One of the men from Evan's group, Garrett, stood up and nodded. Megan could tell he wasn't thrilled about having watch duty.
It was dark and cold and sitting in the trees for hours would be miserable, but it had already been decided it was an absolute necessity. They couldn't take the chance of being caught off-guard. Wyatt had wanted Chase to stay for their impromptu meeting, but Chase wasn't about to leave the fate of the lodge in the hands of strangers.
It was decided an original member would always be on watch with a member from the new group. This made everyone feel a little better.
They had decided to meet in Wyatt and Megan's room. It was cramped, but they squeezed in.
“How's everyone doing?” Wyatt asked the group as a whole.
Rosie and Willow both looked at each other, but didn't say anything.
Albert surprised them all, “I'm glad for the extra hands. We need help getting this place secured. With more eyes to keep watch and more hands to get the heavy lifting done, we have better odds of beating this crazy dude at his own game.”
Brenda nodded in agreement, “Wars are won by sheer force and strategy. Now we have both. We can win this war.”
Megan knew the veteran would say something along those lines. Brenda was career military. Everything she did was programmed by her extensive training and experience in the Army.
“Can we trust them?” Megan had to ask.
Jack shrugged, “Little late for that.”
Megan glared at him. He smiled in return.
“She's right,” Wyatt spoke up. “I don't think we can trust them all just yet. There are a couple of guys I am not sure of. I think Jackson, Evan and Greg are solid. Sandra and Tara are harmless as well as that other little boy.”
“We watch them. We keep certain things to ourselves for now, like the escape hatch,” Jack said referring to the wall in the kitchen they had just finished opening up into the store room.
“What about the root cellar?” Willow asked. “We can't exactly hide that forever.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, “They'll know its there. All we can do is keep an eye on things. Like Jack said, that ship has sailed. We are in it now. We do what we can to keep some things to ourselves, including the stashes that are buried around the property. If we want them to really trust us, we can't be shady,” Wyatt reasoned.
“Are we going to shadow them, like we did,” Megan stopped. She was going to say like they did with Brenda, but considering Brenda was in the room, it felt wrong.
“It's okay. I knew and I appreciated you being careful. It made me feel a little better knowing you didn't just let anyone into your group,” Brenda assured her.
Jack spoke, “I don't think we need to shadow anybody. Well, maybe those two guys. One's name is Garrett, I don't remember the other one.”
“David,” Brenda stated.
“Okay, David and Garrett stay on our radar. We know the rest and I think we all feel pretty comfortable with them, right?”
Everyone agreed.
“The kids need to be watched by one of us. I trust Tara and Sandra, but I would feel better if one of us was nearby,” Willow added.
Another mutual agreement.
“What about the guns?” Albert asked?
“I think for now, those are kept under wraps. We don't need to flaunt what we have. If we are under attack, we will distribute the guns, but for now, let's just leave them out of sight,” Wyatt offered.
Megan hesitated, but finally had to say what was on her mind, “I think one of us needs to be on watch here at the cabin all night. At least until things settle down a bit.”
Everyone quickly agreed.
“Okay, anything else?” Wyatt asked. “If you have something on your mind, now is the time to say it.”
He looked around the group. No one said anything.
“Alright, I think we have some ground rules and we will just go from here. Tomorrow we are going to have to work out some plans for getting more food and stepping up our security. We will get the other group in on all of that. There is no reason for us to do all the work. With all of us working together, I think this could really work,” Wyatt said, sounding pleased with the outcome of the meeting.
Megan hoped his prediction proved to be true. As it was, she was feeling very crowded. Finding any privacy now was going to be very difficult. She took a moment to look around their little room. This would be her sanctuary to get away from the crowd.
It took an hour to get everyone settled into place. Garret was going to sleep in the tent with Evan and Jackson. The man actually grumbled about it being cramped. Megan had to bite her tongue. Jack had placed a hand on her elbow to remind her of her manners.
Amy was sleeping with Caitlin and the little boy, Frankie, was crashing on the floor next to Ryland. Rosie had insisted her patient sleep downstairs instead of trying to climb the stairs. It was hectic, but once everyone settled down, Megan realized she kind of liked having a full house. It just felt stronger.
Chapter Sixteen
Connor sat in front of the massive stone fireplace, deep in thought as he stared at the dancing flames. The whiskey in his hand was going down smooth, settling his nerves. The leather chair cradled his weary body. If wasn't so worried about one of his men slitting his throat while he slept, he would have dozed off right where he was.
As it was, he couldn't, not if he wanted to see another day. Today's raid had been fruitful. They had scored a great deal of food and supplies. The men were in the large living room downstairs celebrating. They were drunk. Their hoots of laughter and the occasional shouts helped keep him awake.
He hoped the score would help settle things down in the group. The men were restless. They were on edge and losing confidence in his ability to be the leader he promised to be. He had heard rumblings and knew mutiny wasn't far off if he didn't get control of things.
Shooting his man during the raid had drove home a point. He was the boss. He was not to be questioned. Connor surprised himself with his ability to be so ruthless. All those days of being rejected by society had cultivated the man he was today.
He didn't need to be accepted, but he did want to be feared. He couldn't afford anyone leaving. Every man who joined their forces made them stronger. Connor needed an army. That was the only way the would really be able to live. It wasn't like any of the little prepper groups they had encountered along the way would ever invite them in.
They were on their own. Together they could conquer the world. Divided they would surely all be killed. He prided himself on his ability to out think most people. These men were pawns. He would never be satisfied with just being okay. He wanted to be set up.
When they had found this house tucked away in the woods, Connor knew he had struck gold. It resembled a castle with the stone walls and the large, heavy wooden doors. When he saw the house, he had decided it would be his.
He had walked right up to the front door and used the massive black iron door knocker. When the door opened, an older man was holding a sawed-off shotgun in his face. Connor remembered laughing at the man.
A quick shout was all it took for his own men to storm the house. The older couple inside hadn't stood a chance. When they gained entry to the stone fortress, they were richly rewarded. There was a cellar loaded with food, water and cases of liquor and beer. They had struck gold.
The couple were true preppers. Their home was built to withstand an attack, but with just the two of them to defend it, they were no match for Connor and his men.
Connor took the last drink of whiskey from his glass and stood. He wanted to check the cellar and see where they stood. When they had first come here, they hadn't thought much about the future or the winter. They had eaten until they were full every day. The food was being depleted at a rapid rate.
The recent raid would provide some cushion, but they needed more food if they were to maintain their current way of living throughout the winter. If the men thought he was failing in his duties to p
rovide them with the cushy lifestyle they were enjoying, they would turn on him.
They would either leave or kill him. Connor couldn't let that happen. He was never one to give up. When he saw an opportunity, he took it. If he couldn't find one, he would make one. He was going to have to find that other group. They looked well-fed. Connor decided right then he would be heading out soon with his army.
The group was small and weak. He could easily overtake them.
Chapter Seventeen
Wyatt had to count to 10 and regain his composure before he lost his cool. The morning started off with a bang. There were people everywhere it seemed. It was chaotic, which just made everything stressful. Nobody had any real direction or purpose, which meant there were people in the way.
He had to get a hold on it and fast. He could see his mother getting frustrated with all the women trying to help her in the kitchen. There was no one leading the way. Nobody knew what to do, so everyone was trying to do everything—including the kids.
Megan was silently fuming in the corner. She had been trying to get in a word with Caitlin, but with all of the commotion, it was next to impossible. The kids were feeding off the frenzy and just going a little wild. There were at least five different conversations going on in various parts of the house. Everyone was trying to talk over each other.
Enough was enough. He walked back into the bedroom, grabbed a notebook off of the dresser and headed into the fray.
He climbed onto one of the chairs at the table and whistled. It quieted the room somewhat, but not completely. He whistled again.
“Everyone, I need your attention,” he said in a loud commanding voice.
The entire house fell silent. The small group upstairs slowly walked down and stood against the stairwell.
All eyes were on him.
“Listen, everybody. We need to get some jobs established. There is a lot that needs to be done. This is an all hands on deck situation.”
He turned to look at Caitlin and Amy who were giggling quietly on the floor, “Cait, Amy, that includes you girls. We need everyone's help. Evan, Jackson, let's sit down real quick and go over who does what best. Everyone else, please finish eating and get ready for a busy day.”
He stepped off the chair and watched as everyone went in different directions. He hoped to God this would work.
Evan and Jackson pulled up chairs at the table.
“We need food. We need to build a new shelter and we need to work on upping our defenses. We also need to have at least two people on guard duty. Albert is out there with David now. Let's come up with a schedule so no one is out there for more than 4 hours at a time.”
The men nodded in agreement.
“Okay,” Wyatt started. “Who is great with a bow? I gotta say the ammunition is dangerously low so we need to conserve.”
Jackson and Evan looked at each other, “Our best bow hunter was killed. Garrett isn't too bad, though.”
Wyatt winced. He wasn't sure if he trusted Garrett yet. His hope was to send Megan out as well. He wasn't going to send Megan out with Garrett alone.
“Okay, we'll come back to that.”
Jack came over to the table, pushing his hair out of his face.
“We need to build some kind of housing, like yesterday,” he said. A long piece of hair flopped in his face again. He pushed it back, showing his frustration.
Evan smiled at him, “What you need to do is get a haircut unless you are going for some kind of Johnny Depp look, which I gotta say isn't working for you.”
Jack rolled his eyes, “I happen to like my look and so does my wife.” He leaned in and very quietly whispered, “She is the absolute worst when it comes to cutting hair. My mom, well if I want a bowl cut, she can hook me up.”
All four men laughed. Wyatt had been trimming his own hear. He imagined he probably resembled a bit of a shaggy dog himself. In the grand scheme of things, a stylish do wasn't a big deal. Although it would be nice to get a nice cut and feel like a normal man again.
Evan and Jackson exchanged a look. That is when Wyatt noticed how normal their own hairstyles looked. Like they had just visited a salon. Not a barber with a pair of clippers, but an actual style.
“Why do you guys look like you just stepped off of some photoshoot?” Wyatt asked. He was actually a little irritated. Their camp had been raided and they were starving, but yet they both managed to keep their hair in perfect condition.
Jackson smiled, “Our personal stylist insists we keep up with our appearance. I'm surprised she hasn't tackled you and went after that mess of hair on your head,” he said to Wyatt.
“Who?” Jack asked all business.
“Tara. She was some big time hair stylist before all this went down. At first we thought it was silly, but it helps her and it actually does make us feel a lot better. You need to have some of those little things to help keep you sane,” Jackson explained.
“We'll talk to her. Schedule everyone for a haircut sometime over the next few days. The first cut takes a little longer. She says she has to see what works. Once she gets the style down, it is a quick upkeep every couple of weeks. Like he Jackson said, she loves to do it. Says it reminds her of the good old days,” Evan added.
Wyatt jotted down Tara's name and wrote hair beside it.
“Okay, now that we have the most important business out of the way, let's move onto less important matters like, oh, food,” he said.
“David is a killer mechanic. He was working on a generator for the large cabin before everything went south. You have a generator?”
Wyatt nodded, “Yes, but what's the point if there is no fuel?”
“He was working on creating a hydroelectric setup. Water would run downhill, turning a wheel and it produced electricity. I really don't know the ins and outs, but he had it all figured out,” Jackson explained.
Wyatt jotted the information down. He didn't see the importance of that particular skill at the moment, but this spring, it would be great to get some kind of electricity going.
“How about we put David with Jack on the new lodging. Evan, are you up for that as well?”
Evan nodded, “Yep, count me in.”
“I'll go hunting with Megan and Garrett. If we can take two deer, that will give us a good start on our food supply. We'll need all three of us to get them back here. Jack, do you think you can throw up another deer hang?”
Jack nodded, “Ya, I'll have Ryland and Frankie help me with that.”
“Okay, we will have the girls help my mom and Willow get that first doe dried and cured. With the weather getting colder, I think we can freeze any of the meat we take from here on out. I almost wish we had snow. I really am tired of eating dried meat,” Wyatt said with longing in his voice.
“Amen!” Jack agreed.
“What about Greg?” Wyatt asked.
“Why don't you have him help Chase with the border enforcement. The guy is an old Vietnam vet. He has some really good ideas,” Jackson offered.
“Hey, if you guys do take a deer, Greg has been telling us he knows how to tan the hide. Maybe we can figure out how to make mittens, moccasins or other useful items?” Evan volunteered.
Wyatt got excited. The last deer they harvested had been quickly processed. He knew nothing about how to preserve the hide. He had felt like it was wasteful, but didn't want it laying around and attracting wolves or other predators.
Jack got excited. “I'm sure my mom and wife can figure out what to do with the hides once they are ready. That would be great. I'm guessing if we can get it figured out, the hides or items we make will be great for bartering with.”
“Sounds good. Any other strengths or skills that we can put to work?” Wyatt asked the two men.
They shrugged, “Not off hand, but you never know what someone can do until you ask.”
“I think we should make some of those cold frame boxes Brenda was talking about. If we can grow some fresh root crops all winter, it will certainly help add to the food
supply,” Wyatt stated.
Evan nodded in understanding, “Those are pretty easy to make. That is a job that Earl can certainly handle.”
“How is Earl?” Wyatt asked.
The man had to be carried into the lodge. When they had first encountered him and the rest of the group, the man had looked to be in bad shape. Rosie had declared him to be relatively fine, just a little banged up. His arm had been wrapped. Wyatt hadn't seen him this morning. That was odd.
He made a mental note to seek the man out and introduce himself. If the man was going to be living at the lodge, he wanted to have a good feel for him.
“Okay, well I think we got a pretty good plan for the day. Jack, what kind of lodgings are you planning on throwing up?”
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment, “I think the best option would be a long house. It wouldn't be as big or as fancy as they had in the old days, but we can make it so it is big enough to sleep eight or so. It really only needs to be a bunkhouse. No point in adding windows and all that. Not now, anyways.”
“Do we have the lumber?” Wyatt asked.
Jack shook his head, “No, but in one of dad's old books I read about how to hand hew logs. We have enough axes and man power. They won't be pretty, but we can make them work. We have that stack of logs I was saving to start one of the new cabins, but we'll use them for the longhouse for now.” He paused, “Actually, if we can swing it, we need to get busy chopping down some more trees so they can sit over winter.”
Evan grimaced, “That sounds like a lot of work.”
“It is,” Wyatt stated with firmness. “If we are going to make this work and we want to plan to live here for a while, we need to be busting our butts. We are going to kill each other if we all have to live in this house for the next 6 months.”
“You know,” Jackson started, “I know things are stretched tight, but we may be able to help ease that.”
“How,” Wyatt asked immediately.
Jackson and Evan exchanged a look, “We had a couple of stashes around the camp. McDaniels didn't find them. They are buried.”
EMP Lodge Series (Book 3): Dark Defiance Page 8