“We can't take that chance. I need to get out there and scout the area.”
“Wyatt!” Willow shouted. She came through the back door carrying a few bandages and gauze pads.
“What is it?” he asked, quickly making his way to her.
She pulled him to the side of the room and was talking in a low voice. Megan watched and waited. Wyatt would tell her soon enough.
She watched as a variety of emotions crossed his face. Shock, anger and ultimately devastation. Megan quickly scanned the room to take a head count. She didn't see Duke. Had they killed Duke? His bark from upstairs excluded that theory. Everyone else was accounted for.
Megan wasn't going to wait. She had enough surprises for one day.
“What happened? What is it?” she asked.
Willow looked at Wyatt, “He'll tell you. I need to get Jack patched up.”
Wyatt pulled her outside and headed for the root cellar.
“They wiped us out!” he said angrily.
“What? When? How?” she asked not believing it was possible.
“They had to have done it before they open fired on us.”
He quickly crawled into the root cellar. She could hear him cursing as she climbed down behind him.
The shelves were nearly empty. All the food they had been preserving was gone.
Megan stared at the shelves in shock. How could they possibly survive without food?
“This stays between us for now. If we tell everyone what happened on top of what just happened up there, there will be panic.”
Megan felt sick. The attack was horrible, but this was devastating.
“What are we going to do, Wyatt?” she whispered. “What will we do?”
He didn't answer her. He just looked around the storage that had been ransacked. Broken jars littered the ground. The men were savages.
“Let's get out of here. We need to take care of our wounded and worry about the right now. We will deal with this later.”
She didn't push it. He needed time to think and process. She understood. For now, they would take care of those that were injured and clean up what they could.
Chapter Twenty Two
“It could have been much worse,” Jack murmured. He was currently propped up on his bed.
Wyatt and Evan had managed to get him up the stairs and into bed. His thigh had a long gash. Rosie had stitched it, but left a small area at the end open. She had placed the shell of a ballpoint pen in the hole. This was where it would drain once the infection really started to fester.
They knew it was only a matter of time. She had covered the wound with raw honey, but that wouldn't do much for the toxins that had gotten into his bloodstream. It was a watch and wait situation. Wyatt didn't want to think about the worst case scenario. No point in borrowing trouble.
“Yeah, it definitely could have been,” Wyatt agreed.
Evan had left once they got Jack situated. The brothers needed some privacy.
“If they hadn't been here, we would have easily been run over. I don't think they would have left any survivors,” Jack stated matter-of-factly.
Wyatt winced. It was something they had long feared, but to have witnessed the destruction the men were capable of first hand was a huge eye opener.
He blocked images of Megan standing on that mound, exposed. How the bullets missed her was beyond his comprehension. He hadn't taken the time to analyze the situation.
“I think I counted five men armed with those AR-15s,” Wyatt said.
Jack nodded, “Yeah, I don't know for sure. It felt like there were 20 men shooting. Everywhere I looked or ran, there were bullets flying.”
“How long do you think they were out there?” Wyatt asked, not really asking Jack, but merely speaking what had been on his mind all day.
Jack leaned back and looked at the ceiling, “Probably all day. They probably waited until we pulled the guards in and started the game. Our guard was completely down. We were completely exposed. Quite frankly, I probably would have taken advantage of the situation as well. We messed up.”
His words were exactly what Wyatt had been thinking. They had been spied on and they didn't even know it. He had no idea if the men found them by chance or whether they had followed Evan's group back. Maybe they had followed them back on the quick supply run they had made.
There was no point in wasting energy trying to solve that mystery. What was done was done.
Wyatt stared at the wall, “They know where we are. They know where our supply is. They are going to come back.”
Jack nodded, “It's a guarantee they will be back. I didn't see McDaniels. This was probably just a small raid. He is going to come back in force. I don't know we will be quite so fortunate the next time around.”
“We have to do something. We are going to be out of food within a month. This is probably the worst case scenario.”
Jack agreed, “Talk with Jackson and Evan. See where their heads are at. I am up for anything. I may a day or two to let this thing heal, but I'll be back on my feet in no time.”
“Okay, well, get some rest. I'm sure Willow wants to spend some time with you. I need to go get everyone settled down. See in you in the morning.”
Wyatt walked through the lodge, taking a few moments to chat with everyone. Evan was taking watch at the cabin. Brenda insisted on pulling a double shift and keeping watch in the bird's nest Albert usually occupied.
Wyatt doubted anyone was going to get any real sleep. Tension was high. Everyone was scared. He knew some of the new members were reconsidering their choice to join the lodge. They had better make their decision whether they were going to stay or go real quick.
They couldn't afford to have anyone stick around if they weren't in it to truly survive and overcome.
Megan had already retired to the bedroom. When he walked in, she was sitting at the foot of the bed, holding the softball she had made for the big game. It would be a source of bad memories for years to come.
He hated that something she had loved so much was forever tainted.
“I don't know why I have saved this skin. I think it is cursed.”
He knew she was referring to her friend falling in the well all those years ago and now what happened today.
“Bad things happen. We knew something like this could happen. We were basically ready for it.”
She shook her head, “We let our guard down. I encouraged this big game. It cost two people their lives. Albert and Jack were shot. Greg injured his leg. It was a disaster.”
“Stop, Megan. I need you to dig deep and find that anger. Find that resolve to push through, even when things are really tough. I know you have it in you. You have proven your strength time and again.”
She gave a weak smile, “Maybe I'm tired of having to prove it all the time. Can't we just catch a break?”
He chuckled, “That would be too easy.”
He sat down next to her, pulled her in close, “We'll get through this.”
“I think they attacked because the other group came here. They have left us alone this whole time and now they attack?”
Wyatt was afraid she would blame the others.
“They would have found us, regardless. The difference is we probably wouldn't have survived had Evan, Jackson and the rest of them been here to help us fight back and defend the lodge.”
She didn't look convinced.
“Seriously, they would have easily overpowered us. We didn't stand a chance against them.”
“I guess, but it is odd they showed up today after leaving us alone all summer.”
Wyatt put a hand on her knee, “They showed up because they are searching harder. They have raided everywhere close to them. They are expanding their search in order to have enough to get through winter. Their desperation is obvious.”
“I want to kill them all. It is burning like a fire in my belly. I don't think I have ever been one to wish death or want to actually kill people, but right now, that is all I can th
ink about. I want to wipe them off the face of the earth,” Megan said with vehemence.
Wyatt completely understood how she was feeling. He was feeling pretty violent himself at the moment.
“All of those traps we set. Why didn't those stop them?” Megan asked.
He shrugged, “We hadn't completely closed in the perimeter. Maybe they went around or maybe some did get caught in the traps. I don't know. Tomorrow I will investigate.”
“I think we need to attack right away. They are back there at their camp, eating our food and celebrating what they did. They won't expect us to show up at their door, prepared to kill them all. McDaniels needs to be our main target. We take him out and the rest will disappear.”
Wyatt appreciated her fervor, but it was too soon. They weren't ready.
“Megan, we don't even know where to go.”
“I do,” she said hopping off the bed and finding the map she had carried with her to Evan's camp in the past. “You see this small clearing. I am confident this is where they would have set up their camp.”
When he looked at her, questioning her assertion, he saw the anger burning behind her eyes.
“I was right about Evan's camp. I am right about this one!”
She had a point.
“Okay, but we need to get in some basic training. You are talking about going to war. Leaving the lodge vulnerable isn't an option. We need trained fighters here and there.”
She nodded her head. He could tell she thought she was ready. One could never really prepare for war. Granted they had seen some pretty rough stuff today, but that was nothing compared to what she was talking about.
“We'll need to get everyone else on board. I have a feeling some of them aren't going to be okay with us heading headfirst into a battle,” he told her gently.
“Fine, then they can live in fear. They can live their lives constantly worried if today is the day they are slaughtered in their own homes.”
Wyatt stood up and stripped off his shirts and jeans. He was beat. He wanted to close his eyes and forget the day ever happened.
“Megan, we'll talk with everyone tomorrow. There is no point staying up all night, fuming and stressing out. Let's just go to bed. I need to sleep.”
She watched him crawl under the covers. At first, he thought she would argue with him.
“Fine. I guess. But I am not going to let anyone talk me out of this. I will not sit here and wait to be killed. I will not put my daughter in that position.”
She quickly stripped down to a t-shirt and crawled into bed next to him. He pulled her in close, cherishing the quiet moment between them. After the day they had, he just wanted to savor these moments. He wasn't convinced they would have many more.
“Sleep. We'll worry about it in the morning.”
Chapter Twenty Three
Megan woke early. She could tell Wyatt was already awake.
“Ready for this?” she asked.
He didn't answer her. She waited.
“I'll talk with the guys. You talk with Rosie and Tara. Jack will need to talk with Willow. I think there is going to be some resistance to our plan.”
“Should we just have one big group meeting?” she asked, hoping to cut out a lot of the talking and get right to the doing.
“No. That will just be chaos. Everyone will want to talk and it will just be counterproductive to what we need to get done.”
She sighed. He was right. Again.
“You do realize we can't just go racing over there today, right?”
Megan considered punching him in the ribs.
“Yes, I know that, but I don't want to wait too long. The longer we wait, the more prepared they will be or they may even attack again.”
“I agree.”
He sat up and they both quickly dressed in silence. Megan noticed dried blood on her arm. It wasn't hers. She really needed a bath. After yesterday's events, she had been too tired to think about it last night, but today was different. She needed to wash away the blood and the bad memories it brought back.
They quietly walked into the kitchen. It didn't appear as if anyone else was up yet. Megan took a moment to look around the lodge. There were people everywhere. Sleeping bags and blankets spread across the ground near the woodstove. With Jack laid up, it would be up to the rest of the group to finish the long house he had started.
Evan and Jackson came in the back door. Their cheeks were pink. She could tell they had been out walking around. The cold air clung to them.
“Hey,” Wyatt said in greeting. “All good?”
Jackson nodded, “Yep. We just did a quick sweep of the perimeter. It was clear.”
“You guys want some hot tea?”
Both men nodded. Megan figured they were probably pretty cold. They had insisted on sleeping in that stupid tent. She knew the temperatures were dropping to the freezing point at night.
“What do you guys want to talk about?” Evan asked.
Megan was only a little surprised he knew they had something to discuss.
Wyatt grinned, “You know us too well.”
“After yesterday, I know you guys are itching to make something happen.” He looked at Jackson, “We're up for it. We are ready to rid the earth of these scum.”
“Good!” Megan said a little too eagerly. “I'll grab the map. Wyatt, no tea for me. I am about tead out,” she said rushing to the bedroom.
Megan rushed back into the room and headed for the table where she spread the map out. She used a red pen to mark the area she believed McDaniels to be holing up.
“You sure?” Evan asked.
She was getting tired of people asking her that.
“Well, I don't have a guarantee, but it makes sense. It is better than nothing. You said it before; they have to be in that general vicinity.”
“Okay, I get it. I'm game. What do you think? A day's hike?”
Wyatt nodded, “Yes, but with these short days, it is going to be a lot of hiking in the dark. That alone could be tricky.”
“But it will help conceal us. The dark is actually a good thing,” Megan pointed out.
“She has a point,” Jackson added. “I like the idea of hitting their camp at night, scoping things out and then attacking at first light when they will all be half asleep.”
Megan had to hide her excitement. They were really going to do this. The plan was being formulated. She couldn't wait to see those men die. They had caused so much grief and pain. She wanted them eradicated for good.
As the rest of the house woke up, each person was informed of the plan. Some people were hesitant, but in general, everyone was excited at the idea of living a peaceful existence without constantly worrying about being murdered in cold blood for no rhyme or reason.
Albert and Greg had asked for a few minutes of Wyatt's time. Megan was invited to join the conversation as well.
Albert looked uneasy.
“What's up?” Wyatt asked.
“We would like to get all of the kids up to speed on shooting. There are four of them. That is four more guns pointed at the bad guys.”
Megan's knee-jerk response was a resounding no.
“Hell no,” she clarified her initial answer.
“Megan, think about it. These kids are not living in typical times. I would never, ever think about training a child to shoot another human, but this is different. Their very lives may depend on it,” Albert explained.
It made her sick to her stomach to think of her little girl shooting and killing a person. It would strip away that innocence that all children should get to hold on to for as long as possible.
Wyatt looked thoughtful.
“I think you're right,” he said. “Caitlin and Ryland already know how to shoot. I'm not sure about Amy and Frankie, but it would be smart to make sure they can each use a weapon.”
Megan looked at him in shock.
He turned to her, “Megan, you have to think about what may happen if you or I or all of the adults are injured or
killed. Do you really want to leave the kids vulnerable? Obviously we wouldn't be sending them out the front lines, but if there is an attack here again, they need to be able to defend themselves.”
“I know what you are saying, but I know how bad it messed me up after I killed that man. I can't imagine any one of those kids having to go through those emotions.”
Greg shook his head, “Times are different. They have already seen more than a typical adult would have a year ago. I think it will give them confidence. We don't want them feeling anxious or scared. If they know how to shoot and where to shoot to stop someone from hurting them, I think it would go a long way to making them feel better.”
She slammed a fist on the table, “I hate this, but fine. Yes, please teach my daughter how to be a little soldier.”
“Megan, you know it isn't like that. You have to be on board with this or she is never going to do it,” Wyatt reasoned.
“Fine. I will talk to her and let her know I need her to do this.”
Greg stood, “Great, we'll get started on it today. We don't have time to put it off.”
Wyatt looked thoughtful, “I think we should also teach everyone here, especially the ladies and kids some self-defense. I showed Megan some moves a while back and they came in handy.”
Megan nodded. Oh yes they had. She had managed to disable Kyle Grice and save her life and the life of her daughter. She absolutely wanted Caitlin to know how to escape anyone who tried to take her or got close enough to harm her.
“I'll go talk to Jack. See how he's doing while you guys get your training classes organized,” Megan said leaving the table.
“See if the kids are up and moving yet. We'll be out at the ball field cleaning things up and then set up some targets for them,” Albert said.
“I will. Thank you guys for doing this. I can't say I am thrilled with the idea, but I do understand how important it is,” Megan said making eye contact with Albert and Greg.
They both smiled and nodded and head out the door.
Megan tapped on the door to Willow and Jack's room.
Willow swung it open. Her eyes were puffy and Megan could tell she had been crying.
“Hi, come in. I'm going to get breakfast started,” she said before rushing past Megan.
Dark Defiance (EMP Lodge Series Book 3) Page 11