JJ’s cries were turning into whimpers and Willow stepped back slightly to rock him. Doyle put his gun hand to his head seeming to think things through. Megan became even more concerned when he began mumbling to himself and they couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“Doyle? What do you say, man? He’s only a baby,” Wyatt reasoned. “Let’s go to the NRU entrance together, as a team.”
Shaking his head, Doyle snapped the gun back up to JJ’s head. “You killed my team, now, give me the damn box!”
Suddenly, the room grew eerily quiet. It was as if a switch was flipped. JJ wasn't crying or breathing. Bryan, who’d been on the floor, suddenly rolled over and got to his knees to stare at the baby. That was all any of them could do, watch in horror as JJ faded away.
“Oh no! No, no, no!” Willow began sobbing before a low keening sound tore from her throat as she frantically began compressions on JJ’s chest. Megan's heart stopped for several long seconds. Time seemed to stop as she watched Willow try to resuscitate him but he remained lifeless in his mother's arms. Her mission to save Jack's son had been a failure. She’d failed to redeem herself. She couldn't even manage to get one baby medical attention. All of the deaths that were on her conscience suddenly grew exponentially in weight.
The burden was too much. For nearly a year, she’d been focused on helping Willow with her pregnancy. When JJ was born, her focus had switched to protecting the baby as payment to Jack for his ultimate sacrifice. When JJ's health problems had become apparent, her mission evolved to finding a cure and saving the baby.
She’d failed. Her eyes moved from the lifeless baby to Doyle, who’d dropped his hand again, the gun no longer aimed at JJ or Willow. He was staring at the baby, his mouth hanging open in shock. Her path to redemption had failed because of him. Without thinking twice, Megan raised her gun and fired, hitting Doyle directly in the forehead.
The satisfaction of hearing his body hit the floor should have alarmed her. She should’ve been terrified of her own actions and the complete lack of feeling she had about taking a man's life, but she wasn't.
She felt nothing. Willow's cries brought her attention back to the here and now. Doyle's death didn't change JJ's passing.
“Willow,” she cried, racing towards the woman who was now on the ground, still trying to resuscitate him. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered. “I tried. I tried. I'm sorry,” she repeated.
Wyatt stood over them. Megan could hear him breathing, fighting back his own anguish as Willow pressed rapidly on JJ’s chest. Bryan crawled across the floor to Willow and put an arm around her as her hand eventually stilled. Megan reached out to stroke JJ's head. He looked so peaceful. He wasn't moving, his face was totally relaxed.
Suddenly, it became too much. She had to get out of the dark, hot room. It felt as if she were in a box with no escape. Scrambling to her feet, she pushed Wyatt out of the way and raced for the open door. She didn't make it far before she leaned against the wall of the building. She stood there, letting the hot sun warm her suddenly cold body.
“Megan?” Wyatt said softly.
Turning abruptly, she didn’t care if he saw her tears. “Give me the box, Wyatt.”
Wyatt held up his hands. “Let’s talk about this.”
She shook her head. “I can't,” she sobbed. “Give me the box.”
Dropping one hand, he reached into the side pocket of his pants and pulled it out. “You’re not thinking straight. Now is not the time to do anything foolish. Megan, please,” he pleaded.
Snatching the box from his hand, she turned and ran toward the NRU.
“Megan, wait!” Wyatt called out but she refused to listen to him.
She’d failed.
26
Megan didn’t care if any gang members were hanging out around the NRU as she ran down the street. She wasn’t sure if it was the look on her face or the speed she was running but no one tried to stop her until she rounded the corner and came upon the tall, chain-link fence surrounding the entire city block.
“Stop!” a male voice shouted at her but she ignored him and kept running. Soon, she could hear other footsteps pounding behind her to catch up as more voices shouted at her to stop.
Finally reaching the gate, she paused to catch her breath as she wrapped her fingers around the chain-links. It was the only thing that felt real in that moment.
Quickly surrounded by soldiers in Army uniforms and carrying AK-47s, they all shouted commands at her as she shook the fence in her frustration.
“Freeze!”
“Back away from the fence!”
“You can’t come in here!”
Holding the box over her head, she began to shout. “Are you waiting for this? Is this what you want? Do you have any idea how many people died for it?” Her words became garbled as she sobbed and she let out a frustrated scream that had her bent over to catch her breath. One of the soldiers took advantage and kicked at the back of her knees forcing her to the ground, before they moved in tighter around her. She continued to scream out her frustration. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what looked to be an officer exit the building and stride toward her. Reaching the fence, he squatted down on his side of the fence to look at the box she held against her thigh.
“I’ll take that box now,” he told her with authority as he motioned to one of the soldiers holding a gun on her.
“What’s in it?” she demanded.
“That’s a need to know,” he calmly replied.
Pulling her gun out of her holster, she held the gun to it and looked back up at the officer. “I need to know.”
“You won’t survive to pull the trigger,” he warned her but she snorted before responding.
“Do you have any idea how many people died for this?”
“More than you know,” he replied. “I’m guessing you came a long way, so I’ll take that box now.”
Right then, Megan heard something she thought she’d never hear again.
Megan closed her eyes, sure that she was hallucinating from all the adrenaline coursing through her body.
Then she heard it again.
“JJ,” she said on a long breath. Keeping her eyes closed, she rose slowly despite the press of bodies around her. Turning around, she didn’t dare open her eyes not wanting to believe what her ears were telling her.
“Megan, it’s real,” Wyatt called out.
Opening her eyes, she still refused to look but then she heard him again. A tiny wail. Snapping her head up, she saw Wyatt and Bryan flanking Willow who was carrying a very much alive JJ walking toward her.
She tried to step toward them but one of the soldiers blocked her with his gun. “How?” she called out.
“Does it matter? We’re here. Let’s do this,” Wyatt told her.
Nodding her head in agreement, she swallowed hard realizing that she’d been about to make a huge mistake. Turning back around, she looked at the officer still standing on the other side of the fence.
“The baby needs a doctor, you want the box. I propose a trade,” she told him.
The officer stepped closer to the fence staring at the box she clutched in her hands and then looking over her shoulder at the others as they came closer. His silence was worrying and Megan was sure he’d tell his men simply to take the box and leave them out there.
Taking a couple steps back, he nodded to one of the soldiers before saying the magic words. “Let them in,” and then turning to walk back inside without waiting to see if the soldiers obeyed.
She grinned. It was an involuntary reaction and she knew she wasn't the only one. She was confident the doctors inside the NRU would identify what illness JJ had and would know how to fix it.
Two more guards appeared on the other side of the fence and went through the process of unlocking the massive gate and opening it. Megan and the rest of the group hesitated briefly before walking in. The gate slammed shut behind them and the sound of the lock being engaged sent a trickle of fear down Megan's spine. She p
rayed this was truly the government and they’d give them the help they needed. Being locked in was frightening.
“It's okay,” Wyatt whispered as he joined her. “We still have—”
“You'll need to surrender your weapons at the guard station,” one of the new guards ordered.
Megan looked at Wyatt, silently asking him if they should comply. He gave a brief nod. She unhooked the holster and put it in the bin another guard was holding out. She watched Wyatt remove his guns, but when he didn't make a move to remove the gun he kept strapped to his lower leg, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't ready to trust anyone fully even if they were the government.
They were led into the dark building, which surprised her. She’d assumed they’d have full power but either that wasn’t true or they were conserving energy. Following behind the soldier, they were led to a set of heavy metal doors, which he unlocked before leading them down two flights of stairs that were dimly lit. Once they walked out on the level, they had to blink at the bright lights, which buzzed in the long hallway.
Unable to keep silent, she asked why there weren’t any lights upstairs. “EMP fried the electronics above ground and it wasn’t worth repairing. The equipment below ground was protected.”
Bringing them into what looked like a conference room, he ordered them to wait before shutting them in and locking the door.
Bryan checked the door before stating the obvious. “Locked.”
Megan rushed over to Willow. “So, he’s okay? How? What? I don’t understand!” Lifting the blanket, she looked down at little JJ who was very much alive but still struggling to breathe.
“After you left, Bryan took over the chest compressions and suddenly, he took a breath. I’m as shocked as you are. We ran out of the building to tell you but you were already gone. We saw Wyatt at the end of the street, so we followed you. Megan, what were you thinking? You could have been killed.”
Megan flinched at Willow’s admonishment. Truth be told, she had no idea what she was thinking. She’d been so overcome with grief and guilt that she wasn’t thinking at all.
“You didn't fail any of us, Megan. You’ve been carrying around this burden for too long. We’ve all kept quiet to let you work through it, but no one blames you for anything that’s happened. There’s no blame to give. This is life. It’s bad luck and bad circumstances. Death is a part of life. We don't like it and we don't want to accept it, but if we want to be happy, we have to.”
Megan stared at Willow, stunned that so much came out of her mouth. They’d all been sheltering Willow after Jack’s death. For her to be so observant shocked her and she had no idea what to say. She wanted to lash out at her and tell her that everything was her fault.
She shook her head looking at everyone through watery eyes. “I’m tired of people I care about dying. It has to stop. I don't think I can handle anymore.”
Wyatt stepped closer to her pulling her in for a tight hug. “We all hate it. You have to hold on to what’s still here and make every minute you’re here count. Hug your loved ones and treasure every memory you make with them.”
“I can't help feeling guilty for all the deaths. Linda, Jack, Evan have all died because of a choice I made. How can I not feel responsible? We still don’t know what happened to Keith and Dick. Are they okay?” she asked with concern.
Wyatt tightened his hold on her. “It’s arrogant of you to think that you and you alone are the one who saves the day every time. We all worked together in each of those situations. Each of us is responsible for what happened. It isn’t all on you and it’s unfair to the rest of us to continue to think so.”
Bryan cleared his throat. “I agree with Wyatt. You can't keep trying to be the hero and shouldering all the blame. Get it together, Megan. You trying to operate under the massive weight of your guilt is what’s going to get someone else hurt or killed.”
She looked at him and could see his words were being said from a place of kindness and not out of anger. This was that tough love stance her father had always taken.
“Okay,” she mumbled. “I'll try, I really will.”
Bryan stepped closer and Wyatt stepped to the side. “Seriously, Megan. We still have a long road ahead of us. You have to be at one hundred percent if we’re going to get back home. Can you let it go?”
She took a deep breath and slowly released it. With the exhale, she could feel the weight of her guilt lessening. “Yes. I mean, I guess I have to, don't I? I’ll try.”
“Don't try, Megan. Do it,” Wyatt demanded. “Carrying around that much guilt is toxic. It’s like a cancer and it will keep spreading until it kills you. Let. It. Go.”
Bryan agreed. “It isn't helping.”
“Now, as soon as someone comes back in the room, let's get JJ the help he needs,” Wyatt said, putting an end to the conversation.”
Megan paced, wondering what was happening beyond the walls of the room. What did the contents of the box have to do with the NRU and restoring electricity to the United States?
Finally, after what felt like hours even though it was probably only a few minutes, a man wearing BDUs and looking very official strolled into the room with two different guards.
“You have the box?” he asked, not bothering to introduce himself.
Megan looked to Wyatt. “Yes, but we need something in exchange for the delivery.”
The man scowled, looked at Wyatt and then the rest of them, “What makes you think you deserve anything for doing your duty to your country?”
Wyatt shrugged. “What makes you think we should do anything for a country that’s left us all to fend for ourselves while you’re sitting in here with lights, food, clean water and a place to sleep?”
The man pulled back a little. “What do you want?”
“We want your doctors to examine the baby. He's sick and needs medical attention. You may not realize this, but out there,” he gestured wide with his arms. “We don't have doctors, hospitals or even medicine.” The last was said with a great deal of cynicism.
The man hesitated and when Megan thought he’d deny their request, she pulled the box out of her pocket where she’d stashed it. “I’ve already threatened to do it once. I will smash this thing to pieces right here if you don't take this baby to your medical staff.”
Both guards and the man in charge stared at the box as if it was the Holy Grail.
“Fine,” the man said, turning to one of the guards. “Radio Dr. Jacobs and tell her to get ready for a patient.” He turned back to them. “She and the baby can go. You three stay with me,” he said, pointing to Bryan, Wyatt and Megan.
“We can do that,” Wyatt agreed. “Willow, are you okay with that?”
She nodded. “Whatever it takes.”
“Take her to the med ward,” he ordered the men. Once they left the room, he looked at Megan, “I'll take the box now.”
She looked at Wyatt, silently asking permission, another nod and she was handing over the box that promised so much.
“My name is General Kalis, George Kalis. I'm in charge here and I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you have that box. Now, would someone please tell me what happened to the team who was supposed to deliver it?”
Megan sighed; relieved he had softened his approach. It helped set her mind at ease that they hadn't walked into a dangerous situation. They knew to trust no one, but hoped the government would at least be safe. Now, she had to share more bad news with him.
Megan looked him in the eye. “Most were dead when we found them. One survived, but he was shot. He’s at our home, being cared for until he’s strong enough to make it here. He asked us to get this here, said it was a matter of national security.”
Taking a deep breath, he huffed it out. “Thank you for telling me. They were good men.” He turned to the other guard. “Bring in some food and something to drink and tell IT to get ready.”
“We're fine, sir,” Wyatt said, clearly not wanting to impose.
“No, no, you all
look like you need a breather. Have some food and drink some fresh water, on the government,” he winked, referring to Wyatt's earlier comment. “Have a seat, while we wait for the computer geeks to do their thing. I'd love to hear how you’ve been surviving all this time.”
All three of them pulled out a chair and sat down. It was surreal to be sitting in a cooled room with electric lighting and a television in the corner even if it wasn’t on. It made Megan a little angry to think the government still had the luxury of electricity.
A cart loaded with a variety of meats, cheeses, crackers and even fresh milk was delivered. At first, the three of them stared in disbelief at what they were seeing. When General Kalis told them to help themselves, they did. Megan drank two glasses of cold milk, relishing the taste.
They snacked and chatted for about thirty minutes before another soldier popped his head in the room. “We're ready sir.”
Megan's stomach flip-flopped. Whatever it was that was about to happen was big and they were a part of it.
“Come with me,” the general ordered, leaving the room and walking down a long hall. He opened a set of double doors, revealing a cement enclosed room that appeared to be one giant computer. There were floor to ceiling columns of computer equipment reminiscent of something out of the movies.
“Whoa,” Bryan exclaimed as he turned around in a circle taking in the empty computer workstations. Parts of the computer appeared to be functioning if the blinking red lights were any indication, but it didn’t appear to be one hundred percent online and it was definitely old.
“This is like something out of the movies,” Wyatt chimed in as they walked farther into the room.
“War Games,” Bryan chimed in.
“You’re not far off,” the General told them. “This system was built in 1983, as a modernized version of the legacy SAGE system but was integrated with the growing ARPAnet. The unit was decommissioned at the end of the Cold War in 91 but the equipment was never removed. Assuming what you brought us is the real deal, the plan is to get back in contact with our satellites and then from there, start bringing our ground infrastructure back online.”
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 95