The words were unnecessary, but Megan was moved by them. Brenda had grown to care for her daughter. If they got out of this, she was definitely going to fight to get her accepted as one of their own.
“Be careful,” Megan said before closing the door.
Brenda crawled into the loft and looked out the tiny window. She could see four men wandering about outside. They found her cold boxes where she had been growing lettuce, spinach and radishes. She cringed as they ripped her vegetables out of the ground. That was her food for the winter!
The men were all dressed to intimidate with their leather vests and chaps. She could tell by looking at them that they were dangerous. They didn't need to wear leather to get that point across. The men varied in age and size. She watched as they walked around kicking at the stalks of corn she was hoping to harvest this week.
Her garden had been difficult to grow with no tools. All of the seeds had been looted from other camps around the area. Watching them destroy everything without even thinking about taking it for themselves was alarming. They weren't looters. They were menaces out to damage and destroy for the fun of it.
She had worked long and hard to build up this little cabin and make it into a home. Watching these men destroy all of it in a matter of minutes was hard to take. The thought of starting over was daunting. She couldn't dwell on that or the complete mess they were making. Right now, she needed to focus on getting them all through it.
She scooted back to the edge of the loft, “There are four men,” she said just above a whisper. She knew Megan would be able to hear her through the thin walls. “If they come through, I can take at least one, maybe two, but that means the other two will be yours.”
“Got it,” was the reply.
The sounds of the men talking and shattering glass made Megan's heart race. This situation was different from any other she had been in. She knew they would come into the cabin. The rifle was a single shot .22 LR. It was great for hunting but in this situation, the time it took to reload could be too long.
She should have taken Wyatt's semi-automatic handgun. She knew better, but Wyatt's injury had erased most of her common sense apparently. Once again, she had gone off without thinking about how she would protect herself and her daughter. She vowed to carry a gun on her hip from this moment forward.
She thought about her daughter. Caitlin was on the floor, against the wall with the top mattress over her. It would do very little to actually protect her, but at least it was something. There wasn't anywhere to hide or shelter. Megan briefly thought about grabbing Caitlin and the two of them escaping through the bedroom window into the woods behind the cabin. With her daughter safe in the woods, she could circle around and come up behind the men potentially boxing them in. Assuming there wasn’t anyone else hiding in the woods waiting for exactly that.
There was a lot of shouting, cursing and more smashing of glass. Megan could hear Brenda groaning in frustration. They were destroying her home. If they lived through this, Brenda would have to figure out how to live through the winter. Megan hoped she would see the benefit of learning to rely on others for assistance.
A loud thud on the door nearly caused Megan to have a heart attack. Her hands were sweaty and she could feel the grip on the rifle slipping. She had to get her nerves under control. Another thud and more cursing. So far, Brenda's barricade was holding.
Just when Megan thought that maybe she should take Caitlin out the window, leaving Brenda behind, glass tinkled to the floor in the bedroom. One of them had broken the bedroom window. The wooden barrier was flimsy and it wouldn't be long before one or all of them came through.
“Johnny!” a deep voice from the front of the cabin could be heard.
“What?” shouted the man who was a few feet away from Megan and Caitlin. Megan could see the board bouncing as the man pushed against it. One good push and it would be off. Megan and Caitlin would be trapped. Running out the door would lead them to the men in front.
“Get up here and help me bust in this door!”
There was a pause; Megan prayed the man would go to the front. The wood slapped back against the wall as the man gave up and obeyed the other man's instructions. Megan jumped up and stood to the left of the door. It wouldn't be long before the men got through the front. She was going to have to shoot to kill.
“I'm ready,” she said in a quiet, steady tone.
“Mom, I'm scared,” Caitlin said from her position on the floor.
“I know, hon, I know. Grab that blanket and cover up.” Megan hoped the extra layer would offer some protection from wood that was sure to splinter when the bullets started flying. Megan silently promised herself to fight to the death.
Megan had no idea what was about to happen, but she didn't want Caitlin to be any more traumatized than she had to be. If there was blood, glass or a horrible scene played out, she didn't want Caitlin to witness it.
Brenda's voice could be heard over the pounding against the front door, “I am going to try to get them all, but experience and training tells me I'll only get two before I'm hit. You have to take out the others, Megan. Do you hear me?”
“I will. We can do this, Brenda.” Megan was relying on Brenda's military training. She would listen to the woman and follow her orders.
A gunshot reverberated through the room. Caitlin screamed. Megan quickly shushed her and told her it would be okay. Inside, she was terrified. Her hands were trembling as well as her knees. She felt like she was going to drop the gun, making her grip it even tighter.
There was a loud banging noise as the door was thrown open. They had shot off the lock and broken the barricade. A man yelled out. Megan assumed he just got oil dumped on him. While it certainly wouldn't hurt him, it could slow him down. She waited.
A shot rang through the air. Megan hoped that was Brenda shooting.
“Get her!”
The man's voice nearly paralyzed Megan with fear. She pleaded for her survivor's instinct to show up. Right now, she felt like screaming and running in the opposite direction but she knew she was going to have to fight. Megan prayed for the strength and courage.
There was a loud crash and a shout of pain. One of them had just found the trap. Megan smiled.
Another shot split the air. This time one of the men cursed. He had been hit. It was what Megan needed to hear. They had a chance. Brenda had managed to get one; hopefully different from the one who stepped in the trap. Two wounded men were better than four able-bodied men.
Boots pounded across the floor. Megan knew they were coming. She quickly wiped her hand on her pants before putting it back on the trigger. She was ready.
She expected the door to be kicked in. Instead, she heard Brenda yell. It sounded like a warrior's cry. There was a loud thud and the sounds of wrestling. Megan couldn't believe what she was hearing. The small woman was going hand-to-hand with at least one of them, possibly all of them.
“Now, Megan!”
Brenda's voice was the only warning she got. The door swung open. Brenda's body had been thrown against it. The woman landed on her back on the floor. She stayed down. Megan knew she was supposed to shoot the man that was standing in the doorway.
The man looked like he hadn't bathed in months. He was glaring down at Brenda, ignoring Megan. She didn't waste another second, she pulled the trigger.
The man looked at Megan in complete shock before grabbing his chest. The close range of the shot had him stepping backwards out of the doorway. Brenda scooted forward and kicked the door shut.
“Hurry, Megan. We have to get out of here. Where's Caitlin?”
Brenda was still on the ground, but had flipped to her hands and knees.
She was feeling around on the ground. It was then Megan realized Brenda didn't have her glasses on. She was practically blind.
“Caitlin, we have to go. I am going to boost you up through the window,” Megan said grabbing one of the small blankets tossed in a corner. She used it to clear the remaining shards
of glass from the window.
It took them less than a minute for all three of them to get through the window. Megan had tossed her pack through the window before crawling through. If any of them had been even ten pounds heavier, they wouldn't have made it. The boot on her leg made it difficult for Megan to maneuver, but she managed to get out the window.
The whole time they could hear the men shouting and trying to save their friend. Megan knew the guy was dead. She had shot him at close range, directly in the heart. There was no saving him.
Megan grabbed Brenda's hand. “We need to get away from here as fast as possible. Stay with me. Caitlin, don't get too far in front of me.”
“Head for the barn,” Brenda instructed. She automatically started dragging Megan in the opposite direction.
Megan knew the men would discover they weren't in the bedroom anymore. She was hoping to buy as much time as possible. They would likely be afraid to come through the door for fear they would be next, which they would be if she had stuck around.
The barn wasn't Megan's first choice. She wanted to get as far away, as fast as they could.
“They have ATVs,” Brenda said. She clearly understood Megan's hesitation.
Megan had forgotten about the machines. They could run them down within seconds.
Brenda was holding onto Megan's shirt as they quickly crossed the distance between the house and barn. It was a very small barn not big enough for livestock like cows and horses.
The girls rushed inside. Brenda dropped another barricade bar across the single door entrance. It was incredibly dark, with only a small sliver of light coming through a hole in the side of the barn. Megan held onto Caitlin. The rifle was slung over her shoulder. She figured she better reload it.
She dropped to the ground and felt around in her pack. She found the small box of ammunition and grabbed out a handful. Megan wanted the bullets easily accessible and stuck the extras in her pants pocket. If she had to take more than one shot, she didn't want to be digging around in the pack. Every second would count.
Megan felt Brenda shuffle by her. Seconds later the room had a steady bit of light coming from a small window. It was one of the old, single-pane windows that opened out. Brenda opened it. A small breeze filtered in, which Megan realized was needed. The barn stunk to high heaven. She hadn't noticed it at first, but now that the fresh air was mingling with the stagnant air, it was obvious.
“We can watch through here. Megan, you may need to take out the rest,” Brenda said with such a lack of emotion it disturbed Megan.
She remembered the woman had spent years in war zones. This wasn't anything completely new to her. She was cool under fire and didn't seem bothered by the situation. Megan envied her. She was not so calm. Every nerve felt like it was bared. Her skin was crawling and her insides felt like Jell-O.
This situation was nothing like fighting with Kyle. He had been a single attacker. She had known what to expect from him. It had all been over within seconds. These men were unknowns. She had no idea what they were capable of. She envisioned rape, torture and horrible murders. The panic threatened to take over.
“Megan, take a deep breath. We are good here. We can see them coming. Take one shot, reload and take another. With that rifle, you can take them out before they get close. You can do this,” Brenda assured her.
She had to do this. There wasn't another choice. Brenda was essentially blind and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Caitlin wasn't an option. There was no cavalry coming. It was all on her.
Megan put the barrel of the rifle on the windowsill to help keep it steady. The gun was loaded and she was watching the house. She expected the men to come around the backside and follow the same path they did.
When she saw movement, she took a deep breath and prepared to shoot.
All three men were carrying assault rifles. She could see magazines already loaded in each gun. These guys were coming in hot. Megan didn't hesitate. She focused on the man closest to the barn, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Nothing.
“Oh no!” she wailed.
“Crap,” Brenda said, standing from her position of towering over Caitlin.
Megan was thankful Brenda was willing to sacrifice herself for her daughter.
“It didn't fire,” Megan said, trying not to panic.
“Give it to me,” Brenda demanded.
Megan wasn't sure what the woman was going to do. She couldn't possibly see the weapon in daylight. With the filtered light, she would be blind.
It didn't stop Brenda. She ran her hands over the barrel, opened the bolt action and quickly took the gun apart with a speed that amazed Megan.
“I grew up with this gun. I can take it apart and reassemble it with my eyes closed,” she joked. Plus, in the Army, you are trained to know your gun inside and out; although, I can't say we used Cricketts.
Megan watched out the window. The men were walking away from the barn. She hoped they assumed they had run into the forest and would head in that direction. If she didn't have to shoot anyone, she would be happy but she would do it, if it came to that.
The sliding of the bolt action drew her attention back to Brenda.
“Hand me a bullet,” she commanded.
Megan reached into her pocket and gave her one of the bullets. Brenda loaded it, slid the bolt into place and handed the gun back to Megan.
“It was jammed. It's all good now. After this is all done, I will show you how to make sure that doesn't happen again.”
Megan couldn't believe Brenda had just lectured her about taking care of the gun. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The gun had been in a storm, left exposed to the elements, and then stuck on a wall. It had probably not been dried or cleaned and was already rusting.
A shout from outside got Megan's attention. The men were headed towards the barn. She didn't hesitate. It was a quick shot. The man leading the charge to the barn dropped like a rock. Megan reached into her pocket and quickly loaded another round.
The men were moving fast. There was no way she could take out both men.
“They are fifty feet away. Brenda, get Caitlin out of here!” she shouted as she watched the man on the far left raise his gun. The .223 caliber bullets would tear through the flimsy wood barn as if it was toilet paper. Megan took a second shot and the man closest to her dropped.
Caitlin screamed when the last man standing opened fire. Megan dropped to the ground and belly crawled to the back corner where Caitlin and Brenda were huddling. The sound of the rapid firing gun made it impossible for them to speak.
“What do we do?” Megan asked over the gunfire.
Brenda didn't answer right away.
“We need a distraction,” she answered. “If we can get him to stop shooting, you can get off a shot. You will only get one chance. You seem to be a good shot. Can you do it?”
Megan froze. One shot. One chance to save their lives. It was a lot of pressure but when she looked at her little girl, she knew she had to. There wasn't any other choice.
Megan nodded, “Yes. But how are we going to distract him long enough for me to get to the window and get a shot? What if he isn't in view?”
She was trying to hide the panic in her voice but there were so many variables. Replacing a magazine only took a few seconds but she suggested getting in position and shooting while he was reloading.
Brenda didn't like the idea at all. There was a good chance Megan would be shot trying to get to the window.
“I can distract him,” Caitlin said. Her small voice was difficult to hear over the gunfire.
“No, Caitlin!” Brenda and Megan said in unison.
“Mom, I can make a wolf sound. Me and Brenda hear wolves out here all the time. If he thinks I am a wolf, he might get scared and run away.”
Brenda put her hand on Megan's arm when she started to object.
“It's a good idea. I have heard Caitlin's wolf impression. She is really good. You taught her well.”
Megan
knew Caitlin was an expert at making animal noises. Kids were like sponges and thanks to working with the others on her wilderness skills, her immersion into the forest had given her an advantage at a young age.
“Fine. But how is he going to hear you?”
Brenda pointed to the wall directly behind them. “There is a small opening back here. It isn't big enough for us, but I think Caitlin can squeeze through. I think whoever lived here had chickens and that was their way in and out. I put a board over it when I first got here. I can pry it off.”
“I don't want her out there alone!” Megan couldn't believe what Brenda was suggesting.
“Megan, this is our best shot. She can make it to the trees, make the wolf call, and then run if it doesn't work.”
It was then Megan realized they were trapped. If she didn't kill this man, they would all be at his mercy. Caitlin would likely be killed or kidnapped. She didn’t want to imagine what he would do with her baby. Caitlin had a chance if she could get away. It would take the man minutes or longer to realize she had escaped.
If Caitlin could get back to the lodge, she would be safe. Wyatt and the family would protect her. Megan's heart skipped a beat at the thought of her daughter in the forest alone, running for her life but she knew it had to be this way.
Megan hugged Caitlin. “I love you, baby. You be safe. Don't you stop. You keep running until you find Chase or Jack. They will be looking for you.”
Brenda was running her hands along the wall, trying to find the thin piece of wood covering the hole. She found it, yanked a few times and pulled the board off.
“Stay against the building until you hear one of us tell you to go,” Megan instructed. “Caitlin, if it has been a minute or you don't hear anything, you start running anyway. Do you hear me? You run as fast and as far as you can.”
“I hear you mom. I will.”
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 38
