EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6

by Hamilton, Grace

  Megan groaned. She knew what that meant. They would have been completely wiped out of supplies. Megan looked back at the group to do a head count. There were ten 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’ve 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 was the one concerned for her daughter's safety. They were willing to turn these people away if she said no.

  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 anyone. 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 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. Bryan and Greg were supporting the injured man between them. Evan looked at Wyatt and he 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 a horrendous ordeal and were in shock. Bryan forced a smile 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.

  Brenda had come down from her perch to inspect the injured man.

  “I'll need to clean and stitch that up. Who's taking my place up there?” she gestured towards the bird's nest she had just vacated.

  Wyatt looked around, “Chase, can you take over watch while Brenda patches this guy up?”

  Chase nodded and quickly took over the other watch station. They had to be more vigilant than ever now.

  14

  The arrival of the group at the lodge was chaotic. Rosie went into drill sergeant mode, directing people where to go and who to help. She had the injured man laid on the dining table where Brenda was tending to his wounds.

  Megan stayed out of the way, but kept a close watch on everything that was happening. Brenda was calm, cool and collected. Her training and experience on the battlefield had kicked in.

  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 way we can watch all of them, every minute.”

  “I don't think we need to watch them all, every minute. Megan, they’ve just been through something horrible. They need us. I don't think they have the energy or courage to try to 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,” she said, giving a small, tight-lipped nod of her head. “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 Bryan 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 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 Jack and Wyatt assured her it was as safe as could be.

  Evan and Bryan 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 be big enough for all ten people in their group. But with the chill of winter approaching, how long they could stay in the tent was questionable.

  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. Bryan 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 them both.

  “Hey,” Wyatt said as they approached.

  Evan and Bryan both jumped turning quickly, eyes wide and fists bunched. Wyatt had startled them.

  “Hey. What's up?” Bryan asked, his body language relaxing as they approached.

  He was holding a couple of tent poles, trying to get them to fit together. His hands were clumsy and shaking. 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 needed in this moment.

  “What happened out there?” Wyatt asked.

  “It was a surprise attack in the middle of the night,” Bryan started. “There was no rhyme or reason to it.”

  “So, they found the big cabin?” 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 was 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 fond 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. Bryan and Evan sat across from them on the tire chairs. Bryan was looking at his hands and then his pants. He was staring at a large, dried spot of blood.

  “What happened?” Wyatt repeated.

  Evan met his eyes, “They slaughtered us. There is no other word for it. McDaniels has lost his mind. H
e is all that is evil. This time was completely different—once he found the larger cabin. He killed…children just because he could. He murdered the women trying to protect the children. Why? Why would he do that?”

  Megan felt a thick knot tightening in her stomach and had the sudden urge 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 came and took what he wanted and then left.”

  Bryan, 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 our camp a couple months ago.”

  “When they found the large cabin,” Evan said quietly. “They 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.”

  Bryan nodded, “We have nothing left. No food, no shelter, nothing. We’re on the brink of winter. 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 the rest of the group out there exposed to such evil.”

  “It's okay. I would have done the same thing,” Wyatt assured him, reaching across to squeeze Bryan’s shoulder. “We'll figure something out. Are you sure they didn't follow you?”

  Bryan shook his head, “We had someone hang back to make sure. McDaniels and his men were completely loaded down with all our stuff. I’m 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’re going to kill them all,” Megan stated, determined.

  All three men looked at her. No one smiled or chided her for saying something so outrageous.

  Wyatt’s hand gripped her knee lightly. “Damn straight we are. That kind of evil needs to be eradicated. It will spread like cancer if we don't get rid of it.”

  “I hope so. Those people are savages,” Bryan said through gritted teeth.

  “We have some chores 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.”

  Bryan 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 on 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 become very dangerous, but Megan knew there would be strength in their numbers.

  15

  Willow and Rosie were busy rushing back and forth in the kitchen and Megan could see the stress etched in the lines on their faces. They weren't chatting or joking like they normally did. They were cooking for twenty instead of ten. 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 ten 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 waiting 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 for them. They had thought they had plenty—they’d even considered trading the surplus—but with this many people, they were barely going to have enough. When Megan walked upstairs, she was 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 lodge. 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, huddled together.

  “Megan, everyone will be sleeping inside, except for Evan and Bryan,” Rosie told her as she crossed the kitchen.

  “What?”

  How in the world were they going to fit all those people in the lodge?

  “It's too cold out, but Evan and Bryan insisted they would be fine. We will use the floor upstairs and down here around the fire.”

  Megan wanted to argue, but didn't. It wasn't her lodge—this was Rosie's. 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 if this new situation was going to work. The amount of bodies in the lodge was sure to cause problems for everyone.

  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.

  All around the table, there were individual conversations about sleeping, food and taking turns using the outhouse. Wyatt was acting as a mediator, trying to answer as many questions and concerns as possible.

  Megan silently watched from her seat in the corner. She had to put some space between her and the many bodies crowding around the table and breakfast bar.

  “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.

  One of the men from Evan's group, Garrett, stood up and nodded. Megan could tell he wasn't thrilled about having watch duty. The kid was young, probably in his early twenties. He was tall and lanky and had that frat boy look about him. She was guessing he had been young and full of excitement about his future before the EMP struck. Now, he looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

  It was dark and cold and sitting in the trees for hours would be miserable, but it had already been decided it was an absolute necessity. They couldn't take the chance of being caught off-guard now that McDaniels' Raiders were in the area. Wyatt had wanted Chase to stay for their impromptu meeting, but Chase wasn't about to leave the fate of the lodge in the hands of strangers.

  It was decided an original member would always be on watch with a member from the new group. This made everyone feel a little better.

  They had decided to meet in Wyatt and Megan's room. It was cramped, but they squeezed in.

  �
�How's everyone doing?” Wyatt asked the original lodge members.

  Rosie and Willow both looked at each other, but didn't say anything.

  Albert surprised them all, “I'm glad for the extra hands. We need help getting this place secured. With more eyes to keep watch and more hands to get the heavy lifting done, we have better odds of beating this crazy dude at his own game.”

  Brenda nodded in agreement, “Wars are won by sheer force and strategy. Now we have both. We can win this war.”

  Megan knew the veterans would say something along those lines. Brenda was career military. Everything she did was programmed by her extensive training and experience in the Army.

  “Can we trust them?” Megan had to ask.

  Jack shrugged, “Little late for that.”

  Megan glared at him. He smiled in return.

  “She's right,” Wyatt spoke up. “I don't think we can trust them all just yet. There are a couple of guys I am not sure of. I think Bryan, Evan and Greg are solid. Sandra and Tara are harmless as well as that other little boy.”

  “We watch them. We keep certain things to ourselves for now, like the escape hatch,” Jack said referring to the wall in the kitchen they had just finished opening up into the store room.

  “What about the root cellar?” Willow asked. “We can't exactly hide that forever.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement, “They'll know it’s there. All we can do is keep an eye on things. Like Jack said, that ship has sailed. We’re in it now. We do what we can to keep some things to ourselves, including the stashes that are buried around the property. If we want them to trust us, we can't be shady,” Wyatt reasoned.

  “Are we going to shadow them, like we did—” Megan stopped. She was going to say like they did with Brenda, but considering Brenda was in the room, it felt wrong.

  “It's okay. I knew and I appreciated you being careful. It made me feel a little better knowing you didn't just let anyone into your group,” Brenda assured her.

  Jack spoke, “I don't think we need to shadow anyone. Well, maybe those two guys. One's name is Garrett; I don't remember the other one.”