The EMP Lodge Series: Books One to Three

by Grace Hamilton

  “Okay, now, you’re going to chop the area between your Vs to make it all the same depth across the log,” Jack explained.

  He quickly went to work showing them how to shave off the center piece between each of the grooves.

  Megan, Evan and Bryan quickly got busy doing the same. The sound of chopping wood echoed across the area. It was a cathartic sound making Jack feel like he was doing something useful and necessary. He was making a difference.

  He finished his log and looked over to inspect Megan's. She was just finishing the last bit. Her face was red and he could see how much energy she was putting into her work. Not many women would be excited to hew logs. She was certainly unique. Wyatt was one lucky man.

  She was a little out of breath when she asked, “Now what?”

  He smiled, “How about we take a minute to catch our breath and drink some water.”

  “Fine, but I want to get this done.”

  Jack shrugged, “You’re going to repeat everything you just did on the other three sides.”

  Megan groaned, “Ugh, for some reason I thought we only needed one side.”

  He laughed, “That would be an awkward beam. Probably not real effective either,” he winked at her.

  “Shut up, Jack,” Megan said, playfully rolling her eyes.

  They were all just finishing the last side of their logs when Wyatt walked up to their little log hewing party. Each of them was exhausted after hours of backbreaking labor.

  “Wow, you guys have been busy,” he said with admiration in his voice.

  Megan used her forearm to wipe her brow, “Yeah. This is not an easy job.”

  “Is this all we need to do, Jack?” Evan asked.

  Jack smiled. It probably looked like an evil smile to the three that he had been pushing so hard.

  “Actually, not quite. It isn't as important as the actual hewing, but we need to run the ax head down the length on all four sides to kind of smooth it out. It doesn't need to be perfect, but we want them fairly flat so they will lay flush on one another.”

  “So, how long is this going to take?” Evan asked.

  Jack pulled out his notes and began calculating. “We’ve already cleared the area where the longhouse will go and laid out the floor. If we work in teams, some building the house while others finishing hewing the last of the logs, we should be able to knock it out in a couple weeks. Month, tops.”

  “That long?” Megan asked.

  “For the finished cabin, afraid so. Unless we can get more people working on it and work faster.”

  A collective groan came from the group. Wyatt shook his head, “I think you’re enjoying this a little too much.”

  Jack laughed, but didn't deny it.

  “So, I talked with Chase and got everything squared away for tomorrow,” Wyatt said, directing the statement at Jack as well as Evan and Bryan.

  “What?” Megan asked, stopping her work.

  Jack grimaced. Wyatt hadn't told her. He knew she was not going to be happy. She would want to go along, but Jack was with Wyatt on this one—it was too dangerous. He didn't want to see her get hurt or worse.

  “Uh, we, well, they,” Wyatt stammered, gesturing to Bryan and Evan. “They, uh, have some stuff hidden at their cabin. We are going to get it.”

  She held her ax at her side, put her free hand on her hip and tapped her foot while glaring. Jack was always amazed at how women had perfected the I’m-going-to-skin-you-alive stance.

  Jack grinned. He loved watching Wyatt get in trouble. Always had, even when they were little. Wyatt was a bit of a golden boy. It was good to see him be human every now and again.

  “Megan, it’s best if you stay here. It's too danger—” Wyatt stopped when Megan lifted her ax.

  She used the ax to gesture at him, “I know you weren't going to say too dangerous, Wyatt Morris. You know darn well I have been doing nothing but dangerous for months. I'm still alive.”

  Jack thought about helping Wyatt out, but figured he had his own battle ahead with Willow. Big brother was on his own.

  “Megan, that's not what I meant. Chase wants you here. He is counting on you to keep an eye on things here while he is out on the property with Albert.”

  Jack watched Evan and Bryan's reaction. They all knew Wyatt was saying they didn't trust the newcomers and wanted to keep an eye on them, not to mention the constant threat of a McDaniels’ attack.

  Bryan looked at Jack, then Wyatt, “It's cool. We understand. We would do the same thing.”

  Megan ignored Wyatt and went back to using the ax to smooth out the beam she had created.

  Jack and Wyatt exchanged a look. They both knew she wasn’t happy. Jack decided he would talk to her before they went in for the night. Hopefully she would listen to reason and understand why it was best for her to stay behind.

  He was very fond of her and certainly didn't want her angry or hurt by his decisions. The supplies were a necessity, but the trip would be extremely dangerous. Wyatt would never forgive himself if Megan was injured or killed.

  19

  “Clear?” Wyatt asked Bryan who had just joined the group after going back to make sure they weren't followed.

  “I didn't see anyone. I think we're clear.”

  “Okay, let's go then. Keep your eyes and ears open, just in case they’re hiding out around here,” Wyatt warned.

  They broke through the trees and Wyatt sucked in a deep breath at the sight before him. He kept expecting to see the gazebo and the new cabin they had built. But there was nothing but piles of smoldering rubble.

  Jack stood beside him, “Oh, my God.”

  Wyatt turned to Bryan and Evan. Both men looked stricken.

  Their camp was absolutely destroyed. There was literally nothing left standing. Now, Wyatt understood why they had made the journey to the lodge. They didn't have any other options.

  “Let's go. I don't want to be here a minute longer than we have to,” Evan stated moving to the tree line that shielded the main cabin.

  Wyatt braced himself. They had said the larger cabin had been destroyed as well.

  Again, the sight as he broke through the trees was far worse than he could have ever imagined. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach.

  There were clothes strewn about among the charred pieces of lumber. The Raiders had clearly looted the cabin before burning it to the ground, but there were still so many items wasted. McDaniel’s Raiders weren’t simply raiding to survive, but for fun too. The trees around the cabin were scorched. It was a miracle they hadn't started a forest fire.

  Wyatt's sight focused on four small crosses in the middle of the scrap pile. It suddenly felt hard to breathe. He couldn't catch his breath as he imagined this same scene unfolding at the lodge. He imagined the screams of terror.

  That little girl, Amy, had already seen so much. She had completely withdrawn, startling at any loud noise. After seeing something like this, he couldn't imagine how she would ever smile again. The blank stares and the reserved emotions from the newcomers all made sense.

  They all had to have PTSD. One didn't come through something this horrible and not suffer any kind of mental trauma. Wyatt decided he was going to be a lot more patient with the people back at the lodge. They needed compassion and understanding right now. Not his distrust and scrutiny.

  Jack put a hand on his shoulder, “We won't let this happen at the lodge.”

  Wyatt nodded, inhaling through his nose. The dead were buried, but in his mind, he could smell the death. It was a scene he had heard, smelled and been through more times than he cared to share during his time in the service. He never thought he would see it right here at home.

  “Let's get the stuff,” Bryan said. He walked further up the hill, behind the area where the large cabin once stood. He was looking up at the trees and then down at the ground. Wyatt assumed he was looking for a marker.

  “Here. You two start digging here. I'll find the next area.”

  They worked fast a
nd uncovered all four of the buried caches of food, medicine and a few SKS rifle coated in cosmoline and sealed. Every firearm they could get their hands on would make it a little easier to defend themselves against McDaniels. After seeing the devastation, he understood what Evan and Bryan meant when they said the man was unhinged.

  There was no reasoning for what he had done here. The man was an idiot as far as Wyatt was concerned. The cabins could have been used by his men. There was no justifying burning perfectly good homes to the ground.

  “I think we're done here. Let's head back,” Bryan said.

  Wyatt imagined he wanted to get away from the place that held such bad memories.

  “I'm real sorry about what happened here,” he started. “I want you to know you and your people are welcome at the lodge. I know things were a little rough yesterday, but we'll make it work.”

  Evan looked over the area, shaking his head, “Such a waste. It was all so pointless. They got very little. They are bad, bad men. We can't live in fear. We have to do something.”

  Bryan ran a hand over his face, “We can't live like they aren't going to find your home, Wyatt. I can guarantee they won't stop looking until they do. We won't be safe until every one of them is dead.”

  “We can't wage war against an enemy we can't find,” Jack said.

  Wyatt looked around again, “I guess we better find them before they find us.”

  The men left the camp and walked at a fast pace. After seeing the ruins of the camp, there was a sense of urgency to get home.

  The lone figure watched as the men dug up the sealed cases. He knew there had to have been more. McDaniels should have listened. He waited and watched as they divided up the bags of jerky, medicines and the guns. They would need those weapons soon, he thought, chuckling to himself.

  He followed the men as they walked at breakneck speed through the forest. They had clearly traveled this route more than once. Keeping his distance so as not to be detected, he left small markers to help him find his way back.

  The sun was setting. If they didn't get to where they were going quick, it would be hard to follow them through the dark forest without them noticing. Just when he thought he was going to have to give up and go back, they crossed a small stream. Voices from above greeted them.

  They had watchers in the trees. Good to know. He wasn't going to get across the stream without them noticing. He decided to go upstream and then try to cross. By the time the large lodge came into view, the sun was almost down. He could see men milling about talking and inspecting what appeared to be the start of another cabin.

  A beautiful woman came out of the house and walked slowly to one of the men that had been at the burned-out cabin a few weeks ago. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. That was yet another piece of information that would come in handy.

  It was easy to bring a man to his knees when the woman he loved was threatened.

  He watched for a few more minutes before fading into the forest. It was a long hike back, but his adrenaline was surging. He had found them! This information would certainly earn him a spot at the table with McDaniels.

  20

  Megan leaned against the pillows propped up against the headboard. It felt good to sit and relax. Wyatt laid next to her, reading an old Western novel he had found on the bookshelf. It had been a busy day for them both and they had decided to retire to the privacy of their room earlier than normal. With so many people milling about, it was hard to relax.

  “You think we should go out again tomorrow?” she asked, carefully pulling the needle through the old baseball skin.

  He shrugged, “Probably. One deer isn't going to last long.”

  Their hunting trip had been a success. Megan was excited to give the bow another shot tomorrow. She had missed today, but Garrett had managed to take one. He had given her plenty of pointers on how to aim the arrow slightly upwards before releasing the string.

  Tomorrow was going to be the day she got her own deer with the bow.

  “You think that's going to work?” he asked referring to the ball she was attempting to make.

  “I don't know yet. It won't be as hard as a softball, but it will be okay, I think. Probably better for the kids anyways.”

  She pushed another old rag into the opening of her old softball skin. She was hoping the ball would be durable enough to hold up to a wooden bat.

  “Caitlin really wants her own ball. This is my lucky skin. I had always planned on giving it to her one day. Now she can have it on her very own ball.”

  She continued to stitch around the opening. The silence was truly golden. She loved that they could just sit quietly without having to talk constantly.

  With all the extra help the past few days, the workload was much easier to handle. The stash of dried beans, jerky and other food the men had brought back had provided a nice cushion. Megan didn't feel nearly as worried as she had a few days ago.

  This was going to work. She had been hesitant, but it wasn't as bad as she had thought. Rosie had been taking the kids into the forest and foraging for any remaining berries. Willow was making jam with the berries, which she declared would be delicious on all the biscuits they would be feasting on throughout the winter.

  “Done!” she declared, holding the ball up and turning it over in her hand.

  Wyatt put his book down, “She is going to love it. Is the big game tomorrow?”

  She nodded, “I think that would be good. We'll go hunting in the morning, take care of what needs to be done and then have a ball game. It will be good for all of us. Those guys need a little joy in their lives.”

  Wyatt had told her about the ruins and Megan's heart went out to Tara and Amy. She wanted them to feel welcome. Amy needed to do normal things like play ball with other kids.

  “We need to mix up the teams a bit. I don't want it to be us against them. That’s only going to divide us,” she said thoughtfully.

  “Good plan. Let's get some sleep so we aren't dragging our butts around the bases tomorrow.”

  She laughed, “You will be dragging. I am as fast as lightning!”

  “Sure, Flash Gordon, sure. Goodnight.”

  Everyone rushed through their morning chores the following day. There was a lot of buzz around the lodge about the upcoming baseball game. Rosie and Willow were preparing an old-fashioned barbecue to eat after the game.

  The old manual meat grinder had been pulled out. The fresh venison was being ground up. It was a two-man job cranking the grinder. Tara was busy making buns and a potato salad—without the mayo. It smelled and looked delicious with lots of fresh herbs tossed in with the olive oil. The traditional potato salad would not be missed with this replacement.

  The excitement in the camp was palpable. Everyone laughed and actually seemed excited to get their chores finished. Even the kids were more than happy to stack firewood, with Ryland taking on the chore of splitting tiny pieces of kindling.

  “Mom, we're all done. Is it time yet?” Caitlin asked, hopping from one leg to the other.

  Megan was just finishing up cleaning the outhouse area. With so many people in the lodge, it was painfully obvious they were going to need to build another outhouse and fast, before the ground froze.

  “Almost, sweetie. I think Wyatt went out to get Albert and Brenda from their watch posts. He should be back any minute. Did you find those old pieces of carpet?”

  “Yep, me and Amy got them all set up, just like you told us. We have all the bases and a place for the pitcher,” she said with pride.

  “Wow, you really are ready to go. Okay, go tell everyone to meet on the ballfield in fifteen minutes for our first softball game.”

  Caitlin looked at her, “It isn't actually a ballfield, mom. We just moved some stuff and put the bases down. I think it is pretty small.”

  Megan laughed, “Well, it is our ballfield and that is all that matters.”

  Once she was finished with the outhouse, she walked quickly back to the lodge to clean
up. Rosie had filled the breakfast bar with stacks of fresh buns, lettuce and they actually had a bottle of ketchup. Sandra had thinly sliced potatoes and cooked them in the oven to create baked potato chips. Two fresh apple pies were also set out.

  A plate of sliced squash was sitting at the end, ready to be put on the grill. Grilled squash was one of her favorites. A stack of grilled corn drew her attention. They didn't have butter, but they wouldn't need it. The food was going to be the main event.

  It was going to be a real feast and Megan couldn’t wait to dig in after the game.

  “Did you make the score board?” Megan asked.

  “Amy and Caitlin did earlier,” Rosie told her. “This is a really great idea, Megan. It’s just what we all needed.”

  Tara smiled, “Thank you so much for doing all of this. I haven't seen Amy happy in a long time. This is all so fun. It feels so normal to have a big barbecue. I can't believe we have hamburgers. My mouth is watering at the thought of biting into one of those!”

  “Me too. It has definitely been a while. Funny how it’s those little things you miss,” Megan answered.

  “Okay, well, if you ladies are finished, let's head out and get this game started.”

  Duke barked. He was just as excited as everyone else. He raced around in circles in front of Megan. His tongue lolled as he wagged his tail in excitement.

  “You better come out with us, mister. I don't want you tearing into those burgers before we get a chance.”

  He barked again, his tail wagging furiously.

  “Fine, I will let you have a little bite of mine, but that's it,” Megan rubbed his ears to help lessen the blow of being denied a hamburger.

  “Hey, you guys ready?” Wyatt called out opening the back door.

  “Yep. Did you get Albert and Brenda?”

  He nodded, “They were hesitant, but I told them they can play an hour or so. We have gone much longer in the past with no one on watch.”

  “Okay. Did you get the team roster?” she asked. He had taken on the task of dividing up the group into even teams, with players both new and older lodge members on each team.