Dark Defiance (EMP Lodge Series Book 3)

by Grace Hamilton

  She shook her head, “No, I guess not, but I am the only one who couldn't get out of bed in the morning.”

  “You needed the rest. You have been pushing yourself too hard since the accident. I know I am excited for the first massive snowfall that keeps us all indoors, sitting around, reading books or snuggling in bed to stay warm.”

  She laughed. “Oh, you are a dreamer, aren't you?”

  Megan got up and dressed, ready to face the world.

  Chase and Albert had several pieces of notebook paper on the table. They were each making notes on the pages. When Megan got closer she could see drawings and diagrams of the lodge. There were little chicken scratch notes on each of the pages.

  Chase had been very busy.

  He looked up but didn't say a word. She could see the focus in his eyes and the determination to make the lodge comparable to Fort Knox. The man was on a mission.

  “What can I do?”

  “You, Rosie and Willow are going to work on the lodge itself. We need to make it a little less obvious. The rest of us are going to work on the fences and setting traps. Brenda is an expert in that area as we all know.”

  Brenda had been standing in the kitchen, chatting with Willow. When she first arrived, she had been a little sensitive about the traps. Now it was the joke around the lodge.

  Megan had watched Brenda come out of the shell she had been hiding in. The woman was actually very funny. She had a very dry sense of humor that tended to be common in those who were very intelligent. She fit well with the group, but Megan still had her reservations.

  “I'm gonna check on the kids. All of them I guess,” Megan added when she realized the play on words. “I'll be back in a few then we can get started,” she said to Willow on her way out the door.

  Megan had no idea how they were going to hide the massive 2-story building, but she was interested to see what Chase had come up with.

  Chase was outside the house, staring up at the massive structure. It wasn't like Brenda's tiny little cabin or even Evan's larger cabin that had a thick screen of trees surrounding it. The lodge stood out like a sore thumb. It was very big, which was great for the many people living in it, but not so great for inconspicuousness.

  He grunted when she passed by. She didn't want to disturb him. He was deep in thought.

  Megan checked on the kids. They were happily playing with the baby goats. Misty and Mason were jumping and climbing on everything they could find, including Caitlin and Ryland. All of them were having a great time. Duke was laying nearby, keeping a close watch on the activities, but didn't seem to want to join in.

  “You're such a good boy, Dukey boy. You bark if things get out of control,” she said rubbing behind the dog's ears.

  Megan thought about telling Caitlin to put on a heavier coat, but realized it was actually a bit warmer today than it had been the last few days. Every day it didn't snow was a day to be thankful.

  “Be careful and stay close to the cabin,” Megan told the kids before going back to where Chase was still staring at the lodge.

  “What do you think?” she asked him.

  He shook his head, “There is nothing we can do to really hide this thing. I mean, how do you hide a house? The rule of camouflage is to break the lines. That isn't going to be possible with a structure this size.”

  Megan nodded, pretending to understand, but she really didn't.

  Chase started to walk to the side of the house. He stood and stared at the structure. Megan assumed a different angle was supposed to inspire him.

  “The logs have faded and they are technically natural to the area, so we do have that going for us. But, with the lack of trees close to the cabin, it doesn't really conceal the place very well,” Chase stated.

  She could tell he was getting frustrated. Megan wanted to help, but didn't have a clue as to what to suggest.

  “It would be different if we had months or a year to try and get this done, but we have days, maybe weeks.”

  Jack and Wyatt had come out of the house and were standing in a line next to Chase. All four of them stared at the cabin.

  “There is no point in wasting time trying to camouflage it, Chase. Let's just do what we can and focus our energy on keeping people from ever getting close enough to see it,” Wyatt instructed.

  “We have to do something. I say we have your mom and Willow plant some of the native plants around the foundation of the cabin. Overtime, it will grow and climb and help conceal the walls. There is already some good starts, but it needs to be thicker. We need some of those heavy vines to really climb the full height of the cabin.”

  Megan offered to pass along the information.

  “Anything else we can do?”

  Chase smiled, “I think all of us have some busy nights by the fire ahead of us. We need to make some camo netting. It will help conceal the cabin from those on the outskirts of the perimeter.”

  Jack laughed, “Do you realize how much netting that will be?”

  “We only need to do the three sides for now. The backside is concealed by the hill. The main goal will be to cover those windows, which will reflect the sun. I love the windows, but they signal anyone who is paying attention.”

  “Got it,” Megan said all business. She had no idea what it took to make a camo net, but she was on board. Whatever it took.

  Brenda had joined the party, “We need to fortify this cabin.”

  Chase agreed.

  “Brenda, once you have given us your plan for traps around the area, why don't you jot down what we need to do to make this cabin as close to a fortress as possible.”

  The woman involuntarily stood at attention. Megan watched her hand start to come up. She was going to salute Chase. She must have realized what she was doing and stopped midway.

  “Old habits die hard,” she said with a sheepish smile.

  “It's all good. I like that you are willing to help. Your experience is going to be very helpful,” Chase told her.

  “Jack and Wyatt, you will be with me. Albert will stay on guard duty.”

  Everyone nodded and dispersed. They all knew exactly what to do.

  Chase stopped Megan, “I'll be in a few to get you guys started on that netting.”

  Megan headed in. Chase had taken on the job as the coordinator and she was happy to let him have it. His experience in the military and then in security services made him very qualified.

  Megan found Willow and Rosie upstairs. They were both sitting on a couch, facing each other. Willow looked like she hadn't slept a wink.

  “How ya' doing?” Megan asked her.

  “I am a nervous wreck to be honest. I hate feeling as if we are sitting ducks. I can't seem to get my mind on anything else.”

  Rosie had apparently been trying to calm her, but it wasn't working.

  “Well, Chase will be in soon. We are going to start making some nets or something that are supposed to help hide the cabin.”

  Willow and Rosie both looked at her like she had lost her mind.

  Megan laughed, “Hey, I am just telling you what he told me. That is to be our chore the next few days while the rest of them work on fortifying our little castle here.”

  Willow stood, “Well, maybe that will help take my mind off what is surely coming our way.”

  She headed downstairs. Her fear and anxiety were apparent.

  Once she was down the stairs, Megan turned to Rosie, “Is she going to be okay?”

  Rosie shrugged, “She is worried. We all are, but she doesn't hide quite as well as the rest of us. Hopefully these net things will keep her busy. If she feels like she is doing something to keep her family safe, it may help relax her. Busy work is always my remedy for stress.”

  Megan agreed with Rosie. Sitting around and freaking out over what may or may not happen wasn't going to help anybody.

  “Alright then, let's do this,” she said, ready to take back control of their lives.

  McDaniels was not going to keep them living in fear.
She would kill him before she allowed them all to fall apart because one man threatened them. He didn't deserve that kind of power.

  Chapter Seven

  Chase came in the cabin, carrying a spool of paracord. Megan was intrigued.

  “Okay, this is going to require some space. It is probably best if we do this upstairs,” he said heading up.

  Megan, Willow and Rosie followed.

  He instructed them to push the couches together to make enough space on the floor to lay out lengths of cord.

  “We are going to use this twine as the frame,” he instructed. “Measure out about 10 feet lengths. Don't make them too much bigger than that or it will be too heavy.”

  “What are we making exactly?” Willow asked.

  “These are basically camo nets, but we are going to make them similar to a ghilly suit. First we make the net, then we are going to attach leaves, branches and other debris to the cordage. The nets will be thrown over the roof.”

  Willow was the first to point out the obvious, “10 feet isn't going to be enough.”

  “No, it won't be, which is why we are going to need several for each side. Once you get them constructed, we are going to attach the nets to the roof. It's really our only option.”

  “Okay, so show us what to do,” Megan said, anxious to get started.

  Chase laid out a length of the twine. He pulled out a pocket knife and spliced the paracord, making it easier to pull the individual strands apart.

  “So, each of these strands needs to be about 10 to 11 feet long. Tie them to the length of twine,” he demonstrated. “Tie a length of cord every 8 inches or so. It doesn't have to be perfect.”

  They each got busy.

  “Now, we need to make boxes, so we are going to put twine down both sides and across the bottom. Start on the left, tie the strand to the twine. Then, make a knot with the horizontal strand over the vertical strand.”

  Chase demonstrated again. He did the full row, finishing by tying to the strand to the piece of twine on the right. There were squares stretching across the entire length.

  “That's it. Now, go ahead and space horizontal strands down the length. The boxes don't have to perfect. Our foliage is going to cover them so it won't matter. We just need a frame to attach the foliage.”

  “I think we can handle that. Right ladies?” Megan asked Willow and Rosie who were studying the beginnings of the net stretched across the ground.

  “Yep, we got it. How many do we need, Chase?” Rosie asked.

  “You know, the more we have, the more camouflage we can cover the house with. Let's start with 10 and we will go from there.”

  “Got it. Thanks, Chase,” Megan said dropping to her knees to get started.

  The three woman got busy pulling apart the paracord and tying knots. It was tedious, but Megan could already see Willow's anxiety lessening a bit. They chatted while they worked. They were thinking about what they could tie or add to the net to help camouflage the lodge. They were taking their work very serious.

  “I think we can have the kids help us with this,” Megan stated, trying to make some conversation.

  Willow nodded, “And that will keep them inside so we can keep an eye on them.”

  Megan grimaced. She had just inadvertently fueled Willow's anxiety. She did not want the kids to be prisoners.

  “Are you ladies okay doing this while I go out and start collecting some stuff to put on these nets?” Megan asked. She hated being cooped up inside.

  The sun was actually out. Who knew how many more days they had to enjoy the sunshine and mild temperatures.

  “I think we are good here,” Rosie said with a smile. “You go get your fill of vitamin C!”

  Megan laughed, “You caught me! I promise I will be actually working as well.”

  Megan grabbed a large basket and headed out the door. The glorious sunshine hit her in the face. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She took a moment to appreciate how great it felt.

  “Are you okay?”

  Jack's voice cut through her sun worshipping.

  “Yes, just enjoying the feel of the sun on my face. It is so nice out here. Isn't it unseasonably warm?”

  “Ya, I guess it is. Good for us so we can get all of this stuff done. You would not believe what Chase is doing. He is going full-on Rambo. Between him and Brenda I am a little worried about walking more than 20 feet away from the cabin.”

  Megan laughed, “That bad, huh?”

  “Yes. And then some. Where are you headed?”

  “Grabbing some stuff to put on the nets we have been making.”

  When he looked at her with the look that said he didn't buy it, she laughed again.

  “Alright, I wanted to be outside. The windows are great, but there is nothing like actually feeling the sun on your face and smelling the fresh air.”

  He agreed.

  “I need to go get these supplies and head back out there before my new drill seargent decides I have been gone too long.”

  “Okay, good luck,” she said, deciding to go out and see what was going on.

  Megan walked to the stream, taking her time to enjoy every smell and sight she could. The kids were playing catch while the goats napped in the sunshine close by. Megan noticed Misty hadn't run off yet. Maybe it was the fence that encouraged her to jump and run. She saw a challenge and took it. The last they needed was a stubborn goat.

  Was there any other kind?

  When she got to the stream, she could see Wyatt and Brenda on the other side. She was glad they were enclosing the stream inside of the main perimeter. They needed the water supply.

  Wyatt saw Megan and waved her over.

  “Come see what we are doing. We are going to have everyone come out and see the various traps. It isn't safe walking out here. We are booby trapping the hell out of this place.”

  Brenda looked at Megan and nodded. She was intent on digging a hole. With Wyatt's foot not completely healed, he wasn't able to operate the shovel.

  “We are digging holes and putting some of Brenda's traps inside. That will be enough to stop anybody in their tracks,” he said with a grimace.

  “How are we going to know where the holes are?” Megan asked, worried about the kids or even one of her goats accidentally falling in.

  Wyatt picked up a white rock. They were natural in the environment, especially around the stream.

  “We are placing a couple of these on either side of the hole.”

  Megan looked up and down the stream and was able to spot a few more of the rocks. To a person who didn't know, the rocks appeared random.

  She didn't like the idea of it being so dangerous, but knew it was the way life was going to be until they could take care of McDaniels.

  “Okay. What else?”

  Wyatt smiled, “Well, follow me and I will take you to Chase. The man is a genius. Between him and Brenda they have come up with some very good defensive measures. I just pray they work.”

  Albert shouted down from above, “Be careful down there. They got this place more dangerous than a minefield.”

  Megan tended to agree with him.

  “Carefu1!” Wyatt shouted, yanking her into him.

  “Hooks,” he said pointing up.

  There were large fishing hooks hanging from tree limbs. One more step and she would have had a hook in her face. Now, that was dangerous. And effective.

  “We can't use those big hooks for fishing the stream, so we are putting them to good use. They are randomly hung. Think of the property as a grid. The hooks are before the traps, coming from the outside. If a person gets through the hooks, they will be dealing with the traps.”

  “Why here?” Megan asked. “There is a lot of area to cover to completely surround the lodge. Why here?”

  Chase's voice cut through the silence of the forest, “This is the most obvious point of entry. It has the clearest path, which we are going to have to work on. This path is calling to people to follow it. Next year, we
need to do what Evan's people did and not create paths leading directly to the cabin.”

  Megan nodded. They had all used this same path to the point it was a nice trail. Unfortunately, that meant the trail made it easy for anyone wandering through the forest to follow it right to the lodge.

  “Are you surrounding the whole area with traps then?” she asked, not fully understanding.

  “Yes, eventually. If we focus on this area, we are sure to take out a good majority of raiders. They are going to take the path of least resistance. But, the we will have deterrents around the property,” Chase explained.

  “You need a honey pot!” Albert shouted from his spot high in the trees.

  Chase rolled his eyes, “One thing at a time old man.”

  “What's a honey pot?” Megan envisioned some of Rosie's precious honey sitting by the stream. It wasn't quite clicking for her.

  Wyatt explained, “He means a lure or something that ensures they come this way. The path is probably enough, but we need to put something in plain sight. To distract them.”

  Chase nodded, “If we had the time, I would have a small storage shed built. Put some stuff in it and let them raid it. The shed will be rigged with plenty of traps. It will attract them to one area, much like flies to honey. Then we can attack.”

  Megan shuddered. She had no idea she was living with people who were capable of such maniacal plots. They were not playing. They were all taking this very serious, which should have made her feel better, but it only worried her more.

  When Willow found out, it would probably send her into a full blown panic attack.

  Jack came back across the stream. He had one of their old backpacks on. There were lengths of wood sticking up and over his head from where he was carrying them in the pack. He was also carrying the bucket of nails they had been collecting.

  “Do I even want to know?” Megan asked.

  Jack smiled, “This one was my idea. I'm going to hammer these rusty nails into the boards and leave them scattered about the area. Stepping on a rusty nail will hurt like heck. If that doesn't slow them down, the infection and hopefully tetanus that follows will take them out.”