“You can’t go out there if there’s a tornado on the ground.”
“They said it’s moving thirty miles per hour, it’s currently estimated to be twelve miles away, giving us twenty-four minutes. I can get to the gym in five minutes. I’ll be back before it comes close.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No. My car only has one seat empty. The back seat is full of boxes. Just stay here, stay safe.”
“Then take this.” She threw the bag to me. “And be careful.”
“I will.” Once the rain hit my face, the full consequences of what I was doing slammed into me. A tornado nearly destroyed this town almost a decade ago. It would be stupid to assume that it couldn’t happen again.
I threw the bag in my passenger seat and fired up my car. I had already hit Rucker Boulevard when my phone synced to the car. “Call Avery,” I said clearly as rain pelted my windshield.
“He-hello?” her little voice came through my car speakers.
“I’m on my way, okay? Stay away from the windows, and when you see my car, come out.”
“I don’t want you out in this, but I’m scared.”
Tree branches danced above me as I halted at the stoplight, their movements creaking, cracking their trunks. “Me, too.”
Lightning split the sky.
“Avery, do you have the radio on?” I leaned over my dash, getting a better view of the sky. Was it getting lighter? That wasn’t right.
“Yes. They’re saying to take cover.”
“I’m coming, I promise.”
Green light. Go. I gunned the gas, passing the other lone car out here. Call-waiting beeped, and I glanced at the screen long enough to see Grayson’s name.
He would know what to do. He always did. But I couldn’t hang up on Avery. Not when she was alone.
“The sky is yellow,” I said softly.
“That’s not good!” She panicked.
Shit, I should not have said that out loud. “It’s okay, Avery. You’re going to be okay.”
Now if I only believed that.
“Shit!” I shouted, slamming on the brakes as a branch crashed in front of me.
Oxygen filled my lungs in great, heaping breaths. I couldn’t panic. I wouldn’t.
“Sam?” her voice pitched high, terrified.
“I’m okay.” I backed up and detoured around the limb. A few blocks later I breezed through the biggest intersection and got a view of the funnel cloud.
“Holy. Shit. Avery? We need to shelter there. I don’t think we’re going to make it back to my house in time.”
“Okay.” Her breath came in rapid, short spurts.
Lightning flashed again, and the power died around me, killing the stoplights and storefronts. “Sam?”
“I know. I’m almost there.” I’d never been more aware of how little protection my soft top offered.
One hand on the wheel, I unzipped the bag next to me, finding the flashlight, and tucked it into one of the front pockets of my hoodie.
Grayson beeped in again: I’m okay. I want you. Where are you? Are you safe? Please be safe. My finger itched to click over, but I couldn’t do that to Avery.
“Thirty seconds,” I said to Avery. I pulled into the parking lot and slammed on the brakes before hitting the curb and killed the engine. The emergency brake cut into my stomach as I leaned over, grabbing the duffel bag. “I’m here!”
“I see you!”
I hung up the phone and shoved it in my back pocket as I tripped out of the car, hitting the pavement on my knees. The sound of metal crunching blended with Avery’s screams. Glass busted above me as a tree limb was thrust through my window, narrowly missing me. You’re okay. This is okay.
The roar was deafening, but the sound of shattering glass and metal crashing were far worse.
“Sam!” Avery’s shrill cry propelled me to my feet, and I stumbled to the open door where she waited, grabbing her by the arm to pull her in behind me.
“What’s the centermost room?” I asked her. Rocket Man sounded from my pocket. Avery crashed into my back and the ringing stopped as I assessed the gym. All this equipment would be one hell of an arsenal of flying projectiles.
“The storage room.” She raced ahead of me, and I followed as a glass panel behind us exploded, flinging glass through the gym. My arm stung, and I shifted the duffel to the other side as Avery opened the storage room door. Once we were inside, she closed the door, and I flicked on the flashlight from my pocket.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“You’re bleeding!”
“Avery, are you okay?” I asked louder, shining the light toward her face.
“Yes,” she answered.
I blanched. Behind her were shelves loaded with free weights and equipment parts. “Oh, hell no!” Was this a fucking horror movie? We’d be slaughtered in here.
I jerked the door open and pulled Avery behind me, running for the locker rooms. They were internal. “We need to get to the locker room! The showers!” I yelled to be heard above the all-encompassing roar that I knew was about to slam into us.
We cleared the door and I slammed it shut, throwing the deadbolt. Avery rounded the corner to the showers just ahead of me and slipped, crashing to the ground. The roar was louder, if that was even possible.
“Avery!”
Please, God. She’s so young. I’m so young. Grayson, I love him. He has to be okay. They have to be okay.