Tomorrow is the day! CHASING SIN releases from Ellora’s Cave. How about Chapter One in all it’s tornado chasing glory for the last day? Thanks so much for all your support this past week – what a ride!
Seven Days of Chasing Sin
Day One || Day Two || Day Three || Day Four || Day Five || Day Six
~*~
Chapter One
“She’s fucking insane.”
Snyder slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed Kate’s Jeep when she swerved in front of him. “Give me directions instead of commentary, Tripp. You pay attention to the tornado and I’ll pay attention to crazy drivers.”
He gunned the engine of his truck as he watched the offending vehicle speed down the dirt road dividing a freshly plowed field. “Where the hell is she going?” he muttered, more to himself than his partner in the passenger seat.
The ominous supercell had dropped a howling twister a few miles back. Now the race was on to catch it. Tripp’s fingers tapped on the screen of the tablet he was using for a GPS. “Take this road here and keep following it. Should put us a few miles ahead of this cell.”
“Got it. What kind of action are you seeing?”
The keys of the laptop mounted to the dashboard clacked as Tripp’s fingers flew over them and he snorted. “Straight and steady, for the moment. Kate must know something we don’t.”
Snyder gritted his teeth as he flipped on the blinker and sped past a slower-moving car. “Not my problem right now. Besides, she isn’t exactly behaving any differently than normal.”
Their colleague Kate Sinclair was a risk taker and an adrenaline junkie—a definite plus considering the reason they drove thousands of miles in one day. Craziness was always beneficial when chasing violent storms that were capable of leveling entire towns. Snyder hated to admit it, but Kate’s brash actions always got the team what they needed. The data they collected was vital and necessary to increase warning times.
“Just get me where I need to be so we can intercept this thing and get out of here before things really get nasty.”
“Take a right. Pick up the road at the end and follow it out.”
The abrupt change of direction worried Snyder. “Is it shifting?”
“A bit, yeah. This should compensate and keep us in the path. Shit.”
Been waiting for that. Out of the corner of his eye, Snyder saw Tripp Dawson drum his fingers against the seat while he studied the netbook in his lap. That kind of contemplation was not a good sign when they were chasing a vortex generating winds over one hundred miles an hour. “What now?”
Tripp muttered something under his breath and Snyder cleared his throat to get his attention. “Shifting again. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of clear path that I can make out. She went from straight as an arrow to as crooked as the mountains back home. It’s almost impossible to track like this—look out!”
Prepared this time, Snyder let off the accelerator and tapped the brakes. To his left, Kate’s white Jeep sped through a stop sign. If he hadn’t stopped before the intersection, she would have slammed into the side of his truck.
Fucking insane is putting it lightly.
Well past annoyed now, he immediately jerked the wheel to the right and slammed the accelerator to the floor. Tripp fumbled for the handle over the window as the truck hit a few cavernous potholes that sent expensive equipment flying. Snyder would replace anything he broke with his own money when this chase was over. For the moment, broken equipment was the least of his worries.
Knowing she wouldn’t bother to answer her cell phone, Snyder thumbed the receiver on his radio with one hand and hollered into the handset. “Kate, get your head out of your ass. You’re going to get one of us killed if you keep driving like this.”
The vehicle in front of them took a hard left without signaling or stepping on the brakes. Caught unaware, Snyder flew past the turn, unable to stop with his heavier vehicle.
“Fuck me. SKYWARN spotters report it’s increasing in size and strength again. Just took out the entire power grid.”
The laptop they used for their storm lab broke free from its clips and hit the windshield as Snyder slammed on the brakes and threw the gearshift into reverse. Tripp scrambled to collect everything before it went flying.
On the right path, Snyder used the radio once more. “Kate, this thing is bigger than they’re expecting and growing by the second. It’s too damn dangerous. Call off the chase now. It’s not worth the risk.”
When radio silence met him, he tossed the receiver to the dashboard and gripped the steering wheel. This time, when Kate made a sharp turn, he was ready for it and took it with her.
“We’re not chasing the funnel anymore, are we?” Snyder kept his focus on the road ahead and ignored Tripp’s question. He pushed the truck more than he would have normally because the tornado was the least of his worries. The last thing he wanted to do was scrape Kate off the side of some dirt back road in the middle of Kansas.
Kate suddenly braked, coming to a complete stop in the center of the road. Her door flew open and she jumped out, camera in hand. Ignoring the truck as they approached, she immediately went to the other side of the Jeep, using the front quarter panel to brace her body against the wind.
Snyder stopped the truck a few yards away and narrowed his gaze as he kept an eye on his colleague, who’d willingly put herself in danger. “What does Doppler say?”
“Radar is showing it’s losing some energy, but still staying on this heading.”
Which mean it would pass close by, but not enough to put them in any kind of serious danger. Snyder leaned forward and adjusted the video camera mounted on the dash as he studied the dark clouds.
The radio crackled and Tripp made a grab for it. “Blaney? We got one.”
“We lost you guys back near the airport. Where the hell are you?”
“We’re out on 9 near Jewell.” Tripp shook his head and rolled his eyes at Snyder with all the hoots and hollers that came across the radio. The group was an assortment of students from Kate’s forecasting classes at the University of Oklahoma. Most of them were just as crazy as the woman in front of them.
“Caught it, didn’t you? We’ll monitor things from here. Charley is getting some good video.”
So is someone else. Snyder continued to watch as Kate snapped picture after picture of the storm and wondered what had driven her to take this track. He would have never guessed the storm would be here right at this moment. He’d always thought his instincts about storms were dead on until he’d met Kate five years ago.
Their first day in the field, she’d put him to utter shame when he hadn’t followed her forecasting and ended up in another state. She’d intercepted the storm of her career and he’d encountered nothing but miles and miles of a sky free of any sort of storm clouds. His first blue sky bust.
He and Tripp had learned a lot since then, and they owed it all to Kate.
“Not good. Not good.”
The tight strain in Tripp’s voice caught Snyder’s attention. “What?”
“Tornado’s heading right for us.”
Fear tightened Snyder’s gut as Tripp’s worried gaze met his. “Hell. Get over here. Turn us around and I’ll get her whether or not she likes it.” Wind bit at him as soon as he stepped out of the truck. Focused on one goal, he didn’t care if it ripped him to shreds.
He focused on the fact they all needed to get out of here.
As he held up his arms to deflect the wind, the rain started. Driven by high-speed winds, the drops lashed at him, soaking his clothing in seconds. The heavy weight of his wet cotton tee and jeans didn’t deter him in his quest. He fought the gusts, wrestling with the ferocity of nature to get to his goal.
The howling was horrible and reminded him of a jet engine barreling down a runway right for them. That strong wind whipped Kate’s black hair, tangling it as she widened her stance in order to brace herself against the approaching storm. She moved with a casual ease that gave no hint to the danger swirling less than a half mile from where they stood.
The elephant-trunk-shaped tornado gave a deep growl as it chewed up the field. It had darkened considerably since they’d started the chase, the dirt and debris it churned up altering the color to a deep, murky gray. If Snyder hadn’t been so worried about getting Kate and leaving, he might have taken the time to be impressed with Mother Nature’s creation.
He ducked as a thin tree branch narrowly missed his head and reminded him why he was in this mess. The Jeep provided a good anchor and he braced himself against it as he pressed forward.
“Kate, we have to get out of here.”
She was so focused she didn’t even bother to look at him. “I’ll be fine. She’s been shifting the whole path. She’ll shift again.”
“No, she won’t. She’s headed right for you. Come on!” He grabbed for her arm, tugging hard in an effort to get her to follow. The horn on his truck blared loudly, a quick-fire round of beeps as Tripp leaned on it.
“No!” She wrenched away from his hold and continued to take pictures.
He grunted, incensed she’d driven him to do what he was about to do. But he couldn’t just stand here and watch her get sucked up by the very same thing she spent her life chasing.
“Fine. We’ll do this the hard way.” He bent, lunging forward to take her at the waist. Her camera hit his lower back, but he ignored the dull sting of pain. Lifting her over his shoulder, he turned and ran as best as he could for where Tripp waited in the truck.
Rain pelted them, needles of pain stinging his skin because of the whipping wind. The sound was now deafening and the rapid decrease in pressure pushed against his head, reminding him of the dangerousness of the situation. The beast swirling toward them howled in anger because they were escaping. It wanted a meal, but he wasn’t about to give it the satisfaction.
Kate fought against him, her damp clothing and his wet grip making it hard for him to keep a handhold on her. Determined, he tightened his grasp and she struggled. The chaotic air around them was now filled with dirt and other debris that could quickly turn deadly if they continued to stay outside unprotected.
“You’re an asshole. Why don’t you mind your own business?” She continued to verbally lash him, but the high-pitched whine of the approaching funnel stole her words.
He wrenched open the passenger door as soon as he arrived at the truck and pushed her into the cab, following quickly so she couldn’t escape. The door slammed behind him and he caught Kate’s fist before it plowed into his face.
“Gun it, Tripp.”
Tripp threw the gearshift into reverse and slammed his foot down on the pedal.
“No!” She attempted to throw another punch at him, but Snyder banded his arm around her and the seat in order to keep her inside the truck.
“Kate, stop. It’s over. Look.”
The truck stopped at a safe distance for them to still observe the storm. Snyder hunched even more protectively over Kate and stared through the windshield in disbelief at the chaotic vortex engulfed Kate’s Jeep, pulling it high into the swirling winds before devouring it completely. Kate’s fingers bit into Snyder’s biceps and her soft curses filled the cabin of the truck as they all watched helplessly as her vehicle was tossed around as if it were a child’s Matchbox car.
The deep growl the tornado gave indicated the Jeep had only whet its appetite. Now it took direct aim at Snyder’s truck as it shifted directions again. A heavy piece of debris slammed into the side of the truck with such force the vehicle went up on two wheels and jerked to the left.
Panic stabbed at Snyder’s gut. “Back up! Back up! Get us the fuck out of here!”
The truck slammed onto four wheels again and the engine roared to life as it found its footing. The transmission kicked into gear and Tripp gunned the engine in reverse as he fought with the wind lashing the vehicle. He slammed the brake pedal to the floor, switched gears and maneuvered the truck to drive at a right angle to the tornado. Hail slammed against the roof, no doubt creating large, deep dents in the sheet metal.
Kate rocked against Snyder as the truck jerked to a stop when they’d gone a safe distance and the tornado moved away. Safe now, Tripp rested his forehead against the steering wheel and let his hands fall away. When his breathing settled in a normal pattern again, he sat up and threw his arm over the back of the bench seat.
Tripp’s gaze met his and Snyder indicated he was all right as he pulled Kate tighter and reached for Tripp’s hand. He needed a slice of comfort from his lover after the sudden rush of the past few seconds. Tripp’s fingers wound around his and squeezed, smiling as he brushed his other hand over his face.
There would be hell to pay for both of them after this, regardless of the fact Kate had put herself in harm’s way. She wouldn’t see this rationale because she would be too pissed at both of them for breaking procedure and chasing after her instead of the storm.
He knew he and Tripp would have to be the voice of reason because this wasn’t over even though the vicious vortex had already started to dissipate. Thunder rumbled through the dark gray clouds overhead, but the violence of the storm had dissolved enough for Snyder to feel comfortable releasing Kate.
To Snyder’s surprise, the feisty woman sat quietly between them as Tripp guided the truck back to where they’d been just minutes ago. Deep ruts from the truck’s tires had been carved into the now-muddy road where the tornado had pushed them.
As they drew closer, some of Kate’s ire seemed to disperse as she took in the path of destruction left in the tornado’s wake. The sweet aroma of sap from broken tree branches filled the air as Snyder opened the door and stepped out onto the roadway.
Pieces of debris littered the road, and as they walked around the bend, a small house came into view around a row of trees. Most of the shingles had been stripped away by the high winds and Kate’s Jeep lay imbedded in the center of the ranch-style house. True to the unpredictable nature of tornadoes, it seemed to be the only major damage the house had sustained.
Kate pushed past where Snyder stood on the side of the road, and he rubbed his hands over his shaven head as he let out a breath. His heart rate was just settling back into a normal pace, his body alive from the flood of adrenaline the danger had brought on. It wasn’t the first time they’d ever had a near miss with a tornado, and given their affinity for storm chasing, he doubted it would be the last.
All three of them lived for this kind of thing.
Tripp came around the front of the truck and pulled him into a tight hug, his lips brushing over the side of his neck. The touch was enough for the last of the adrenaline to burn off and Snyder smiled as he pulled away.
“She may be pissed at us, but at least we’re here to be pissed at in the first place. Got your phone on you?” When he nodded, Snyder continued. “Put in a call to the local authorities. I don’t see any cars, but that doesn’t mean anything. They could have a storm cellar around back. Let’s see if anyone needs help.”
That was always the downside of choosing this kind of work. Storms such as the one they’d just experienced were a daily part of life. Devastation could happen in just a matter of seconds. But that was why he, and the entire team, chased storms. Every bit of data, every tornado they captured on film during an intercept, made them that much closer to extending out the warning times for the states in Tornado Alley. There was no way to avoid the large, rotating mesocyclone clouds that dropped tornadoes, but every second they gained would be a vast improvement.
Those seconds could be the difference between life and death.
Three hours later, Snyder pulled the truck into an open parking spot in front of a hotel where they’d rented some rooms before heading out on the chase. Kate climbed over Tripp as soon as the locks disengaged and pushed out of the cab. She rounded on them, her eyes bright with anger as she waited.
“Looks as if she’s itching for a fight.” She’d been quiet the entire ride and had barely spoken to them as they’d watched a wrecking crew dislodge her Jeep from the house. The vehicle was a total loss, and now they were down a chase vehicle.
Even if the car wasn’t salvageable, Snyder hoped Kate learned a valuable lesson. Considering the glare being shot his way right now, he doubted it. “You think? Better to get this over with now than face it tomorrow while we’re out on the road again. She’ll get on a roll cussing us out and get pissed when she misses a tornado.”
Tripp followed Snyder out and locked the truck. Kate flew at them in a blur, but he managed to reach out and snag her arm before she landed a punch. The glare of her clear gray eyes rivaled the most violent of storms, but didn’t faze Snyder. He’d already been on her bad side once today, no point in trying to avoid it again.
“I don’t want to see either of you in the field again. Got that?”
The events of earlier had finally come to a head and Snyder allowed his own emotions to spill over. “Jesus Christ, where was your head back there?”
“You could have gotten yourself killed,” Tripp added, annoyance evident in the statement.
Kate snorted. “You’d probably like that, wouldn’t you? Eliminate some of your competition.”
“Colleague,” Snyder corrected as he pointed at her. “We’re all out there risking our asses for the same reason. There is no competition when it comes right down to it and you know it.”
Her eyes flared with heat. “Bullshit. This is just some game for you two. Some way for you guys to pass the time waiting for the next hurricane season to blow in. This is my turf, my show on the ground. If you’re not going to let me do my job, neither of you have any business behind the wheel of a chase vehicle.” She pushed into Snyder, jabbing her finger into his chest to emphasis her words.
Getting her to see the voice of reason would be impossible, but he was hardheaded enough to push the issue. If he didn’t, he was afraid they’d lose her. Easing his posture, he clasped her finger, turning her hand so he could weave his fingers through hers.
“Kate, stop it. Think about what you just did. The risks you took just to get the shot. You nearly hit us twice because you were barreling along at a high rate of speed. It wasn’t just your life on the line, it was all three of ours. You have no right to take those kinds of chances.”
A scowl darkened her pretty features and told Snyder he hadn’t made a dent.
“If you two have lost your nerve, then stay out of my way.” Tripp intercepted Kate as she pushed away from Snyder. “Let go of me.”
“Not if you’re going to keep putting yourself in extreme danger like you just did. That was uncalled for and you know it.”
“It’s my business what I do. This is my research. My life.”
Snyder stepped next to Tripp, barring her from leaving. He purposefully kept his voice smooth and calm in an effort to erase some of her ire. “There’s a distinct difference between science and being reckless. You’re being unreasonable right now, and until you get your head out of your ass, you’re not going anywhere.”
“You’re a prick,” she shot back, the words scorching his soul as they knifed through it. “Both of you.”
He folded his arms and refused to move despite her steely glare. They’d faced worse storms than her. “So we’ve been told.” When she huffed out a breath and turned her face away to stare out at the horizon, he’d finally had enough. His arms lowered, his hands skimming against her back.
Tripp reached up and brushed her dirt-encrusted hair out of her face. “Why do you do this to yourself, Kate? Just to prove something? Everyone knows you’re the best out in the field. Stop trying to kill yourself.”
“The only point you’ll prove is we’ll have a grave to stand over instead of chasing the storms,” Snyder added.
“Why do you two care what I do?” Frustration saturated her voice and it broke Snyder’s heart to hear her talk like this.
The last thing he wanted to do was mourn this woman when he, and his partner, cared so much for her. They hadn’t worked up the courage to tell her what they wanted because they were afraid it would change the course of their friendship. One look at her at this very moment and he decided maybe he had the courage after all.
Snyder glanced at Tripp and wasn’t surprised to see the wide smile on his lover’s handsome face. He was glad to see Tripp confirm something they’d discussed for the past few months, it made this so much easier knowing he was right there beside him.
Snyder cleared his throat. “Then we’ll have one less person to care for too.”
Kate snorted softly and rubbed her finger under her nose, wiping away some of the dirt. “Whatever.”
Snyder’s hand slipped around her waist when she started to move away. “Kate.”
She turned and met their gazes, studying them both intently for a few minutes before speaking. “You’re kidding, right? Someone put you two up to this. Some kind of ‘let’s play a joke on the boss’ thing. Payback because of what just happened. I don’t have time for this—”
Snyder’s grip tightened. She had to understand this wasn’t just some ruse to lighten the mood. “No, Kate. Tripp and I are serious. We want you between us and not just during a chase.”
“We’ve watched you take risks for years,” Tripp added. “Now we’re stepping in and asking you to stop because—”
“What? You two feel some kind of need to fuck me? Seriously, where is the camera?” She smiled and shook her head in disbelief.
Snyder frowned. The stress of the day had obviously taken its toll. “No cameras. No joke.” To show her they meant business, he nudged closer to her body, not stopping until he’d backed her against his truck.
He caged her in with his arms, feeling the indentions the hailstones marked in the body of the truck. Right now, he was unconcerned for the bodywork the vehicle would need and more concerned about the sensuous curves of the body pressed against his.
“Naked. Between us. Right now.”
Her grin faltered and she appeared genuinely surprised. “Never would have taken you two for exhibitionists.”
Tripp clicked his tongue. “A smartass comment? Sounds as if it may be too much for someone and she’d rather make a mockery of what we want.”
Her gaze cut to him. “Don’t think I can handle you both?”
Snyder heard the catch in her breath as she spoke and noticed the glimmer in her eyes. They had her hook, line and sinker.
Time to reel her in.
“Prove it.”
Her eyebrow lifted. “Is that a dare?”
The teasing smile she gave made it hard for him to think of anything other than kissing those luscious lips just inches away from his mouth. He reached down to lift her leg, caressing her knee as he wrapped the long, slim length of her limb around his waist. Tripp moved closer and Snyder watched her eyes glaze over as Tripp’s hand skimmed over her hip and slid down to cup her buttock.
A second later, Snyder hissed softly as the tips of Tripp’s fingers grazed over the zipper of his jeans. He pushed his hips forward in response, pressing Tripp’s fingers hard against her. He grinned as Kate’s head fell back against the truck’s window and she let loose a soft moan. His lips cruised over her neck, scenting lavender soap under the layers of fresh dirt clinging to her skin.
“Not a dare. A promise.”
His arms tightened around her. He gave a grunt when she lifted her head and her mouth closed hard over his.
He’d expected her to lash out and call him vicious, inventive names he could use later whenever the next hurricane tried to rip his plane out of the sky. His heart pounded as her mouth crushed over his to demand everything from him right then and there.
She was all he could have ever hoped for. Confident. Powerful. Sexy. Not that he expected anything less from Dr. Kate Sinclair.
Tripp’s voice sounded low just inches away and Snyder’s sex drive immediately went haywire, screaming for any kind of relief. The sensation wasn’t unlike how he felt facing down the tornado a few hours ago. Only this time, he knew what lay on the other end of this chaos.
Sweet, sweet ecstasy.
He cupped Kate’s nape, holding her mouth against his as he turned and started to make his way to the room. The door opened with a soft click and he broke away to catch Tripp’s eye. His lover smiled, waving them inside so they could continue this in the privacy of their room.
She moaned, the soft noise rumbling her chest against his, and he finally released her so she slid slowly down his body. He made no effort to hide the fact he had a raging hard-on and her eyes sparkled with mischief as she pressed her hip against it.
“I knew there was…something. I think I’ve always known, but I thought I was crazy. That I was imaging things just because we all worked so closely together.” Her hands dropped, her fingers playing absently with the hem of her ruined shirt. She seemed to notice the state of her clothing at that moment and her eyes widened in surprise. “I need to wash up. You both deserve better than someone resembling a pigpen.”
Tripp shrugged. “Filthy isn’t such a bad thing.”
Her laughter danced on the air as Tripp approached her, stripping off his mud-stained shirt to discard it. Snyder hadn’t thought it possible, but he wanted these two people even more than before.
Just when he thought he had it under control, Tripp had to go make a comment that made him want to sink into the man over and over. This was one of those moments.
“In fact, I’d venture to guess the three of us are going to get pretty damn dirty before the night is over. No, wait. No guessing. I guarantee it.”
