He smiled, “Yep and you are not on my team so you better watch out.”
She rolled her eyes, “You forget I was an All-Star. You don't scare me a bit.”
Jack met them on the edge of the field, “You sure about this?”
Megan gave him a quick hug, “It's fine, Jack. We have to have some fun. This is going to be good for everyone. It's only an hour.”
Jack looked at Wyatt, who silently begged him with his eyes to let them enjoy this one little piece of normal.
“Okay, but don't go crying to my mom when I beat your batting average.”
Megan giggled and took off running towards her team that was already lining up in the outfield.
“Don't you go crying to her when you get beat by a girl. Both of you!” she shot back as she took her place on the pitcher's mound.
Megan took a moment to breathe in the fresh air. She missed this. She missed standing on a pitcher's mound. She missed being carefree. She took a moment to look around her. Everyone was talking and laughing.
This was perfect. They would give themselves an hour to unwind before they had to go back to their chores and responsibilities. She was going to treasure every moment they had doing totally normal things, like playing ball. It was something she had taken for granted in the past, but never again.
21
“You're out!” Greg, acting as umpire, shouted at Bryan who had just missed touching the base before Wyatt caught the ball at second.
Megan danced on the pitcher mound. Her team was up by two and victory was in her sights.
“Remember Wyatt, no cry—”
Her taunt was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. It was a semi-automatic weapon. No, her brain registered...it was several semi-automatic weapons.
David who had been at first base fell face forward into the dirt. Screams erupted all around her. She stood on the pitcher's mound in complete shock. Oh my God, no.
Wyatt's hand was quickly on her own, dragging her towards the lodge.
It was then that it all clicked. They were under attack. Men were coming out of the trees, spraying bullets.
“Caitlin! Caitlin!” she screamed, tugging against Wyatt’s grip to find her daughter.
“Mom has her. They ran for the lodge already. Megan, we have to move!”
Megan raced behind Wyatt as fast as her legs would carry her.
“Get in position! Everyone, get in position!” Wyatt screamed over and over.
Through the chaos, Megan saw people scattering in different directions. They had talked about what they would do if they were attacked. It looked like everyone remembered.
Wyatt threw open the mud room door and pushed Megan in ahead of him. “Get up there, Megan. Take out as many as you can!”
She nodded and raced through the lodge. She saw Rosie shutting the secret door in the kitchen and prayed Caitlin had made it into the safe room.
She took the stairs two at a time. Her corner was waiting. She grabbed the gun that had been put against the wall for this exact reason. It took her less than a second to dislodge the wood they’d placed in front of the hole they’d made and got the barrel into position.
Megan took a deep breath, peered through the scope, found a target and pulled the trigger. He dropped.
She quickly reloaded, slid the bolt action into place and looked through the scope. She spotted Jack in hand-to-hand combat with one of the raiders. She hesitated. If she fired and missed, she would hit Jack.
As she watched the two men fighting, she saw Jack throw his head back in pain before putting a hand on his leg. The brief pause in the fighting gave her the window she needed. She took the shot. It hit the man in the shoulder, causing him to drop the knife and retreat.
It would have to do. Megan quickly reloaded and looked for another target. A bullet slammed into the outside wall next to where she was standing. It didn't come through the wood, but it was enough to scare her.
She realized too late her position could easily be compromised if she didn't crouch low. The idea was for her to remain unseen. Sticking the barrel of her gun out the hole in the wall wasn’t smart. She waited a few moments before carefully peering out the slit.
It appeared they were all retreating. She wanted to take out as many as she could before they fled to safety.
Another shot and another man dropped to the ground, just before he got to the safety of the trees.
She reloaded and looked through the scope. There was no movement. She scanned the area.
Wyatt was crouch-running to Jack who was limping towards the lodge. He put his arm around Jack before shouting. She couldn't hear the words, but she could tell from Wyatt’s expression this wasn’t good.
He looked directly at her, even though he couldn't see her, and waved. The attack was over.
Megan slowly pulled the barrel back in and replaced the gun in its designated corner. Her legs were shaking and she didn't know if she could walk on them. The surge of adrenaline that had driven her up the stairs had left in one swift whoosh. Now, she was left feeling shattered and empty.
She slowly walked to the stairs. Gripping the handrail, she made her way back down forcing her legs to take each step. Her eyes saw the flurry of activity as people ran around grabbing towels and blankets. There was blood all over one man who had been laid out on the kitchen table. The table where they were to enjoy their feast. How could everything go from perfect to disaster in a flash?
Wyatt came through the door, supporting Jack. He dropped him in a chair at the breakfast bar before running towards the secret door.
Rosie, Willow and the kids slowly walked out.
Megan stood at the halfway point on the staircase, watching everything unfold. It reminded her of watching one of those old silent movies. She could see mouths moving, but she heard nothing.
“Megan? Megan, are you hit?” Wyatt was standing right in front of her.
He grabbed her face with both hands, “Did you get shot? You're bleeding. Where are you hit?”
“What?”
She heard his words, but surely she hadn't been shot. She didn't feel any pain. She was numb actually.
He turned her head to the side and then turned her around to look at her back.
“I think you were grazed by a bullet. Looks like it went right by your ear. You have a small cut above your ear. Mom will take care of it. Come on, we need to check for wounded.”
He grabbed her hand and started to pull her down the stairs. She didn't move.
“Megan, we need to take care of the others.”
He said the words firmly and in a way that cut through the fog in her brain.
She blinked several times.
“Wounded. Got it. Let's go.”
She followed him down the stairs, watching Brenda try in vain to save David who was lying lifeless on the kitchen table.
Wyatt walked over to his mom and gently pulled her hand away from the man's bleeding stomach.
“Brenda, there are others who need you right now. He's gone.”
Megan stared at the dead man. Her mind refused to accept what was unfolding. She looked at Jack who had a dishtowel pressed to his thigh. It was soaked in blood. All the food was sitting on the center island. It was a stark contrast to what was happening all around the kitchen.
“Mommy,” Caitlin whimpered. “Mommy, I'm scared.”
Megan looked over to see Caitlin standing against the wall by her bedroom door.
“Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Don't worry. It's all going to be okay.”
Amy was curled up on the floor next to Caitlin. Ryland was doing his best to soothe her. Frankie stood off to the side. There was a blank stare on his face. The kid had seen far too much death and destruction.
“Ryland, I need you to take the girls upstairs. You know where my gun is, right?”
The adolescent stood tall, put his shoulders back and nodded, “Yes, ma'am.”
“You take them up there and if you hear anything down here, you get t
hem into your mom's bathroom. Take the gun. Shoot anybody that tries to get through the door.”
Ryland nodded. “Got it.”
“Thank you, Ryland. I appreciate you being so brave. Caitlin, Amy, you girls follow Ryland and do as he says.”
She turned to Frankie, “Frankie, can you please help Ryland? I need you to keep being brave.”
The little boy looked at her, his bottom lip quivered, “I will. I can be brave.” He looked down at his feet. “But, I'm really scared.”
Megan wrapped her arms around him, “It's okay to be scared. We're all scared. Stick with the others and we will make sure no one gets in here, okay?”
Frankie rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes, “Okay. I'll be brave. Please hurry back, though. I don't want to be alone.”
“Oh, honey. You won't be alone. You see all these people here? They’re all going to be right here. If you have any problems, you go see that guy,” she said pointing to Chase who was essentially directing traffic.
“Okay,” Frankie replied, after a big sniff.
“Alright, go on upstairs and we will all be back soon.”
“Megan, let's go,” Wyatt said from the door.
She quickly walked to the door and took the .45 he handed her.
“Just in case they aren't all gone,” he told her.
She hoped they weren't all gone. She wanted to shoot them all.
Albert was outside the mudroom door, leaning against it. Blood was trickling down his arm.
“Albert, were you hit?” Wyatt asked.
The man shook his head and used his other arm to wave him off. “Not my blood.”
“Anyone else out there who needs help?”
Albert looked away, “Sandra, but she didn't make it. I tried to get her inside, but it was too late.”
Megan gasped. “No!”
Wyatt cursed.
“Get inside. My mom will check you over just to be sure. We're going out to see if anyone else needs help.”
Wyatt and Megan walked towards the ball field.
Tara stumbled out of the trees from where she’d been hiding, “Amy?” her voice was barely above a whisper.
“She's fine. She’s upstairs with the other kids,” Megan assured her. “Are you okay?”
Tara nodded, “Ya, I took off running at the first sounds of gunfire. I got to my weapon, but I froze.”
She looked mortified and her head dropped in shame.
“It's okay, hon. It's over now. Head into the lodge. They could use all the help they can get in there,” Wyatt told her in a soothing voice.
They continued walking. Bryan and Evan were knelt over one of the men Megan remembered shooting. It was the man who had been fighting Jack.
“Is he dead?” Wyatt asked.
“Yep. Just getting his gun and ammo.”
Wyatt turned to look at Megan, “You?”
She nodded. Seeing the man lay dead in front of her should have bothered her. The bullet had hit him in the chest. It was a perfect shot. That was what she focused on rather than the fact she killed a man.
Megan noticed the man's bloody hand. The knife he stabbed Jack with was laying just a few inches away.
The knife handle had blood smeared on it, as did the blade. But it wasn't just blood she saw. It was rust and what appeared to be dried blood. The man had stabbed Jack with a rusty knife.
“He stabbed Jack with that knife,” Megan said, looking directly at Wyatt.
Wyatt looked at the knife and grimaced.
“I'll let Brenda and my mom know. If Brenda stitches him all the way up, it will definitely cause a serious infection. As it is, we need to make sure she loads him up with all the medicine she can find.”
“I hit another one too,” she said, looking around the area, already switching gears. “There was another guy around here.”
She didn't want to panic, but if he had gotten up, she would be very mad at herself. She had thought she delivered a kill shot. Maybe she was wrong. Bryan stood, “We already took his gun. He's over there. Clean shot to the head.” He was very serious, but gave her a quick smile, “You are a hell of a shot, Megan. I’m glad we’re on the same side.”
“Thanks. I just wish I could have gotten more.”
The group started walking back to the lodge, “Is everyone accounted for?” Evan asked.
“Yes. David and Sandra are dead,” Wyatt swallowed hard. “Jack was stabbed. There are a couple of other minor injuries, but nothing that won't heal.”
They walked in silence. Each of them caught up in their own thoughts.
“We better get busy digging graves. Is there anywhere in particular you want them?” Bryan asked.
Megan was shocked at his all-business demeanor, but then remembered they had been through this several times already.
“Man, I hadn't even thought of that. I don't want it close to the lodge,” Wyatt said, rubbing his face as he thought about it.
“How about on the far end of the garden? That area under the trees,” Megan suggested.
Wyatt nodded, “That works.”
“We'll grab the shovels and get busy. Maybe have someone prepare a speech so we can get this over with. The sooner we put this behind us, the sooner we can move forward,” Bryan stated, his tone emphatic.
“I didn't know David at all. Maybe one of you? Tara will probably want to take care of the eulogy for Sandra,” Wyatt told them.
Megan could see it was weighing on him.
When they left Bryan and Evan, she grabbed him and pulled him in for a bear hug.
“It wasn't your fault. Don't try to shoulder all the responsibility here,” she told him.
He squeezed her tight, “I should have known better and left someone on watch. I was naive to think it would all be okay. It was a mistake I will never make again. We need to get someone out on watch, right away. They could be out there right now, reloading and preparing for another attack.”
She shook her head as they headed back to the lodge. “I doubt it. They ran out of here pretty quick the second we started shooting back.”
“We can't take that chance. I need to get out there and scout the area.”
“Wyatt!” Willow shouted. She stood in front of the back door holding a few bandages and gauze pads.
“What is it?” he asked, quickly making his way to her.
She pulled him away from the mudroom and was talking in a low voice. Megan watched and waited. Wyatt would tell her soon enough.
A variety of emotions crossed his face—shock, anger and ultimately devastation. Megan quickly stepped inside and scanned the room to take a head count. She didn't see Duke. Had they killed Duke? His bark from upstairs had her smiling with relief. Everyone else was accounted for.
Megan wasn't going to wait. She had enough surprises for one day.
“What happened? What is it?” she asked.
Willow looked at Wyatt, “He'll tell you. I need to help get Jack patched up.”
Wyatt grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the root cellar.
“They wiped us out!” he said angrily.
“What? When? How?” she asked not believing it was possible.
“They had to have done it before they opened fire on us.”
She followed him, stealing a look at the goat pen to make sure they were both in the pen and alive. When she saw the two kids dancing around as if nothing had happened, she breathed a sigh of relief. Megan turned to see Wyatt crawl into the root cellar. She could hear him cursing as she climbed down behind him.
The shelves were nearly empty. All the food they had been preserving was gone.
Megan stared at the shelves in shock. How could they possibly survive without food on the brink of winter?
“This stays between us for now. If we tell everyone what happened on top of what just happened up there, there will be panic.”
Megan felt sick. The attack was horrible, but this was devastating.
“What are we going to do, Wyatt?” she wh
ispered. “What will we do?”
He didn't answer her. He just looked around the storage that had been ransacked. Broken jars littered the ground. The men were savages.
“Let's get out of here. We need to take care of our wounded. We will deal with this later.”
She didn't push it. He needed time to think and process. She understood. For now, they would take care of those that were injured and clean up what they could.
22
“It could have been much worse,” Jack murmured from where he sat propped up on his bed.
Under Brenda's careful supervision, Rosie had stitched the long gash in his thigh, but left a small area at the end open. Brenda had been teaching Rosie more of the technical side of medicine. It was unfortunate that this was the perfect time for her to get some hands-on training. The goal was for everyone to know a little bit of everything instead of a lot about one thing.
Rosie had placed the tube of a ballpoint pen in the hole so it could drain once the infection started to fester.
“Are you sure this will work?” Rosie questioned.
“I have done it a hundred times.”
It was a trick Brenda had picked up in the field. She had used what she had to clean the wound as best as she could, but she had made it very clear she would prefer something more powerful than soap and water.
They knew it was only a matter of time. Rosie had covered the wound with raw honey, but that wouldn't do much for the toxins that had gotten into his bloodstream. It was a watch and wait situation. Wyatt didn't want to think about the worst-case scenario. No point in borrowing trouble.
“Yeah, it definitely could have been,” Wyatt agreed.
Evan had left once they got Jack situated. The brothers needed some privacy.
“If they hadn't been here—Evan, Bryan, Garrett and the rest—we would have easily been overrun. I don't think McDaniels’ men would have left any survivors,” Jack stated matter-of-factly.
Wyatt winced. It was something they had long feared, but to have witnessed the destruction the men were capable of first hand was a huge eye opener.
The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three Page 51
