The Fire and the Anvil (Secrets of the Elements Book III)

Storm researcher John Sayers sets out to interview one of his heroes, Dr. James Ferganut, a reclusive inventor of robotic insects and a pioneer in storm research. As Dr. Ferganut's enigmatic past comes to light, the hills around them ignite and the fire sparks a tornado. John soon discovers the fire is no accident. A rival inventor, Dr. Julius Minton, emerges and declares he is merely finishing a game started years before. It is a game played with thousands of lives at stake and weapons that can alter the weather in an instant.