EMP Lodge Series (Book 1): Dark Retreat Read online

  “Oh my goodness, ladies! You have outdone yourselves! I don’t think I remember anything smelling and looking so good! I feel like I stepped into an expensive Italian restaurant!” Megan exclaimed. “What can I do to help?” she offered, going to the kitchen sink to grab the water jug to wash her hands.

  Rosie smiled at her, “Not a thing, dear. You just go check on your daughter, and then kick back and relax. It being your birthday and all,” she winked.

  Megan froze, “What?”

  “Happy Birthday!” Willow yelled.

  Megan was suspicious, “How did you guys know?”

  “Wyatt told me. It was his idea to make your favorite meal for dinner.”

  Megan remembered them talking about what they missed most and what their favorite foods were. She didn’t remember telling him her birthdate, though. It had been a few years since anyone acknowledged her birthday and it wasn’t something she normally talked about. Her daughter was too young to know and with no family or real friends, it didn’t matter.

  After checking on Caitlin, she insisted she help set the table. Dinner was fun and the conversation was lively with no talk of what the world was like beyond the four walls of the lodge.

  “I’m serious, how can you possibly put Johnson on your fantasy football team with Dakota. Those two would be at each other’s throats. They’d never make it through a single play.” Chase declared.

  “That’s the whole point of fantasy football. I can have whomever I want on the team,” Jack declared. “And I’m saying, I want both of them. You’re just annoyed that you didn’t grab them first.”

  Willow rolled her eyes. “You know that’s one good thing about us being up here. No Sunday night football.” At the groans of outrage from all the guys, Willow held up her hand. “I’m serious. During the season, I felt like a football widow and then, when Jack got into online fantasy football, I was sure I was going to have to change the router password.”

  Jack laughingly placed the end of a piece of spaghetti in his mouth and put the other in Willow’s before she could say anything else and they both slurped their half into their mouths ending with a kiss and a voice of complaint from Ryland.

  That prompted Albert and Ryland to get into a spaghetti-eating contest slurping spaghetti strands one at a time as quickly as possible while Chase and Jack kept count. Albert had let Ryland get ahead and was soon catching up until he choked on a piece of spaghetti and ended up having it come out his nose. He claimed that should count as two but Jack over rode him declaring Ryland the winner, which effectively put an end to the impromptu game, as Chase thumped Albert on the back.

  Everyone had been laughing and having a good time. It felt so normal to sit around and eat a delicious, homemade meal. When dinner was over, Rosie opened the oven and brought a chocolate cake to the table.

  Megan had to hold back tears. She knew they had decent food storage, but such luxury was definitely a real treat. She felt a little guilty for being the reason behind their splurging.

  Once she saw how quickly the cake was consumed, she didn’t feel as guilty. These guys were all desperate for some of the things that were taken for granted only a few months ago. Cake was a big deal. In the old days, it was something you almost dreaded, but in their new world, it was a real treat.

  After dinner and cleanup, Megan asked to speak with Wyatt. They made a great team and she was hoping he would go with her to find the milk thistle in the morning.

  WYATT WAS THRILLED to be invited on her excursion. He was going to go anyway, but to hear her ask for his help made him feel wanted and needed. She was beginning to trust and depend on him and he hoped that meant she was going to stick around for a long time.

  He decided he had better tell her how he knew it was her birthday. When he explained that he’d found her wallet out and the license loose, she raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, I think we both know who was looking through it,” she told him.

  He nodded, “Yeah, the sooner we get him out of here, the better. He is definitely making everyone uncomfortable.”

  Megan got very serious, “I don’t want him with my daughter anymore. He didn’t have a clue how to treat her so I don’t see why he should be watching over her at all. It’s weird,” she added as an afterthought.

  Wyatt agreed and promised that he would make sure Jack kept Kyle with him all day tomorrow. Once they got Caitlin healed, they would figure out how to remove him from the group. He wasn’t really helping and seemed out of place.

  Megan looked relieved. Wyatt felt better. They had a plan and a goal to work towards. It was strange getting up each morning without a real purpose. In the past, you got up, you went to work and you came home.

  He was looking forward to the days when life would feel a little more normal. He knew it would be a new normal, but establishing a routine would be good for all of them, especially Ryland and Caitlin. He was actually excited for the future.

  KYLE COULD TELL the group was skeptical. He needed to do something quick to prove he deserved to stick around. Wyatt and Albert had been watching him closely all through dinner. He had been busted in one of his scams in the past and knew what it looked like. His targets would start to pull back and ask questions.

  Usually, he could remove himself from the situation before he had to answer for any misdeeds. He was a conman. He wasn’t offended by the term. People were gullible. They wanted to hear certain things and Kyle had a real knack for finding out what the inner desires of a target were.

  Once he knew, he transformed himself like a chameleon and then came up with a plan to take what they had. It was easy. He had been a very wealthy and powerful man before the collapse. A little blackmail, charm, and the right friends had given him the lifestyle he felt he deserved.

  Now that the group knew Caitlin had been poisoned, things were a little dicey. If they actually managed to cure her, which he would be very surprised if they did, everything he had been building the past couple months would be destroyed. The berries were supposed to be extremely toxic. She should have been dead already. Rosie’s stupid tea had clearly weakened the poison.

  He would have been able to solve his little problem, but no. Someone was constantly interrupting him. The old woman continuously walked into the room, and then the old man interrupted him at the worst possible time. Suddenly the boy was in there all the time claiming he was teaching her math. To make matters worse, there was the stupid dog guarding the little girl. Getting bit by the dog would definitely alarm the group. He couldn’t risk them thinking he was a danger. This whole mess never would have started had one little girl not been so damn nosey!

  This new world gave him the chance to be the king he was destined to be. No little girl and her over-protective mommy were going to take that away from him. He had paid his dues. He had suffered for the first part of his life. The universe owed him. The EMP was kismet. He was reborn.

  21

  The next morning, Megan woke up early. The excitement of finding the plant that would heal her daughter made her feel wired. She kissed Caitlin on the cheek, gave Duke a little kiss and promised to return shortly with the antidote.

  She walked into the kitchen, already knowing Wyatt would be there waiting with coffee. It had only been a few days, but they had already fallen into a routine. He was clearly an early riser.

  “Hi,” she said with a smile she couldn’t hold back.

  The sight of him standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, socked feet crossed in front of him, sipping his coffee was comforting. It made her feel normal. It made her feel safe and secure.

  “Good morning,” he said gifting her with one of those beautiful, heart-melting smiles she had become accustomed to. “You look like you’re ready to conquer the world.”

  Another big grin, “I am. I can’t wait.”

  He had turned to grab the cup of coffee he had already poured for her, “Drink up and we’ll get out of here. I already have our bags ready.”

 
Megan had complete confidence he would have made sure they had everything they needed for their excursion, which up until a few days ago was a completely foreign concept to her. The thought of relying on others for anything would have filled her with dread but now, the idea filled her with hope. Megan crossed her fingers that the plant was close and not too far down the highway. Rosie had said it tended to grow in areas with lots of sun. The highway was shrouded in trees for the most part, but there was a good section near town that got plenty of sun. That was where they were headed.

  They stood in comfortable silence, sipping their coffee. When Kyle came downstairs, Megan instantly went on alert. The guy seemed nice enough and hadn’t actually done anything to her, but that inner instinct told her to be leery of him.

  “Good morning,” he said with a million dollar smile. “Wyatt, do you happen to have a fishing pole? Maybe a net? I am a pretty good fisherman and would love to catch dinner for tonight.”

  Wyatt hesitated a moment, “Actually, we do. I think there are a few around here somewhere. I can have Jack get you set up. Maybe he can go with you and learn something. The guy has never quite got the hang of fishing. To be honest, I don’t think I have either. Never really been my thing,” he causally responded.

  Megan looked at Wyatt over her cup. She knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted Jack to stick by Kyle to keep an eye on him. It was a good idea.

  “Oh, a fish fry sounds wonderful,” Rosie said making her way down the stairs. “Now you got me craving some fresh fish, you better follow through,” she teased Kyle.

  Megan knew Rosie was a genuinely nice person. She clearly wanted to give Kyle the benefit of the doubt. Her mothering instinct was to take care of everyone, even if they were a little sketchy.

  She knew she shouldn’t be so judgmental. She didn’t know the guy’s past or what he had been through. His concern for her daughter did appear genuine but she had to wonder why he thought it was necessary to go through her wallet. It wasn’t as if there was anything of value in it. Wyatt had cautioned her on not saying anything because they didn’t want to alert Kyle that anything was wrong.

  “I’ll be right back and then we can go,” Wyatt told Megan jogging up the stairs. She heard him knock on the master bedroom door. Jack, Willow and Ryland all shared the room.

  If she decided to stay, she would definitely need to think about where she and Caitlin would sleep. She knew she had taken Wyatt’s room and didn’t want to impose. She caught herself as her mind drifted to building a small room for her and Caitlin.

  Was she actually thinking about sticking around long-term? It was so tempting. It would be a fresh start in a place with plenty of natural resources and good people. Leaving to find somewhere else would mean she would be on her own with no backup should something go wrong.

  She would also miss the friendship. Her daughter was lovely, but sometimes it was nice to have an adult conversation. It helped to talk out problems that children shouldn’t be exposed to. She knew she was leaning towards staying. It actually made her feel better knowing that at least one thing was for certain. She would go with it for now.

  Megan was excited to get the antidote, hoping it would do the trick. She took a moment to inhale the fresh, cool mountain air. It was a beautiful scene before her with the sun’s rays shooting through the trees and reflecting off the pine needles glistening with dew.

  The sounds of nature were soothing. She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually felt peaceful and happy. This plant had to work. And her little girl would be back in her arms, healthy and happy to be in a warm bed with good food to eat.

  KYLE SAT at the kitchen table, chatting with Rosie as she prepared a pot of oatmeal.

  “You sleep okay last night? We’re a bit short on space what will all the guests we have right now. I suspect the boys will be itching to build onto the cabin soon enough,” Rosie told him as she poured him a cup of coffee.

  “I slept fine, thank you. Any day I have a roof over my head and something in my stomach is a good day. I just wish…I just wish my family were here. I suspect my wife would like you.” He pasted a sad smile on his face as Rosie reached out to squeeze his arm. He could really get used to this even if he had to lie to get what he wanted.

  He was actually enjoying himself. Rosie was a good woman and she treated him with respect. It was a different kind of respect than how the women in his group treated him.

  Rosie was kind, generous, and willing to dote on him because that was her nature. The women in his group treated him with respect, but mostly because they wanted something from him. They wanted to be the next first lady of the new world. They showered him with attention and offered themselves to him because they wanted to secure their place in his inner circle.

  Rosie was genuine. It made him long for what Wyatt and the other men took for granted. Maybe when he came back to take their supplies, he’d keep the cabin along with Rosie. She really was a good cook and he wouldn’t mind having a mother around. At least the type of mom he would have liked to have.

  Jack clapped him on the shoulder. “I heard you are going to teach me how to fish today. I must warn you; my dad and big brother have been trying to teach me for thirty years. Hasn’t worked yet,” he said with a big grin.

  Kyle chuckled, “Well then, this may be your lucky day. No pressure or anything, but Rosie here has all but threatened my life if I don’t follow through with my promise to bring her lots of fresh fish for dinner tonight.”

  “Sounds great. I need to take care of a few things around here and then we can go. Does that work for you?”

  Kyle was a little surprised at how willing Jack was to hang out with him for the day. Wyatt had been aloof and a little cold. Albert was just downright skeptical. Jack almost seemed excited. Poor guy had no idea.

  Jack grabbed a cup of coffee and gave Rosie a kiss on the cheek before heading outside. Soon enough, Kyle could hear Jack chopping wood. He should offer to help, but that wasn’t something he was used to doing. He had men to do the work for him. Instead, he chatted up Rosie. If Jack happened to come back in, he would see they were involved in deep conversation, which is what kept him inside. Kyle figured if he had to be out fishing all day, then he was going to relax while he could. Truth be told, he liked fishing, but he didn’t like the dirty side of it.

  Jack came in with a load of wood that he set down near the stove. “You ready?” he asked.

  Kyle smiled, “Sure am. I was just talking with your mom about maybe helping you guys get an aquaponics system going here.”

  That got Jack’s attention. Kyle knew he would change his attitude if he could prove his laziness was actually him being productive.

  “You will have to tell me more about that. It is something I have heard about, but never thought to attempt,” Jack said with real interest.

  Kyle stood, “It will give us something to talk about while we wait for the fish to bite.”

  Jack had produced two poles, the net Kyle had asked Wyatt for, and a tackle box.

  “We are set. I have no doubt this is going to be a successful fishing expedition,” Kyle said grabbing the tackle box and a pole. “Is there a fillet knife in here?”

  Jack looked at him in question.

  Kyle decided to check for himself. No knife.

  “Rosie, do you happen to have a sharp knife in your kitchen that we could use?”

  She nodded, “Yep. Let me grab it. Do you need one or two?”

  Jack started to say two, but Kyle quickly cut him off, “One will do fine.”

  Rosie looked at Jack. He hesitated before nodding his head.

  With that, the two men headed towards the stream where they planned to follow it down the mountain to an area where Jack’s dad used to fish. Kyle walked behind Jack who led the way. Jack stopped suddenly when he heard a noise in the trees. He turned to Kyle and motioned for him to get down. They both crouched down, but there was very little groundcover along the bed of the stream. Jack did a duck walk int
o the trees and Kyle followed him.

  “What is it?” Kyle hissed.

  “I heard voices. Sounded like a couple of guys. It can’t be Megan and Wyatt, they have to be miles away from here by now and Albert and Chase are on the other side of the property today,” Jack explained.

  Kyle realized the voices could very well be his men. He had told them he was going scouting and would be back in a day or two. They were probably looking for him. He couldn’t let Jack know he had his own group. Jack would tell the others and they would boot him out before he could get rid of the woman and child.

  “I didn’t hear anything.”

  Kyle was hoping to dissuade Jack from investigating.

  Jack stayed crouched for another couple of minutes. Kyle’s heart started to beat faster as he thought about what would happen if his men found him. This was turning into a disaster!

  “Hmm, maybe I was just hearing things. I don’t hear anything else. Keep your ears open though, we don’t want to surprise anyone. Could get us killed.”

  Kyle grunted a response. Jack didn’t know how right he was.

  22

  Megan and Wyatt had covered a lot of ground and he could tell she was getting frustrated. Despite hours of searching, they hadn’t found the milk thistle they needed. Every time they saw one of those prickly purple flowers, she would run to it only to discover it was the common thistle.

  He did his best to encourage her, but he knew she was losing hope. Last night, Rosie had told him Caitlin was slipping away. She was getting very little fluid in her and it wouldn’t be long before her kidneys shut down. He had been trained how to start an IV in the field, but they had yet to find a setup.

  If they couldn’t find the milk thistle, he was going to go back into town and do some searching. It would be risky, but they had little choice at this point. Anything important to Megan had become important to him and he would readily walk the twenty miles to the next larger town to raid the clinic he knew was there. Wyatt was not going to give up and he knew Megan wouldn’t either.