Cities of Rust

by Ariel Bonin

  "And then I showed up," Lindsey whispered.

  Andrew glanced at her and she held his gaze, loving the raw vulnerability there. She saw the lingering effects of the night before and his continued restraint. She wondered what he would do if she just kissed him right then, in broad daylight. It surely would have ended in embarrassment, so she decided against it.

  When Andrew dragged his eyes away, she said, "Thank you, by the way, for helping me. I don't know if I ever said that. You could have taken the easy route and left me, saved your medical supplies, your food. I don't think there are many people out there now that would do what you did."

  Andrew barely looked at Lindsey and gave her a quick nod. "It's what I would have done for anyone else."

  Disappointment rolled in her stomach. She'd wanted a more personal response. She'd hoped that maybe he had taken a special interest in her in particular, but he wasn't letting on that that was the case. Their kiss the night before said differently, though. She imagined he didn't do that on a regular basis, or perhaps, ever. She hadn't looked at another man that way since Jared, and Andrew didn't seem like the type to play it fast and loose—even if it was "the end of the world."

  Focusing on their task, she dropped the subject. Turners were wandering over from the neighborhood and lining up at the fences. One section needed a decent amount of repair, but the monsters kept impeding their ability to do so. Starting with the first turner she came across, she raised her knife and shoved it forcefully through the gap in the fence. It sliced through the turner's rotting eye socket and, as she pulled it back through, the turner fell to the ground with a dull thud. Over the desperate, hungry groans, she could hear a similar noise coming from Andrew's direction. She glanced over and watched as he easily put down a male turner with his screwdriver.

  They were getting close to clearing that particular section when Lindsey's knife got stuck in a turner's skull, caught on the fence, and fell through onto the other side.

  "Dammit!" she said, wiping her sweaty palms on her dirty jeans. "Lost my knife."

  "It's all right. I'll get the last few and then we'll have to go out there anyway. Do you want to pull the truck up so we can load them for burning?" Andrew asked.

  "Sure. Be right back."

  Lindsey climbed into the large pickup and drove it to the front gate. She left it running while she waited for Andrew. He opened the gate and walked through to close it on the opposite side. She parked the truck and got out to help him with the bodies. He had exchanged the screwdriver for a machete and was using it to take down a stray turner.

  They were in the process of lifting the bodies into the truck bed when Lindsey thought she heard a suspicious noise. The world was so quiet now that basically any noise could be questioned, but this one was somewhat familiar.

  "Andrew, do you hear that?"

  He was holding the shoulder end of a female turner and paused mid-step to listen. Abruptly, he dropped it as a cloud of dust billowed up from the road nearby.

  "Get to the gate!" he shouted, pushing her in that direction.

  They were halfway there when a large black SUV pulled up beside them. Andrew raised his gun as four men jumped out. He grazed one on the shoulder before they advanced on him and took him down with a well-aimed punch to the temple. He slumped in their arms as they dragged him back to the SUV. Lindsey struggled to open the gate, until a thick arm wrapped around her neck, cutting off her oxygen. She fought to break free. She was tossed into the back and collided with something solid. It took her a moment to realize that it was Andrew.

  As the vehicle tore away from the school, Lindsey had a faint idea of who was behind this.

  _____

  Andrew groaned as he opened his eyes. Everything was hazy, but suddenly came into focus, along with a deep throbbing pain in his head.

  "Andrew? Andrew!" came a sharp whisper by his ear.

  He turned to see Lindsey lying next to him. Under normal circumstances he would have welcomed the sight, but the panic in her eyes alerted him to the stress of their current situation.

  "Andrew, are you okay?"

  He took a deep breath and nodded, which sent another shooting pain to his temple. He gritted his teeth and focused on her honey-colored eyes.

  "Where the hell are we?" he mumbled.

  "In the back of some SUV. I'm guessing your friend, Marcus, decided to make his presence known sooner than we thought. What are we going to do?"

  Andrew attempted to reach for his gun, but couldn't move his hands. She looked at him wearily.

  "They tied our hands while you were out. Any ideas?"

  Before he could respond, the men in the vehicle started talking.

  "What are we supposed to do with them?"

  "Marcus wants us to keep our pal, Andy, locked up until he gets back from the school. Once he takes everyone out and gets that traitor bitch, he'll come back to take care of 'em."

  Obviously, all doubt of Marcus’s involvement was out the window now.

  Andrew was looking into Lindsey's eyes when they spoke again.

  "So, what does he want with the girl we picked up?"

  "Oh, she's for us."

  They all started laughing.

  Andrew watched as her lips parted on a silent gasp. Instantly, his blood was on fire. The thought of some other man putting his hands on her, especially in such a lewd manner, made him crazy. The poor woman had been through the wringer. He was determined to end it all now.

  Fighting the pain in his head, he looked down, and was surprised to discover his weapons still in place. A quick glance confirmed that Lindsey's were as well. He motioned for her to turn over and grab his knife. Her hands reached around and brushed the front of his pants as she tried to locate it. He bit his lip and tried to remind his lower half of their dire situation. Finally, she got her hands on his knife and pulled it from its sheath. After some careful cutting and wiggling, his hands were free. Andrew quickly cut her ties, and, using the tip of his knife, pried open a small panel on the hatchback door.

  "Take out your gun and get ready to roll," he whispered.

  Lindsey slid her Glock out of its holster and waited. Andrew took a deep breath and then pulled the small white latch inside the open panel. As the back door popped open, they tucked their heads and rolled out onto the dirt road below. The landing wasn't soft, but they couldn't waste any time. The SUV had screeched to a halt only twenty feet in front of them. Andrew pulled Lindsey to her feet and shot the first man to exit the vehicle. He dropped on the spot. As they made their way into the woods, the three remaining men exchanged some choice words.

  "How fuckin' dense are ya, Joey? You left 'em their weapons?"

  "I tied them up! I figured that would be enough!" Joey replied.

  "We don't have time for this shit, Parker. We need to get them back before Marcus finds out!" the third man exclaimed.

  Andrew couldn't hear them anymore after that. He and Lindsey ran through the woods—for what seemed like forever—until she unexpectedly collapsed. Andrew dropped down next to her, both of them breathing hard.

  "My leg. It can't handle this much running. I'm sorry."

  "It's okay. You've done great. Put your arms around my neck," he replied, feeling a tinge of déjà vu.

  Lindsey held onto him tightly as he picked her up and hurried deeper into the woods.

  Chapter 6

  Andrew set Lindsey on her feet so he could catch his breath. It felt like they were never going to make it back to the school. He was attempting to stay parallel to the road, but, unfortunately, none of their surroundings looked familiar to him.

  "It looks like there might be a house up that hill. We may be able to find some food there. How are you feeling?" he asked, his chest heaving.

  "I think I can walk on my own now. Thank you," Lindsey said with a grateful smile.

  Andrew let his gaze wander over her delicate features. She did look quite a bit better now, as some color had returned to her face. She stood with her hand
s on her hips, looking up at the tangled forest around them. She was probably trying to gauge their location using the position of the sun. Andrew looked down at her jean-clad legs and could tell she was favoring her left side. He hoped this sudden exertion didn't mess up all the recovery she'd made so far.

  They started up the slight incline and came upon a small cabin. There were no vehicles in the yard, and it was clear no one had been there for some time. The grass was at least waist high, and even taller in some places—not that there had been much of a yard in the first place. Noting all the small rocks, he imagined the previous owner probably would have used a weed-trimmer to cut it down. He chuckled softly.

  "What?" Lindsey asked, her voice nervous.

  "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how to cut the grass in this yard. It's kind of funny to think about what was important before."

  Lindsey smiled. "Like vacuuming or paying credit card bills. I certainly don't miss those things."

  "I don't know...sometimes I do," Andrew murmured as he continued to look around thoughtfully.

  They walked up the rocky driveway and noticed another smaller building further back in the woods. It wasn't a garage and looked too big to be a shed.

  "Hey, I think I'll check this out first. Wait out here and keep watch?" Andrew asked, gesturing at the odd structure.

  "Sure thing," Lindsey said as she pulled out her gun.

  Andrew carefully approached the building and scanned his surroundings. He didn't want to assume anything, but the place was so grown in that he didn't think Marcus’s men would be able to see it from the road. He and Lindsey would just have to take their chances.

  Knife at the ready, he tried the doorknob and was surprised to find it unlocked. He slowly opened the door and stepped inside. All the windows were covered in thick, severely-dated curtains. He pulled one back to let in some light and discovered that the building was a bunkhouse. There were two single beds and two bunk beds, along with a bookshelf full of various items. He stood in front of the shelf and cracked a smile as he picked up a dusty Cabbage Patch doll. Those had been around when he was a kid. Talk about dated. There were stacks of books with yellowing covers and a couple of ancient board games. Confused, he picked up a square, plastic package containing a pool lounge chair.

  "What the hell would they need this for?" he mumbled to himself.

  Andrew stepped outside and walked toward Lindsey. She was in the same spot as before, but facing away from the driveway now.

  "Andrew, come here."

  He would have been worried about what she was going to show him, but there was a hint of a smile in her voice. She pointed at something and he followed her gaze. The late afternoon sun shimmered off a patch of water peeking through the overgrown trees.

  Well, that explains the pool float.

  Andrew gestured for her to follow and they started down the steep hill to the water. Lindsey slid on some loose rocks and almost lost her footing. Her leg was probably still weak, so he offered her his arm to hold onto. Her palm was soft, and he couldn't help but notice how dainty her hand looked against his muscular arm.

  When they got to the bottom, she thanked him and he nodded back. They stood on the shore and took in the refreshing sight before them.

  "Wow, this place is beautiful," Lindsey breathed.

  Aside from the crumbling dock jutting out from the shore, they were gazing upon something untouched by the destruction of man: a large lake with glorious, sparkling water and clusters of bright green trees. Birds swept through the air happily, oblivious to the dangers lurking in the nearby woods.

  Andrew heard Lindsey inhale deeply, and watched as she closed her eyes and exhaled. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she bit her bottom lip.

  "It really is beautiful," he said. Just like you.

  Andrew wanted to curse the little voice inside his head. He had allowed himself one evening to give into it. Maybe it had been the wine, or maybe he'd just been lonely. Maybe it had been a combination of a lot of things. But now he knew he wasn't ready to take a step in that direction. Yes, he couldn't deny that he thought Lindsey was beautiful. He sensed she had feelings for him as well, but he just couldn't shake the overwhelming guilt he felt every time he thought of Kelly. It had been his idea to go on the road instead of staying put. On top of that, he wasn't there when Kelly had needed him the most. Now Zoey had that weight on her shoulders. Andrew wished with everything he possessed that he could take that from her. So, no, he wouldn't give into his own feelings for Lindsey. He needed to think of Zoey and Jacob—he absolutely could not fail them like he had his wife.

  All of which brought him to the present. Marcus was headed to the school. Everyone he cared about was in danger and there was no way he could get back in time to help them.

  As if she could read his mind, Lindsey interrupted his thoughts.

  "What are we going to do, Andrew? It will be dark soon."

  "I've seen this lake on a map before. We're a lot further from the school than I originally thought. How long was I out?" he asked with visible apprehension.

  "It felt like an hour. It was probably more like ten minutes." She continued to stare out across the water and he couldn't read the expression on her face.

  "It took us maybe another five minutes to get out of there. So if there weren't any road blocks and we were traveling at about sixty miles per hour, we ended up, what, fifteen miles away?" He glanced at Lindsey for confirmation.

  Her mouth quirked up on one side. "I've always hated math problems, but yes, that sounds about right. How far do you think we've gone?"

  "Not even five miles. Unless we find a car, we won't make it before dark." Andrew closed his eyes and ran a calloused hand over his short beard. This was another moment when he felt like he was failing his family.

  "I know you don't want to hear this, but to keep going would be suicide. We wouldn't survive after dark and we're not guaranteed to find another place to stay."

  He could tell she was nervous as she awaited his response.

  "Well, we'll just have to hope that Marcus’s men don't come looking for us here," he said. He turned to walk up the hill to the cabin, but Lindsey stopped him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a small squeeze. Before he could react, she had already pulled away.

  "I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could say to ease your mind. We'll get back to them—no matter what." She gave him a reassuring look and started up the hill.

  _____

  Using a rock from the driveway, Andrew broke the small window next to the cabin's front door. He reached through, unlocked the deadbolt, and walked in. Like the bunkhouse, all the curtains were drawn. They didn't have their flashlights, so Lindsey stayed close behind him. He felt along the wall until he brushed a piece of cobwebbed material. Pulling it back, a thin line of light appeared across the room, exposing a small kitchen. There was a gas stove, an ugly pale-green refrigerator, and a short length of counter with a built-in sink. Andrew told her to wait there while he searched the rest of the cabin.

  The kitchen opened up into a decent-sized living room. The whole place had probably not been redecorated since the 1970s. A couch and matching armchair with a hokey orange flower pattern inhabited the middle of the room. There was a brick fireplace to his right and a small box television to his left. Straight ahead, a large doorway was covered by a hanging piece of cloth, which was also flowered. He brushed it aside and scanned the dark bedroom. It held a full-size bed, two night stands, and a linen closet. He had been careful in his search, but wasn't expecting to find anyone there anyway. This had been someone's family camp, used only for long weekends in the summer. Most likely, the owner had locked it up at the end of the season and didn't survive long enough to come back.

  Andrew returned to the kitchen and found Lindsey searching the cabinets.

  "Yes!" she said as she revealed two cans of fruit cocktail. "Want one?"

  "Thanks," he said, catching the can after she tos
sed it in his direction.

  She opened hers with haste and then passed him the opener, along with a fork from the drawer.

  "I also found some tea and sugar, which makes me incredibly happy. I just don't know how to use the gas stove—mine were always electric. Could you help me?"

  "Yeah, I had a gas stove in my house. When there isn't any power, you need a match." He pulled one from the wooden dispenser nearby. "Turn the knob for the burner, which will turn on the gas. Then you need to light the match and put it under the burner." With a whoosh, small flames danced before them in a neat blue circle.

  "Wow, that's not too difficult. Thank you."

  While Andrew ate his food, he watched her summon a pot and fill it with water from a jug. She set it on the stove to boil and started gathering all the fixings.

  "I didn't know you liked tea. I figured most people were coffee drinkers," Andrew said.

  "Tea was always my drink of choice. I haven't had a cup in months. I used to have two or three a day."

  "I probably had at least eight cups of coffee in the course of a day," Andrew replied with a smirk.

  "My God, eight? I'll bet you worked in an office—a police station, maybe?"

  "I was a captain in the United States Army, so close enough." He cracked a smile as her face lit up with satisfaction.

  The water on the stove was boiling now. She carefully poured it into two mugs and added a tea bag to each. After a couple of minutes, she added a spoonful of sugar to one and then glanced at Andrew. He gestured for her to go ahead. She added the same amount to his and delicately handed it over. He set down his empty can and accepted the beverage with a polite nod.