* * *
"What?" Katrina asked.
* * *
"Shelby told me that you’re helping her with her house clearings. Thank you." Richard said.
* * *
"I'm not doing it for you. I like Shelby and the work in interesting. "Katrina stated.
* * *
"It's weird seeing you with one of my girlfriends...my fiancée," Richard said.
* * *
"Shelby's making an effort figured I should meet her half way. So who was dunking you in the ocean?" Katrina asked.
* * *
"Zeina and Holly." He said.
* * *
"We have too many witches around," Katrina said.
* * *
"I know! They told me to start telling them all the information that we share with Minerva. Zeina said that Minerva didn't have the gift of sight she is good at reading people." Richard said.
* * *
Katrina leans back in her seat to process Richard's statement. "That may be true, but her ability to rip the skin off a body isn’t a question. That and she's paying us." Katrina said.
* * *
Katrina called Zeina and Holly. The women are in the room with the Sandoval's.
* * *
"You rang?" asked Holly.
* * *
She and Zeina look at Richard and snicker. It annoys him. He feels like a 14-year-old boy again with a hard on in front of the class.
* * *
"If you ladies want us to share the information we give to Minerva then you're going to pay us too," Katrina stated.
* * *
"What!" Zeina said.
* * *
Richard laughs. "My sister is kidding." He said.
* * *
"No. I'm not. I know you took Richard for a swim. But Minerva can kill you and us. So telling us to share the information from the goodness of our hearts isn't happening." Katrina said.
* * *
"Katrina, we have never asked you all for anything until now," Holly said.
* * *
"That's not true, right Zeina?" Katrina said.
* * *
Zeina doesn't respond. Holly and Richard glanced at each other and then at Zeina.
* * *
"We have helped save both of your lives on more than one occasion Katrina," Zeina stated.
* * *
"If you did that to call in a favor later that was the gamble you took. It's business." Katrina said.
* * *
"My sister isn't herself today. For some reason, she's in a mood." Richard said. "Is it your period Katrina?" He asked.
* * *
"What!" All the woman said.
* * *
"You're so perfect Richard couldn't be I'm pissed off at you at how this situation turned into a shit storm," Katrina stated.
* * *
"What?" Richard said.
* * *
Holly and Zeina exchange glances.
* * *
"You. If Camryn trusted you, there would be no Hunter equation. "Katrina stated.
* * *
"Wait a minute. Camryn ran into you way before she was supposed to. You got caught, and that threw off the plan." Richard said.
* * *
"Me!" Katrina said.
* * *
"Why didn't you hid so she didn't see you in Albuquerque?" Richard asked.
* * *
"You put her off Richard. You! Me running into her before the attended time doesn't change that she was put off by you!" Katrina yells.
* * *
"I don't know why she doesn't like me. We've had to change up the plan before why is this such a big deal?" Richard said.
* * *
"Because you never understood when I told you she is different from the others! Why else are Zeina and Holly now threatening us to share information? Open your fucking eyes!" Katrina said.
* * *
Richard didn't realize until this moment. It is like he's seen Katrina for the first time. She would be a witch even if she didn't label herself as one. She's enthralled with Camryn like all the other witches. He can't believe he's missed it.
The group is in position to document an unprecedented tornado outbreak. We'll see who's getting interviews, TV shows and being a paid expert after today. Jeremy thought.
* * *
Storm chasers and other tourist groups surround Newton, Kansas.
Wesley is nervous this super cell had been producing multiple vortices. The possibility of separate parent tornadoes touching the ground is high. He wished Liz is guiding this tour.
* * *
"I think we should move," Wesley yells to Jeremy.
* * *
"No, we're good!" He yells back. Jeremy had his equipment and his crew measuring things. This is his moment. His moment Liz and all his other naysayers that doubt his ability as a tornado scientist can suck it!
* * *
Manny agreed with Wesley it is time to get the tourist back into the vans and move. The clouds dipped and spiked in various places across the sky, and it is unclear where the tail of the tornado would appear.
* * *
Jeremy needed to wait. He could see this is a large multi vortex storm, so he had to make sure what he said is the right call, or they were fucked. The last thing he wanted more smug words from other scientists when he explained yet again how and why he missed an opportunity because he made the wrong call.
* * *
"Let's Move!" Jeremy said. To his surprise, Manny and Wesley had already gotten all the tourist together and got them back into the vans.
* * *
"There's two!" Miyu shouts.
* * *
Manny is scared. He wished he stayed in college instead he's driving for some asshole who's trying to prove he's a better scientist than his wife. It's not that unusual for a large tornado to have a smaller wind rotating around the larger one, but this is a multiple vortex storm.
* * *
Two tornado tails touch the ground before going back into the clouds.
* * *
Rain slams against the vans. Wesley didn't like the odds.
* * *
Wesley picks up the radio. "Manny do you have this?" Wesley asked.
Nothing.
Wesley has a feeling that not only one but multiple tornadoes would be on the ground shortly and they were in a bad position.
* * *
"A tornado is on the ground... to our right," Camryn said.
* * *
"Kick ass!" shouted Devon.
* * *
A huge chunk of ice hit the passenger window Devon sat next too. He is less excited. Another baseball sized hail hit the first widow of Hugo cracking it. Manny slams his foot on the gas. Wesley has the feeling that Manny is panicking versus finding a place for them to wait out the storm.
* * *
Hail slammed into the vans, Wesley sees another tornado to the left. The van radio is cracking and breaking up. The cell phones are not working well either. Two tornadoes on the ground, they need to find cover.
* * *
"Another tornado," Camryn said.
* * *
Wesley couldn't believe his eyes. Three huge tornado's on the ground! He recalls reading a report about the odds of two tornadoes ever being on the ground at the same time. It is more common than people realize. He wonders if he turned the light off in the hotel bathroom. Wait...what? Three massive tornado's about three miles apart from each other. This area is going to be wiped off the map. He thinks.
* * *
The tourist was a combination of excitement and terror.
* * *
Wesley accelerates the van and pulls alongside Manny. If Manny continues driving in that direction he is going to get them killed. They need to turn around before the tornadoes change directions and pin them down.
* * *
Manny zig zags around telephone poles and large pieces of trees. Shit debris! Miyu couldn't believe
she was going to die with bitch Rosemary and Manny the mediocre laid. She thinks. She's regretting doing this favor for Josh. Come on! She doesn't want to die today because of bad choices she made in the past.
* * *
Rosemary begins crying. She came on this stupid trip to meet men. The one hot guy is hanging all over a fat ass Crayola. The last man in her...is Manny. She dies with the terrorist they will steal all the headlines.
* * *
Jeremy physically turns Manny's face towards Wesley. Wesley spins Monster around the vehicle tips. Manny quickly turns Hugo around. Wesley realizes it's too late all the tornadoes changed positions. He drives off the road and hits a button the anchor shoots into the ground.
* * *
"Avoid trees, do not go under the van and do not try to run to the underpass. There is a ditch. Move! Follow me and move!" Wesley shouts.
* * *
Wesley grabs Camryn by her hand. They all run to a ditch.
"Cover your head." He said.
* * *
"I didn't sign up for this!" screams Delia.
* * *
"I'm not ready to die!" Gabby shouts.
* * *
Jeremy mind races. He hopes no one notices that the systems he was using went down. If Wesley had been in the car.... which is why Jeremy had Manny drive Hugo today. The multi-million dollar machine had a system failure. He'll scream at the design team when he gets back... if he gets back.
* * *
Devon begins fighting Abel. There isn't any room for a fight. Wesley works his way down to them to break up the fight. The maneuvering with the wind is tricky.
* * *
Rosemary looks at Camryn. "You're too fat to be in here."
* * *
The wind is howling and tugging on their clothing.
* * *
"I don't want to die!" She shouts at Camryn. She starts beating Camryn with her phone. Camryn does her best to deflect the hits.
* * *
"What is wrong with you? We have plenty of room!" Camryn shouts.
* * *
"Not room for you!" Rosemary screams. "I'm not going to die. You can die!" She shouts.
* * *
She shoves Camryn out of the ditch.
* * *
Camryn rips a large clump of Rosemary's hair as she shoved out of the ditch.
The wind picks Camryn up.
Wesley grabs her ankle.
The wind speed becomes stronger.
* * *
Camryn realizes despite the fact that his strength Wesley would not be successful getting her back into the closure.
He is being pulled into the storm with her.
* * *
For a moment everything is silent.
* * *
"It's okay." She said.
8
IF
Wind roars.
Crackle of thunder.
Camryn is pummeled by hail and other items. She covers her head. Her screams are carried away by wind.
She twirls.
She spins.
How far is she from the ground? Will she get thrown against a building, the ground or into water?
Camryn stomach lurches as she throws up.
The rain soaks her.
She squints. She sees only darkness. Dark grey clouds churn and spit rain and hail at her.
Nowhere to run.
She wasn't sure, but it looks like part a car? It crashes into her. Tossing her into another area of the tornado.
Something sharp is thrown into her back. The roar of the wind outmatches her scream of pain.
She is falling.
She screams.
* * *
All this time… being afraid.
The time doubting herself and hating herself. Believing other people's opinion about her...so much fucking wasted time!
* * *
A gust of wind grabs her dragging her back into the turmoil of the storm.
* * *
Nothing to hold.
* * *
She's smashed against items and items are smash against her. The wind wiggles and digs the sharp object into her back. She doesn’t know what it is. She just has to get it out!
She covers her eyes with her left hand and manages with her right to reach behind her. She feels the jagged edges and pulls the object out. She’s not certain, but it feels like wood.
She can’t get herself out of this.
Nowhere to hide.
Nothing to hold.
Nowhere to run.
Something heavy crushes her left wrist.
Everything is quiet.
She finds herself surrounded by thick foliage. She stumbles through the plants and low-hanging branches until she finds a clearing.
It’s flat, dusty, dry and barren. She sees a woman stabbing at the ground. It crackles and barely breaks in the area she’s working. Camryn walks over to the woman.
She stands and looks at Camryn. She is a slight woman with leathery looking skin…one eye is milky and the other bloodshot. Camryn can see she is weary from life.
Rain runs off Camryn’s hands onto the ground instantly grass, vegetables and fruits emerge. Everywhere that Camryn walks the earth changed from barren to lush and filled with vegetation. Animals began appearing and river forms from the water running off her. The woman takes Camryn’s hand, and soon she is able to touch the land and make it grow.
The woman’s eyes are clear, and she smiles at Camryn. She gently pushes Camryn towards a path. She stops at the edge of the path and gestures for Camryn to continue walking.
Camryn feels soft grass under her bare feet. A light warm breeze plays with her floor length chiffon dress. She tried on this dress a few years ago. She had been dress shopping for an event.
She thought she looked too fat in the dress. She decided she couldn't afford the dress. She couldn't afford the event ticket. She decided it would be more problem to attend the event... in the end, she didn't. And now...she couldn't recall the event she actively avoided.
* * *
Camryn walks the path. Butterflies flutter around her. She laughs. The butterflies react to her giggles. They flutter around her head, a few lands on her dress, on her shoulders, on her.
She stops --- writing on the garden ground. The word- possibilities. Three huge beings stand at the end of the path.
* * *
"Am I dead?" She asked. No one speaks.
“That’s rude,” Camryn said. "What is this place? There are three of you someone; please answer me.” She said.
* * *
"Possibilities." Said one
"Options." Said the second.
"Choices." Said the third.
"Ultimately your decision." Said the first being.
* * *
“What if I choose wrong?” She asked.
“What if you’re right?” The third said.
“What if you’re wrong?” The second said
“What if there is no right or wrong only what works best for you?” asked the First.
* * *
“Can’t you being just answer?” Camryn asked.
“We have answered.” The second said.
“You humans complicate the simplicity.” The third said.
“Look for answers as it’s presented not as you want them.” The first said.
* * *
She finds herself back in the tornado.
A semi-truck spins passed her. Music..."Is that Renegade by Styx? "She thinks.
* * *
"We'll protect you." She heard voice inside her head.
* * *
She tilts her head up and to her right. She is mid chest being held by an enormous man. His serene deep brown eyes and his face is light. She identifies two other beings on his left and right.
* * *
Angels.
* * *
"Are you taking me to heaven or are you here to escort me to the hot place?" She asked.
She hears gentle c
huckle from him. "You do not die today, Camryn Morgan." He said.
IF: Nowhere To Run (Camryn Morgan Series Book 1) Page 21