Rosie walked over to the kitchen island and brought it back to the table. “It's right here. No one opened it.”
This time, with a little help from Brenda, the man could sit up. He swayed back and forth before Brenda gently touched his shoulder.
“Take it easy. Try taking a big breath in through your nose and exhale. It will help fight off the nausea,” she said softly.
They all waited and watched as he took several breaths and pulled himself together. It was obvious he was in pain and disorientated.
Rosie handed him the box. He snatched it out of her hands and held it close to his body.
“You want to tell us why that box is so important?” Chase asked.
The man blinked several times before he focused on Chase's face. “It's confidential. Top secret. It is, well, it's extremely valuable and it must be guarded at all costs.”
“Who are you?” Megan asked. It was blunt, but she wasn't in the mood for social niceties and all that nonsense. They didn't have time to ask twenty questions.
“My name is Neil. I am, um, a soldier in the US Army. I was part of a mission to get this box to the NRU. We were ambushed,” he nervously looked around the room. “Were there any other survivors?”
Wyatt shook his head. “Everyone was dead when we happened on the scene and were surprised to see you still alive.”
The man cursed under his breath. “This box has to get to the NRU,” he reiterated.
“Your injuries aren’t so severe,” Brenda explained. “You'll be back on your feet in a week or two.”
“No, that won't work. It has to get there within two weeks. Where are we?” he asked.
Wyatt and Chase hesitated, not wanting to give away too much.
Brenda took the lead. “You're safe. That's all you need to know for now. What is the NRU?”
Neil rubbed his eyes, clearly feeling the repercussions of his head injury. “It's the National Recovery Unit. It's a matter of national security that this box is delivered,” he stated, stressing the words. “I have to get it there. This isn't a mission that can fail.”
When they didn't look impressed, he added, “The future of the United States of America depends on that box getting there on time. Without it, well, I can tell you the world is going to get a lot uglier.”
“Where is the NRU?” Megan asked.
“Ravena,” he answered.
They all winced. That was miles away and it was one of the largest cities in the Pacific Northwest. It was sure to be a dangerous area. They had first-hand experience dealing with the urban survival scene. It was violent and the people who’d been unable to get out of the city were either killed or forced to join one of the many gangs that ruled the city streets.
“What?” Neil asked when he saw their expressions.
Wyatt broke the news to him. “Ravena is probably about a week's hike from here. I think after what you lived through you have to know it’s going to be incredibly dangerous.”
Chase nodded. “Which brings us to my next question, who attacked you?”
Neil looked down at the box he was holding. He ran his hand over the top, turning it from one side to the other.
Megan suddenly felt uneasy. The guy was holding back. She had a feeling that whatever was in that box was dangerous. She doubted it was a bomb. Maybe a chemical weapon? She took an involuntary step back. If the kids came in, she’d shoo them away.
“I don't know,” he answered. “They came out of nowhere. We fought back. We tried to outrun them, but they had high-powered rifles and automatic weapons.
Megan didn't believe it. Something wasn't adding up. She was naturally suspicious and the past eighteen months had only made her even more wary of strangers.
“Why would, what must have been a large group, ambush a convoy? How’d they know where you were going or that you had something of value? Why you? We’ve been in and out of that area countless times and never had that kind of problem,” she asked. “We've never seen an armed group that could do that kind of damage.”
Neil turned to glare at her. “Well, considering we were in vehicles, I’m guessing they figured we had more to offer than a group of yahoos on foot.”
“Hey! That’s uncalled for,” Wyatt snapped back.
Neil held up his hands in surrender. “There’ve been other attacks on military personnel. The country isn't exactly pleased with the government right now. In fact, it’s hostile out there,” he explained.
Megan didn’t like how defensive he was, which made her even more wary of him.
“What happens if you don't get that box to the NRU within two weeks?” Bryan asked.
“That isn't an option,” Neil vehemently replied. “It has to get there.”
He focused on Wyatt and spoke. “I need you to get it there. I'm not able to make the journey. You have to feel a sense of duty to finish this mission.”
Megan waited for him to answer. He didn't say anything for several long seconds. “I need to talk it over with my family before I commit to anything.”
Megan's eyes widened. “What?”
He gave her a look, indicating it wasn't to be talked about right now.
“How about we let Neil rest?” Rosie said. “Give him that tea I made while I make up a cot for him down here. We don't need to concern ourselves with a box, the NRU or anything else at this very moment. Let's worry about right now and right now, I want that man off my kitchen table.”
No one offered to give up their rooms and the men were certainly not volunteering any space in the long house. Megan wasn't comfortable with the man having free roam in the house. She silently cursed the fact they hadn't built the holding room they’d talked about so many times. They needed a place to put newcomers until they could be vetted. Now, here they were again, dealing with another stranger that may or not be a bad guy.
She didn't like it.
“I'll give you a hand,” Tara said, emerging from upstairs.
Megan looked up and saw her quietly putting a rifle down. They’d all been burned before. Tara had been upstairs, keeping a close eye on the situation, ready to shoot if needed. Megan was glad to have these guys on her side. Together, they were learning about survival, which hinged on trusting no one. Guilty until proven innocent was their motto. Everyone had a hidden agenda. She suspected Neil did as well.
It was late and getting any work done outside was out of the question. Megan was exhausted after their journey into the city and the small bit of gardening she’d managed to squeeze in. Tomorrow, they’d have to stick around the lodge and take care of the duties that were being pushed to the back burner while they hunted for medicine for JJ.
Megan watched, as the cot was set up for Neil in the back corner of the downstairs area. It’d already been established someone would keep watch. It was set up as someone making sure they could wake the man up every couple hours, due to his concussion, but they all knew what was really going on. No one trusted him.
6
Wyatt was already asleep by the time she made it the bedroom. He’d been working very hard over the past month like everyone else. She didn't want to wake him up and decided to talk with him in the morning about Neil.
She wanted to make sure he understood her reservations about the man and his secret box. If national security was dependent on that one box, it seems like they’d have been better prepared. Weren't they supposed to know everything? Wouldn't they expect an ambush? She couldn't believe one man would be responsible for the fate of the entire country.
Her mind tossed and turned, trying to unravel the mystery that was Neil and his box. She wanted to look in the box, but it had been locked and neither she nor Albert could find the release. Albert had suggested breaking the box but Wyatt had warned that it could damage whatever was on the inside and until they knew more, they needed to leave it alone. Megan and Albert had reluctantly agreed.
When she heard birds chirping early the next morning, Megan practically jumped out of bed. She quickly dressed and w
ent to check on their guest. Chase had the last watch.
“Hey,” he said softly when he noticed her.
“How is he?” she asked.
Chase grinned. “He wasn't exactly pleased that I woke him up to check to see if he was alive, but he seems fine to me.”
Megan smiled, knowing Chase took a little too much enjoyment in torturing the poor guy. “Do you want some coffee?”
“Nope, I'm good. I figure Brenda should be down any minute. I’m going to catch a nap before I get started on the day. Thanks, though.”
“Okay, I guess I'll see you later today. Hopefully, you get some rest,” she said and left him to his guard duty.
After a quick cup of coffee, she headed out into the early morning air. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of dew mingled with smoke from the wood fire they’d kept burning all night. It’d been a little chilly last night, even though she knew today was going to be warm. The smell of the wood was one she appreciated, as it gave her that boost of energy she needed to get going early in the morning.
The crunch of pinecones alerted her to Wyatt's presence. She turned to watch him approach her. He wasn't one to sleep in and was usually up before she had a chance to get her coffee. She smiled, thinking the hike yesterday had really worn him out. Even though she took some pity on his exhaustion, there were pressing matters that needed to be addressed.
“Well?” she asked, before giving him a quick kiss in greeting. She didn't bother saying anything more. He’d know what was on her mind. It was likely the same subject weighing heavy on his own mind. Wyatt would’ve analyzed the Neil situation from every angle.
He shook his head. “I don't know. Something feels off, but the story does have some believable elements. We know the government has to be working to fix this, but wouldn't they have an army transporting that box? Or maybe hide it a little better? It doesn't feel like we’re getting the whole story.”
Megan readily agreed. “We can't afford to go off on some wild goose chase right now. We have to focus on getting JJ better and taking care of everything else around here. We don't have the extra canned goods and other food to rely on like we did last winter. This summer’s growing season is far too critical to ignore.”
“I say, we give the guy a day or two. We see how he does and get a better idea about this story of his,” Wyatt offered.
“Sounds good. We need to keep an eye on him. Soldier or not, we can't afford to trust anyone implicitly. It's too risky,” Megan stated.
“We'll keep someone with him at all times. He may feel more comfortable with one of us and open up a bit. It’ll be a little trial and error, but we'll figure it out,” Wyatt assured her.
“Okay, we better get back to work. Brenda said none of the medicines we brought would do JJ any good. We're going to need to make another run. We still have the entire east side of the city to check out,” Megan told him, knowing it wasn’t going to make him happy.
“That's fine, but at some point, we need to come up with a better plan. I want to help JJ as much as everyone else, maybe more so, but every time we make one of these runs, we’re shirking our duties here, not hunting and putting our lives at risk,” Wyatt said with a soft gentleness in his voice. “We’re spinning our wheels every time we make one of these runs. If we get an early winter….” He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.
Megan looked at him before tilting her head in acknowledgment. She knew she could be tenacious at times. He was trying to tell her to slow down. She couldn't do that. JJ was her path to redemption. If she could save him, she could forgive herself for her horrible misdeeds. She had to do one great thing to make up for all the death she felt responsible for. It’d give her something to hold onto. Something other than feeling the guilt over the loss of Linda and her family, of Garrett, and especially, Jack. She had a trail of death behind her and saving JJ would allow her to erase it or at least make it easier to cope.
“I think Brenda can handle Neil. Albert can stay on watch and make sure the guy isn't some plant or something sinister,” Wyatt said. “I'll be within shouting distance if anything does go wrong.” He reached up and gently squeezed her arm. “Relax, Megan. We'll be fine. Let's focus on what needs doing around here. Brenda needs time to do more research. Having Neil laid up is the perfect excuse to keep her inside. She can research and keep an eye on him.”
“Good plan. All right, I’m going to get back in the garden. I need to spray the tomatoes and peppers with Epsom salt,” Megan said. “Rosie promises me it’s going to work miracles in the garden.”
They walked back towards the shed together. Chase and Bryan were waiting for them.
“What's up?” Wyatt asked.
“I thought you were going to take a nap?” Megan asked.
Chase waved a hand. “I can't sleep.”
“I'm sorry,” Megan said. She knew Chase would push himself until exhaustion. He was dedicated to taking care of his family, as much as she and Wyatt were. “I'll take one of the watch shifts tonight so you can sleep through the night.”
Chase looked at Wyatt. “Do you believe him?”
Wyatt shrugged. “I don't know, but I’m not going to worry about it right now. Megan and I were talking it over. We agree to give him a day or two while we focus on getting some wood cut and the garden going. We'll keep an eye on him and see if he’ll give us any details.”
Bryan looked at Wyatt. “I don't think any of us are buying his story. Should we be prepared for some kind of attack?”
“I think we always have to be prepared. Neil's presence is a reminder. We'll see if he’s a bit more forthcoming with information over the next few days. He probably needs to learn to trust us as well,” Megan reasoned, trying to remember what Wyatt had said. She had to be willing to compromise her own wants with the rest of the group.
“Okay, well, we’re going to get started on that big old pine that came down this winter. It will take us most of the day to saw it into logs that will fit in the woodstove. I think Evan was going to do the splitting with the wedge. It's a job that will keep us tied up all day, but holler if you need us,” he said before turning and walking towards the trees.
Megan left Wyatt to his duties while she got busy spraying the tomatoes and peppers with a mixture of Epsom salt and water. Rosie had said it would increase the blooms and make the plants more productive in general. Megan was taking her word for it.
Once finished, she hunted down Rosie to see what she needed to do next.
“Hey, will you look at that!” Megan exclaimed, walking into the greenhouse. “I can't believe how much the pumpkins and watermelon have grown in the past couple days. That’s amazing!”
Rosie smiled. “That compost tea is magical.”
“Compost tea certainly doesn't sound very appetizing, but it clearly works wonders,” Megan exclaimed, gently lifting one of the pumpkin vines. “How did you make it?” she asked.
“I dug down in the compost heap that’s been sitting all winter. Filled a bucket about a third full and then topped off with water. I let that mixture set for about three days. Then I used one of those old shirts to strain the chunks as I poured the first mixture into another bucket. Then,” she said pointing to a bucket in the corner of the greenhouse. “I take my concentrated compost tea and mix it ten to one with water and add to the plants.”
“So, it's basically liquid fertilizer?” Megan asked.
“Yes, without chemicals. It’s something some of the ladies in my gardening club were using. I thought I’d try it this year. I only used it on a few of the plants, in case it killed them. As you can see it’s very effective.”
“Definitely. I’d love to put this on the plants already in the garden,” Megan said.
“Of course,” Rosie replied. “I have that watering can you can use. I’ll mix up another batch of tea today. That way we can add some compost tea every couple weeks.”
“Great! I'll get right on it and good job, Rosie. This is going to be a huge help for ou
r harvest this year. Can we use this in the orchard?”
“Yep, you sure can and it will hopefully help strengthen the trees so they can fight off some of the insects. A tree that’s struggling is going to be attacked by aphids and blight. Between the tea and our natural pest control methods, I think we’ll save our crops. Next year, we'll start with the tea at the first signs of bloom,” Rosie explained.
Megan picked up the watering can and the bucket of tea concentrate. It was going to be a little more work watering each plant by hand, but it had to be done.
“Oh!” Rosie said waving. “I forgot. We need to cover some of those tomatoes and peppers in the garden. The moon was almost full last night, which means tonight it will be completely full. With the clear sky today, it’s going to be very cold and may even freeze. We need to cover those plants to keep them from being damaged.”
“Cover them with what?” Megan asked, looking around the greenhouse.
“I have some old milk jugs that have been taking up space in that shed. We also have some old two-liter soda bottles we can use. We need to find any kind of container we can put over the plants that will allow them to stay warm,” she explained.
“What about a tarp?”
“That’d work for the rows of corn. The corn shouldn't be too badly affected, but if it freezes, it could be devastating for the young plants. I think we should do it anyway. We'll allow the corn to get plenty of sun today and we'll cover them with the tarps before sundown,” Rosie said. “That is sure to work. Good idea, Megan. See how well we all work together!”
Megan laughed as she headed out of the greenhouse. It was a joke, but it was true. Their collective ideas, skills and imagination had made it possible for them to get through the past year and a half. There’s no way any of them could have made it without one another.
As she walked to the garden, she could hear the “thump, thump” sound of Evan attempting to split the pine logs. The rounds were at least twenty inches in diameter. The wood would still be wet, making it even harder to split. Unfortunately, they didn't have the luxury of letting the wood season another year. They had to do everything the hard way. It took more effort and patience, but it got the job done, eventually.
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 82
