Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 7: We are Currently Experiencing Technical Difficulties. Please Stand By)

  

"Shit."

That was enough to describe our predicament as Olivia bounded down the stairs to the control room. I was right beside her as I heard the sky open up and the rain begin to fall.

The last thing I saw was at least a hundred of the citizens of Emerald Bay about to hit the station like a flood.

Olivia ran through the maze-like corridors toward the bunker, shouting to me to find her father. I made it to the control room, surprised to see Mister Kearny was already there.

"Turn the signal on," I told him frantically.

He shook his head, glaring at me before gesturing to the system. "One of the generators blew a fuse... we're on a recharge."

Only a few dim emergency lights came on as he turned his attention to me and growled, "I hope you're happy, Mister Pruitt. You may have just doomed us all."

I didn't say a word as I heard the crowd slam against the station's wall, their gnashing claws scraping the bare concrete.

From behind me Caleb entered the control room carrying several rifles. He tossed one to Kearny and remarked, "We need to block up the lower corridors. Anything that they could use as an entry point."

"Shut down the other access points to the breakers. We need this place dark, they can't do much in the dark and that'll give us the advantage," Kearny remarked and then gave me one of the guns.

"Don't think for a second this makes us even. But we need all hands on deck right now," he said as he grabbed his crutch.

"What should I do?" I asked, still racked with fear over the incoming onslaught.

"Keep the radio on and listen for our signal. Once the basement breaker is pulled, someone will need to go up to the equipment room and do that one as well," Kearny instructed, following Caleb out.

I nervously stood there in the control room, listening as the townsfolk began to climb on top of one another to search for a window. Some of them even managed to reach an arm in through the beat up windows. I aimed the gun and fired at the first, a shriek of anger reverberating throughout the group.

I stood there for at least an hour, watching as the creature's struggled to find a way in. The emergency systems were still allowing me to watch the monitors and see everyone else hard at work.

Caleb and Mister Kearny were in the lower tunnels, using every sort of debris to block the paths that the creatures might find as they went. Olivia was in the breakroom, setting up what appeared to be a trap of some kind. Laschar was grabbing spare boards and reinforcing the windows to keep them from breaking in that way....

I froze as I scrambled and checked the monitors one more time. Where was Natalie, and more importantly; where was Martin?

Then I caught sight of them, running through the halls toward the garage. Where they... making a run for it? I watched breathlessly as the duo arrived at the garage and Natalie went to the weather van, opening the back to haul out one of the crates.

The C4. I smiled and realized that if anything might stop these beasts, it was that.

I pressed on the intercom and shouted, "Natalie! Come up to the control room! Bring the goods with you!"

The two seemed surprised to hear my voice over the loudspeaker, but they didn't question it.

It was three minutes later that Caleb and the older Kearny managed to cut the power in the basement. The whole station went dark, and I listened as the storm rattled the building like a cage.

A glimmer of light hit my face from above and I saw Olivia enter the control room carrying a couple of flashlights.

"This'll have to do the trick until dad grabs the night gear," she said tossing me one and then looking up toward the windows where the creature were almost to the roof.

"This is my fault," I muttered, watching the beasts finally reach the roof and listening as they searched for the stairwell.

"We can distribute blame later," Olivia said dryly. Another moment later we heard the shattering of glass above. They were in the building.

I holstered the rifle, listening as something got close to the door and aimed, my heart beating out of my chest as it swung open to reveal Martin and Natalie coming in with the C4.

"Jesus," I said letting out a sigh as the two placed the crate down on top of some of the computer consoles.

"Is that really a good idea to have that here?" Olivia asked, stepping away from the explosives.

"Better than it not being here," Martin said as he clenched his side. He still wasn't fully recovered.

"They're moving across the computer room," Olivia said as she heard several bits of equipment fall over against one another. The creatures were pushing everything out of their way to get in, to find and kill us.

Behind me the radio crackled to life, making me jump a little. "Has anyone gone to the computer room yet?" Caleb said in between bits of static.

I swallowed hard and looked toward the ceiling where the creatures continued to rattle around blindly searching for the next exit.

"There's uh... a bit of a problem," I muttered over the walkie.

"Well we're kinda pinned down here. Once that second breaker gets switched off we can restart the system," Caleb said irritably.

"Roger that," Olivia said passing the radio to Natalie and then taking one of the guns still lying about along with one of the crates.

"Come on Pruitt," she ordered. I nodded dumbly, gripping the rifle and following the stream of light her flashlight cast on the narrow corridor.

Above us every move we made was mimicked by the monsters, their sounds growing louder as Olivia cocked the gun and we turned the corner. Jim was right there, having successfully barricaded the stairwell.

"That should hold them," he said triumphantly. But his victory was short lived as I realized that was exactly where we needed to go.

"Move aside Laschar, we're going through," the younger Kearny demanded.

Jim's eyes widened as we heard the shrieks continue.

"Liv, you go up there; it's suicide," he argued.

"Dad's downstairs. We've got hostiles on all sides. If we don't get the signal up and running we'll be dead anyway," she countered and shoved him the c4.

"We're going up there if anything besides us comes back, blow them to hell," she growled.

Laschar was too awestruck to argue as we made it past the barrier and I cocked my gun. Olivia listened for a moment as the creature's scurried to another part of the room. "The breaker is on the left side. Right past the fire extinguisher," she paused, reaching for the handle.

"You ready Dillion?" she muttered.

I nodded, too scared to even say a word.

The door popped open and the two of us walked in with guns at our shoulders.

The room was bizarrely quiet. A few gentle noises came from the west and I shot a flashlight to see if the monsters were coming. But they were too smart. They were waiting for us.

"Come on," Olivia said keeping her back to the door as we moved up the long stretch between two rows of equipment.

Then there was a scream. I cast my light to the ceiling and saw one of the men twist his neck toward me before pouncing down. Kearny shot him to kingdom come, but just as his body crumpled to the floor; three more men took his place.

I pushed back the opposite direction as they crawled toward me, mouths agape and an angry growl resounding through the room.

Before I knew what was happening, I was firing; picking them off one by one. One of the larger consoles toppled over as we passed by and Olivia gave a sharp nod toward where the fire extinguisher was hanging. "Think you can make it?" she asked as she quickly reloaded. The blind creatures were scrambling over their fallen comrades, bone and blood splashing everywhere as they tried to attack.

I leapt over the fallen console, my eyes set straight on the breaker. But two more larger women were blocking my paths. Their skin was barely clinging to their body as they screamed toward me. I lifted my rifle to fire, but another male attacked from behind. He pushed me to the floor and a long tube like tongue slid out of the man's mouth.

Another blast ricocheted across his skull and he toppled over with a scream as Olivia helped me up. I snagged the extinguisher as I saw more of the creatures moving toward us from the east.

Pulling the pin, I aimed for them and fired; the mist spreading out to give us a few extra moments. The people stopped and shrieked louder, clearly angered by the device. Olivia was almost to the breaker. Then another console toppled over and pinned her down.

"Are you hurt??" I shouted. "Just switch it on and off," she insisted.

From the mist came something that made me freeze in my tracks. The people had started to conjoin together and form something that resembled a human ladder. Their mouths were stretching open and gripping the sagging flesh together as the large fleshy creature skittered over the turned over console, towering over me like a bear.

Several of their arms stretched open the amalgamation of flesh, revealing massive pincers that moved toward me to crush my body like a twig. I pressed my back against the wall and pulled down on the breaker, knowing that if I died at least the others could be spared.

Then from the darkness came a spark of light.

Something glimmered in the shadows and I saw it move straight toward the creature's torso. Then I heard a voice.

"Get down!!!"

I didn't hesitate. I jumped to the floor as the creature let out another cry and then blew up from the inside out.

As the innards of the bizarre monster splashed across the stained brick, a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Jim," Olivia said as she got back up on her feet.

He looked at the disheveled mess of flesh and muttered, "I got tired of waiting."

Olivia gave him a laugh and then muttered, "We need to get back downstairs."

We went down carefully, listening as the other creatures tried in vain to find another way in. "I'll stay behind. Give the word over the intercom and I can throw the switch," Jim told us. Kearny's daughter gave him her rifle and we left the way we came in. Once in the control room, Olivia was about to give the word to radio her dad, when we both noticed that Martin was nowhere to be seen.

Natalie was in tears gripping a chair as we went down the short flight of stairs. "Whats going on? Where's Martin?" I asked as Olivia snatched the radio and called to the basement.

"Dad? We're ready when you are," she said. I focused my attention on Natalie. "Natalie, look at me! Where is Martin?"

"He said... he said that it wouldn't stop because they were after him. Even with the signal up... he said this was the only way...." the blonde girl said.

A second later Olivia gave the word over the intercom and we watched as the power came back on.

My eyes scrambled to the monitors. I didn't see the cameraman anywhere inside the building.

"He's on the roof," I realized.

I rushed back up the stairs, calling out to Olivia, "Start the broadcast! I'm going to stop him!!"

I don't think I have ever ran that fast in my whole life. The sky was still storming as I reached the exit, and spotted Martin looking toward the edge in a rain smock. I moved to leave the stairwell, but one drop of rain nearly caused my arm to swell up.

"Martin!!" I screamed, desperate to get his attention.

He turned toward me, the storm howling louder as the broadcast tower came to life. Channel 46 was back on the air.

"Go back inside Pruitt," Martin declared.

"Not without you," I insisted. I didn't care about the dangerous rain. I stepped out and cursed softly as the burning storm hit my arms and neck.

"Damn it! Dillion go back! Don't you see that this ain't gonna stop!" he said. I scrambled to find cover, looking over the edge. Most of the townsfolk were paralyzed. But there were a dozen or so larger men that still were trying to reach the station.

"They want me. I'm a part of it now," he explained softly as the storm raged on.

"What the hell are you talking about?" i screamed.

"This is how it has to be," Martin said taking a step toward the precipice. "Tell Natalie..." I could see his eyes glaze over as he struggled to find the words. "Tell her I'm sorry..."

"Martin!" But it was too late. He went over the edge against the roar of more thunder. 

---

Credits

 

Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 6: Catch and Release)

  

There had to be at least fifty of the bizarre people standing in our way as Natalie and I tried to decide what to do next.

"We should go back to the station," she muttered. A soft brisk wind was picking up.

"We can do this. Remember we only need one," I told her as I gestured toward the main thoroughfare and declared, "That path should take you straight through town. The motel has a feed that connects to KTHU. If we can lure one of them there, we can use the signal to paralyze them."

"You make it sound so easy," she said dryly as the group of townsfolk began to advance.

"We can do this. Just don't stop driving," I told her as I got one of the guns loaded and added, "I'll watch the back."

Natalie gripped the steering wheel a little more firmly as the wind picked up and I heard a crackle of thunder cross the sky. Another storm was beginning to brew. We needed to act and act fast.

Shifting back to first gear, the blonde let the tires spin for a second and then accelerated head on to the line of people.

Our speed kept climbing as the line simply stood there, staring oddly at our vehicle like it was something they had never seen before.

Abruptly the crowd began to move as one, pushing their way toward the weather van with their teeth gnashing. Several of them leapt up nearly thirty feet in the air and landed smack on the van's roof as Natalie plowed into the line.

I cocked the rifle and aimed it toward the roof as the ones that had managed to latch on started to try and claw their way inside. I let he first round out, blasting a bullet straight through an old man's skull as he shrieked to claw at me. Then Natalie turned a corner and the next two fell off.

It wasn't over yet though. Not by a long shot. More townsfolk had gathered as we drove down the Main Street toward the motel.  It actually surprised me to see so many of them here. Had they all come with the storm?

Several skittered across rooftops and buildings almost like roaches, and I pushed myself up to the roof to take aim and keep the van safe.

Reloading the rifle, I fired another shot as one of the jumpers flew across the town-square.

"We're coming up on the motel," Natalie said. There were at least a dozen younger athletic men waiting that stood in our way. A glance at the speedometer told me we had already reached 55mph.. but the way these newcomers were looking, something told me it wouldn't be enough.

"Give it all she's got!" I told Natalie as I fired a shot at the closest male. The bullet didn't even seem to faze him.

75mph. We slammed hard against the row of dangerous townsfolk like they were a brick wall. I fell onto the floor of the van, the rifle sliding out to the parking lot. In a matter of seconds they were on us.

One male reached with his muscular arms and tried to pry the back door open as I stood and kicked him off. Then I grabbed the next gun, and told Natalie. "Stay here!"

I aimed the weapon straight at the next attacker's skull, his guts splashing everywhere as the blonde shouted for me to stay put. Instead I made a run for it, pushing my way to the motel room I had stayed at a few nights before. They were right behind me, screeching like banshees and clawing at the ground for any chance to hook me.

A second later I turned the tv on, and Channel 46 started working its magic.

But these things, I don't know why; it didn't seem to work. They were affected by the strong noise but still kept coming.

I fired at the next one to try and enter the room as Natalie turned the van back around. I only had six bullets left.

I raised my weapon to fire again, and then heard the most peculiar horn in the world. It sounded like a jingle of some kind.

The creatures heard it too and the group moved to see where it originated from. A short second later, a long camper trailer smashed into the dozen and crushed them under its wheels.

I held my gun steady as the camper spun its wheels around and knocked out the other stragglers that were thrashing at the hotel windows. Then from the driver's door, a familiar face flashed. Caleb.

He hopped out and went to check on the weather van first, grabbing his tow line and muttering under his breath as Natalie tried to apologize.

"You can save it for when we're back at the station," he snarled as he checked the tires and then hooked up the cable.

I looked toward the thoroughfare, noticing more of the townsfolk crawling their way out of the abandoned buildings.

"We should... probably get in the camper..." I advised Natalie.

A few moments later the swarm of crazed people were on us, running toward the camper as one. Caleb took out his twin pistols and began to fire as he climbed back into the driver's seat and shouted, "Hold on to something...."

The long trailer jerked backward, a few of the townsfolk bouncing off the windshield like bugs as we drove in reverse down the highway. The weather van lurched and moaned against the road as it was dragged down the street.

Caleb shouted instructions to us as more of them latched to the side of the trailer, banging repeatedly on the metal.

"The signal! Put it on frequency 10!!" he shouted again.

I didn't even hesitate. The piercing sound was enough to knock them all off the camper and then as we drove I saw more of them collapse in a state of shock. Caleb shouted excitedly and declared, "Take that ya sons of bitches!!"

I looked toward Natalie and then at the syringe we had somehow managed to keep hold of.  I gave her a look, but before she had a chance to guess what I was thinking I opened up the side door to the trailer and jumped to the road.

I hit the ground running as I heard Caleb shout another colorful expression and I moved toward one of the shaking townsfolk. Standing right over top of them, I got the syringe ready and plunged it straight into their neck.

Caleb swung the camper back around, the broadcast still causing its lulling affect on the others as the one I had drugged went still.

"What the hell is wrong with you Pruitt?" the hunter snapped as he pulled the camper up alongside me.

"You can berate me later. Right now we need to radio Jim and tell him to set up a transfusion."

He said a few more cuss words and helped me lift the man into the camper as Natalie got the next syringe ready and injected it in the other side.

"You really think that wasn't enough?" I said as we drove out of town.

"Better safe than sorry," she said with a nervous laugh.

We had made it. Now it was just a matter of getting to Martin in time.

Back in the station, I saw Olivia waiting for us as we pulled in and Nat closed the garage.

She walked over and slapped me across the face. Then she turned toward Caleb and said, "Let's get it on the stretcher."

I rubbed my cheek softly and followed behind as we carried the unconscious man to the bunker. Martin's screams of pain filled the air as we got closer.

Inside the closed quarters, Laschar was already setting up another IV as we lugged the man on the bed next to Martin.

"You really got one," he said, pausing for a moment to marvel at the creature that hid beneath human skin.

"Doc, maybe we could... speed this up?" I suggested. He nodded and got to work, setting up a picc line in the creature's neck.

Natalie was biting at her nails as Martin kept screaming. Caleb and Olivia lingered near the door, unable to watch.

The cameraman writhed and screamed even louder as the transfusion began, a slow drip of the creature's blood pumping into his own.

"You really think this will work?" Natalie whispered.

"It has to," I said taking her hand and squeezing it as Martin kept begging for death.

An agonizing thirteen minutes later, we could see the first signs of success. The strange dark scars near his wound were clearing up. He was calming down. The anti-venom inside the creature was doing the trick.

"I told you, I told you!" I said excitedly and then noticed that Olivia had left the room. Caleb was still there though, looking no more happy than the minute he had met me.

"Congratulations, looks like he'll live to fight another day," he said tipping his hat and departing. Was that his way of saying a job well done?

It was another six before Laschar confirmed it. "He's going to still need some rest, but I think he'll make it," he said. Natalie leapt and cried excitedly hugging at me and then rushing to Martin's side.

I smiled, pleased with the good deed and after another moment let them have their privacy.

I wandered the corridors of the station for a moment, still feeling my heart pumping loudly from the rush we had experienced in town. I wanted to go find Kearny, rub it in his face that I had proved him wrong.

But instead I found myself going to the roof.

The darkness was still casting its shadow over all of Emerald Bay and the storm I had spotted earlier was now getting ready to drop its first bit of rain. The wind picked up and I looked out toward the city, and toward the horizon; still trying to make sense of everything that I had seen since coming here.

Behind me I heard a lurching noise and turned to see Olivia stepping out of the stairwell to join me.

She was smoking one of her father's cigarettes and letting her long dark hair rustle in the wind as we stood together silently.

"You did good work out there, Pruitt," she said looking up at me. For a moment our eyes met and then she rubbed her neck uncomfortably and remarked, "Dad said that you should know that."

"Too stubborn to tell me himself?" I asked.

"He doesn't want you to get a big head," Olivia pointed out and then remarked, "By the sound of things it's probably too late for that though."

I sighed and remarked, "Look... I'm sorry about what happened with your mom. But that is no reason for you to just give up on people..."

Her soft admiring gaze quickly turned to one of rage.

"What do you know about my mother?" she asked accusingly.

I hesitated, realizing I had struck a nerve and raised my hands defensively. "i know it was hard what you went through... but all I'm saying, is that it may be time for you and your old man to move on. And that's the truth."

She dropped the cigarette and pushed herself right up in my face, jabbing a finger at my chest.

"Don't you ever talk about my mother. And don't presume to know me. You don't know what the hell I've been through!" she smacked me across the cheek again and then growled, "And if I ever hear you say something about her again, so help me I will make sure Caleb blows your head off."

She turned away and stood at the opposite corner of the roof as I quietly shuffled my head, embarrassed for being using such poor words.

As we stood there, the rain began to fall and she finished her cigarette before remarking, "Don't stay out here too much longer or the Storm'll get you."

I nodded absently glancing toward Emerald Bay again when something amid the tree lines caught my eye.

"Olivia..." I said catching her attention before she went back inside.

"I think we might have a problem..."

She walked over to where I stood to get a better look, her eyes widening as she the large group of maddened townsfolk bounding through the trees.

Coming straight for the station. 

---

Credits

 

Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 5: An Educational Program Not Found On The History Channel)

  

Caleb held the door open once more as we reached Mister Kearny's office, his steely gaze never wavering.

I did my best to ignore it and go inside as Paul placed his crutch down and then took a seat.

He fumbled in his drawer and got his smokes before offering me one and then turning to Caleb and muttering, "If its all the same to you, I would like to talk to Mister Pruitt privately."

The hunter narrowed his eyes but didn't dare argue with his employer. Instead he walked toward the door and said, "Fine. But I'll be right outside."

Once we were alone, Mister Kearny lit one of the Marlboros and gestured for me to take a seat.

"I'd like to stand if it's all the same to you. Nerves are pretty much shot," I responded crossing my arms.

"Are you second guessing your decision to join KTHU?" he asked.

I let out a long sigh.

"I knew from the moment I got here something was off. But this shit, monsters and who knows what else? I want in, I want to help. But I can't do that unless someone tells me what the hell this is all about."

Kearny let out a laugh. "You really are something." Then he looked longingly toward the blacked out windows of his office.

I let the silence linger for a moment, and then decided to repeat the very same question he had asked me that morning.

"Who did you lose?"

I knew the answer but I still wanted to hear it from his own lips. He let out another puff of smoke before responding, "My wife. Reneé Alastair Kearny. This would have been almost thirty years for us." 

This time I took a seat. "What happened to her?"

"To answer that I'll have to tell you everything I know about the storm. Why it is we do what we do," he answered. Then he proceeded to push aside clutter on his desk to reveal a map of the tri-County area. I clung to every word he said.

"It was 1999 when we first encountered the storm. Olivia was no more than a few years old, still nursing. Back then we were just like you, wet behind the ears and searching for a thrill. Storm chasing was Reneé's idea," he explained as he pointed toward a red scrawled circle on the map.

"We found Emerald Bay by accident. Followed a tip by a fellow tracker that said he'd seen lots of strange storms in this area. When we got here and checked our equipment, we started to think his claims were an over-exaggeration."

"It wasn't long after that we were proved wrong, weather around here is unpredictable because it doesn't follow the rules of nature," he paused, staring me down before adding, "As you've seen, something else is at the heart of these storms."

"The creatures?" I guessed to which he nodded absently.

"Course we didn't know that back then...that first storm nearly killed us. We had to run from town with barely the clothes on our back. Having an infant only made things worse, those... beings, whatever you want to call them; could track us for miles."

"That was how we stumbled upon this place," he gestured about randomly and added, "Scrambled inside and managed to turn on the signal. It was the only thing that saved our life."

"Hold on... are you telling me this station was already here? How long has KTHU been here?" I asked in surprise.

"Hard to say but when we checked the broadcast the last one was from July 12, 87," Mister Kearny said as he lit his next cigarette and scooted his chair over toward a safe hidden behind a bunch of other clutter. He opened it up and tossed me a VHS tape with that date on it.

"What's this?" I asked as I noticed that it didn't have any other marking.

"That... what is happened to the crew before us," Kearny said and then gestured toward the old TV set on the left wall.

I walked over to it and inserted the tape, waiting as the grainy images appeared.

Several people were appearing on what looked like a closed circuit network. There wasn't any sound but it was easy to see what was happening. The stations was being invaded, by those strange creatures that held human skin over their bodies like a coat. Their eyes were glowing amid the static as the crew did their best to fight them off.

But it wasn't enough. One by one they were picked off to be slaughter, the maddened creatures ripping them to shreds like paper. It wasn't long until none were left standing and the screen went dead.

"The same proved true of every last tape we found. All of them were gone," Kearny told me and then laughed.

"What?"

"I almost forgot. Been so long... there was one survivor and you've already met him."

I paused and then remembered a few choice words spoken to me when I had first arrived.

"Jim? But how?" I asked.

Kearny shrugged. "Laschar was barely cohesive, his spine bruised in three places and babbling like an idiot. It took a few days before he finally recovered and once he did, he hardly had any recollection of what had happened."

I scratched my head and realized that explained why the whole place had so much wear and tear.

"So you just decided to take up the call and do what? What exactly does this station do?"

"As I'm sure you must have guessed, we learned pretty quickly that the signal that the tower emits causes a paralyzing effect on the creatures that masquerade in this town. Jim knew little else except that the broadcast couldn't be interrupted. Naturally we wanted to leave, but there was a problem... during the initial attack Reneé was attacked. Jim said it was an infection and she wouldn't last long if we didn't do something," he said solemnly.

"That's exactly like with Martin.... Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Because it wouldn't make a difference! My wife got lucky because we acted quickly," Paul snapped back.

"What do you mean that it wouldn't make a difference?? Tell that to Martin!"

"The only way to stave off the infection is by capturing one of those things alive... I swear we almost lost her anyway," Kearny looked away and then muttered, "After that we discovered the connection between the monsters and the storms and as dangerous as it sounded, we decided to start tracking it."

"And that's all you know?"

"That's all you need to know," Kearny said firmly.

"That's not good enough," I growled.

"The only thing we can hope for now is that Martin goes peacefully," the old man declared darting his eyes away.

I slammed my fist down forcing him to keep his attention on me. "You know I think I've figured out the real problem here.... It isn't that these monsters are too dangerous. It's that you've given up the fight before you even get started. Just because your wife died doesn't mean all hope is lost!"

"Don't dare lecture me about things you hardly understand! You've been here three days and this station has been here thirty years! It knows things you couldn't even comprehend!" Kearny snapped back.

Caleb was at the door, overheating our outbursts.

"I told you to keep a level head," the hunter warned.

"Shut the hell up. You're just as bad as him."

"Dillion, I understand what you're trying to do. You want this all to be wrapped up nicely and have a bow on top. But that isn't how the world works. Monsters or not, people die," Kearny told me and then sighed and said, "I'm done talking for now. We need to rest and recover before the next run."

I looked at him with disbelief, and growled, "You haven't answered all my questions yet."

Caleb stepped in between us, his hand level with his belt as he muttered, "Maybe you didn't hear but the boss said he was done talking."

I gave them both the stink eye.

"This isn't over, I added and then walked out, frustration and anger filling my every thoughts. It was sickening to think that they would just let one of their comrades die when there might be a chance at saving them.

I walked to the first floor, pacing back and forth randomly as I tried to think of a solution. I came across a vending machine and used it as an outlet for my feelings, kicking and slamming my fists against the old machine.

"Took your money too huh?" a voice said to my right, startling me. I looked over to see Natalie there, her eyes puffy and red from the tears she had shed.

I gave her a half hearted smile and said, "I just needed something to hit."

She nodded, slumping against the wall and muttering, "I guess I should give that a try sometime."

I nodded, standing alongside her and muttering, "How is Martin?"

Natalie looked away, clearly not wanting to talk about it.

"It doesn't look good," she said finally.

"You two are pretty close, huh?"

"He's saved my ass more than once. I just wish... I wish I had been there. Mister Kearny says I'm not cut out to be a field agent, but I know that if I had been there things would have turned out different," she lamented.

I didn't know what to say to make her feel better, so instead I gestured toward the large syringe she was carrying, "That for him?"

"Yeah. Would you believe this shit is enough to knock down three full grown men? Jim gave him a dose about nineteen minutes ago and it's hardly even making a dent," Natalie said with a hollow laugh.

"Its just going to get worse, isn't it?"

She nodded, trying her best not to cry as she muttered, "And there isn't a bloody thing we can do about it."

What Mister Kearny had told me concerning his wife flickered across the back of my mind. "Maybe there is..." I said as I grabbed the syringe and said, "You said this was strong right? Like it could knock out an elephant or something?"

"Yeah... probably. Why?" she asked.

"What if we used this on one of those things," I said excitedly.

Natalie didn't seem to follow, her face a mix of confusion.

"Those things can offer an anti-venom for Martin, but only if we bring one back alive."

"What? How do you know that?" she whispered, her eyes sparkling with excitement and a hint of concern.

"Kearny. He's told me but he has given up already because he thinks it's too risky, but with this..." I paused and gestured to the drug. "We can go into town and snatch one of those things."

Natalie bit her lip, she was excited but also nervous.

"We can't... I mean, we shouldn't. The boss would kill us if he found out," she said anxiously.

"If we do nothing Martin will die."

She hesitated for  another moment but then nodded to show she was onboard with the scheme.

"All right, how do we do this?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"The weather van still has some weapons in the back. If we leave now, we can get back before day break and no one will be the wiser."

Natalie was trying her best to contain her assignment and we agreed to meet in the garage in ten minutes. I went to the break room to gather a few more supplies.

I thought our plan would be fool-proof but we ran into a snag the second we stepped into the garage bay.

Caleb was standing there, leaning against the van and wiping his hands as he finished refitting new tires on it. He tipped his hat up and gave us a long sigh.

"You know, something told me that you might try something stupid Dillion..." he said and then gave a sneer toward the blonde and added, "But you Natalie, I thought you knew better." "Caleb... we have a plan. We can save Martin's life," she pleaded.

"I'm sure you probably think that you do. But I'm afraid I can't let you leave. It's not safe, you know that Nat."

I clenched my fists and scanned the floor to find something that could cause a distraction. Then I kicked an old oil barrel toward him and shouted, "Run Natalie!"

The blonde hesitate for a moment as Caleb jumped out of the way and the barrel slammed the back of the van. Then finally she got up the nerve and dashed to the driver's side.

Caleb reached  for his gun and aimed for my head as I pulled the passenger door open and told her, "Start the engine!!"

She glanced into the mirror and revved it up as Caleb bounded toward the van again, but she peeled off before he had the chance.

Pressing the button inside the console for the garage door to open, we zoomed out to the dark country roads around the station as Caleb was left watching us from the shelter of the darkened parking space.

"Oh god we are so dead later," Natalie muttered.

"Not if this works," I countered as we made our way out of the woods and onto the road that led to town.

I checked the gear we had and muttered, "It'll be simple. We go in, grab one of the weirdos and get out. They won't even know we're coming."

Suddenly Natalie slammed on her brakes and I shrieked, "What the hell?"

But as I looked out toward the horizon, I saw was she had come to a stop.

The townsfolk were standing there all in a row, almost like statues; staring straight toward us.

And as we looked about I realized there were more of them in the tree line, ready to pounce.

Natalie gritted her teeth and muttered, "Got any more bright ideas?" 

---

Credits

 

Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 4: The Hunter and the Hunted)

  

By nightfall we had made it back to the station on a spare.

It was bad enough driving on only three good tires and having a monster's corpse stink up the whole van but on top of that Martin's injury just seemed to be getting worse with each passing moment.

Long strange streaks of dark grey we're spreading across his upper chest.

Olivia was monitoring him, keeping a cool rag on top of the wound as he kept screaming every other minute at the top of his lungs.

But you wouldn't know it if you saw Mister Kearny's face. His features were like those of a man that had just bagged a prize elk on a mighty hunt.

I decided once we were settled, it was going to be high time that I had a serious talk about all of this.

Once a few miles out, Kearny radioed to get a stretcher ready. Natalie and Jim were there at the garage before we even pulled up.

The blonde gasped as she saw Martin's injury, rushing to his aid and Jim moved the stretcher toward the passenger door.

"That's not for him! Move the bug!" Mister Kearny instructed kicking open the van door.

Jim hesitate for a second and then complied by helping Olivia lift the creature onto the stretcher and dragging it toward the lower stairs.

Martin nearly collapsed though as he got out of the van and Natalie and I had to use our combined strength to get him inside.

"I'll take him to the bunker," she offered. I nodded and followed the others up to the control room.

Five minutes later Mister Kearny had grabbed a bottle of bourbon from his office and a pack of Marlboros and was insisting we needed to celebrate.

When Olivia and I didn't seem to share his enthusiasm he sighed and pressed on one of the intercoms to speak with the doctor downstairs.

"Is the specimen secure?"

There was a pause and then a sharp crackle. "As good as it can be. I can start the examination immediately," Jim said.

"Good deal. Grab yourself a bite to eat and get to work," Kearny said before popping open the bottle and pouring himself a glass.

Just as he finished, Martin let out another cry of pain that reverberated through the station and I muttered, "Maybe the Doctor should focus on our living patient first."

"You should have a drink and relax Mister Pruitt, we owe this victory to your fine skills behind the wheel," the old man said.

"I appreciate that, but maybe its time to start talking about the elephant in the room."

Olivia took a glass from her father and downed it before remarking, "I'm sorry, I thought this was what you signed up for."

I slammed my fist down on one of the panels and remarked, "I came to chase storms. You never said a thing about going out to bag and tag the damn Jersey Devil!"

Mister Kearny chuckled. "Settle down boy."

That just made me more upset. I hopped up and snatched the drink out of his hand, getting right in his face.

"You're going to tell me exactly what is going on around here, and you're going to tell me now!"

A crack from a shot gun caused me to jump back as a bullet zipped straight through the short gap between our faces.

I looked toward the stairs to see a newcomer standing there wearing a long duster and a low brimmed hat. The gunslinger swirled his weapon in his right hand and then slung it back into his belt holster before walking down toward us.

Olivia placed her drink down and shouted, "Caleb! Thank god you're all right!" She ran up to the gunslinger and hugged his neck.

He hugged her back and then marched up toward me, grabbing some cashews out of a little bowl beside me and crunching them.

"Beacon is in place, boss," he muttered as he quickly sized me up.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm sorry, weren't you listening? Caleb Mitchum, trapper, hunter and all around bad ass," he paused as he pushed me away from his employer and added, "The bigger question here is who are you and why is the great Paul Kearny putting up with your bull shit."

"Caleb, this is Dillion; he's our new camera man," the old man gestured to me as the hunter grabbed up another handful of snacks and walked toward a control monitor.

He looked at one of the screens where Natalie was getting Martin rested and listened to the black man scream before chuckling.

"I swear. I leave you for five minutes and the whole operation goes to pot..." Caleb said.

"We got one though, Jim's started the extraction," Olivia said excitedly.

"Well that's the first bit of good news I've heard," he agreed as I crossed my arms and growled, "I'm sorry, but who is this guy!!"

The hunter cocked his gun and rammed it straight under my adam's apple. "Are you deaf?" he snarled as he backed me up against a wall and added, "Then let me clarify again for you. I'm the one that has kept these people alive for the past three years. And you..."

He gently placed his finger on the trigger as he gave me a glare, "You're the one who's head I'll blow off if you ever put a finger on any of them ever again. Are we clear now?"

I swallowed hard and muttered, "Clear as crystal."

Caleb held the weapon against me for another long moment and then laughed before turning toward the Kearnys.

"Now that we've got that cleared up. Let's go see the bug," he said clasping his hands together and moving toward the exit.

Olivia and her father followed him at a slower pace and right before they left the control room, the hunter paused and looked toward me, "Dillion; aren't you coming?"

I nodded and darted my eyes down to the floor as the three of us followed the newcomer down the stairs and into the station's basement.

A series of long winding corridors later led us to what looked like had once been a maintenance room of some kind. But now thanks to Jim it had become a makeshift morgue.

The creature lay on the metal slab with its multiple appendages strapped down to the side and a long tube running into its skull, like the kind you might find used for oxygen in surgery.

Jim was just finishing up a couple of lights as we walked in and watched from a small observational ramp.

Thanks to the additional illumination it was clear to see that the places where Martin and Kearny had struck the creature had completely calcified.

In fact most of the grey skin now seemed to have hardened to the point where only an extremely sharp blade had the chance of penetrating the shell.

As if reading my mind, Jim hooked up a bone saw and began to slice at the creature's chest. It sounded like a drill smashing into solid earth.

Behind us the door swung open again and Natalie walked in, gripping the metal banister as Jim kept cutting.

"How is he?" Olivia whispered to the blonde.

"Resting. But in a lot of pain. Anything yet?" she replied.

"You know I can hear you," Jim interrupted as he made another incision.

"Well?" Mister Kearny growled.

Laschar wiped sweat from his brow and remarked, "This would probably go a lot faster without so many prying eyes."

The rest of the crew ignored him though as blade hit the strange organic material within the beast.

It smelled like dead fish. A moment later, the blade hit something metallic and Jim stopped the saw before turning to Caleb.

"Grab me those incisors," the doc ordered. Passing the tool to the stout man, Caleb and the rest of us watched as he used the curved metal tool to spread the creature's chest wide open.

From under the twisted bones and fatty tissue, something gleamed like a diamond. Jim repositioned the surgical instrument and then carefully extracted what looked like a long metal tube.

Once out of the creature, he proceeded to grab a few cleaning towels and wipe blood and guts off the discovery.

"Well?" Kearny said again this time more insistently.

"A watched pot never boils," Laschar quipped as he sat on a rolling stool and scooted over to a set of computer screens.

Grabbing what looked like some sort of extension cable, Jim cleaned it properly as well and then connected it directly to the side of the metallic object. Immediately a series of zeroes and ones began to appear on the screen.

"We're in business," he said excitedly.

Olivia squeezed her father's hand excitedly.

But the moment of happiness was short lived. A second later a frown crossed Jim's features.

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit," he mumbled as he began to input a long algorithm of code.

"What? What is it?" Olivia said releasing her father and walking down to the screen to see what he saw.

"Laschar, what's going on?" Kearny asked.

"Just give me a second.." he said as he typed furiously. But a second later the screen went black.

"God damn it," he said pushing himself away from the screen in frustration.

The air in the room seemed to grow heavy as I waited for some type of explanation.

"It's not a match," Jim muttered as he looked to his boss for an apology.

"You're sure?" Kearny asked as he checked the screen himself.

"Positive. The second it left that cluster, we lost it," he confirmed. Kearny pushes him aside and ran a few numbers himself.

"Try it again," he demanded.

"Paul, I know my stuff," Jim said with a deep sigh.

I waited as they stared down each other and finally Caleb broke the silence by saying, "This is exactly why I told you not to go out without me."

Olivia gave him a glare and marched out of the room. Then Natalie grabbed at the bar again and muttered, "Mister Kearny... what does... um... what does that mean for Martin?"

The old man sighed and looked at her with that look that only meant more bad news.

"You know what it means Natalie...."

She shook and tried her best not to cry. Then she ran out of the room as well.

"Natalie!" I called out.

"Let her go. There's nothing to be done," Caleb advised.

I stared at the three remaining members of KTHU and ran my fingers through my hair again before muttering, "Okay someone please tell me what is going on."

Jim shook his head and muttered, "You dense son? Martin's infected. Probably got less than twelve hours."

My jaw dropped. I looked toward Kearny for confirmation and the old man simply nodded.

"Well, we have to do something. Find an antidote for these god damn things," I insisted.

"That would just be wasting valuable resources," Caleb pointed out.

"So what? We just let him die?! Is that what happened to Nick too?" I shouted in response.

Mister Kearny let out a long sigh and then turned to Jim and muttered, "Laschar, see to it that Martin is comfortable."

He started hobbling up the stairs to me and I muttered, "Look I don't care what your guard dog over there says, I demand an explanation for all of this. Right now."

"I don't want to tell you again, boy," Caleb said reaching for his pistol.

Mister Kearny waved his hand dismissively and remarked, "No, no. It's ok. Dillion is right. I do owe him that much, all things considering."

Caleb didn't seem to like that, but pushed the door open for his boss and added with an icy glare at me; "Fine. But I'll be joining you so don't even think of losing your temper again."

I sighed in relief and responded, "That's cool with me. Lead the way." 

---

Credits

 

Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 3: The Mouth of the Storm)

  

If I thought my time with KTHU was already strange enough then the items we loaded up for our chase were the icing on top.

Martin and I gotten thirty feet of rope and and three different compasses, along with enough food and fuel for a day and then electrical, computers and a spare tire. Last but not least were the weapons. Two crates of c4 and a couple of old hunting rifles and harpoon guns.

"Are we off to chase storms or do war?" I chuckled nervously as I lifted the last crate of wiring.

As we made it back out to the garage though, we were stopped short to find Olivia blocking the driver side of the weather van.

"If I can't talk you out of going then I'm coming with you."

Mister Kearny leaned against his crutch and muttered, "Out of the question."

"You're right, it is; cause if you don't let me go I'll cut your fuel line and then you'll up a creek until Caleb gets back," Olivia snapped back. Her father flared at her angrily, looking like he was ready to smack her face and said, "You wouldn't dare."

She got right in his face. "Try me."

I held my breath, unsure what might happen next.

"Fine," Mister Kearny decided as he took his crutches and slid them into the van as well. Then Martin helped him in and gave Olivia the stink eye as well.

"Hold down the fort for us Jim," Olivia called out to the stout man that was checking the garage door for any breaches in defense. Then we were off.

"Quickest route is down the interstate," Mister Kearny said as we got on the road out of town.

"Bad idea. We should take the 515. Get us there in half the time," his daughter chimed in.

"The 515 takes us out of the way," the older man snapped. Then they began to argue.

"No it doesn't! They've opened it back up!" "How do you know?" "I was there a month ago with Caleb." "You went without me??"

"Hey!!!" Martin shouted as we drove out of town. "I've got an idea."

The two stared at him as we passed the motel.

"How about we let the new guy decide. Fair?" he suggested once he had their full attention.

Olivia glared at me, "Sure. Whatever."

I hated being stuck in the middle, but it seemed like the best option so I checked the map again and then made a decision, "Olivia is right. The 515 will get us there quicker."

Mister Kearny made a humph and then closed the little window between the back of the van and the front, leaving Martin and I a chance to finally talk.

It took me another two miles before I got the nerve to say anything.

"I never got a chance to tell you thanks, for the other night."

Martin kept his eyes on the road and shrugged, "It wasn't anything."

"I'm alive because of you. Nobody else on the team saw fit to do that," I told him.

"Hate to lose you before you even get started," Martin muttered.

Behind us I heard the father and daughter begin to bicker again and I chuckled, "They always that way?"

"Didn't use to be. Things changed after the mom left. Or so I been told. Wasn't around for that leg of the journey."

"What happened?" I whispered as we made our turn onto the open highway.

"The way Jim tells it, she was tired of this life. Of Emerald Bay, the storms, everything. But... Paul couldn't give it up. He just couldn't. So they went their separate ways..." he glanced toward the rear of the van and added, "It messed up Liv pretty bad. In fact I would say that she hasn't been the same since."

I nodded and watched as the miles flew back, considering everything that I had seen so far since joining the crew.

"This life isn't for everyone I suppose. Not for a family anyway. I guess that makes us lucky huh?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Loners. We don't have to worry about that sort of thing. Nothing between us and our dreams except the sky and earth," I told him.

Martin clenched the wheel a little harder and didn't respond. From what I gathered, I had said the wrong thing and the conversation was over.

So for the next four hours we listened to the occasional radio broadcast and followed the charts where the monitor took us.

Finally we reached a stretch of the 515 about 5 acres wide with nothing but green grass and power lines dotting the road.

"This should be a good spot, Martin," Mister Kearny said. We parked a few feet off the road and then Olivia began to help her father set up a tripod while Martin checked the cameras.

The sky was so still and quiet, it was kind of hard to believe we were even tracking anything. In fact, come to think of it; I had checked my phone on the way out and hadn't seen a blip on the Doppler. So what had we been following?

While everyone else got to work, I fiddled with the controls to familiarize myself with the van and how to handle it. I wanted to make sure I could switch between the gears and get us going at top speed if necessary. I didn't want to come up short on my first chase.

Popping open the glove compartment, I saw a few stray papers and slid them out to take a look. Insurance and maintenance were pretty common, but there were also quite a few articles on missing persons. I recognized one of the names.

Nick Sanchez. Was that the same Nick that all of them were talking about?

"Dillion, can you check to see if the feed is still running?" Olivia shouted to me, breaking me away from my reverie.

I shoved the papers back into the glove compartment and nodded absently to her before giving the thumbs up.

Then my eyes turned to the horizon and I saw a rumble of lightning ripple across the distant clouds.

"There she is..." Mister Kearny said excitedly as he adjusted the tripod.

The clouds were rolling in rather fast, much swifter than I expected. And as soon as they crossed a patch of trees, several alarms on the computers began to go off.

The lightning began to stop and simmer in the clouds as all of us watched with bated breath. The air itself seemed to change and grow heavy.

Then the funnel began to form. Mister Kearny shouted excitedly and shouted, "Martin, start up the camera."

"I think we should probably get back in the van..." Olivia said hesitantly as the sharp bursts of wind grew stronger and the swirling clouds grew more intense.

Suddenly, sky and earth met to form a tower of dust and debris on the horizon and a twister was barreling across the farmland.

"I need to get a good angle," her father insisted as Martin got everything in place. Olivia ignored her father and pointed toward me. "Get ready to go."

"Don't listen to her!" Mister Kearny barked as the winds nearly pushed the tripod over. The funnel was right across the road. Maybe only 10 miles away.

"I think I've got the signal," Martin shouted. The old man was staring toward the tornado with fierce excitement, waiting another moment until Martin confirmed it and said, "Yep. We're locked on boss."

That was all it took for the old man to finally listen to reason and get in the van.

"Drive Pruitt," Olivia told me as Martin kept himself steady and the back doors open.

"Keep the speed steady, we can't get too far from it," her father added as I stepped on the gas.

The massive black and grey clouds swirled and destroyed everything in their path as we made it down the highway, Martin dangling halfway out the back to get the right shot for his boss.

"Anything?" Mister Kearny asked. The black man narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Too weak. Could be anything."

"Damn it. Dillion take us closer," the old man barked.

"You're kidding right?" I asked with a surprised look on my face. Already powerlines were being snapped up like toothpicks to be pulled into the storm.

"This is what you signed up for isn't it?" Kearny countered with a wicked laugh as the raging twister filled the air with its roar of devastation.

The choice was made for me a second later as some of the powerlines fell down on the road and I yanked the steering wheel hard to turn about. Now we were driving straight toward the funnel.

"Get in the fields, right alongside it," Kearny said. "Dad!" Olivia said in surprise. "Martin, get the guns ready," he said ignoring her as I picked up speed.

We were almost there. I felt my heart beat out of my chest as I pulled the van into the long stretches of farmland and the tires began to bump wildly. One little pitfall and we could go flying.

"I got it. We're back in business," Martin said excitedly as another computer screen lit up. The tornado was ripping straight toward our van.

"Open the hatch," Mister Kearny ordered. His daughter complied and pushed the roof to the van open as he lifted himself up and yelled out, "Give me the gun!"

Martin was right there below him, loading the weapon and tossing it up as I clenched the wheel harder and prayed to God that we could make it past the funnel.

"Steady, Dillion. I need to get a clear shot," Mister Kearny yelled. I must have given them all a look that showed how insane this all was but I didn't say a word, I just kept driving.

Kearny pointed the rifle right toward the tornado as I felt the van bump and nearly lift out of the air. "I think we hit something," I said as we kept wobbling on the right side. But he was ignoring me, and with a look of satisfaction on his face; he fired a shot straight toward the twister.

I heard a scream, it sounded like a banshee howling. It was coming from the storm. "Give me another. We need to make sure!!" he snapped passing the gun back to his cameraman. Martin loaded it up again and then looked toward me as I turned my eyes away from the road. "Dillion! Watch out!!"

I swerved to avoid a billboard, the van hitting stalks of corn as the tornado ripped the massive metallic structure to shreds and Mister Kearny clutched the roof. In those few moments I lost control of the wheel.

The storm was nearly right on top of us, one of the billboards pylons had come smashing down a few feet from the van as Mister Kearny climbed back inside and slammed the hatch shut.

"We need to get out of here, step on it Dillion!" Olivia shouted. "We've already blown a tire!"

"We're so close!" Her father growled as the screaming grew louder. "I can do this!"

Before we got a chance to object, the backdoor to the van swung open and flung itself into the storm. It was barely hanging on. Then he raised the gun again, and fired another shot.

This time there was no mistaking the shrieks that we heard. A rumble filled the air. I saw streaks of lightning cross the funnel and something move from within.

"What the hell is that?" I shouted.

Suddenly more debris began to rain down on us as Olivia pushed my leg down and muttered, "Drive god damn it!!"

The other door to the van was flung open and dangling as well as we made it to the highway. Then from amid the storm something spun out and hit the road behind us like a rocket.

"I need the rope! Martin!!" Mister Kearny shouted anxiously. A moment later the two of them had prepared the harpoon gun and I watched from the rear view mirror as the thing from the storm began to move.

It was about the size of two grown men. It's body was like that of a overgrown toad with its legs twisted backward and it had two extended arms that resembled that of a praying mantis.

Just as it stood up, I saw from its back long thin bony wings extend toward the heavens. Then it shrieked and it started toward the van.

"Don't stop!" Olivia told me as I drove around the downed power lines. The damaged tire causing the van to bump and grind on the road.

The creature screamed and flew toward us with lighting speed. It's long claws smashing against the road like boulders hitting the pavement and knocking up more debris.

Martin lifted the heavy harpoon gun and took aim. "I need you to keep straight!" he demanded. I clenched the wheel again, doing my best to comply as sweat rolled down my face.

Suddenly the creature was on the roof of the van, it's claws smashing and thrashing at us like we were a tinker toy. I twisted the wheel to try and throw it off, our tires skidding and our vehicle went spinning. Martin dropped the gun and the massive flying monster slashed straight into his right shoulder.

The cameraman screamed out and Olivia fumbled to grab the harpoon gun as the creature shrieked and prepared for a second strike. It was all over in a matter of seconds. Olivia fired the weapon straight at the creature's face as Mister Kearny let out a few rounds. It fell from the back of the moving vehicle with a thud.

Martin collapsed in pain in the passenger side as Mister Kearny shouted out a few colorful words in victory.

"Turn us back around," he ordered. This time I made sure the look I gave him told him I thought he was crazy.

But just as I was about to make an objection I saw that the funnel cloud had dissolved. The sky was clear. All that remained was a path of death and a severely wounded monster.

I pulled the van up right beside it to get a good look. The thing had skin as grey as the storm, with strange rows of teeth where it's eyes might have been. It had a face like that of an angler fish and a disjointed spine that seemed to not be fully formed. It was breathing in and out rapidly, the way any dying animal might.

Mister Kearny hopped out, chuckling to himself softly as he grabbed the other harpoon. Then he slammed the second sharp prong straight into the creature's skull.

Once the monster lay still, he looked toward me and Martin and gave a nod of approval.

"Wrap it up boys. Time to go home." 

---

Credits

 

Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 2: Never Eat Breakfast in Emerald Bay)

  

Morning light crept its way into my room less than an hour after I got the message from Olivia Kearny. I probably stared at the note I scribbled for the longest time though, trying to decide whether or not I was in or out of this mess.

Then, before I knew it there was another rap at my door.

"It's... it's open," I muttered. Somewhere between the hours I had managed to stumble back to bed and get sleep. I heard the door crunch, then the newcomer pulled at the blinds and made a loud popping noise right over my head.

Shielding my eyes from the sun, I sat up and found myself staring at the young blonde from the station.

"Rise and shine," she said, popping her bubblegum again and tossing me some clothes. "Take a shower and put those on. Meet me outside in ten."

After stretching and letting her leave, I took a minute to peek out the blinds and see what sort of damage the storm had done to Emerald Bay.

Much to my surprise however, the ghost town looked no more desolate or rundown than it had the day prior.

It made me wonder if whatever I had heard and seen the night before was some sort of smoke and mirror set up by KTHU. Was the old woman an actor in on whatever scam they were pulling?

The reason for this doubt is because before I came here I can't say that I've ever heard of that call sign before. Just like Emerald Bay, it doesn't seem to exist anywhere, not even in the corners of the dark net. How did Channel 46 remain that much of a secret?

After a quick shower, this doubt I I felt that they were hiding something only grew when I saw the impressive outfitted Hummer the girl was driving. There was no way a place like this could afford something like that.

"Busy day today, let's grab a bite to eat before we head up to the station," she suggested as she revved the engine.

I tipped my head to her with a polite smile. "I don't think we've been properly introduced miss..."

"Natalie Castello. But you can call me Nat, everyone does. Astronomer and mathematician. Welcome aboard newbie," she said with a giggle and then sped down the road.

"How long you been with KTHU?"

"Six months. Nice to finally have some new blood. I just hope you last longer than the last cameraman."

That gave me pause.

"I take it you seem to have job vacancies often?"

"Nick was a good one. I really thought he would make it," she admitted as she turned the corner and started rambling; "You know the way I see it the boss should be more open with y'all about what we're up against. It's not like telling you is gonna change nothin'."

She spat out gum and pulled up to the front of the diner. "Nobody listens to me anyway, except for Martin. He still remembers what it was like, before all this."

I kept quiet, too afraid that if I interrupted she might second guess what she was saying and we walked inside.

Unfortunately my hopes of the conversation continuing were dashed to pieces when Natalie saw the diner was full of customers.

All of them seemed to be of the same breed, long faced and bulging eyes and their skin showed signs of severe dehydration.

"Where did all these people come from?" I muttered as Natalie grabbed my shirt and whispered, "Stick close to me."

We walked up to the counter and she rang the bell, glancing nervously up toward the tv monitor. It was blank.

From the back the old woman appeared and offered a blank stare to both of us.

"Morning Maggie, something wrong with the set?" Natalie asked with a tense smile.

"Storm knocked out the power. Must have blown a fuse cause it hasn't been working all morning," she said dismissively as she got out her pen and paper and asked for our order.

Natalie stood back up. "You know what... I think we'll just take a rain check on that Maggie. It's the new guy's first day and he probably shouldn't be working on a full stomach..."

She grabbed my arm and turned to leave, bringing us face to face with one of the odd townsfolk.

"What's the rush?" the fellow said with a wide grin. It looked unsettling. "Stay," a second person insisted and pushed us both down on the shoulders.

"You can't leave," the first agreed.

"Natalie... what's going on?" I asked, still trying to determine if any of this was real or not.

Suddenly others in the diner started chanting the same three words.

you can't leave you can't leave you can't leave

Natalie reached into her purse and grabbed the keys. "On the count of three we're gonna make a run for it," she told me.

"What?" their chanting was getting louder.

"One..."

They were all standing up and staring at us, looking dead eyed.

"Two..." "Natalie I think we should..."

But before I got the words out, she yanked at my hand and we dashed toward the parking lot. The crowd was on us, snapping their mouths like piranha as we pushed to the door.

Out in the parking lot, Natalie clicked the doors open and shouted for me to get inside.

As I saw the townsfolk begin to scramble out of the diner like a flood, I didn't have to be told twice.

Cranking up the engine, Natalie instantly put the Hummer in reverse.

"Buckle up," she warned me.

A few of the patrons from the diner were weaving their way into the road, but that didn't stop her. I let out a gasp as she plowed the vehicle into the first one and then picked up speed.

I gripped the seat and looked back toward the pedestrian we had just run over, only to find he was already standing back up and staring at us ominously.

"There's a walkie in the center column. Switch it over to frequency 2," she ordered as she made the next block.

I opened the middle console and reached for it, a burst of static filling the air as I saw more of them rushing toward us faster than wild dogs.

"Nat; this is only meant to be for emergencies..." that was Martin's voice.

"Martin we're coming in hot, get the garage open now," she ordered him.

"Shit. Seriously?" the black man muttered as she stepped on the gas and passed from the city streets into the backroads.

The strangers were still coming though, running down the trails like a flock of angry zombies. Shrieking and hollering as I spotted the gate to the station.

"Hold on," Natalie ordered as she twisted the steering wheel hard, another attacker knocked aside.

We drifted straight through the old metal doors as she slammed on the brakes and I heard the townsfolk begin to beat down on the station, desperate to get inside.

I fumbled out of the car and watched as they kept scratching at the metal with their bare fingers until at last; a strong deafening noise emerged from all throughout the station.

The strangers began to thrash and bang their heads against the glass, angrier than ever before. Then they all collapsed onto the ground, writhing and shrieking mindlessly.

Natalie grabbed my arm and pulled me inside as Martin closed the garage up completely.

"What the hell Nat? They almost breached us that time!" Martin muttered as we walked quickly down to the control room.

Jim was inside handling the controls, watching the monitors as the group of thirty something individuals kept flopping about on the ground like fish out of water.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I went to grab Dillion and... I thought we had time to grab a bite to eat..." she said anxiously.

"Goddamnit girl, you know not to go into town after a storm!" the black man said as he paced the room and then turned to Jim. "Is it working?"

"Give it a few more seconds," the stout man replied as he looked toward my face.

"You okay son?" Jim asked with a smile.

I clenched my fists, looking from Natalie's pale face to Martin's stern one and then muttered, "I would reallly appreciate it if someone told me what the hell is going on around here."

A few seconds later, the townsfolk stopped shaking. Then I heard a door slam behind me and Olivia entered the room.

"That should be good Jim," she said.

The stout man reached toward a control panel and the sharp noise stopped, leaving the room silent except for the awkward tension between the group.

"What the hell happened?" Olivia asked.

"It's my fault... I didn't know the power would be cut. I just wanted to grab a bite to eat..." Natalie fumbled over her words and the younger girl sighed irritably.

"We'll deal with that later. Go watch the phones or something. Jim, start up the generator. Dillion, you're with me."

I blinked a few times and then followed her down the hallway wordlessly. I was too anxious and excited to meet her father to ask any more prying questions about the things I had just seen.

After a short brisk walk, she knocked on the door and a raspy voice shouted, "Come."

She pressed the metal frame open, making it give a sharp creak and then we found ourselves standing in a smoke filled room.

Amid the clouds of cigarette smoke, sat an older balding man wearing square glasses and a pressed suit.

"Did the signal push through?" the man asked, his attention completely focused on Olivia.

"For the most part. But there's a problem at the diner again," she said.

"I heard," he said taking another smoke.

I coughed softly, and his eyes briefly flickered toward me before going back to his daughter.

"Make sure the back ups are online. And dock Natalie's pay by a week," the boss decided.

She nodded and stood there for a minute before gathering that her father wanted to talk to me alone and then left the room as quickly as she had come.

"So you're the chaser," the old man said dryly, reaching into his pocket to grab a lighter.

"Yes sir. Dillion Pruitt," I said extending my hand to him. But he left it lingering in the air as he put out the cigarette and muttered, "Olivia tells me you had to come quite a ways to reach us."

"I'm originally from Missouri sir," I told him.

"Well, Dillion Pruitt from Missouri, I hate to break it you but we're not hiring right now," he said.

"What? But the ad-"

"Said we were looking for footage, which we will compensate you for and give you enough extra to make it back home," he said as he reached for his checkbook.

"I told your daughter I didn't want your money."

"Maybe not. But I'll give that to you and something more. This contact info is the best way to get yourself a job at any news agency on the east coast. You'll be able to pursue your dream of chasing death anywhere you want," Mister Kearny said sliding the info across his desk.

I took a look at it, having no doubt in my mind that it was a legit offer. But instead I simply passed it back to him and replied, "I appreciate the offer. But after everything I have seen these past few days, I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

He nodded absently, tapping the business card on the desk before commenting, "Who did you lose?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Nobody chases storms with a zeal like this except for one reason and one reason alone. You lost someone in a storm. Someone close."

I opened my mouth to make a reply but before I got the chance, another person slammed on Mister Kearny's door.

"Sorry to interrupt boss, but I got a signal," Jim said as he cracked the door open.

That was enough to make him sit up straight. "What? How?"

"Martin's probe. Caught the tail end of it just outside the county line. Looks mighty promising," Jim said excitedly.

Before Mister Kearny had a chance to respond, his daughter pushed the door open and remarked, "Don't even think about it. We still haven't heard from Caleb."

"Who's Caleb anyway?" I asked recalling the name as Jim spread a map out right in front of their boss.

"It's all flatland out there. Should be a done deal, we could get in and out before anything went sideways," Jim insisted, ignoring my inquiry.

"And who's going to be manning this little expedition, Laschar? You?" Olivia snapped.

Jim rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "Look Paul, we might not get a chance like this for a good long while. Me and Nat can watch the base and we can do this. We have to."

"There's no way I'm leaving my father's life in your hands!" Olivia snapped.

"Enough!" Mister Kearny said sharply as he looked at the chart and then toward me.

"You familiar with these roads, Pruitt?"

I glanced at the map and nodded, "Yeah. I could get you there no problem."

"What? You can't be serious," Olivia said as her dad grabbed something from under his desk and then leaned on it to stand up.

It took me by surprise as I saw him lean against a crutch and then realized his right leg was completely gone.

"Martin will have his hands full with the camera and I sure as hell can't drive," he said dryly.

The old man tossed a pair of keys to me and remarked, "Congratulations Mister Pruitt, it looks like you'll get to chase that dream after all." 

---

Credits

 

Tales from a Rookie Storm Chaser (Part 1)

  

If you were to tell me a month ago that walking into a television station in south Nebraska would change my life forever, I probably would have laughed my head off.

I had rode the bus up from the state line on a Monday based off a bland newspaper ad no bigger than a baseball card.

Got storm footage no one else wants? We pay top dollar at Channel 46.

KTHU; the forecast is calling!

There was a little picture of a sun that was smiling and looked like it's rays were branching off to form golden tentacles.

Below that was a phone number and an address to someplace called Emerald Bay, Nebraska.

Something about it felt off, besides the obvious. Like someone had placed it there for me to see.

See, since I was a little boy I have always had a fascination with the elements that I can't really explain. Out there amid the thunder and rain, you lose yourself. Call me a dreamer if you want, but I have always felt a connection to Mother Nature that others haven't. And in a storm, facing life and death... I can't really describe anything more exhilarating.

Storm chasing was my calling, just like the ad said. And thanks to some amazing footage I had managed to snag over spring break, this seemed like my golden ticket into the business.

So after several false leads and misdirection, I finally figured out where the town was at.

Despite its name, there is no body of water near to Emerald Bay. In fact the only thing that it seemed to have an abundance of was rundown cars just sitting in the street and closed down storefronts that now served as shelters for the homeless and the vagabonds.

Everything about the place felt off to me. Especially because there didn't seem to be any broadcasting towers in sight.

I made my way to a diner near the main thoroughfare, hoping to get some information.

Of all the buildings so far, it was the cleanest and that wasn't saying much. There was grime on the floor, mold on the ceiling and smoke stains on the walls.

I tried my best to hold back a gag at the smell and walked up to the counter to ring the bell.

While I waited, I glanced at the breakfast menu and casually saw that Channel 46 was on the tv hanging above it. Strangely there didn't seem to be anything playing besides the test signal.

"Can I get you some coffee hun?" a voice asked breaking me from my distraction.

When I turned I found myself staring at an elderly woman wearing what looked like a rain smock made in the fifties.

Besides her bizarre clothes, the most notable feature about her was the fact that both of her eyes had scars running across them; like someone had deliberately made her blind.

"No...  uh... I'm actually looking for something. Do you know where Channel 46 is stationed?" i asked gesturing to the tv.

"Whatcha going out there for?" she asked as she went ahead and grabbed a pot for me.

"I'm a storm chaser. Or at least, I want to be."

"We get a lot of those around here," she agreed absently as she looked toward the road like she was thinking of something.

Won't be long another will roll in. Always does this time of month."

I grabbed the remote and started flipping channels to see if any other signals were coming in when the old lady grabbed at my arm, her glazed eyes filled with fear.

"Don't turn that off." She snatched the remote away and muttered, "Have to listen for the weather. You can't go out in a storm. Not here."

I looked toward the clear skies. "Forecast looks clear to me. Maybe I can get to the station before it hits?"

The old woman looked blankly at me for the longest time.

"Sure. Of course you can. I apologize for that." She started to wipe the counter furiously.

"Yeah... so, where is the station anyway?"

"You can find KTHU on the outskirts of town, near a group of hills that cast a shadow over any road that led you toward it," she said as she went back to her kitchen.

I meant to tell her thanks, but she had already disappeared from sight.

Since there didn't seem to be any running taxis in Emerald Bay, it looked like I was in for a long walk into the middle of the woods.

To make things worse, a soft icy rain began to fall just like the old woman had predicted. The tree cover was just enough though where I knew I wouldn't catch my death of cold.

Once I got to the foothills, the broadcast station stood out like a sore thumb.

There was yellow graffiti on the outside of their building which looked like it had been on the brick longer than anything else. The roof was slumped in and the windows that weren't smashed were boarded up. Even the letters for the call sign on top of the building weren't working, just a flicker of their former selves gently illuminating the foggy woods that shrouded it on all sides. If there was a poster child for forgotten and abandoned television networks, it would probably be in the top three.

Upon entering, a short blonde receptionist popped bubblegum and asked me what I was there for.

I showed her the newspaper clipping and she buzzed someone on the intercom to come up and walk me to the back.

A few seconds later, an imposing older black gentleman walked through a set of double doors and gave me a once over.

"You a cameraman?"

I swallowed hard and responded. "Yes sir, I'm Dillion Pruitt, sir. I'm from..."

"Come with me, thanks Nat,” he ordered waving to the receptionist and walking off before I got a chance to even give him my well prepared speech.

Ten minutes later, I was fidgeting with the tape I brought in my right hand and biting my cheek when a young reporter walked past and started pouring some coffee.

I think I noticed her because of her age. Here was a girl, probably about my age able to lead the life that most only dreamt about. It made me jealous to think that she probably had experienced more adventure than my whole college class combined.

The girl noticed me too. Well, she noticed the old VHS I was holding and asked about it.

"It's for Mister Kearny, from the F4 we had back at the end of March," I told her.

Her ears seemed to perk up.

"You a chaser?" she asked.

"I hope to be."

"Well... The boss is kind of busy. If you want, I can take a look at it to tell you if you're wasting your time or not," she said.

I hesitated, surprised by her sudden interest in my footage. But I was too exhausted from the trip up to think of a reason not to give it to her.

"Wait here," she instructed me.

It was probably only twenty minutes she was gone but it felt like eternity.

When she did return, a stout looking man was at her side; looking anxious and excited all at once.

"Young man! Are you the one that brought us this footage?" he asked.

"Yessir..." His sharp voice intimidated me.

"Where did you get it?" the girl snapped. Her brash words made me even more nervous, like I was being tested.

"During that F4 back in March, I was on the 330."

"There's no way anybody could have got this footage. Too dangerous," the stout man proclaimed and then added with a fluster, "We need to run this by Martin. Have him check for any discrepancies."

"Hold on," I said as I stood up. "That belongs to me."

The girl let out a sigh and took out her checkbook. "All right. How much?"

"What? I don't want your money. I want a job."

Her laugh echoed down the hallway this time.

"You've got guts. I will give you that. Trust me, you want to walk away from this. So... how much or do I just leave it blank?"

I looked at the stout man to see if this was some kind of joke. But it was clear she wasn't budging. Neither was I.

"Mister Kearny will be the one to decide what to do about my footage," I told her sternly.

She gave me another glare like she was about to slap me. Then a smile crossed her face.

"All right, wise guy.. have it your way. I'll have  my dad look at it right away."

As I took a moment to register what she just said, she snatched an old walkie-talkie off a shelf and shoved it into my open arms before disappearing into the office doors just past me.

The stout man shuffled his head and mumbled an apology, "Sorry about that. Olivia tends to be a bit of a hot head. Comes with being the boss' daughter, I suppose."

That explained how she was able to get a job here so young. My jealousy actually felt justified.

"What's this for?" I gestured toward the walkie.

"Set it to frequency two, when Mister Kearny makes a decision; Liv'll call you on there," he explained.

"Do you people not believe in cell phones?"

"Phones calls interrupt signal," he muttered as I strapped the walkie to my belt.

"She's right you know."

Now the stout man was standing right in front of me.

"You should take the money and walk away. No one wants to work here. Her least of all."

Naturally after my little encounter at the diner, that piqued my interest.

"I don't have anywhere to go. Nothing to lose. I've been to the bottom. Nowhere left to go but up."

He gave me a lopsided smile. "You remind me of myself when I was younger. What did you say your name was?"

"Dillion, Dillion Pruitt," I told him.

"Jim Laschar, I'm the chief science officer to this whole shindig, put'Er there," he said as he gripped my hand and shook vigorously.

It felt like he was going to rip my arm off to be honest.

Once he was done and I stretched my hand a bit, I decided to start asking some questions of my own.

"How long have you been with Channel 46?"

"Huh. Probably nine years now. Since Liv was a teen. Or maybe she was ten? Kinda hard to remember. I still can't believe we've been in business this long," Jim answered.

"You... like the job?"

"That's a joke right? Have you looked around kid? This place is a dump. We're the rejects. Heh. From the looks of you, you'll fit right in."

That made me look down at the carpet in embarrassment.

Jim rubbed the back of his neck as though regretting his words and then glanced toward the office door.

"Look... they'll be in there for a while. Mister Kearny is very particular about this kind of stuff. Why don't you go get some rest?"

My face was red now.

"I, uh.. I don't have... anywhere to go..."

"Oh shit. Sorry." Jim mumbled something under his breath and reached into his pockets to give me a wad of cash.

"Take this. Should be enough for the motel.."

Just then the black man I met earlier stepped through the doors wielding a camera on his shoulder and some sort of spherical metal object under his other arm.

"Hey Martin, you about to head out to meet Caleb?" Jim asked as he walked past us.

He paused in irritation, clearly having other things on his mind and muttered, "Kind of busy. What is it Laschar?"

"This young man could use a lift to the Bad Moon Motel. Think you could help out?"

Martin shook his head and looked at me and then grunted, "Storm's rolling in. Don't need to be going anywhere."

"The motel is still in the safe zone. If you leave now, you should be fine," Jim suggested.

Both of them seemed to be sharing a private conversation silently as I stood there awkwardly.

Martin sighed and pushed the back door open with his foot. "Come on then."

I jumped, said thank you to Jim one more time and then ran toward the parking garage behind Martin. A few moments later I was helping him put the equipment into one of their bulky vans. It had the broadcast logo on the side and was entirely painted a bright yellow. Like a school bus.

"Aren't weather trackers normally painted white?" I muttered as I got into the passenger seat.

"Anything about KTHU seem normal to you?"

I had to give him that one. The short drive to the motel was filled with awkward silence except for the occasional bump in the road and a rumble of thunder. It felt longer than any leg of this journey had so far.

Finally he slammed the brakes in front of the cheap motel on the outskirts of town.

"This is you."

"Thanks. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Before I stepped out of the van, Martin grabbed my arm and made me look him dead in the eye.

"You're really set on joining our crew huh?"

"I wouldn't have come all this way just for a few bucks, if that's what you mean."

"Can I give you a piece of advice?" Pat asked. He didn't sound as mean anymore. It almost sounded like he was genuinely concerned.

"If you're going to tell me to ditch town, it's not happening..."

"Nah. You're too stupid to listen to common sense. But maybe you'll hear what I got to say about the storms in these parts."

I turned toward him, excited to hear more. "I've heard the weather can be pretty wicked. Hailstones the size of golf balls in the spring. Tornadoes in the summer. Honestly it sounds right up my alley, pun intended."

"You haven't heard shit. The storms out here ain't normal, son. You know why you couldn't find Emerald Bay on a map? Cause people who come here die. They die and it's always for the same reasons. The storms roll in and they bring something sinister with them."

He had a wild look in his eye. It reminded me of the lady in the diner. It was enough for me to not question his word.

"There'll be one tonight. So listen close if you do want to live. You're gonna go inside your room, lock the door. Close all the windows and don't come out until it passes through. That's important. No matter what you do, don't go out in a storm. And for the love of god don't look at it! You hear me?"

I nodded frantically as he pushed me to the curb and added, "One more thing. Keep your TV on Channel 46. No matter what."

A little voice in my head told me that he was just trying to scare me. After all, if he's the veteran cameraman on the crew; new blood like me might be considered a threat. But another voice, nagging at that unease I had felt since arriving in Emerald Bay; told me to listen.

That voice grew louder when I walked to the motel office and found the young man running it had the same scars on his eyes as the woman in the diner.

"You looking for a room?" he asked pleasantly.

"Uh... yes."

"Cash or card?" he asked as he took out an old ledger from under the counter. There weren't any other names on it.

"Cash. I uh.. I brought forty."

Despite his disability, he was able to take out the exact change I needed from the register and then passed me the correct key card.

"Number 11, on the end. Enjoy your stay," he told me.

I spent the next two hours looking out toward the town and seeing the storm clouds grow bigger. It did look pretty deadly, and Martin's words kept ringing in my head.

Despite my better judgment, I went ahead and closed the blinds and locked the door. Then I found the tv remote and switched it over to Channel 46.

Once again, nothing besides the test signal came through and it was so loud that I immediately reached for the dial and switched the set back off.

Over the next few hours, I tried to get some sleep, but I've always been something of a lightweight and as the rain started to get heavier I found myself instead listening to it beat down outside.

Amid the strong rain, I heard what sounded like shrieks. It was this low guttural noise that a wild animal makes when beaten by a whip, that's the best way to describe it.

Car alarms went off. Rumbling noises and tremors shook the motel like a leaf. While distracted by the noises outside, I heard a raspy voice at my door and spun around to hear someone desperately trying to open it.

Instantly I leapt to the handle and pressed my body against it. "Who goes there?" I asked.

"Let me in. Please. You have to help me!!" it sounded like the old woman. She was scratching at the wooden paneling, crying. I kept hearing the storm rage on. I hesitated. Something about her voice sounded off.

"It's getting closer... please.. I'm begging you..." She was trying so hard I thought she might break the door down.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry but I can't..." I told her.

Suddenly her desperate cries for help turned into outrage and feverish clawing. The door began to splinter and I ran toward the dresser. It took all my strength to push it. And even then I wasn't sure it would be enough to stall whatever was on the other side.

I closed my eyes, listening to the thrashing and praying I made it through to morning.

Above me, the shrieks caused the electrical fan to short and darkness covered the room. The wind was picking up and the whole motel felt like it might cave in. Quickly I snatched up the remote and used the light from the tv to see as she finally broke open the door.

But what stood there was not a human being at all. Her lower body was stretched out like a snake's with long jagged legs skittering inside as the storm raged louder. Just as she was on top of me, her mouth stretching open to reveal rows of tiny little sharp teeth, the broadcast from Channel 46 began to play.

The snake woman stopped in her attempt to swallow me whole and hissed loudly as the test signal grew louder. I kicked at her face and slammed what was left of the door shut on her as she slithered away. After another moment, the thunder stopped and the air outside began to fall silent until at last nothing remained but that one high pitched sound.

I collapsed on the floor of my room, covered in sweat and confused. Then the walkie on my belt crackled to life. But instead of a voice it was a series of chirps. It took me a minute to recognize the pattern.

Morse code.

>Job is yours.

>If you still want it. 

---

Credits