That is, until an engineer who helped design dams gave the advice to run.
That wasn't an option.
Megan estimated the wall would take at least two weeks to build and another few days to harden. She cringed at the timeline. That was too long. What if they didn't have that kind of time? Wyatt squeezed her hand, calming her down.
If there was any way they could speed up the process, she was going to make it happen. It would mean working all day, well into the night, but she didn't care. If the patch on the dam didn't hold, they could be in serious jeopardy.
Megan woke early the next morning and made a considerable amount of noise as she made coffee and got ready to go. She wanted everyone up and moving. The excitement and nerves were fueling her. It felt like the first day at a new job. She had to be impressive.
By the time everyone headed up the hill to get started on the monumental task of building a wall, the sun was bright in the sky, but the air was still damp and chilly. The kids were grumbling about the cold, but she promised them they would get warm soon enough.
Wyatt, Chase and Bryan were going to watch how to make the cob so they would be able to use it to patch the dam.
Megan took her job as foreman seriously.
“Each of you grab a corner of the tarp and stretch it out,” Megan instructed the kids.
“Garrett, dump that bucket of mud on the tarp.”
“Bryan, throw on the grass and pine needles.”
“Now, you get to have some fun, kids! Jump in there with your bare feet and stomp it all together!”
The kids threw off their shoes and got busy walking over the clay, grass and pine needles.
“Squish your toes in it. Stomp on it. Really mix it well,” Megan instructed.
Once she declared it was ready to use, it was time to get dirty.
“Chase, you and Wyatt each grab a glob of the clay and form it into a rectangle. I want it about a foot long and about eight inches high. They need to be similar in size, but they don't have to be perfect,” she ordered.
The two men used their hands to mold the shape and pat them flat on the sides.
“Okay, Bryan and Garrett, you two grab the bricks and place them on the ground, side by side. They have to be touching.”
Both men quickly did her bidding.
She stood back, evaluated their job and declared it to be perfect.
“There! See! We only need a couple hundred more and we will be good to go!” she said with a smile.
There was a collective groan.
“That was just to get us started. Now that we all know what to do, things will move much faster.”
Garrett stared at the two bricks and then looked down toward the lodge. “Are you planning on building a straight wall, Megan?”
“That was the goal. Why?” Garrett stepped back lost in thought and Megan grew impatient. They didn’t have time for this. “Garrett?”
“Okay, hear me out before you tell me to be quiet. Have you ever been to a skateboard park or seen trick competitions?” He didn’t wait for anyone to answer before he continued. “All the ramps are curved in some way so that the skateboarders can build speed in a particular direction to complete some sort of trick. If the walls were straight, they would crash into the wall and not go anywhere. Do you get where I’m going with this?”
Megan didn’t but Bryan and Chase did.
“Based on what you’re thinking, when the water hits the straight wall, it will crash into it but if we curve it…” Chase started.
“We can redirect the water,” Bryan finished suddenly excited as he clapped Garrett on the back. “He’s right, Megan. This isn’t like some sort of pinball game where we want the water to bounce off; we want it to keep moving but away from the lodge.”
Megan laughed and hugged Garrett. “You are so right.” Stepping back, she looked at the proposed wall. Grabbing a large stick, she drew a curve on the ground on one side. “In that case, we want to build in the curve here and then have it go straight here to redirect the water that way. Does that seem right to everyone?”
There was some discussion and they came up with a modified plan that everyone agreed on.
“All right then. Let’s get to work. Wyatt, grab that bucket and fill it with the mud mixture.”
“Yes, ma'am,” he said.
She rolled her eyes at him.
When he filled the bucket, he gave her a quick kiss goodbye.
“Be careful up there,” she told him.
“I will. We will have our ropes tied nice and tight in case we slip. You keep these guys all in line. I don't think it will take us too long. We'll be back to help this afternoon.”
Megan watched the three men stride up the hill and disappear into the trees carrying supplies.
She hoped the patch would work, but deep down, she knew it was like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. It was a temporary fix that might buy them the extra time to get the dike built.
“What will we use all those bricks for?” Brenda asked while forming a brick. Evan was waiting patiently to carry it to where the wall would go.
“I want to use those at the end of the dike, as well as the top layer to add an extra foot of height. We’ll need to mix up some of that chinking material we used on the cabin to hold them tight. I don't think the bricks will be strong enough to stand up against a heavy force of water, but they should work on the bend at the end,” Megan explained.
“Do you really think this will work?” Brenda continued to work as she talked. Of all the people in the group, she seemed to understand the urgency.
“We won’t have time to build a dike high enough to hold back the water. The goal is to detour the potential flood away from the lodge. We’ll still have a huge mess to clean up but hopefully the worst of the damage will be away from the buildings and root cellar,” Megan replied. Or so she hoped.
“You guys got this for a few?” she asked Evan.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“I'll grab another tarp so the kids can mix while we are forming bricks. We have to pick up the pace,” Megan said, before turning and speed walking back towards the lodge to retrieve a tattered looking tarp from the tool shed.
When she came out, she saw Willow and Rosie in the makeshift greenhouse. They had removed the plastic before winter to keep the snow from tearing it.
“Hey,” she said by way of greeting. “What are you two up to?”
Rosie held up a roll of duct tape. “We are going to put the plastic back up.”
Megan felt guilty they were left at the lodge to take care of the many little chores that should be split up between the members of the group.
“I can have Wyatt come down and help once he is finished with the patch job,” she offered.
“No. We can manage. He has more important things to do.”
“Okay, well, I'm headed back up there.”
Megan's legs were burning by the time she reached the work site.
She had Frankie help her lay the tarp out and got right to work mixing more cob. Brenda and Tara were on one tarp forming bricks, while she worked on the other. Garrett and Evan were kept busy going back and forth to form the bottom layer of the dike.
Megan started laughing out loud.
“What?” Garrett said, stopping his stride.
“You and Evan are not going to be able to move in the morning. We have you running back and forth like a couple of ants,” Megan giggled.
“Well, those three better hurry up and get that patch on. I don't think we can keep up this pace for long,” Evan huffed out.
Even though the weather was mild, he was breaking out in a sweat.
“I hope so, too,” Megan replied. As she made more bricks, she couldn't get Wyatt off her mind. They were trying to pull off an impossible feat. One slip and he would fall into the rushing waters. She assured herself he was tied off and would be fine, but what if the rope didn't hold?
“Stop it,” she said under her breath. There were p
lenty of other real problems to worry about without conjuring up more in her mind.
“You good?” Garrett asked, looking at her with puzzlement.
“Yep, just talking to myself.”
He nodded, grabbed the next cob brick and hauled it into place. When Megan's tarp was empty, she called the kids to get busy mixing while she went to inspect the progress on the wall. The first row was almost complete but they still had a long way to go before they were finished. Megan estimated that they would need five rows of brick at a minimum if they had any hope of detouring the water flow away from the lodge. They needed to move faster.
Evan stood next to her, “Once Wyatt and the guys finish patching the dam and come help us, this will move much faster. We'll be done in no time. Have some faith,” he said, touching her shoulder.
She looked at him, “I'm trying. I really am.”
Megan worried. Would their efforts be enough to save the lodge?
12
The three men stood staring at the bucket of mud they had hauled up to the dam.
“Do you think the same mud mixture we are using for the cob bricks will work?” Wyatt asked Bryan.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know. The cob mix is thick. Maybe we should add in a little more water?” Wyatt stared at the muck in the bucket before grabbing a stick to stir it a bit and had to agree with Bryan. Pouring a little more water into the mixture of mud, clay and pine needles, Wyatt stirred until it seemed to be a workable consistency.
“I guess this will have to do,” he said, peering into the bucket.
“We'll try it. If it doesn't seem to be working, we will make it thicker. I don't see how this is going to do a lot of good in the first place, but I guess anything is worth trying,” Chase said, not looking at all convinced.
“This is probably not the smartest thing I've ever done,” Wyatt said, tying the thick rope around his waist before tugging on it to make sure it was secure. He made his way to the slope, leading to the raging waters below.
Chase laughed. “But it certainly isn't the dumbest. At least this stunt is for a worthy cause, unlike some of the other ridiculous activities you’ve attempted.”
Wyatt had a flashback to crushing beer cans on his forehead and trying to race a train. He had always lived life to the fullest, but now that he had seen firsthand how precious life could be, he wasn't ready to take any more chances.
Wyatt pulled the rope again to test its strength. While it wasn't exactly the kind of rope he would want to rappel off a mountain with, it would have to do.
“Okay, hand me that bucket,” he said to Chase who was standing on the side of the slope. Bryan was on the walkway that spanned the length of the dam. If Wyatt started to slip, he would grab the rope and pull him up.
Wyatt made his way down the muddy slope. The crack in the dam had turned the hillside into a slippery mess. He had no idea if the cob mixture would even stick to the wet cement but he was certainly going to try.
They didn't have a trowel to spread it with, so he was relying on a stick and his hands. Not ideal, but it would do.
Wyatt dipped a hand into the thick goo and slapped a glob on the wall above the crack. He used the stick to smooth it down and over the crack much like putty. The water was turning it into a gooey mud.
“I don't think this is going to hold,” he said in frustration.
“Try a thicker layer,” Chase advised.
Wyatt grabbed a handful of the mud and slapped it on, directly over the crack. Bits of the mud and grass fell into the rushing waters below.
“Put on a thick mass over the crack and smooth it out in a wide circle,” Chase ordered.
Wyatt wasn't going to argue with him. He did as Chase said. He waited and watched to see if the mud over the crack would turn soft.
It seemed to be holding.
“Is it working?” Bryan called from above.
“I don't know. It isn't turning into a watery mess, so maybe,” Wyatt replied.
“Add some more and fill the hole as best you can,” Chase called out. Wyatt scraped at the contents of the bucket using everything he could grab with his fingers and packing it tightly into the cracks before smoothing it down with the stick. When he could see the bottom of the bucket, he signaled Chase that he was finished. Chase worked his way over to him and grabbed the bucket while Wyatt made his way back up the hill to solid ground. Reaching for the rope, he untied it from around his waist and dragged the rope up the muddy hillside after Bryan untied it from the rail.
They all stood on the edge, staring at the patch. Bits of grass were poking out from the mud, but it appeared to be drying.
It was unlikely it would hold for long, but even if it only held a day, it would help.
If they had to come back every day and add another layer, he would do it. Anything to save the lodge and the people living there.
“Let's head back. I'm sure Megan is getting anxious,” Chase said. “She wasn't exactly thrilled with you crawling down there to patch it.”
Wyatt grinned. “She cares about my safety. What can I say?”
“So, you still gonna pop the question?” Bryan asked.
Wyatt nodded. “Yep, but I can't do it without a ring. I mean, I know we are all post-apocalypse and all, but the woman deserves some kind of token of my love.”
“Where are you going to find a ring? Does Rosie have one you could give Megan? Like a family heirloom. You could start a new tradition,” Chase said.
“I was going to look for one on our next trip into town. I had planned to make a run in the next week or two.” He waved his arm at the raging water beside them. “Then this happened.”
Bryan looked thoughtful. “I bet Garrett could make you one. He knows a little something about metal working.”
Wyatt was surprised. “Really? That's a great idea. I'll ask him. I don't guess I'll find a diamond to put in it, but I'm sure she would be okay with a simple band. She doesn't really strike me as the kind of girl who would like a lot of bling.”
The three men laughed. “Definitely not. She will be thrilled to have something you put some thought into. That always makes the ladies happy,” Bryan added.
“Thanks for the tip, Bryan. I would be lost without your romance advice,” Wyatt said with heavy sarcasm.
“No problem, man. Gotta help a guy out when I can.”
The three walked down the hill. Wyatt was feeling good about the future. The dam had a temporary patch, which should buy them some time to get the dike built. Every extra day they had, the more formidable they could make the wall.
Eventually, they could dig a trench that would provide even more protection. They could funnel the water to a pond and create an irrigation system for the garden. This could end up being a very good thing.
It would all work out. Life was good and getting better.
13
Megan walked back down the hill from where the dike was being built to the lodge. She could smell and feel the dampness in the air. She prayed it didn't rain. There were clouds in the sky, but they didn't appear to be rain clouds. A rainstorm right now would destroy all their labor before they began.
She yawned as she made her way through the thick trees that created a wall between the disaster waiting to happen above and the lodge below. She was exhausted. Megan, Wyatt, Bryan and Evan had all gotten up with the sun and started on the brick building. They were willing to do what it takes if it meant getting a good night's sleep down the road. The sacrifice would be worth it, they told her, as they trudged up the hill earlier that morning.
The three men stayed up at the work site, continuing to make and stack bricks. Megan was going to check on things and get the rest of the work crew going. She also wanted to check on Caitlin. The kids worked hard yesterday and her daughter had complained about not feeling well last night. Megan hoped it was the exhaustion and not something more serious.
Rosie would know what herbs to give Caitlin if it did look like there was something going around
. Megan thought back to a couple of months ago. Amy had started to feel ill and by the end of the day, all five kids were vomiting and feeling miserable.
When everyone else in the house started to come down with symptoms, Brenda explained they were likely dealing with the norovirus. No matter how much they tried to enforce handwashing, with everyone using the same outhouse, things weren't as clean as they should have been. The virus was likely picked up when Frankie drank water directly from the stream. They knew they weren't the only people who lived around here. If others were defecating in or near the water source, it would contaminate the supply.
All it took was one mistake. They had all ended up paying the price. The kids had learned their lesson and proper handwashing was followed. They had all recovered, but it had certainly been a rough week at the lodge.
This, more than anything, frightened Megan, and was one of the problems with living in such close quarters. If one person got sick, it usually meant the rest were going to get it. It wasn't if, but a matter of when. They were lucky that they had yet to meet anyone carrying any more serious viruses. Megan and the rest of the adults could not afford to get sick right now. They needed every ounce of strength to get the dike built.
“Good morning,” Rosie said when Megan walked through the back door.
“It's quiet in here,” Megan commented, surprised not to see the rest of the group up and about.
Rosie chuckled. “You wore them all out yesterday. Here,” she said, handing Megan a cup of coffee. “Drink up.”
“Has Caitlin been downstairs yet?” Megan asked.
“No, I did check on all of the kids and they’re still sleeping. Caitlin looked fine. I felt her head and no sign of a fever,” she said. “I think she's just worn out.”
“Good. I think it's best if we let the kids have a day off. What’s your plan for today?” Megan asked Rosie.
“I'm going to get that compost spread out in the garden. We will need to get some seeds in the ground soon.”
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 68
