“Keep going,” Chase said again in encouragement. “Stop thinking about what happened and focus on the right now.”
Her legs were so tight and cramped; she was worried they would give way at any moment. The muscles felt like they were being shredded with every step. Her arms were in bad shape as well. Twigs and thick brush had made mincemeat of her skin. She could feel the sticky pull of dried blood. If she lived through this, she was going to be so sore she wouldn't be able to move for a week.
She didn't care. Any other time, she would have used her willpower to ignore the pain so she could keep running. Now, she was dwelling on the physical pain to forget about what she had done to Emma and her grandparents. She knew the guilt would consume her. She had to ignore it to make it to the south dam before it completely gave way.
A thought crossed her mind. What if it had given way? What if the water was already rushing down the mountainside and flooding the lodge?
Caitlin! Caitlin was there and Megan felt as if she was a million miles away. If the dam had given way, she may as well be a million miles away. There would be nothing she could do to help anyone. Her and Chase would be stranded until the water receded.
There was another loud crack followed by a thudding noise.
“What was that?” she yelled, not actually expecting an answer from Chase.
“I don't know. We'll worry about it when we get there. Keep moving!” he shouted over the noise. He was as out of breath as she was.
Megan heard rushing water, falling trees and what sounded like a bathtub being drained.
“We're too late!”
They broke through the trees at the same time. Chase came to a halt and grabbed Megan to hold her back. The dam had burst. They were standing next to what used to be the grassy knoll next to the river, but it was all water now.
The water was rushing down the hill. The lake, that had been such a crystal clear blue, was dark and muddy. Branches and entire trees were swirling in the water with the force of the current. She stared at the scene in horror.
“Oh my God,” she breathed.
The once pristine lake was gone. It was now a violent torrent of water cutting through the forest clearing a path down the mountainside. Megan and Chase watched as the force of the water moved massive rocks. Huge chunks of cement were tumbling along the edges.
“They'll be okay,” Chase said.
She slowly shook her head. “I don't know, Chase. Look at that.”
Despite the water’s deadly destructive capability, it was mesmerizing. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding. As the water rushed down, it created an entirely new path. It was like watching the construction of a road through a forest in fast forward, except there was no heavy equipment.
Mother Nature was an amazing force. It could strike at any time, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake with no effort at all. It was amazing. Terrifying, but awesome.
“What do we do now?” Megan asked.
Chase shrugged. “We wait.”
“Wait?”
“Megan, we can't go down. We can't go across. We wait for the water to subside,” he said. “Look at the lake.”
She looked back and saw the lake. Once again, she imagined a bathtub draining. She could see the shore growing. The lakebed was more visible. The water was going down! That was their goal. It was working.
“It's working!” she yelled.
Chase smiled. “Yes, it is. It won't be long before it slows down enough for us to get across. I'm guessing everyone else already made it down to the lodge.”
“I can't see the lodge. Do you think the dike held?” “I hope so. I know this looks bad, but I have a feeling the brutal force of the water was very brief. You can see it’s already lessening and there aren't any more trees getting ripped away.”
Megan leaned her head back, closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer. The dike had to hold. She didn't know how she could possibly start over. None of them could.
“I can see the dike,” Chase called out. “It's holding.”
“Really?”
“Yes, look through the trees. Let your eyes follow the path of water. You can see it curving slightly away from the lodge. That is where the dike is. It's working, Megan.”
She smiled. It was working.
“Do you think it will hold? It could all topple down,” she said, suddenly very worried.
Chase looked at her. “It's holding. It is doing what it was supposed to do. Don't borrow trouble.”
“You're right,” she said nodding. “I have to stop thinking negatively.”
They stood there for what felt like forever. The water was moving too fast for them to think about trying to cross it.
“Maybe if we went around the other side of the lake we could get across,” Megan suggested. She was growing impatient. She had to know how the lodge fared and how her family was.
Chase grimaced. “We could, but we would have to cross the section we blew and the section Wyatt blew. That won’t be any easier.”
Megan sighed. “I can't sit here all day, Chase.”
“I don't think you’re going to have to,” he said.
She looked up to see him grinning.
“What?” she asked.
“Looks like your knight in shining armor is coming to rescue you,” he said pointing to the other side of the water.
Wyatt and Bryan were walking along the edge of the newly formed river. Well, Bryan was walking; Wyatt was trotting at a fast clip.
Their eyes met across the water. They stared at each other. The relief she felt at seeing Wyatt whole and healthy nearly made her weep. She could see by the look on his face he had been equally worried.
“The lodge?” she yelled across the span of water.
“Totally fine,” Wyatt yelled back. “Everyone is fine. We made it up to the orchard and got a nice view of the water crashing down the mountain.”
Megan slapped Chase on the back and he gave her a big bear hug in return.
When Chase put her down a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
“The power station?” she asked Wyatt who was busy tying a rope to a tree several feet away from the riverbank.
“I don't know for sure,” he called back working quickly.
“What?” she asked.
“Can we get you across before we start getting into all the details? I haven't been down there. I was more concerned about you two,” he scolded. “First things first.”
“What's your plan, Wyatt?” Chase asked.
“Check to see how deep it is over there,” Wyatt directed Chase.
Chase quickly complied, searching for a long stick. Once he found one, he stepped a couple feet into the water, leaned forward and put his stick into the water. He pulled it out, studied it for a second and then looked back at Megan.
“A couple feet, but the water is still churning, Wyatt. I don't know if we can safely get across.”
Wyatt held up his rope. “We'll have you come across, one at a time.”
Megan watched as Chase struggled to keep his footing in the shallowest part of the water. Getting all the way across was going to be a challenge. She knew Wyatt wouldn't let her float away, but it was still intimidating.
Wyatt threw one end of the rope across the water. Chase missed. Wyatt threw it a second time. This time Chase caught it and slowly made his way back out of the water.
“I need to tie this tight,” he said.
Megan raised her arms to allow him to tie the rope around her waist.
“Just do what you can to keep your feet under you. The current is strong, but you'll do fine,” he told her. “I felt some debris hit my legs, but all the big stuff is farther down.”
“Okay,” she said. “Here goes nothing.”
“Ready?” Wyatt asked.
“Yep. Don't let go,” she said, half-teasing. If he did happen to let go, the rope was wrapped around a large tree. She imagined herself looking like a fish caught on a hook. She woul
d be flopping around in the water if she did lose her footing.
Megan gasped when her feet hit the water. It was freezing!
“Don't think about the cold,” Wyatt instructed. “Just keep moving across.”
She nodded, holding onto the rope for dear life. The further she got, the more difficult it was to stay standing. Thankfully, the water wasn't terribly deep.
When she was about halfway across, the water reached her waist and her feet were swept under her.
“Wyatt!” she screamed.
“I have you. Let your legs float and we will pull you across.”
She fought back the terror of being whisked down the hill and smacking into a tree. Wyatt and Bryan were both pulling her across. Her knee hit something hard making her wince. The water was so cold it magnified the pain. She knew it would dull everything soon enough.
“Try putting your feet down, Megan,” Wyatt instructed.
She fought against the current to bring her feet below her. She managed to do so and stumbled the last few feet out of the river.
Wyatt picked her up and held her tight not worrying about getting wet.
“You're freezing,” he said, rubbing her arms up and down.
“Yes, I am. Let's get Chase across and get out of here,” she said through her shivering and chattering teeth.
Wyatt quickly untied the rope from around her waist and tossed it back to Chase and they started the process again. It went much faster. Chase's height and strength made it easier for him to cross.
Once he was out of the water, it was time to move.
“Let's go see how the dike is holding up,” Megan said. She was cold, but she had to see if the threat was over.
Wyatt grabbed her hand and together they all started back down the trail they had made with all the trips up to the dam.
It was a tough walk. Megan's limbs felt numb, but all she could think about was whether the wall was holding up. All their efforts, Garrett's death and Evan's injury would be for nothing if it failed.
28
Megan touched the mud wall and breathed a sigh of relief. It was holding. There were some wet spots on the other side from where the water had splashed over the top of the dike, but it was doing exactly as they had hoped.
“Good job,” Wyatt said standing close to her.
“It wasn't me,” she said. “This is the result of some serious teamwork. I am amazed it held up. Did you see that water?”
Wyatt grimaced. “Yes, I did and I had no idea where you were.”
“I'm sorry,” she automatically said, feeling bad for worrying him. “We tried to make it back in time, but couldn't make it.”
“I know. I’m fairly sure I aged ten years in the time it took to find you.”
“Me too.” Megan hugged him. “Now, let's get to the lodge. I want to see Caitlin,” Megan said, suddenly feeling anxious again.
They made their way down the hill.
“I think they are probably on the orchard hill still,” Wyatt said when there was no sign of anyone at the lodge.
Megan hollered for Caitlin. There was no answer.
Wyatt ran inside the lodge and quickly returned with a note.
“They went to the power station,” he said.
“Why?” Megan asked. His expression told her something was wrong.
“The water was getting close, I guess.”
Chase groaned. “So, they put themselves in danger?”
Wyatt crumpled the note. “We better get over there and make sure everyone is okay.”
When Megan started to head off, Wyatt gently grabbed her hand. “Change really fast. You will get sick in all that wet clothing. Chase, you too,” Wyatt instructed.
Megan rushed inside, stripping off the wet clothes as she went. She threw on what she could find and put on her tennis shoes and was back outside within minutes. She had managed to beat Chase.
“Let's go,” Chase said, pulling on his dry shirt as he walked.
They rushed to the power station.
Megan's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the group. The adults each had shovels and were furiously digging a ditch on the side of the power station closest to the oncoming water. She could see water flowing on the ground beyond the fence line.
Her dike had protected the lodge, but was flooding the power station, like she had feared.
Wyatt rushed over and took the shovel from Rosie's hand and started digging. As the trench lengthened and deepened, it filled with water.
“It's fine, Megan,” Wyatt assured her. “This is very little water and the ditch is slowing it down.”
She nodded, suddenly too overwhelmed to speak.
They all stood there watching the water recede.
“It worked,” Megan breathed.
“The power station wasn't destroyed. The lodge is fine,” Wyatt told her as the others nodded in relief.
Despite their success, there was no rejoicing. Death had struck again.
Megan looked around and could see the emotions on each and everyone's face. It was hard to feel relieved to have a nice house to live in when someone had to die to ensure it. In fact, it was more than Garrett who had given his life to protect the lodge and its inhabitants. She couldn't bring herself to tell them about Emma. She doubted she ever would.
Chase came to stand beside her. “You did the right thing.”
He said it in such a low voice, she barely heard him. No one else did.
“I hope so,” she whispered back.
“Should we head back to the lodge?” Rosie asked. “We have dinner to cook and tomorrow is going to be another day of gardening, building and planting. No rest for the weary,” she said, slowly moving towards the lodge.
Everyone fell in line behind her. Shoulders were slumped and faces were long as they trekked through the forest. The sound of shovel blades hitting rocks as they dragged across the ground accompanied the sound of water flowing downhill.
Megan took a deep breath. The smell of mud and wet foliage usually invigorated her. Now, she knew it would remind her of this day. She would always equate it to death and the loss of innocent lives.
Wyatt once again took her hand, pulling her back out of the crowd moving forward. Once everyone moved on, he turned to look at her.
“What happened up there?” he asked her in a gentle voice.
She shrugged and looked away. She couldn't look him in the eyes.
“Don't say, nothing. I know something shook you up. Tell me,” he said with more force in his voice.
She took a deep breath and met his eyes. “I saw Emma.”
She couldn't hold back the tears.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Before I blew the dam, I scanned the area and I saw Emma downstream. She was playing in the stream. It looks like Harry and Linda set up camp over there.”
Wyatt leaned back, exhaling deeply.
“Oh no,” he breathed. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, unable to talk around the huge, painful lump in her throat. Tears streamed down her face as she released the anguish she had been holding in for the past few hours.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. He didn't say a word. He simply held her while she cried. It was all so similar to what they had gone through a few short months ago when they lost Jack.
“I killed her,” she gurgled. “I killed that poor little girl. They lived through something so horrible only to die by my hand.”
“You didn't kill her, Megan. You did what you had to. There’s a chance they survived. I know it sounds impossible, but you have to put this behind you. You can't dwell on this. It will eat you alive. You have a lot to live for,” he said softly.
She nodded. “I know. I never thought I could be so callous. This world has changed me in so many ways. This is not something I am proud of. I don't want to be a killer. I don't want to be the person who sacrifices others to save my own skin.”
“You aren't that person. You are the perso
n who makes some of the most difficult decisions to save others. You saved all of us. You saved your daughter. I know this is awful and I am so sorry you had to do that, but I am also so grateful that you did. You saved my sister-in-law, my mother and my two nephews.”
Megan rolled her eyes at the last part. When she looked at him, he had a sly grin on his face.
“Your niece and nephew,” she mumbled.
Talking to him, getting his reassurance and feeling his strength was helping. He always had a way of taking away the hurt.
“Thank you, Wyatt. I feel a little better, but it will be a long time before I put this behind me. I don't think I will ever truly forgive myself. I think once everything settles down, I will go over there. I have to know for sure,” she said.
“I'll go with you, but Megan, you need to be prepared for the worst. There is nothing you can do to change what happened. Think of all the good that came from your decision. Focus on that. I know it will be tough, but you have us and we are all glad you did what you did.”
She nodded, still struggling to come to terms with it all.
“Now, let's get back. Our family is waiting for us.”
He grabbed her hand and they slowly walked back. When the lodge came into view, they stopped and took it all in. The kids were playing in the yard. Duke was racing back and forth, barking and wagging his tail. The goats were lying in the sun, chewing their cuds like they normally did. It was as if tragedy never struck. Life had returned to normal for the kids, but Megan knew the adults inside would still be grappling with Garrett's death.
They had enough on their plates. She would never tell them about Emma, Harry and Linda. She would give them the luxury of thinking the threesome had moved on to some nice new home and were living happily ever after. Her secret was safe with Chase and Wyatt.
Epilogue
Megan finished washing up in the stream and was slowly making her way back to the lodge. Now that the adrenaline of the day's events had faded, she found herself exhausted. She had felt the weight of the world on her shoulders for days. Now that burden was gone. Now, there was a new weight, but she knew, with time, it would lighten.
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 77
