EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6

by Hamilton, Grace

  Caitlin and Megan walked to the root cellar and climbed in.

  Megan winced at how empty the shelves were, but reassured herself it was temporary. They would start hunting soon and the garden would soon be planted. They would be okay. She had to keep reminding herself of that fact to keep from panicking.

  “Okay, Caitlin, grab a few packs of that deer jerky. I'll grab a couple headlamps and the matches from over here,” Megan instructed.

  “Got it. Now what?” Caitlin asked.

  “You better put in some dried apple slices as well. They are going to need more than jerky if it takes them more than a day. See if you can find any protein bars. I thought we had a case stashed away somewhere.”

  Megan went back to the shelf full of gear. She added some paracord, an emergency blanket and the collapsible canteen.

  “Caitlin, look over there and see if you see that Lifestraw. I thought it was over here, but I'm not seeing it.”

  “It's right here, mom.”

  “Great, so let's put all that in here. I'll grab that first aid kit.”

  Caitlin stood in front of the shelf with her mom, looking at the dwindling amount of supplies.

  “We are almost out of everything, huh?” Caitlin asked, her voice soft.

  Megan smiled at her daughter. She had grown up a lot these past few months. Between Wyatt and herself, they had taught Amy, Frankie, Ryland and Caitlin all about surviving in the outdoors. They couldn't risk them getting caught out on their own and not know what to do.

  “We’re getting low, but we'll be fine. We each still have our own bags packed. We’ll start making runs into towns a little farther away to see what we can find. Hopefully, Harry will find a radio and be able to let us know how things are out there.”

  “Okay, do we need anything else?” Caitlin asked.

  “Go ahead. I'm going to grab a few more things to make their trip a little safer.”

  Megan snapped the button compass on one of the outside pockets of the pack along with a whistle.

  She looked around the cellar trying to think of anything else.

  “Oh, wet wipes. Those will be very useful,” she said to herself.

  She climbed out of the cellar and spotted Harry talking with Albert. Linda and Rosie were huddled together. Megan watched from a distance, dreading the upcoming goodbyes.

  Emma was surrounded by Amy, Frankie and Ryland. They were pointing at the goats and laughing.

  “Why don't you go say goodbye?” Megan said, gently pushing Caitlin in the direction of the other children.

  “I don't want to. I want her to stay,” she pouted.

  “Caitlin, we talked about this. It isn't your choice, now don't be rude. Go tell her goodbye.”

  Megan watched as Caitlin dragged her feet across the yard. She felt bad for her, but this wasn't some new, horrible event that only happened to Caitlin or anyone else living in this new, crazy world. This was normal.

  Despite it being terribly painful and tragic for her little girl to deal with, Megan thought back to the day she had to say goodbye to her own childhood friend. It was a part of life. Caitlin and the other kids had grown close to Emma over the winter, but this was never meant to be permanent.

  She watched Caitlin and Emma embrace. Emma was the one who would have it the hardest. She was leaving the group. The other kids still had each other.

  Megan returned her attention back to the adults gathered around the back door of the lodge. When Albert and Harry appeared to be finished with their conversation, Megan walked over and handed Harry the bag.

  “Here you go. I hope there is enough to get you where you're going.”

  He smiled. “You are a generous person, Megan. Thank you.”

  Linda came to stand beside her husband. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Linda had tears in her eyes as she looked at each member of Megan's extended family, who had become her family by bond, even if not by blood.

  “I mean what I said. You can always rely on us, if you're in danger, I'll be here for you. I promise,” Megan said, holding Harry's attention.

  She was going to miss them, but she understood their desire to move on. This life was not what they had planned on or prepared for. After what they had been through, she could understand their need to make a home away from the place that held such horrifying memories. They had lost hope of ever seeing their son and daughter-in-law again. All they had left was their granddaughter, Emma.

  Wyatt extended his hand, “I hope you keep in touch. You make sure you find a radio and reach out if you need anything. Like Megan said, we’ll do whatever we can to help you guys out.”

  Linda stepped away from Harry and wrapped her arms around Megan, “You take care of yourself and this handsome man,” she whispered.

  Megan smiled. Linda had become a second mother after Rosie who she knew was going to miss them both. The three of them along with Albert were close in age and had quickly bonded.

  “Well, we better get going,” Harry said, putting the backpack on.

  Albert, Chase, Bryan, Evan, Tara, and Garrett all waved, along with the kids.

  Megan knew they would be missed, even though they had only got to spend a short five months with them. When they had first come to the lodge, they were traumatized and dangerously thin. Both had put on some weight and managed to overcome what they had gone through at the hands of Connor McDaniels.

  Little Emma had suffered horrible nightmares the first few weeks after coming to the lodge. Between all of them, they had managed to assure her she was safe. She seemed resilient and had rebounded much faster than her grandparents had and Megan suspected that had much to do with the other children who made her feel at home.

  Megan thought about the house they had spent so much money preparing to live through something like the EMP. They had thought they were set, no matter what happened. And they should have been. McDaniels had stolen their security.

  Their home was destroyed. They couldn't go back even if they wanted. It was time for them to move on and hopefully find a place in town that would allow them to be a part of a larger community, while maintaining their own separate lives.

  That was something they couldn't get at the lodge.

  “I'm really gonna miss them all,” Caitlin said as she watched the trio fade into the trees.

  “We all will,” Megan told her.

  They stood and watched for a few more minutes before Wyatt clapped his hands once and turned to face the group.

  “Alright, everyone, it’s time to get started with spring cleanup. We all have a lot to do.”

  The kids groaned, not looking forward to more chores.

  Willow was standing near the mudroom door, staring into the trees.

  “You okay?” Megan asked.

  “Yep, just thinking about how empty the place will feel with them gone.”

  Willow had been struggling with depression since Jack's death. It’s never easy losing someone you love. Rosie had told her it was compounded by the winter doldrums and being cooped up in the lodge for so long. Spring promised to be a time of growth and starting over.

  “How's she doing?” Megan asked, looking at Willow's hands on her belly.

  Willow gave a small smile. “You and Wyatt are going to have this poor child so confused. He swears it’s a boy and you keep calling it her.”

  Megan laughed. “Well, one of us is bound to be right, and I'm betting it's going to be me.”

  “You aren't going to be finding out for a few more months... I hope,” she added.

  Willow had announced her pregnancy a few weeks after Jack's death and it had taken everyone by surprise. There had been a wide range of emotions, but most of all, everyone was looking forward to having a baby around.

  The biggest concern was Willow's health. She had endured an unimaginable loss. When she made it past the first trimester, everyone was relieved. Now, it was all about preparing for the birth and praying the baby would be in good health.

  The
thought of bringing a helpless infant into this world was daunting. Babies were so fragile. Even with pre-EMP medicine, babies got sick; sometimes deathly ill for no reason. Without access to doctors, pediatricians and specialists, she suspected there would be a lot of sleepless nights. They would all have gray hair and worry lines until the child was old enough to talk and tell them when she felt bad or hurt.

  Megan closed her eyes and prayed for strength for Willow and for the rest of them. The baby was a blessing, but he or she was going to be a source of anxiety. All the baby snuggles would hopefully make up for the stress the baby would bring.

  3

  “You're leaving already,” Megan groaned, not willing to open her eyes.

  “Yep, aren't you the one that says we have to be out there by dawn?” Wyatt said pulling on his boots over his wool socks.

  She popped one eye open and then the other. It was still dark. Just as she suspected.

  “You sure you don't want me to go with you guys?” she asked, hoping he would say no.

  “Nope. We got it. Chase and I can handle one hunting trip without you. If we are total failures, you can gloat and go with us on that next trip out.”

  “You better get something. Have you seen the root cellar?”

  “Yes, which is why we are going now. It'll be fine, Megan. There is plenty of game around. We have to harvest anything we can find, including squirrels, and hopefully manage to pull off some big game kills.”

  “Okay, be safe, please. I'll see you when you get back.” She sat up in bed waiting for the kiss she knew was coming. She knew she should probably get up, but she wanted five more minutes. Or at least that is what she told herself.

  Wyatt leaned in, kissed her and said his goodbyes before walking out the door.

  Megan lay in bed, trying to go back to sleep, but couldn't do it. There was so much to do. The winter had provided some downtime, but now that they survived their first winter, they knew what they needed to do to prepare for next winter.

  She strolled into the kitchen in search of coffee. The supplies from Harry and Linda's home had included coffee, but they were running low, again.

  “Good morning, Albert,” she said in greeting as she walked by.

  “I think I have been able to finish Jack's plans for that new cabin,” he said, not bothering with a greeting in return.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  The cabin was going to be for her, Wyatt and Caitlin. Megan tried to hide her excitement.

  “Don't pretend you aren't chomping at the bit to get your own space. You and Wyatt need your own place. It's time to transform the lodge into a compound. Reminds me of the sixties. I kind of like it,” he smirked.

  Megan grinned, “Works for me. We can all wear tie-dye and sing by the fire. As long as I have my very own cabin, I’m cool with anything.”

  She walked to the table and sat down, “Can I see?”

  He pushed the notebook over to her. She didn't understand some of the scribbles, but she got the general idea. It was going to be a three-room cabin with a room for Caitlin and one for her and Wyatt. The other room would essentially be their living room. There was no need to put in a kitchen or bathroom.

  “You think we will be able to find more supplies that will allow us to build?”

  Albert shrugged. “I'm sure there are a lot of abandoned homes all around that small town and nearby. The hard part will be dragging stuff back here. Hopefully we can siphon some gas. Then we can use the ATV.”

  “That would be nice, but I wouldn't be surprised if other people already have the same idea.”

  “Maybe, but all the newer cars would have been disabled by the EMP. We can always hope that there are only a few older cars running,” Albert reasoned.

  Megan left Albert to his drawings and headed out to check on the goats. Keeping them warm and safe through winter had been a challenge. Both goats were growing nicely and Megan was hoping Misty would be ready for breeding soon.

  Duke walked along beside her, saying his own hellos to the goats. They had given up trying to keep them in the pen about halfway through winter. She liked to call them free-range goats. They usually stuck close and all anyone had to do was call them and they would come running from where they were.

  Megan walked to her bench in the birch trees and sat down. She took a moment to appreciate the complete silence. Without trains roaring down the tracks or planes flying overhead, it was quiet. She didn't realize how noisy the world had been until it had gone dark.

  Initially, the silence had been terrifying. It had made her feel lost. Without the sounds of cars, the humming of the power lines and the noise in general, it had been like living in a dream world. It was surreal. Now, she was used to it and appreciated the ability to hear so much more without the distractions.

  She sighed in contentment.

  Rosie sat down beside her.

  “May I join you?”

  “Of course.”

  They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of nature and appreciating the cool morning. Megan would never grow tired of how refreshing it felt first thing in the morning.

  “So, what's the plan for today?” Megan asked.

  “Well, I figure we can start trying to turn that dirt for the garden plot. I don't think the ground is frozen, but it is going to be wet.”

  Megan grimaced. She knew it was going to be backbreaking work.

  “You mean with a shovel?” she asked, to verify what she suspected.

  Rosie didn't look thrilled either. “Yep. The good, old-fashioned way. We’ll need to spread that compost out. Then someone can dig a trench, about ten inches deep, the length of the garden. Another person can start digging a second trench alongside it, using the dirt from the second to fill the first.”

  Megan groaned, “Oh my. That is going to lead to some very sore backs. I miss the days of rototillers and machinery.”

  “Me too. With all of us here, though. It won't be as bad. We can divide and conquer. It seems like a lot, and I guess it is, but if six of us are taking turns digging, we won't be nearly as sore and the work will be finished much faster,” Rosie said.

  “I suppose. Speaking of compost, I better go turn the middle heap. It was a little stinky when I walked by earlier,” Megan said, rising from her seat on the bench. “I am going to toss some leave into it and hope to calm it down a bit.”

  Megan walked away, leaving Rosie to her own thoughts. It was important everyone got some alone time and the bench had become a favorite place to get that time. Unfortunately, the snow had covered the entire area for more the past few months. She was thrilled to have the place accessible again.

  She spent time taking care of the chores inside and out, before heading out to the garden area. It was a mess. Grabbing a rake, she began to rake off the top layer of debris. It would all go into the new compost pile. They always kept three running in different stages of decomposition so they would always have a ready supply of fertilizer.

  They had been doing what they could to keep up a good balance in the heap. The goat poop was full of nitrogen, which meant they needed to add enough carbon to the heap to keep up the balance. Too much of either and it wouldn't be good for the garden. Whenever the heap got that strong ammonia smell, they knew the nitrogen level was high.

  She looked up when she heard voices. Megan grinned ear-to-ear when she saw Wyatt and Chase coming back from their hunting trip.

  “This is a day to remember!” she exclaimed, dropping her rake and walking towards them.

  Wyatt was beaming.

  “I want you to know this was all me. One arrow took her down,” he said referring to the doe they were pulling in the game sled.

  “That is amazing, Wyatt. You’ve gotten the hang of hunting. You may even be as good as I am,” she winked.

  “I'm sure I’m better. I used the bow. You still rely on your trusty rifle.”

  “Alright guys, let's get this thing hung,” Chase said, interrupting their playful jesting.

 
Once the deer was hanging, they all took a step back to admire it.

  “We are going to be alright,” Megan said, just above a whisper.

  Wyatt put his arm around her. “Yes, we are.”

  “I'm headed in. I'll see you guys in a few,” Chase said, leaving them alone.

  “I can't believe we survived the winter. In my mind, I kept building up the winter to be this huge thing that would be impossible to conquer but, we did it. Together, we did it,” Megan said, leaning into Wyatt.

  “Yeah, we did. Even though there were times I would have liked a little privacy, I’m glad we were all together,” Wyatt replied.

  Megan was quiet for a moment. “It's like one big family now. Like a real family. There were some squabbles, but for the most part, we all got along fine.”

  “Now, it’s time to make this place even better, stronger. I want to have so much food stockpiled we have to build another root cellar,” Wyatt asserted.

  “It’ll be a little easier to do with three less mouths to feed. Of course,” Megan said with a teasing smile, “we will have one new little girl added to our family soon.”

  Wyatt threw his head back and laughed. “You mean my new nephew? We better get more food. Once he starts eating real food, he is going to need a lot. If he’s going to be anything like Jack or me, he’s going to be a big, strong kid.”

  Talk about Jack and his baby brought back memories of the man they had lost a few short months ago. His death was still raw. Willow had been very subdued, but did her best to act like she was okay when Ryland was around.

  Megan opened her mouth to tell Wyatt about her plans to start turning the soil in the garden when there a loud cracking sound reverberated throughout the area.

  “Go! Now!” Wyatt shouted, pushing her in front of him as they ran towards the mudroom door.

  Chase met them at the door, guns in hand giving them each a weapon.

  “Move!” Chase yelled to no one in particular, but everyone in general.

  “Mom, get the kids and Willow and get in that safe room,” Wyatt ordered.

  Megan was taking the stairs two at a time to take her position. She peered through the small crack in the wood, but couldn't see anything.