Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 Dr. Gage turned the SUV around again, and they raced away from the tornado. He punched 911 into his phone. A woman's voice came over the speaker. "Nine-one-one emergency." "This is Dr. Norman Gage. I'm a storm chaser. There is a massive tornado on the ground in southwest Joplin. It could be a mile wide. And it is rain-wrapped and almost impossible to see. People need to be warned right away!" Dex's heart pounded. Had he heard right? Could a tornado really be one mile wide?

If the tornado kept going in the same direction, it would wipe out some of the most crowded parts of the city — Dex's school, the St. John's hospital complex, Dex's church, all the stores and supermarkets and fast-food restaurants that lined South Range Line Road… And Dex's neighborhood. The wind shook the windows of the SUV. The air was filled with leaves, branches, and black roof shingles. "This is a huge tornado and very strong," Dr. Gage warned. "Please get the sirens going!" He hung up with the 911 operator and handed the phone to Dex. "Call your parents," he said. "Tell them both to take cover and to spread the word." Dex glanced at the time; it was almost 5:40. Were they home from the graduation yet? With shaking hands, Dex called home. All he got was a fast busy signal. Same thing when he tried to call Mom's cell, and then Dad's.

Was cell service cut off? Just then a piercing shriek rang out through the air — finally, the tornado sirens. Yeeowwwyeeeowwwyeeeoww! But was it too late? And would people pay attention? Would Mom and Dad know to run to the basement? Would Zeke go with them? His dog hated it down there. How many people in Joplin knew what was coming? It was now pouring rain, and the gray cloud was completely invisible. A massive tornado was about to hit Joplin, and nobody could see it. Dr. Gage's terrifying words came back to Dex. Black walls of death. The wind was getting stronger, gusting in howling breaths. Trees swayed back and forth.

A huge limb broke off and flew across the street. Dex noticed a new color on the radar map — pink. "Dr. Gage," he said softly. "What are those pink dots?" They were scattered across the red blobs like sprinkles. Dr. Gage glanced at the screen, his face grim. "Debris," he answered finally. Debris. It took Dex a few seconds to get it. Those pink dots were pieces of houses and buildings and cars that had been sucked thousands of feet into the sky. Dex's eyes flooded with tears. Joplin! His city was being torn to pieces. Dr. Gage picked up the handset of his ham radio, which would work even when cell service was out. "Jimmy, Sara, you there?" There was a loud crackle, and then Sara's voice.

"Norm, where are you? We're heading into Joplin. I wish you could see this! It's massive! We're following it in." "Stay back!" he said. "It's right behind us, on Twentieth Street!" Dex gasped as he watched a telephone pole break in half and slam onto the road in front of them. The wires erupted into a spray of sparks. Dr. Gage dropped the handset and hit the brakes. "Norm!" Sara called. "Norm!" The car skidded on the rain-slick road. It whipped around in a circle, around and around, like a sickening carnival ride. They were heading right for a huge oak tree, and Dex braced himself for a terrible crash. The car swerved at the last minute, and they missed the tree. Instead, they plowed into a chain-link fence, breaking through the metal mesh and finally lurching to a stop.

They sat there for a moment, too stunned to speak. They were in front of Peter's Garage, where Dad took his car to be fixed. A chunk of the roof tore away and smacked into the car. A stop sign shot past them like an arrow. The wind was really howling now, branches and roof shingles swirling in the air. Dr. Gage jammed the SUV into reverse and tried to back up.