The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three

by Grace Hamilton

  There was a pause; Megan prayed the man would go to the front. The wood slapped back against the wall as the man gave up and obeyed the other man's instructions. Megan jumped up and stood to the left of the door. It wouldn't be long before the men got through the front. She was going to have to shoot to kill.

  “I'm ready,” she said in a quiet, steady tone.

  “Mom, I'm scared,” Caitlin said from her position on the floor.

  “I know, hon, I know. Grab that blanket and cover up.” Megan hoped the extra layer would offer some protection from wood that was sure to splinter when the bullets started flying. Megan silently promised herself to fight to the death.

  Megan had no idea what was about to happen, but she didn't want Caitlin to be any more traumatized than she had to be. If there was blood, glass or a horrible scene played out, she didn't want Caitlin to witness it.

  Brenda's voice could be heard over the pounding against the front door, “I am going to try to get them all, but experience and training tells me I'll only get two before I'm hit. You have to take out the others, Megan. Do you hear me?”

  “I will. We can do this, Brenda.” Megan was relying on Brenda's military training. She would listen to the woman and follow her orders.

  A gunshot reverberated through the room. Caitlin screamed. Megan quickly shushed her and told her it would be okay. Inside, she was terrified. Her hands were trembling as well as her knees. She felt like she was going to drop the gun, making her grip it even tighter.

  There was a loud banging noise as the door was thrown open. They had shot off the lock and broken the barricade. A man yelled out. Megan assumed he just got oil dumped on him. While it certainly wouldn't hurt him, it could slow him down. She waited.

  A shot rang through the air. Megan hoped that was Brenda shooting.

  “Get her!”

  The man's voice nearly paralyzed Megan with fear. She pleaded for her survivor's instinct to show up. Right now, she felt like screaming and running in the opposite direction but she knew she was going to have to fight. Megan prayed for the strength and courage.

  There was a loud crash and a shout of pain. One of them had just found the trap. Megan smiled.

  Another shot split the air. This time one of the men cursed. He had been hit. It was what Megan needed to hear. They had a chance. Brenda had managed to get one; hopefully different from the one who stepped in the trap. Two wounded men were better than four able-bodied men.

  Boots pounded across the floor. Megan knew they were coming. She quickly wiped her hand on her pants before putting it back on the trigger. She was ready.

  She expected the door to be kicked in. Instead, she heard Brenda yell. It sounded like a warrior's cry. There was a loud thud and the sounds of wrestling. Megan couldn't believe what she was hearing. The small woman was going hand-to-hand with at least one of them, possibly all of them.

  “Now, Megan!”

  Brenda's voice was the only warning she got. The door swung open. Brenda's body had been thrown against it. The woman landed on her back on the floor. She stayed down. Megan knew she was supposed to shoot the man that was standing in the doorway.

  The man looked like he hadn't bathed in months. He was glaring down at Brenda, ignoring Megan. She didn't waste another second, she pulled the trigger.

  The man looked at Megan in complete shock before grabbing his chest. The close range of the shot had him stepping backwards out of the doorway. Brenda scooted forward and kicked the door shut.

  “Hurry, Megan. We have to get out of here. Where's Caitlin?”

  Brenda was still on the ground, but had flipped to her hands and knees.

  She was feeling around on the ground. It was then Megan realized Brenda didn't have her glasses on. She was practically blind.

  “Caitlin, we have to go. I am going to boost you up through the window,” Megan said grabbing one of the small blankets tossed in a corner. She used it to clear the remaining shards of glass from the window.

  It took them less than a minute for all three of them to get through the window. Megan had tossed her pack through the window before crawling through. If any of them had been even ten pounds heavier, they wouldn't have made it. The boot on her leg made it difficult for Megan to maneuver, but she managed to get out the window.

  The whole time they could hear the men shouting and trying to save their friend. Megan knew the guy was dead. She had shot him at close range, directly in the heart. There was no saving him.

  Megan grabbed Brenda's hand. “We need to get away from here as fast as possible. Stay with me. Caitlin, don't get too far in front of me.”

  “Head for the barn,” Brenda instructed. She automatically started dragging Megan in the opposite direction.

  Megan knew the men would discover they weren't in the bedroom anymore. She was hoping to buy as much time as possible. They would likely be afraid to come through the door for fear they would be next, which they would be if she had stuck around.

  The barn wasn't Megan's first choice. She wanted to get as far away, as fast as they could.

  “They have ATVs,” Brenda said. She clearly understood Megan's hesitation.

  Megan had forgotten about the machines. They could run them down within seconds.

  Brenda was holding onto Megan's shirt as they quickly crossed the distance between the house and barn. It was a very small barn not big enough for livestock like cows and horses.

  The girls rushed inside. Brenda dropped another barricade bar across the single door entrance. It was incredibly dark, with only a small sliver of light coming through a hole in the side of the barn. Megan held onto Caitlin. The rifle was slung over her shoulder. She figured she better reload it.

  She dropped to the ground and felt around in her pack. She found the small box of ammunition and grabbed out a handful. Megan wanted the bullets easily accessible and stuck the extras in her pants pocket. If she had to take more than one shot, she didn't want to be digging around in the pack. Every second would count.

  Megan felt Brenda shuffle by her. Seconds later the room had a steady bit of light coming from a small window. It was one of the old, single-pane windows that opened out. Brenda opened it. A small breeze filtered in, which Megan realized was needed. The barn stunk to high heaven. She hadn't noticed it at first, but now that the fresh air was mingling with the stagnant air, it was obvious.

  “We can watch through here. Megan, you may need to take out the rest,” Brenda said with such a lack of emotion it disturbed Megan.

  She remembered the woman had spent years in war zones. This wasn't anything completely new to her. She was cool under fire and didn't seem bothered by the situation. Megan envied her. She was not so calm. Every nerve felt like it was bared. Her skin was crawling and her insides felt like Jell-O.

  This situation was nothing like fighting with Kyle. He had been a single attacker. She had known what to expect from him. It had all been over within seconds. These men were unknowns. She had no idea what they were capable of. She envisioned rape, torture and horrible murders. The panic threatened to take over.

  “Megan, take a deep breath. We are good here. We can see them coming. Take one shot, reload and take another. With that rifle, you can take them out before they get close. You can do this,” Brenda assured her.

  She had to do this. There wasn't another choice. Brenda was essentially blind and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Caitlin wasn't an option. There was no cavalry coming. It was all on her.

  Megan put the barrel of the rifle on the windowsill to help keep it steady. The gun was loaded and she was watching the house. She expected the men to come around the backside and follow the same path they did.

  When she saw movement, she took a deep breath and prepared to shoot.

  All three men were carrying assault rifles. She could see magazines already loaded in each gun. These guys were coming in hot. Megan didn't hesitate. She focused on the man closest to the barn, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Nothing.

>   “Oh no!” she wailed.

  “Crap,” Brenda said, standing from her position of towering over Caitlin.

  Megan was thankful Brenda was willing to sacrifice herself for her daughter.

  “It didn't fire,” Megan said, trying not to panic.

  “Give it to me,” Brenda demanded.

  Megan wasn't sure what the woman was going to do. She couldn't possibly see the weapon in daylight. With the filtered light, she would be blind.

  It didn't stop Brenda. She ran her hands over the barrel, opened the bolt action and quickly took the gun apart with a speed that amazed Megan.

  “I grew up with this gun. I can take it apart and reassemble it with my eyes closed,” she joked. Plus, in the Army, you are trained to know your gun inside and out; although, I can't say we used Cricketts.

  Megan watched out the window. The men were walking away from the barn. She hoped they assumed they had run into the forest and would head in that direction. If she didn't have to shoot anyone, she would be happy but she would do it, if it came to that.

  The sliding of the bolt action drew her attention back to Brenda.

  “Hand me a bullet,” she commanded.

  Megan reached into her pocket and gave her one of the bullets. Brenda loaded it, slid the bolt into place and handed the gun back to Megan.

  “It was jammed. It's all good now. After this is all done, I will show you how to make sure that doesn't happen again.”

  Megan couldn't believe Brenda had just lectured her about taking care of the gun. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The gun had been in a storm, left exposed to the elements, and then stuck on a wall. It had probably not been dried or cleaned and was already rusting.

  A shout from outside got Megan's attention. The men were headed towards the barn. She didn't hesitate. It was a quick shot. The man leading the charge to the barn dropped like a rock. Megan reached into her pocket and quickly loaded another round.

  The men were moving fast. There was no way she could take out both men.

  “They are fifty feet away. Brenda, get Caitlin out of here!” she shouted as she watched the man on the far left raise his gun. The .223 caliber bullets would tear through the flimsy wood barn as if it was toilet paper. Megan took a second shot and the man closest to her dropped.

  Caitlin screamed when the last man standing opened fire. Megan dropped to the ground and belly crawled to the back corner where Caitlin and Brenda were huddling. The sound of the rapid firing gun made it impossible for them to speak.

  “What do we do?” Megan asked over the gunfire.

  Brenda didn't answer right away.

  “We need a distraction,” she answered. “If we can get him to stop shooting, you can get off a shot. You will only get one chance. You seem to be a good shot. Can you do it?”

  Megan froze. One shot. One chance to save their lives. It was a lot of pressure but when she looked at her little girl, she knew she had to. There wasn't any other choice.

  Megan nodded, “Yes. But how are we going to distract him long enough for me to get to the window and get a shot? What if he isn't in view?”

  She was trying to hide the panic in her voice but there were so many variables. Replacing a magazine only took a few seconds but she suggested getting in position and shooting while he was reloading.

  Brenda didn't like the idea at all. There was a good chance Megan would be shot trying to get to the window.

  “I can distract him,” Caitlin said. Her small voice was difficult to hear over the gunfire.

  “No, Caitlin!” Brenda and Megan said in unison.

  “Mom, I can make a wolf sound. Me and Brenda hear wolves out here all the time. If he thinks I am a wolf, he might get scared and run away.”

  Brenda put her hand on Megan's arm when she started to object.

  “It's a good idea. I have heard Caitlin's wolf impression. She is really good. You taught her well.”

  Megan knew Caitlin was an expert at making animal noises. Kids were like sponges and thanks to working with the others on her wilderness skills, her immersion into the forest had given her an advantage at a young age.

  “Fine. But how is he going to hear you?”

  Brenda pointed to the wall directly behind them. “There is a small opening back here. It isn't big enough for us, but I think Caitlin can squeeze through. I think whoever lived here had chickens and that was their way in and out. I put a board over it when I first got here. I can pry it off.”

  “I don't want her out there alone!” Megan couldn't believe what Brenda was suggesting.

  “Megan, this is our best shot. She can make it to the trees, make the wolf call, and then run if it doesn't work.”

  It was then Megan realized they were trapped. If she didn't kill this man, they would all be at his mercy. Caitlin would likely be killed or kidnapped. She didn’t want to imagine what he would do with her baby. Caitlin had a chance if she could get away. It would take the man minutes or longer to realize she had escaped.

  If Caitlin could get back to the lodge, she would be safe. Wyatt and the family would protect her. Megan's heart skipped a beat at the thought of her daughter in the forest alone, running for her life but she knew it had to be this way.

  Megan hugged Caitlin. “I love you, baby. You be safe. Don't you stop. You keep running until you find Chase or Jack. They will be looking for you.”

  Brenda was running her hands along the wall, trying to find the thin piece of wood covering the hole. She found it, yanked a few times and pulled the board off.

  “Stay against the building until you hear one of us tell you to go,” Megan instructed. “Caitlin, if it has been a minute or you don't hear anything, you start running anyway. Do you hear me? You run as fast and as far as you can.”

  “I hear you mom. I will.”

  Caitlin crawled through the hole, tapping lightly on the wall to tell them she was pressed to the outside wall of the barn. Brenda had her hand out the hole to signal Caitlin when to make the wolf call and when to run. Megan belly crawled as close as she dared to the window. The bullets were still flying, but most seemed to be concentrated to the window and door area.

  There had been a few close calls but fortunately, the man was aiming pretty high.

  Finally! There was a pause in the firing. Within seconds, Megan heard Caitlin's wolf call. It was amazing how much it sounded like the real thing. She didn't hesitate. She jumped to her feet and ran for the window.

  She prayed the rifle wouldn't jam. She got the barrel into the windowsill, scanned the area and quickly saw the man. He had his gun barrel pointed to the ground and was staring into the trees. Caitlin's wolf howl echoed through the area again.

  Megan didn't wait to see what he would do next; she took a breath, exhaled and fired. It only took a split second for the man to drop. He fell backwards as the bullet entered his skull, killing him instantly.

  She couldn't breathe. Megan stared at the man lying on the ground, the AR-15 still in one hand. A magazine had dropped beside him as he fell. The eerie sound of the wolf call cut through the air again.

  “Is he down?” Brenda asked in a hushed voice.

  Megan couldn't immediately speak.

  “Megan? Are you okay? Are you hit?” Brenda's voice was calm, but the panic was bubbling to the surface.

  “Yes. I mean no. Yes, he's down. No, I'm not hit.”

  She looked around. There was no movement. Did they get them all? Megan was disgusted by the carnage that lay outside the barn. Three bodies littered the once pristine area.

  “Tell Caitlin to stay put. We need to get out of here. Can you make your way back here?”

  Brenda was already moving towards her.

  “I have to have my glasses, Megan. I can't possibly live without them in this world.”

  Megan knew what she was saying. They had to go back to the cabin. Did she dare take Caitlin past the dead men? Did she dare leave her daughter out here by herself?

  “You sta
y with Caitlin. I’ll go. I don't want her near those men and there is no way I am leaving her out here. I'll be right back.”

  The two women went in opposite directions once they left the barn. Brenda had one arm out, using the barn to guide her around the back to where Caitlin waited. Megan ran as fast as she could with the boot hardly slowing her down. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins, giving her strength and speed.

  She skirted the men, hoping they were truly dead. She went in the front door of the cabin, being careful not to slide in the oil that had been dumped on the floor. Megan scanned the floor, looking for the glasses that enabled Brenda to see.

  She made her way back to the bedroom, stepping over the man lying dead on the floor. She kept waiting for him to reach out and grab her ankle like she had seen so many times in the movies. He didn't. She found the glasses in the corner, just outside the room. Megan grabbed them and rushed towards the front door.

  The bag of medical supplies may be needed to help treat Wyatt she realized and quickly ran back to the room to grab them. On her way back to the door, she heard men's voices. She nearly puked. It was like a punch to the gut.

  She hadn't gotten out in time! More men were on their way and once they saw the bodies, all hell would break loose. She prayed Brenda and Caitlin were already on the move. Megan reached into her pocket, grabbed another round, loaded it into the gun, and slid the bolt into place. If she only got one shot, she was going to make sure she took out at least one of them.

  Megan popped her head out the door, looked left and right and saw nothing. She could hear the voices coming through the trees to the right of the cabin. The sounds were coming from the meadow area. The barn was on the opposite side. She could use the cabin as cover and get to the barn. She hoped.

  She didn’t hesitate and ran, once again as fast as her legs would carry her.

  26

  “Megan, stop!”

  It was Chase's voice. Megan froze and spun around the sudden shift in her momentum almost sending her sprawling to the ground. Chase, Jack and Ryland were all racing through the trees.

  “Oh my gosh. Please tell me there are no other men out there?” Megan shouted. Even she could hear the hysteria in her voice.