Dark Destruction (EMP Lodge Series Book 4)

by Grace Hamilton

  Wyatt was shouting. Albert watched as Tara came around the side of the lodge. They had just broken through the thick trees. Albert could see the goats and kids playing.

  “Run! Run!” he shouted, hoping they would understand the danger they were in.

  He couldn't hear Tara, but he saw the look on her face before she sprang into action. Willow and Rosie came out of the house, the fear on their faces evident.

  Wyatt reached the group first.

  “Get up to the orchard! Now!” he screamed.

  The kids didn't ask questions. Ryland patted Misty on the backside to get her attention before he started running. Misty was familiar with the game and began running behind him. Mason followed suit, chasing Frankie up the hill. Amy and Caitlin both tried to catch a chicken, but the birds ran.

  “You don't have time for that!” Albert shouted. “Get up the hill, now!”

  The little girls quickly scrambled up the path that led to the orchard positioned behind the lodge on a hill.

  Tara helped Willow, while Rosie waited.

  “What are you doing?” Albert yelled when he saw her standing at the bottom of the trail.

  “Waiting for you, you grumpy old man,” she said with a faint smile.

  “Get up there. I'll be right behind you,” he wheezed.

  “A few seconds isn't going to make a difference,” she told him, falling into step beside him.

  He couldn't run another step. His knee was threatening to give way with every step forward. His lungs felt as if they were in a vise. He wanted to argue with her, but he simply couldn't. He didn't have enough air in his lungs to speak.

  When he finally reached the top, he collapsed. His legs would no longer hold him. He crawled to the edge of the hill to get a bird's eye view of the lodge and the mountainside that was sure to come tumbling down.

  “Can you smell that?” Rosie said quietly sitting next to him.

  “It smells putrid. Like years of undergrowth just got overturned,” he replied.

  They heard another loud crack.

  “What was that?” Willow asked.

  Wyatt looked at Albert, “A tree? The remaining part of the dam? I don't know.”

  Albert could tell Wyatt was worried about Megan.

  “Where's my mom?” Caitlin asked.

  Albert waited for Wyatt to respond, when he didn't say anything, he figured he better.

  “She had a longer way to run,” he explained as nonchalantly as possible. “We sent her and Chase to the farthest point since they are both in such great shape. We know how fast your mom can run,” he winked. “How many times has she had to chase those goats?”

  He smiled, hoping to keep the girl calm, but she had been through too much. Seen too much. Caitlin was wise beyond her years and couldn't be so easily placated.

  “Look!” Caitlin pointed towards the hillside.

  Albert didn't have to look. He could hear it. The last crack had been the remaining section of the dam. He could hear trees toppling and what sounded like boulders crashing against each other. A series of snaps and crackling noises could be heard. It sounded like a freight train coming down the mountainside.

  “Oh no!” Willow said, staring in horror. “It’s going to destroy everything in its path!”

  Albert watched as the torrent of muddy water laden with trees, rocks and other debris moved down the mountain. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. His stomach dropped. There was so much mud and water. Even if the dike could divert the water from the lodge, how long could it possibly hold up? The power of the water driving the debris into the wall would be a monumental force. He didn't think a cement wall could hold up against that.

  Rosie moved to stand next to Wyatt putting her hand on his arm. There had been no sign of Megan and Chase. If they had been caught in that torrent, there was no way they could have survived. If the water didn't drown them, the trees and rocks would beat them to a bloody pulp.

  He dropped his head and tried to imagine how they could cope with another huge loss. They still hadn't told the group about Garrett.

  Albert looked behind him. Evan was sitting on the ground, his hands over his face. Tara was sitting next to him with her arms wrapped tightly around him while Amy hugged them both.

  Albert cringed when Willow suddenly spoke up.

  “You said Chase and Megan blew the dam?”

  Brenda answered. “Yes.”

  Willow looked at Brenda and then turned to look at Evan. He was covered in blood. Brenda had blood on her shirt and hands from trying to save Garrett.

  Rosie looked at Wyatt before scanning the group.

  “What happened?” she asked. “Are you hurt? Are any of you hurt?”

  They had all been in such a hurry to get to the lodge; none of them had bothered to clean up. Normally, they wouldn't want the kids to see them in such a state, but they hadn't had the time.

  Albert managed to stand, but had to keep the pressure off his bum knee. He didn't want anyone thinking he was seriously injured that would stir up a lot of drama he didn't want to deal with.

  “Evan has a minor wound. Brenda fixed him up. The rest of us are fine,” he said.

  Willow looked him in the eye. “Garrett?”

  Caitlin was listening with rapt interest. Frankie and Ryland turned to face him as well.

  He waited for Wyatt or anyone else to say something. He couldn't possibly tell them.

  Albert exhaled a long breath. “He didn't make it.”

  The words sounded like a croak. His chest had grown tight thinking about the young kid who had been so brutally murdered. Garrett hadn't even had the chance to fight back. He had been savagely shot with no warning at all.

  Willow gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

  Rosie shook her head, “Oh no. Oh my. Oh geez,” she said, at a loss for words. Albert watched as she blinked several times. He was doing the same. None of them wanted to cry in front of the kids or truth be told, in front of one another.

  When everyone realized what had happened, they turned to look at Evan. Albert could feel the man's pain as he looked back at everyone. He was wearing Garrett's blood.

  “I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I tried. I really tried.”

  Rosie rushed to him and dropped to her knees in front of him, “I know you did, dear. I’m so glad you’re here with us. It will be okay. We will get through this.”

  He nodded and buried his face again. Tara had tears streaming down her face. She continued to rub Evan's back and whisper words of comfort in his ear.

  Albert turned his attention to Wyatt. The man looked as if he was prepared to jump off the hillside. The anxiety was coming off him in waves. Albert managed to limp over to him.

  “She'll be okay, man. She’s with Chase and he is not going to let anything happen to her,” he assured him, placing a hand on his back. “It's going to be okay,” he repeated.

  Wyatt shook his head. “Look at it. If she was on the wrong side of that, she’s definitely not going to be okay.”

  “Don't think like that man. Give her some credit. Give Chase some too. They would know better than to be on the wrong side of that dam. They probably had to hole up on high ground. Once this clears out a bit, she will come walking in like no big deal.”

  Wyatt didn't look convinced. “I hope so.”

  Rosie came to stand by them again.

  “Well, would you look at that,” she said with a smile. “That dike you guys built is doing its job. The lodge is still in one piece and the water has been diverted.”

  Albert couldn't help himself. “But how long will it hold up? It’s taking a beating. If the rush of water doesn't subside soon, it will erode the wall.”

  Rosie narrowed her eyes at him. “Try and be positive, Albert. Not everything has to be the end of the world.”

  “I'm sorry. You're right. Let's hope for the best.”

  He knew she wasn't truly angry with him. It was Rosie's way. She always remained upbeat, even when tr
agedy reared its ugly head. She didn't give up, roll over and cry. She always stood tall and fought back. She was the backbone of this little group. He couldn't imagine how any of them would have ever gotten this far without her.

  It was then he realized every one of them played a vital role in this world surviving on their own. Each time they lost someone, they lost something valuable. Garrett had become a superb hunter with the bow. It was almost a guarantee he would return with food for the table when he went out. Now, they were going to have to rely on Megan and Wyatt's hunting skills.

  Albert jerked back when he realized what would happen to the group if Megan didn't make it back. He was convinced they would fall apart. She had better get her butt back here, he thought to himself. He wasn't ready to live without her.

  He turned to look at the devastation before him. He wasn't one to wear rose-colored glasses or sugar coat anything. This was bad. It would take a miracle for the lodge to survive and an even bigger miracle for Chase and Megan to come walking through the door safe and sound.

  27

  “Go, Megan!” Chase shouted from behind her.

  They had taken off running at breakneck speed and hadn't slowed down. Megan fought back the vomit threatening to spew from her mouth, the bile burning the back of her throat. Her breathing was way too fast and hard, but she couldn't get control of it. All she could see was little Emma's face.

  “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.<
br />
  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 would 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.