The man was ugly. Not ugly. Hideous. His scraggly beard and orange-tinted hair were a mess. In the center of his face was a bulbous nose that spread across his face. The redness on his nose and cheeks indicated he was a heavy drinker. She knew the telltale signs.
“Well, what do we have here?” he snarled, revealing a set of yellow teeth.
“Stay away from me,” Megan said with as much authority as she could muster.
The tent was far too small to fit them both.
“Leave her alone,” Jack said, pushing the man out of the way.
He extended his hand to Megan. She gladly took it and crawled out of the tent. The pungent odor coming off the man as she went by him nearly made her gag. He refused to move, forcing her to brush her body up against his.
He smiled making her skin crawl.
The man stood up and looked Megan up and down. She prayed he wouldn't recognize her as one of the women he had just described. With her new haircut tucked inside the hat, she hoped it was enough to disguise her appearance.
Jack put his arm around her and pulled her in close effectively staking his claim.
The man crossed his arms over his large belly, “She's yours?”
Chase and Jack exchanged a look. Megan nearly choked when Chase responded.
“Ours.”
That got a laugh out of all the men.
“Well shoot. You two certainly don't look the type, but her,” he said eyeing Megan again. “She does.”
Megan was offended, but Jack squeezed her, signaling her to bite her tongue.
“McDaniels,” shouted one of the men who had gone to the new cabin. “Got some stuff. Looks like they just restocked.”
Bryan started to move towards the cabin, but Chase held him back, “Let it go, man. It isn't worth your life.”
Megan frantically looked around the area. A dog lay dead on the ground about twenty feet away, blood pooling around its body. She quickly looked to the goat pen and saw her kids playing like there was nothing to worry about.
“Thank God,” she said under her breath.
Jack squeezed his arm around her. “They're fine.”
“Load up what you can,” the man, who Megan figured out was McDaniels, ordered.
“So, miss,” he looked at her again. “Have you seen the three lovely ladies that have managed to escape us?”
There were angry shouts and nasty words from the men at the mention of the three women.
Megan shook her head no.
McDaniels squinted and cocked his head slightly, “If you three just got here, where'd you come from?”
Chase casually stepped forward, effectively shielding Jack as he took the opportunity to slyly push Megan behind him.
On any other day, she would take offense at being shoved behind a man. It was something Wyatt always did and it usually annoyed her. Not today. She didn't want that man to look at her and figure out who she was.
When they didn't answer, he pulled out the gun and aimed it at Megan's goats.
Megan jabbed Jack in the back so hard he was pushed into Chase.
“We’ve been wandering around. No real direction,” Chase stated.
McDaniels put the gun back in the holster at his waist.
“Maybe this will help,” he said pulling out a map from his back pocket. He unfolded it, holding it out for Chase to look at. “This is where we lost our friends,” he said the last word with a sneer.
Megan moved around Jack and Chase to see the map.
She saw the area where Brenda's house was located. Her eyes were drawn to an area of the map that had a large red circle on it. She turned to look at Jack who gave a very subtle, almost imperceptible nod of the head.
She looked at the map again. The circled area was not far from Evan's camp. She could see small x's on the map. There was an x on Brenda's house and on Evan's camp. Megan had to play it cool. The x's marked camps that had been raided. It would make sense the red circle was where the Raiders were holing up. It could also indicate a stash of supplies. Maybe the red circle was a target? Megan made a mental note on the location. Once Wyatt was healed, she wanted to check out the area. It could be a warehouse full of goods.
“We haven't seen a thing the whole time we’ve been walking all over this stupid mountain,” she said, trying to sound as dimwitted as possible.
McDaniels stepped forward, eyeing her with intensity. Megan's heart was racing under the scrutiny. She prayed he wouldn't ask her to remove the hat. “I wasn't asking you, little lady. I was asking your boyfriends here.”
Chase and Jack both confirmed Megan's story.
“We haven't seen anything or anyone. We’re hoping to find shelter. These guys don't want us around so we planned on leaving at first light.”
McDaniels slowly folded the map back up, put it in his pocket and drew the gun again, pointing it at Misty who was on her hind legs, peering over the fence.
Megan lurched forward, prepared to tackle him, but Jack held her back.
McDaniels held the gun on Misty another second before putting it back in the holster.
He turned back to Megan, Jack and Chase.
“You're lying. I know there are plenty of groups around this mountain. Do you know why I know? Because I already found them and killed plenty of them for lying to me.”
They didn't bother defending their lie. There was no point. Megan was terrified anything they said at this point would unleash his anger. Would he open fire, killing them where they stood? Her instinct was to shout at the injustice, but common sense told her to keep her mouth shut.
“Move out of the way, so I can see what you got hiding in that tent,” he said, shoving Chase to the side.
It only took him a few minutes to emerge, carrying the new ball Megan had found in town. She had planned on giving it to Ryland and Caitlin. They’d become obsessed with playing catch.
She glared at him, but didn't say a word. He would probably shoot her or the goats if she tried to argue.
The other men had finished searching the other tents and the two smaller cabins. Each of them was carrying their finds, laughing and joking about what they’d managed to steal.
“You all take care now,” McDaniels said before turning and walking out of the camp.
Once they were out of sight, Megan turned to Jack and Chase, hands on her hips.
“How did they know to look for us?”
Bryan stepped forward, “We’re pretty sure they always leave a scout behind. Someone as a lookout.”
A chill ran down her spine. With the gunfight at Brenda’s house and the four dead Raiders, they’d assumed Megan had taken everyone out, but now it sounded like there must have been at least one more hiding among the trees. It was a scary thought. If Chase and Jack hadn't arrived when they did, reinforcements could have arrived and killed them all. She knew without a doubt they would have been killed where they stood.
“Why did we just let them take everything? Why is nobody taking these guys out? This is ridiculous!”
When no one answered, she looked at all the people standing around, staring into the trees where the men had disappeared with their food for the winter and other items.
“They’re going to keep coming back! Don't you see that?” she shouted in frustration.
It wasn't in her simply to lie down and be walked all over. Not anymore. Not ever again. Not since Kyle had tried to kill her and her daughter.
It was Bryan who spoke for the entire group.
“We can't take them. They will kill each and every one of us. If they don't kill us, there is a chance they would take the survivors as prisoners. Would you risk your daughter or Jack's wife being held captive by those men?”
That's when Megan realized what they were truly up against. Evan and Bryan's group had been diminished to the point they couldn't fight back. They were at McDaniels’ mercy.
A thought flashed through her mind. Strength in numbers. She quickly pushed it out of her thoughts. Strength in numbers als
o meant more people to trust, and Megan wasn't ready to invite anyone else into the group right now.
4
Jack pulled Megan away from the others.
“We can invite them to come back with us,” he whispered.
“Jack, we can't. We don't know these people well enough and we don't have enough food or shelter for them.”
“Megan, you need to think about how much help and strength they would bring. We’re struggling to get everything done.”
“No, Jack.”
She tugged at his arm but he turned and walked back to where the others were standing.
“Why don't you and your people come back to the lodge? We can work something out as far as where you can all stay but it isn't safe for you here anymore. Those guys are going to be back. You know it and I know it,” Jack stated firmly.
Jack clearly didn't buy into Megan's apprehensions about bringing more people home. He was like a kid finding stray animals to adopt. She was going to have a discussion with him about his tendency to trust so openly.
On top of that, their own food supplies were dwindling with use and despite conservation efforts; she didn’t think there would be enough, which meant hunting in the snow. Rosie and Willow had been collecting herbs to help against various ailments but they would run out quickly if that many people were living in such tight quarters and someone got sick. They would all be sure to get it. Clothing, bedding, wood for heat and cooking, the list of things they needed to survive the winter was endless and would be rapidly depleted with so many extra bodies making for crowded sleeping arrangements.
It had taken her months to trust Wyatt, Jack, and the rest of the group with whom she lived. Inviting this group into their happy home would disrupt everything. Megan knew she would always be second-guessing the newcomers' motives. Would they be safe to have around her daughter?
In the end, it was Caitlin’s safety that was her number one priority and always would be. If she didn't feel like she could trust the people Jack planned on bringing in, she would have to leave. It was that simple.
Megan nearly wept with joy when Evan turned Jack down.
Thank God!
“Thanks, Jack, really, but we can’t accept.”
Bryan was a little more vehement in his own refusal.
“We aren't going to let them run us out of the homes we built with our own two hands. We’ve made a life here. We’ll fight them when we’re stronger.”
Megan wanted to hug him. Now, that very difficult conversation she was going to have with Jack could wait.
Her elation quickly faded when she looked around the camp at the faces of those who were left behind. They were exhausted. The remaining children looked anxious. Megan noticed Amy clinging to her mom.
There was another little boy who also seemed nervous almost all the time. Last night at dinner, he had nearly jumped out of his seat when a strong gust of wind blew a plate to the ground, smashing it to pieces.
It was hard not to notice the faces that were missing as well. Their numbers had been depleted, but it was more than just a missing face. The ones who had been killed were someone's loved ones.
Her heart went out to them, but she had to think about her own daughter and her family. It pained her to be so selfish, but it was the way the world was nowadays. She certainly didn't create it or make it that way. It was people like McDaniels and Kyle Grice that were destroying any bit of humanity that remained in this dark world.
Jack and Chase helped dig a hole to bury the dog before heading out. It gave Megan the chance to pack up their things after McDaniels thoroughly tossed their packs. The portable HAM radio and folding solar panel were ignored.
The man was, clearly, pure evil. He took the ball, knowing it was probably something special, but left the real valuables behind. Megan knew he was bad news and prayed he didn't find his way to the lodge. McDaniels and his crew could easily overpower them at the lodge. They didn't have Evan’s manpower or numbers had been easily defeated.
She pushed the thought out of her mind. There was no point in stressing over something she couldn't prevent or change.
“You ready?” Jack asked poking his head inside the tent.
“Yep. Let's get out of here.”
Chase was standing outside, trying his best to keep the goats from dragging him into the trees. Megan wanted to burst out laughing, but instead walked over and took the leashes from him. It was crude, but it would work so long as they didn’t decide to chew through the ropes.
The three of them talked very little as they hurried back to the lodge. They all had a sense of urgency about them. They didn't have to say the words.
With McDaniels’ Raiders in the area, they were all terrified the violent men would find the lodge when it was sorely unmanned and unprotected.
As they approached the perimeter of the property, it was Chase who stated the obvious.
“We are so unprepared. This flimsy fence and these silly booby traps are not going to stop the likes of McDaniels.”
Megan looked up, expecting to find Albert in the bird's nest, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I thought you told them to stay on guard?” Megan asked Chase. He was the security expert and instrumental in setting up warning systems around the property to alert them in the event they had company and that included someone being on watch.
Obviously, his advice had been ignored.
As the three of them moved past the perimeter and closer to the lodge, it became painfully obvious they were extremely vulnerable. They weren't trying to conceal their presence or avoid traps. They didn't have to, because there weren't any. It was an eye opener.
“We have to change this,” Chase stated.
He didn't need to state what this was. They all knew. After seeing what had happened at Evan's camp and the ruthless nature of McDaniels, it was painfully clear they needed to change their ways. The mountain wasn't safe anymore.
Despite living in peace and harmony with the other groups that had made homes all over the mountain for months, McDaniels was destroying that serenity. There was no point in moping about it. It was simply time to act.
Megan heard a small scream and knew instantly it was from Caitlin.
Jack looked at her, gauging her reaction.
Megan kept walking.
“Do you want to run?” Jack asked.
“Nope. Not going to risk twisting my ankle.”
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
“That was a scream of joy, Jack. I'm not heartless, but I am not going to save the day when she is obviously playing with Duke or Ryland.”
Another scream of glee.
Megan raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, now I can hear the laughter.”
When the lodge came into sight, there was a sense of relief to see it still standing, but there was also some frustration.
“We could have walked right up to the lodge and they wouldn’t have a clue,” Chase said with irritation.
The defenses they had up weren’t enough. Their focus had been more of an early warning system. They had fences and they were prepared to fight should intruders breach the perimeter, but Megan wanted to set more traps and obstacles that would prevent them from even needing to fight. She thought back to the medieval ages when castles had moats. They needed that kind of a defense system.
Megan took a second to take in the sight before her.
Wyatt, Ryland and Caitlin were all outside playing catch. It had been their favorite pastime the past few weeks, which is why she had so wanted to bring them a new ball. McDaniels had ruined her surprise.
“Hey!” Wyatt said when he noticed them watching.
Caitlin screamed again when she saw the baby goats they were carrying.
“How'd it go?” Wyatt asked as he walked closer. The surprise on his face when he saw the goats was enough to get a chuckle out of Jack.
Chase nodded his head, but didn't answer.
“What happened?” he as
ked. The tone was serious. Megan gave him a look that said not here, not now. He got it and focused his attention on the goats that had made instant friends with Ryland and Caitlin.
“Mom, they’re so cute. I love them!”
Megan smiled, “They are cute, but they’re kind of rowdy. We need to get a strong fence built to keep them home. They tend to run away.”
“What are their names?” Ryland asked.
Jack knelt, rubbing the baby buck's head, “This is Mason and this little, wild girl is Misty.”
Duke raced towards them. Megan realized they had no idea how he would respond to other animals.
“Stop him!” she yelled at no one.
But there was no stopping the German Shepherd. He was on a mission to investigate the newcomers.
The dog came to a screeching halt in front of the goats and started sniffing every inch of them. The goats didn't seem to notice the big, black nose violating their space and happily played with Ryland and Caitlin.
Jack had his hand out, ready to pull the dog back, just in case.
Once Duke had inspected the newcomers, he focused his attention on Megan and gleefully licked her face when she bent down. The two had become very good friends when she was laid up.
“I missed you too, big guy,” Megan told him, scratching behind his ears.
“He is going to be jealous. He’s claimed you and won't appreciate you paying a lot of attention to those two,” Jack said gesturing to the goats.
Megan grinned as she continued to pet the dog. “He'll get over it. There’s plenty of me to go around.”
“You guys look exhausted. Mom saved you some dinner. Let's go in. The kids can keep an eye on the goats,” Wyatt said, clearly anxious to hear what happened.
“We need to secure an area first. That goat,” Chase said pointing to Misty's brown head, “Is an escape artist. We spent more time looking for and chasing her than I care to talk about.”
Wyatt nodded, “You three go in, we already have that pen we were going to use for pigs. I'll just make sure it’s secure.”
Ryland was still carrying the baseball.
“You want me to hold that bud?” Jack asked his son.
Ryland shook his head, “Nope, I got it.”
The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three Page 42