The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three

by Grace Hamilton

  She became angry and frustrated. Every minute they sat around here was another minute Caitlin was out there doing who knows what.

  “What do you think, boy?” she asked Duke. The kids had left to go help with chores, leaving her and the dog alone in the cabin.

  Duke was sprawled out on another couch, his head propped up on the armrest. He barely wagged his tail. Clearly, he didn't feel like being disturbed.

  “Well, I am tired of waiting around. I'm going to see what's going on.” She stood, waited a few seconds to see if the rush of pain would hit and then started towards the door being careful not to put too much weight on her ankle.

  Megan carefully made her way through the thick trees. The ground was wet and slippery from all the rain. She assumed that was why Wyatt had decided not to come get her.

  The main camp area was a flurry of activity. There was a small group in the gazebo and she could see smoke rising from the brick oven. Her mouth watered at the thought of fresh bread again. Bread with yeast just couldn't compare to the flat stuff they’d been eating the last few months. Rosie's bread recipe consisted of nothing more than flour, salt, water and oil. It tended to be very bland but edible.

  There were two men; Megan couldn't remember their names, using small shovels to rub mud into the cracks between the logs that made up the cabin wall. She knew this was called chinking. She had loved history in school and had always thought it was very cool how the pioneers had built their homes with things they found in the environment.

  The mud had a bit of a reddish tint, which told Megan there was some clay in it. She watched as they slapped scoops of mud on a log and then used the shovel to push it in the cracks. In the old days, pioneers often used dried corncobs to help fill in the gaps. They had quite a few of those cobs back at their own camp. They were saving them, but none of them knew exactly for what. They just knew they would be useful.

  She spotted Wyatt almost instantly. He was holding a ladder for Jack who was standing close to the top, working on the roof of the new cabin. From what she could see, they’d made good progress. She knew a lot more about the construction process than she did before the EMP.

  Jack had used long poles made from branches to create trusses. The trusses looked like triangles sitting on top of the cabin frame. He was obviously building it extra sturdy to handle the snow load. She knew by looking that the trusses would be exactly two feet apart. That was the way he built. He said it kept things easy and gave all the support they needed.

  When Wyatt noticed her, he smiled. She gave him a look that let him know she wasn't pleased.

  Megan hobbled over to the cabin area. Jack had come down off the ladder and told Wyatt he didn't need him for now. Basically, he was giving Megan the all clear to scold her boyfriend.

  Wyatt and Megan walked a few feet away from the beehive of activity at the cabin to get some privacy. He held her around the waist, which she didn't want to admit was a huge help. It took a lot of the pressure off her one good foot.

  “Hey, I was just going to see how you were doing. Is the ankle feeling better?”

  She didn't bother answering his question.

  “I take it we aren't going to search for the Green Woman today?”

  He sucked in a breath through his teeth, “Well, I was going to talk to you about that.”

  Megan glared.

  “Jack is going to get them going on this roof and you really needed to give that ankle a rest. I know you want to get out there and find this green lady but if you end up getting hurt worse, it’s going to be bad. It’s only a day or two. You are already moving better. I'm sorry. I should have talked to you, but we got going on this roof.”

  His explanation made sense, but it irritated her. They were all doing something and she was once again sitting on her butt.

  “Fine. It isn't like I can say otherwise. So, it looks like you guys are pretty close to being done there,” she gestured to the roof.

  “Yep, just finished the trusses. Jack is going to get them started on placing the horizontal logs across the trusses. I don't think we need to stick around to help with the completion. He only wanted to get them started,” Wyatt explained.

  “Got it. I'm going to go back to the big cabin and chill, I guess.” She was pouting and she could tell from the look on his face that he knew it.

  “Think of it as a learning experience. Jack is getting to practice here. In the spring, we want to build a new cabin on the property for Jack, Willow and Ryland. Maybe we can build one for us as well.”

  Megan nodded. The idea was appealing. They had talked about having their own place, but it was always just talk. What if they could actually do it?

  The group had also talked about more people joining them. It was inevitable. Chase needed companionship. One day he would fall in love and want to bring a woman into the group. They needed more space. More private, individual space. So far, things had been okay but with that many people living in one house, it was bound to get tense.

  “Megan?”

  “What?”

  “Jack isn't doing all this work for nothing.”

  She raised an eyebrow. Her arms were crossed over her chest. He had told her before she looked just like Caitlin when she didn't get her way.

  “Evan regularly trades with a group farther east. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for us to trade with them, because it would be about a two-day hike one-way for us. But for Evan, it’s only one.”

  “Yeah,” she huffed, getting more frustrated.

  “That group has goats. Like a whole herd.”

  Megan's eyes lit up. She dropped her arms.

  “Really?”

  Wyatt smiled. “Yep. They have agreed to get us a nanny and a billy in exchange for building this roof. Two of the nannies in the tribe just had babies and they will get them once they have been weaned from their mothers. So, we’ll trek back here in a few weeks and we’ll need to bring them more socks as well.”

  Megan clapped her hands together like a little kid. “Are they the kind Willow was talking about? The kind for milking?”

  “Yep, Nubians.”

  Megan hobbled back to him and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you. Sorry for being a brat.”

  He laughed, “You are always a brat. Never apologize. The kids are going to be thrilled, huh?”

  Mentioning the kids brought Megan right back to Caitlin.

  “Yes, which is why you need to get this done so we can get out there and find Caitlin.”

  “I know, Megan. I know. And we will.”

  She turned to walk away. He swatted her on the backside, “Go rest that leg.”

  Megan turned back, rolled her eyes, “I'll be resting my leg and jotting down all the things I want Willow to make with that goat milk.”

  He laughed, “I'm sure you will.”

  Megan was stretched out on the couch, with her leg propped up like a good patient when she heard a knock on the cabin door.

  “Come in,” she shouted. It was way too much hassle to get up and answer the door.

  It was Greg, the radio guy.

  “Hi,” she said, not sure what else to say.

  He handed her a dark blue walking boot.

  “Here. I had found this a few months back and figured if one of us ever got hurt, it would come in handy.”

  Megan had to wear one of these years ago when she had sprained her ankle in a softball game.

  “This is great! I really appreciate it. Thank you so much, Greg. I'm not sure how I can repay you.”

  “Don't even worry about it. I'm sure there are plenty more of these things around. Most people ignore the medical equipment stuff. To tell you the truth, I have slings, knee braces and even a few back braces. These guys all thought I was crazy, but injuries are going to happen. I figure these braces and what not can help make it better.

  “You have a knee brace?” she asked. Her mind instantly went to Albert.

  Greg chuckled, “I have several. You need one?”

&nbs
p; “Actually, there is a guy at our camp. He has a bum knee. It only acts up every now and again, but I'm wondering if a brace would help.”

  Greg smiled, “I will get it to you before you leave tomorrow. Tell him I know what it’s like. I would love to meet him one of these days. Us old codgers gotta stick together.”

  Megan laughed, “Old codger is right. He is the sweetest, kindest, grumpiest man I have met in a long time.”

  Greg laughed again. “That pretty much describes all of us old guys. I better get back to it. I just wanted you to have this. I know you’re a tough girl, but you have a long journey back and a little support will help.”

  “I really appreciate it and I have no problem taking help, especially if it means that I can walk semi-normally.”

  21

  Megan was restless. Her body was not used to being so inactive. The past couple of weeks had been tough but now that her ankle was feeling better, it was even harder. She wanted to get up and move. She wanted to look for her daughter.

  Thanks to the new walking boot, she could comfortably walk and now that the throbbing was gone, she almost felt normal. So long as she didn’t overdo it, she was ready to find Caitlin.

  Rosie was softly snoring in the bed across from her. It wasn't loud enough to be irritating, but Megan envied her. She wished she were able to fall asleep so fast and sleep so peacefully. Ever since Caitlin had disappeared, Megan hadn't been able to sleep well at all.

  The lack of sleep was taking its toll. She was grumpy and despite how tired she was, it made it more difficult for her to sleep. She had battled insomnia in the past but this was worse. Now, she lay in bed imagining what Caitlin was doing. She thought about whether her little girl was warm or scared. Was she being fed?

  Megan was staring at the ceiling when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She quickly sat up and stared out the dark window. The storm had passed earlier in the day and the almost full moon acted as a nightlight of sorts. The trees surrounding the cabin filtered the light, but she could still see a little.

  She watched the window, not moving a muscle. There! There it was again! Someone was out there!

  Megan quietly got out of bed and stood to one side of the window. She didn't want to alert whoever was out there that she was up. She strained her eyes. A figure emerged from the shed that was beside the cabin.

  “Just a little more,” she whispered in the darkness. The figure was nothing more than a shadow. A beam of moonlight cut through the trees. Once the shadow entered the moonlight, she would be able to see who it was.

  She got her answer within seconds. It was a woman wearing dark green clothes. It was the Green Woman! She had been here the whole time!

  Megan felt the anger and betrayal wash over her. The people they were calling friends and learning to trust had betrayed them. She knew it! She knew it when she saw Caitlin's gun hanging in the barn.

  She watched the woman, carrying a large bag, walk towards the line of brush and trees that concealed the larger cabin. Megan decided to follow her. That was the only way she was going to find her daughter.

  Megan quickly strapped on the walking boot and left the cabin, hoping she hadn't lost the Green Woman's trail. She crossed the cold, hard ground at a quick pace finding the spot she thought the Green Woman had entered the trees and carefully made her way through.

  Her goal was to be quiet and sneak up on the woman, but tree branches were snapping under her feet and the boot made a heavy thumping sound. Megan slowed down in order to control her breathing as well as the noise she was making.

  She broke through the trees into the clearing of the main camp area. It was eerily quiet. Megan stood completely still, standing just inside the tree line. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for movement. Her ears were tuned to pick up any noise that didn't belong in the still night. Nothing.

  Megan waited for a few seconds before slowly moving forward. She looked down at the ground, but it was impossible to see any clear tracks. She made her way to the small cabin. She waited, expecting the woman to come out of the cabin or at least show herself in some way.

  She waited several long minutes. There was no movement in the camp. No sound to indicate anyone was skulking around. Megan's frustration made her want to scream. She decided to go to Wyatt and tell him what she saw. He would take it seriously.

  Megan slowly made her way back through the trees. Something caught her eye. It was a little box of gauze on the ground. She looked around. The path back to the large cabin was different from the one she had taken the first time. This is where the Green Woman had come through!

  She picked up the gauze and turned around, heading back to the main camp. She walked slowly, looking for any more signs the woman had come through here. There was a very faint path visible. Megan looked for signs of branches being broken or plants being pushed down. She scanned the area until she found it.

  Instead of cutting directly across and into the main camp, the woman had walked parallel, staying in the trees. Megan followed the path and found herself at the barn. Caitlin had to be in there somewhere. Her gut instinct had been right the first time!

  A movement behind her had her spinning around so fast she nearly lost her balance. She saw nothing, but her ears told her something was moving in the opposite direction back to the shed and large cabin.

  “What game is she playing?” Megan hissed under her breath. She was torn between going into the barn to find Caitlin or following the dang woman until she could force her to tell her where Caitlin was. It only took a second for Megan to make her decision. She didn't have a flashlight and she had already searched the barn in the middle of the day and come up empty. She needed to speak to her.

  Megan walked as fast as she could, trying to catch up to the woman. She stayed on the edge of the tree line facing the secret cabin area. There! Megan spotted the woman going back into the small shed. She decided to sneak up and ambush her there. It would be easier to corner her in the small space than in the wide-open forest.

  The woman was inside the small shed. Megan could hear her moving around. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

  “Don't move.”

  The words were said with an authority that even surprised Megan.

  The woman froze with her back to Megan.

  “Turn around.”

  After a brief pause, the Green Woman slowly turned around. She was holding a green canvas bag with one hand and a small pen light in the other.

  “Where's my daughter!”

  Megan's voice was calm, which surprised her considering her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty, and every nerve ending in her body was telling her to attack.

  The woman refused to meet her eyes. Megan was about to repeat her question when the woman charged her. The move was unexpected and caught Megan off guard. She flew backwards, landing on her butt.

  She shouted in frustration. The Green Woman jumped over her and ran for the door. Megan was not about to let her get away. She reached up, grabbed the woman's pant leg and yanked, bringing the other woman to her knees.

  Megan tried to stand up, but the boot made her clumsy. The Green Woman kicked back her booted foot landing square in Megan's chest, barely missing her face. The blow was powerful enough to cause Megan to lose her grip on the pants.

  “Stop! Stop! Where is she? Give me my daughter!” Megan scrambled up, but by the time she got to the door, the Green Woman was gone.

  Megan wasn't going to give up; she awkwardly ran and walked at the same time, dragging the booted leg. She made it to the trees before all hell broke loose. Her shouting woke the whole camp. Wyatt was racing across the rough terrain wearing nothing but his jeans.

  He caught up to Megan and grabbed her arm.

  “What the hell happened? What are you doing out here?”

  Megan pulled him, trying to encourage him to enter the trees. He refused to go in with his bare feet.

  Evan burst through the trees a few feet away from Megan and Wya
tt.

  “What's going on?”

  “She was here!” Megan shouted. “Let's go. We have to follow her!”

  “Who's here?”

  Megan groaned, “The Green Woman. Wyatt, let's go. She is getting away.”

  Just then, there was another shout. It was Bryan and another one of the men from the camp.

  “We've been raided, again!” Bryan said, storming towards Megan. “What did you take?”

  Wyatt stepped in front of Megan and put his hand up, silently telling Bryan to back off. Evan moved to stand next to Bryan.

  Jack appeared out of nowhere and stood next to Wyatt. It was another standoff.

  Bryan angrily looked at them. “We took you in. We thought you were our friends. And then you rob us while we are sleeping?”

  Wyatt glared at the men, “We didn't rob anyone. We were sleeping. You don't want to start accusing people,” his sentence was cut short.

  Megan pushed him out of the way. She stepped forward and got right in Bryan's face.

  “Really? Robbing you? I'm sorry, do you not consider stealing children a crime?”

  Bryan looked confused.

  “What are you talking about, Megan?” Wyatt asked. The anger in his voice was palpable.

  She spun around, “The Green Woman has been here the whole time, which means Caitlin is here! I saw her. They are hiding her, Wyatt!”

  Wyatt pulled Megan behind him again. “You want to tell me what that's all about?” he seethed.

  Evan sighed and held up a hand. “We don't have her. We aren't hiding the Green Woman. Obviously, she was here, but it isn't because we invited her. She raids us on occasion. When we’ve tried to stop her, someone usually ends up with a knock to the head.”

  Megan watched Evan, trying to gauge whether he was being honest or giving them another story. She didn't believe him. Why wouldn't they mention that little tidbit earlier?

  “I'm telling the truth,” Evan reiterated. “You can search this area, top to bottom. I guarantee your daughter isn't here. The Green Woman is probably long gone as well.”