Surviving the Refuge (Survivalist Reality Show Book 2) Read online

  Fred looked pleased. “Then, we cut small pieces of twine, dip it in our wax, and let it dry before we use our finger or a stick to push our wick into our candle. They’ll smell delicious and don’t produce smoke.”

  Tabitha was grinning. “That sounds awesome.”

  Fred nodded. “You’ll also be pleased to know the wax myrtle, a.k.a. the bayberry bush, also has medicinal qualities.”

  Tabitha leaned forward. “Yeah, I think I’ve heard of that. The bark of the shrub or tree, I guess.”

  “Yes. The bark is dried and ground into a powder. It’s an antibacterial that can be made into a poultice. I think it would be a very good idea to have some of that on hand in case someone gets a cut or other open wound,” Fred explained.

  “I agree,” Tabitha said.

  “My mother used the powder of the bark to make a tea,” RC chimed in.

  Everyone turned to look at him. He rarely added much to their group discussions.

  “For what?” Tabitha asked.

  RC shrugged. “Anything? If we sneezed, she gave us her special tea. We rarely got sick.”

  “Good to know,” Regan mused aloud.

  “What else do we need to know?” Geno asked, clearly ready to be done with the conversation.

  “Another plant we can harvest for eating is the cocoplum. In fact, I encourage you to harvest as many as you can and save the seeds in the center. Each of the seeds has some oil in it that we can add to our bayberry candles,” Fred said.

  “Which one is that?” Regan asked.

  “Near the beach, around the dock area. The fruit will be ripe soon. Smallish, yellow to pink in color and about two inches around. I’ll show you,” Wolf volunteered.

  “I think you’ll all be pleased to know that nearly every plant, bush, and tree on this island has some purpose. We could use wood from the fallen trees to build a raft or maybe a shelter. The possibilities are endless!” Fred said, looking for all the world like a little boy who might start jumping up and down in excitement.

  Everyone looked as if they were ready to head their separate ways, but stopped when Wolf held up a hand. “I’d like to talk about the guns. I don’t want to waste a lot of ammunition with a bunch of target practice and I don’t want to risk the sound of gunshots attracting attention, but we need to do some mock target practice.”

  “Tonight?” Geno groaned.

  Wolf shook his head. “We won’t do target practice tonight, but I want everyone to get familiar with reloading clips. I have a few extra magazines. Everyone loads one until you get it right, then you’re free to go.”

  There were a lot of grumbles and groans, but they all knew how important it was to be able to load quickly. If they found themselves in a gun battle, it would be imperative they knew how to load their magazine in a hurry because an improperly loaded magazine could jam and cost someone their life.

  After the presentation, Regan got up and went outside. It was nearly dark, but the moon provided some light for her to see by even among the clouds. She walked to the picnic table under the cypress tree and sat down, covering her face with her hands.

  When she heard voices a few seconds later, she looked up to see Lily and Wolf walking in her direction. She inwardly groaned. The last thing she needed was more attitude from Lily.

  “Good night,” Wolf said, standing just inside the tree line and watching Lily head off to her campsite.

  “She’s still camping out?” Regan asked.

  Wolf nodded. “If it makes her happy, I’m okay with it. We’ve spent lots of nights sleeping under the stars out here.”

  “You’re sure it’s safe?” Regan asked, still not on board with the twelve-year-old sleeping outside.

  He smiled. “I’m not worried. Lily can handle herself. If she gets into trouble, she only needs to yell. The windows in the house are open. I’ll hear her. Plus, my dad checks on her at least once in the middle of the night, but don’t tell her that,” he said with a wink.

  Regan nodded her head. She had her own issues to deal with, and didn’t need to be creating more things to stress about.

  “Hey, I’m glad you’re okay,” Wolf added. “I think you gave us all a little scare back there,” Wolf said, sitting down beside her, his back against the table ledge.

  She looked at him, shaking her head in disbelief. “I cannot believe I picked up a poisonous spider.”

  “You didn’t know.”

  “I clearly don’t know a lot about anything out here. The shark, and now the spider.”

  He chuckled low in his throat. “If we were in Chicago or any other city, you would be in your element. You would be the one guiding us through the dangers. I know nothing about city streets or how to recognize thieves and pickpockets. You’re out of your comfort zone here. My dad, Lily, and I have been around this all our lives. This is second-nature to us. We don’t have to think about it because we were raised in the area. If you’d lived here, you would know it just as well. You’re learning every day. That’s what matters.”

  She scoffed. “I better learn a lot faster or I’m going to get myself or one of you killed. I guarantee you I won’t be picking up anymore animals or bugs, either way.”

  Wolf threw his head back and laughed. “That’s probably a good idea. It is going to get better. I promise you.”

  Regan released a long sigh and looked into his dark eyes. “I hope so.”

  “It will,” he vowed.

  They sat outside a bit longer, enjoying the peaceful night and listening to the various sounds of nature. And, sitting with Wolf, Regan suddenly understood the appeal of sleeping outside. The peace was nearly tangible—by his side, anyway.

  “I’m sorry I’ve asked you to carry a gun all the time. I know it makes you uncomfortable,” he said in a soft, apologetic voice.

  She smiled and reached for his hand. “Don’t be sorry. You’re doing it for our safety. I understand it. I hope I never have to use the thing, but it does give me a measure of comfort knowing I can defend myself or one of you if I need to. I like to think I’m tough and can handle myself, but honestly, if someone has a gun, I’m no match for a bullet.”

  “When I was building this place, I tried to imagine life after a total collapse. My dream was to have this be my own little Garden of Eden. I’d have food, water, shelter and everything I needed to keep my family alive and well. It wasn’t until I watched some old footage of the Katrina situation that I realized, that was a dream. It wasn’t reality. I had to arm the island if I wanted to keep it.” He was solemn as he spoke.

  “I get it. I really do. Please don’t think you need to apologize for doing everything in your power to keep your family, and ultimately all of us, safe. I appreciate it. I’ll get used to it,” she assured him.

  He shook his head. “No. Never get used to it. When you get used to something you either get complacent or cavalier. Both are dangerous. Be uncomfortable with the thought of shooting someone, but be comfortable in knowing you have a fighting chance with the weapon in your hand.”

  “I understand. At night, when I’m in bed and can’t sleep, I think about that guard. In the moment, stabbing him wasn’t anything I had to think about. I did it because it was me or him. I did it because I knew Tabitha would be seriously hurt or killed if I didn’t, but it haunts me to this day.”

  He squeezed her hand in his. “I’m sorry you had to do that. I hope you never have to do it again. I will do everything in my power to keep it from happening if I can.”

  She kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  13

  Somewhat bummed she wouldn’t get to go through her usual routine of working in the greenhouse today, Regan had spent most of her morning lounging on the screened-in patio. Wolf had forbidden her and everyone else from entering. Fred, along with Wolf and RC, were searching the greenhouse from top to bottom. They wanted to make sure there weren’t any more recluse spiders hanging out. Regan was grateful for their intense search, at least. The last thing she wanted was
to experience the horrible symptoms Fred had described.

  Seeing them exit, she walked toward the greenhouse just as Wolf closed the door behind them.

  “Anything?” she asked.

  Wolf shook his head. “We didn’t find anything. We’re going to check the house, though.”

  “Couldn’t they be anywhere?” Regan asked.

  Wolf nodded, but looked far more relaxed than he had when the men had entered the greenhouse that morning. “Yes, but it isn’t likely. Those spiders aren’t native to the area. Hopefully, the thing was a loner. We need to make sure there aren’t anymore. We’re going to eliminate any spider nests we see that could potentially belong to them—even though Fred is convinced we’re going to set off some kind of butterfly effect,” he quipped.

  “Spiders serve a purpose,” Fred insisted, coming to stand next to them.

  “I’m sure they do. There are plenty of other places for them to live. They don’t need to be making their homes in my house.”

  “I agree,” Regan added.

  “Where are you going?” Wolf asked, noticing the small backpack she’d been carrying in her hand.

  “I’m going to head down to the beach for a bit—I’ve been going stir-crazy with you guys in the greenhouse, and figure I can take care of the aquaponics later. I’ll do a quick check of the perimeter as well.”

  “Be careful. Don’t go swimming unless someone else is with you,” Wolf lectured.

  “I know, I know,” she muttered with a wave of her hand, heading away from the greenhouse.

  Regan thought about going back to the section of beach where she’d run into Lily a few days before, but quickly changed her mind. The idea was to avoid everyone. Lily was probably still camping around that area. Regan didn’t want to disturb her, and certainly wasn’t up to dealing with any snarky comments or a helping of tween attitude.

  She changed course and went toward the rockier side of the island. She doubted anyone would be able to see her from the shore of the mainland. Making her way through the overgrown trees and various vines, she reminded herself that there wasn’t a clear path on this side of the island for a good reason. Wolf didn’t want trespassers to have a clear view of the house. A path would have led any trespasser straight to the front door.

  Regan batted at a spiderweb she had inadvertently walked into, panicking a little at the thought that it could be a brown recluse web. She did the standard shimmy-shake that was required when encountering a spiderweb, making sure there was nothing on her before continuing on even though she knew the brown recluse’s preferences wouldn’t have led it to set up a home where she’d just passed through.

  Moving on, she shook off the feeling that those spiders were everywhere and promised herself she’d trust in the knowledge Fred had offered, rather than freaking out over every insect she encountered, the brown recluse notwithstanding.

  “Crap,” she muttered when she spotted Lily sitting on a large rock, her fishing pole in hand.

  Lily turned to look at her, her own moan of irritation escaping her mouth.

  Regan sucked in a deep breath. “I didn’t know you were out here.”

  “I’m fishing. This is the best place to fish.”

  Sighing, Regan walked forward. She couldn’t exactly disappear now with any hint of grace. “What kind of fish are you catching?” Regan asked, climbing over the large rocks to stand beside Lily.

  Lily looked up at her, a sneer on her lips, but Regan forced herself to smile in response. She was not going to let Lily get away with her bad attitude for another minute. It was time to get over it. Regan had given her too much leeway and now it was out of control. It was time to assert her authority as an adult and rein the girl in. She got the typical teenage angst, but there was a line and Lily had crossed it for the last time.

  “I haven’t caught anything yet,” Lily answered after a moment of hesitation, the sneer slipping from her lips in favor of an annoyed pout.

  “What fish do you think you’ll catch?” Regan pressed, not letting herself be scared off from interacting with the girl.

  “Spotted seatrout, probably. Maybe snook,” she replied, falling back into the normal Lily demeanor. This was the Lily Regan had come to know in the beginning.

  Regan nodded her head. She actually knew those species. Wolf had talked to her a lot about the shoreline fishing on the island. During their time in the swamp, he had also given her an extensive lesson about the right bait to use.

  “What kind of bait are you using?” Regan asked.

  Lily smiled. “One of my dad’s favorite lures.”

  Regan hesitated, not entirely sure she wanted to get into a battle of wills with Lily again, especially since Lily seemed to be relaxing a little as she talked about something she loved and knew a lot about. Regan wanted to bond with her and figured suggesting a different type of bait was one thing they could safely talk about. She had to trust in Wolf’s advice and hope it would help give her something to connect with Lily on.

  “How about sand fleas?” Regan asked.

  Lily laughed. “Fresh out.”

  “I’d be happy to dig for some.”

  “If you want. I’m game to try them.”

  Regan climbed down the rocks and headed into the cove of the island where she knew there was a section of sandy beach. She started digging immediately, using a stick and doing as Wolf had taught her. Soon enough, she had several of the little crab creatures, and took them back to Lily.

  “You actually got some?” Lily asked with surprise.

  Regan was grinning. “Yes. Let’s try this. If it doesn’t work, I’ll leave you alone and let you go back to using the lure.”

  Lily pulled her line out of the water, dangling it over a rock while Regan quickly switched out the bait. Regan hoped it would work. She wanted to prove to Lily she had some good ideas now and again. All she needed was one little win. That couldn’t be too much to ask.

  “Here goes nothing,” Lily mumbled, casting the line into the surf.

  Regan stared at the blue line, watching it, willing it to pull tight with a bite on the line.

  Lily jerked forward.

  “Is that a bite?” Regan asked.

  “Get the net!” Lily shouted excitedly at the same moment as she was nearly pulled off the rock by a heavy tug on the line.

  Regan jumped over and grabbed the pole. “I’ll hold this. You grab the net.”

  Lily did as suggested, scrambling from her perch and moving a couple feet away to where she’d left two nets leaning against a rock. Regan glanced over and noticed Lily grabbed the smaller one. Regan wasn’t sure it would be big enough, but also knew the weight on the end of the line could be deceiving. While it felt like she was bringing in something huge, it was more than likely an average-sized fish.

  “Ready!” she shouted as Lily leaned over the rocky outcropping, her net open and out over the water.

  “Go!”

  Regan jerked the pole up and swung it toward Lily. The fish popped out of the water, heading toward Lily. Lily swung the net in an arch, only managing to get the fish halfway in. There was no way the fish would fit, Regan realized belatedly. They risked losing the fish along with the net if they tried.

  “It’s too big for that net!” Regan cried out.

  Lily was struggling to keep her footing as the fish flopped around in the net, a fin catching and tearing a hole in it even as they watched.

  “It’s a juvenile blacknose shark!” Lily cried out. “I got it!”

  “Lily, it’s tearing the net!”

  “It’s fine!” Lily shouted back, her excitement bubbling over.

  Regan stared at the fish flopping around, watching as Lily reached into her back pocket and pulled out a pair of clippers.

  “Don’t let it bite you!” Regan cried out, trying to help by steadying the fish with the pole that still had a line reaching down to the small shark.

  Lily quickly cut the line, releasing the tension on the pole in Regan’s hands
and nearly sending her flying backwards. Hurriedly, Regan dropped the pole in the sand and went down a couple rocks to try and help Lily, who’d now dropped the fish and the net onto the rocks and crouched in front of them.

  “We caught a shark?” Regan asked with awe, looking at the large fish slowly dying on the rocks.

  Lily nodded her head, trying to untangle the ruined net from the fish that was taking its last gasps. Finally, she managed to free the shark from the net, which was in rough shape. She held it up for Regan to see the destruction.

  “I think it’s a pup. It definitely isn’t full-grown,” she said, staring down at the shark that probably weighed ten pounds at most.

  “Are there a lot of sharks in these waters?” Regan asked, looking out to sea and wondering why she didn’t see thousands of fins cutting through the water.

  Lily shrugged. “The adults come in to have their babies. This guy was probably feeding off the shallow bottom.”

  Regan sighed, shaking her head. It had been so exciting to have a large fish on the line. But, once again, what had looked to be a positive had blown up into a negative. The cycle was getting old.

  “I’ll take care of the shark. There isn’t much meat here,” Lily murmured, putting the shredded net on the rock.

  Regan picked up the net, hoping it could be fixed. After inspecting it and trying to figure out how to repair the cords, though, she shook her head. In her opinion, it was toast. The shark’s teeth and strong body had torn it in several places. Despite herself, she turned to look at the much larger net, knowing it wouldn’t do much good when they fished for smaller fish. Wolf was not going to be happy to learn they had ruined a valuable piece of hunting equipment.

  “Do you need any help?” Regan offered.

  Lily shook her head, picking up the small shark with both hands and carefully stepping over rocks until she reached the ground.

  “I got it.”

  “Okay, well, good catch, right?” Regan asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “Ya, too bad we ruined my dad’s best net in the process.”

  Regan nodded her head, but didn’t say anything in response. She should have told Lily to grab the other net. She had a feeling Lily wouldn’t have listened to her advice anyway, but she could have tried. Regan picked up her backpack, once again feeling deflated for being a part of another minor disaster. And her quiet alone time at the beach had once again been ruined.