Cities of Rust

by Ariel Bonin

  Zoey scoffed. "Yeah, Dad. I'm a teenager—of course I know what sex is!"

  Andrew wasn't sure if she actually knew what it was, but he left it alone. Slowly, he began to explain it the best way he could.

  "All right, well…'rape' is when someone is forced into having sex with another person." Andrew held his breath as he watched his statement sink in.

  Zoey narrowed her blue eyes, a hint of panic creeping into her voice. "Samuel tried to have sex with Lindsey?"

  Andrew exhaled quietly and glanced at Jacob before answering, "Something like that."

  Zoey glowered at the floor.

  "Don't tell her we talked about this, okay?" Andrew requested, fearing for Lindsey's dignity.

  Zoey shook her head, and Andrew could tell she was disturbed by this new element of danger.

  "I won't," she said.

  "Try not to worry," Andrew added, lightening the tone as he wrapped an arm around his daughter. "We'll watch out for her, right?"

  Zoey nodded, determination written all over her face. "Right."

  _____

  Lindsey walked the perimeter of the ranch, keeping close to the house, simply for the fact that she was alone. She needed to get some air and clear her head, but it wasn't worth putting herself in danger. She observed her surroundings, keeping an eye out for any approaching turners.

  With a frustrated groan, Lindsey ran a hand through her tousled hair, stopping to grasp the back of her blonde mane. She closed her eyes on a wounded sigh. They'd had such a pleasant morning, only to have it crushed by yet another dose of reality—wasn't that always the way? She had never questioned Andrew's choices in the past, but this was truly a life-or-death decision. It wasn't something that should be decided within one sitting; all angles needed to be explored and discussed.

  Lindsey came upon one of the outlying sheds and heard the moan of a turner from nearby. She rounded the building, withdrawing her knife. Two turners stumbled toward her, the first of which was a woman in a long nightgown. Tangled black hair hung over her face, reminding Lindsey of one of those creepy ghosts in a cheap horror movie. She lodged her blade under the woman's chin and jerked it out with a grunt.

  The other turner was a small girl, probably a year or two younger than Zoey. Her torso was ripped open and pieces of entrails hung down, dragging along the dirty ground. Lindsey frowned at the sight and quickly pushed down her natural human instinct to feel sorry for the girl. If she thought about the fate of every turner, she'd drive herself crazy. The children were a little more difficult to overlook, though, especially when they reminded her so much of Zoey.

  After dispatching the young corpse, Lindsey turned around and jumped when a turner fell at her feet. Darius stood before her, his ax raised and coated with gore. She clasped her chest as she attempted to catch her breath.

  "Thanks," Lindsey whispered. The ironic moment didn't slip past her—maybe the ranch wasn't as safe as she imagined it to be.

  Darius gave her a single nod and slipped the ax onto his back.

  "What are you doing out here?" she wondered aloud, putting away her own weapon.

  "I came to talk to you. I'm sorry about what I said at the table. I got caught up in the moment, I didn't think about your feelings in the matter. It was insensitive…and it may not have seemed like it, but I was backing you up. I don't think we should leave either."

  Lindsey glanced at her feet. "I appreciate all that, but I think you're apologizing to the wrong person. Andrew has bent over backward to protect this group—he deserves a little more credit than you've been giving him."

  Darius looked confused. "Aren't you contradicting yourself right now? I thought you wanted to stay."

  "I do," Lindsey responded with a shrug, "but I trust Andrew with my life. If he thinks this is the right move for our group, then I'll go. I know he made the decision with his children in mind—that's not something he'd take lightly."

  The man was silent as he watched brittle leaves swirl around them in the cold wind.

  "Okay," he eventually said. "What have I got to lose anyway? Let's go to New Canaan."

  Chapter 32

  For the rest of the morning, Lindsey helped Caren with laundry. Now that they were going on the trip, they would need plenty of clean clothes for the entire group. Since it would be quite difficult to wash clothing on the road, once an item got dirty, they'd probably be forced to throw it away and find something new.

  To conserve every ounce of fuel, Lindsey was stuck with the washboard, while Caren hung clothes on the line. She added a spoonful of detergent to the water and dipped her arms into the murky liquid. Two baskets of clothes were situated next to the tub, after having done two already. Lindsey grabbed the next item, one of Andrew's white shirts, and began to scrub it against the board. Dirt and grime lifted from the material, further darkening the water.

  With a departure date set for three days from now, Lindsey was starting to feel slightly panicked. Once they left the ranch, they would most likely be on the road for weeks, if not months. Andrew had said that they needed to prepare themselves mentally, which made Lindsey ask herself the question: How?

  One particular moment at The Factory came to mind. She remembered watching Zoey labor away while they sorted through bullets. She'd made a promise to herself that if they escaped, she would give the girl one day to be a kid. Well, the clock was ticking. There would be no chance of that happening once they hit the road. It only took one thought from earlier in the day for her to figure out what was first on the agenda.

  Lindsey glanced up at Caren as the young woman hung a pair of jeans. "Hey, Caren?"

  She placed a clothespin on the line and looked over at Lindsey. "Yeah?"

  "Would you happen to have any baseball gloves somewhere around here?"

  Caren paused and bit her lip as she thought about it. "Eric kept all of his sports equipment in the shed out back. You could try lookin' in there."

  "And you wouldn't mind if I used it?" Lindsey asked, trying to be respectful of the other woman's things, especially those belonging to her deceased brother.

  Caren smiled, noticeably touched by Lindsey's compassion toward the sensitive topic. "Not at all. It'd be nice for it to get some use."

  "Okay," Lindsey replied, returning the smile. "Thank you."

  After lunch, Lindsey ventured out to the shed. She pulled open the double doors, which made a loud screeching noise from the rusty hinges. It was clear that this shed didn't get a lot of attention, as the inside was layered with cobwebs and dust. Lindsey shone her flashlight over the crooked wooden shelves. She came across a deflated football and a heavily-faded Frisbee, but not what she was looking for. Turning to the opposite side of the shed, she searched the remaining shelves. After wiping a sticky cobweb on her jeans, she lifted a cloth tarp and discovered exactly what she wanted.

  Lindsey went to step out of the shed and bumped straight into Andrew, dropping her findings on the ground.

  "What are you doin' in here?" he asked, crouching down to help her pick up what she'd dropped.

  Lindsey noticed that Zoey was behind Andrew as she said, "I was just about to look for you two. Where's Jacob?"

  Zoey gestured to the house. "He's taking a nap. Nadie's inside."

  Lindsey grinned. "Good." She slapped a baseball glove against Andrew's chest and threw another to Zoey. "These…are for you."

  Andrew studied the dusty mitt with a perplexed expression. "What is this?"

  The blonde scoffed. "Don't tell me it's been that long!"

  Zoey snickered at her joke, and Andrew rolled his eyes. "No, I mean, what's this all about?"

  "We are going to play catch. You remember what that is, right?" Lindsey teased, and tossed Zoey a baseball. The girl caught it in her bare hand.

  Andrew put on the glove and manipulated it with his hand, breaking in the stiff material with his other fist. "We were actually going to do inventory," he began.

  "Well, that can wait," Lindsey said with an encouraging smi
le. "I'll take it easy on you," she added in a whisper as she slipped past him.

  The three strode over to an open area and formed a triangle. Lindsey regarded Andrew as he rolled his shoulder. It'd probably been a while since he had last played, but this new world was physically demanding—she knew he was still exceptionally fit.

  Zoey began by throwing the baseball to Lindsey. The girl had a good arm, and Lindsey caught the ball in her glove with no problem. Andrew opened his mitt and waited as she wound her arm back. With the flick of her wrist, Lindsey hurled the ball at him. Andrew seemed surprised when it impacted the glove with a resonant smack. He gave her a look that said, I thought you were going to take it easy on me.

  Lindsey just smirked.

  They played for at least another half hour. At one point, Lindsey threw the baseball over Andrew's head, forcing him to chase after it.

  "Sorry!" she shouted, but didn't feel very sorry when she watched him bend over. She admired the way his backside looked in his snug jeans. Before he turned around, she diverted her eyes and hid a smile.

  "All right, that's enough for today," Andrew announced as he tugged off his glove.

  "Aww, Dad! Just five more minutes?" Zoey begged.

  Andrew glanced at Lindsey, and she raised her eyebrows as they awaited his answer. He blew out a breath and smiled.

  "Okay, five more minutes."

  _____

  Andrew found Charlie in the far corner of the barn, his worn hands digging through a rusted toolbox. A filthy tarp had been tossed aside, revealing the impressive body of a Harley motorcycle. Andrew admired the fine piece of machinery and cleared his throat. "Caren wanted me to tell you that dinner's ready."

  Charlie nodded without looking up. "'Kay."

  "She run?"

  "Not yet."

  Andrew wanted to slide his hand along the lustrous frame, but thought better of it. "She's a beaut'."

  Charlie stood, a socket wrench within his grasp. "It was my old man's—the only decent thing he ever gave me. I, uh, I'd hoped to work on it with Eric." He dropped his chin and fiddled with the wrench.

  A moment of silence passed, and Andrew scratched his brow. "I don't know much about motorcycles, but I'll give you a hand to get it running again."

  "I'd appreciate that. It's gonna take a wish and a prayer."

  "We'll get it goin'." Andrew squeezed his shoulder. "One last ride?"

  Charlie's lips hinted at a smile. "Hell yeah."

  After dinner, Andrew helped Lindsey gather the dishes. He was beginning to fill the sink with soapy water when Zoey wandered into the room with her fussy brother.

  "Jake is super cranky! I think he's tired," Zoey said, making an uncomfortable face as Jacob flailed in her arms.

  Lindsey looked to Andrew and he could see how badly she wanted to take the little boy. He was well aware of the distance the woman had put between herself and Jacob. There was a clear line that Lindsey didn't want to cross. She wasn't trying to become the mother of his children, but he knew she wanted to become a mother. If that island turned out to be everything they'd been hoping for...maybe, maybe.

  "Why don't you put Jake to bed? I'll take care of the dishes," Andrew said to Lindsey.

  A sparkle of light appeared in her brown eyes, softening her gaze. "I would love to," she answered, and Zoey passed her Jacob. As the girl ran upstairs, Lindsey shifted Jacob onto her hip and smiled at Andrew. "I'll see you when you're done?"

  "Of course," he whispered, and tipped up her chin with a tender hand. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and hovered for a moment, their warm breath mingling. He inhaled her sweet scent and, on his exhale, said, "I love you, Linds."

  She raised her entrancing eyes, and he could see it before the words slipped from her lips. "I love you, too."

  Andrew watched her leave the room, his heart overflowing with affection for the new woman in his life. He didn't think he could ever love someone this much again, but as happy as that made him, he couldn't forget her comment about their journey to New Canaan. Although it was selfish of him, he longed with every breath in his body that Lindsey and his children were not the ones to meet an early demise. He most certainly didn't want anyone to die, but he wouldn't be able to go on if he lost one of them.

  As Andrew began to scrub the first dish, he reflected on his day. After the tense group meeting and awkward discussion with Zoey, Darius had approached him with an apology. He was sure Lindsey had something to do with that. Andrew didn't have anything against Darius. The man just handled things differently than him, which was perfectly acceptable. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion, except for when it blew up in front of the entire group. He hoped they wouldn't have any more disagreements on the road.

  The afternoon had been much more enjoyable. Witnessing the joy on Zoey's face while the three of them played catch was the happiness Andrew had been craving for a long time now. He also loved seeing Lindsey in a carefree light. It gave him a hint of the "old" her that he'd never gotten a chance to know. Sometimes he wondered if they still would have fallen in love before all this, but he didn't give it too much thought since they both had been married.

  "It's not every day you see a man doing dishes," a voice said from behind Andrew.

  He peered over his shoulder and saw Kat standing in the doorway.

  "And it's not every day that the dead come back to life and roam the earth, but even that wasn't impossible," he retorted.

  Kat smiled at his comeback and leaned against the counter next to him. She glanced toward the stairs. "Your son is so beautiful, Andrew. I can see where he got those baby blues from," she said with a curve of her mocha-colored lips.

  Very softly, she ran her fingertips over Andrew's forearm. Her touch sent shivers through him, but not in the way she'd probably hoped.

  Andrew pulled him arm away. "Uh, Kat…I'm flattered, but I'm with Lindsey."

  The woman's smile widened and she shrugged. "You can't blame a girl for tryin'. Pickings are kind of slim around here."

  "What about Nicholas?" Andrew had noticed the man's interest in her from the moment they'd met. "I think you have his attention."

  "Really?" Kat asked in disbelief. Evidently, it hadn't been as obvious to her. With a sincere look, she said, "Thanks..."

  Andrew finished up the dishes, all the while trying to shake off what had just happened. The whole incident was relatively innocent, but he decided that it was probably best not to share it with Lindsey. As long as Kat kept her distance from now on, he fully intended to forget the entire thing.

  When he entered their room, Lindsey was on top of the bedspread, with Jacob resting on her chest. Both were sound asleep, and the adorable image made Andrew smile. Carefully, he lifted Jacob into his arms, and Lindsey was startled by the sudden absence of weight. Andrew rested a calming hand on her shoulder as Jacob nestled his head into the crook of his father's neck. She let out a soft chuckle when she realized that everything was okay.

  Andrew crossed the room and gently placed Jacob in his makeshift crib—a clothes basket layered with folded blankets. He was still too young to have any loose material around him, but Andrew was sure he'd be warm enough in his footed pajamas. After kissing him goodnight, Andrew turned back to Lindsey.

  She had gotten up from the bed and was bending over her backpack. Her black shorts rode up, revealing the full length of her smooth legs. Andrew's mouth went dry at the sight. He came up behind Lindsey and rested a hand on her hip. She bolted upright, and Andrew closed the space between them, pressing her back into his chest. Brushing his lips against the curve of her ear, he said, "You have the sexiest legs."

  Lindsey caught her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled. "Thank you… Have you seen Kat's, though? Now those are some legs."

  Andrew was taken aback by her coincidental mentioning of the woman, but took it as just that—a coincidence.

  "All I've seen is that her outfit is a little impractical," he responded truthfully. "Besides, she's not really my type."r />
  Lindsey rubbed herself against him, provoking a low groan from Andrew. "And what is your type?"

  His mouth grazed over her ear again as he whispered, "Pretty, blonde teachers."

  Lindsey spun around in his embrace and Andrew squeezed her backside, pressing his arousal against her belly. She moaned into his mouth as they kissed. His hands swept up into her long hair, drawing out the faint scent of her coconut shampoo.

  Abruptly, Lindsey pulled away and stared up at him with her mischievous eyes again. "Don't you want to know what my type is?" she asked, her voice like silk.

  Andrew gave her his own playful look. "Absolutely."

  "A handsome soldier with two kids and a group of people who would follow him to the ends of the earth," she said, her gaze radiating with admiration.

  Andrew was beyond flattered by her statement—a hell of a lot more than Kat's. Desire pulsed through him as he appreciated the woman in his arms. Swiftly, he lifted her up, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. He supported her weight while she draped her arms over his shoulders and grasped the back of his neck. He proceeded to the bed, moving over her as he laid her on the coverlet. He began to tug down her shorts, removing her underwear at the same time.

  When he shifted toward the bottom of the bed, she tried to sit up, but he urged her back down.

  "What are you doing?" she whispered.

  Andrew parted her thighs and slid his hands under her hips. "Something I've wanted to do for a long time," he replied, and settled his mouth over the slick warmth between her legs. He stroked her with his tongue, enticing a soft mewl of pleasure from Lindsey. She tasted even better than he'd imagined and he delved deeper. Her slender fingers curled into his hair as she whimpered somewhat louder.

  Jacob moved restlessly in his basket and they both froze. Andrew met Lindsey's dark eyes and saw that she was smiling.

  "Andrew Flynn, you are a wicked, wicked man."

  _____