Cities of Rust

by Ariel Bonin

  Mickey walked by, his exterior matching Andrew and Charlie's, but still retaining that pep in his step from earlier.

  "Showers are this way, if you're interested," he said in his usual cheery tone.

  The man was out of earshot when Charlie muttered, "He's like the fuckin' Energizer bunny. I got no idea how he does this every damn day."

  Lindsey smiled at Charlie's comment, and refocused her attention on Andrew. "Come on, let's get you guys cleaned up."

  They followed Mickey to a single room filled with individual shower stalls.

  "There's no hot water. All we have is the portable bag system. It only lasts about ten minutes, but you won't need that much time—trust me," he said with a mock shiver.

  Lindsey chose the stall next to Andrew's and, after pulling the curtain shut, she swiftly undressed. With gritted teeth, she allowed the freezing water to flow over her sticky skin. A mini bottle of shampoo sat on the built-in shelf. She washed her hair in record time, using the excess suds to clean the grime from her body. When her face suddenly became warm, it took her a moment to realize that the tremors wracking her slender frame had distracted her from the hot tears running down her cheeks.

  She wasn't sure she could take much more of this.

  When Lindsey snuck into Andrew's cot for the second evening in a row, she brought up the woman she'd seen earlier.

  "I think she's someone to be reckoned with," Lindsey whispered, brushing her fingers through his clean hair.

  Andrew nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. Point her out to me in the morning. Maybe we can have a chat."

  _____

  At breakfast, that was precisely what they did. The woman, Mickey, and a few more people were seated at the far end of the dining hall. Without asking first, Andrew sat down across from the mysterious woman. Lindsey and the others occupied spots on either side of him.

  The woman smiled. "I was wondering when you'd find your way over here, Andrew."

  He assumed Mickey had told her his name, but nonetheless, hearing his name from the stranger had startled him.

  "And you are?"

  "Grace. It's nice to finally meet you," she answered, her gaze softening. There was something about her that gave off a motherly vibe to Andrew, but he also got the feeling that she was not to be messed with.

  "How did you know that I would talk to you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

  Grace continued to smile. "You're their leader. I can see it in the way you walk, in your work ethic, and simply in the way they all look at you," she explained, referring to his group members. "You're a man that's used to being in charge. What field were you in before all this—some form of military?"

  Andrew rolled his tongue in his cheek as he suppressed a grin. With raised brows, he said, "You're good, but what does my position as a leader have anything to do with you?"

  "I was hoping you'd come over here, because we need your help," Grace replied, lowering her voice.

  "With what?"

  "More like who."

  Andrew spat out the name like it had spoiled in his mouth. "Samuel?"

  She agreed. "You see, there's a flaw in his plan. He got the strongest and the bravest. He's seen what lengths we'll go to in order to survive. In doing so, he single-handedly pissed off a large group of very dangerous people. 'We will rise up'—just not in the way he's planned."

  Lindsey jumped into the conversation now. "What exactly are you going to do?"

  Grace stared at the young blonde, her lips curving into an amused sneer. "With your help, we're gonna burn this place to the ground."

  Chapter 27

  Shocked silence hung in the air. Lindsey openly gaped at the woman, while Andrew's hand stilled around his water bottle.

  Grace let out a soft chuckle. "Well, maybe not like that. This place is primarily made up of concrete. With the amount of firepower in here, it will most likely explode."

  Lindsey's eyes flared as she asked, "B-but what about the people in here? Where will they go?"

  "Slow down," Grace said with a raised hand. "You guys picked a good week to show up here. We've been working on this plan for over two months now. All the right people are in on it. If we stay on track, we'll be safely out of dodge by the beginning of next week."

  Lindsey shook her head. "But you didn't answer my question. Where will everyone go? I'll agree that this is a shitty place to live, but it's a roof over your head and has solid walls to protect you from the dead. It all depends on the people around you. I mean, we lived in a damn school and it was great. If Samuel was taken out of the picture, couldn't you just stay here?"

  Grace waved away her suggestion. "We've discussed that, but there are too many people willing to take his place. This all needs to end: the fights to the death, the back-breaking labor, his objectification of women…the deals," she finished, her compassionate gaze landing on the couple before her.

  Lindsey dropped her eyes, reaching up to scratch a non-existent itch on her brow. She could feel the heat of Andrew's stare on the side of her face. So, evidently, word got out about what happened that evening in Samuel's bedroom.

  Fantastic.

  Charlie saved the twosome by breaking the awkward hush that had fallen over them.

  "What's this master plan?" he asked with clear skepticism.

  Grace was about to answer, but a guard signaled that it was time for everyone to get to work. She sighed.

  "We'll talk more later. For now, don't speak of this to anyone, and try not to draw any more attention to yourselves. You're already on Samuel's radar and that's bad enough."

  Andrew's group agreed and exited the dining hall. Come to find out, the machinery in Lindsey's section wasn't functioning, which meant they were all going to be working together. She would have been excited if it weren't for the fact that the actual casting of the bullets was downright grueling. If Andrew looked the way he had after only one day, she wasn't sure she'd make it to lunch.

  Much to her surprise, she lasted well past that time. She did her best to ignore the sweat dripping into her eyes, and the soot that coated every inch of exposed skin. It was comforting to have Andrew nearby; his presence was probably the reason she had made it to that point.

  She'd just exchanged an affectionate glance with him when she turned and bumped into a large man next to her. She opened her mouth to apologize, but his words cut her short.

  "Watch it, bitch!" he snarled.

  Lindsey gawked at him, her ears not quite believing what she had heard. "What did you call me?"

  The man stood in front of her now, blocking the path she needed to take.

  "Say, do you think we could work out some kind of deal? What's the going rate for a whore nowadays—a can of peaches?" He laughed at his own lousy joke, revealing his crooked teeth. "Or maybe you'll just let me watch."

  _____

  Andrew was passing Lindsey when he heard someone say the word "whore." His head snapped up, zeroing in on the man cornering Lindsey. He hardly caught the last sentence as his blood burned and rushed into his ears.

  Before Lindsey could react, Andrew yanked the man backward. He landed a devastating blow on the man's jaw, bringing him to the floor. Seizing the man's shirt, he delivered three more punches, drawing blood from a broken nose. As the man's head lolled back and forth, Andrew gave him a violent shake.

  "Don't you ever, ever talk to her like that again. Better yet, if I even see you near her, I'll break your neck. Got it?" he growled.

  The man acknowledged Andrew's threat with a slight movement of his head. Blood coated his lips as he released a sharp cough. Andrew stood, glancing back at Lindsey, who was looking on in dismay.

  Four of Samuel's men appeared. Two lifted the beaten man from the floor, while the others grasped Andrew by his upper arms.

  "You need to come with us," Isaac ordered, beginning to lead Andrew from the room.

  Oh, shit.

  He tried to look back at Lindsey, and cringed when he heard Zoey behind him.


  "Where are you taking him? Stop!" Zoey yelled, pulling on Isaac's arm. The man threw back his elbow and knocked Zoey to the ground.

  "Hey!" Lindsey shouted, stepping in front of Isaac as Charlie hauled the girl to her feet.

  "Get outta my way!" he barked.

  Lindsey shook her head. "Let go of Andrew. Right. Now."

  Isaac lifted his assault rifle and pointed it directly into her face. "Move."

  The blonde remained steadfast, her eyes blazing.

  "Lindsey. It's okay. You don't have to do this," Andrew said, afraid that Isaac would run out of patience.

  She tore her angry gaze from the guard and looked to Andrew. It was easy to see that she felt guilty for getting him into this mess, but, regardless of Lindsey's feelings, he would always protect her. She wasn't some sexual object and, therefore, should never be treated like one.

  When she backed off, Isaac and his men brushed past her, escorting Andrew off the factory floor. They brought him down a hallway and stopped outside of a closed door. Without ever being there before, Andrew already knew they were at Samuel's office. Ana had mentioned it when the group discussed various locations in the factory. He considered it an advantage to see it now—if he made it out alive.

  After knocking once, Isaac opened the door and pushed Andrew inside. Samuel stood up from behind his desk, and Andrew experienced a bitter taste in his mouth at the sight of the man.

  "And what is the reason behind this unexpected visit?" Samuel inquired, his cold eyes studying Andrew's face.

  Andrew hesitated, unsure if he was supposed to speak. Instead, Isaac answered.

  "He got into a fight with another worker—gave him a pretty good beating."

  Samuel raised his eyebrows. "Didn't get enough during the fights, Andrew? Would you care to explain yourself?" he said with an upturned hand.

  "He was threatening Lindsey, called her a whore. No one was there to keep him in line—" Andrew began.

  "So you took matters into your own hands?" Samuel interrupted, his expression somewhere between frustrated and impressed. "That's quite noble of you. Your love for this woman continues to astound me." He exhaled a breath and looked at Isaac. "Who was the worker?"

  "Donnie."

  Samuel let out a snicker of laughter. "Oh, Donnie… Did you send him to the cells?"

  Isaac nodded.

  "Perfect! Look at you guys, making decisions on your own. Keep it up and you won't need me around, huh?"

  Andrew hoped that statement would come true very, very soon. "'The cells'? Like where you held us before the fights?" he asked out of curiosity.

  "Yes, those very same cells. Donnie chose to act out, so, as punishment, he gets to fight again," Samuel replied, clearly pleased with himself.

  Andrew couldn't hide the contempt that crossed his features, and the other man chuckled.

  "Don't worry about it, Andrew! Donnie had it coming."

  When Samuel began to move back behind his desk, Andrew narrowed his eyes and posed the question, "How do people know?"

  "You mean, about the deal?" Samuel shrugged. "My ladies can be quite chatty. Besides, it's not like they couldn't hear what you were doing to her," he answered with a sly grin. Quickly, his expression became serious as he closed the space between them. He moved his mouth near Andrew's ear and whispered, "Do this again, and I'll make you do it again. Are we clear?"

  Andrew swallowed his hatred for the man and tilted his head away to say, "Yeah. We're clear."

  _____

  Lindsey sat in the dining hall, picking at her dinner of white rice and lima beans. She'd been hungry all day, but was now so worried about Andrew that she couldn't eat. Everyone sat at the table in tense silence. Grace had said earlier that he was probably taken to Samuel. Lindsey didn't find that comforting whatsoever, but she still had hope that he'd return to them safely.

  That moment came when Zoey leapt to her feet in surprise.

  "Dad!" she cried, running around the table to hug Andrew.

  Lindsey turned in her seat and watched the two reunite as relief flooded her body. He looked unharmed, but Samuel was capable of more than physical punishment, as they'd found out already.

  Andrew released Zoey and sat in the empty seat next to Lindsey. He pressed a kiss to her hair, but before she could say anything, Charlie spoke up from across the table.

  "What the hell, man? I thought you said we need to lay low!" he growled.

  "Yeah," Grace added with a scowl. "What happened to staying off the radar?"

  Andrew was clearly exasperated with the sudden assault. He opened his mouth, grasping for the right words. Lindsey considered herself at fault for what had transpired earlier, so she cut in, rising to his defense.

  "One of the other workers cornered me, made offensive advances, and called me—" She stopped, noticing that Zoey was watching her, and swallowed the slur. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that Andrew did something about it. Don't you dare lay the blame on him—he was only doing what was right."

  An awkward hush blanketed the table. When no one dared to speak against her, Lindsey asked Andrew, "Where did they take you?"

  Even covered head to toe in soot, she thought he was one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen. The dark substance contrasted with his eyes, making them appear bluer than normal, which seemed impossible.

  Andrew shifted in his seat. After clearing his throat, he said, "To Samuel's office."

  Lindsey waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn't, her eyes widened.

  "And?" she urged.

  "And nothing. I walked away with a warning. The same can't be said for our friend, Donnie," he replied with sarcasm.

  "So it was Donnie?" Grace asked, shaking her head.

  "Yeah. I really hope he wasn't in on this plan," Andrew retorted. "I might start putting what little faith I have elsewhere."

  "Hell no. Donnie would have been one of Samuel's guards if he wasn't such a fucking moron." Grace let out a sharp breath. "You needn't worry—we have informed all the right people."

  "And what of the rest of them?" Lindsey pressed, her compassionate side emerging. "You're just gonna let them go up in flames?"

  "We need to get on the same page, Lindsey. The men that put you here: Samuel, Isaac, Miguel—the list goes on—they're the ones that won't be escaping this nightmare. All the good people—we've got them covered. When the time comes, you'll see that," Grace said.

  So far they'd been able to trust the woman—she hadn't given them a reason not to. Lindsey took her statement at face value and hoped it wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass later. It wasn't like they had any other options. And why wouldn't Grace and the others try to escape? They lived in this hell and experienced the same misery day in and day out. Lindsey couldn't possibly think of an ulterior motive. They all wanted out—it was that simple.

  "So, now what?" she asked, clasping her hands on the table.

  Grace took a quick look around the room. "If you can manage to keep your nose out of trouble for just a little bit longer, I think we can get the ball rolling."

  "What kind of time frame are we looking at?" Andrew said now.

  Grace shrugged. "We need to iron out a couple of details, but I'm thinking the day after tomorrow, it all goes down."

  _____

  Andrew managed to get a bite to eat before dinner ended, and, after taking a much-needed shower, felt quite a bit better. Per usual, at lights out, Lindsey left her cot and got in next to Andrew. The day had left her visibly weary and rundown. He wasn't sure how long she would even stay awake; her eyes drifted closed and her breathing deepened. Andrew brushed a kiss over her parted lips, instantly reawakening her. As selfish as it was, he had some things on his mind and wanted to share them with her before they went to sleep.

  "Did you just kiss me?" she whispered with a playful gleam in her tired eyes.

  Andrew bit the inside of his lip to hide a smirk. "Maybe."

  Lindsey released a soft, breathy laugh. "Well, either you di
d or you didn't."

  He leaned in and kissed her once more with feeling, her mouth responding this time. Under the blanket, his hand skimmed down her side and traced the hem of her t-shirt. All topics of discussion escaped his brain as he felt her warm skin under his fingertips. When he began to lift her shirt, she pulled back.

  "Andrew!" she hissed, readjusting her shirt. She sounded angry, but her sultry gaze said other things.

  He smiled, moving his hand to rest innocently on her waist. "I'm sorry." Now that he had her full attention, his prior thoughts came flooding back. "How do you feel about Grace's plan?"

  Lindsey's flirty expression changed to match the seriousness of his tone. "I hope I don't regret saying this later, but I think we can trust her. She seems just as desperate as us, if not more, to get out of this dump. With all the people she's gathered, Samuel will be outnumbered. If we can pull off the distractions and get our hands on those weapons, we'll be in good shape."

  Andrew nodded. "I wonder how things are going at the ranch. Do you think they're lookin' for us—Caren, Robert, and Darius?"

  "Honestly, I hope not. The last thing we need is more people we care about getting stuck here, or killed by turners while they're out searching. I'm anxious to get back there, but I don't know what we'll find."

  "The three of 'em? They're smart—they can handle themselves."

  Lindsey opened her mouth to speak, but pressed her lips back together. Her conflicted gaze hinted that a painful subject was coming his way.

  "What?" he asked, a nervous edge in his voice.

  "Andrew…you haven't said a word about Jacob."

  At the mention of his son's name, it was as if Lindsey had taken a piece of sandpaper to an open wound in his chest. He thought about his little boy every day; he missed the sweet smell of his fine hair, and the softness of his round cheeks. Andrew had been keeping it together though, pushing down his fears of Jacob and Nadie's possible demise. Brewing on all the different scenarios wasn't healthy, but it didn't bother him as much as articulating these thoughts out loud. His throat felt tight as he struggled to put words together.