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My first Category Five.
And Ruth is fucking impressive.
“That burst on the right is still building,” Des says over the headset. “Left side still looks better.”
Colston studies his display. “I’d take left.”
“Yeah.”
Des gives me a heading a few degrees left, and I ease us over.
Another pocket of turbulence rattles through the airplane. The harness digs into my muscles, and the yoke shifts under my hands enough that I have to make another small correction.
The first two passes already gave me more than any Four I’ve flown. Hard drops, heavy turbulence, wind shoving at us from every direction.
Then we’d punch through the inner edge of the eyewall, and everything would settle as soon as we hit the eye. Just long enough to get the center fix, turn around, and head straight back into it.
This time, the ride in has been rougher from the start.
The airplane kicks downward hard enough that my ass comes off the seat before the harness catches me.
“Fuck.” Colston catches himself against the edge of the panel.
I glance over, and he looks like he’s having the time of his life, even as this storm’s having her way with us.
Brian’s voice comes through the intercom from behind us. “Everybody secure back there?”
The rest of the crew answers one after another, verifying that they’re good.
“Heads up,” Des’s voice crackles through my headset, “it’s about to get worse.”
“Copy,” I say as I flex my fingers around the yoke.
The rain pounding the windshield gets louder until I can hear it even through my headset. Then something harder starts pelting the fuselage, sharp hits rattling down the length of the airplane.
Colston squints out his side window. “Hail?”
“Sounds like it.”
Lightning flashes somewhere ahead of us, bright enough to light up the clouds outside.
The next hit comes from underneath.
My stomach drops as the airplane surges upward, shoving me deeper into the seat while the altimeter starts climbing.
“Updraft,” Colston says.
I grit my teeth as sweat prickles along the back of my neck. “I’ve got it.”
I ease the nose down enough to keep our airspeed where I want it and let Ruth push us higher.
Colston checks the instruments beside me. “Still going up.”
“I see it.”
My pulse kicks harder, adrenaline buzzing hot through my chest as the airplane keeps rising.
This is a hell of an updraft.
