Chasing the storm

Chapter 3: Storms Bring Trouble

(Rowan's POV)

The gas station was eerily silent, except for the wind howling outside. The whole building rattled under the storm's force, but inside? It was the heavy kind of silence that made my instincts scream.

I wasn't the only one feeling it.

Caleb's jaw was still tight, his arm protectively in front of Ava. Sienna? She was pissed, arms crossed, dripping wet, glaring at me like she was planning my murder.

Typical.

I smirked, shaking out my damp jacket. "Well, that was fun."

Sienna's glare darkened. "You are a reckless, selfish, adrenaline-junkie maniac, and I swear—"

A loud crash from the back of the store cut her off.

We all froze.

Ava sucked in a sharp breath, her grip tightening on Caleb's sleeve.

I turned toward the storage room.

Something—or someone—was back there.

Sienna's brows furrowed. "You didn't check the place before we ran inside?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, sorry. I was a little too busy saving our asses."

Another thud.

I moved first.

Pulling my knife from my belt, I motioned for the others to stay put and crept toward the storage room.

Sienna, of course, didn't listen.

She followed, whispering harshly, "If you get us killed, I'm haunting you forever."

I flashed her a grin. "Aw, you'd miss me that much?"

She shoved me. "Shut up."

I nudged the door open, my fingers tightening around the knife.

The room was dark, the faint glow from a flickering "Employees Only" sign the only source of light. The air smelled like gasoline and dust.

And then?

A figure moved.

"Shit!" Sienna gasped.

I lunged forward, grabbing the intruder's collar, shoving them against the shelves.

The whole rack wobbled, an old can rolling off and hitting the floor with a hollow clang.

"Whoa—DON'T STAB ME!"

I stopped.

Frowned.

"Wait a damn second."

I stepped back, my grip loosening. The guy in front of me—soaked, breathing hard, eyes wide with alarm—

"Oliver?" Sienna's voice rang with disbelief.

The guy—Oliver Hayes, our so-called 'tech genius'—gave her a sheepish smile. "Uh… surprise?"

I groaned, dropping my knife hand. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Oliver—our weather analyst, computer geek, and the last person I expected to find hiding in a gas station in the middle of a tornado— let out a breath of relief.

"Good to see you guys too," he muttered.

Sienna pushed past me, smacking his arm. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Oliver winced. "Long story. Let's just say… I was tracking the storm, things got messy, and I kinda, uh, lost my ride."

Caleb had stepped in now, arms crossed. "You mean to tell me you got stranded in a tornado?"

Oliver sighed. "I wasn't exactly planning on it, Caleb."

Ava, still quiet, finally spoke. "Are there… others?"

Oliver hesitated. "Maybe. I lost contact with one of my crew before the storm hit full force."

Sienna looked at me. "What do we do?"

I sighed, glancing toward the storm still raging outside.

Oliver being here changed things. If his crew was nearby, they were either dead, missing, or in serious trouble.

And I wasn't the kind of guy who left people behind.

I turned back to Oliver. "How long ago did you lose contact?"

"About twenty minutes."

I did the math. If they were anywhere near us, they were either hunkered down or barely hanging on.

Sienna shook her head. "You're not thinking of going back out there."

I looked at her. "And if someone's still alive out there?"

She clenched her jaw, frustrated. But she knew me. Knew I wasn't going to ignore this.

Caleb sighed. "We don't even know where they are."

Oliver hesitated. "I… might."

Everyone's eyes snapped to him.

He pushed up his glasses. "Before I lost the signal, I marked their last coordinates on my tablet."

I grinned. "See? That's why I like you, Hayes."

Oliver sighed. "That's the first time you've ever said that."

Sienna groaned, running a hand down her face. "I hate this. I hate all of you. And if we die, I'm blaming you first, Rowan."

I smirked. "Wouldn't expect anything else, sweetheart."

Lightning flashed outside, and I tightened my grip on my knife.

We weren't out of this yet.

And something told me the worst was still coming.

---