She heard him groan. It wasn’t an agreement, but it wasn't a rejection either. Although she knew they could go days without food and still survive, their bodies would become too weak, their reflexes would slow, and they wouldn't be able to make good decisions. She was hungry and knew with Wyatt's bigger size and faster metabolism, he would be starving.
“I would like to go,” Willow chimed in. “I need to learn more about hunting. I have to be able to take care of myself and my kids. I refuse to be poor little Willow another minute.”
This new, determined woman surprised Megan. The trip to Ravena had changed her giving her confidence and with that came strength she didn't even know she had. Megan knew Willow had it in her and was happy to have another strong member on their team.
“I'd be happy to show you. I think we should start with the birds. It sounds like there’s an entire flock out there. It should up our odds of actually getting something,” she said with a smile.
Willow stood and handed JJ to Wyatt. “Be nice,” she scolded.
Wyatt scowled in response. The second JJ focused on him, his face softened.
“Let's go, Willow. Hopefully, we can get several birds,” she looked behind her and lowered her voice. “He's going to need several to himself to get his mood right.”
“I heard that,” Wyatt growled.
Megan and Willow both laughed at the same time.
Willow picked up the rifle propped up against the wall of the cave. They’d lost all their weapons when the NRU blew, including the one Wyatt had kept hidden, and they’d only managed to find one gun and a handful of ammo on a dead gang member within the city limits, leaving them at a serious disadvantage.
“You ready?” Megan asked.
Willow nodded. “Yes. I know how to shoot, but I need to get better at it. I have to be able to protect JJ and Ryland. I mean, I know you guys are always there, but I have to step it up. I could never forgive myself if one of the boys was seriously hurt or worse because I couldn't protect them. Or maybe feed them.”
Megan swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew exactly how Willow felt. That mama bear instinct drove them on. She too had to change whom she was in order to keep her daughter safe. It wasn't only about protecting Caitlin. She had to protect herself as well in order to be around for her daughter. It was a welcome burden that she would never willingly give up.
“Okay, well, let's sit down. That will allow you to brace your elbows on your legs. Standing is also an option, but I prefer to have my arms propped up on something. Guys like Wyatt and Chase can handle these bigger guns without worrying about the kick, but they still jolt me,” Megan explained.
Willow nodded. “Got it.”
She sat down on the ground and held the barrel of the gun up. “Like this?”
Megan nodded. “Yep. Now, we wait. This gun is a little big to be shooting small birds, but it will work from this distance. There’s going to be some drop on the bullet so you want to aim a little high, like four inches or so.”
They both sat quietly, waiting. A bird flew up from a tree and Megan held her breath as Willow took the shot. She missed. Megan fought back the disappointment and frustration. She could have gotten it. There would be breakfast if she were the one using the gun.
“It's okay. You'll get the next one,” Megan said, hoping she sounded positive.
“Look! What's that? Is that a bird?” Willow asked pointing under a bush.
Megan grinned. “Yes. That's a grouse and that would make a very tasty meal. Those guys don't fly. Much easier to get.”
Willow aimed the rifle, pulled the trigger, but only managed to wing it. The bird hobbled off into the bushes.
Megan groaned and stood up. “I'll take care of it.”
“No,” Wyatt said from behind them.
“She hit it. I'm not going to let it suffer,” Megan said with frustration in her voice.
He shook his head. “You're right. She hit it. She needs to finish it. There are some things you have to do yourself. No one else can do it for you.” He turned to look at Willow. “You have to go finish it off yourself.”
At first, Megan wanted to object. Willow had never killed anything. It didn't seem right she would have to get up close and personal with the injured bird. Shooting from afar was different than staring your victim in the eyes. Willow was a kind, gentle woman. She’d never hunted with them in the past. While she could pluck a dead bird, this would be a new experience for her.
“I'll do it. I'm fine, Megan,” Willow said, handing the gun to her. “I can do this.”
Megan gave her one last look before nodding her head. “Okay. You're right. This is you learning to protect and provide.”
She stepped back and stood next to Wyatt. They watched in silence as Willow tracked down the injured bird and put it out of its misery.
She carried it back, pinched between two fingers. “One? I don't think this is going to be enough for all of us.”
“No, it isn't and I don't think it’s a good idea for us to waste ammo shooting small birds. This was a good learning experience, but maybe when we get back to the lodge we can work on improving Willow's hunting skills,” Wyatt explained.
Megan sighed. It was going to be a very small breakfast. They only had a few rations left. It was too dangerous to retrieve the caches they’d buried. Instead of worrying and complaining about the lack of food, she helped Wyatt collect the water from the bags and still they set out. It wasn't enough, but it would give them all a cool drink now and enough for them to have later.
“I have an idea,” Wyatt said, heading back into the cave. He pulled out a bandana from his newly acquired bag and tied it around his ankle. “We’re going to be walking through all that tall grass that’s covered in dew. Tie a cloth around your ankle to absorb the dew. I know one of those packs had a cotton t-shirt in it. That'll do fine.”
Megan looked at him, questioning his motives.“We don't have time to search for water. We have to get moving and this is one way to collect water while we’re on the move. We'll wring them out and get a few more drops of water,” he explained. “Hell, if we were in a critical situation, we could even take off our socks and tie them around our ankles.”
Megan turned up her nose at the gross idea. They were all desperate to get back to the lodge and were willing to push the limits to get there as quickly as they could. That meant skipping meals and surviving on the bare minimum of water. Wyatt had already told them in any other situation; he wouldn't advise taking such risks. The only reason he was okay with it now was because of the promise of food, water and shelter at the lodge or at the very least, the mountain they lived on. They knew where the resources were and could find water and forage once they got to the mountain they called home.
It was a quick breakfast with each of them only taking a few bites of the bird Megan cooked over a small fire. The meager breakfast was enough to take the edge off but it wouldn’t last long.
Anxiety had quickly replaced their appetites and it didn't take them more than a few minutes to pack up their meager supplies. They were down to three backpacks and one gun. Each of them lamented the loss of their own packs, filled with the gear they needed the most. All they had was what they could scavenge. Megan hated taking from others, but it was her life or theirs.
Willow was cradling JJ and whispering words of comfort as they started the trek down the hill. Each of them was absorbed in their own thoughts. The tension between them was palpable. Megan knew they each blamed themselves for leaving the lodge group. She suspected they probably blamed her as well for pushing the issue.
It was a mistake she would regret for a long time, but she wasn't going to shoulder all the blame. Not this time, even if the trip had been a complete waste of time. Sadly, they hadn't really learned all that much about JJ's condition. Evan had been killed. Their presence may have resulted in two innocent bystanders being killed as well.
Megan's journey and hope of easing her burden of guilt felt futile. She thoug
ht she’d managed to let some of it go, but now, it was all weighing heavy on her mind again. She warred within herself. Half of her wanting to believe it wasn't all her fault and the other half telling her she was to blame. She thought back to what Bryan and Wyatt had said to her. They’d made the choice to come. No one had been forced. Megan sighed. This was a battle she would be waging against herself for a long time.
“They'll be fine,” Wyatt said to her in a low voice as they stomped through dry grass and pokey bushes. “I have complete confidence in Chase and the rest.”
She nodded, but didn't share that confidence. Deep in her gut, she knew something was terribly wrong.
3
“It's loud,” Megan whispered as they got closer to the lodge. It was foreign to hear so much activity and noise. The lodge had always been so peaceful. Now, all she could hear were voices and what sounded like the hum of machines. After the world was quiet for so long, it took her brain a few minutes to process all the sounds.
It wasn't loud in the sense of old world loud, but in this new world, it sounded like she was next to a marching band. She didn't like it. It made it difficult to focus on her surroundings. Before, she could hear every bird song, the crack of a twig or the rustle of leaves. Now, she had to work hard to filter out the hum of the machines and the racket of what sounded like construction.
“They're not alone,” Wyatt said with a grimace. “I don't know if our people are still here, but it’s plain to hear there are way too many voices for it to be only them. And the machines. What the hell?”
“We need to be careful,” Bryan added, dropping low to the ground.
They all followed his action, hiding behind trees and tall brush that littered the forest floor as they crept forward. Megan was furious and scared at the same time. This was their home and they had to creep in as if they were the intruders. Her heart was racing, wondering where Caitlin was. How she was.
JJ let out a cry, causing them all to wince. Wyatt looked at Willow.
She stopped him before he said a word. “We'll stay back. I would never do anything to jeopardize Ryland and the rest of the family.”
Megan gave a small sigh of relief. They had to see what was happening at the lodge and couldn't risk JJ crying and alerting the intruders to their presence. It was too risky. Bryan and Wyatt walked with Willow, finding her a safe place to hide. Megan kept an eye on the surroundings; making sure their presence wasn't discovered.
“Ready?” Wyatt asked.
She nodded. More than ready. She hated not having a gun. Wyatt was carrying the one and only rifle. They took the long way around to the orchard that overlooked the lodge property below. As they climbed the hill, they got a look at the outer perimeter of the lodge. There were men everywhere.
“What is that?” Megan whispered while pointing to a large structure being built. “Is that a barn?” She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was a huge building. It was amazing how fast it had gone up. They’d only been gone a little over a week.
Wyatt glared at the men trampling the ground as if they owned the place. They were using real lumber, which surprised all of them. They had boxes of nails and even drills to drive screws in. Megan shook her head, not believing what she was seeing.
The three of them lay on their stomachs and peered over the hill. None of them spoke as they watched the men mill about. It was heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. It was a violation. As they watched the scene below, Megan strained to see Caitlin or anyone she knew.
“Do you see them?” Megan whispered.
“No,” Wyatt said, not offering a hint of what he was thinking.
Her stomach turned. Their family was gone. Duke was gone. Everything they worked so hard to build over the past year and a half was ripped away in a week. It didn't seem real.
“Do you see the goats?” she asked, knowing they weren't a priority, but wanting to know regardless.
Wyatt shook his head. Megan cursed under her breath. It was as if they’d been evicted; animals and all.
“Look!” Bryan hissed, pointing to a figure coming out the back door. “It's that jackass, Neil!”
Megan had to fight back the urge to jump off the hill and clobber the guy. He’d fooled them. He’d used them. Now, he’d taken everything they had and did God knew what to their family.
“I want to kill him,” she breathed out. “I want him dead.”
Wyatt nodded in agreement. “They're all wearing body armor. This is some kind of trained militia. How did they get generators and the gas to run them?” he said more to himself than expecting an actual answer.
Megan looked to where Wyatt was pointing and saw the large box structures. That explained the humming noise she heard. She watched as Neil spoke with one of the men before strolling to the garden and plucking some of the cherry tomatoes that were growing. It was the final straw for her. They were going to demolish the garden they’d all worked so hard to grow. The men didn't care about food preservation. It appeared they were living in a pre-EMP world while everyone else struggled to get the basics.
“Let's go. We have to do something other than sit and watch these men destroy everything,” she said before scooting back down the hill. Every fiber of her being was demanding she kill Neil and his men. She managed to keep herself in check. No matter how angry she was, going in hot and not thinking about the consequences would surely get everyone she loved killed. This was a time for patience and a little cool-headed reasoning.
She took a moment to look at the trees loaded with fruit. From her view, she could see ants crawling up the trunk. The insects reminded her of the men below, crawling all over their lodge. Their food was being destroyed and their ability to survive winter was being eaten away by the men below much like the insects were eating away at the fruit on the trees.
She wanted to scream, cry and rage, but most of all, she wanted to hold her daughter. Her mind whirred with the many possibilities of what may have happened and where Caitlin and the rest of her family could be.
Wyatt was right behind her and as soon as it was safe, they stood and ran to where they’d left Willow. Megan didn't have the heart to tell her what they saw. She didn't have to. When Willow saw their faces, she did what Megan wanted to do. She cried.
Neither Wyatt nor Bryan tried to reassure her it would all be okay. None of them felt that way. It was a huge blow. The realization they’d been sent on a mission that led not only to the destruction of the country, but their own family and home was far too much to deal with. Their world had exploded along with the NRU.
“We don't give up,” Wyatt said with vehemence. “We fight back. We need to get it together. This isn’t how we do things. We don't accept anything without giving it a good fight, first. We’ve tackled bigger challenges than this.”
“Um, I don't think we have. The dam was different. McDaniels and his gang weren’t trained and they didn't have the weapons and technology these guys do,” Bryan stated.
Megan would normally be irritated by his negativity, but in this case, she was with him. Wyatt was crazy if he thought the four of them with their one gun could fight an army. A literal army. It was asinine.
“I think our focus needs to be on finding where our family is,” Megan said, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall at the mere mention of the missing members of their group.
Wyatt nodded. “Of course. We regroup and then we plan an attack.”
Megan looked at him, wanting to tell him it was over. They lost, but she held back. He needed to hold onto that hope and she wouldn't take that away from him.
“I'm sure Chase realized something was up. No way, Neil overpowered all of them. Those men couldn't have been hard to miss. Chase would’ve gotten them out before all that happened. They’re out here, somewhere. We have to find them. Where would he go?” Wyatt said, looking thoughtful.
“The hunting cabin we retreated to during the dam situation?” Bryan offered.
Wyatt looked at him and sm
iled. “I think that's exactly it. Let's go!”
The four of them scrambled to get to the cabin. Because they didn't know how many bad guys were lurking, they took a wide berth around the lodge and up the mountain to where the old cabin was. It was nightfall by the time they finally reached the place. Once again, Wyatt ordered Willow to stay back. Megan volunteered to stay with her. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Willow and JJ. She would rather wait an extra ten minutes to see Caitlin than take that kind of risk.
She and Willow didn't talk while they waited. Megan had no words. She couldn't comfort Willow. Although she was hopeful everyone had made it out safely and had sought refuge at the cabin, deep down she knew that wasn't likely. This wasn't a Hollywood movie where the good guys won and everyone always survived. This was the real world and things were never quite so easy.
4
Wyatt crept closer to the cabin. The darkness provided him with the disguise they needed to go undetected. He did his best to survey the outside, but couldn’t see anything. The single window in the cabin was on the opposite side. He was beginning to suspect they were wrong. The place was empty. His heart sank as he realized his family didn't make it to the retreat.
That is until he heard a burst of barking.
Instead of running, he smiled. “Duke!”
Bryan hooted and they both took off at a much faster pace, still mindful it could be only Duke who’d sought refuge in the old cabin.
Chase stepped out of the cabin, backlit by a faint glow from inside. He had a gun aimed in their general direction. “Stop, right there. I will shoot.”
Wyatt chuckled. “It's us. Boy, are we glad to see you.”
He stepped closer to his old friend, staring at him in the glow of the candlelight filtering out of the open cabin door. It wasn't the happy reunion he’d been hoping for. Wyatt froze when he saw the look on Chase's face.
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 98
