“No. Not that we saw. Are you okay? Did you find Caitlin?”
Megan nodded. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face. Jack hugged her before Chase pushed him out of the way and wrapped his arms around her.
“We need to get you back. Where is she?” Jack asked, looking around. His eyes stopped on the first man Megan had killed.
“What the hell happened here, Megan? We heard a lot of gunfire. It sounded like a war zone!”
Chase pulled away from Megan and looked her over.
“Dad, look over there!” Ryland shouted pointing to the area where the other three men lay.
“Megan, where is Caitlin?” Chase asked. His voice was calm. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word.
Megan rolled her eyes. “I'm fine. She's fine. She's with Brenda behind the barn. I came to get her glasses.”
“Who's Brenda?” both men and Ryland asked in unison.
“Come on, I'll introduce you. Jack, Brenda is the Green Woman. It's a long story, but she is a doctor. We need to get her to Wyatt.”
The men walked behind her. She knew the moment they saw the side of the barn, riddled with holes.
“You were in there?” Chase asked. Megan could tell by how tense he was that he knew the answer but still didn’t believe it.
“Yes. We're all fine.”
She called out to Brenda and Caitlin. It was Brenda who came around the side of the barn first. Megan knew she couldn't see anything. Probably just four giant blobs moving towards her.
“Brenda, it's me. Jack, Chase and Ryland are here.” She knew she didn't have to explain who they were. Caitlin had probably told her plenty of stories.
Caitlin burst around the corner, “Ryland!” she screamed and ran towards them.
Ryland ran towards her. When they met in the middle, they both started talking so fast it was impossible to hear what the other was saying.
Chase and Jack waited a few moments before interrupting the exuberant reunion. They each grabbed Caitlin and showered her with love. Brenda had her glasses back on and was watching it all unfold. Megan knew the woman felt horrible for keeping Caitlin from the people that loved her so deeply.
“Jack, Chase, this is Brenda. Brenda, this is Jack, Chase, and as you probably figured out, Ryland.”
Brenda extended her hand. All three of the guys shook her hand in return. Megan could tell they were holding back. They were being polite but she knew they weren't entirely on board with her plan to take Brenda back to the lodge to help Wyatt.
Caitlin and Ryland were in their own world. Talking so fast it was impossible for the adults to keep up.
“How's Wyatt?” Megan asked.
Jack looked away. Chase, always the one to tell her straight, looked her directly in the eyes, “It's pretty bad. He insisted we come back for you. The man is stubborn, even with his leg nearly cut off.”
Megan cringed. She knew Chase was angry with Brenda for setting the trap, and she didn’t blame him. Right now, it was about getting Brenda to Wyatt.
“I'll grab my supplies,” Brenda said, rushing back to the cabin.
Chase and Jack waited until she was out of hearing distance before they peppered Megan with questions.
She held up a hand “I trust her. She is a doctor, like a real doctor. She does stitches and all of that. Let her help Wyatt and we can go from there.”
“Fine,” Chase said. “But she isn't leaving my sight.”
Brenda was back within minutes, carrying a medical bag along with the weapons from the dead men, which she handed to the guys. She had a pack on her back as well.
“I'm ready. Let's get moving. The longer that wound is open and untended, the higher the risk of infection. We don't want it to go beyond twelve hours.”
As they moved through the thick trees, Brenda asked questions about the injury. Megan could see her formulating a plan as they walked.
“Chase, can you please take Brenda on ahead. I'm slowing you guys down. The kids can stay with Jack and me. Just get her there, please,” Megan pleaded.
She was trying to move as fast as she could, but there was no way she could go as fast as Brenda and Chase. They were both light on their feet. Brenda was extremely athletic and could move faster than any of them.
Caitlin's ankle was still bandaged and Megan didn't want to risk injuring it any further. The little girl was still weak. She just didn't have the strength to move as fast as the rest. There was no reason to make Wyatt suffer any longer, than he had to.
Jack backed her up, “Go. We'll be behind you the whole way.”
Chase nodded and the two of them jogged out of sight. Megan figured it would be a good chance for Chase to see what Brenda was capable of. He needed to see she could be an asset to their group even if she didn’t stay. Brenda needed to realize they could help each other.
Megan couldn't help but laugh at the irony of her trying to convince another person to depend on others. Been there, done that, she thought to herself. Hopefully, Brenda would see the benefit, like she had, and decide to give the group a chance.
27
By the time the rest of the group made it back to the lodge, it was well after sunset. Megan went straight to the room she shared with Wyatt. Brenda was just finishing up.
“How is he?”
“Good. I know it looked bad, but it was a clean cut and you did a great job stopping the bleeding. Thankfully, he didn’t hit an artery or he wouldn’t have survived the trip back here. I cleaned and stitched it and reset the bone but it’s going to be painful for a while. Rosie is already preparing herbals to fight any infection, which is going to be our biggest concern.”
Wyatt sat up a little more in the bed. Brenda had given him an abbreviated version of what had happened.
Megan smiled at him. “I got her back.”
He nodded, “Yes, you did. There was never any doubt.”
Brenda carefully pulled the covers over Wyatt's legs and excused herself.
Megan practically pounced on the bed snuggling up beside him. The past couple weeks had been extremely difficult. She missed holding him, spending time with him, and simply being together.
Caitlin's absence had nearly torn them apart. Now she was home. Megan was healing and Wyatt would heal quickly thanks to Brenda. Life could get back to normal. At least she was praying it would.
“How ya doing?” Wyatt asked as he stroked her hair. Megan pressed herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him.
She hiccupped trying to will herself to stop crying. The weeks of pent up fear, anger, pain and finally, happiness all collided at once and it took her several minutes to respond.
“Better now. So much better.”
“When you are ready to talk about what happened at Brenda's cabin, let me know. I know it wasn't easy for you.”
She nodded against his chest. “It was awful. I cannot believe I shot and killed those men. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself doing something so horrific. I don't want to ever take another life.”
Wyatt could understand what she was going through. His first few kills on his first tour had been devastating. Even though he knew it was a matter of his life and the lives of his men, it was still hard to get your head around.
His commanding officer had told him when it stopped bothering him, he better get out before all of his humanity was gone. While it never got easier, he was able to compartmentalize the killings a little faster. He didn't dwell on what he did. It was always in an effort to make the world a little safer.
Megan was not used to death or evil in general. Those men would have killed her, Caitlin and Brenda or worse. He knew it was only a matter of time before they encountered the group Evan had warned them about. Wyatt was just sad it was Megan that had to do it.
They sat in silence a while longer.
Wyatt needed to talk to her about Brenda. Chase had briefly told him about her plans to bring Brenda into the group. While Wyatt trusted Megan's judgment, it was s
till a decision that deserved some thought and the whole group needed to be on board.
“So, tell me more about Brenda,” he started.
She wiped her face before sitting up to look at him.
“I know what you guys are all thinking but she isn't Kyle. She isn't like that at all.” Megan quickly gave him all the information she knew about Brenda and how she ended up with Caitlin.
Wyatt hadn't gotten any weird or dangerous vibes from the woman but they still had to be leery. They truly could not trust anyone.
Megan told him all about what had happened at the barn and how Brenda had used her body to shield Caitlin when the bullets were flying. The three of them working together had enabled them to survive.
Wyatt was convinced but they still would have to convince the others.
“We need to talk to the group but I really don't see an issue with it. However, does she want to be here? She sounds pretty independent,” he commented.
“Honestly, she was hesitant at first, but Wyatt, she won't make it by herself all winter. Those men destroyed her home. Maybe she can live here through the winter and take breaks throughout the summer if she really wants to be alone.”
Wyatt nodded, “It would be nice to have a doctor around here. My mom is great but nothing can compare to the knowledge and experience Brenda has and she is obviously very smart. I can see her really being an asset.”
They laid side-by-side on the bed for another thirty minutes chatting about everything they had been through over the past few days. Megan seemed to be on edge.
“So, wanna tell me what is bothering you?” Wyatt asked, knowing she probably wouldn't.
She sighed and then actually answered, which surprised him.
“Those men. What if there are more? I mean, the way Evan described the group, there are more. When they see what happened to their friends, they will want revenge, right? Wyatt, they had AR-15s. They opened fire on two women and a little girl. They have working ATVs. What if they come here or raid Evan's camp? It isn’t as if we can outrun them, not if they’re on the four-wheelers.”
Wyatt was also concerned, but there was no way to predict the future. Everyone in the group was an excellent shot. Sometimes, it didn't matter if you had fifty bullets or only one, he explained to her. It was about taking the shot at the right time.
She nodded, but he could tell she wasn't completely comforted. He imagined it would be some time before she was able to relax again. She had been through something traumatic. All summer they had looked over their shoulders waiting for Evan to retaliate for Kyle's death.
Now that the threat was resolved, they had to worry about men who were far more threatening than Evan and his group. Wyatt had a sinking feeling it would be like this for the foreseeable future. Things were not going to be easy. People would always be raiding, trying to take what they wanted instead of actually having to work for it.
It was human nature and they would have to adapt. Wyatt made the decision to talk with Chase about upping their security. Things had to be tighter. They had to make some changes to protect their people.
Rosie popped her head in the bedroom, “I know it's late but would you two like to join us for a late dinner? It's been a long time since we have all been together.”
Wyatt and Megan looked at each other and nodded.
“Yep, be right out,” Wyatt answered.
“I'll grab the crutches for you,” Megan said. They were propped up in the corner of the room, right where she had left them.
They made their way out to the long kitchen table where everyone was already seated. Brenda was sitting between Rosie and Chase, with Caitlin directly across from her. Caitlin and Ryland were still talking a mile a minute. Evan was seated at the table next to Jack. Their heads were together as they talked more about building new cabins and defenses.
Brenda looked very uneasy. Wyatt had a feeling she would rather be anywhere else. He wasn't convinced she was the type of person who would blend well with others. He had tried talking to her when she was bandaging his foot, but she kept her answers short.
She was military through and through. He imagined she was extremely regimented and would want things to be done a certain way. That didn’t work well when you were trying to blend with others.
Wyatt and Megan found their spot at the table and sat down. Dinner was subdued, but there was still plenty of conversation. It wasn't until the end of the meal that the elephant in the room was addressed. Brenda.
It was Albert who brought the topic up, as expected.
“We need to have a discussion,” he started. “We aren't ready to accept new people in and quite frankly, I don't think it is a good idea.”
Chase added his own two cents, “There are definitely some concerns that need to be addressed. Brenda, as you can imagine, we can't simply welcome you with open arms. Some things that happened concern me and I am sure the others in the group.”
Brenda pulled her shoulders back. Wyatt saw a soldier being scolded by a superior officer. She would not talk back or defend herself. She would listen and not show an ounce of emotion. Wyatt knew that would be taken the wrong way by several in the group.
He put his hand on Megan's leg under the table. She looked at him and understood. Wyatt wanted Megan to get Brenda out of the room. This was not a conversation she needed to be a part of. Megan hesitated. He rubbed her leg, assuring her it would all be okay.
Before Megan could extract Brenda from the situation, things quickly heated up. Everyone was talking at once, grilling Brenda for keeping Caitlin and setting the traps.
Megan stood up, “Brenda, if you would please come with me, we can let them all talk.”
Albert objected, of course. “You don't need to be going anywhere alone with her.”
Wyatt slapped his palm on the table when Albert's comment sparked more loud conversation.
“Enough!”
The room fell silent. The tension was high. They were not in agreement. Despite what Brenda had done for him, the rest of the group didn't want her around.
Wyatt inwardly groaned. This was going to be a long night.
28
Megan felt terrible for the way the group was treating Brenda. She was more than happy to extract the woman from the situation before things really got ugly.
Her opinion had already been established and she trusted Wyatt to speak for her.
Brenda was more than happy to leave the table. Megan couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it must have been listening to people talk about your good points and bad points as if she was up for auction. The funny thing was, Evan was vying to get her to return to his camp, which she could understand because it was the same reason why she wanted her to stay. Anyone with a valuable skillset was an asset to any group and truth be told, she trusted Brenda more than she did Evan.
Megan took comfort in knowing Brenda would have somewhere to go if her own group decided not to let her stay.
Brenda and Megan walked out the front door; both pausing to take a breath of the cool night air. Megan looked upwards and marveled at the stars in the sky. She would never get over how beautiful it was out here. Without the streetlights or the lights from a city, the stars seemed so much brighter.
“It really is beautiful, isn't it?” Brenda asked.
“Yes, it is. I love when it is a clear and you can see for miles across the sky,” Megan replied.
They walked to the bench off to the side of the cabin. Megan had spent all summer cleaning the area up and making it a perfect place to sit and stargaze. It always reminded her of that moment she first showed up at the lodge. It was the moment her life changed forever.
“I'm sorry you have to go through this tribunal council type thing,” Megan told Brenda who seemed to be lost in thought.
She shrugged, “It's okay. I mean, it's actually a good thing. It would be more worrisome if you simply invited anyone and everyone to live with you. I understand if they would rather that I didn't stick around. I didn't ma
ke the best first impression. I don't even know that I want to stay, to tell you the truth.”
Megan laughed, “Well, I'm glad you found Caitlin when you did. I can't imagine what would have happened had she been stuck out there for hours. It could have been much worse. Besides, what else are you going to do? You can't go back to your cabin; not yet anyway.”
Brenda nodded, “Yeah. That is definitely not a good choice but I refuse to let them run me off either.”
Megan didn't say anything. She thought about the bodies scattered about the area. She would help bury them. She did kill them all after all.
Brenda interrupted her thoughts, “I really like Rosie and Willow. It has been a long time since I sat around and talked with other women. Men too. You never realize how much you depend on human interaction until it is gone. I have never been a big people person but the isolation plays tricks on your mind.”
Megan nodded and listened as Brenda talked about the lonely months she had spent. Despite being alone, she had managed pretty well. She told Megan about her secret caches of food and other supplies that were buried around her cabin as well as all around the forest. She was prepared to bug out of her cabin if it ever came to it.
One of the perks of being alone meant she could pick up and move in a heartbeat. She didn't need to talk it over or worry about moving a large group. She simply grabbed her pack and left.
Megan marveled at how well prepared Brenda truly was. She wasn't going to be completely destitute if she decided to stay on her own or if the group refused to let her stick around. Megan hoped they could come up with some kind of compromise.
Wyatt listened as each person offered their opinion on Brenda and whether it was a good idea for her to join the group. Caitlin and Ryland had excused themselves and gone upstairs. They had more important matters to discuss. Caitlin had put in her two cents. She liked Brenda and wanted her to stay. Ryland agreed with Caitlin.
The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three Page 39