The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three

by Grace Hamilton

  They didn't say a word as they grabbed their gear and prepared to set out. Today was going to be a long hike. With only the two of them, they could move fast, but it was still going to take a couple hours to get there. It was hard to say for sure what was beyond the tree line. He hadn't made it that far, yet.

  There had been no need. He knew it was more forestland that stretched into Idaho. The maps indicated there was nothing out there. The nearest town was at least twenty miles away. It would be very easy to get lost. Once you were that deep into the forest, it all tended to look the same no matter which way you went.

  Because there was a very strong possibility they would encounter other people, Wyatt and Chase were each carrying a handgun in a holster. The last time they had seen Evan, it hadn't been a friendly occasion. Guns had been drawn and Wyatt had been shot. They weren't taking any chances.

  The two men made good time, only stopping for a few minutes here and there to drink water. Wyatt had skipped dinner the night before and was pretty hungry. He should have made time to eat something before they left, but he was too excited to get out there.

  Chase gave him a Ziploc bag filled with turkey jerky and a biscuit from last night's dinner. It wasn't the best tasting stuff in the world, but it provided energy and, he needed to eat in order to have the strength to make it back home with Caitlin.

  Megan woke up, stretched, and felt beside the bed for Duke's head.

  “Good morning, buddy. What do you think? Is today the day we get our girl back?”

  Duke's tail started to thump against the wood floor.

  “I know. I'm excited too. She is going to be so happy to be home and to see you, of course.”

  Duke carefully put his front paws on the bed to give Megan better access to his head. He lifted a paw indicating he wanted a belly scratch as well.

  “Fine, one quick belly rub, and then I have to get up. Not all of us get to lie around and be fed all day.”

  Megan made her way out to the kitchen. The house was still very quiet. She used the peace and quiet to go over the maps. Wyatt had made a small X on the area where the bloody bandage had been found. From there, she slid her finger in the direction Wyatt said he saw the footprints go in.

  It was all forestland owned by the government. She doubted there would be any cabins in the area where a person, or even Evan's group, could take shelter. She grabbed another map of the same area and compared the two. The second map was a little more detailed and appeared to be more recent.

  As she studied the map, she saw a small area that appeared to be privately owned land. It was surrounded on three sides by forest, but it was not designated as managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

  She got excited and turned to Duke, “That has to be it. That has to be where Evan and his group are. I bet you Caitlin is there!”

  Duke jumped up excited. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he rapidly wagged his tail. She turned back to the map and then back to Duke. He gave her a big lick to show his own excitement.

  “I know, buddy. I can't wait to tell, Wyatt. We have to get over there.”

  She continued to study the map. It was going to be quite a hike. She used the key to determine how far the area was from the lodge. She was guessing fifteen, possibly twenty miles. Carrying a backpack and walking through the forest would mean a person would travel about two miles per hour. The area looked to be about the same elevation as the lodge but they would have to go up and then down, which would slow them down a bit more.

  Using the hiker formula of one hour for three miles, she figured on the high side of about seven hours. That was assuming the hiker didn't stop to eat or didn't have to climb any steep cliffs. The idea of her daughter being that far away from her was frightening.

  Megan grabbed the pencil and circled the area on the map. She was certain this was where Evan or another group would have set up camp. This had to be where Caitlin was being held. Megan was convinced more than ever that her daughter was kidnapped and not simply missing.

  The rest of the day Megan tried to keep busy. She helped Jack with the mudroom as much as she could before Rosie demanded she sit down. Dragging a chair outside, she rested her bad leg on it while she held the wood for Chase to pound in the nails. Her leg was feeling much better so she felt more comfortable standing with her weight on her good leg. She handed Chase nails and let him know when the boards were straight.

  As dusk fell, Megan waited for Wyatt. She knew in her heart he wouldn't be bringing Caitlin home, but she was okay with that. She was certain she knew right where her daughter was. Now, it was figuring out how to get her back. She hadn't shared what she believed with Jack or anyone else. She wanted to wait for Wyatt.

  She knew they would all be hesitant to storm into an enemy camp and demand Caitlin be returned. They might be cautious, but Megan would walk right through the front door and take her daughter. She didn't care what might happen. Caitlin was hers!

  Wyatt and Chase were famished. Megan was dying to tell him her news, but wanted to make sure everyone had full bellies and would be willing to listen to her idea. Duke sat next to her the whole time, offering his moral support the only way he could.

  Wyatt went outside to use the bathroom and grab some water to clean up. He felt her before he heard or saw her.

  “What are you doing out here?” he asked before turning around.

  “I need to talk to you. About Caitlin,” Megan said softly.

  Wyatt sighed prepared to get the brunt of her anger again.

  He put down the water, turned and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I'm trying, Megan. I swear to God I am doing everything I know to do.”

  She pushed back, “I know. I have an idea. Will you give me ten minutes to explain?”

  “Of course. Let me clean up and I would love to hear what you have to say.”

  Megan kissed him and hobbled back inside.

  She sat at the table, waiting for Wyatt. Jack, Albert and Chase all sat down as well. At first she was going to excuse herself and take the maps in the room to talk with Wyatt in private, but figured one or more of them would have to go along so they may as well know her idea.

  Wyatt sat down in the chair next to Megan, stretched his arm out behind her and nodded his head, giving her the go ahead to share her plan.

  Megan unfolded the two maps, putting the one where she had drawn the circle on top.

  “I think she is here.”

  Wyatt raised an eyebrow.

  “Why there?”

  She excitedly explained how she came up with the idea. The rest of the men nodded, seeming to agree with her.

  “You think Evan's group has her?”

  Megan shrugged. “I think someone has her. It seems logical that others would be living up here. That area is where I would set up a camp. It’s close to hunting, water, and would provide plenty of shelter. I'm guessing there are some cabins already in that area.”

  Wyatt nodded. She was right. The problem was the distance. He watched as she pulled out a little scrap of paper with a bunch of numbers and calculations on it.

  “I think it will take six to seven hours depending on how fast you can move.”

  Chase whistled, “One way?”

  Megan grimaced. “Yeah.”

  Wyatt looked at each of the men. Albert couldn't make the hike. There was no way. Jack and Chase would insist on going. If they did this, that would mean they would have to spend the night in the woods, leaving the others behind for at least two full days.

  Leaving the women alone bothered him. What if Evan was like his brother and was using this as a way to get them away from the cabin?

  Chase was the first to object to the plan. Jack and Albert had their own concerns.

  “She's right. This is probably where Evan is set up. It would be smart for us to know where our enemies are. We’ve been waiting all summer for the other shoe to drop,” Wyatt explained.

  Albert wasn't convinced. “So, you think it is better to
walk into enemy territory and ask nicely? Do you really think that is going to end well?”

  Wyatt shrugged, “I don't really see any other options. We are wasting time scouting the same areas day in and day out. No one here is willing to give up on finding Caitlin, right?”

  The silence was telling.

  Wyatt could feel the anger radiating off Megan. He put his hand on her back to calm her down.

  “Guys, we need to do something. I would rather know my enemy. Sitting here waiting and hoping isn't doing anyone any good.”

  Albert stood up, “Wyatt, you aren't being objective. You aren't thinking clearly because you are thinking with your heart rather than your brain.”

  Wyatt stood up so fast his chair went flying behind him.

  “Don't even question my motives, Albert. This is about a little girl. This is about making sure we are all safe. How can we be prepared to defend against something that we don't know? What if they aren't even there at all? I'm tired of waiting for them to exact that revenge they think is due.”

  Jack grabbed Albert's arm, pulling him back down to the table. He looked at Wyatt waiting for him to grab his chair and sit back down as well.

  Chase came up with a compromise.

  “How about we continue searching around this area first,” he used his finger to cover areas to the east and south that hadn't been searched yet. “While we are searching, Megan, Rosie and Willow can put together some things that we could use to barter with Evan's group.”

  “What?” Megan asked. “Are you serious? You want me to trade a can of corn for my daughter?”

  Chase held up a hand. “No, I'm saying if we don't find her, we go to their camp under the guise of wanting to trade goods before winter. It will appear neighborly. This will give us a chance to mend fences between our groups and for us to check the place out. We will look for Caitlin while we are there.”

  “Why wait another week? I don't want to wait another day!” Megan shouted.

  Wyatt once again put his hand on the small of her back to calm her down.

  “This is a good plan, Megan. We need some time to put stuff together,” Wyatt said in a soothing voice.

  She rolled her eyes, “It won't take a week to do that.”

  “I'll get the distiller fired up and make some moonshine. That stuff will have them begging for more and giving us whatever we want,” Albert stated.

  Albert's moonshine was stout. The group had been thrilled when he made the first few batches, but had quickly realized it was very potent. After a particularly painful hangover, Chase had suggested reducing the proof by adding more fresh water but Albert wouldn’t hear of it. So, it was decided the moonshine would only be brought out for really special occasions.

  The group talked a bit more about what they could feasibly carry that far and what would earn them the most points with the other group. Megan was quiet for the rest of the conversation. She excused herself from the table and went to bed without saying another word. Wyatt knew she was frustrated and a little hurt that the others weren't willing to rush over there.

  He could see both sides of the argument. Heading out without being fully prepared wasn't smart. He would try to push up the timeline. A week was a little too long, but he didn't want to get Megan's hopes up. He would talk to Chase tomorrow when they went out on their next search.

  For now, he would do his best to assure Megan it would all work out. It had to.

  14

  Megan wasn't happy to wait for the cavalry to rescue her daughter, but she was doing her best to be patient. Rosie kept her busy digging through boxes, looking for things that would make good trades. They needed to give up some of their valuable items in order to appeal to the other group. If they walked in there with a bunch of stuff that could be easily found elsewhere, they would never get information on Caitlin.

  The sock warehouse was proving to be a very valuable find. They had chosen twenty pairs of wool socks to offer for trade. Socks were a big deal, especially during winter in the mountains. People had to walk; often in snow and frigid temperatures. Keeping their feet warm and dry at all times would be a priority. Having extra socks to change into once one pair got wet was just common sense.

  “What about these?” Rosie said, holding up a couple pairs of worn, but still functional boots.

  They were her husband's and didn’t fit anyone, but could be another invaluable trade item. Megan was tasked with putting in new laces and cleaning them up. Ryland pulled together some books that he and Caitlin no longer read for any kids that may be in the camp, as well as some old magazines.

  Even though the magazines were outdated, they were entertaining to read and once they had been read, they could be used for other purposes.

  Willow and Rosie put together some dried apples, Ziploc bags of applesauce and a bag of the potatoes they harvested from the garden. The applesauce had been removed from the jars and stored in the Ziploc bags to make it easier and lighter to transport. While they really couldn't afford to part with the food, they were willing to if it meant getting Caitlin back.

  The items were distributed into piles to try to balance the weight. No matter how they did it, the backpacks were going to be very heavy. The heavier the bag, the slower the trip would be. They also had to account for the extra supplies the guys would need to stay out in the woods overnight.

  Going back through the items they were willing to part with, they pulled out the heavier or harder to carry items and set them aside only going with those they thought would be of most value.

  Megan grew restless. Every passing hour could be jeopardizing her daughter's life. She hobbled outside, needing a few minutes to herself. Duke followed.

  “They sure are taking their sweet time,” she told the dog, knowing he would never betray her confidence. “I don't think I can wait another day, buddy. What about you?”

  Duke sat down and leaned into her one good leg, nearly toppling her over. She took that as a sign he was on her side.

  Caitlin had witnessed Kyle Grice murder a young man and had inadvertently become a target. The man had gone to great lengths to try to kill her and Megan. At the time, Evan didn't seem any more stable when he’d sworn to avenge his brother's death. Caitlin being stuck alone in that group could not be a good thing.

  Wyatt had done his best to calm her fears, but it wasn't helping. He reasoned if they took the time to bandage an injury, assuming the bloody bandage was Caitlin's, then they wouldn't hurt her. Maybe there were other mothers in the group and they were taking care of her.

  Megan always had the same question, “Why won't they let her come home?”

  Duke tilted his head to the side.

  “You are pretty much the only one willing to listen to me, big guy. You know I'm right, don't you?”

  She rubbed his ears. “Maybe we should go get her ourselves? What do you think about that?”

  Duke thumped his tail and turned to lick the hand that was petting him.

  Megan took that as a yes and contemplated taking matters into her own hands and what that would mean. Her ankle was definitely better and while it wasn’t one hundred percent, she was able to walk around without using the crutches.

  She chewed on her lower lip agonizing over what her heart was telling her to do. Could she do it on her own? It wasn’t as though she’d never walked that kind of a distance before. She’d managed to walk much farther carrying Caitlin when she’d fallen ill. At least now, she’d have both her hands even if she only had one good leg.

  Megan heard laughter from in the house cementing her resolve.

  She was tired of waiting. She was tired of relying on others to do what had to be done. Time and again, life had taught her she could only rely on herself. No one else was willing to help.

  The next morning, she made her move.

  It was early Tuesday morning. Wyatt and Chase had set out to follow their plan to search another area. They were leaving no stone unturned. Megan knew they wouldn't find her. Her gut to
ld her Evan had her and they were nowhere near, where Chase and Wyatt were searching.

  Rosie was upstairs, making beds. Willow was busy organizing the root cellar. Ryland and Jack were finishing the mudroom. Megan looked around and thought about what she was going to do. Could she do it?

  She didn't hesitate another second and hobbled back to the bedroom as fast as she could move and tossed her emergency gear into her pack. Planning to stay the night in the woods meant she would need to be able to start a fire, need a way to clean water, some sort of shelter and food. She threw in extra socks and a couple Mylar blankets. While she would have liked to take an actual blanket, she didn't think she could handle the weight and bulk. Her leg was going to slow her down even if she was able to walk around the cabin now without crutches.

  The one thing she knew she needed was the gun Wyatt kept in the top drawer of the dresser. It was the same gun he had left for her in the bag hanging in the tree. The same gun that saved her life and took the life of Kyle Grice. Checking it for ammunition, she vowed that if she had to, she was willing to kill again if it meant saving her daughter. She grabbed a handful of the .45 cartridges out of the drawer and put them in the pocket of her backpack. Making sure the safety was on; she put the gun in the bag. A holster would have helped lighten the load, but she would make do.

  She wished there was a cane to help her across the terrain but they didn’t have one. She knew walking would be slow but she was done with sitting around waiting for others.

  “You want to go with me, Duke?”

  The dog had followed her into the bedroom and was watching her. Megan figured he would not only provide her with companionship, but could also help protect her. He would hopefully be able to sniff out Caitlin should she be at the camp.

  Megan considered the dog's needs. She would need water for him as well as food. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed some more of the jerky and some leftover bread. It wasn't much, but it would keep them going until they could get back.