He would figure out another way to blow that dam, even if it meant he died in the process.
There were far worse places to die.
17
“Everyone okay?” Wyatt asked slightly out of breath.
They weren’t expecting to find anyone near the dam. Thankfully, he’d been intent on whatever it was he was doing so they had managed to use surprise to their advantage. It wasn't often they encountered a stranger and any time they had, it hadn't ended well.
“All good,” both Chase and Bryan called out.
“Let's get back to the lodge. We have another problem and this time, I think it’s far more serious than one bad guy who wants to take us out so he can have our supplies. This guy doesn't care about the lodge or what may be in it, including people. And I’d bet you that he’s the one who put that crack in the dam.”
“Who was he?” Chase said falling into step beside Wyatt as they trekked down the hill.
“I don't know. I heard him mutter under his breath in Russian. I detected a faint accent and I think the way he was talking to us was forced. Like English isn't his first language,” Wyatt said. “It felt like he was acting a part. His acting sucked.”
They all chuckled.
“Why would there be a Russian guy up here, trying to blow up a dam?” Chase mused. “That doesn't make a lot of sense. Unless,” he stopped and looked at Wyatt, “Do you have an enemy trying to exact some kind of revenge?”
Wyatt guffawed. “Like anyone would find me up here. Nice try. Maybe he was after you.”
It was a joke and they all knew it. They had to have a sense of humor. With the number of people who had tried to kill them in the last year, if they didn't joke about it, they would go crazy with the gravity of the situation.
Bryan raised his hands. “I know I certainly don't have any enemies. I'm a nice guy and I know for a fact, I’ve never crossed any Russian guys.”
Wyatt and Chase both laughed.
Wyatt was thoughtful for a moment. “Well, maybe they are after someone else in the lodge. Albert does get opinionated on that radio. Maybe he inadvertently gave away our location. He said he’s talked to people from other countries. Could he somehow have offended the Russians?”
Chase rolled his eyes. “I seriously doubt an entire country is going to send an assassin to take out one mouthy old man. It feels like something bigger. More calculated. I mean, the guy didn't even aim to hit us. Maybe there is gold around here or some other valuable resource he was trying to get his hands on.”
Wyatt considered that idea. “It is plausible. Who knows? Let's get back to the others.”
They quit trying to guess the man's motivation and focused on getting down the hill walking at a fast clip in relative silence. Wyatt imagined they were all replaying what had happened in their head. Once they got back to the lodge, they could hash out the details and put together what each of them observed.
He didn't want to tell Megan. He was dreading it. And Willow. Poor Willow was going to lose her mind. He didn't think she could handle another bad guy threatening her life and the lives of her family. It was a lot to handle for anyone.
She had barely made it through the McDaniels situation and things were still tense with her. He didn't know if it was the pregnancy hormones, grief or her personality, but she would have been put on antidepressants by now in a world where doctors and medicine were easily accessible. She was a wreck most days.
“I don't think anyone, including me expected it to be this bad,” Chase said in a quiet, serious voice. “There is a bad guy at every turn. How is it that every bad apple in the United States managed to survive while so many good people died?”
Bryan put a hand on his friend's back. “That is exactly why they seem so rampant now. The bad guys and the people who have no morals are thriving because there is no real sense of community. If you have a community, you can establish law. It’s like the Wild Wild West out here with every man for himself.”
“It's going to kill us. We can't keep doing this,” Wyatt said with vehemence. “We can't wake up every day ready to fight against whoever wants to kill us on that given day. There has to be a way to make us stronger. The stronger the good guys are, the less likely the bad guys will try to overthrow us.”
Bryan nodded his head in agreement. “I don't think it’s all that different from what life was like before the EMP. The only difference is we had law enforcement, jails and the courts to help control the bad guys. No, they didn't get them all, but the bad guys knew there were consequences. There aren't any now. They can do anything they want and do it without worry of repercussions; other than getting shot.”
Wyatt shook his head in frustration. He knew Bryan was right. They had to reach out and make friends with others living in the area. The sooner everyone was talking and relaying information about groups in the area ransacking and pillaging, the better they could prepare.
It was their relationship with Evan's group that had given them the advantage they needed to fight off McDaniels and ultimately exterminate the Raiders.
Once they figured out how to eliminate this latest threat, he was going to have a serious talk with his group. They had to establish a community. They didn't have to chat with other folks daily and they didn't have to live next door. It was going to be about opening the lines of communication. Sharing information and offering support when needed. If the survivors stuck together, they would be stronger.
It was how they defeated McDaniels and it was the only way they were going to make it through this post-apocalypse in one piece.
They slowed down as they approached the group building the dike. They didn't want to alarm them. Wyatt knew Megan would see the look on his face and know something was wrong. He did his best to hide the evidence, but she knew him too well.
“Hey,” he said, feigning cheeriness and hoping his face didn't reveal anything.
She looked at him for several long seconds. “Hey,” she said, wiping her hands on her pants and slowly standing.
“There,” she said pointing to the tree line indicating she wanted to talk in private.
Wyatt grimaced. He had failed to hide the concern and worry that was likely written all over his face.
When they reached the shelter of the trees, she held up a hand when he started to talk. He was hoping to head off any questions about what had him worried.
“We all heard the gunshots. We sent the kids back to the lodge, just in case. What happened?”
Wyatt sighed. Of course, they heard the gunshots. They would have echoed down the mountain. He hadn't even considered that. He was a little surprised they didn't come running up the hill with guns blazing.
“Why didn't you come to inspect?” he asked, a little hurt by the inaction.
She rolled her eyes. “It was a handful of shots. If there had been something serious, there would have been a lot more than that. I figured you were shooting to warn off a bear or a mountain lion.”
“In a nutshell, there was a guy up there. A guy that appeared to be trying to destroy the dam. I’m sure I shot him at least once, but he kept going. I have no idea who he is or what he was doing.”
“Was it one of McDaniels’ guys?”
He shrugged. “I don't know for sure, but I don't think so. We need to have another group meeting. We can head down now or keep working and talk it over this evening.”
Megan looked torn. She looked back at the dike and then at him.
“I don't know. With only a few of us working on it, progress has been slow. We haven't gotten very far and I would like the help of you three to get more done. Is this something we need to be prepared to deal with right now?”
“I don't think it is. The guy did shoot at us, but he wasn't shooting to hit us, only to keep us down and to prevent us from following him.”
Megan looked thoughtful. “If you don't think this guy is going to come down here and start firing, I say we stay and finish the day. We need to let the folks at the lodge know s
o they can be on high alert. Maybe pull Brenda in from watch and have her stand guard at the lodge?”
Wyatt nodded in agreement.
“I'll have Chase go down and get everyone situated. I would rather Willow not know anything just yet. The kids can stay inside, helping mom with chores,” Wyatt said, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. “I'll let Chase know. Bryan and I will help out here and keep an eye on things.”
“Okay, let's get back to work.” She stopped. “Wait, you said he was trying to destroy the dam?”
Wyatt was hoping she had heard and chosen to ignore that little tidbit of information.
“Yeah, looked that way. Maybe with C-4. We didn't exactly get the chance to ask him.”
She groaned. “He could be back up there right now. The dam could go at any second and we're not ready!”
“Shh, it's okay. I don't think he is going to be back today; especially if he’s injured. We’ll keep working and do as much as we can just in case.”
“I can't believe this is happening again,” she muttered walking back to the work site. “Every time we turn around, there is someone trying to kill us. It's insulting,” she said with so much frustration Wyatt had to fight back a smile.
Insulting was one word, but he was thinking more along the lines of dead wrong. He would make that man disappear one way or another. He was tired of people trying to kill him and his family, even if it was not intended solely for the lodge.
“Everything okay?” Tara asked, forming another brick with her hands.
“Yep. For now, anyway,” Megan said, dropping back down to the other tarp filled with the cob mixture.
“Yeah, right,” Garrett said, carrying a brick to the forming wall. “We all heard the gunshots. We know there is some menace up there. It's cool, though. We'll keep building this dike and you guys can tell us all about it tonight. Right? That's the plan isn’t it?”
Wyatt looked at the young man. He didn't appreciate the sarcasm.
“Pretty much sums it up,” he said, not hiding his irritation.
Bryan tried to soothe things. “Garrett, there was a guy up there. Wyatt shot him. We'll hash it all out after dinner. Right now, we need to stay focused on this job right here. This is all that matters at the moment. The rest will wait.”
Garrett nodded his head, but didn't look appeased. Wyatt wondered if he would leave. He was young, strong willed and convinced he was too smart for the world. Wyatt had once been like Garrett. It was part of growing up. It wasn't until you got some years and experience that you could see how young and cocky you were.
Garrett would soon get the wisdom that came with hindsight. Assuming the kid lived long enough.
Wyatt pulled Chase to the side and quickly gave him the rundown of his conversation with Megan. Chase quickly set off for the lodge.
The remaining people worked fast and hard. They all knew there was a sense of urgency to get the dike built. It was there before, but now it was amplified. There was little talk and none of the typical joking and goofing around.
They were all business with each one focusing on their individual task.
Wyatt would catch Megan staring up the hill with a pensive look on her face before going back to mixing cob. He prayed the Russian had not gone back to finish the job. Hopefully, the man was busy dealing with his gunshot wound.
They worked until dusk, before packing up and heading back to the lodge.
Wyatt was not looking forward to the after-dinner conversation. It was going to be rough.
18
Megan looked at the people she had come to love. The worry lines etched into each of those faces made her sad. She so wished they could have a happily ever after.
No one said a word after Wyatt shared the news about the man up at the dam. It was like they almost expected another enemy to try to take them out. She had felt the same way. She wasn’t all that surprised. It was a part of their lives now, whether they liked it or not.
“Do you think the Russians are responsible for all this?” Albert asked angrily waving his arms.
“The dam?” Wyatt asked.
“No! Everything. This whole blasted EMP business!”
Garrett chimed in. “I bet you they are. I bet they did this and they are here to gloat and make sure they take us all out. One by one if they have to.”
Megan nearly laughed at the theory. It was good to see conspiracy theories were alive and well. She had never been one to buy into the crazy stories that circulated on the internet and social media before everything happened but judging by the looks on the faces of the people around her, she was the oddity. They clearly believed the rumors.
Chase looked thoughtful. Megan couldn't believe he was buying into the idea.
“There was the one guy and we can't say for certain he was Russian,” Wyatt reasoned.
“You said you heard him speak Russian,” Albert shot back.
“That doesn't mean he was Russian or that he is part of some elaborate attack against the United States that happens to be focused on this one little corner of the country,” Evan chimed in.
Albert didn't look appeased.
“Then tell me, why he is trying to blow up a dam?” he asked.
Megan looked at Wyatt, who looked at Chase.
None of them knew. None of them had the slightest clue as to the mystery man's motivation. Megan thought it seemed odd. She hadn't even known the dam was there and she had lived here almost a year.
The area was sparsely populated. There wasn't a major city close enough to be impacted by the flooding that would occur with the destruction of the dam. There were other major dams across the country that would result in far more devastation. If it were the Russians, they would get more bang for their buck if they hit a bigger target.
“I think something is definitely off, but I would be more inclined to believe the man lives around here and wants to take us and some of the other settlers in the area out. Maybe he wants the entire area to himself,” Megan suggested.
“I agree with Megan,” Wyatt started before Albert's loud and exaggerated guffaw stopped him.
“Albert, the guy could have killed all of us. If he was some terrorist, don't you think he would have killed us when he had the chance? We were up there, working on the dam, not paying attention. He could have taken us out then or here at the lodge,” Wyatt said, not holding back his frustration with the man.
Chase cleared his throat. “It doesn't make sense for a terrorist to want to kill a few people. They go for the big targets. This area isn't exactly a major score. It is more likely he wants to run us and the rest of the people out of here. I'm sticking with the theory there is gold somewhere and he wants it all for himself.”
Evan laughed. “There's gold in them thar mountains!”
The insert of humor helped break the tension in the room.
After the burst of laughter, everyone got serious again.
“I need that map of the area,” Albert said.
Megan could practically see the light bulb above his head. He was on to something.
She jumped up and found the map of the area they had referenced on occasion.
“Here,” she said handing it to him.
Everyone waited while Albert hunched over the map, studying every detail.
He sat up, leaned back in his chair and appeared to be deep in thought.
“Well?” Wyatt asked.
“I'm not sure. I want to study this a bit more and see if I can get anyone on the radio. Maybe they have some idea about what is going on. You all head off to bed and I'll let you know if I hear anything,” he said, rising and taking the map with him to the corner of the large downstairs area where the HAM radio was set up.
Chase stood, extending a hand to Willow. She grabbed it as if it were a lifeline.
Megan felt terrible for everything Willow was going through. She thought back to the days of being pregnant with Caitlin. The instinct to protect her unborn child was very strong. With so many seriou
s threats, it was no wonder the woman was so stressed out. That, on top of her loss and the desire to protect Ryland, would be overwhelming for anyone.
“Can I get you some tea?” Megan asked, feeling as if she needed to do something to help make things easier on Willow.
“No, thanks. I'm tired so I'm sure I will fall asleep with no problems,” she said in a weary voice.
Rosie walked up the stairs behind her daughter-in-law. Megan could hear her telling her to wake her if she needed anything. They were all doing what they could to help Willow, but there was only so much they could do.
“Let's turn in,” Wyatt said, heading for the bedroom.
Megan watched as everyone went their separate ways. Everything felt wrong. Unsettled. She was the one who would need some tea to help her relax.
Bryan was standing at the door. “It'll be okay. We'll figure this out. Get some sleep and we’ll tackle this newest problem tomorrow morning. There is nothing more we can do tonight.”
She smiled. “You're right. Goodnight, Bryan. I will see you bright and early.”
When she walked into the bedroom, Wyatt was sitting on the end of the bed, staring at the wall.
“You okay?” she asked with concern, suddenly worried he was injured in the skirmish earlier.
“Yeah, just thinking. I think Albert may be onto something. I didn't want to say it in front of everyone else. We certainly don't want them to think there is another doomsday around the corner.”
“The theory about a Russian targeting us and that dam?” she asked in disbelief.
He nodded.
She thought about it and supposed the idea did have some merit, but she couldn't believe their little mountain would be a target.
“Let's get some sleep. Albert is on top of it and I have a feeling he will have some answers for us in the morning. He is like a dog with a bone when it comes to stuff like this,” she said with a smile.
“He’s tenacious. It isn't my favorite quality about him, but in this case, it will come in handy,” Wyatt said with a chuckle.
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 71
