“Yeah, you're right. He can't sit by that stupid radio all day.”
They all pitched in and help cut the meat into steaks. They got busy cutting the rest into strips to dry near the fire.
Megan hoped with the addition of the doe, they would have enough food to get through winter. It would be tight, but they could do it.
If the other group came to the lodge, there was no way two measly deer was going to feed that many people for months. She was going to have to go hunting again tomorrow. She wasn't comfortable hoping for the best. She wanted to be as prepared as possible. There was no way she was going to let her little girl go hungry because there were extra mouths to feed.
Chapter Thirteen
Megan heard the shout before she saw Jack race through the trees that surrounded the outer perimeter of the lodge.
Her heart was pounding so hard she thought for sure it would bounce right out of her chest.
She didn't know whether to run towards him to offer him help or run inside and lock the lodge down.
Caitlin!
“Caitlin! Ryland! Get inside! Get in the house now!” she screamed not willing to take any chances.
The kids didn't ask twice, dropped the game of ball they were playing and ran for the back door. Willow and Ryland heard her shout and popped their heads out of the mudroom door. Megan waved them back in. She needed them to keep the kids safe.
“What is it?” she asked Jack who was breathing hard.
“They're here!”
Megan felt like everything came to a stop. Her legs felt like lead. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She just stared.
This was what they had been expecting and preparing for, but they weren't ready.
“Wyatt?” she managed to squeak out.
“Fine, he is talking with them now.”
Megan couldn't believe what she heard.
“Talking to them? What? Are you kidding me? What does he hope to accomplish? Why did you leave him, Jack?”
“He told me to come back and let you know.”
“Me? Why me? What does he want me to do?”
Jack was getting irritated, “Go out and talk to them, Megan. Chase is with him. Brenda and Albert are both in a bird's nest, keeping watch, just in case.”
Megan considered shaking Jack, but didn't think it would help. The man was rattled and was not making any sense at all.
“Jack,” she said slowly and with the voice she used when she talked to Caitlin when she was having a nightmare. “Jack, I need you to take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”
He glared, put his hands on his hips and looked her straight in the eye, “Get your ass out to the stream. Wyatt is there waiting with Evan's group.”
When she looked at him with confusion, it was his turn to use slow and careful words.
“Go. Out. There. Now.”
“I'm not an idiot, Jack, but you said they. Who is they? I thought you meant McDaniels.” She groaned, “Nevermind. I'm going.”
She started to walk away, Jack called her name. She stopped and turned back, “Be smart. Do what you think is right. I trust you.”
She smiled and nodded, “Thank you, Jack. I will. Take care of the kids.”
Megan rushed out to the stream. When she saw Wyatt and Chase on the ground next to an older man, she gasped. Each of the people standing there, looking lost and forlorn had blood on them. She couldn't tell if it was their own blood or blood from their family and friends.
She rushed through the stream, not caring that her feet got wet.
“What happened?” she asked dropping next to Wyatt to offer assistance. She recognized the man whose leg had been sliced open. She couldn't remember his name.
Wyatt handed her a strip of cloth and she quickly tied it around the wound.
“Tighter,” he said.
She quickly complied.
They waited and watched a few seconds before Wyatt declared it was ready to move him.
“Hang tight for a second,” he told Chase before pulling Megan away from the crowd.
“What happened?” she asked again.
“McDaniels. He raided them and this time, he didn't go easy. They're all dead. This is all they have left. They found the big cabin.”
Megan groaned. She quickly looked back at the group to do a head count. There were 10 that she could see. She quickly looked for little Amy and sighed with relief when she spotted her clinging to her mother. Evan was standing close to them, as if to shield them from anything else that may come their way.
“What do we do?” she whispered.
Wyatt gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, “It's up to you. We have all made up our minds. What do you want to do here, Megan?”
“Me? You can't put that on me!”
His eyes said it all. It was on her. She was the one who had been arguing against the group joining theirs. She is the one who was concerned for her daughter's safety. They were willing to turn these people away if she said the word.
Megan looked at Wyatt and knew what he wanted her to say. He was the kind of guy that was a natural hero. He saved people. So did Jack and Chase. Rosie would open her door to anybody. Albert, despite his grumblings, would probably do the same. Brenda didn't really have a say yet, but Megan had a feeling she would side with the rest of the group.
A million thoughts flashed through her mind. Food. Water. Caitlin.
She looked back at the newcomers and saw Tara's face. She had a blank stare. One arm was gripped tightly around her daughter and the other around Evan's waist. Evan was supporting her and she was supporting Amy.
Megan could easily identify with Tara. That could be her and Wyatt with Caitlin. Would she expect someone to help them and take them in should the lodge be attacked and their family members violently murdered?
Megan looked back at Wyatt, “Okay.”
He leaned forward, kissed her on the forehead and whispered thank you.
“Let's go invite our new members in,” she said, holding his hand and walking towards the group.
Jackson and Greg were supporting the injured man between them. Evan looked at Wyatt.
Wyatt gave a quick nod, which prompted Evan into action. He picked up Amy and told her to hold on tight.
“We can walk downstream a little and use the crossing there,” Wyatt told them.
Evan's people didn't seem to hear him. They kept walking and went right through the stream.
Megan figured they were tired, hungry and ready to find shelter. They had all been through quite an ordeal.
Jackson smiled at Megan as he walked by, supporting his friend.
Wyatt waited until everyone was across.
“Stay vigilant,” he said in a loud voice aimed upwards.
“Will do. Those people are savages. I will personally take it upon myself to shoot as many as I can,” Albert said from up above.
Wyatt turned to face the other direction, “You good?”
“Yes, sir. All clear.”
Brenda was in soldier mode. It actually gave Megan some comfort to know the woman was the one on guard right now. She would not hesitate to start shooting. She wouldn't go down without a fight.
Chapter Fourteen
The arrival of the group at the lodge was a little chaotic. Rosie went into drill seargent mode directing people where to go and who was to help who. She had the injured man laid on the dining table and was tending to his wounds.
Megan stayed out of the way, but kept a close watch on everything that was happening. There were people crying quietly and others walking about the lodge, checking things out. Her anxiety was increasing with every whisper, command or look in her direction.
Wyatt was coming down the stairs and spotted her standing in the corner. He walked towards her, grabbed her by the hand and took her into their room.
“You okay?” he asked her with genuine concern.
“Yeah, it just makes me nervous. There are a lot of people here and there is no w
ay we can watch all of them, every minute.”
“I don't think we need to watch them all, every minute. Megan, they have been through something pretty traumatic. They need us. I don't think they have the energy or courage to try and hurt us or take this place from us.”
She felt like a jerk. She was being selfish. They had been alone for so long, it felt strange to have so many people invade her small, safe world.
“It's fine. I mean, I know. I just, well, it's just a lot. I'll be fine. I just need some time to get used to everything. It's so much.”
He grinned, “Yeah, there does seem to be a lot happening. I'm sure things will settle down by this evening. We just need to figure out where to go from here.”
Wyatt turned to leave. She grabbed his arm, “What happened to them?”
“I don't know the details. There wasn't time to get into it, but I am going to find Jackson or Evan or both and find out what the hell happened out there.”
“I'm coming with you,” she said, grabbing a sweater out of the closet. The air outside was chilly and there was no way they could have a private conversation in the lodge. The last thing she wanted to do was expose any of the kids to the horrors of what had happened back at Evan's camp. It was obvious it wasn't pretty or meant for kids' ears.
Wyatt and Megan walked out the back door. With the front door barricaded, it was their only option. Megan wasn't sure it was the best idea, but Chase and Wyatt assured her it was as safe as could be.
Evan and Jackson were busy putting up the old Army tent that had been stashed away in the storage shed. Megan's nose instantly crinkled as she thought about how stinky it must be. The tent was huge and would definitely be big enough for all ten people in their group.
She watched the two men working in silence. They both appeared to be lost in thought. As they approached, she noticed blood on Evan's sleeve. Jackson had speckles of blood all down the side of his jeans.
She shuddered. They had been through something horrendous. They were wearing the blood of their friends and people they loved. Both men were so focused on protecting and caring for the remaining people in their group, they hadn't even taken the time to clean up. She had a whole new respect for both of them.
“Hey,” Wyatt said as they approached.
Evan and Jackson both turned around very quickly. Wyatt had startled them.
“Hey. What's up?” Jackson asked.
He was holding a couple of tent poles, trying to get them to fit together. His hands were clumsy. She reached out and helped him slide the two poles together. His eyes met hers and just stared. Megan wanted to hug him and promise him it would all be okay, but didn't figure that was what he really needed in this moment.
“You guys want to talk about what happened out there?” Wyatt asked.
Evan sighed, dropped the poles he was working on and nodded.
“I guess we better explain why we just showed up at your door. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
Wyatt looked around. Jack and Chase were filling water jugs. A couple of Evan's men were leaning against the back wall of the lodge, talking in soft voices.
“How about the bench?” Megan suggested.
The foursome walked to the spot that Megan had grown so fondly of. They had added a couple of chairs made from some old tires they had found down the hill.
They all sat down, with Wyatt and Megan sitting on the bench. Jackson and Evan sat across from them on the tire chairs. Jackson was looking at his hands and then his pants. He was staring at a large, dried spot of blood.
“What happened?” Wyatt asked.
Evan met his eyes, “They slaughtered us. There is no other word for it. McDaniels has lost his mind. He is all that is evil. This time was completely different. He killed children just because he could. He murdered the women trying to protect the children. Why? Why would he have done that?”
Megan felt sick. She wanted to vomit. Wyatt reached out and put a hand on her knee to comfort her.
“I don't know. What provoked him? You said in the past he just came and took what he wanted and then left.”
Jackson, still staring at the blood, spoke up, “The men all seemed different. Like they were together, but not really in it together. One of the men was questioning McDaniels. He shot him. Another one of the men looked as if he was going to say something when McDaniels turned the gun on him. He didn't shoot him, though. He shot one of the young women who had just come to the lodge a couple of months ago.”
“They found the large cabin,” Evan said quietly. “They found it, took what they could carry and then burned it to the ground.”
Megan gasped. “I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say, but I'm sorry.”
Wyatt nodded in understanding.
“And that's why you're here.”
Jackson nodded, “We have nothing left. No food, no shelter, nothing. We didn't want to come here, man. You have to know that. We know how difficult things are, but we didn't have a choice. We couldn't leave them out there exposed to such evil.”
“It's okay. I would have done the same thing,” Wyatt assured him. “We'll figure something out. Are you sure they didn't follow you?”
Jackson shook his head, “No, we had someone follow us, to make sure. McDaniels and his men were completely loaded down with all of our stuff. I am positive they were headed back to their own camp.”
Megan looked at the men she had come to know as strong and courageous. They looked defeated. Their shoulders were slumped forward and they both had a look in their eyes that said they were broken.
“We are going to kill them all,” Megan stated with absolute determination.
All three men looked at her. No one smiled or chided her for saying something so outrageous.
Wyatt squeezed her knee, “Damn straight we are. That kind of evil needs to be eradicated. It is like cancer and will spread if we don't get rid of it.”
“I hope so. Those people are savages,” Jackson said through gritted teeth.
“Okay, well, we have some work to get done if we are going to make all of this work,” Wyatt said, standing up. “You guys want to take a few minutes and clean up? I can get Jack to help you with that tent. Then we will need to talk with Chase about how we are going to make sure this place is secure. With all of us here, it will be easier to rotate watch. We need to be on guard 24/7. I have a feeling McDaniels is going to find his way up here sooner rather than later.”
Jackson extended his hand to Wyatt, “Thanks. I know this is a huge burden and I promise we will do everything we can to lighten the load. I can't tell you how much we appreciate this.”
Evan nodded his head, “No matter what happens, please promise me you will take care of Tara and Amy. They have both been through so much. They don't deserve what has happened to them.”
Megan blinked several times to clear the tears from her eyes. Evan was a good guy. She hadn't been convinced of that fact early on, but now she could see his love and devotion to the woman that fate had dropped at his doorstep.
Wyatt promised him they would be taken care of. They all walked back to the lodge with a newfound energy and strength. Things were about to get real, but Megan was hoping there would be strength in numbers.
Chapter Fifteen
Willow and Rosie were busy in the kitchen. Megan could see the stress etched in the lines on her face. They were cooking for 20 instead of 10. That doe they had just butchered would be gone in no time. Their food supply was barely going to carry them through and now they had an extra 10 mouths to feed.
Tara was peeling potatoes at the end of the breakfast bar with Amy by her side, chopping the potatoes into small chunks. The pile of potatoes to be peeled was alarming. Megan could see the food supply dwindling right before her eyes.
They had to do something quick.
Megan had helped the men get the tent set up and was coming in to get blankets. They had thought they had plenty, but with this many people, they were barely going to have enough. When Meg
an walked upstairs, she was a little surprised by the scene.
Sandra, Greg and a little boy she hadn't met yet were all sitting on the couch. It was very odd to see strangers in the house. It wasn't like they had company on a regular basis.
She quickly went to the closet and grabbed a couple of blankets. They didn't have pillows, but she doubted that would be a big problem.
She walked back downstairs, taking in the sounds of people talking. They were everywhere. Everywhere she looked there were people in small groups.
“Megan, everyone will be sleeping inside, except for Evan and Jackson,” Rosie told her as she crossed the kitchen.
“What?”
How in the world were they going to fit all those people in the house?
“It's too cold, but Evan and Jackson insisted. We will use the floor upstairs and down here around the fire.”
Megan wanted to argue, but didn't. It wasn't her house. This was Rosie's house. What she said went.
“Okay, I'll just set these here,” she said referring to the extra blankets, “and take a couple out to the tent.”
Rosie smiled. It wasn't a real Rosie smile. The smile was polite and strained, much like a politician would paste on when meeting new constituents.
Megan was going to find Wyatt and have a talk with him. They needed to set some ground rules.
There was a rush of activity as Rosie and Willow dished up dinner for everyone. Unlike their normal practice of putting the dishes on the table and everyone helping themselves, they were now being served. It was a way to ration the food. Megan wasn't sure she was comfortable with it, but knew that was the way it had to be.
Wyatt had already promised her a group meeting after dinner to go over the concerns she had as well as the rest of the group. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had been complaining to him.
“You ready?” Chase said standing up from his spot on the floor. He had given up his seat at the table so the women and children could sit down.
EMP Lodge Series (Book 3): Dark Defiance Page 7
