EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6

by Hamilton, Grace

  Megan drifted off to sleep envisioning a future filled with war. Could they be on the brink of World War III? Had it already started and they had managed to live blissfully unaware this whole time?

  19

  When Megan walked out of the bedroom early the following morning, Albert was at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

  “Did you sleep at all?” she asked, suddenly concerned for his health.

  The man looked rough. His thinning hair was standing up in different places as though he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly. There were deep, black circles under his eyes. He looked extremely weary.

  “No, I don't think I did. I was on the radio with quite a few different folks from across the country. Is Wyatt up yet?” he asked.

  “Yeah, he'll be right out.”

  She didn't bother asking him what he found out. He would tell them together. That was the way they did things. It saved time and ensured everyone got the same information. They couldn't afford to risk a piece of vital information being forgotten or a fact being embellished. They needed everyone on the same page.

  Megan filled the coffee pot and set it on the wood stove. Everyone would want coffee and she suspected they would all be up very soon.

  It wasn't long before folks filtered into the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee and waited quietly for Albert to reveal what he learned.

  “We need to go on a little field trip to verify my information and suspicions. I don't want to alarm anyone, but I do think we are dealing with a more serious problem than one guy being a pain in the butt. I have a feeling this guy is part of a much bigger picture,” Albert explained.

  “What kind of a bigger picture?” Bryan asked.

  “Like the kind I suggested last night. A terrorist attack. Me and a couple of buddies I have over the radio suspect this guy is part of an organized plot to keep the United States down. This hasn't been the first attack in an odd area. Before we get into it all, Wyatt and Chase, I want you to come with me,” Albert said, standing from the table.

  “This could all be a lot of nonsense, but I would feel better if I can check things out myself. I hate relying on third party information,” the old man said.

  He held the carefully folded map in his hand.

  “Where are we going?” Wyatt asked, not one to play guessing games.

  “I don't know for sure. I have a general idea, but we need to get some eyes in the area,” Albert said.

  “Let's go,” Chase chimed in, clearly not wanting to wait another minute.

  The three men quickly left the lodge, leaving the rest of the group to wonder what it was that had Albert so spooked.

  “This way,” Albert ordered.

  “Where are we headed?” Wyatt asked.

  “I don't know for sure, which is why I want to see what we are dealing with. I plotted out the general area the flood would hit if that dam blows. I have a feeling something down here is being targeted because it doesn’t make sense for it to be us,” he explained.

  Wyatt nodded in agreement. He didn't think they were the targets and he absolutely didn't buy the guy's story. While he’d tried to hide what was in his hands, unless he had a serious love of Silly Putty, that was C-4 he tossed back in his pack thinking we wouldn’t notice, he mused.

  They walked about a half mile when Albert stopped.

  “Look!” he pointed to the tall fence. “I knew it! They were right!”

  They walked a little closer, through the trees and stopped.

  It was a power station and part of the dam's hydroelectric system. If the dam burst, this area was in the direct path of the water. It would be destroyed.

  Albert cursed. His distress at the discovery seemed to be a lot of worry for nothing.

  Wyatt saw the power station, but considering it didn't work anyway, he wasn't sure why Albert was so upset.

  Chase must not be following what the problem was either. He looked at Albert, then Wyatt and back to the fenced in transformers and boxes.

  They both waited for Albert to explain.

  “This isn't the first incident of its kind,” Albert started. “You said you heard the man speak Russian?”

  Wyatt nodded.

  “This is the working theory. There is a slim chance it is wrong, but from what I gathered from others, I don't think so.”

  “What Albert?” Wyatt said a little too loud.

  “It's the Russians. They’re targeting power stations across the country to keep us in this perpetual blackout. As of now, there’s still a chance to repair these transformers, but if entire stations are destroyed, it will seriously delay the restoration of electricity by years.”

  Wyatt and Chase were both quiet as they processed the information. Wyatt couldn't get his head around it.

  “You know this because people are telling you or there are some facts to back up this theory?” he asked.

  “I know this because I gathered information,” he said angrily. “I'm not crazy, Wyatt. Take a minute to review everything we know. Like I said, there have been other similar attacks and they were successful.”

  “Why not take out one of the bigger dams?” Chase asked.

  Albert shrugged. “I’d be willing to bet they’re still heavily guarded against something like this. Or maybe they don't want to draw a lot of attention to their operation. Not every country was hit as hard by the EMP as those of us in the Americas, and countries farther away have thrown in their support to help us get back on our feet. Now, what if some of those countries don’t want us to rebuild? What if, some of those countries would like nothing better than to force us to remain in the dark?”

  “Like Russia? Come on, Albert, that’s ludicrous,” Chase scoffed looking around at the others.

  Wyatt didn't want to believe it, but he had a sick feeling that Albert was right. Russia didn't cause the EMP, but they were certainly not going to miss the opportunity to become the world's top nation; especially with the United States still completed disabled. This was the perfect time to make a move.

  “So other small scale power stations have been blown up?” Wyatt asked.

  Albert nodded. “There have been fires, small dams collapsing, vandalism, and in one case, a semi-truck barreled through the security fence and destroyed a bunch of equipment. These stations have been relatively small. There could be more destruction that we don't know about.”

  Wyatt was thoughtful. It did appear as if it was a quiet attack that would be as harmful, if not more so, than an attack on a much larger scale. The minor incidents would be ignored or completely undetected. When it did get the attention it deserved, it would be too late and the damage would be done.

  “Do we tell the others?” Chase asked with a grim look on his face.

  “No,” Wyatt said immediately.

  Chase looked surprised.

  “There is nothing any of us can do. I don't want Megan or anyone else risking their lives to be a hero. We need to focus on protecting ourselves and less on attacking. We need to be on the defense in this one,” he stated.

  Albert didn't look convinced.

  “They are going to find out,” he said. “And when they do, they aren’t going to be happy.”

  Wyatt looked at him. “But, they will be alive provided we get the dike finished and prepare for the dam breaking. The Russians will have completed their mission and will move on. If we make a big stink, who's to say there aren't more agents up here? They could attack. Even one life lost is too many. It's a risk we don't have to take and I don't see any real benefit to attempting to stop them.”

  Chase looked a little surprised. “Really?”

  Now, Wyatt was getting irritated. He knew Megan. He loved her and he wouldn't let her go off and be a hero, again. He had already lost Jack, he wasn't prepared to lose her or Chase or anyone else for that matter.

  “You know Megan will come up with some cockamamie plan to save the world by putting her life in jeopardy to thwart the Russian's plan. She wil
l take the hit to save millions of other Americans who are not doing well in this perpetual blackout.” Wyatt pleaded with Chase to see reason.

  Megan would give up on the dike and let the lodge be flooded if it meant she could save the power station. She would want no part in extending the blackout. No matter what, the flood from the breaking dam would still destroy a good portion of the power grid and there was nothing they could do about it. He hoped when she did learn of the plot, she would see reason.

  “I get it, Wyatt. I do, but I think she is going to find out eventually. Is that something you want to keep hidden from her? She may never forgive you if you keep this information from her and she inadvertently allows a major disaster to unfold right under her nose,” Chase said. “If her actions cause more damage, it will absolutely devastate her.”

  Wyatt held his ground. “I'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, I want her alive and well. I don't want to stress Willow out and I don't see the need to have the entire household freaking out over what ifs. There is nothing we can do to stop it. Even if we stop this one attack, there will be others. We do what we can to protect our own. I know it sounds selfish, but it’s for the best.”

  “Okay,” Chase said.

  He didn't fight too hard, which led Wyatt to believe he felt the same way.

  “Albert?”

  “Yeah, that's fine. I don't want to be in your shoes when your lady finds out, though. You better get your bunk ready in the long house.”

  Wyatt grimaced. She would be furious, but he felt this was the best thing for everyone. She would understand his reasons eventually. Until then, he was prepared to deal with her wrath. He would prefer to deal with an angry Megan than no Megan at all.

  “Let's get back before they all get nervous and come looking for us,” Wyatt said, walking at a fast clip.

  The last thing he needed was the entire group showing up. That would be chaos. They would all have differing opinions about what to do. In this case, he was making an executive decision to save his family over everyone else in this region.

  Now, more than ever, they had to get their flood defenses in order. The destruction of the dam was a given. It was no longer if, but when. Wyatt had a feeling their Russian friend would be back soon to finish the job. These weren't the kind of guys who accepted failure. If the man's country had ordered him to blow the dam, it would get done.

  Albert interrupted the silent walk back. “Do you think there could be an attack?”

  Wyatt knew he was referring to the Russians.

  “I don't know. If they can keep us down, there would be no reason to. It isn't like we can be a threat at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an invasion though. If one of the other super powers decides they want to take the US, it wouldn't be hard. We have no communications. Everyone is essentially on their own,” Wyatt said.

  “The military has to be functional. They have HAMs and other communication systems. I think that is exactly why Russia is taking out smaller targets. They don't want to draw any attention to the mission. These small dams and power stations they are taking out aren’t going to be on the government's radar,” Chase stated. “When the damaged stations are noticed, the government is going to be scrambling to protect what is left stretching their resources thin to save the remaining grids. It leaves us more vulnerable than ever.”

  Wyatt realized the situation was likely to get far worse before it got better.

  “What a mess. We need to watch our backs. No one is going to come and save us,” Albert groused.

  “You're right, which is why we’re going to work our butts off to get that dike built,” Wyatt said.

  They were almost back to the lodge. “Not a word,” he commanded.

  Each of the men shook off the doom and gloom and pasted on fake smiles. They had to play off the whole situation to avoid sending the group into a panic. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

  At least Wyatt hoped it couldn't. All they had to do was carry on, business as usual and let the Russians do whatever it was they felt they had to do. Wyatt would drive the group harder than ever to get their flood defense built.

  20

  Megan waited for the men to get back. Albert had seemed upset when they left, leaving everyone unsettled as they loitered in the kitchen and dining area, anxious to hear what was happening.

  When they walked through the door, the men were hit with a storm of questions.

  Wyatt held up a hand to silence everyone.

  “It's nothing. We're good. Some of Albert's friends got a little carried away. You get a bunch of people with too much time on their hands and the conspiracy theories run rampant. The only things over there are some empty dilapidated storehouses. It isn't useful to us in any way,” he said.

  Megan looked at him with suspicion. He was a terrible liar. She could tell something was off, but she also knew he would never jeopardize the safety and security of the lodge. Whatever he was hiding was not a threat, which meant it was time to get back to work.

  She clapped her hands together. “All right! You heard him. Let's get up there and get this wall finished!”

  “Albert, are you going to take watch?” Wyatt asked.

  “Yeah, I'll head out there and relieve Brenda in a few,” he said.

  Even though the biggest threat was up the mountain, they still needed to be ready for anything. Megan felt better knowing someone was keeping an eye on things while all their energy was focused on building the dike.

  Wyatt looked at Chase. “How about Garrett and I hang out around the dam and make sure that yahoo doesn't try to finish the job?”

  Megan studied Wyatt's face. He said it in a joking manner, but she had a feeling there was more behind his reasoning to guard the dam. Two able-bodied men standing around watching water wasn't productive. She didn't question him. He was just as anxious to get the dike built as she was but something had spooked him.

  She would get it out of him later.

  “We'll change out every couple of hours,” he said looking at her directly. “I'll be down to help the construction and we will get it finished in no time. Heck, I think we’re all going to be expert builders. Once everything settles down, maybe we can build cob houses and out buildings.”

  Evan and Tara both looked thrilled at the idea.

  “That would be great!” Tara said.

  Megan knew the woman wanted her own space. She and Wyatt had the same problems. It was a little difficult to maintain a romantic relationship with people constantly milling about day and night.

  “I'll take a notebook up to the bird's nest and do some sketching while I'm on watch,” Albert announced.

  A new way of building was exciting. It opened numerous possibilities. Cutting down trees wasn't easy without a chainsaw. The cob bricks were labor intensive, but still easier than log homes.

  “Okay. I'll see you then. I'm heading up there to check on things. I'll see the rest of you soon, right?” Megan asked, hoping the rest of the group would hurry up and join her.

  There was a chorus of “We're coming,” before she headed out the door.

  She was anxious to check the dryness of the bricks. They were close to being finished, but a half-built dike wasn't going to do any good. It had to be finished completely if they were going to save the lodge.

  Megan could smell rain in the air as she climbed the hill and the realization made her sick to her stomach. A little rain would be okay, but if it rained a lot, like it was prone to do in the mountains, they were in trouble.

  She looked up to the sky, only to have her fears confirmed. There were dark clouds gathering to the west. It was going to be a heck of a storm and a true test of the strength and durability of the cob. At best, it would soften the cob and possibly destroy some of the progress they made. If it was a hard rain, it could even wash away parts of the wall. Either way, it was more work and no time.

  Without wasting another minute, she got to work dumping the clay and bits of pine needle
s and long grass together. The rest of the work crew trickled in and set about their assigned tasks. She kept looking towards the sky, watching the black clouds roll in.

  The wind picked up and soon, the sun was completely blocked by the dark clouds.

  “We better head back,” Bryan said. “This looks like it is going to be a bad one,” he said, looking at the sky.

  Megan groaned. Their hard work was being threatened and there was not a thing she could do about it.

  “All right, everyone. Pack up and we'll wait for this to pass. Hopefully, it will be a short and sweet burst of rain and we can get this wall built. Bryan, will you help me with the tarps? At least we can cover part of the wall.” Together, they spread the muddy tarps over the new section of the dike wall in an effort to protect it from the rain. They didn't have enough to cover the entire wall, but she would protect what she could. Taking off running, Bryan met up with the kids and they rushed inside the lodge.

  The rain hit when Megan was about halfway to the lodge coming down in sheets and bouncing off the ground. She had to stop herself from shouting at the sky. It was as if the fates were against them. Walking into the lodge, she peeled off her wet boots and socks before going to her room to remove the rest of her wet clothes. She was mad and most of all, scared. Scared of what would happen to the lodge if the wall was ruined and the dam burst before they could rebuild.

  It wasn't long before Wyatt came in. He too was drenched from top to bottom.

  “I'm sorry, babe,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

  “It isn't like you can control the weather,” she told him.

  “This is going to set us back, but we will recover,” he told her, rubbing her shoulders.

  “I don't know about that. If the rain softens the cob, it will turn into a heaping pile of mud.”

  “That will still be some kind of barrier between the lodge and the potential flow of water. I know it won't be as pretty, but it could still work,” he reasoned.