EMP Lodge Series (Book 3): Dark Defiance

by Grace Hamilton

  Emp Lodge Book 3

  Megan stared through the trees, desperate to find her. Jack was right by her side. A place he tended to be quite a bit in the past month. With Wyatt not totally healed up from stepping in the bear trap, Megan and Jack took on many of his responsibilities. That meant they were spending a lot of time together.

  “Do you see her?” Megan asked.

  “No,” Jack said. The frustration in his voice mimicked Megan's own feeling.

  “Where in the world could she have gotten off to?”

  Megan was about tired of scouring the woods looking for her.

  “It probably took off, deeper into the forest this time now that it is more familiar with the area.”

  “Her,” Megan corrected, not trying to hide her irritation.

  Evan and Jackson stomped through the trees.

  Jackson was shaking his head. “I say let it come back when it is ready.”

  “Her!” Megan shouted.

  She stomped away from the three men. They were heartless. They said they would leave her out here, but she knew Jack would never do that. He had become one of her closest friends and he would never do anything that would hurt her like that.

  Jack was really one of the nicest, kindest men she had ever met. She was so thankful she had gotten the chance to really know him. Their relationship had evolved into one you could compare to a sister and brother bond. He had become her best friend in the house, next to Wyatt of course.

  Evan and Jackson went in the opposite direction, knowing Megan wouldn't give up.

  Jack caught up with Megan. They fell into an easy stride, walking side by side.

  “She couldn't have gotten that far. I hope,” he reassured her.

  There was a shout off to the left. It was Evan.

  “Over here! Hurry up, Megan! I am not even going to try and catch her.”

  Megan and Jack took off running through the trees. She stepped on a small rock, which twisted her ankle, sending a shooting pain up through her shin all the way to her hip.

  “Ow!” she stopped and leaned against a tree.

  The ankle had healed, but every once in a while she managed to turn just right and it stretched the weak muscles and healing tendons.

  She took a minute to breathe through the pain.

  “That's it,” Jack said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Just breathe through it. It will pass.”

  Megan closed her eyes and nodded. He had become her rock. Wyatt had a lot on his plate. He was especially grumpy and very touchy. She knew it was because he felt bad that he couldn't do as much as he used to.

  She completely understood the feeling. Been there, done that, she thought.

  Jack waited while Megan leaned against the tree, waiting for the pain to pass. He was a very patient man and had helped her through many situations just like this. Chase stayed at the lodge to help guard it while Jack and Megan went hunting and on scavenging trips.

  It was a very effective system. Everyone was on edge at the lodge, waiting for some kind of retaliation. Brenda was still there, which Megan wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. This trip, it was decided Chase would go along with Megan and Jack.

  They were going to be scavenging what was left of the town with Evan and Jackson. The more people they had making the trip, the more they could carry back. It had been a long discussion. With three people gone, the lodge was vulnerable.

  It was decided the risk was worth it. They needed to pad their stores before winter. It was a risk Megan thought was worth it. They had managed to score big on their trip into town. She couldn't wait to get back to the lodge to show Wyatt what they had found.

  Brenda had volunteered to go with them, but Megan didn't like the idea. She and Jack worked much better as a team. A trio wouldn't be as effective in her opinion.

  “It is going to kill one of us one of these days,” Jack said, trying to get a laugh out of Megan.

  “You're right. If I don't kill her first,” Megan grumbled.

  They both knew she would never do anything to bring the little thing harm, but she certainly did try Megan's patience.

  “You ready? Let's go before it, I mean she, takes off again.”

  Megan stuck close behind Jack as they ran as fast as possible through the wooded area. She could hear Evan and Jackson shouting. All that would do is scare her and she would run off again. She was going to explain, again, how to calm the poor thing down.

  When they finally reached the clearing where Evan and Jackson were making a huge fuss, Megan had to hold back a laugh. Both men looked frantic. They were waving their arms in the air, dodging back and forth.

  Megan and Jack watched as the men came up with the plan to divide and conquer. It was decided Evan would capture the baby goat who was watching him very closely while Jackson prepared to catch her should she run away, again. Evan dove for the goat. She decided at that moment to move and Evan hit the ground, chest first.

  They all laughed. Except Evan.

  “Megan, I am about sick of that stupid goat. You need to get her on a leash or something,” he said standing and brushing himself off.

  “It's a baby, Evan. You don't chain up a baby goat,” she chastised.

  Megan walked towards the doeling who was playfully butting her head against a small tree stump. The kid was occupied, allowing Megan to walk right up to her.

  It was a game they had played many times in the past few days. The little doeling was far more precocious than her brother they had brought back from their latest trip into town. The buck tended to stick around the pen and didn't try too hard to get out. The same could not be said for his sister who constantly escaped and ran off.

  Megan looked at the stump that had caught little Misty's attention. It wasn't a tree stump. It was a cross made from tree branches.

  She took a step back with Misty in her arms. There were eight crosses. Each cross was pushed into a small mound of dirt.

  Megan couldn't stop the chill of foreboding that shivered down her spine. It was a spooky scene and said much more than words every could.

  Chapter Two

  Megan dropped to her knees, keeping one hand on Misty. The crosses didn't have names, but some of the mounds had little bouquets of wildflowers laid on top of the dirt. Megan looked at the sad scene and thought about all the loss Evan's group had recently endured.

  The Raiders were stepping up their game. They had become more violent. These 8 crosses represented the people murdered without rhyme or reason at the hands of the men who were on a rampage. Megan had seen how evil they were first-hand and couldn't imagine what the people buried under each of the crosses had endured.

  Jack stood beside her in silence. All four of them kept quiet out of respect. It was a moment of silence the dead all deserved. The people lying in this makeshift cemetery were heroes.

  Evan knelt at one of the crosses, his face revealed the pain he felt. Megan didn't have to ask who was buried in the plot. The Hot Wheels on top of the dirt were enough. The four of them stayed for a minute longer before Jack swooped in and picked up Misty.

  “You are sticking with me little lady. You keep running off and a big, bad wolf is going to eat you alive.”

  Megan punched his shoulder, “Don't say that to her. She doesn't know any better.”

  Jack laughed, but it was forced. They all wanted to get away from the crosses and the sadness they brought.

  Evan brought up the rear. The sight had clearly shaken him up.

  Megan didn't know what to say to make him feel better so chose to not say anything at all. Grief was tricky business. It was too easy to say the wrong thing and make the emotions that much harder. Inste
ad, she focused on Misty in Jack's arms.

  “Hey, sweet baby girl. You are such a naughty goat. One of these times something is going to eat you before I can save you,” she said in a baby voice, rubbing the goat's hard head.

  Jack rolled his eyes, “It isn't a baby. It is a menace.”

  “Stop it. She is the cutest little girl ever and just likes to play.”

  Jackson snorted from behind. “You have a weird idea of cute.”

  Megan waited to see if Evan would join in or if he was still lost in his grief.

  “I hope for your sake, Megan, that thing doesn't have you chasing it all over the mountain this winter. Wyatt won't be happy to run around trying to save you all of the time.”

  Megan laughed. Evan was so right. While she chased the goat, Wyatt would be chasing her. The vision had them all laughing, dispelling the darkness that had just been hanging over them a moment ago. Death was hitting a little too close to home for all of them. It was like a menacing cloud, waiting and watching. Always hanging over them, no matter what they did.

  Megan was tired of the fear. Tired of always wondering if today was the day The Raiders would decide to kill them for no particular reason.

  The group walked back into Evan's camp. The group was much smaller than it had been just a month ago. The people milling about were not happy. They weren't laughing and going about their chores with any sense of real purpose.

  Megan watched as little Amy stood next to her mom. Tara was staring off into space, her shoulders slumped forward. Evan immediately walked to her and wrapped his arm around her. The woman appeared so fragile. So different than she had when Megan was here last.

  The scene was difficult to accept. Chase was chopping wood with another young man stacking the split logs in a neat row next to the newest cabin. When Misty had run off, he refused to go looking for her—again.

  “Jack, put her in the pen with little Mason,” Megan instructed.

  The pen was nothing more than some wood pallets held together with rope. It was not built to hold a goat intent on running free. Megan wasn't too worried about it. They would be leaving soon and they would build something much stronger at the lodge. She made a mental note to make sure the fence was nice and high. Both goats could jump very high.

  Tara walked to the gazebo, pulling out a large dish from the oven. Megan could smell it from where she stood. It smelled amazing. They were planning to eat dinner together and then head out first thing in the morning.

  “It sure is getting cold, huh?” Jack asked, standing next to her.

  Megan rubbed her hands together, “It sure is. I hope we are going to be okay this winter. I remember years ago we had a bad one. There was so much snow on the ground the plows basically gave up. We had some friends who lived up in the mountains and they had a good 4 feet of snow on the ground.”

  Jack whistled, “Yep. I imagine we are in for something similar. I'm not nervous, though. We have been preparing for this winter for close to a year.”

  Megan knew he only said the words to reassure her. No one was feeling confident going into this winter. They had been fortunate so far. There had been a light dusting of snow, but it was typically gone within a few hours.

  Jackson was standing close by, watching the goats play in the pen. “Most of us are from Oregon near the coast. We are not used to snow in general. This winter is going to be a tough time for us for sure. I hope we are ready.”

  “You will do just fine,” Megan assured him. “It is all about having plenty of firewood, food, water and preparing to spend a lot of time inside.”

  “Well, you never know if you have enough until you run out or spring is here, right?” Jackson replied.

  Megan grimaced. He was right. They weren't sure they had enough, which is why they left the lodge somewhat vulnerable to make one last trade with Evan's group and a trip into town.

  “I'm going to see if Tara needs help with dinner. Jack, did you give her that meat before we went chasing after Misty?”

  He nodded, “Yes dear.”

  Megan laughed and left the men alone.

  Tara had already used the meat to make a hearty casserole. It smelled good and looked better.

  “Is there anything I can do,” she asked.

  Tara shook her head. “I think it is about done. You can help me get the dishes. We have them stashed in the guard cabin.”

  “Great,” Megan said following her towards the tiny cabin.

  When they got back to the gazebo, Chase, Evan and Jack were all seated at the table. Megan heard them talking about the different types of wood they were stacking on the pile.

  “Avoid burning that pine, especially at night,” Chase instructed. “It burns fast and hot, which is great for heating up a cold cabin, but it will be out before you know it.”

  “Got it,” Evan said. “Stick with the fir and birch.”

  Jack added his two cents, “The red fir is the best. Birch is very hard and can be a bit of a pain to get going. Do what you can to split it into smaller pieces. We like to add it to the fire once we have the stove and chimney heated and there are some nice hot coals to keep it going. The bark on the birch logs will ignite immediately, which can also help a sluggish fire.”

  “Good to know. Thanks guys. This is stuff we should know, but, well, we just don't have the experience.”

  Megan couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the group. They had little experience with harsh mountain winters. They were struggling to get enough food stored and with The Raiders stealing their supplies, it was seriously threatening their ability to survive the winter.

  “So, how is Wyatt doing?” Jackson asked, sitting down next to Chase.

  “He's good,” Jack responded. “He is grumpy as all get out and not a lot of fun to be around at the moment.”

  Megan defended the man she loved, “Hey now. He's only a little grumpy and only when he can't come on trips like this. He hates being down.”

  “Is the foot any better?” Evan asked.

  Jack nodded, “Oh, yeah. It is pretty much healed, but it still gives him some problems if he does too much. Then he has to deal with my mom and this one,” he said using his thumb to gesture to Megan.

  She rolled her eyes. “I didn't see him making it easy on me when I was supposed to be resting my ankle.”

  They all laughed.

  “I think we are ready to eat,” Tara announced. “Amy, go tell the others dinner is ready.”

  The meal was eaten quickly. The sun had already set, dropping the temperature. It was too cold to be sitting around in the gazebo.

  “We better head to bed,” Jack announced. “We need to get an early start in the morning.”

  Megan checked the goats one more time. They were fast asleep in the little shelter they had inside the pen. She hoped they would stay put through the night.

  Jack stood outside the tent they would all be sharing.

  “All good?”

  “Yep, hopefully she doesn't get any wild ideas to go for a midnight stroll.”

  From inside the tent, she could hear Chase grumbling about how cold it was.

  Jackson brought them a couple of extra blankets.

  “I'm real sorry about this. I know it's cold. Pretty soon it is going to be too cold to use these tents.”

  “It's okay, man,” Jack assured him. “We'll be fine. You get some rest and if we don't see you in the morning, take care and thanks for taking us into town. This portable HAM radio and solar panel is more than we could have expected to find. I can't wait to come back this spring and do some more digging down there.”

  Jackson nodded, “Yeah, we have made some pretty good finds there lately. Good luck with your goats, too. Hopefully they don't give you too many problems.”

  Megan smiled, “I can't believe our luck in getting them. If it wasn't for you guys, it wouldn't have happened.”

  “Well, the old guy had far more goats than he needed. I think he was actually relieved to get rid of them before winter.
”

  “We are happy to have them. It will give us a jumpstart on the whole milk and cheese thing. By next winter we will be trading cheese!” Megan couldn't hide her excitement.

  She was so excited to show the kids the babies as well as Willow and Rosie. Wyatt would be thrilled, but nearly as much as the others. Albert would feign nonchalance, but she knew he would be just as happy to have the little goats around.

  They were such characters. The goats would provide plenty of entertainment throughout the long, boring winter to come.

  “Good night, guys,” Jackson said, walking to the small cabin.

  Chapter Three

  Megan's eyes popped open. It was dark inside the tent. She blinked a few times and tried to clear the cobwebs from her brain. Something had awoken her. She laid perfectly still, listening to Jack and Chase breathing deep.

  There! There was a noise outside the tent. She couldn't tell what it was. Was it really anything? Maybe it was Misty. The goat had probably jumped over the fence wall and was milling about camp.

  She could hear the change in Jack's breathing and knew he was now awake as well.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  “I don't know,” he whispered back. “Shh,” he said, slowly sitting up.

  Chase was already moving as well.

  Megan wasn't about to lay in the tent while they went out to investigate. She had see the horror movies. The person who stayed behind always ended up murdered in some gruesome way. Not her. No way.

  The three of them knelt at the opening of the tent, waiting in silence for another noise beyond the flimsy walls of their tent.

  Megan clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the involuntary gasp.

  There were men's voices and heavy footsteps just outside the tent.

  She looked to Jack, waiting for him to assure her it was just Evan or Jackson milling about.

  The look on his face told her all she needed to know.

  Megan didn't hesitate and reached back under the blankets to grab each of their weapons. They had decided to never be unarmed again. In true movie hero fashion, they each tucked a handgun into the back of their waistbands, pulling their shirts over the top to conceal the weapon.