If they could get through a confrontation without pulling their guns, it would end better. Pulling their guns would escalate things and someone would likely end up shot and possibly killed.
Chase held up a finger and silently counted off three.
Megan took a deep breath and followed the two men out through the flap. That is she tried to crawl out. Jack was standing in front of the tent door, not letting her out. She jabbed the back of his leg, trying to tell him to move.
He dropped his left hand down and gestured for her to get back.
Oh this can't be good, she thought to herself.
Jack should know by now she didn't like playing the damsel in distress or the little lady who needed saving. She would wait and see what his plan was before she threw a fit. She may be the one that had to save them and that would require her presence to be a surprise.
She knelt down, ready to spring, waiting for the signal.
It didn't come right away. While Megan waited, she looked around for something to hold her hair back. She had Rosie cut off quite a bit of the length, but it still got in her way. She found Jack's ballcap tucked into the corner of the tent.
She quickly grabbed it and put her hair up. There. Now she could move and not worry about her hair blocking her vision.
“What can we do for you gentleman?” Chase asked. The words were polite. His tone of voice revealed he was anything but nice.
“Oh, I think you know.”
The voice wasn't familiar. Megan could hear laughter from several men. This had to be The Raiders. They were back.
“I don't think we have met, yet,” the gruff voice said, getting closer to the tent.
Megan tensed. The man was approaching Jack and Chase.
“Don't think we have either,” Jack said, not offering any more information.
“You guys took all the extra we had last time,” Jackson's voice came from the side of the tent.
It was then Megan realized it was barking dogs that had first alerted her to the intruders. They must have woken Jackson as well. That meant the rest of the camp would hear the commotion. She silently hoped they stayed out of sight. She couldn't deal with any more deaths.
“Well, thanks for offering, but we were actually just looking for some friends of ours,” the gruff voice said, right outside the tent door.
Jack's hand came down again. He wanted her to stay inside.
“I doubt we have seen any friends of yours,” Jack stated with a large dose of sarcasm.
“OOMPH!”
“You better step back!” Chase shouted.
Megan saw Jack's legs buckle. The man had just hit him! She wanted to burst through the tent door, firing her gun at every bad guy she could see.
Jack must have known what she was thinking and wagged his hand back and forth.
“I think maybe you have seen our friends. We are looking for a group of little ladies. We just keep missing them.” The horrible man described Megan, Brenda and Caitlin.
“We haven't seen any women around here and you know it,” Jackson said, trying to hide the anger in his voice.
Megan was shaking with anger. These men were bullies and Jack, Chase and Jackson were all letting them get away with it. What happened to the tough guys she knew? They were acting like a bunch of sissies.
“Whoa, dude. No need to shoot anymore people. Take what you can find and go. We have almost nothing left,” Jackson started. “These two just happened on our camp. We don't know them and quite frankly, they aren't welcome. We don't have the resources to support any more people.”
Chase backed up Jackson's claim, “We are just looking for somewhere to live through the winter. We don't want any trouble.”
There was a moment of silence. Megan hoped that meant the bad guys bought their story and would just go away.
BOOM!
A gunshot rang out. Megan held back a scream. She stared at Jack's legs, waiting to see if he would collapse. When he remained standing she waited for screaming. Anything to tell her who had just been shot.
“That was not called for!” Chase yelled.
“This time it was a dog. Next time it will be you,” the man said. “Or maybe I'll shoot those goats.”
Another gunshot rang out and Megan saw red. Jack's hand immediately popped down. She was about ready to rip that hand off.
“We are going to take what we need, so I suggest you two move out of the way.”
Megan froze. He was coming in.
Within seconds Jack's legs disappeared from her view and were replaced by a large, full-bodied man. When he popped his head in the tent, she flinched.
The man was ugly. Not ugly. Hideous. His scraggly beard and orange tinted hair were a mess. In the center of his face was a bulbous nose that spread across his face. The redness on his nose and cheeks indicated he was a heavy drinker. She knew the telltale signs.
“Well what do we have here?” he snarled, revealing a set of yellow teeth.
“Stay away from me,” Megan said with as much authority as she could muster.
The tent was far too small for both of them.
“Leave her alone,” Jack said, pushing the man out of the way.
He extended his hand to Megan. She gladly took it and crawled out of the tent. The pungent odor coming off the man as she went by him nearly made her gag. He refused to move, forcing her to brush her body up against him.
He smiled.
Her skin crawled.
The man stood up and looked Megan up and down. She prayed he wouldn't recognize her as one of the women he had just described.
Jack put his arm around her and pulled her in close effectively staking his claim.
The man crossed his arms over his large belly, “She's yours?”
Chase and Jack exchanged a look. Megan nearly choked when Chase responded.
“Ours.”
That got a laugh out of all of the men.
“Well shoot. You two certainly don't look the type, but her,” he said eyeing Megan again, “she does.”
Megan was offended, but if it kept him from asking any more questions, she would go along with it.
“McDaniels,” shouted one of the men who had gone to the new cabin. “Got some stuff. Looks like they just restocked.”
Jackson started to move towards the cabin, but Chase held him back, “Let it go, man. It isn't worth your life.”
Megan frantically looked around the area. A dog laid dead on the ground about 20 feet away. She quickly looked to the goat pen and saw her kids playing like there was nothing to be worried about.
“Thank God,” she said under her breath.
Jack squeezed his arm around her, “They're fine.”
“Load up what you can,” the man who Megan figured out was McDaniels ordered.
“So, miss,” he looked at her again. “Have you seen the three lovely ladies that have managed to escape us?”
There were angry shouts and nasty words from the men at the mention of the three women.
Megan shook her head no.
“If you three just got here, where'd you come from?”
Chase casually stepped forward, effectively shielding Jack. Jack took the opportunity to slyly push Megan behind him.
On any other day, she would be offended to be pushed to the back. It was something Wyatt always did and it usually annoyed her. Not today. She didn't want that man to look at her and figure out who she was.
When they didn't answer, he pulled out the gun and aimed it at Megan's goats.
Megan jabbed Jack in the back so hard he was pushed into Chase.
“We have just kind of been wandering around. No real direction,” Chase stated.
McDaniels put the gun back in the holster at his waist.
“Maybe this will help,” he said pulling out a map from his back pocket. He unfolded it, holding it out for Chase to look at.
Megan moved around Jack and Chase to see the map.
There was a big red circle. She turned to lo
ok at Jack who gave a very subtle, almost imperceptible nod of the head.
This had to be where McDaniels was holing up.
“We haven't seen a thing the whole time we been walking all over this stupid mountain,” she said, trying to sound as dimwitted as possible.
McDaniels rolled his eyes, “I wasn't asking you, little lady. I was asking your boyfriends here.”
Chase and Jack both confirmed Megan's story.
“We haven't seen anything or anyone. We are hoping to find shelter. These guys don't want us around so we are leaving.”
McDaniels slowly folded the map back up. Put it in his pocket and drew the gun again, pointing it at Misty who was on her hind legs, peering over the fence.
Megan lurched forward, prepared to tackle him, but Jack held her back.
One of the men walked by, carrying a bag of loot.
“Don't shoot the damn goat, McDaniels. That thing is a future meal.”
Megan wanted to shout at the heartless man. How dare he say such a thing about a baby goat.
McDaniels held the gun on Misty another second before putting it back in the holster.
He turned back to Megan, Jack and Chase.
“You're lying. I know there are plenty of groups around here and this mountain. Do you know why I know? Because I have found them and killed plenty of them for lying to me.”
They didn't bother defending their lie. There was no point.
“Move out of the way, so I can see what you got hiding in that tent,” he said, shoving Chase to the side.
It only took him a few minutes to emerge, carrying the new ball Megan had found in town. She had planned on giving that to the kids. They had become obsessed with playing catch.
She glared at him, but didn't say a word. He would probably shoot her or her goats if she tried to argue.
The other men had finished searching the other tents and the two smaller cabins. Each of them were carrying their finds, laughing and joking about what they had managed to steal.
“You all take care now,” McDaniels said before turning and walking out of the camp.
Once they were out of sight, Megan turned to Jack and Chase, hands on her hips.
“How did they know who to look for?”
Jackson stepped forward, “We are pretty sure they always leave a scout behind. Someone as a lookout.”
A chill ran down her spine. They had thought they had got all the men, but there had been at least one more hiding in the trees. It was a scary thought. If Chase and Jack hadn't arrived when they did, reinforcements would have arrived and killed them. She knew without a doubt they would have been killed where they stood.
“Why did we just let them take everything? Why is nobody taking these guys out? This is ridiculous!”
When no one answered she looked at all of the people standing around, staring into the trees where the men had disappeared with their food for the winter and other items.
“They are going to keep coming back! Don't you see that?” she shouted in frustration.
It wasn't in her to just lie down and be walked all over. Not anymore. Not ever again. Not since Derek had walked out on her all those years ago.
It was Jackson who spoke for the entire group.
“We can't take them. They will kill each and everyone of us. The ones that aren't killed will be made into slaves. Would you risk your daughter or Jack's wife becoming held captive by those men?”
That's when Megan realized what they were truly up against. Evan and Jackson's group had been diminished to the point they couldn't fight back. They were at the mercy of McDaniels and his evil intentions.
A thought flashed through her mind. Strength in numbers. She quickly pushed it out of her thoughts. Strength in numbers also meant more people to trust. Megan wasn't ready to open her heart to anyone else at the moment.
Chapter Four
Jack clearly didn't buy into Megan's apprehensions about bringing more people home. He was like a kid picking up stray animals. She was going to have a discussion with him about his tendency to trust so openly.
“Why don't you and your people come back to the lodge. We can work something out as far as where you can all stay. It isn't safe for you here anymore. Those guys are going to be back. You know it and I know it,” Jack stated firmly.
Megan envisioned her hands around Jack's neck, shaking him. What was he thinking? He can't just go around inviting groups of people back to the lodge. They certainly didn't have enough food to sustain them. Not to mention, the sleeping arrangements would certainly get pretty crowded.
It took her all this time to trust Jack, Wyatt and the rest of the group. Inviting this group in to their happy home would disrupt everything. Megan knew she would have to always be second-guessing the newcomers' motives. Would they be safe to have around her daughter?
In the end, it was her daughter's safety that was her priority. If she didn't feel like she could trust the people Jack planned on bringing in, she would have to leave. It was that simple.
Megan nearly wept with joy when Evan turned Jack down.
Thank God!
“Thanks, Jack, really, but we cannot accept.”
Jackson was a little more vehement in his own refusal.
“We aren't going to let them run us out of the homes we quite literally built with our own two hands. We have made a life here. We have come together and have become stronger. We will fight them.”
Megan wanted to hug him. He just saved her a very awkward conversation with Jack.
Her elation quickly faded when she looked around the camp and at the faces of those who were left behind. They all looked exhausted. The remaining children looked anxious. Megan noticed Amy tended to cling to her mom.
There was another little boy who also seemed nervous almost all the time. Last night at dinner he had nearly jumped out of his seat when a strong gust of wind blew a plate to the ground, smashing it to pieces.
Her heart went out to them, but she had to think about her own daughter and her family. It pained her to be so selfish, but it was just the way the world was nowadays. She certainly didn't create it or make it that way. It was people like McDaniels and Kyle Grice that were destroying any bit of humanity that remained in this very dark world.
Jack and Chase helped dig a hole to bury the dog before heading out. It gave Megan a chance to pack up their things after McDaniels thoroughly tossed their packs. The portable HAM radio and folding solar panel were ignored.
It went to show how evil the man really was. He took the ball, knowing it was probably something special, but left the real valuables behind. Megan knew he was bad news and prayed he didn't find his way to the lodge. Their numbers were smaller than what Evan and Jackson were working with.
She pushed the thought out of her mind. There was no point in stressing over something she couldn't prevent or change.
“You ready?” Jack asked poking his head inside the tent.
“Yep. Let's get out of here.”
Chase was standing outside, trying his best to keep the kids from dragging him into the trees. Megan wanted to burst out laughing, but instead walked over and took the rope ends from him. The only way they knew to keep the baby goats with them was to put them on leashes of sorts. It was crude, but it would work.
The three of them talked very little as they hurried back to the lodge. They all had a sense of urgency about them. They didn't have to say the words.
They were all terrified McDaniels and his gang would find the lodge when it was sorely unmanned and unprotected.
As they approached the perimeter of the property, it was Chase who stated the obvious.
“We are so unprepared. This flimsy fence and these silly booby traps are not going to stop the likes of McDaniels.”
Megan looked up, expecting to find Albert in the bird's nest. He was nowhere to be found.
“I thought you told them to stay on guard?” Megan asked Chase. He was the security expert and had been working with all of t
hem. Teaching them different ways to protect themselves and their property.
Obviously, his advice had not been taken seriously.
“They don't know how serious things have gotten. Do we tell the kids?” Jack asked.
Megan knew the question was directed towards her. She didn't have a good answer.
“I think they need to be afraid enough to be more alert, but I don't want them living in fear.”
As the three of them moved past the perimeter and closer to the lodge, it became painfully obvious they were extremely vulnerable. They weren't trying to conceal their presence or avoid traps. They didn't have to, because there weren't any.
“We have to change this,” Chase stated.
He didn't need to state what this was. They all knew. After seeing what had happened at Evan's camp and the ruthless nature of McDaniels, it was painfully clear they needed to change their ways. The mountain wasn't safe anymore. They were not the only people up here.
Despite living in peace and harmony with the other groups that had made homes all over the mountain for months, McDaniels was destroying that peacefulness. There was no point in moping about it. It was time to take action.
Megan heard a small scream and knew instantly it was from Caitlin.
Jack looked at her. Probably gauging her reaction.
Megan kept walking.
“Do you want to run?” Jack asked.
“No. I am not going to risk twisting my ankle.”
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
“That was a scream of joy, Jack. I'm not heartless, but I am not going to save the day when she is obviously playing with Duke or Ryland.”
“Oh. I'm glad you could tell the difference.”
Another scream of glee.
Megan raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, now I can hear the laughter.”
When the lodge came into sight, there was a sense of relief to see it still standing, but there was also some frustration.
“We could have walked right up to the house or one of them and they would not have a clue,” Chase said with irritation.
Megan took a second to take in the sight before her.
Wyatt, Ryland and Caitlin were all outside playing catch. It had been their favorite pastime the past few weeks, which is why she had so wanted to bring them a new ball. McDaniels had ruined her surprise.
EMP Lodge Series (Book 3): Dark Defiance Page 2
