Dust: Before and After

by S. E. Smith

  Dust wiped his hands down the sides of his pants. The best thing for him to do was to pretend that everything was normal. He would do his chores, but his mind was already focused on how he was going to get Sammy and the others out tonight – in one piece.

  Chapter 14

  Prisoner:

  Dust wiped the sweat off of his brow as he set the last box down in the lower missile bay now being used for storage. The domed hanger upstairs was bare of items except for the vehicles. He hadn’t mentioned anything to Randolph or the others about the car that he, Sammy, and Todd had arrived in.

  “One more thing and we’ll be done,” Randolph said, wiping his hands down his pants. A sinking feeling built in Dust’s stomach when he glanced at him. “The car you came in is locked. Give me the keys.”

  Dust’s lips tightened and he straightened his shoulders. Randolph was four years older than he was, two inches taller, and outweighed him by at least twenty pounds. He watched warily as the other two men turned to look at him. Drawing in a deep breath, he stared back at Randolph.

  “No,” Dust said in a quiet voice. “Those supplies belong to Sammy, Todd, and me.”

  Randolph jerked his head at Howard and Alex. “Not anymore, it’s ours,” he replied, curling his fingers back and forth.

  Dust kept his gaze on Randolph. The odds weren’t good, but he knew that he couldn’t risk losing the supplies they had found. Shaking his head, he breathed in and out to keep the power building inside him under control. He could feel it fighting to rise up as the primitive urge to fight or flee swept through him.

  “No,” Dust repeated. “We haven’t decided if we are staying or not.”

  “Oh, you’re staying, at least the girl and the kid are,” Howard chuckled.

  Randolph shot Howard an angry glare. “Shut up, Howard,” he snapped. “Give me the keys, Dust. You’ve been using our supplies, now it’s time that you pay up.”

  Dust lifted his chin and stared stubbornly back at the three other men. His fingers curled into a fist. He could feel the tingling building. If they knew what he could do, it could have serious repercussions on Sammy and Todd.

  “We’ve paid for the meager helpings you’ve fed us with work. If we decide to stay, then I’ll unlock the car, but until we decide, it stays in the car,” Dust argued.

  “That’s not…,” Randolph started to say when Beau interrupted him.

  “That will be fine,” Beau said from behind him.

  Dust turned and looked suspiciously at the older man. Beau was standing in the doorway to the former missile launch staring at him. Dust backed up when he saw Beau nod to the other three men.

  “But, Beau, you said…,” Howard started before biting off a curse when Randolph hit him in the arm.

  “What did you say?” Dust asked warily.

  Beau’s lips tightened in aggravation. “Once you decide you want to stay, then we’ll get the stuff out of the car. It doesn’t really matter if it is stored topside or down here,” he replied with a shrug. “We’ll be making another run at the beginning of the week anyway.”

  Dust started to relax. “Where do you go?” He asked curiously.

  “A hundred miles or more in any one direction,” Beau said. “It’s time for dinner. Stella said for us to get up there if we want to eat.”

  Dust jerked to the side when Randolph knocked into him as he walked by. He watched warily as Alex and Howard followed Randolph. The three men passed Beau and headed back up the staircase. Dust started forward to follow them, but stopped when Beau reached out and touched his arm.

  “Dust, I won’t warn you again. My word is law down here. Do you understand,” Beau warned in a soft voice.

  Dust nodded. Stepping around the man, he continued up the stairs, conscious of the fact that Beau was just a few feet behind him. More than ever, the sense that it was time to move on was pushing at him. Tonight, they would leave.

  *.*.*

  Sammy glanced at him when he came into the dining area. He shot her a look of warning before he turned his eyes away. Walking over to the pan of water set up for them to wash their hands, he quickly cleaned them. Randolph and the others were already seated at the long table. The only ones missing were him and Beau – and Josie, of course.

  “Stella, say the prayer,” Beau ordered as he sat down at the head of the table.

  Dust kept his head bowed, but his eyes open as Stella mumbled a few words. He slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve the two notes he had written earlier. He’d have to figure out a way to get them to Sammy and Todd before they disappeared for the night.

  They all ate in silence. Meals never took long as the portions were kept to a minimum. Dust felt his stomach twist and growl. He glanced up when he heard one of the children giggle. He winked at the little boy.

  “Carter, behave,” Stella replied sternly.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Carter mumbled, looking down at his plate.

  Dust’s gaze moved to Sammy when he heard her release a frustrated breath. He frowned when he saw a slight discoloration on her right cheek as she pushed her hair back. A dark scowl creased his brow when he saw it was the beginnings of a bruise.

  “Who hit you?” Dust asked bluntly, breaking the silence.

  “Dust!” Beau spoke in a sharp tone, staring at him.

  Dust ignored Beau. “Who hit you, Sammy?” He demanded, clenching his fists.

  Sammy glanced at Stella before turning back to Dust. He caught the resentful glare. Rising out of his seat, he stared at Stella.

  “Dust, it’s okay,” Sammy muttered, rising as well.

  “No, it’s not okay. I promised to protect you,” Dust said through gritted teeth. “No one should hit you… Ever!”

  “Sit down!” Beau ordered, resting his palms on the table. “Now!”

  Dust turned his glare on Beau. “We’re leaving, now,” Dust said, curling his fingers into a fist. “Come on, Sammy. Todd, you stay close to your sister.”

  Dust pushed his chair back and turned toward the door. He stiffened when he saw Beau step in front of it. His jaw worked back and forth.

  “I warned you, Dust,” Beau said. “You’re right, it’s time for you to leave. You can take the boy with you. We don’t need him, but the girl stays.”

  “No,” Sammy gasped, trying to break away from where Stella and Randolph had her pinned between them. “If they go, so do I.”

  Beau shook his head. “There are enough males here, but we need more women,” he stated in a blunt tone.

  “Why?” Sammy gasped.

  “You are the future, Sammy,” Beau replied with a glance in her direction. “Stella is getting too old to have any more babies, which leaves Maria. There are more men than women. While I can control my needs, the others are growing impatient for some younger company.”

  “I’ve already claimed dibs on her, Beau,” Randolph interjected loudly.

  Beau’s mouth tightened. “I already told you she could be yours, but you’ll have to share until we can find more women,” he snapped.

  Dust shook his head. “You’re all crazy,” he whispered, glancing around the room.

  “It’s called survival, boy,” Beau said with a shake of his head. “Take Sammy down to her room, Randolph. Howard, grab the boy. You need to understand that resources are limited, Dust.”

  “Let me go,” Sammy shouted in anger.

  Dust turned, his eyes glittered with fury to see Randolph with his arms wrapped around Sammy. Todd kicked Howard in the shin and dropped down under the table to scramble out of Howard’s reach when he cursed and let go of him. Dust jumped up onto the table, kicking dishes out of his way as he focused on freeing Sammy. Randolph saw him coming and thrust her into Stella’s arms just a fraction of a second before Dust jumped.

  Mass chaos exploded through the room. Maria grabbed the younger children and pulled them out of the room. Sammy struck out at Stella, catching the older woman in the chest and arm as she fought to break free. Alex twisted around the table to
help Randolph while Howard tried to grab Todd.

  Dust sensed Alex before he actually saw him. He had his hands wrapped around Randolph’s wrists to keep him from striking him. Raising up his left leg, he kicked out. The blow struck Alex in the groin, knocking him to his knees. Unfortunately, it also knocked Dust off balance. Randolph took advantage of it and rolled so that he was now on top of Dust.

  “Stop!” Beau shouted. “Stop, or I’ll kill the boy.”

  Dust froze, his gaze locked on Randolph’s eyes before he forced them away to look at where Beau was standing with a pistol pressed against Todd’s temple. Todd’s whimper echoed through the suddenly silent room.

  “Randolph, let him go,” Beau ordered.

  Randolph pushed upward. Dust winced when Randolph struck him in the mouth. He watched warily as Randolph wiped his own mouth where Dust had gotten a lucky blow. Sitting up, he slowly rose to his feet.

  “Dust,” Sammy whispered, coming to stand next to him.

  Dust slipped his hand into Sammy’s trembling one and squeezed it in reassurance. His gaze remained locked on Randolph and Beau. He ignored Howard, who climbed to his feet to stand next to Stella.

  “Let him go, Beau,” Dust demanded.

  “Turn around,” Beau ordered. “Now, Dust. I won’t repeat myself. You and the boy are trouble. I could see it from the first time I saw you.”

  “I won’t leave without Sammy,” Dust responded, gently tugging Sammy behind him.

  Beau shook his head. “You still think you can do what you want,” he chuckled, twisting Todd’s arm when Todd started to wiggle. “Be still boy.”

  “Leave my brother alone,” Sammy angrily snapped. “He’s just a little boy.”

  “On the count of three, I put a bullet in his head if you don’t turn around and put your hands behind your back,” Beau responded. “One.”

  Dust stared for a second longer before he slowly turned around and put his hands behind his back. The look in other man’s eyes told him that he would do it. This was his domain and he would do anything he had to in order to keep it, including killing Todd.

  “Dust,” Sammy whispered.

  “It will be okay, Sammy,” Dust muttered. “I won’t leave you.”

  Sammy cried out when Stella came up and wrenched her arm back behind her. Dust started to turn when a wrenching pain exploded through the back of his head. He felt his body falling forward and instinctively tried to protect himself, but a second blow made everything go dark.

  I… have to… remember… my… promise, he forced through his mind before he slipped down into the inky blackness.

  *.*.*

  Dust came awake in stages. His head hurt so bad, that it made him nauseous. It took three tries before he could withstand the dim light shining down from the ceiling. He rolled onto his back, holding back a moan of pain as he tried to figure out where he was. He blinked again when the light was suddenly blocked by a familiar face.

  “Jo… Josie,” he choked out in confusion. “Where… Where am I?”

  Josie gave him a sardonic smile. “Just be thankful they threw you in here with me instead of outside. I guess there has been the mother of all storms raging the last day and a half. On a good note, Randolph said I could torch you if I wanted. I told him if he gave me some food, I’d torch his ass for free as well,” she said with a wry smile, sitting back against the pillar. “I think they’ve given me even less.”

  “Randolph’s like us,” Dust commented, looking at Josie. “You know that, don’t you?”

  Josie chuckled and leaned her head back so she could stare up at the ceiling. “He wishes he was like us,” she murmured. “His only ‘talent’ if you can call it that, is sensing danger.”

  Dust shook his head. “I saw his eyes. They turned red,” he insisted, sitting up with a moan as it throbbed.

  “I have six of the bars you brought me last night under the mattress,” Josie said with a sigh. “If you are like me, you’ll heal faster if you have food.”

  Dust glanced at her from under his eyelashes. “Yeah, it helps,” he muttered, reaching for one of the bars that she had dug out from under the corner of the mattress.

  “So, what are we going to do? I heard Beau say the storm should diminished by tonight. They plan on throwing you and some kid named Todd out as soon as it is safe enough to transport you far enough away you can’t get back. I have to warn you, though. The last time they said that, it was with a bullet to the head to make sure that none of the others came back here,” she informed him.

  “We eat all the energy bars that you have,” Dust told her around a mouthful of the high protein bars.

  “Why?” Josie asked, looking at him suspiciously.

  Dust looked at her with a steely gaze, the haze of pain gone as his body felt the fuel of the protein bar coursing through him. He was going to get Todd and Sammy out of here and he was going to need Josie’s help. There was no way that any of them could stay here any longer.

  “We’re leaving here. Tonight,” he responded, pushing up off the mattress. “Give me half of the protein bars and you eat the other half. I’m going to need your help.”

  Josie handed him two more bars and kept three of them for her. She ripped the wrapper off of one and bit into it. Dust quickly consumed the other two bars.

  “Can I toast their asses?” Josie asked as she started eating the second bar.

  “Yes, but not Marie or the kids,” Dust instructed before he paused and looked at her. “Is Beau really your dad?”

  Josie’s lips tightened and she looked away. “Not anymore,” she whispered, staring at the dark marks from her first few days down here before looking back at him. “How are we going to get out of here?”

  “You leave that to me,” Dust replied with a determined grin.

  Chapter 15

  Escape:

  Dust rolled his head on his shoulders as he rose to his feet. He glanced down at Josie and nodded to the chains. His brow creased in a frown as he tried to think of a way to get them off of her.

  “We need to get those off of you,” he said. “Do you know where Beau keeps the key?”

  Josie shrugged. “Probably in his room,” she replied. “I could melt them off, but it would use up the little bit of energy that I have.”

  Dust shook his head. “I’ll get the key,” he reassured her. “I need to find out where Todd and Sammy are. We’re not leaving without them.”

  “That’s fine with me,” Josie remarked. “You just make sure you don’t leave me behind either.”

  Dust chuckled and shook his head. “No way,” he replied with a grin. “You might be handy to have around.”

  Josie snorted. “You just melt my heart, Dust,” she replied sarcastically. “So, what is the plan?”

  Dust looked at the door. “I’m going to go find the key to the locks on your wrists, let Sammy and Todd know we are busting out of here, and cause a little distraction to keep the others busy,” he replied, taking a step toward the door.

  “What kind of distraction?” Josie asked, pulling the chains around the pillar as she followed him.

  Dust glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “I don’t know, but you’ll know it when it happens,” he replied.

  “Dust,” Josie said, reaching out and touching his arm when he started forward again.

  “Yeah?” Dust muttered, looking at her.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, her gaze softening in the dim light. “Thank you for not leaving me here to rot.”

  Dust nodded before he focused. Fading, he passed through the thick metal door. He solidified on the other side and hurried up the steps, pausing when he reached the section above. He glanced around the doorway. Stella sat in a chair near the lamp, sewing, while Maria sat with the other children. He didn’t see Sammy or Todd.

  “She’s finally grown quiet. I hope she is asleep,” Maria commented.

  Stella glanced at the door to Sammy’s room. “If not, I’ll have Randolph take her up to his room. Tha
t’ll quiet her down,” the older woman remarked.

  “She’s still young,” Maria murmured in protest.

  Stella gave Maria a sharp look. “She’s old enough, Maria,” she snapped. “Don’t go feeling sorry for her. The men have treated us all well. We know what needs to be done to keep the peace.”

  Maria ducked her head and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Dust had heard enough. His lips tightened in determination. Fading again, he moved through the room, making sure he kept a good distance from Stella and Maria. After Josie shared with him that others like him could sense the presence of those that were different, and discovering Randolph was more than what he appeared, he didn’t want to take a chance of getting caught.

  He slipped by the women and into Sammy’s room. A grin curved his lips when he saw that she had moved the bed in front of the door so it couldn’t be opened. Sammy’s pale face shone in the light of a dim lamp near the bed. Dust reformed and stepped up to the bed. He leaned down and whispered her name.

  His hand shot out to cover her mouth when it looked like she was going to scream. Her eyes widened when she saw him and her arms rose to wrap tightly around his neck. The move knocked him off balance and he fell over her.

  “I thought they had killed you,” she whispered in a broken voice against his neck. “I thought you were dead.”

  Dust clumsily pulled Sammy into his arms and rested against her soft form, surprised by the warmth that swept through him. He lowered his head and buried his face against her neck, breathing in her familiar scent. A grin curved his lips when her arms tightened around him.

  “I guess you missed me, huh?” He whispered.

  He felt the shudder that ran through her body and his smile died. He could also feel the dampness of her tears. Pulling back, he looked down at her.