EMP Lodge Series (Book 1): Dark Retreat

by Grace Hamilton

  She didn’t look convinced, “I’m no expert but, I know not to drink water that hasn’t been purified or filtered. I don’t want to find out the water is loaded with harmful microbes and I spend the next several days with dysentery or worse.”

  He nodded, “Yep, you’re right, but we can make a filter. Watch,” he said holding out his hand for her water bottle. He used his knife to cut off the bottom couple inches. She didn’t look happy.

  “I’ll get you another one,” he told her. “Now, we need some charcoal. I happen to know we used to have fires around here and I bet I can find what I need.”

  Looking around, he dug around with the toe of his boot looking for the old ring. Hitting an unnatural formation, he bent down and started moving the leaves and dirt. Spying the burned out wood buried underneath, he lifted it up and scooped some of the charcoal up and put it in the empty bottle that was now upside down. He walked towards the stream and used his hand to stir up the area along the bed. Using his cupped hands, he scooped gravel and sand on top of the charcoal.

  Megan watched with rapt interest. Wyatt then told her to look for dandelions or green grass. She did so and gave him a handful. Wyatt pushed it on top of the sand and gravel.

  “Here is our filter,” he told her holding it up. “Hold this,” he said giving her the bottle.

  He dug in his own pack and pulled out a small canteen and a metal cup. He filled the canteen with water from the stream. “You hold this cup under the filter,” he directed. When she did as asked, he began to pour the water from the canteen over the now exposed bottom of the water bottle. The water trickled through and into the cup.

  “There,” he said, clearly proud of himself. “That is an emergency filter you can use in a pinch. Obviously it isn’t as great as boiling water or running it through a real filter, but it will do.”

  She took a small sip of the water, “Not bad. Thank you. That will definitely be a good thing to know.”

  He nodded, taking the cup of water for his own drink. “You could filter the water a few times to make sure you got as much of the icky stuff out of the water if you had the time.”

  They put everything back in their packs and crossed the stream using a couple logs Chase had put over it. As they approached the cabin, they saw a flash of light coming from up high in a tree. Wyatt grabbed Megan’s arm and pulled her to the ground, shushing her as they went. The signal was one they had come up with to alert them to strangers breaching their perimeter.

  “What was that?” Megan hissed as Wyatt held her arm to keep her down.

  “Someone’s coming.”

  “And?” she asked in an irritated voice.

  Albert’s voice carried through the trees, “One person. East about two o’clock.”

  Megan didn’t say anything, but Wyatt could tell she was concerned. “Albert is in the bird’s nest we built,” he said standing and pointing to a tree where Albert blended in with his green clothing. “If you know where to look, you should just be able to make out the edge of the platform he’s sitting on.”

  “Should we tell the others?” she asked.

  Wyatt shook his head, “No, I have a better plan.” He made some hand gestures in the air, before grabbing Megan’s hand and pulling her behind him.

  They cleared the stream, heading back to where they had been setting traps earlier. Wyatt stopped moving and scanned the area. It was all clear. Only one person slowly making his way towards the cabin.

  “We are going to come up from behind,” Wyatt explained.

  She nodded. They were carrying their rifles and would hopefully present a strong force. Wyatt didn’t want to have to hurt anyone and they weren’t quite ready to fend off an army, big or small. These were dangerous times. A single person could be their undoing.

  He could be a scout, trying to see what they had and how many people were in the group. It was the way of the world nowadays and Wyatt was not going to put his family, even the non-blood members, at risk.

  Wyatt and Megan walked towards the intruder, who appeared to be limping and injured, which could easily be faked. The man had his back to them and didn’t hear them approaching.

  “Where you headed?” Wyatt called out, startling the man.

  He turned to look at them. Wyatt noticed his left arm was hanging limply at his side. His lips appeared to be chapped and he had signs of dehydration.

  The man appeared lost and a little dazed. “I was looking for some water and a place to rest.” His voice was little more than a whisper.

  Megan looked to Wyatt who gave a very subtle shake of his head.

  “Where did you come from?” Wyatt asked, not moving any closer and keeping his weapon at the ready.

  The man shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been walking for days. I got separated from my family a while ago and I’m afraid I’m lost.” He looked around, “It all looks the same.”

  Wyatt spoke to the air, “Have Chase bring a bottle of water.”

  Megan would know he was talking to Albert who had kept his position high up in the tree, but the man appeared confused as he turned his head right and left trying to figure out who he was talking to. Wyatt didn’t elaborate as the man didn’t need to know any of their hiding spots.

  The man extended his right hand stepping closer to Wyatt, “I’m Kyle Grice.”

  Wyatt shook his hand, “Wyatt and Megan.”

  Wyatt offered no further information and stared at the man while he waited for Chase. The stranger looked nervous, which Wyatt could understand given the situation.

  “I have been moving since all of this started. I started out in Oregon and we drifted this way,” Kyle blurted out as he looked from Wyatt to Megan and back again. When Kyle turned his head back toward the forest, Wyatt shifted his stance so he was better positioned to protect Megan if need be.

  “Where is your family?” Wyatt questioned.

  Kyle looked down, “I don’t know. We had made camp with some other travelers. I was asked to help a family whose goat was giving birth and having some trouble. I’m a vet or I was a vet. When I came back, they were gone.”

  Wyatt was intrigued by the possibility of having a veterinarian as part of their team. A vet would have some of the same knowledge as a doctor. He hoped. He assumed. Maybe he could help Caitlin and Duke, who was showing signs of being under the weather. This could be a very good addition. But this Kyle person was still a little shady and Wyatt didn’t fully trust him, but maybe they could at least get his opinion on the dog and Caitlin before sending him on his way.

  When Chase showed up carrying a bottle of water, Wyatt excused himself and Chase from the group. He asked Megan to keep Kyle company while he and Chase chatted. Albert had come out of the tree to join the men.

  Whispering, “He says he was a veterinarian. I’m thinking we bring him back to the cabin to take a look at Duke and Caitlin.”

  Albert growled, crossing his arms and turning to stare at Kyle who seemed a little less nervous as he looked around. “No. No way. We don’t have enough as it is. Besides. Look at him. Something ain’t right.”

  Wyatt had to agree that the old man raised a credible point, why did the stranger look so well fed? His cheeks were dirty, but he didn’t have that pale, washed out look of someone who was starving.

  Wyatt looked to Chase. “What do you think?”

  Chase shrugged his shoulders. “If it were just me, I’d say no, but there are more of us than him. I don’t know, man. If he can help the little girl.”

  In the end, they agreed they would bring him to the cabin, feed him and let him rest, but he would be closely watched. They all had valid reservations and not one of them completely bought his story, but it was worth a shot. They could fend off one guy if things got ugly.

  15

  Megan watched as the three men talked. She could see Albert getting angry, again. She was leery of the man standing in front of her, drinking the water as if he hadn’t drunk anything in days. She took the time to study his clothes. The
y were smeared with dirt and his face was dirty, but his clothes were in very good shape. They contradicted his story of walking for days. Her own clothing had small tears, snags and was horribly stained as was Wyatt’s and the rest of the group.

  “What happened to your arm?” she asked.

  He looked at it, as if he had forgotten it was injured. “Oh, I fell and, uh, sprained my wrist,” he explained.

  She nodded, looking down at the injured arm. She didn’t notice any bruising or swelling, but maybe it was an old injury.

  Megan had serious doubts about the man but maybe he was telling the truth. More importantly, he had a medical background, even if it was working with animals, maybe he could help Caitlin. She knew Rosie was doing everything she could to help her daughter but having a professional give a second opinion could be incredibly helpful. She looked at the guys talking and from Albert’s stance; she could only assume that he wanted the man gone. He was definitely not one for strangers and neither was Chase even if he was less vocal about it.

  Wyatt walked over and stood next to her. “We can take you back to our house, get you some food and water and allow you to rest a bit. In exchange, we have a sick little girl we would like you to look at. Maybe offer some kind of a medical opinion about what is making her ill.”

  Megan looked up at him. This was a brave, bold move. She knew the rest of the group was not keen on accepting anyone new. This was all Wyatt. He was trying to help her daughter and was putting his entire group in jeopardy to do just that.

  He looked at her, gave a solemn nod, before placing his hand on the small of her back. She understood she was to stay with him and away from their new friend. That wasn’t going to be a problem since there was something about the guy that seemed off. For now, she would follow Wyatt’s lead.

  Albert had gone up ahead and was already back up in his bird’s nest and Megan could feel him watching the procession. Chase walked behind, holding a gun. Kyle was sandwiched between them. Megan realized how lucky she had been. These guys were serious and for them to accept her so quickly made her very grateful.

  KYLE WAS RELIEVED when they finally agreed to let him go back to their camp. He wasn’t sure they were going to but he played up the sprained hand, hoping to win sympathy points. Now he knew the name of the woman who potentially threatened his future. Megan. She seemed nice enough. He was only a little disappointed to hear her daughter was still alive. He needed to find out how much she had told her mother.

  “Thank you so much for the help. I truly appreciate it. I hope I can help the little girl,” he said with the charm he had mastered over the years. He had been called a snake oil salesman on more than one occasion.

  He had a way of convincing people to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do. It was a skill he honed over the years and it had made him very rich. It had also made him a wanted man. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about the FBI finding him and sending him to prison for embezzlement. He had a chance to start fresh and no one was going to get in his way. Especially not a woman and child.

  He could tell they were holding back. He knew they weren’t buying his story yet. He was a master and would be able to smooth things over in no time; it was how he had gotten through life. His desire for power had made him a master manipulator. While some people may not appreciate the negative connotation of being called a manipulative person, he loved it. It worked.

  He was the leader of his constantly growing group. He was rich by today’s standards and planned to become much wealthier and more powerful. He would be the new world’s version of president or maybe even a king. But first, he had to quiet one little girl who saw too much.

  The trees thinned out and a large log cabin stood proud and strong in the center of the clearing. Oh, he could really enjoy this. Of course, he had set his eyes on a couple of mansions already in the city, but this, this could be a nice retreat. Kyle decided to learn as much as he could about the place and the people who were occupying it.

  If they were those survivalist or prepper types, he was sure they would have a stockpile of food. He could use the food and supplies to bribe more followers to join him. He imagined returning to his own camp with a cartload of food to share with the faithful.

  The people who looked to him to be their leader would further be convinced of his ability to provide. He would hold so much power; any transgressions and misdeeds he committed would be overlooked or forgiven as long as he could keep his people fed and safe from outsiders.

  Kyle decided he needed to do some recon. He wanted to thank Megan for leading him here. It was meant to be. Divine intervention he decided.

  WYATT WAS SOLEMN as he pushed open the front door. He didn’t have a great feeling about the newcomer, but he was anxious to get Caitlin healed. While he knew that Caitlin getting better might result in Megan leaving, he didn’t want the little girl to die. All of them were slowly working on Megan to convince her to stay. She had valuable skills that would be an asset to their group and if he dared be honest, he was falling for her. He could tell they were making progress in convincing her and just maybe, the addition of Kyle would save Caitlin, leaving Megan forever grateful. She may trust them more if she could see how serious they were about helping her little girl.

  He allowed himself a few moments to imagine the future if Megan stayed. Her hunting and trapping skills combined with his wilderness survival skills would ensure they had plenty of food on the table. His mother was an herbalist and was skilled at growing a garden.

  Jack had inherited his mother’s skills for working the earth and had become a landscape artist. It really was artistry. He knew how to fix the soil and what plants grew best in a given environment. He could transform a barren backyard into thriving oasis practically overnight using permaculture techniques that made no sense to Wyatt. They were all counting on Jack and Rosie to get the garden off to a good start.

  Willow was a first grade teacher before the fall and could teach Caitlin and Ryland. She was also a heck of a cook. Willow’s mother had been raised on a farm and knew all about food preservation, which she had taught Willow.

  It was a valuable skill that would help them survive the many long winters ahead. Albert was a retired electrician who had promised to fix the solar panels and get them electricity again. He also had some knowledge of construction that would prove useful when it came time to build a few more cabins on the property. Chase was their security expert and would help keep them safe.

  With those combined skills, they could thrive. Maybe they could bring in more people and slowly grow their small community. It was time to rebuild and it had to start sooner rather than later. He wasn’t sure if Kyle was the right fit for their new community, but he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. The guy seemed a little sketchy, but it could just be him being a little over protective.

  “Wyatt?”

  His mother’s questioning look brought him back to the present.

  “Mom, this is Kyle. He needs some food and water. He is a veterinarian and is willing to check out both Caitlin and Duke.”

  “Well, we were putting together some lunch,” Rosie replied, offering a small smile for the newcomer.

  It smelled great and Wyatt once again was so thankful his mother had insisted they stockpile spices. At first, he and his dad had said they weren’t important. But, after eating MREs and plain, freeze-dried, meals for three months, he got it. A little salt and pepper made a bland potato soup not just palatable, but good. She had dried most of the spices and herbs from her own garden back home. He remembered her trying to take along the potted plants when they decided to move up here. Leaving them behind had been difficult for her, but she had taken as many of the seed heads and cuttings as she could to start another herb garden up here.

  Willow was stirring a pot on the stove. Wyatt didn’t have to look at it to know what it was. Beef stroganoff. It was out of the bucket they had been eating from off and on the past week. While it was good, he was craving the real stu
ff. Anything real. Freeze-dried food was okay, but the consistency and texture was also just a little off. Again, his mom had insisted they stockpile vitamins to make up for the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. She had always been a big proponent of fresh is best.

  “It smells delicious,” Kyle said, perking up.

  Wyatt made the introductions then directed the newcomer to the bathroom so he could clean up. Wyatt grabbed a gallon of water from under the kitchen sink. He didn’t want this guy to know about their water supply. The bottled water under the sink was convenient for their own needs, but also made it appear they only had a limited supply.

  Kyle thanked him for the water and shut the bathroom door. There was a silence in the room. Wyatt could feel the tension as they all wondered whom the man was and whether he was a risk. All he could do was stay vigilant and hope the guy was exactly what he said he was.

  Megan was in the room with Caitlin, who looked so much better, but was still not fully conscious. Wyatt watched as Megan tucked the covers around her daughter and told her about her day in a quiet, soothing voice. Duke watched Megan, but he didn’t bother lifting his head. Wyatt would definitely make sure Kyle looked at the dog as well.

  Kyle came out of the bathroom. He had scrubbed his face clean and slicked his brown hair back. The collar on his shirt was damp from the water and he seemed to have perked up more.

  “Where is this patient you would like me to look at?” Kyle asked with a disarming smile. He seemed very eager, but Wyatt wanted to believe it was because he was genuinely grateful for the hospitality and wanted to return the favor.

  “Right in here,” Wyatt directed, bringing him to the room. Duke popped his head up this time and gave a low growl.

  Megan watched the dog and then looked at Kyle.

  Kyle smiled tightly, taking a step back, “In my line of work, dogs tend not to be overly fond of me. They somehow know.”

  Megan nodded her head, accepting the explanation.

  Wyatt shooed Duke out the door. The dog refused at first, but with a little push, Wyatt managed to get him off the bed. Duke wasn’t happy, but obeyed. The dog stayed at the door, watching as Kyle got close to Caitlin. Wyatt could hear the low growl and hoped Duke didn’t spring and attack the man.