The O.D. (19 page)

‘
Sorry
to
break
in
folks
,
but
I
just
got
a
call
from
my
cousin
about
a
twister
that’s
touched
down
near
Enid
.
Said
it’s
headed
for
Blackwell
and
Ponca
City
.
As
soon
as
we
have
any
more
information
,
we’ll
let
you
know
.
’

Their
song
came
back
on
again
,
but
Heiberg’s
smile
had
disappeared
.
He
checked
the
map
,
then
looked
at
his
wife
in
alarm
.
He
reached
over
and
pressed
SCAN
on
the
radio
,
searching
for
more
news
.
Oldies
…
Country
…
Top
40
…
more
Country
…
When
they
picked
up
the
public
radio
station
out
of
Ketchum
,
the
announcer
was
breathlessly
reporting
on
the
tornado
…
and
what
he
was
saying
was
unbelievable
.

‘
Enid
has
been
wiped
off
the
map
,
according
to
storm
chaser
Jared
Tillott
who
just
got
off
the
line
with
us
.
We
have
no
confirmation
of
this
but
…
’
There
was
a
click
,
followed
by
10
seconds
of
silence
.
Then
there
was
another
click
and
the
voice
was
back
. ‘
We’ve
just
been
told
to
shut
down
the
station
and
find
shelter
.
The
tornado
is
travelling
due
east
,
and
we’re
right
in
its
track
.
As
soon
as
we
get
the
all
clear
,
we’ll
resume
broadcasting
,
if
we
can
,
but
meantime
,
if
you
live
anywhere
on
or
near
the
line
Ponca
City
-
Bartlesville
-
Ketchum
-
Springfield
we
advise
you
to
take
to
the
nearest
shelter
immediately
.
This
is
KOSN
Public
Radio
.
We’ll
be
back
on
air
momentarily
.
’

Dan
and
Debbie
Heiberg
looked
out
at
their
three
children
playing
in
the
sunshine
,
then
exchanged
a
glance
which
said
far
more
than
words
ever
could
.
Their
own
storm
shelter
was
over
ninety
miles
away
at
home
in
Bixby
.
To
reach
it
,
they’d
have
to
cross
the
route
of
the
tornado
.
Not
an
option
.
With
a
gentle
squeeze
of
his
wife’s
forearm
,
Heiberg
leapt
out
and
gathered
up
the
last
bits
and
pieces
of
camping
gear
. “
GET
IN
THE
CAR
,
GUYS
,”
he
said
jovially
to
the
children
in
an
attempt
not
to
scare
them
. “
WE’RE
OUTTA
HERE
.”

As
his
family
was
belting
up
,
Heiberg
opened
the
map
again
to
check
their
options
.
If
the
tornado
stayed
on
its
line
50
miles
to
the
south
and
continued
to
move
east
,
they’d
be
okay
.
To
be
extra
sure
,
he
decided
to
drive
west
.

On
leaving
the
park
,
they
had
no
choice
but
to
drive
towards
the
tornado
for
a
mile
until
they
reached
the
junction
with
Highway
160
.
In
front
of
them
,
as
far
as
the
eye
could
see
,
lay
the
heavy
blackness
of
the
weather
front
,
somewhere
inside
of
which
the
tornado
was
wreaking
havoc
and
death
to
all
in
its
path
.

When
they
reached
the
highway
and
turned
west
,
the
skies
were
meaner
than
ever
and
it
had
started
to
rain
heavily
.
The
wipers
could
barely
keep
the
road
visible
and
the
radio
was
broadcasting
nothing
but
intermittent
hissing
.

“
Daddy
,
I’m
scared
,”
their
youngest
daughter
said
,
pressing
Jumble
,
her
favourite
soft
toy
dog
,
to
her
cheek
.

“
We’ll
be
fine
,
honey
.
Tell
Jumble
everything’s
going
to
be
okay
.
It’s
just
rain
.”
Dan
Heiberg’s
confident
reassurances
put
everyone
at
ease
for
the
moment
.

Unbeknown
to
the
family
,
the
four
-
mile
-
wide
swathe
of
the
tornado
had
veered
north
-
northeast
,
after
removing
half
the
city
of
Pawhuska
from
the
Earth
,
and
was
now
heading
straight
towards
their
SUV
at
90
miles
an
hour
.

“
LOOK
,
THERE’S
A
STRIP
OF
WHITE
SKY
UNDER
THE
BLACK
,”
Johnny
shouted
. “
AND
ANOTHER
ONE
OVER
THERE
.
IT’S
CLEARING
UP
.”
But
the
area
in
between
remained
black
as
night
and
had
begun
taking
on
a
distinct
funnel
shape
unlike
anything
they
had
ever
seen
before
on
YouTube
.