Dark Hunt (EMP Lodge Series Book 2)

by Grace Hamilton

  He could see both sides of the argument. Heading out without being fully prepared wasn't smart. He would try to push up the timeline. A week was a little too long, but he didn't want to get Megan's hopes up. He would talk to Chase tomorrow when they went out on their next search.

  For now, he would do his best to assure Megan it would all work out. It had to.

  14

  Megan wasn't happy to wait for the cavalry to rescue her daughter, but she was doing her best to be patient. Rosie kept her busy digging through boxes, looking for things that would make good trades. They needed to give up some of their valuable items in order to appeal to the other group. If they walked in there with a bunch of stuff that could be easily found elsewhere, they would never get information on Caitlin.

  The sock warehouse was proving to be a very valuable find. They had chosen twenty pairs of wool socks to offer for trade. Socks were a big deal, especially during winter in the mountains. People had to walk; often in snow and frigid temperatures. Keeping their feet warm and dry at all times would be a priority. Having extra socks to change into once one pair got wet was just common sense.

  “What about these?” Rosie said, holding up a couple pairs of worn, but still functional boots.

  They were her husband's and didn’t fit anyone, but could be another invaluable trade item. Megan was tasked with putting in new laces and cleaning them up. Ryland pulled together some books that he and Caitlin no longer read for any kids that may be in the camp, as well as some old magazines.

  Even though the magazines were outdated, they were entertaining to read and once they had been read, they could be used for other purposes.

  Willow and Rosie put together some dried apples, Ziploc bags of applesauce and a bag of the potatoes they harvested from the garden. The applesauce had been removed from the jars and stored in the Ziploc bags to make it easier and lighter to transport. While they really couldn't afford to part with the food, they were willing to if it meant getting Caitlin back.

  The items were distributed into piles to try to balance the weight. No matter how they did it, the backpacks were going to be very heavy. The heavier the bag, the slower the trip would be. They also had to account for the extra supplies the guys would need to stay out in the woods overnight.

  Going back through the items they were willing to part with, they pulled out the heavier or harder to carry items and set them aside only going with those they thought would be of most value.

  Megan grew restless. Every passing hour could be jeopardizing her daughter's life. She hobbled outside, needing a few minutes to herself. Duke followed.

  “They sure are taking their sweet time,” she told the dog, knowing he would never betray her confidence. “I don't think I can wait another day, buddy. What about you?”

  Duke sat down and leaned into her one good leg, nearly toppling her over. She took that as a sign he was on her side.

  Caitlin had witnessed Kyle Grice murder a young man and had inadvertently become a target. The man had gone to great lengths to try to kill her and Megan. At the time, Evan didn't seem any more stable when he’d sworn to avenge his brother's death. Caitlin being stuck alone in that group could not be a good thing.

  Wyatt had done his best to calm her fears, but it wasn't helping. He reasoned if they took the time to bandage an injury, assuming the bloody bandage was Caitlin's, then they wouldn't hurt her. Maybe there were other mothers in the group and they were taking care of her.

  Megan always had the same question, “Why won't they let her come home?”

  Duke tilted his head to the side.

  “You are pretty much the only one willing to listen to me, big guy. You know I'm right, don't you?”

  She rubbed his ears. “Maybe we should go get her ourselves? What do you think about that?”

  Duke thumped his tail and turned to lick the hand that was petting him.

  Megan took that as a yes and contemplated taking matters into her own hands and what that would mean. Her ankle was definitely better and while it wasn’t one hundred percent, she was able to walk around without using the crutches.

  She chewed on her lower lip agonizing over what her heart was telling her to do. Could she do it on her own? It wasn’t as though she’d never walked that kind of a distance before. She’d managed to walk much farther carrying Caitlin when she’d fallen ill. At least now, she’d have both her hands even if she only had one good leg.

  Megan heard laughter from in the house cementing her resolve.

  She was tired of waiting. She was tired of relying on others to do what had to be done. Time and again, life had taught her she could only rely on herself. No one else was willing to help.

  The next morning, she made her move.

  It was early Tuesday morning. Wyatt and Chase had set out to follow their plan to search another area. They were leaving no stone unturned. Megan knew they wouldn't find her. Her gut told her Evan had her and they were nowhere near, where Chase and Wyatt were searching.

  Rosie was upstairs, making beds. Willow was busy organizing the root cellar. Ryland and Jack were finishing the mudroom. Megan looked around and thought about what she was going to do. Could she do it?

  She didn't hesitate another second and hobbled back to the bedroom as fast as she could move and tossed her emergency gear into her pack. Planning to stay the night in the woods meant she would need to be able to start a fire, need a way to clean water, some sort of shelter and food. She threw in extra socks and a couple Mylar blankets. While she would have liked to take an actual blanket, she didn't think she could handle the weight and bulk. Her leg was going to slow her down even if she was able to walk around the cabin now without crutches.

  The one thing she knew she needed was the gun Wyatt kept in the top drawer of the dresser. It was the same gun he had left for her in the bag hanging in the tree. The same gun that saved her life and took the life of Kyle Grice. Checking it for ammunition, she vowed that if she had to, she was willing to kill again if it meant saving her daughter. She grabbed a handful of the .45 cartridges out of the drawer and put them in the pocket of her backpack. Making sure the safety was on; she put the gun in the bag. A holster would have helped lighten the load, but she would make do.

  She wished there was a cane to help her across the terrain but they didn’t have one. She knew walking would be slow but she was done with sitting around waiting for others.

  “You want to go with me, Duke?”

  The dog had followed her into the bedroom and was watching her. Megan figured he would not only provide her with companionship, but could also help protect her. He would hopefully be able to sniff out Caitlin should she be at the camp.

  Megan considered the dog's needs. She would need water for him as well as food. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed some more of the jerky and some leftover bread. It wasn't much, but it would keep them going until they could get back.

  With her mind made up and a goal set, Megan felt a sense of relief. She was finally doing something to bring her daughter back. It gave her strength and a burst of energy. She was going to need both to make the hike.

  When she opened the door to go outside, she took in a long, deep breath. The air was slightly chilly and damp. She looked towards the forest. The mist gave the trees a sinister, yet beautiful look.

  “You ready?” she asked Duke who, for the first time, seemed a little apprehensive.

  Megan ruffled the fur on the back of his neck and started forward. The pack on her back was light, but she could already tell it was going to be difficult to maneuver. She thought about her decision and considered waiting. Then she thought about Caitlin and what she was probably going through. Megan resolved to deal with the discomfort if it meant saving her little girl.

  She knew Wyatt would be furious, scared and hurt at the same time but Megan was thinking about the group. Wyatt needed to be there to take care of them. She couldn't have him traipsing into what could be a dangerous situation. If Wyatt were to be
hurt or captured, she wasn't sure the group would continue to thrive.

  It would destroy them if they lost Wyatt.

  Megan felt she was expendable. If she didn't make it back, the group would still go on. She wasn't stupid. She knew this was a dangerous mission and even a little foolish, but she couldn't let Wyatt put his life in jeopardy. She was the one who strayed too far and didn’t pay attention to the weather. She was the one who had lost Caitlin. This was her mess and she needed to clean it up.

  15

  Wyatt slammed his fist against the outside of the cabin in fury. When he returned to the lodge, he’d been told that Megan had left. He couldn't believe she actually thought she could make it to the other side of the mountain with her ankle in such bad shape. The woman drove him absolutely mad with her constant need to prove herself.

  Checking the nightstand drawer, he was relieved to see that the gun was missing along with some ammunition. At least she had the sense to realize the danger she was putting herself in.

  “Stupid!” he shouted to no one in particular.

  He should have known she would do this. She had made it quite clear she wasn't okay with waiting another week. He had thought she was coping. His mom had told him Megan had been staying very busy, putting together supplies and helping around the house.

  When Wyatt got home at night, she was perfectly normal. They talked, they laughed a little, and she seemed to be looking forward to the day when Wyatt and the other men would make the trip to Evan's camp.

  It was all a ploy. That’s what infuriated him the most. She should have trusted him. She could have talked to him and he could have forced the issue a bit more with Jack and Chase. The fact that she didn't think she could tell him what she was really thinking stung.

  They each had their own issues, but she had to learn to trust him. He would never do her wrong and would never do anything that would jeopardize Caitlin. After all this time, why was she so insistent that her way was best?

  The more he thought about it, the madder he got.

  “Dammit!”

  Rosie appeared at the door, “Sorry, dear. I didn't even hear her leave. I just assumed she was sleeping in. When I couldn't find Duke, I had a feeling something was up.”

  Wyatt shook his head, “It’s not your fault mom. I think we all know by now the woman is the most stubborn, hard-headed person on this planet!”

  His mom smiled, “And that is one of the main reasons why you love her. It’s why we all love her. She doesn't give up. She’s tenacious. She would walk through fire for any one of us, which is why I think she decided to do this on her own.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Rosie sat on the bed, patting the space next to her. He sat down.

  “I’m sure she thinks that we weren’t acting fast enough. I know if one of you boys had been missing for more than a week, I’d be going out of my mind with worry and you’re both adults.”

  “She understands we’re doing the best we can,” Wyatt interjected. “How could she not?”

  “If you were in her place, stuck in bed and forced to convalesce, would you be cooperative?” Rosie questioned.

  “Of course not, but I’m a—”

  “Don’t you dare say, “man”, son. It’s been a long time but I would be more than happy to take you over my knee and show you exactly how strong a woman can be when her children are in danger,” Rosie vowed.

  Wyatt rolled his eyes, “You are probably right, but it still ticks me off.”

  She laughed, “Maybe it wasn't the best decision to make, but it is her way. We all know that by now.”

  “I'm not going to let her do this alone.”

  “I think she probably knows that, too. She knows you will come save her.”

  Wyatt stood, “If I leave right now, I could catch her before she gets there.”

  “Dear, you could leave first thing in the morning and manage to catch up to her. She isn't exactly swift on her feet these days. Maybe that was her plan all along,” Rosie winked.

  That idea made sense. Megan wanted to go, but knew he would never let her. Now, she had sped up the timeline and got to go along. He smiled. Megan was full of surprises. He was secretly a little proud that she had managed to get out of the house without anyone noticing. He loved that she was so dedicated to saving her daughter.

  “I'm coming, Megan, and you are so gonna be in trouble!”

  Megan sensed the animals, even though she couldn't see them.

  Duke had been very uneasy for a while too. The closer it got to sundown, the more worried she got. They had heard wolves in the area these past few months, but had never been too concerned with them coming around the lodge.

  Now that she was out in the woods alone, she could easily be prey. Or worse, bears! They were preparing to hibernate and were busy fattening themselves up. What would happen if one came upon them while they were sleeping? There was no way they could defend themselves against more than one predator.

  There weren’t that many people living on the mountain and without some sort of refrigeration, they were careful only to hunt what they needed. So long as the animal population continued to grow, Megan was confident they would have a consistent food source as long as they didn't hunt in the same area every time or kill too many does.

  They had to make sure the deer could repopulate. Killing all the does would not only devastate the population, it would leave the fawns to fend for themselves and they would die too. It was the circle of life and if that delicate balance were upset, they would all starve.

  Realizing she was dead on her feet, she looked down at the dog. “You ready to call it a day, Duke?”

  The dog had his nose in the air.

  She was convinced they were more than halfway to the area she believed Evan's camp to be.

  “Okay, buddy. Let's make camp here. I need to get off my foot.”

  She found a place that provided some natural shelter under the trees. It didn't take long to find some small twigs and branches for a fire. She made sure to collect wood that wasn't directly on the ground. With all the rain, it would be soaked and difficult to burn.

  There were plenty of branches that were propped up against other trees and she hoped this meant the wood would be fairly dry between the wind and the sun drying it out.

  Once Megan got her fire going, she built a small nest to sleep on using pine needles and one of the Mylar blankets as a sheet to protect herself against the prickly makeshift bedding, which kept her off the ground. She added a few sticks to the fire before stretching out and pulling the second blanket over the top of her.

  It was cold. Duke seemed to know what to do and laid behind her with his back pressed into hers. The warmth of the dog's body helped take away the chill almost instantly. It was times like this she remembered how appreciative she was for her warm bed under a roof at night.

  Megan started to doze when she felt Duke tense. Reaching her hand around to pet the dog, she felt tremors rolling through him. Sitting up cautiously, she tried to peer out into the dark but couldn’t see anything.

  Duke’s ears snapped up to attention and his hackles went up right before she heard it.

  Twigs snapped from somewhere on her far right.

  Reaching for her gun, she held it at the ready while she added some small twigs and branches to the fire being careful not to look directly into it.

  She didn’t hear anything else.

  “It’s okay, Duke, maybe it was just the wind,” she told him quietly.

  Duke growled quietly, which made her hands shake as she looked down at the tense dog who stared off into the night.

  Just then, she heard what sounded like chuffing followed by scratching but it was still at a distance.

  She knew that sound.

  Bear!

  Megan quickly extinguished the fire and backed up until her back hit the tree dragging the dog with her.

  Not good. Not good. Not good!

  Holding on to Duke’s collar, she stared i
nto the dark praying she wouldn’t have to use her gun.

  She spent the rest of the night shivering and on high alert; tensing up every time she heard a noise or Duke shifted but thankfully, no predators entered their camp. Megan decided to get up and moving when it became obvious, she wasn't going to get any sleep. The sun was peeking through the trees, which gave her just enough light to see. She poured some water into the collapsible bowl she carried in her pack and Duke quickly lapped it up. She ate a piece of the jerky before giving some to Duke.

  Cleaning up her camp, she made sure to leave nothing behind and together, they headed out. When they walked past where they’d heard the noises last night, Duke stopped to sniff at one of the trees. Megan’s hand shook as she reached out a plucked a small tuft of hair from the heavily scratched tree trunk.

  It had been a bear!

  Grateful the bear never came any closer; Megan vowed that she would never again go out alone like this. It was just plain stupid; especially with her injury.

  Suddenly, Duke barked and bolted ahead of her wagging his tail as he sniffed at the bushes and then raising his leg. Megan took that to mean the predator was long gone as the dog happily marked his own territory while they walked.

  Megan did her best to keep up with the energetic dog but after yesterday's walking, her ankle was extremely sore.

  About midday, they stopped near a stream and Duke drank his fill while Megan munched on more jerky before giving the rest to the hungry dog.

  It was late afternoon when Megan came to a barbed wire fence that had been haphazardly strung around some trees. This had to be Evan's camp!

  “We found it, Duke! We found it.”

  Duke's tail began to wag and he looked ready to take off towards the camp.

  “We need to do some checking first. Shh,” she told the dog before putting her pack down.

  She carefully walked along the fence line. She could see a cabin in the distance. It was very small and there were tents positioned all over the area beyond the fence.