Dark Destruction (EMP Lodge Series Book 4)

by Grace Hamilton

  Wyatt held his ground. “I'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, I want her alive and well. I don't want to stress Willow out and I don't see the need to have the entire household freaking out over what ifs. There is nothing we can do to stop it. Even if we stop this one attack, there will be others. We do what we can to protect our own. I know it sounds selfish, but it’s for the best.”

  “Okay,” Chase said.

  He didn't fight too hard, which led Wyatt to believe he felt the same way.

  “Albert?”

  “Yeah, that's fine. I don't want to be in your shoes when your lady finds out, though. You better get your bunk ready in the long house.”

  Wyatt grimaced. She would be furious, but he felt this was the best thing for everyone. She would understand his reasons eventually. Until then, he was prepared to deal with her wrath. He would prefer to deal with an angry Megan than no Megan at all.

  “Let's get back before they all get nervous and come looking for us,” Wyatt said, walking at a fast clip.

  The last thing he needed was the entire group showing up. That would be chaos. They would all have differing opinions about what to do. In this case, he was making an executive decision to save his family over everyone else in this region.

  Now, more than ever, they had to get their flood defenses in order. The destruction of the dam was a given. It was no longer if, but when. Wyatt had a feeling their Russian friend would be back soon to finish the job. These weren't the kind of guys who accepted failure. If the man's country had ordered him to blow the dam, it would get done.

  Albert interrupted the silent walk back. “Do you think there could be an attack?”

  Wyatt knew he was referring to the Russians.

  “I don't know. If they can keep us down, there would be no reason to. It isn't like we can be a threat at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an invasion though. If one of the other super powers decides they want to take the US, it wouldn't be hard. We have no communications. Everyone is essentially on their own,” Wyatt said.

  “The military has to be functional. They have HAMs and other communication systems. I think that is exactly why Russia is taking out smaller targets. They don't want to draw any attention to the mission. These small dams and power stations they are taking out aren’t going to be on the government's radar,” Chase stated. “When the damaged stations are noticed, the government is going to be scrambling to protect what is left stretching their resources thin to save the remaining grids. It leaves us more vulnerable than ever.”

  Wyatt realized the situation was likely to get far worse before it got better.

  “What a mess. We need to watch our backs. No one is going to come and save us,” Albert groused.

  “You're right, which is why we’re going to work our butts off to get that dike built,” Wyatt said.

  They were almost back to the lodge. “Not a word,” he commanded.

  Each of the men shook off the doom and gloom and pasted on fake smiles. They had to play off the whole situation to avoid sending the group into a panic. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

  At least Wyatt hoped it couldn't. All they had to do was carry on, business as usual and let the Russians do whatever it was they felt they had to do. Wyatt would drive the group harder than ever to get their flood defense built.

  20

  Megan waited for the men to get back. Albert had seemed upset when they left, leaving everyone unsettled as they loitered in the kitchen and dining area, anxious to hear what was happening.

  When they walked through the door, the men were hit with a storm of questions.

  Wyatt held up a hand to silence everyone.

  “It's nothing. We're good. Some of Albert's friends got a little carried away. You get a bunch of people with too much time on their hands and the conspiracy theories run rampant. The only things over there are some empty dilapidated storehouses. It isn't useful to us in any way,” he said.

  Megan looked at him with suspicion. He was a terrible liar. She could tell something was off, but she also knew he would never jeopardize the safety and security of the lodge. Whatever he was hiding was not a threat, which meant it was time to get back to work.

  She clapped her hands together. “All right! You heard him. Let's get up there and get this wall finished!”

  “Albert, are you going to take watch?” Wyatt asked.

  “Yeah, I'll head out there and relieve Brenda in a few,” he said.

  Even though the biggest threat was up the mountain, they still needed to be ready for anything. Megan felt better knowing someone was keeping an eye on things while all their energy was focused on building the dike.

  Wyatt looked at Chase. “How about Garrett and I hang out around the dam and make sure that yahoo doesn't try to finish the job?”

  Megan studied Wyatt's face. He said it in a joking manner, but she had a feeling there was more behind his reasoning to guard the dam. Two able-bodied men standing around watching water wasn't productive. She didn't question him. He was just as anxious to get the dike built as she was but something had spooked him.

  She would get it out of him later.

  “We'll change out every couple of hours,” he said looking at her directly. “I'll be down to help the construction and we will get it finished in no time. Heck, I think we’re all going to be expert builders. Once everything settles down, maybe we can build cob houses and out buildings.”

  Evan and Tara both looked thrilled at the idea.

  “That would be great!” Tara said.

  Megan knew the woman wanted her own space. She and Wyatt had the same problems. It was a little difficult to maintain a romantic relationship with people constantly milling about day and night.

  “I'll take a notebook up to the bird's nest and do some sketching while I'm on watch,” Albert announced.

  A new way of building was exciting. It opened numerous possibilities. Cutting down trees wasn't easy without a chainsaw. The cob bricks were labor intensive, but still easier than log homes.

  “Okay. I'll see you then. I'm heading up there to check on things. I'll see the rest of you soon, right?” Megan asked, hoping the rest of the group would hurry up and join her.

  There was a chorus of “We're coming,” before she headed out the door.

  She was anxious to check the dryness of the bricks. They were close to being finished, but a half-built dike wasn't going to do any good. It had to be finished completely if they were going to save the lodge.

  Megan could smell rain in the air as she climbed the hill and the realization made her sick to her stomach. A little rain would be okay, but if it rained a lot, like it was prone to do in the mountains, they were in trouble.

  She looked up to the sky, only to have her fears confirmed. There were dark clouds gathering to the west. It was going to be a heck of a storm and a true test of the strength and durability of the cob. At best, it would soften the cob and possibly destroy some of the progress they made. If it was a hard rain, it could even wash away parts of the wall. Either way, it was more work and no time.

  Without wasting another minute, she got to work dumping the clay and bits of pine needles and long grass together. The rest of the work crew trickled in and set about their assigned tasks. She kept looking towards the sky, watching the black clouds roll in.

  The wind picked up and soon, the sun was completely blocked by the dark clouds.

  “We better head back,” Bryan said. “This looks like it is going to be a bad one,” he said, looking at the sky.

  Megan groaned. Their hard work was being threatened and there was not a thing she could do about it.

  “All right, everyone. Pack up and we'll wait for this to pass. Hopefully, it will be a short and sweet burst of rain and we can get this wall built. Bryan, will you help me with the tarps? At least we can cover part of the wall.” Together, they spread the muddy tarps over the new section of the dike wall in an effort to protect it from the rain. They didn
't have enough to cover the entire wall, but she would protect what she could. Taking off running, Bryan met up with the kids and they rushed inside the lodge.

  The rain hit when Megan was about halfway to the lodge coming down in sheets and bouncing off the ground. She had to stop herself from shouting at the sky. It was as if the fates were against them. Walking into the lodge, she peeled off her wet boots and socks before going to her room to remove the rest of her wet clothes. She was mad and most of all, scared. Scared of what would happen to the lodge if the wall was ruined and the dam burst before they could rebuild.

  It wasn't long before Wyatt came in. He too was drenched from top to bottom.

  “I'm sorry, babe,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

  “It isn't like you can control the weather,” she told him.

  “This is going to set us back, but we will recover,” he told her, rubbing her shoulders.

  “I don't know about that. If the rain softens the cob, it will turn into a heaping pile of mud.”

  “That will still be some kind of barrier between the lodge and the potential flow of water. I know it won't be as pretty, but it could still work,” he reasoned.

  Megan fought back the tears that threatened to fall. They had been working so hard and now it could all be for nothing. They could lose everything. Sometimes, she wished things would go right. She was tired of the challenges.

  “What if the dam bursts or the lake floods with the added strain of all this rain?” she asked, suddenly realizing the rain wasn't only threatening to destroy the cob wall. There was a strong possibility the lake would flood or the water would spill over the dam, causing the river to flood.

  Wyatt looked concerned, but tried to play it off.

  “I think it would take a lot more rain. Like days of heavy rain to cause any real problems. I mean, I know it sounds and looks like a lot of water falling from the sky, but it’s probably only an inch or two. I don't think it’s a problem, yet,” he explained.

  “I hope so. I don't think I can handle much more. This is getting ridiculous. Isn’t it time we got a break?”

  Wyatt looked away, avoiding her eyes.

  “What?” she asked. “I feel like you aren't telling me something.”

  When he met her eyes again, the flash of guilt she thought she’d seen earlier was gone.

  “I was thinking this could be our break. Since we are here, we may as well get caught up on some of the other stuff we have been slacking on. I need to move the empty rain barrels out of the store room and set them up.”

  “Did you fix the gutters?” she asked.

  “Yep, we have all four corners of the lodge ready to go. We'll move the empty barrels under the gutters. This way we catch every drop possible.”

  “I can help you,” she said sitting down to pull on a clean pair of socks.

  “No, I got it. Garrett is going to help and then we need to do some patches in the long house. This rain will help us find the leaks in a hurry,” he said, rushing out of the room.

  “Okay, then,” she said to herself.

  She wasn't going to be going outside, so she grabbed her tennis shoes. Her feet hurt. The boots were not in the best shape. Neither were her tennis shoes. They needed to find some shoes. For now, they would have to fix what they had.

  “Hey Rosie,” she said heading into the kitchen.

  Rosie, Willow and Tara were busy making bannock bread. Megan spotted the sugar and knew they were making it sweet. That was always a treat and made the bread a nice addition to the meal.

  The bannock bread was something they had grown accustomed to eating at least once a week. The basic ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt and lard were plentiful at the lodge. The added sugar was always a bonus.

  The Dutch oven was out, but Megan knew with the downpour, there was no way they could have an open fire. They would have to fry the bread in small rounds on the woodstove. She personally liked it better fried.

  “We are going to be making another one of your favorites,” Tara said with heavy sarcasm.

  “More pemmican?” Megan asked, trying to keep the look of disgust off her face.

  Rosie laughed, “Nope, your other favorite, hardtack.”

  “Why?” Megan said without thinking.

  She hated the stuff. Everyone did. It was bland, hard and to her, a waste of ingredients.

  “According to Wyatt, you guys are going to be doing some long-distance runs into towns. You need something to eat in case you can't find any food along the way,” she explained.

  “Flour and water make paste, not food,” Megan argued.

  “Don't forget the salt,” Tara joked.

  Megan rolled her eyes.

  “I'll make sure to pack along some honey. Spread a little on the top of the crackers and it will make it taste better,” Willow said with a smile.

  They joked because they didn't have to eat it. Megan knew it was her choice to go on the hunting and scavenging trips and the other women were doing their part by making food they could pack along. It wasn't like they could stop at a convenience store and grab something to eat.

  “Well, thank you, I guess,” she mumbled.

  “You're so welcome,” Tara grinned.

  “I need to fix my boots. If anyone else needs theirs fixed, let me know. I'll be upstairs working on the pile already up there. I am hoping there is a shoe store in our future,” she said carrying the boots upstairs.

  “I think Evan put a pair up there he had planned to fix,” Tara said.

  “Okay, I'll take care of it.”

  They had a small basket of sewing items as well as what they referred to as the shoe hospital. They had been repairing shoes and boots all winter. Eventually, the footwear was going to fall apart, but for now, they had to do what they could to make them last.

  Wyatt had duct taped one of his boots when the sole started flopping. He said it was like waterproofing, but a lot faster and easier. She had laughed at his one taped boot, but when he took it off at the end of the day and his sock was dry, she had been made a believer.

  Megan picked up the tube of silicone caulking. There had been a case left behind in the shed and it had come in handy for shoe repair. Wyatt had the foresight to save it for situations like this. While it would have made the long house sealing quick and easy, Jack had shut down the idea. He reasoned if the settlers could do it and survive, they could too. The caulking was like gold.

  She squirted a small bead on the sole of her boot and pushed it together. She grabbed the duct tape and tore off a strip, carefully putting it on the inside of the boot, against the side where the shoe itself was tearing away from the sole. She squeezed another bead of silicone over the hole before using a plastic spoon to smooth it out.

  “Again, mom?” Caitlin asked.

  “Yep, these old boots have seen better days.”

  “I can help,” she said, grabbing the other boot.

  Shoe repair had become the norm. The kids had duct tape over holes made in the toes of their shoes by their growing feet.

  “Can you start working on Evan's boots?”

  Caitlin picked up one boot and inspected it, identifying the areas that needed repair. It was always the same. The sole was always flapping at the heel and the area around the toes was always full of small holes.

  Megan squeezed the silicone on while Caitlin gently smoothed it with the spoon.

  As they worked, more boots and shoes were delivered to their shoe repair clinic. Megan didn't mind doing the repairs, but wanted to get back outside.

  “I think we're good,” she declared when they had sealed their last shoe. “Thank you for helping out.”

  “No problem. I was bored,” Caitlin said.

  Megan peered out the window.

  “Well, good news, it looks like the rain has stopped and we can get back to work on the dike!”

  Caitlin groaned. “I don't like doing that. It’s boring and hard work.”

  Megan smiled. “It’s good fo
r you to work hard. Burns off all that energy you have. You could help me out there or I'm sure Willow can find some extra times tables for you to practice.”

  “I'll help you!” she said quickly.

  Megan laughed, “I thought that may change your mind. Get dressed, get your boots on and let’s rally the troops to get up there before it gets dark.”

  They only had an hour or two left in the day to work on the dike. She had a feeling everyone would prefer to take the remainder of the day off but there was no time to waste.

  21

  Megan woke early the following morning. After the rain stopped yesterday, they’d only managed to work about another hour before it was too dark to see and she now felt tremendous pressure to get the dike built. Thankfully, the tarps kept most the rain off their newly formed bricks and as long as the sun came out, she was hopeful they hadn’t lost much work.

  “I doubt anyone is up yet. How about we go up to the dam and see how it is holding up after the rain yesterday?” Wyatt offered.

  “That would be great. I have this sense of urgency that I can’t seem to calm down, even with all the hard labor. It’s making me way too antsy and definitely stressed.”

  They quickly dressed and headed up the mountain. Megan took a moment to enjoy the beauty surrounding her, even if there was ugliness looming up ahead. Spring in the mountains was spectacular. The lush greens and the tiny blooming wildflowers that glistened under the brush from the morning dew always reminded her of a brand new day. A fresh start, full of promise.

  The sun shining through the trees was encouraging that the rain was gone; at least for a little while. It was going to be a beautiful spring day and she got to work outside in it all day.

  “Feeling better?” Wyatt asked, grabbing her hand.

  “I am. Thank you. This was what I needed.”

  They walked past the dike. Her attention instantly focused on the unfinished project. She was proud of the progress and the fact the cob bricks had held up and looked strong. She started to walk towards the construction site, but Wyatt stopped her.