Dark Revival

by Grace Hamilton

  “No more!” she shouted at the sky. “No more. I'm sick of everyone dying,” she said, a little quieter. “You can't take my baby and you can't take Wyatt. You can't,” she repeated, hoping the message got to whoever was pulling the strings in the universe.

  Megan felt better after her little outburst and kept walking, being careful not to make too much noise or to leave an obvious trail. It’d been a while since she’d seen or heard Neil's men. Had she lost them or had she managed to get completely lost herself and end up miles away from the lodge?

  She decided to take a small break and get her head together. She had no real plan. She knew she was making her way back to the lodge, via a very long way around, but when she got there, what would she do? She had one gun with very little ammunition. There was no way she would win a gunfight.

  Sitting on the ground, propped up against a tree, she spun the wedding ring she wore around on her finger. It made her feel close to the people she missed. It was time she started to think realistically. What were the odds Rosie and Caitlin were alive? They would’ve been discovered by now. Would Neil hold them hostage or kill them immediately? It wasn't a thought she wanted to consider, but this was no fairy tale. There was no happily ever after. It was time to accept the facts, no matter how painful they were.

  Then there was Wyatt. Was he alive or had the bullet killed him? Her mind raced as she realized she was very likely the only person still alive and able to avenge their deaths. If she didn't kill Neil, his reign of terror would continue. He would kill any newcomers to the mountain or spread out, slowly taking over one homestead after another.

  How could she, one small woman, take on an army? She thought about something Wyatt had told her on more than one occasion; “They're strong on their own, but even stronger together.” She was strong. She could do anything she put her mind to. Sure, it would’ve been nice to have her people with her and be able to lean on their strengths, but that wasn't an option. There was no point mulling over what-ifs when it wasn't possible.

  As if a magic wand of courage had been waved over her, Megan could feel her strength growing. She felt stronger than she’d ever felt before. She was defiant and committed to killing Neil. It was up to her. She wouldn’t fail the people who loved her and stood beside her these past eighteen months. There was no way in hell she would fail them, even if it meant she died trying.

  How? The question loomed over her. In the past, she had a far better idea of what she was up against. This was different. This was more than a David versus Goliath. This was a David versus the entire world.

  “Get it together, Megan,” she said aloud. “You can do this.”

  Self-talk, it was something she’d read about in the self-help books she’d bought after her divorce. Back then, she’d felt silly using the strategies, but now she realized it actually worked. This survival business was mentally taxing. It was all she could do to keep herself from losing her mind.

  Megan stood, brushed off her butt and started towards the lodge. She needed to do some recon. A plan required information and to get that, she had to get closer. The rifle felt good in her arms. It made her feel a little more confident. She ignored the fact the rifle was old and couldn't come close to competing with the firepower Neil's men had, but it was something. Again, she would rather kill a few of the men than go down without a fight. The guy had messed with the wrong people. She was going to make him pay, hopefully with his life.

  24

  Dusk came fast. With the light fading, Megan knew she would have to stop for the night. Continuing in the dark night would likely end up with her getting seriously lost or injuring herself. The thought of staying outside, alone all night scared her. It was the first time she could admit she was truly terrified.

  Without a blanket, tarps or other means to ward off the cold night, Megan gathered pine needles and leaves. It wasn't the best blanket, but it would provide her with some insulation. She spread a layer of needles and then another layer of leaves over the top. Using her hands to scoop more needles into a pile next to her makeshift mattress, she prepared to hunker down for the night. Already, darkness had closed in around her. Every noise was amplified in the eerily quiet forest.

  She doubted she would sleep a wink. Hopefully, bears and other animals would take a wide berth around her. Any soldier coming through the area wouldn’t likely see her with her pine needle camouflage, but an animal would smell her a mile away. Megan lay down on her mattress under the tree and began to scoop the foliage over the top of her.

  “Oh!” she nearly screamed the word as she felt something crawl across her exposed stomach below the needles. Her half-shirt wasn't going to do much good keeping her warm, but it was worth the cost to help Wyatt.

  Another tickle on her side nearly sent her into a karate kick combo.

  “Breathe, Megan, it's only a bug,” she whispered into the dark night. She would likely be covered with bug bites in the morning. Rosie had made some bug repellent with tea tree oil that seemed to work in the early spring when the ticks and mosquitoes were out in full force. She wished she had some of it now. Instead, she would have to lie in her bed and be dined upon by a variety of creepy crawlers.

  The night seemed to last forever. She dozed off on occasion, but it was only in short spurts. The forest was much louder than she remembered. Being alone had a way of amplifying everything. As soon as the first rays of sun cut through the trees, she shucked her pine needle blanket and did a shimmy and shake that would make a belly dancer proud in an effort to rid herself of any bugs still clinging to her skin.

  Without hesitating, she started walking in what she hoped was the right direction. Her stomach rumbled and her mouth felt like she’d been sucking on cotton balls all night. She needed water and a snack wouldn't be turned down. She did a mental physical health check and felt she was still in good shape. She wasn't too dehydrated or weak from lack of food. She could do this. If Neil killed her, she wouldn't have to worry about finding water, she mused. There was that silver lining she was looking for.

  As she walked, she paid attention to her surroundings, looking for traps or alarms. Assuming she managed to go in the right direction, she was in the vicinity of the lodge. She had no idea how far out Neil's security system spanned, but she wasn't taking any chances.

  Megan glanced around, surveying the familiar-looking area. She knew where she was. The lodge was close. She should be running into the perimeter with the security systems in place. Scanning the area, she spotted one of their primitive tin can alarm systems. It made her smile thinking of Chase and Wyatt stringing these things up. Of course, Neil would have improved upon the line. She would have to be extra careful not to trigger the hi-tech systems. Maybe, by some stroke of luck they hadn't made it out this far. She prayed that was the case as she carefully lifted her leg over the fishing line strung between two trees. It was practically invisible and anyone who didn't know it was there would have tripped it. Despite it being a primitive setup, it was effective.

  A man's voice coming towards her had her dashing into a thick stand of trees and dropping to the ground. The voices faded, she crept out of the shadows to investigate. A crunching twig beneath her foot made her sound like an elephant.

  “Crap!” she muttered, not moving for fear of stepping on another one.

  “Don't move.”

  Megan inwardly groaned, she’d made it this far only to give herself away by being careless. She raised her hands, put down her other foot and looked up at the man training a gun on her. He was wearing the uniform that identified him as one of Neil's men.

  “You're one of them?” he asked.

  She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “One of whom?”

  “Don't play dumb. Are you one of the people that lived here?” he growled, holding the barrel of the gun at her head.

  She thought about lying, but figured it wouldn't matter. “Yeah, I am or was considering you and your boss kicked us all out.”

  He lowered the weapon
an inch. “Why are you here? I thought we killed you all by now.” He almost sounded relieved.

  She glared at him. “Sorry we aren't so easy to kill. Why do you have to kill us? Why can't you go build your own place, clearly you have the ability and materials to do so. I don't understand why people like you have to be such, such—” She waved her hands in the air, so frustrated she couldn't find the words.

  His shoulders slumped forward and he had a look of shame on his face. “I don't know.”

  Megan looked at him, really studying his features and demeanor. He looked defeated. As if he’d given up on life.

  “Dumb answer,” she shot back. “Killing innocent people demands a reason. You're cold-blooded killers and I hope karma makes you suffer dearly for what you’ve done.”

  He nodded. “I'm sure it will.”

  Megan was surprised by his acceptance of the fate he had coming. He was mentally weaker than she was, which gave her an advantage. Wyatt’s voice was in her head reminding her that it wasn't always about physical strength. Outsmarting and outmaneuvering an opponent was as effective. He appeared to be alone. Could she break him down and overpower him simply by being mean?

  He looked at the rifle in her hands. “What are you planning to do with that thing?”

  “Shoot as many of your people as I can,” she shot back, only realizing once the words left her mouth it may not be the smartest thing in the world to antagonize the man holding a gun on her.

  He smirked. “Effective.”

  She looked at the ground and saw what could only be a body covered by a thin blanket. She flinched, realizing she may be dealing with a guy who wasn’t stable. What she’d originally taken as a sign of weakness could actually mean he was one of those cold-blooded serial killer types that had no remorse. No emotion at all. The thought made her second-guess her strategy to break him by being harsh.

  “My brother,” he said, looking at the blanket-covered body, his voice dropping

  She nodded, but didn't offer any condolences. They all deserved to die in her opinion.

  “You here to kill Neil?”

  She looked at him, concerned by his demeanor. Why hadn't he shot her yet?

  “Yes, actually, I am. Is this where you shoot me now?” she asked, holding her chin up in defiance.

  He lowered the weapon, shocking her. “Good,” he muttered. “I hate that man. I hope you make it a slow death.”

  Before she knew what he was about, he tossed the automatic rifle at her. She used her free hand to catch the gun mid-air.

  “What's this about?” she asked, training the gun on him, not trusting he was going to give up so easy.

  He pointed to the body on the ground. “That’s my little brother. Neil killed him. Jason did nothing wrong, except follow me. If I hadn’t encouraged him to join up with that maniac, he would be alive.”

  Megan looked at the blanket, then back at the soldier. “How? I mean we've seen Neil push a button and a second later a soldier drops dead.”

  He picked up the shovel and slammed it into the ground before using his foot to push it in further. “Poison. It's a poison injection into the jugular. Some puffer fish toxin or something like that. Death is almost instant. Paralysis, which is what causes the drop and then a couple heartbeats later, death.”

  She winced. “Wow.”

  He grimaced. “Yeah, wow. He can kill us with the push of a button. He doesn't like to get his hands dirty. Ever.”

  “I suspected as much,” she murmured.

  “Mr. Spraggart is one of the most evil men I’ve ever had the misfortune of encountering and I've been in prison,” he said tossing another shovel full of dirt to the side.

  Megan was only slightly alarmed by his confession. She should’ve known he would be a convicted criminal. All of Neil's men were probably recruited from the penal system.

  She watched as he continued to dig a hole. “Why?” she asked.

  He looked at her, questioning her. She pointed to her own neck. “Why?”

  “He doesn't trust anyone. Not even his right-hand man, if he truly has one. He hates us all. When he brought me into his little army, we were promised all kinds of things. I didn't realize the cost. I didn't know we would be killing innocent children. I'm not like that,” he looked her straight in the eyes.

  “Children?” she croaked out. “You've killed children? Here?” she said, fighting the urge to put her hands around his neck.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Not here. I mean in general, by taking their food and, wait, what are you talking about?”

  She shook her head, not wanting to reveal Caitlin's whereabouts; in case there was any chance at all, they were still sheltered in the root cellar.

  “Nothing. What are your plans after this?” she asked, looking pointedly at the body on the ground.

  “I'm out of here. I don't know what kind of range these things have on them.” Pulling at the band around his neck. “But I want as far away from that guy as possible,” he said, digging frantically.

  “Why not take it off?” she asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  He looked at her and rolled his eyes. “I'm not an idiot. If it were that easy, all of us would have ripped the stupid things off. They’re locked on. We can't cut them off or it triggers it. I have to get away. That's my only choice. I don't want anything to do with him and his plans for world domination.”

  “Why not arrange a coup and kill him? There are more of you than him,” she pointed out.

  He sighed. “There are some of us that hate him, but more are loyal to him for one reason or another. We’d be killed before we ever got close to him. Most of the guys have all lost everything. Neil and his army are all they have. If they leave, they're afraid they'll die.”

  She watched as he tossed the shovel to the side and dragged the body into the hole. She felt very little sympathy for him, but it was still a sad scene. He stared down at the blanket in the hole. She considered offering condolences, but quickly dismissed it. For all she knew, the guy was the one who killed Chase. He could rot in hell where he belonged.

  “You can kill him,” he said softly.

  “What?” she asked, not sure she heard him correctly.

  “You. You can get to him. He'll kill me before I can get close, but you aren't wearing one of these,” he pulled at the band around his neck. “He's in his saferoom. There are only a handful of guards. The rest are out looking for you and your people. I'm supposed to be out there too. I managed to ditch my team so I could take care of Jason. No way could I leave him out here to rot.”

  She nodded. “How do I get to him?”

  He ignored her as he started to pile dirt on the body. She figured he’d been yanking her chain and had no intention of helping her.

  “8928.”

  “What?” she asked, wondering if the guy was messing with her.

  “That's the code to get in. I watched him enter it last night. He punched in the code and the door opened. He doesn't like to sleep in the lodge, in case one of us tries to kill him in his sleep. That slimeball sits in there, completely protected while we go out and do his dirty work. I’m sick of it!” he shouted.

  “Thanks,” she said, trying to decide if she could trust him. “Uh, got any more ammo for this thing?” she asked, knowing he’d probably tell her to get lost.

  He reached into one of the pockets of his tactical vest and tossed her a small box. “Good luck.”

  She watched as he started to walk away. He was actually leaving. She stood and stared at his back for a few seconds before turning around to face the biggest hurdle she’d ever had to tackle.

  “You can do this,” she said to herself, taking a deep breath and preparing to take the head off the top of the proverbial snake.

  She traversed a series of hurdles avoiding various laser lights that threatened to reveal her presence as she made her way closer to the lodge. She thought about keeping the safety measures in place once she killed Neil. She laughed at he
r positivity. She was making plans for the future. Plans that included her living at the lodge with the entire group. If only fate were so kind.

  She made it to the clearing that surrounded the lodge. Her heart hurt a little to see everything so changed. The evidence of the fire still smoldered in places. She could see the giant generators on one side. Their hum filled the once silent area. What was left of the new barn was to her left. She didn't see any men milling about, but knew there had to be some. There was no way Neil would leave himself completely exposed. She needed a diversion.

  She made her way close to the lodge, on the opposite side of the huge shipping container that now sat exposed to the elements. The remnants of the barn were still in heaping piles of charcoal all around it. On the count of three, she triggered one of the alarms and raced back around. She was right. Several men came out of the lodge, guns in hand.

  She paused, waiting to see if any other soldiers would appear. When none did, she raced to the exposed container, hoping the few soldiers would be too occupied to notice her. There was nothing to shield her from their view if they happened to look. It was a Hail Mary if she'd ever seen one.

  “Stop!” a man shouted.

  A failed attempt. “Dammit!” she cursed.

  Megan didn't hesitate. She didn't have the luxury of thinking about what to do. She turned and fired the gun. The force of the gun took her by surprise. It’d been a while since she shot a semi-automatic weapon let alone a full automatic. These guns were military grade. Instead of taking the one shot, she sprayed the area with bullets, taking out all four of the men she’d seen earlier. She dropped the rifle she'd been carrying. She didn't need it with this gun in her possession.

  She waited to see if any more would appear.

  “Coast is clear,” she muttered under her breath and turned back to the saferoom door. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for since they first learned of Neil's deception.

  She glanced around and noticed a camera pointed directly at her. Of course, she thought to herself. How could she have thought it would be as simple as walking in and killing him. He’d want to know everything happening outside his bunker. He probably had cameras all around the place she mused.