“Hey!” Wyatt said when he noticed them watching.
There was another scream from Caitlin when she saw the kids.
“How'd it go?” Wyatt said as he walked closer. The surprise on his face when he saw the goats was enough to get a chuckle out of Jack.
Chase nodded his head, but didn't answer.
“What happened?” he asked. The tone was serious. Megan gave him a look that said not here, not now. He got it and focused his attention on the goats that had made instant friends with Ryland and Caitlin.
“Mom, they are so cute. I love them!”
Megan smiled, “They are cute, but they are kind of rowdy. We need to get a very strong fence built real fast to keep them home. They tend to run away a lot.”
“What's their names?” Ryland asked.
Jack knelt down, rubbing the baby buck's head, “This is Mason and this little, wild girl is Misty.”
Duke raced towards them. Megan realized they had no idea how he would respond to other animals.
“Stop him!” she yelled at no one in particular.
There was no stopping the German Shepherd. He was on a mission to investigate the newcomers.
The dog came to a screeching halt in front of the goats and started sniffing every inch of them. The goats didn't seem to notice the big, black nose violating their space and happily played with the Ryland and Caitlin.
Jack had his hand out, ready to pull the dog back, just in case.
Once Duke had inspected the newcomers, he focused his attention on Megan. He gleefully licked her face when she bent down. The two had become very good friends when she was laid up.
“I missed you too, big guy,” Megan told him, scratching behind his ears.
“He is going to be jealous. He has claimed you and won't appreciate you paying a lot of attention to those two,” Jack said gesturing to the goats.
Megan shrugged, “He'll get over it. There is plenty of me to go around.”
“You guys look exhausted. Mom saved you some dinner. Let's go in. The kids can keep an eye on the goats,” Wyatt said, clearly anxious to hear what had happened.
“We need to secure an area first. That goat,” Chase said pointing to Misty's brown head, “is an escape artist. We have had to spend more time looking for and chasing her than I care to talk about.”
Wyatt nodded, “You three go in, we already have that pen we were going to use for pigs. I'll just make sure it is secure.”
Ryland was still carrying the baseball.
“You want me to hold that bud?” Jack asked his son.
Ryland shook his head, “Nope, I got it.”
The ball had become one of the most treasured items in the lodge. The kids were both very careful not to set it down somewhere and forget about it. The fact that there could have been two balls, really made her angry. That man was evil.
The three weary travelers walked to the mudroom, removed their boots and stepped inside the lodge. It was warm and inviting.
Megan took a moment to breathe in the smells. She could smell soap. Spices and the wood from the fire. Each of the smells signified home to her. The lodge was her home. The people here were her family and she loved them all, but if they didn't change their ways, everything she held dear was in jeopardy.
It was Brenda who came down the stairs to greet them.
Since coming to the lodge, she had slowly been working her way into the group. She was a huge help, but Megan still didn't trust her.
“Hey guys. How did it go?”
Megan didn't answer her. Jack shot her a look that told her to quit being rude.
“We did pretty well. Got a few things that will really help out. Didn't get any food to speak of,” Jack turned and gave a mischievous look to Megan, “Unless you count Megan's goats.”
Megan punched him in the arm.
“Goats? This time of year? Wow. That is great. What kind?”
“Nubians,” Megan responded. “They aren't for eating. They will eventually breed and Misty will be our milk goat.”
“Misty?”
“The female,” Megan said with exasperation in her voice.
When Jack gave her another look, she realized she was being rude.
“I'm sorry,” she quickly apologized. “It's been a long few days and I am just exhausted.”
Rosie and Willow heard about the goats and had quickly rushed outside to see the newest additions.
Albert had been watching from the kitchen table. Once Rosie and Willow were out the door he stood and eyed each one of them.
“So, when are we going to talk about what happened?”
Megan, Chase and Jack all exchanged a look.
“Once we get the kids settled. And yes, we do need to have a very serious discussion.”
Albert nodded his head, “Sit down and eat. We'll wait.”
Megan was not looking forward to telling the others about the death and destruction. It was going to be a tough conversation. Chase was ready to dole out some very tough love.
Chapter Five
Ryland and Caitlin were tucked away in bed. Megan didn't want Caitlin to know what had happened at Evan's camp. Although she had never met the people who were murdered for nothing more than a few cans of food, she didn't know what was lurking behind the safe walls of the lodge.
The adults sat around the table. Everyone appeared nervous. No one wanted to talk.
Chase started the conversation by explaining what happened to Evan's camp and the number of dead they suffered at the hands of McDaniels.
Willow and Rosie silently cried. Rosie took it harder than the rest. She had been very fond of Donavan and the many others who had been killed.
Wyatt was furious. He couldn't believe the men had killed a child. That was a line that should never be crossed he stated, slamming his fist into the table.
They spent a few minutes talking about the murders and the goods that were stolen.
“They don't know about the large cabin?” Wyatt asked.
Chase shook his head, “No. So far Evan and his people have managed to keep it under wraps. I think they know it is only a matter of time.”
Wyatt seethed. Megan put her hand on his leg under the table, offering support.
“Right now they are staying in the main camp and only going to the large cabin at night. Jackson thinks McDaniels has someone watching them. It is a pretty bad situation over there,” Jack explained.
Willow was openly sobbing. Rosie was rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.
Rosie silently shook her head, “That poor woman.”
Megan knew she was referring to Tara, Donavan's mother. The thought of losing a child was just too much to bear.
“We are in pretty bad shape when it comes to defenses here,” Chase stated. “We have nothing to stop them and if they do come knocking, we don't have the numbers or the firepower to hold them back.”
Willow stood up, “We need to go. We need to leave this place and go back to town. It isn't safe.”
Megan was a little shocked by her outburst. Willow was always so calm. The look on her face revealed she was anything but calm. She was on the verge of panic. Her hands were shaking and her eyes darted around the room.
Megan could tell she was mentally packing and choosing what to take and what to leave.
Jack put his hand on her arm, gently pulling her back down to the table.
“Hon, everywhere we go is going to have similar groups like this. Bad guys were here before the EMP and they are going to be around now. The difference is we don't have prisons or law enforcement to try and control them. It is up to us.”
“I don't care, Jack. I don't want to sit here day in and day out wondering if today is the day those men show up. They are looking for them,” she shouted pointing to Megan and Brenda. “That guy is hellbent on revenge. He will find us! They killed that little boy, Jack. I would die if they hurt or killed Ryland. I can't live through that!”
Willow's outburst was understandable.
They all felt it, but were keeping their fear under wraps. It was terrifying. Megan thought about the kids playing ball outside. Even that was too dangerous now. The men could sneak up on them at anytime.
They had to make some serious changes. They could no longer be complacent. They were not the only ones up here.
Chase spoke up, “We have to be our own protectors. No one is going to save us, but we don't have to be victims. We have to be fighters. We have to plan and prepare to defend ourselves. We won't let them hurt the kids, Willow. I promise you that.”
Willow shook her head, “Don't make a promise you can't keep, Chase.”
It was Rosie who spoke next.
“Sweetie, we can't go traipsing about the countryside in the dead of winter. That is far more dangerous than any bully. We have to trust in ourselves to protect our own.”
“She's right,” Wyatt confirmed. “We don't even know if we are ready to make it through winter with all of the supplies we have stored away. Leaving it all behind is not an option. The weather and starvation would kill us faster than McDaniels could.”
The words were harsh, but Megan knew they were meant to drive home the point. They had to step up their game.
Megan knew Rosie and Wyatt were both thinking back to Dale's murder in his own home in the days following the EMP. No matter where they went, there was danger.
“Why can't we just go find him, sneak up on them and kill them all?” Megan didn't understand why they had to wait for an attack. Why couldn't they be the attackers?
Wyatt smiled at her, “You are a fierce woman, Megan Wolford.”
She knew there was a big but coming.
“But, you need to understand these guys are ruthless. We don't know how many there are. They seem to be multiplying by the day. We can't just go in and attack and hope for the best.”
Brenda quietly added, “You have to cut off the head of the snake.”
Chase, Jack and Wyatt all nodded in agreement.
“Well, then we do that!”
“Megan, we can't just go in there, because, well we don't know where there is and we can't go in not knowing how many or what kind of defenses they have. It would be a suicide mission. Even one of us being killed would jeopardize the safety of everyone here.”
It was Jack whose voice of reason finally made her see the light.
“We watch, we plan and then we attack,” he said with such confidence in his voice it made her feel like it would all be okay.
Willow had been quiet.
“Why don't they come here? You said we don't have the numbers or the firepower. If they are here we have the numbers and we can find more guns.”
Megan cringed. Clearly Jack and Willow were on the same page about growing their numbers here at the lodge. After his little impromptu invitation back at Evan's camp and their rejection, she thought that idea had been laid to rest.
Wyatt must have felt Megan tense up. He rubbed her leg in an attempt to relax her.
“It's a good idea, but I already asked and they said no,” Jack said.
“Jack, you can't just go inviting everyone to live here,” Albert chimed in.
Jack looked at Albert, Brenda, Chase and then Megan, “If we weren't willing to take people in, there are a few of you who wouldn't be here now.”
The words stung. Megan had felt like such a part of the family, she sometimes forgot they had to make a conscious decision to allow her to stay. Albert and Chase were friends of the family. Their position in the group was only possible because of Jack and Wyatt's willingness to accept them.
Brenda was still working to find her place. So far, they had been accepting and welcoming, but Megan knew things could change at anytime.
“Jack, that's different. You are talking about inviting a large number of people to live here when we don't know if we can support ourselves. I don't think any one of us here regrets who is here. Right?”
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound callous or rude, but I think we all need to understand how vulnerable we are. Evan's group was much larger than our small number and they were easily overtaken.”
Rosie smiled, “The more the merrier.”
Megan laughed. She couldn't help it. She did not share that same sentiment, but more people meant more guns aimed at the bad guys. That couldn't be all that bad.
The meeting was unofficially adjourned. They were all exhausted and they each had a lot to think about.
Wyatt and Megan crawled into bed. She laid on her back, staring through the darkness. This wasn't over.
“What are you thinking?” Wyatt asked through the darkness.
“I want that man dead and I want to be the one who does it.”
She knew her words shocked Wyatt. She had never really been the type to wish death on anybody let alone be the one who would inflict the damage, but this was different. This man was evil and she wanted to rid the world of his vile ways.
“Megan, I have no doubt in my mind that you will be the one who kills him. I don't know why, but I just know you are going to be the one who takes care of this problem. But it isn't going to be tomorrow. It isn't going to be next week. You have to be smart and methodical about this.”
She was silent for several minutes. Plotting and planning how she was going to get him.
“I am going to build an army.”
“What?”
“I am going to gather an army and we are going to take that man out.”
“That's a pretty lofty goal, but I think you are on the right track.”
“You'll help me?”
Wyatt leaned over and kissed her, “Damn straight I will.”
She laid there in the silence. Thinking about how she would gather an army.
“We need to make trips into town as soon as the spring comes. There are going to be others who are willing to stand up to those men. Every person we can recruit will strengthen our numbers. Evan can also recruit the people on the other side of the mountain.”
“It is a good plan, Megan.”
She started to say something more.
He put his hand on her wrist, “Babe, it isn't going to happen tonight. Tonight we need to get some sleep. I can already tell Chase is going to be making us work hard tomorrow. Relax. Go to sleep.”
Megan sighed. Her mind was running at a hundred miles a minute. There was so much to plan. So much to think about. Sleep was going to be impossible. She considered getting up and pacing, but knew Wyatt would pull her back to bed.
She laid there for almost an hour. Her body felt as if she had slammed a thermos of coffee. She couldn't take it another minute and got out of bed. She quietly opened the door and walked towards the kitchen.
“Couldn't sleep?”
She froze and for a split second she thought she would scream.
It was Jack. Through the firelight coming from the woodstove she could see him sitting at the table.
“Have a seat. There's a pot of water on the stove. I'll make some tea. My mom says this stuff is supposed to make you sleepy. It isn't working yet.”
Megan sat down and waited for him to bring her tea.
They sat in silence for several minutes.
“What's on your mind?” he asked.
“I want to form an army to take out McDaniels.”
Jack laughed, “Well then, will you be planning a trip to the moon afterwards?”
“Stop. I'm serious. We can do it, Jack. With all of us here and if we can get Evan and Jackson on board, we can get a group that is strong enough to rid us all of him and his little gang.”
“Megan, I know you are serious and that is great. You know we will all help.”
She sipped her tea, waiting for some magic to happen. She was still wired.
“If we kill McDaniels, we probably won't have to worry about the rest. Like Brenda said, head of the snake and all of that.”
“What if someone else takes his place?”
“Then we kill that one too.”
Jack whistled, “Yo
u have turned into a lean, green, killing machine.”
“You know it isn't like that, but Jack, can you even wrap your head around what would happen if they attack us here? What would happen to Ryland? Willow? Caitlin?”
He nodded, “I don't want to think about that. There is no use borrowing trouble as my mom would say. Tomorrow, we do what we can to reinforce the perimeter and make the lodge safer. We will also go with your plan and start talking to others and building our army. All we can do is try.”
“I think if we killed McDaniels, then you're right, someone will try and take his place. But, it isn't like they are some organized military faction. They don't have ranks or what not. They will kill each other. Each one of them will want to be the boss. Isn't that what happens in the mobs?”
Jack laughed, “I guess so. I'm not real familiar with mob culture, but I have watched a few movies.”
“I think we can focus on that horrible man, take out a few others and they will ultimately kill themselves off.”
They finished their tea in silence.
“Get some sleep, Megan. We have a busy few weeks. Don't worry about what you can't change. We will focus on what we can do and let the chips fall where they may.”
Chapter Six
When Megan woke up the following morning, she knew she had slept late. The voices coming from the kitchen told her everyone else was already up and preparing for the busy day.
She moaned. She had not slept well at all, even with the help of the tea.
There was a gentle knock on the door before Wyatt came through.
“Hey, sleepyhead. How ya' feeling?”
She groaned.
“Well, if you would have gone to bed when I told you to,” he playfully lectured.
“I know, I know. Is everyone up?”
“Yep, Caitlin and Ryland are out with the goats. We let them out of the pen. So far, they are sticking pretty close to the cabin. They have found a pine tree they are enamored with for now.”
“Can't we stay in bed today?”
“Nope. Chase has lists and lists and more lists about what we need to get done to make this place safer. Clearly, you weren't the only one who couldn't sleep last night.”
Dark Defiance (EMP Lodge Series Book 3) Page 3
