Chapter 22

Cord saw my hesitation. He said, “It’s a bunker, built during the Cold War. It’s perfectly good for tornadoes, so get your ass down there.”

He nudged me forward, but I didn’t move. No way was I going down those narrow stairs into the depths of a pitch-black somewhere. City boys like me were smarter than that.

The barn began to groan under the increasing wind. The wind started throwing things against the building: pails, rope, tools, whatever had been outside. The barn doors blew open and one tore off its hinges and just disappeared faster than I could see. I was frozen.

“Down!” Cord yelled at me. “We’re going to die up here!”

If we die, at least we die together, I thought, unable to move and scared out of my mind.

Cord had had enough of my cowardice and started down the steep, skinny stairs in front of me. But he kept hold of my hand, pulling me along as he descended into the darkness.