The men walked across the dam, looking for any more signs of damage as they went.
“It does seem odd that the cement would crack in that one area, don't you think?” Chase mused.
Wyatt agreed, but he knew nothing about dams.
“Just one of those things, I guess. With no one here to do regular maintenance, it probably went unnoticed until it grew into a problem,” he replied.
“It doesn't look too bad,” Bryan said, standing on the edge of the lake. “A little high, but not flood stage.”
They walked to the northeastern side of the lake and came across another small dam. Wyatt had no idea where the small river created by the dam led. That was an exploration trip for another day. He imagined it probably fed some irrigation ditches below.
“Looks solid,” Chase said.
“Yep, it's just the big one we need to worry about,” Wyatt replied. “Let's get back and get that dike built.”
“Wait a minute.” Bryan slammed to a halt. “Maintenance! How could I be so clueless,” he chastised himself.
Wyatt and Chase both stared at him waiting. Growing impatient at his silence, they both asked in unison, “What?”
“Maintenance. These dams would have some sort of maintenance room or some way to control the flow of the sluice. At least the bigger ones do. I don’t see why this one wouldn’t. Come on, we have to look.” Bryan looked over the side of the dam shaking his head before running to the other side. His eyes lit up when he found what he was looking for. “There! Come on.”
Without waiting to see if they would follow, Bryan took off at a trot. When he got to the other end of the dam, he climbed over the wall and disappeared down the side.
“What the hell is he doing?” Chase demanded running after him.
Having a sudden suspicion what he was after, Wyatt followed. If they could turn off the water flow, it might give the patch time to dry. Wyatt had no idea what kind of pressure that would put on the dam but if it gave them more time, they’d need to try.
As Wyatt caught up to Chase, Bryan was already climbing back up shaking his head. Looking over the side of the dam, Wyatt saw a metal staircase built into the dam.
“What did you find?” he asked him.
“Not good. The hand cranks are frozen with rust. There’s no moving them. Damn. I had hoped…” Bryan’s voice trailed off as Chase clapped him on the back.
“It was a good idea, man and something none of us thought of. At least you tried.”
Wyatt agreed. If they’d been able to control the flow of water, they would have enough time to build the dike and dig a trench.
Everything they’d built and worked so hard to keep would be saved.
16
Vlad was breathing hard when he finally made his way back to the dam. He didn't think he could possibly make the climb again. No matter how determined he was; his body was failing him. He was weary. It was time to go home.
He stared at the dam, the water rushing through the sluices. He couldn't believe it was still standing. The explosion should have taken out one side of the dam, causing the rest to be destroyed by the force of the rushing water. He had accomplished much bigger jobs in the past with very little effort. He mused it was a sign for him to retire. He wasn't as keen as he was in the old days.
He took off his pack to make it easier for him to move. It wasn't overly heavy, but for his ailing body, he may as well have been carrying a giant boulder. He wanted to inspect the area where he planted the C-4, which required him to be as nimble on his feet as possible. He walked closer and noticed a huge circle of what appeared to be mud spread over the area he had placed the explosive.
“Chto eto?” he muttered aloud in Russian.
Mud? Mud was what kept him from being successful? He knew it had to be the people in that lodge down the mountain. They had somehow discovered the damage and were trying to repair it. It was laughable and frustrating, but he had to appreciate their tenacity. Shaking his head, he stared at the patch job.
It was his fault. In a weak moment, he still held out hope that he might make it home to die.
He should have used more C-4 and blown out the entire dam the first time, but he would not fail again.
He cursed before climbing back up to his pack to unpack the white putty that looked innocuous, but packed a punch. He used both hands to shape the soft material into a small rectangle. He had handled the explosive so many times in the past that it had become cathartic to him. As he carefully shaped the putty, he thought about his plans to return home. The voyage would be long by ship. He was completely lost in thought. He reached for a blast cap and froze mid-bend.
“Don't move,” came a low voice behind him.
Vlad dropped the C-4 into his open pack, hoping his body shielded his action and the explosive.
“Turn around.”
He slowly turned to face the voice of the man who had likely placed the mud patch on the dam.
Vlad was a little surprised to see not one very angry face, but three.
Three men were holding guns directly at his chest. He raised his hands, signaling he was unarmed. Each of them was scowling.
He went with the innocent victim approach.
“Hey, guys,” he said, doing his best to sound like an American country boy. “What's up? You wanna put those guns away?”
“What are you doing up here?” said the man standing closest to him.
Vlad hoped the men would buy his charade. They had to know they weren't the only ones living up here. He himself had encountered several people on his travels around the area. In every situation, he had managed to play off his presence as a weary traveler looking for somewhere to set up camp. It was his go-to story when he encountered anyone. He wanted them to think he was a friendly neighbor.
“I was coming to get some water. I have a little camp on the other side of the hill,” he explained.
The man standing in front of the other two didn't look convinced. Vlad could feel him scrutinizing him. He had been in the States long enough to pick up on the way they dressed, talked and even walked. His identity had been easily concealed after many years of honing his skills to fit in anywhere. He was the enemy within.
“What's in the bag?” one of the men from behind asked.
Vlad tried to play dumb. “My bag?”
“Looks like you had something in your hand when we walked up on you. What was it?” the man asked again.
He weighed his options. It was only a matter of time before the men searched his pack. They didn't look like average guys. Judging by the way two of them were holding their weapons, he suspected they were military trained. They would know what the C-4 was. His go-to story was not going to work here.
Vlad thought of a saying he had heard many times in the past. The best defense was a good offense. He would have to strike first if he was to have any chance of surviving this encounter.
“I'll check for others,” said the man in the back left.
He turned towards the lake, his gun held out in front of him.
“Why don't you take about ten steps away from your bag,” the man in front ordered.
Vlad knew what he had to do. The men would kill him if they discovered the explosives in the pack. He would not die without completing his mission. There was no way a few country bumpkins were going to stop him from fulfilling his contract and getting paid. He didn't care how big they were. Sure, they were young and in their prime, but he had more experience and a bigger kill list.
Vlad took a few seconds to size them up. When he decided he had predicted their actions, he made his move.
He lunged to the side, grabbed his pack and rolled. Reaching for his gun, he shot blindly, not taking the time to aim. He knew the man in front was the leader. An American cowboy would care more for his friends than his own life. Vlad was going to capitalize on that sense of honor. All he had to do was put the lives of the men in jeopardy and it would bring them to their knees, literally.
“G
et down!” one of the men yelled.
Vlad took advantage of them dropping to the ground and ran for the cover of the trees. He turned his arm back and fired again, hoping to keep them pinned down long enough for him to escape. The threat of a bullet hitting one of them was all he needed.
A shot rang out a split second before he felt the impact hit him in the leg. It took him by surprise. He didn't think any of the men would risk getting shot. He misjudged them.
He shouted in pain, but kept moving. The leg wasn't broke. He could keep moving. He turned and fired again, just missing the man who had been in the front. The tall man dropped to his stomach and fired again. The man was definitely a trained soldier.
Vlad felt and heard the bullet whiz by him. It slammed into a tree inches from where he had been.
He kept moving, not taking the time to return fire. This was not part of his plan. He cursed! All he had to do was blow the dam and he could get out of here. These men were ruining everything. Every day the dam remained, he risked losing the faith of his employer. Pride was the only thing a man truly had.
His chest felt like it would explode and he could no longer draw a deep breath. He slowed his pace when he realized they weren't following. Maybe he had managed to shoot one of them. He didn't care. His leg was on fire and he needed to tend to the wound before he bled to death.
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 so 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.”
Dark Destruction (EMP Lodge Series Book 4) Page 11