EMP Lodge Series (Book 2): Dark Hunt

by Grace Hamilton

  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 once, 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.

  Wyatt gently cleaned her face, unsure if there were more cuts under the mud and blood. It appeared to be only the one nasty cut on her forehead.

  “My leg,” she mumbled. “I think my ankle is broken.”

  Wyatt quickly stopped cleaning her face and looked at her legs stretched out in front of her. He didn't have to ask which one. He could see the ankle of her left leg was swollen.

  Jack looked incredulous, “You were at the bottom and climbed up here?”

  She nodded. “More like crawled.”

  Wyatt had broken a leg before. He didn't think he would have been able to climb a steep, muddy hillside. The fact that she did said a lot about her determination.

  “Wyatt, you have to find her. When we fell, I saw a glimpse of her go by, but—” her voice cracked.

  “It's okay, we'll find her. Chase is looking now. We need to get your leg splinted and get you back to the house.”

  Jack was already on it. He came back with a couple of branches, about an inch in diameter. Wyatt grabbed the Ace bandage and duct tape he always carried from his bag. The two of them carefully placed the branches against either side of her leg, all the way down to the sole of her boot. Wyatt wrapped the Ace bandage around the leg to hold the branches in place. He then used a few strips of duct
tape to secure the bandage.

  “This will help keep your leg and ankle braced. The stretcher ride back home may get a little bumpy. We don't want to jostle your leg any more than we have to.”

  She nodded. Wyatt could tell she was fading fast.

  “Megan, I need you to stay with me, okay?”

  She nodded again, but it was very subtle. She was obviously weak.

  He grabbed the bottle of water and put it to her lips, making her take a few small sips. Next, he grabbed the bread and fed her a few small bites.

  “Concussion,” she mumbled. “My head.” She put her hand to the wound on her head.

  Wyatt nodded in understanding. She probably did have a concussion.

  He quickly bandaged the gash on her head before asking about any other injuries. Jack was scouting the area for the material needed to make a stretcher. Chase had a tarp in his pack that they would use, but they still needed a couple long branches to secure the tarp.

  Jack returned with two more branches about two inches in diameter and eight feet long.

  “I'll get the tarp from Chase,” he told Wyatt before rushing off down the hill.

  Wyatt sat next to Megan on the muddy ground. Grabbing her hand he rubbed his thumb over her palm.

  “You're gonna be okay and so will Caitlin,” he told her in a soft voice.

  She squeezed his hand “I can't lose her, Wyatt. I can't believe I was so stupid.”

  “Stop. You couldn't have known any of this would happen. I am so glad you had that whistle. That was a very smart move.”

  “I was hoping Caitlin would hear it. She didn't come back. I waited. I looked. I don't know where she is.”

  Wyatt grew very concerned. She was clearly suffering from a head injury. The leg injury would heal. He prayed it was simply a mild concussion combined with a little hypothermia. The trees provided some shelter from the rain, but it was still wet and the temperature was dropping. With the wind blowing across their wet clothing, it was dropping their body temperature.

  She had been out here at least three hours and was at serious risk of her core body temperature lowering to the point where it could threaten her life. Her hands were cold. She wasn't shivering but he knew she was cold. There were too many red flags. They had to get her back now!

  Jack came back up the hill carrying the green tarp.

  “We need to move now.” Wyatt said forcefully.

  Jack looked at Megan and nodded in understanding.

  “Take this and I'll get Chase.”

  Megan's eyes popped open, “Caitlin?”

  Wyatt didn't want to tell her they had to leave without her. As much as he wanted to be with Megan, he knew she would never forgive him if he left her daughter out here all alone.

  Jack and Chase rushed back up the hill and took over the stretcher making duties while Wyatt talked to Megan. He was trying to keep her awake and conscious even though passing out would provide her escape from the pain in her leg but she needed to stay alert.

  Chase and Jack unfolded the tarp and laid it on the ground. Jack placed a pole in the middle of the tarp folding the tarp over the pole to fold it perfectly in half. Chase grabbed the other pole and placed it a few inches from the edge. He then folded the top layer of the tarp over the second branch and began to roll it in the tarp several times until it was about two feet from the first pole.

  Grabbing the bottom layer of the tarp, he placed it over the space, reaching the first branch. He then used paracord to tie the branches together at the top, center and bottom of the tarp. Chase left about a foot of branches exposed at both ends so it would be easy to hold when they carried her or if needed, they could drag her across the muddy terrain.

  Jack and Chase tested the stretcher. It would work just fine with Megan's light weight.

  Wyatt lifted Megan and placed her on the stretcher, wrapping the blanket around her. She was fading fast. He knew she would be unconscious before Chase and Jack got her back to the cabin. He also knew his mom would know what to do.

  “I'll be back by dark,” he said closing his pack and putting it back on.

  “Be careful,” Jack cautioned him.

  The rain was slowing and he suspected it would clear up by the end of the day but the damage was done. Trees were weakened and the ground was a muddy mess. It wouldn't take more than a small breeze to knock more limbs and trees to the ground.

  “I will. Take care of her.” Before Wyatt could head back down the hill, Megan reached her hand out.

  “Wyatt. Find my daughter.”

  Clutching her hand Wyatt bent down to kiss her forehead. “I promise.”

  Wyatt was a man of his word and that wasn’t going to change. Especially, now.

  6

  Megan tried her best to keep her eyes open. When it became evident that wasn't going to be an option, she conceded and closed her eyes, but vowed to stay awake. The bouncing of the stretcher jostled her leg to the point she wanted to scream in pain.

  The splint minimized some of the movement, but it was still pure agony. She couldn't tell if it was her ankle or lower leg or both that was injured. The pain radiated up and down, masking the true source. A sudden urge to vomit came over her.

  “Stop!” she croaked.

  Chase and Jack came to an instant halt to see what was wrong.

  Megan leaned over the side of the stretcher and vomited. Since she hadn't had breakfast, there was very little to throw up. Dry heaves, shook her whole body, jerking her leg. The wave of pain with each jerk made her vomit more.

  Setting her gently down, Jack bent down to soothe Megan.

  “I know, sweetie, I know. Try to take deep breathes through your nose. We will go slower, okay? Shh, shh.”

  Megan squeezed her eyes shut and embraced the pain. She had to get through this. She could do it.

  Jack stayed next to her for a couple minutes as she gained control of her revolting stomach.

  “I'm good,” she whispered.

  Jack resumed his position and nodded to Chase, “We better slow it down.”

  Chase agreed. No matter how slow and careful they were, the stretcher bounced with every step forward.

  Megan moaned. The need to give in was too much. She finally quit trying and let the blissfulness of unconsciousness take her.

  When Megan awoke next, she was lying in the bed she shared with Wyatt. It took her a few seconds to remember what had happened. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked around the room. It was dark.

  How long had she been out?

  “Take it easy,” Rosie's soothing voice came out of the corner.

  She was sitting in the same chair Megan had sat in so often when Caitlin had been ill and confined to bed.

  “Caitlin?”

  “Wyatt is still out looking. He'll be home soon.”

  Megan's head was pounding and a wave of nausea swept over her as she groaned and collapsed back on the bed.

  “That's probably going to happen a few more times. You have a concussion. Try to relax and let your body heal,” Rosie said getting up to grab another pillow. “I'll put this behind you so you can sit up a bit more.”

  Megan blinked several times. There was a blanket over her. She wanted to see her leg. She hadn't let herself look when she had been out in the forest.

  “My leg?”

  She looked down to see she had been put into a pair of shorts. Her leg was wrapped from toe to mid-thigh and propped up on a few pillows.

  Rosie winced, “Your ankle is three times the size of the other but I don't think it’s broken. Probably badly sprained. Did you hit it against something? There is a nasty bruise on your shin.”

  Megan nodded, “I think I hit a few rocks but it was my landing that probably did it. At least that is when it really started to hurt.”

  “Your leg is wrapped, but I didn't splint it, yet. We need to leave it elevated and wait for the swelling to go down a bit. I also want to keep a close watch on your circulation to make sure there is no trouble. T
hat means I need to be able to see your toes to make sure they stay a nice, pretty pink,” she winked.

  Megan reached up and felt her forehead. There was a bandage on it. She remembered Wyatt carefully cleaning and bandaging the area.

  “I put in a couple of stitches to get it to heal quicker and hopefully with less scarring. You got a pretty good knock there.”

  Megan leaned back against the pillow and sighed.

  Willow came in and smiled when she saw Megan was awake.

  “Hey! How’re you feeling? You gave us all a good scare!”

  Willow sat at the foot of the bed, being very careful not to jostle Megan's leg.

  “I'm okay,” Megan replied, feeling uncomfortable with all the attention.

  “Well, you just sit back and relax. I made some homemade soup stock with the leftover rabbit Ryland managed to catch. Rosie says you can start with broth and we will see how you hold it down.”

  Megan wasn't hungry. How could she eat when her daughter was out in the woods starving, freezing, and possibly injured?

  “No, thank you, maybe later.”

  Rosie shook her head, “Megan, you need to get some broth down. I have some lovely nettle tea waiting for you as well. It is rich in calcium and iron, which your body needs. I also added some pine needles to give you a healthy dose of vitamin C as well. Unfortunately, we don’t have any Echinacea available, as it’s already late in the season, so I had to make do. I would love to find some Goldenseal seeds to try to grow in the greenhouse because it will definitely come in handy.”

  Megan knew Rosie was right. She wasn't going to be of any use if she was laid up in bed and she certainly didn't want her ankle to take its sweet time healing.

  “I also put together an herbal mix that we will make into a poultice to put on your leg. It is a combination of peppermint leaves and plantain. Comfrey would be my first choice, but we don't have it around here. The peppermint will help soothe the leg and the plantain has its own magical healing properties,” Rosie explained.

  “I'll take your word for it. Whatever it takes to get me out of this bed,” Megan grumbled.