The second storm appeared on the horizon. As Lars and Irwin watched, the two supercells grew in strength and merged into one monstrous wedge tornado.

Irwin gazed at the phenomenon. "It was a powerful system before, but now it's a mega storm."

Lars nodded. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, Irwin."

"For us, Lars. I want to work with you and James. Let's form our own weather research company."

Lars, smiled. "Winter-Allen. It has a nice ring." He hesitated. "Irwin, there's something I have to tell you."

Irwin waited, his curiosity piqued.

What in the world could be so important it couldn't wait until we're out of this hellish storm?

Lars exhaled. "Halle is my niece. My brother was her father."

"What?"

"It's true. Sven died in a car accident. You never had a chance to meet him while we were together."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He abused woman. He liked to strangle them."

Irwin was gobsmacked.

"I went to Magenta Brennan's home the night of the tornado that supposedly killed her. Sven was beating her. I pulled him off of her, but it was too late. Officially, Halle's mother died in the tornado."

"Sven killed her."

"Yes." Lars' voice broke. "And then I lost control. I did to him what he did to that poor woman."

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"I should have." He bowed his head. "There's something else that worries me." He paused again. "James likes her. They can't date because..."

"They're related," Irwin finished his sentence.

Lars nodded. "They're cousins."

"I think I understand why you pushed Halle away and said terrible things about her," Irwin said. "You never wanted Halle to know about the night her mother died and recall all the horrible murders."

Lars exhaled. "I knew you'd understand. I could see her memories were about to surface every time she looked at me. Sven and I were fraternal twins."

"She has to know." Irwind did a double take. "Wait, why are you telling me this?"

"I need to make amends, Irwin." Unblinking, he gazed into his eyes. "You need to take your research and work independently with Halle and James. Your  military overlords are evil. They'll use your work and kill innumerable people."

"Lars, I cant.."

Lars grabbed his hand, "Shh...tell James, Halle is my niece. My brother is her father."

"No." Irwin ripped his hand away. "Why do you always use me to avoid unpleasant obligations, Lars?" He pouted. "You'll have to tell her yourself."

"Fine," Lars said in a clipped voice. "I thought you loved me." He glanced at the radar and then looked at the navigation software. "Apparently, I was wrong."

"Lars," Irwin pleaded, "I don't understand why you need me to talk to James. He's your son."

"We might be able to intercept a funnel in five miles. As long as this thing stays on the same path." He frowned. "Fortunate for us, but most unfortunate for the people of Springfield."

Irwin called in a tornado warning to alert the town's emergency service as a lightning bolt lit up the sky and illuminated the entire mega tornado. Lars slammed on the breaks as a huge, formerly invisible funnel revealed itself. The vehicle shuddered as the sub vortex passed several hundred yards in front of them.

"Son of a bitch that was close," Irwin said.

Lars pointed at the radar. "We're inside the main tornado. This thing has expanded during the last sixty  seconds."

Irwin's eyes widened in horror. "We have to warn the others." He checked the location of the two other storm chasing vehicles. They're on a parallel road about five miles behind us."

"Good idea," Lars said. He leaned across Irwin's chest and opened the passenger door. 

"What are you doing?" Anticipating what was coming, Irwin grabbed the back of his seat.

"Take care of James for me." Lars flung him out of the truck and slammed the door shut.

Irwin banged in the window. "Lars, no! You can't do this."

Lars smiled and mouthed, "I love you," then looked straight ahead so Irwin wouldn't see the tears running down his cheek. He put the truck in gear and raced towards the inner core of the tornado.

Irwin scanned the field and saw the parallel road across the mile long field. He started running as fast as he could towards Bailey road.

——-

Underneath Springfield's Amazon building, seventy five terrified workers huddled underground in a concrete bunker, specially built for such emergencies. They cowered at the t-Rex screech of the tornado as it tore into the shipping company's pre-fab building and ripped of the metal roof. Brown packages flew through the air in a whirlwind, their contents filling the air in a melee of diverse merchandise like an upended Christmas stocking.

A blender bounced off The Terminator's windshield, followed by a black, state-of-the-art Ninja air-fryer. "Shit, what's next," James observed a blue portable toilet rolling across the road. "Bathroom fixtures?

Sparks flew as a George Foreman grill crashed onto the roof and tore off the rest of their Doppler antennae.

"This is insane."

"We have one more shot," Hailey said. "Head southwest." We can deploy our last probe at the crossroads on Bailey and Canton roads."

Opposite the demolished Amazon facility, Halle squinted at a figure that raced across the field.

"That's Irwin. James pull over." They both waited anxiously as the scientist staggered up to their vehicle. Out of breath and crying, he leaned against The Terminator.

James jumped out and helped the exhausted research scientist into the storm chasing vehicle. "What happened? Where's my father?"

Irwin gasped unable to speak. He pointed at the field he had just run across. After struggling to catch his breath another minute, he said, "Lars ejected me and took off. Damn, him. He's going to deploy the probe himself." He sobbed, "Into the core."

"Why?" James ran to the vehicle leaned in and grabbed the CB mic.

"Weather Warrior1,...shit! Come in. Dad, please answer."

Halle checked the navigation software and placed a hand over her forehead. Jame's father was headed straight into the tornado's inner core.

He's sacrificing himself.

The earlier childhood memory of a man's face hovering over her crystallized. This time she could see the scene in its full context. Lars had pulled Magenta's abusive boyfriend off of her and then come over to check on her.

How could I forget? He's the one who saved me during the storm.

A familiar voice crackled over the radio. "I only have a few minutes." The calm serenity in his father's normal caustic voice baffled James. He closed his eyes and depressed the mic.

"Dad, turn around. Now."

Silence filled the air.

"Please, dad" James whispered.

"James, move over." Halle firmly pushed him out of the driver's seat.

"What are you doing?"

She buckled herself in. "We're going to intercept your father before the tornado kills him. He's like a jumper. We have to talk him down." Gritting her teeth, she started the terminator and turned onto the flat grassy field.

"If it starts raining, we'll get stuck." Irwin gripped door handle as the truck bounced over the uneven terrain.

"I'm going to get him. Hope it doesn't rain." She retrieved the mic that had fallen onto the floor. "Lars, this is Halle. Why are you doing this? This is suicide."

Lar's soothing voice answered and Halle exhaled. She was stubborn and inexorable when she made up her mind. She recognized the same trait in Lars.

"Your mother was a good woman, Halle. My brother hurt her...she had bad taste in men." He paused. "She loved you."

"I know who you are. You helped me the night she was killed." Tears filled her eyes. "You have to turn around, now."

"Take care of James. You're both family."

"Don't be stupid," she yelled and angrily shifted into fourth fear. She pressed the accelator down.

Amy's voice crackle over the radio. "Interceptor2, what the hell are you doing? You're heading into the core. We're half a mile behind you."

Halle broke into her transmission. "Lars is alone. He's going to deploy the probe. I'm going to force him off the road before he reaches the crossroads."