“Yep, aren't you the one that says we have to be out there by dawn?” Wyatt said pulling on his boots over his wool socks.
She popped one eye open and then the other. It was still dark. Just as she suspected.
“You sure you don't want me to go with you guys?” she asked, hoping he would say no.
“Nope. We got it. Chase and I can handle one hunting trip without you. If we are total failures, you can gloat and go with us on that next trip out.”
“You better get something. Have you seen the root cellar?”
“Yes, which is why we are going now. It'll be fine, Megan. There is plenty of game around. We have to harvest anything we can find, including squirrels, and hopefully manage to pull off some big game kills.”
“Okay, be safe, please. I'll see you when you get back.” She sat up in bed waiting for the kiss she knew was coming. She knew she should probably get up, but she wanted five more minutes. Or at least that is what she told herself.
Wyatt leaned in, kissed her and said his goodbyes before walking out the door.
Megan lay in bed, trying to go back to sleep, but couldn't do it. There was so much to do. The winter had provided some downtime, but now that they survived their first winter, they knew what they needed to do to prepare for next winter.
She strolled into the kitchen in search of coffee. The supplies from Harry and Linda's home had included coffee, but they were running low, again.
“Good morning, Albert,” she said in greeting as she walked by.
“I think I have been able to finish Jack's plans for that new cabin,” he said, not bothering with a greeting in return.
“Oh, yeah?”
The cabin was going to be for her, Wyatt and Caitlin. Megan tried to hide her excitement.
“Don't pretend you aren't chomping at the bit to get your own space. You and Wyatt need your own place. It's time to transform the lodge into a compound. Reminds me of the sixties. I kind of like it,” he smirked.
Megan grinned, “Works for me. We can all wear tie-dye and sing by the fire. As long as I have my very own cabin, I’m cool with anything.”
She walked to the table and sat down, “Can I see?”
He pushed the notebook over to her. She didn't understand some of the scribbles, but she got the general idea. It was going to be a three-room cabin with a room for Caitlin and one for her and Wyatt. The other room would essentially be their living room. There was no need to put in a kitchen or bathroom.
“You think we will be able to find more supplies that will allow us to build?”
Albert shrugged. “I'm sure there are a lot of abandoned homes all around that small town and nearby. The hard part will be dragging stuff back here. Hopefully we can siphon some gas. Then we can use the ATV.”
“That would be nice, but I wouldn't be surprised if other people already have the same idea.”
“Maybe, but all the newer cars would have been disabled by the EMP. We can always hope that there are only a few older cars running,” Albert reasoned.
Megan left Albert to his drawings and headed out to check on the goats. Keeping them warm and safe through winter had been a challenge. Both goats were growing nicely and Megan was hoping Misty would be ready for breeding soon.
Duke walked along beside her, saying his own hellos to the goats. They had given up trying to keep them in the pen about halfway through winter. She liked to call them free-range goats. They usually stuck close and all anyone had to do was call them and they would come running from where they were.
Megan walked to her bench in the birch trees and sat down. She took a moment to appreciate the complete silence. Without trains roaring down the tracks or planes flying overhead, it was quiet. She didn't realize how noisy the world had been until it had gone dark.
Initially, the silence had been terrifying. It had made her feel lost. Without the sounds of cars, the humming of the power lines and the noise in general, it had been like living in a dream world. It was surreal. Now, she was used to it and appreciated the ability to hear so much more without the distractions.
She sighed in contentment.
Rosie sat down beside her.
“May I join you?”
“Of course.”
They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of nature and appreciating the cool morning. Megan would never grow tired of how refreshing it felt first thing in the morning.
“So, what's the plan for today?” Megan asked.
“Well, I figure we can start trying to turn that dirt for the garden plot. I don't think the ground is frozen, but it is going to be wet.”
Megan grimaced. She knew it was going to be backbreaking work.
“You mean with a shovel?” she asked, to verify what she suspected.
Rosie didn't look thrilled either. “Yep. The good, old-fashioned way. We’ll need to spread that compost out. Then someone can dig a trench, about ten inches deep, the length of the garden. Another person can start digging a second trench alongside it, using the dirt from the second to fill the first.”
Megan groaned, “Oh my. That is going to lead to some very sore backs. I miss the days of rototillers and machinery.”
“Me too. With all of us here, though. It won't be as bad. We can divide and conquer. It seems like a lot, and I guess it is, but if six of us are taking turns digging, we won't be nearly as sore and the work will be finished much faster,” Rosie said.
“I suppose. Speaking of compost, I better go turn the middle heap. It was a little stinky when I walked by earlier,” Megan said, rising from her seat on the bench. “I am going to toss some leave into it and hope to calm it down a bit.”
Megan walked away, leaving Rosie to her own thoughts. It was important everyone got some alone time and the bench had become a favorite place to get that time. Unfortunately, the snow had covered the entire area for more the past few months. She was thrilled to have the place accessible again.
She spent time taking care of the chores inside and out, before heading out to the garden area. It was a mess. Grabbing a rake, she began to rake off the top layer of debris. It would all go into the new compost pile. They always kept three running in different stages of decomposition so they would always have a ready supply of fertilizer.
They had been doing what they could to keep up a good balance in the heap. The goat poop was full of nitrogen, which meant they needed to add enough carbon to the heap to keep up the balance. Too much of either and it wouldn't be good for the garden. Whenever the heap got that strong ammonia smell, they knew the nitrogen level was high.
She looked up when she heard voices. Megan grinned ear-to-ear when she saw Wyatt and Chase coming back from their hunting trip.
“This is a day to remember!” she exclaimed, dropping her rake and walking towards them.
Wyatt was beaming.
“I want you to know this was all me. One arrow took her down,” he said referring to the doe they were pulling in the game sled.
“That is amazing, Wyatt. You’ve gotten the hang of hunting. You may even be as good as I am,” she winked.
“I'm sure I’m better. I used the bow. You still rely on your trusty rifle.”
“Alright guys, let's get this thing hung,” Chase said, interrupting their playful jesting.
Once the deer was hanging, they all took a step back to admire it.
“We are going to be alright,” Megan said, just above a whisper.
Wyatt put his arm around her. “Yes, we are.”
“I'm headed in. I'll see you guys in a few,” Chase said, leaving them alone.
“I can't believe we survived the winter. In my mind, I kept building up the winter to be this huge thing that would be impossible to conquer but, we did it. Together, we did it,” Megan said, leaning into Wyatt.
“Yeah, we did. Even though there were times I would have liked a little privacy, I’m glad we were all together,” Wyatt replied.
Megan was quiet for a moment. “It's like one big family no
w. Like a real family. There were some squabbles, but for the most part, we all got along fine.”
“Now, it’s time to make this place even better, stronger. I want to have so much food stockpiled we have to build another root cellar,” Wyatt asserted.
“It’ll be a little easier to do with three less mouths to feed. Of course,” Megan said with a teasing smile, “we will have one new little girl added to our family soon.”
Wyatt threw his head back and laughed. “You mean my new nephew? We better get more food. Once he starts eating real food, he is going to need a lot. If he’s going to be anything like Jack or me, he’s going to be a big, strong kid.”
Talk about Jack and his baby brought back memories of the man they had lost a few short months ago. His death was still raw. Willow had been very subdued, but did her best to act like she was okay when Ryland was around.
Megan opened her mouth to tell Wyatt about her plans to start turning the soil in the garden when there a loud cracking sound reverberated throughout the area.
“Go! Now!” Wyatt shouted, pushing her in front of him as they ran towards the mudroom door.
Chase met them at the door, guns in hand giving them each a weapon.
“Move!” Chase yelled to no one in particular, but everyone in general.
“Mom, get the kids and Willow and get in that safe room,” Wyatt ordered.
Megan was taking the stairs two at a time to take her position. She peered through the small crack in the wood, but couldn't see anything.
Brenda was across from her on the other side of the massive picture window.
“Anything?” Megan asked, not needing to be specific.
They were looking for an enemy.
Megan could hear the flurry of activity below. She knew Chase and Wyatt were boarding the place up.
She sent up a silent prayer and hoped Bryan and Evan were safe. They were on watch this morning. They didn't sound the alarm, which meant they either didn't see the attack coming or had been taken out. The thought of losing two more close friends, who had become like family, was too much to bear. There was no way they could recover from yet another devastating loss.
Megan's heart raced as she thought of the many different possibilities of who could have made the noise. Was it a new group? Was it some of McDaniels' men coming back for revenge? She had to stop her imagination from running wild. There was no point in trying to figure out who was out there.
She had to focus on making sure whoever it was didn't get close to the lodge.
Her hands were sweaty and she could feel the panic trying to bubble up. She managed to slow her breathing, knowing what she had to. If she was clammy and breathing hard, it would interfere with her shooting. She could not afford to waste bullets. Every bullet she fired had to count.
“Anything?” she asked Brenda again.
“Clear,” Brenda said.
Megan waited for what felt like forever.
“Wyatt?” she called out.
“I'm here,” he answered.
“There’s nothing here. Wait!” she peered through the crack, readying her rifle.
“It's Bryan,” Brenda said.
“Bryan is on his way in,” Megan called out.
“Everyone hold position,” Chase commanded.
They all stayed in position, ready to fight for their lives against the unseen enemy. Megan could hear low voices, but couldn't hear what was being said.
She couldn't wait another second. “Wyatt?”
“It's all clear,” Wyatt replied.
Megan put down her gun and slouched into the corner. Her legs and arms were weak and shaky now that the adrenaline was zapped from her body.
“Are you okay?” Brenda asked, standing over her.
Megan peered up at her. She was cool as a cucumber. Nothing fazed the woman.
“I need a minute,” Megan breathed.
She took a few moments to pull herself together. Memories of Jack and his brutal death flooded over her as they fought to save those she loved. Since then, their winter had been peaceful and she had hoped it would stay that way.
She should have known it wouldn't last forever.
She saw boots in front of her. She didn't need to look up to see who owned them.
Wyatt squatted in front of her, “It's okay. There’s no one out there. We don't know what the noise was. Bryan and Evan said it came from the north.”
Megan nodded, too relieved to speak. She was overcome with emotion.
“Thank, God.”
“You ready to go down?” Wyatt asked softly.
She nodded. “Yes.”
He extended a hand to help her up off the floor. They walked downstairs where everyone had gathered. Evan had stayed on watch, just in case.
“Could it have been someone hunting up there?” Bryan asked.
“No,” Brenda answered. “That was too loud for a gun shot.”
Chase looked contemplative. “Maybe a mud slide or a rock slide?”
“A mud slide would make sense, with the amount of snow we had and the quick warm-up,” Wyatt agreed.
“What if somebody lives up there?” Megan asked. “They could be trapped or hurt.”
“We need to know what it was. If it is a slide, we could be at risk here,” Wyatt stated. “A dam controls the flow of water to at least one of the smaller rivers that runs along the west side of us. If it overflowed and the spillway was breached, it could create some problems.”
“I'll go,” Chase said. “Albert, can you take over for Evan on watch. Garrett, you come with us. The rest of you stay alert, just in case. It could have been an explosion set to draw us out and away from the lodge.”
Megan's stomach dropped at the thought of being left vulnerable again. She didn't know if she could take another round of bad guys so soon after the McDaniels situation.
She looked at every person in the room. She cared for every one of them. She couldn't bear to lose anyone else. She looked at Willow who had instinctively put a hand on her belly to protect her unborn child.
Megan would not let anything happen to Jack's child.
4
Wyatt couldn't stop smiling. Life was good. He was so thankful for the stupid EMP, he felt ridiculous. His friends could never understand how he could be so happy after all the pain and suffering of the last year, but he was giddy.
“Are you really going to go for it?” Chase asked Wyatt as they walked.
Garrett, Bryan and Evan stared at Wyatt in surprise. The five men were headed out to check where the noise came from, when Wyatt dropped his bombshell.
“I have thought about it a lot. I want to do it,” Wyatt confirmed.
All the men took turns slapping him on the back and congratulating him.
“We'll miss you,” Chase joked. “You won’t be part of our little group of bachelors anymore.”
“You aren't getting rid of me that easy, but this is something I need to do,” Wyatt said in a serious tone.
“No need to kick him out of the single guy club yet, she may turn him down,” Bryan joked.
“Ha ha,” Wyatt quipped.
Chase got serious. “I think it's awesome. We all know she’ll say yes. I'm not sure how we would make the marriage official, but the ladies will have a blast planning a wedding. Megan doesn't seem the type to want all the frills, but I'm sure we can put together a nice, country-style wedding for the two of you.”
“Congratulations,” Bryan, Garrett and Evan echoed.
“Thanks guys. Now, I need to find the perfect time to propose. It’s a little tough to find the right moment when you’re constantly surrounded by people, but I'll think of something,” Wyatt mused.
“Public proposals are all the rage,” Bryan joked. “Well, they were. You know, with someone there snapping pictures of the very moment you drop to your knee.”
Garrett laughed. “If only YouTube worked. We could make it go viral. Think of the headline, ‘First Proposal after the Apocalypse’.”
“I doubt I’m the first, but it certainly sounds like a good story,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt couldn't stop smiling. It was spring. They had survived winter and he was about to make Megan his wife. Obviously, he wouldn't get the luxury of making it legal, but in this world, all that mattered was the fact they gave each other their word. They loved each other and had proven time and again they were stronger together.
He couldn't have asked for a better partner in life. They had been through some of the worst moments of his life and she had never let him down. She was absolutely his other half. He was never letting her get away.
Wyatt was lost in his own thoughts, not paying a great deal of attention to the laughing and joking between the other men ahead of him. No matter how safe they felt, he still didn't like leaving the lodge exposed.
Megan was the one who convinced him that if there was trouble up here, it was better to have five strong fighters versus only two. He knew she was thinking about the raid on McDaniels. Their small number had nearly been the death of all of them.
The lodge was secure with the assorted early-warning systems in place and Brenda’s bear traps. When they’d first put them in, there were some harrowing moments until everyone knew exactly where they were. The winter snow and mud had managed to wipe out the too-obvious foot trails they’d stamped into the ground and everyone had gotten into the habit of taking a different path to the lodge to avoid a repeat. Should someone be lucky enough to breach their defenses, everyone was prepared to shoot to kill. No one would hesitate at the thought of killing someone. Those days were long gone. Living in this world had cured them all of their apprehension at killing another human if it meant protecting themselves, the kids, and their supplies.
“See anything yet?” Wyatt called ahead to Chase, who was leading the procession up the hill to Lake Rowland.
They had been walking for close to an hour. The lake was at the top of the mountain on which they lived, and it was fed by the higher peaks around them. He wasn't exactly sure how far up it was, but guessed it was a mile, possibly two.
The hike up was relaxing. The scenery was beautiful and the area might be a nice place to build a cabin. He wasn't sure if he wanted to move too far from the lodge, but it was an option he would toss around with Megan.
Dark Destruction (EMP Lodge Series Book 4) Page 2
