Caitlin's bright pink coat would stand out. She hadn't been too worried about her daughter wearing camo on their hunting expedition. Her dad had insisted she wear the bright orange vests whenever they went out hunting so he could always see her. It was a safety thing that had been drilled into her brain from an early age.
Megan had to stop every few minutes. She knew she was on the verge of passing out from the pain. Or maybe it was the concussion; at least her head had stopped bleeding. She refused to succumb until she knew her daughter was safe.
She made it back to the tree line that led up the hill. A thick branch lying on the ground gave her an idea. She could make crutches. They wouldn't exactly be comfortable, but sliding her body across the rocks and wet ground wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
The branch was strong enough to hold her body weight. She used a tree and the branch as a crutch to get to a standing position. Her injured leg felt as if it was heavy as a rock and as thick as a tree trunk. She looked down to make sure it hadn't tripled in size.
Nothing. It looked perfectly normal, minus the tears and mud. That was a good thing, right?
“Move, Megan,” she said aloud. Caitlin was out there somewhere waiting for her mom to find her.
It was a slow, painful climb back up the slippery slope. Thankfully, the trees actually provided something to hold on to. This was the path she had been looking for. This is where they would climb down the hill to get to the meadow; that is, if she ever went hunting again.
Megan collapsed at the base of a large pine tree and propped herself up using the large trunk as support. Staring out at the meadow below and the area where she had crawled up from, she lost her breath. It was a long fall. Caitlin had flown past her when the ground had washed away under their feet. She didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified Caitlin was not down there. With her view of the entire meadow, she took a relieved breath. There was no pink coat and definitely no body of a broken little girl.
Caitlin must have been able to stop her fall. She had to have run for help. Did she know the way back to the cabin?
It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay awake and Megan shook her head trying to clear the increasing fuzziness that was wrapping around her vision. She had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been an hour or more. If Caitlin knew her way back to the cabin, it would take her about an hour to get there. Help could be arriving at any minute. She hoped.
4
Wyatt finished splitting another cord of wood stacking it neatly next to the woodshed on the platform they’d built. This would make ten, but he wasn't convinced it would be enough. As the old adage said, better safe than sorry.
Sweat dripped from his brow even though the temperature hovered around fifty degrees. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and wiped his face. A cool breeze whipped through, cooling his skin. Looking up at the sky, he wasn't very surprised to see dark clouds building up in the north. He expected Caitlin and Megan would return anytime. She knew to watch the weather and get back home before it hit.
Rosie stuck her head out the back door, “You want something to eat, hon?”
“No, mom, I'm good, thanks. Is Albert still in there?”
“Yep, just gave him some ointment for his knee. His arthritis is really acting up. I would say we are in for a good storm,” Rosie said matter-of-factly.
Wyatt used to question her theory about arthritis pain and incoming rain, but she was usually right. The clouds confirmed it. Megan better get her butt home.
He tried to stay busy but the nagging feeling in his gut wouldn't be ignored. Megan and Caitlin hadn't taken any gear with them besides the basics. She should be back by now. He had been fighting back the need to go with her, wanting her to learn to be independent but it wasn't easy. He was so used to protecting those he loved, and he loved Megan and Caitlin.
His mother had lectured him repeatedly about his overprotective nature but it was like trying to tell him not to breathe. The thought of not being there when a loved one needed him made him crazy. When he had seen Kyle holding the gun on Megan, rage and terror gave him superhuman strength. The only thing he thought of as he fought against the man who threatened Megan was her. Her safety. Her well-being. Her life.
Wyatt helped his mom carry in a basket of laundry and hang it by the fire. The rain was starting and the wind was picking up. If Megan didn't come walking through that door in the next minute he was going to lose his mind.
Suddenly, the door swung open slamming against the wall with a loud thunk. Looking up in relief, he frowned to see it was only Jack and Chase.
“Wow, that wind came out of nowhere!” Chase said brushing crushed bits of leaves and pine needles from his hair.
Wyatt went to the back door to check out what was happening outside. This was the downside of not having any large windows on the ground floor. He pulled open the back door and was nearly blown off his feet. The wind gusted through the open door, blowing the clothes that were hanging near the stove.
“Oh my,” Rosie said quickly grabbing a sock that had been ripped from the clothespin holding it on the rope.
“You should see what it looks like from up here,” Willow called out from upstairs
Wyatt slammed the door shut and took the stairs two at a time. He stared out the huge windows. It was the middle of the morning but the sun had been blocked out. He could see the tops of the trees bending sideways with the force of the wind.
“Give her some time,” Jack said from below. “She is a smart girl. She probably saw the storm and took shelter somewhere.”
Wyatt slowly walked down the stairs.
“She better have,” he grumbled. “I need to secure the root cellar.”
“I'll help you,” his brother said grabbing a rain jacket from the hall closet. He grabbed another and handed it to Wyatt.
The brothers struggled against the wind and the rain beating them with tiny, sharp pellets. They heard a loud crashing sound and watched as a tree fell onto the cabin. Jack raced inside to make sure everyone was okay.
Wyatt struggled to walk against the wind. The tree was resting on the metal roof of the lodge, but there didn't appear to be any serious damage. It was a fairly small tree and the cabin was well-built. It wouldn't be a problem.
Another cracking sound had him frantically looking around to see where it was coming from. He couldn't see any falling trees, but he could hear it happening all around him.
Jack slapped him on the shoulder, pulling him back into the house. He was shouting something, but Wyatt couldn't make it out.
When he walked through the door, everyone was huddling in the kitchen terrified. Megan and Caitlin were in this storm, exposed and alone.
“The heart of the storm will pass within minutes,” Chase assured Wyatt. “Then we'll go.”
The small kitchen window shattered, as a tree limb burst through spraying glass all over the counter. Duke started barking as Rosie gave an involuntary scream.
Wyatt looked at Jack. His little brother was worried about his own family. This storm was a wild one. The lodge was sturdy, but he wasn't sure it could take a larger tree coming down on it. One was more than enough.
“Ry, mom, Willow, you guys need to move away from the windows. They are small, but I don't want anyone getting hurt. You can sit at the table for now but if the wind gets much worse, I’d feel more comfortable if you sat next to the staircase, which will provide some additional protection and support.”
“Chase, help me put together some go bags, would you?” He knew his friend was chomping at the bit to get out there too.
Jack started to go help Chase but Wyatt put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You’ll need to stay here with Albert and take care of any damage from the storm.”
The two brothers looked at each other and communicated without words. Jack needed to stay behind and protect his family.
They packed quickly, hoping to leave the second the storm started to subside. Wyatt threw in extra
first aid supplies, just in case the worst had happened. He added some bread that had been left over from yesterday's batch. A pack of dried apple slices from this year's harvest was also added.
He dug through the other bug out bags they kept at the ready, pulling out a couple of ponchos, Mylar blankets and more paracord. Wyatt wasn't sure what they would find, but he wanted to be ready for anything. They were planning a rescue mission, not a survival mission. If Megan and Caitlin had been caught in the storm, they would be cold, wet and likely injured. Their first goal would be to assess any injuries and then get them warmed up in a hurry.
Wyatt was praying they could walk but if not, he was prepared to carry them home. He added in a pair of leather gloves for himself and Chase. Wyatt stared into the open backpack and did a mental checklist. He hoped this would be enough.
Ryland stood up, “Dad, you have to go with them. I will take care of mom and grandma.”
Jack looked at Wyatt who was about to say no.
“I would appreciate that, Ry.”
“Jack,” Wyatt started, but was cut off by his mother.
“I think he's right. The three of you can cover more ground. Ryland and Albert can hold the fort down.”
Willow laughed, “We aren't exactly incapable here, guys. Thanks for the confidence, but we aren't a bunch of wilting flowers.”
Wyatt knew they were right. His mom, and especially Willow, hated being treated as if they were fragile.
“Fine, get your bag together, Jack. I'm gonna check the weather.”
When Wyatt opened the door again, the wind was still howling but the rain had subsided a bit. It was still pouring but it wasn't that violent rain that drove into your skin like nails.
“Let's go,” he said grabbing his bag and heading out the door.
Jack and Chase rushed to catch up to him.
His brother asked the obvious, “Where are we going, Wyatt?”
Wyatt pointed, “She told me they were heading up the mountain. She wanted to check out the area and look for good places to hunt in the coming weeks.”
“With her sense of direction, there’s no telling where she might have ended up in this storm,” Chase muttered. “Please tell me she has a compass with her?”
“She promised never to leave home without it anymore,” Wyatt told them as they trudged through the wet leaves and mud, making their trek that much more difficult.
They all knew that Megan was an excellent hunter. Her father had made his living leading hunting expeditions into both the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. While she’d readily taught the others what she knew, this season would be the first time they would put it all to the test. The group was hoping to get several deer. With the makeshift freezer they’d built, they were hoping to have fresh meat throughout the winter, as well as make jerky.
Wyatt and Megan had talked extensively about hunting and the best place to find deer. With their food supply dwindling quickly, deer, bear, elk or whatever else they could hunt would be fair game. Megan had explained cougars could be an issue while they stalked their prey. Cougars were also on the menu if they happened to come across one.
His mind was hung up on the predators. If Megan and Caitlin had been hurt in the storm, it could be an open invitation for a hungry animal.
“We'll find her, Wyatt,” Chase assured him. “She'll be okay.”
“She better be,” he growled.
5
Megan couldn't stop the tears from flowing. The pain in her ankle was excruciating, but the idea of Caitlin being out there all alone nearly killed her. She cursed herself for letting it happen. She should have been paying attention. She should have gotten them to safety before the storm rolled in. Her stupidity may have just cost her daughter her life. It was like déjà vu.
She had thought she had come a long way from her previous mindset that she was better off alone. Old habits die hard. Caitlin would have been perfectly fine with Wyatt tagging along. It was Megan who was being selfish and silly. She wanted Caitlin all to herself. Megan had wanted to prove to her daughter that she was still fiercely independent and the one who was taking care of them.
That worked out real well.
“Stop the pity party, Megan,” she scolded herself aloud partly to wake herself up and partly because she needed to hear the words.
She used the tree and her makeshift crutch to stand up again. Her leg was completely useless now. She knew if she removed her boot, she wouldn't be able to get it back on. It was already feeling tight. Megan couldn't deal with the idea of it being broken. How would a broken bone heal without a cast? It wasn't as if a surgeon could go in and put the bones back together. It would heal on its own, but if it didn't heal correctly, she could be crippled for the rest of her life.
The thought made her realize she wasn't a superwoman. She sat back down and dug in her fanny pack. Walking on a broken leg or ankle would make it worse.
She had packed a whistle in hers and Caitlin's packs, just in case they were separated. Megan couldn't believe she hadn't thought about it sooner. She put the whistle to her lips and started to blow. After several loud bursts, she stopped and waited to hear if Caitlin would return her call.
Nothing. Nothing but the wind and the rain answered her.
She scanned the area, looking for any sign of movement. The wind blew the fall leaves from the birch trees in the area, but she couldn't see much else. The putrid smell of wet, decaying leaves made her nauseated. Usually, she liked the smell of the damp earth and the fresh smell of rain. Being on the ground was a completely different story.
Caitlin was gone. She had vanished. The only thing Megan could think happened is her daughter had gone for help. That had to be it. She needed to hold onto that thought.
Megan continued to blow the whistle every few minutes. She was going crazy sitting on the ground and doing nothing. She was freezing as well. The ground was soaked, which soaked her pants. She knew hypothermia could be an issue if she didn't get out of her wet clothes soon but with everything as wet as it was, there was no way she could make a fire even if she wasn’t injured.
The pain was a constant throb shooting up her leg every time she shifted, which made it hard for her to focus on much else. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there but it was time to move. She was going to have to drag herself back to the lodge and get help. She assumed Wyatt would be out looking for her but with her own clothing green and beige, he could walk right by her and not see her. Megan once again became frustrated with her own poor decisions. She should have worn a bright color. So stupid!
Wyatt was starting to panic. He wasn't prone to do so, but this situation was different. He could feel it in his gut. Something was very wrong. There was no way Megan would stay out in this weather. Even if she had been caught in the storm, they would have heard or seen her by now.
He thought about Evan Grice, who had sworn revenge on them for killing his brother, Kyle. Maybe he had found Megan and Caitlin and hurt, or killed, them. They hadn't seen or heard from him in months but they knew there were still people in the area. They suspected it was Evan's group and had kept to their side of the mountain to avoid any confrontations.
Now, Wyatt questioned their decision to ignore them and hope they simply went away. The thought of Megan and Caitlin being harmed at the hands of a lunatic made him physically ill. He had to find them.
“Let's split up,” Chase said, interrupting Wyatt's thoughts of murdering Evan Grice.
Wyatt nodded, “Stay close. Look for tracks or any sign of trouble.”
He didn't have to say to look for blood or a body. They had all expected to find Megan and Caitlin quickly and easily. The sense of foreboding weighed heavy on them all.
They fanned out and spent another forty-five minutes walking in a semi-circle up the mountain.
“Stop!” Wyatt shouted.
They all froze, looking around.
The noise that alerted Wyatt cut through the silence. A whistle. They all moved at onc
e, following the sound coming from the mountain ridge. Wyatt's heart raced. He knew what that meant. They had fallen off the ledge.
They had to stop every few minutes to wait for the whistle to guide them in the right direction.
Wyatt started shouting Megan's name and then Caitlin's when he didn't get a response. A short blast from the whistle led them into the trees on the sloped hill that led to the meadow below. Wyatt was familiar with the area and knew a little of what to expect. He wasn't prepared for the mud that made walking downhill almost as slippery as leather-soled shoes on ice.
“Megan!” he shouted, waiting to hear the sweet sound of her voice.
It floated through the trees, “Wyatt? Wyatt! Wyatt, I'm down here!”
Wyatt slipped and slid halfway down the hillside. When he saw her muddy, bloody face, he couldn't stop the tears from welling in his eyes. She was alone. His eyes instantly looked down the hill and into the rocky bottom below.
Chase quickly realized the situation and took off running down the hill in search of Caitlin.
“She's gone, I don't know what happened. She just vanished.” Megan was crying.
Jack dropped to his knees, pulling off his pack. He quickly pulled out the emergency blanket and covered her. Wyatt was digging through his bag and pulled out a pack of wet wipes.
“What happened, baby?” Wyatt asked in a soothing tone, hoping to calm Megan down.
She shook her head, “I don't know. We fell. When I came to, she was gone. I hit my head,” she said as if she just remembered the injury.
He grabbed her hand to stop her from touching the bloody gash. It had stopped bleeding, but judging by the blood dried on her face and the bloody trail he could see leading up the hill, it had bled a lot. Head wounds always did but it never made it any less shocking to see how much blood a small cut could produce.
The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three Page 23
