Cities of Rust

by Ariel Bonin

  The tattooed man glared at her as she knelt down on one knee in front of him. When she placed a firm grip on his chin, he tried to move his head, but Charlie wouldn't let him budge.

  "Open up, sweetheart," Lindsey ground out as she pried open Isaac's mouth using the tip of his own gun.

  Without faltering, she squeezed the trigger. Pieces from the back of his head showered across the dirt. His body lay sprawled before her, and she was somewhat alarmed to find that she felt absolutely nothing. Not an ounce of relief, guilt, regret, or satisfaction—nothing.

  Lindsey tossed the handgun to the side and stood up. Her gaze fell upon Charlie, and she realized he was watching her with his perceptive blue eyes.

  "How'd ya know it wasn't one from Mickey's batch?" he asked out of curiosity.

  Lindsey shrugged. "I didn't."

  Raised voices ended the brief exchange, drawing their attention to the other end of the yard. Lindsey and Charlie watched as Zoey jogged toward them, his rifle shifting side to side on her back. She slung it off her shoulder and passed it to Charlie, who was eagerly waiting for it, although he did a good job of hiding his excitement. Charlie made sure it was loaded and moved to take out an approaching turner. Zoey held out Lindsey's Glock, and the woman thanked her with a small smile.

  Grace looked at the scene before her and asked, "I take it that Mickey's plan worked?"

  Lindsey glanced at the dead guards nearby. "Yeah, it did," she replied, not giving away any details. The last thing she wanted was for Zoey to hear about what she'd just done. She was about to ask where Andrew was, but the other woman interrupted her.

  "Speak of the devil, here he comes," Grace said as she gestured behind Lindsey.

  The blonde looked over her shoulder and saw Mickey running over to them, his skin covered in an unusual amount of soot. He was gasping for air, and launched into a coughing fit when he halted next to Grace.

  "What happened? Come, sit down," she said, guiding Mickey to sit on the truck's tailgate.

  Someone handed him a bottle of water and he chugged it, stopping to rinse his mouth.

  "Samuel figured out what we were doing. He tried to trap me in one of the offices, but I made it out. I have no idea where he ended up."

  Lindsey chose that moment to voice her concerns.

  "Where's Andrew? I thought he was supposed to be with you," she said, staring at Grace.

  "He was right behind us. His bag got caught, said he'd be a minute," she explained with a frown.

  Lindsey suddenly felt light-headed. "Well, it's been more than that…and he's not here."

  "I'm going back," Zoey announced, heading in the direction from which she'd come.

  "No!" Lindsey snapped as she clutched the girl's shoulder. "I'm worried about him, too, but I'm not letting you out of my sight!"

  "But Lindsey—!"

  Zoey didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. A deafening explosion rocked the factory, sending a fireball into the air, and flames shooting out the broken windows.

  "Dad!" Zoey screamed, surging toward the building.

  Lindsey's jaw dropped and she cried out, not wanting to believe her eyes. She seized Zoey by her shirt, pulling the girl back, where they fell to the ground in a devastated heap. A river of tears saturated her dirty cheeks as Zoey sobbed in agony.

  Debris began to rain down on them, and she imagined it like they were the pieces of her heart—shattered—with no way of ever putting them back together. She shifted on top of Zoey, shielding the girl with her body. Chunks of concrete pelted her back, but the pain didn't compare to what she was feeling on the inside.

  Andrew was dead.

  Chapter 29

  When the pieces of falling debris ceased, Lindsey rolled off Zoey and stared at the fiery ruins in misery. She was sure she had bruises on her back, but was completely numb to all physical pain. Her entire core felt like it'd been attacked by a turner—ripped inside out and strewn in every direction.

  She began to cry harder, pulling the sobbing girl into her arms. Her first instinct was to shut down and withdraw into herself. There would be no third chance at finding love—she was done. She'd build an impenetrable wall around her heart and just survive until she died.

  As much as she wanted to do all of that, she needed to keep going for Zoey. She was all alone now in this atrocious world, but Lindsey wouldn't let that be the case. No matter what happened after this point, she would be there for Zoey. Lindsey owed it to her—and to Andrew.

  Suddenly, Zoey scrambled to her feet and started toward the factory. Lindsey pushed herself up, opening her mouth to call out to the girl, when a strained voice rose above the roaring blaze.

  "Zoey!"

  The young female stopped in her tracks, and Lindsey whipped her head to the side. Underneath a heavy layer of black ash, Andrew Flynn grinned, flashing his straight white teeth. After dropping the bag of guns, he limped toward them. Zoey bolted to her father.

  "Dad!" she cried, throwing her arms around the breathless man. Andrew hugged her close and closed his eyes in relief.

  Lindsey remained frozen in place. She was almost tempted to pinch herself.

  Was he really alive?

  She started crying for a different reason now, a smile shining through her tears. Zoey stepped away from her father. When Andrew looked to Lindsey, his soft expression answered her question.

  I'm here—I'm alive.

  She ran to Andrew and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He faltered slightly on his injured knee, but found his footing and held her tight. Lindsey grasped his face between her trembling hands and kissed him with everything she had. He returned the thorough kiss, still holding her in a loving embrace.

  "I can't believe it," Lindsey whispered as she threaded her fingers through his hair. He kissed her once more, and she could almost feel her heart becoming whole again.

  "Jeez, get a room," Charlie joked from next to them.

  They both smiled, and Andrew set Lindsey down. She moved out of the way, allowing Charlie to swap a tight, brotherly handshake with Andrew. The friendship between these two men never ceased to amaze her. They came from totally different backgrounds, but managed to forge this unbreakable bond. Andrew's leadership skills and Charlie's survival smarts made them an unstoppable team. She considered herself fortunate to be under their protective watch.

  Ana approached Andrew and offered him a rare smile, along with a brief hug. Afterward, Grace, Mickey, and Arthur walked up to the reunited group.

  "Cut it kind of close there, don't you think?" Grace said with a grin. "We're glad to see you made it out all right."

  "Thanks," Andrew replied, his voice rough from the smoke. "Almost didn't think I would."

  "What happened in there?" Lindsey asked as she caressed a hand across his back.

  "Samuel," he said.

  Lindsey's heart dropped into her stomach. "Is he…?"

  Andrew gave her a curt nod. "After that, I barely made it out—cleared the building just before it blew."

  "You're a lucky son of a bitch," Arthur stated with a shake of his head.

  Andrew chuckled, and Lindsey felt warmth spread throughout her chest at the sight. She still couldn't get over the fact that he wasn't dead. The rollercoaster of emotions she'd just experienced had left her dizzy, but she didn't care—Andrew was alive.

  He went to adjust his footing and almost fell. Zoey wrapped an arm around her dad and helped him over to the truck.

  "What's wrong with your leg?" she asked.

  Andrew sat on the tailgate and exhaled a breath. "Twisted my knee." He didn't elaborate as he bent forward and rubbed the injured joint through his pant leg.

  "Want me to take a look at it?" Grace offered.

  Andrew shook his head. "It's probably just a sprain, but thank you. I'm anxious to get back."

  "Everything's good to go. Truck's loaded with ammo, and that bag of guns is yours to keep," Arthur said. He glanced past them and raised a hand. "Looks like our bud
dies are showin' up—time to head out."

  Lindsey spun to face where the man was pointing, and saw turners spread out across the entire field. They maneuvered around burning fragments from the factory, desperate for their next meal. Two female turners got close, and Ana dispatched them both with a single, perfectly-aligned arrow. Another male cadaver shuffled up to Lindsey, and she withdrew the knife from her belt, burying the blade in his rotting skull.

  When she came back to the group, Andrew had risen to shake Grace's hand.

  "Are you sure you don't want to come back with us?" he asked.

  Grace waved him away. "We have our own people to get back to. They're waiting at a camp ten miles from here. We've got enough room for everyone else, too," she said as she gestured to the remaining factory workers.

  Andrew nodded and gave the woman a warm smile. "All right. Good luck, then. Thank you for all of your help."

  "Likewise, Andrew. If you ever need anything, we're just past the Old County Road," Grace responded.

  They all traded goodbyes, but before Andrew's group got into their vehicle, they took a moment to stare at the smoldering ruins of The Factory. With his typical brooding scowl, Charlie put his middle finger into the air, signifying a big "fuck you" to Samuel and everything he'd put them through. Zoey observed the man's action and followed suit, holding up her own finger. Andrew's brows drew together and his amused gaze landed on Charlie. The older man hadn't noticed that Zoey was emulating his uncouth gesture, but when he did, he smiled at the girl and ruffled the beanie hat atop her obsidian locks. Andrew simply shook his head and smirked at his young, impressionable daughter.

  _____

  Zoey sat between Andrew and Lindsey in the backseat of the truck. Charlie took the driver's seat, Ana by his side. Within a couple of turns, they were on the main road and headed back to the ranch.

  Andrew sat back and enjoyed the ride for what it was—a break. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. He cleared his mind of the past week, focusing on the future instead. It was the little things that he hoped for upon their return. If everything was how they left it, he wanted a hearty meal, a hot shower, and Lindsey in his bed—not necessarily in that order.

  Glancing over Zoey's head, he snuck a peek of the woman. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked away from the passing scenery and met his affectionate gaze. She gave him a soft smile as he picked up the arm he had around Zoey and touched her cheek. The girl was beginning to doze off and her head fell onto Lindsey's shoulder. She held back a giggle and glanced at Andrew again.

  As she closed her eyes and rested her own head against Zoey's, Andrew noticed that they were driving by the gas station where they'd been abducted by Isaac and his cohorts. The incident felt like it had occurred a lifetime ago—and who knew—maybe they were different people now.

  Charlie pulled into the rocky driveway of the farmhouse, waking Zoey and Lindsey. They all held their breath as the front yard came into view. A military Humvee, similar to the truck at The Factory, rose above the other vehicles parked by the front steps.

  "Shit…" Charlie breathed.

  The moment he parked, the front door of the farmhouse burst open. Robert descended the steps, a shotgun in his hands. When he saw that it was, indeed, his returning group members, his entire demeanor changed. While propping the shotgun against the porch, he yelled to the people inside. Caren appeared, with Darius not far behind. Ana ran to the large man and they embraced.

  "What the hell happened to you guys?" Robert asked as Andrew eased out of the truck. His knee still hurt, but was gradually getting better.

  "It's a long ass story," Charlie said from next to him.

  Everyone was hugging and laughing, but Andrew was more concerned about who wasn't present. He laid a hand on Robert's shoulder and asked the question at the forefront of his mind.

  "Is Jacob here?"

  An excited grin spread across Robert's face, and Andrew almost lost it right there. The screen door opened again and Nadie emerged with the child in her arms. Andrew heard Lindsey gasp, and Zoey darted across the yard.

  "Jake!" the girl yelled, meeting Nadie at the bottom step. She passed Zoey the babbling boy, who showed a gummy grin only a moment after seeing his big sister. "He remembers me!" she exclaimed as Andrew approached his children in awe.

  The father bit his lip in an attempt to hold his tears at bay, but the uplifting sight of his little boy was too much for him to contain. His eyes shimmered as Zoey handed Jacob to him. The infant's warm weight felt so familiar, so comforting, that he was suddenly hit with just how much he'd missed his son. Andrew lifted Jacob so that he could nuzzle the boy's fine hair and squeezed his eyes shut, allowing the tears to fall.

  _____

  Lindsey observed as the tiny family reunited, her heart bursting with happiness at the scene. She couldn't help but cry. After the conversation she'd had with Andrew the other night, she knew he needed this moment more than anything. She watched him press a gentle kiss to the top of Jacob's head and grin at his daughter's enthusiasm for his homecoming. They were such a beautiful family and she couldn't have been more grateful that they were back together.

  Nadie moved out of Ana's embrace and walked toward Lindsey, her arms outstretched. The two women hugged as tears of joy streamed down Lindsey's face.

  "Where have you been?" she asked, astonished.

  Nadie held Lindsey at arm's length and shook her head. "I should be asking you the same thing! We got here the day you guys disappeared. We thought you were dead."

  Lindsey sobered. "We thought you were, too. I guess we both have some stories to tell…"

  "That we do," Nadie replied with a bittersweet smile.

  They parted ways and Lindsey regarded Andrew again. They locked eyes and he tilted his head, his expression showing something she'd never seen on him to this degree before, but she knew exactly what it meant.

  Hope.

  She walked over to him, her face positively beaming. Without asking first, Andrew gave her Jacob, and she looked down at the little boy. They hadn't been apart for that long, but it still seemed like Jacob had grown. Lindsey cuddled him close and glanced up at Andrew. He was staring past her, a twinkle in his eye. She followed his gaze and saw that Charlie and Nadie were wrapped up in an intimate embrace. The rancher placed an awkward kiss on her cheek, but she turned her head and laid one on him. At first Charlie seemed surprised, but then kissed her back with a ferocity that only he could possess.

  Lindsey stifled a giggle and looked to Andrew. His blue eyes were bright and bore into hers with aching tenderness. She continued to hold Jacob in her arms as Andrew cradled her cheek.

  "We're gonna be okay," he whispered.

  For the first time, she knew they both believed it.

  _____

  Everyone piled into the house and, at once, Lindsey became aware of the strangers inhabiting the couch in the living room. A man dressed in gray cargo pants and a black long-sleeve shirt pushed up to stand before Andrew. He extended his hand, and Andrew warily returned the handshake.

  "You must be Captain Flynn. I've heard a lot about you. Glad to see you all found your way back," he said in a cordial manner.

  Lindsey recognized Andrew's expression of distrust. He was a man that didn't like being out of the loop.

  "And you are?" Andrew asked.

  "Officer Nicholas Garcia, Chicago P.D. My friends here are Tyler Johnson and his cousin Katerina, but she prefers to go by 'Kat,'" the man stated, motioning to the other people in the room.

  Tyler was sitting up straight on the edge of the couch, while Kat lounged in the corner. Lindsey wasn't easily intimidated by other women anymore, but she could make an exception for Kat. Her sleek, coffee-colored skin stretched out for what seemed like miles from her short shorts, and a tight tank top showed off her toned arms. Lindsey figured that Andrew was too polite to gawk at the young woman, but she wouldn't blame him if he did. Even she was staring.

  Kat was goddamn beautif
ul.

  Tyler was at the opposite end of the spectrum. His dark skin was scarred with acne, and his eyes were a little too big for his face. He didn't look like someone that could be related to the bombshell beside him.

  Robert decided to cut in at the expectant look on Andrew's face.

  "A horde passed through again. We left the ranch for a night. Nicholas came across us while searching for supplies, and we brought them back."

  "You see, I think we have common interests," Nicholas added.

  Andrew didn't like the ambiguousness of his statement. "Like what?"

  Jacob wiggled in Lindsey's arms, distracting them for a moment.

  "There'll be more time to talk about this. You guys just walked through the door. Take the night, get some rest—we'll talk in the morning," Nicholas replied, a subtle smile crossing his full lips.

  Lindsey assumed that Andrew trusted Robert's judgment of the newcomers, because he let it drop. After nodding once, they all moved into the kitchen to find something to eat.

  _____

  Everyone spent the evening catching up. Andrew and the others shared their story of Samuel and The Factory—with selective details removed, of course. After that, Nadie talked about what happened when the horde blew through the school. As it turned out, their guess of a possible scenario was almost spot on: Eric had been bitten when he and Nadie escaped with Jacob, and didn't make it very far before he asked to be left behind. Nadie knew the way to the ranch, but another small horde blocked her off, causing her to take an unfamiliar detour. Between caring for Jacob and finding an alternate route, the trip had taken her longer than planned. Like she'd said to Lindsey earlier, the twosome got to the ranch only hours after Andrew and the others left to look for her. It had been ironic timing, but they were all together now—with the exception of Eric.

  Andrew watched Charlie throughout the discussion, head down, staring at his cooling coffee. Caren seemed all right, thanks to Robert, but Andrew had to wonder how his buddy was handling the loss of his son. Charlie hadn't spoken a word of it at The Factory, but he wasn't the type to just open up about personal matters. Andrew vowed to keep an eye on him from now on.