreciate that,” Ten muttered, then what his cousin had said registered. “What did you say about a launcher?”
Racing to the truck, Clint uncovered a big piece of equipment. “This is my rocket launcher. We’re going to send a small missile up into that baby if we get the chance.”
“What the hell?” Ten hurried to help him. “Aren’t these things illegal for civilians to own?”
“No, this isn’t anything military. This contraption is similar to what commercial fireworks people use.” Together, they positioned the equipment, then Clint armed the launcher with a rocket.
“It’s getting closer,” Tennessee warned as he turned to check the position of the funnel.
“Yea, let’s get out of here.”
“How will you set it off?” Ten asked as he ran back to the truck alongside Clint.
“Remote control, of course!”
Jumping into the still running pick-up, Clint gunned it down the road about a quarter mile or so before making a U-turn. “It’s on the ground. The tornado is on the ground!”
Ten watched Clint adjust the dash cam for the perfect view. The winds were even stronger now, whistling loudly. “At least there’s nothing nearby like a house for it to drop on us,” Ten muttered as leaves and branches blew past, some brushing the truck as they flew by. In the distance, they could hear trees snapping as the storm mowed down everything in its path.
“This is wild, but not nearly as bad as I’ve seen.” He kept watch until what he considered to be the perfect moment arrived. “Now watch this!” Taking a small remote from underneath the dash, he pressed the button. Together, they watched the rocket blast off into the air and right into the dark whirling funnel of the tornado. “Lift-off!” While they stared in awe, they saw the flash of detonation as the rocket released its payload. “Now, we’re in business.” Grabbing his tablet, Clint opened the program that showed the data flowing from the tiny instruments the rocket was delivering into the bowels of the vortex.
“That’s incredible.” Ten stared at the stream of numbers. “There’s no other way scientists can get this type of reading is there?”
“No. This is the only method we have to learn what goes on inside of a storm of this magnitude.”
“I have to say, I’m impressed. This isn’t just fun and games with you, is it?”
“No. Not at all.” Clint held the tablet, looking from it up to the tornado, which was moving south and away from them. “Do you remember hearing about the Jarrell tornado?”
“Yes. I’ve seen some documentaries about it. A huge, destructive F-5. We weren’t in Texas at the time, we were still living in south Louisiana.”
“My family lived in the Double Tree subdivision, the one completely destroyed in the storm. Wiped out. We literally outran the tornado to hide in a nearby quarry. My family narrowly escaped being killed that day.”
Ten marveled at what his cousin told him. “Hell, it would make more sense if you tried to avoid storms – not chase them! Yet…here you are.”
“Yea, here I am.” Clint gave him a somber look. “I can’t deny I’m fascinated by their power…but I don’t want to forget what happened that day either. I want to do my part to keep such tragedies from occurring time and time again. A little over a year ago, I bought a piece of land in Jarrell located near where we used to live.”
“What will you do with the land? Is that where you plan to live?”
“No. This is the project I mentioned working on with Kyd. He and I are masterminding an affordable neighborhood complex that will essentially be tornado proof. Complete with an underground storm shelter. We’re calling it Safe Haven. In 1997, when the storm hit, no one in Jarrell had a shelter. Now, everyone does – or at least those who can afford it do. Hopefully, this complex will give people a choice. They won’t have to live in trailer parks or flimsy apartment buildings that offer little to no protection against dangerous winds.”
“Admirable. Very admirable. How far along are you?”
“The foundation’s poured, the underground shelter’s done, and the walls are up.”
“Sounds like you’re making good progress. I hope this storm didn’t do it any damage.”
Clint checked the radar again. “Looks like that area has been in the clear for the most part.” He checked another screen. “I think the worst is over. Although, these supercells have been known to spawn a series of tornados. You never know.”
“No, you never know.” Ten leaned his head back and sighed. “Well, this has been a blast.”
“Yea, it has. I guess it’s time to get you home before Molly sends out a posse to hunt you down.”
“I’m surprised she hasn’t called.” Ten took out his cell. “I think I’ll phone her, just in case she’s worried.”
As Tennessee checked in with his wife, Clint set a course west toward Lake Buchanan. He was pleased with the day. They’d gathered valuable data on the storm, his mother was five million dollars richer, and he’d cemented ties with one of the new members of his family.
Once Ten ended the call, he picked up the brochures for the Wilderness Rescue training. “Don’t forget to sign up for the online courses and reserve your date for orientation.”
“I won’t. I guess it’s all on you
r website?”
“Yes. The info is in these brochures if you forget.”
“I won’t. I’ll sign up as soon as I get home.” Clint felt good. Things like storm chasing and the prospect of working with an organization like Ten’s gave him a sense of purpose that playing football never could.
Jensen and Libby - Driving southwest from Waco to Burnet.
“Oh, these are good,” Jensen murmured as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. “Have one.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Libby reached over to grab a succulent blackberry. “Now, this is living.”
Jensen agreed. In her mission to make time to smell the roses, this could count as a very successful day. “These rustic wooden crates we found at Magnolia Market came in handy.”
“I’d say.” Libby admired the crates piled high with juicy red strawberries and huge blackberries. “I enjoyed picking our own produce. Sweet Berry Farm is a neat place. I’ll fix Aron a blackberry cobbler, he’ll love that.”
“Yes. I might make some jam and give it to the little boy who mows my lawn. He’s the sweetest thing, Libby. He’s in a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis, but that doesn’t slow him down a bit.”
“Kids will amaze you with the courage they possess. We could learn lessons from them.” She picked up several colorful brochures. “I enjoyed visiting the Waco Mammoth Display today.”
“Yes. I was able to check off one of the cultural boxes on my to-do list.”
“As close as I’ve lived to the site all of these years, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never been. I don’t know why; every moment was interesting. Finding out those huge Columbian mammoths walked on their tiptoes tickled me. Can you imagine something weighing 10 tons walking on its tiptoes?”
“Right? And it makes me sad to think a flash flood killed 18 baby mammoths. The guide called it a nursery herd, where one grown up mammoth took care of all the little ones. Don’t you know it was a sad day when they were trapped in that gorge and drowned? I bet mammoths grieved like elephants do. I wonder if the adult mammoth found with the others died because she wouldn’t leave the young ones to face the deluge alone?”