Cities of Rust

by Ariel Bonin

  There was another crack of lightning and the group of turners surged forward. Andrew, Caren, and Robert stumbled back as the fence strained to stay upright.

  "Cavalry's here," Robert announced with a nod.

  They turned to see Lindsey, Ana, Darius, Charlie, Eric, and Zoey, plus a few men from one of the other groups, approach them.

  Andrew laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Zoey, you need to go back inside—"

  "No, I can help!"

  Andrew tightened his jaw and sighed. "Did they ask you to come out here or did you volunteer yourself?"

  "I know how to take out turners, Dad. You need me."

  Andrew wanted to put his foot down and make her go back inside where it was safe—or safer. Unfortunately, the situation required immediate attention and they didn't have time to waste on bickering. They really did need the extra help, so Andrew nodded and handed Zoey a sharpened pipe.

  They started by trying to spread the turners out. It was difficult to use their voices to attract the group because the storm was so loud. Not the mention, the turners themselves. Their fierce growls had chorused together to just short of a dull roar. The rambunctious group still would not completely spread out, but one by one, they were taken down with a jab to the head.

  That was when the next problem arose.

  Bodies were piling up against the fence, and as new turners heaved forward to fill the gap, they began to ascend the fence. The survivors were too distracted by the turbulent weather to see one determined male turner force his way up the fence, collapsing the top section right onto Caren and Lindsey. The women reacted at the last second, putting their arms up and pushing against the metal material.

  Andrew and Robert saw it happen out of their peripheral vision and moved quickly to help them. The turner that had collapsed the fence was trying to make his way over the top, and others were following. Robert ran under, helping support the weight of upcoming turners, in order to keep Caren and Lindsey from being crushed.

  Andrew desperately wanted to get them out from under the fence, but doing so would form an opening to allow turners inside. He rushed forward to take out those coming over the top. Deciding that noise didn't matter at this point, he pulled out his trusty Beretta and fired into the oncoming wave. He had dropped at least five before he realized there were too many for him.

  "Hey! We could use some help over here!" Andrew yelled to the others.

  Zoey and Darius backed him up with their handguns. He was quick to recognize that the fallen turners were weighing down the fence even further. There was a sudden break in the onslaught, so Andrew signaled to Darius to help him push up against the top section of fence. Slowly, it began to bend back to its original position. Robert, Caren, and Lindsey cried out from the strain. Other members of the group saw what was happening and ran over to help.

  Right as it started to straighten out and the remaining turners were contained to the outside, Andrew heard a sharp intake of breath next to him. He watched Lindsey stumble back, a string of curses ripping from her throat.

  "What happened?" Caren asked, her eyes wide.

  Lindsey was holding one hand in the other, both pressed to her chest. Andrew stepped closer and could hear mumbling under her rapid breaths.

  "No, no, no..." she whispered.

  Andrew's heart dropped into his stomach. Feeling numb, he reached out and gently tugged on her wrist. Finally, she let him see the tear in her glove and the blood smeared on her hand.

  "Did one of them bite you?" Andrew asked, breathless.

  Lindsey met his desperate gaze, her eyes brimming with tears. The devastated look on her face said everything.

  Chapter 10

  Lindsey looked up at Andrew, her hair plastered to her face from the rain. She wasn't sure where her tears ended and the raindrops began. The storm seemed to be past them, but the heavens wouldn't let up. All she knew was that she was cold, wet—and utterly hopeless.

  She couldn't believe she had been so careless. The gloves she'd worn were mostly for grip. She had never thought a turner would be able to bite through them, especially when just her fingertips were on the other side of the fence. Above everything else, she was upset with herself for what this would do to Andrew. He was kneeling next to her now, staring at the gash in her glove. He wasn't saying anything, but his face said enough. It was as if he was trying to accept what was happening and there was nowhere for him to put it. Lindsey always thought of it as a dark closet in the back of your brain. You put all the horrible shit in there and lock the door. She imagined his "closet" was getting full. Sooner or later that door would break open, and she didn't want to think about what it would do to him when it did.

  "Andrew!" Caren said.

  Lindsey didn't even hear the woman approach them. Her head was spinning with anguish and self-loathing. Caren had her arm outstretched, and in her hand was Ana's hatchet.

  That thought hadn't even crossed Lindsey's mind. She could still live—but she would lose her hand. Oh, God. She didn't want to lose her hand! Although, if it meant she could stay with Andrew and the rest of her new family, she would do it.

  "Andrew, we're wastin' time!" Caren shouted.

  Lindsey could've sworn that his face blanched at the sight of the hatchet. He looked pained as Caren handed it to him.

  "Do it," Lindsey said finally. Her voice sounded confident, but, inside, she was absolutely terrified.

  Caren ripped off her belt and knelt next to Lindsey. She threaded the leathery material around Lindsey's forearm and pulled it tight. She then wrapped her other arm around Lindsey's chest to hold her still.

  Holy shit. This is really happening.

  Lindsey could feel her body start to shake. Her breaths came quicker and her head felt light. There was a peculiar sensation rushing through her veins and her face began to tingle.

  "I'm so sorry," Andrew whispered as he lifted the hatchet into the air.

  Lindsey withdrew into Caren's embrace and turned her head away.

  "Wait!" Charlie shouted.

  Lindsey let out a small cry as she unclenched her jaw. She blinked through the rain to see Charlie standing next to the fence in the same spot she had been only minutes before.

  "For God's sake, people! Did you even think to check the fence?" He sounded irritated, but Lindsey sensed underlying relief.

  Andrew swiftly stood up and walked over to Charlie. Charlie pointed to a spot on the fence and Andrew doubled over, his hands on his knees. He brought one hand up to his face and covered his eyes, then his mouth. Finally, he looked up at Lindsey. She was beyond confused at that point. While he still appeared distressed, she knew everything would be all right when he flashed his devastatingly handsome smile.

  Caren helped Lindsey up, took a moment to get her footing, and then moved toward the fence. With an overwhelming wave of relief, she saw the ripped piece of her glove hanging off a sharp point on the fence. It was at head level, therefore, she could see why she had mistaken it as a bite.

  Lindsey turned to Charlie. She had her uninjured hand in a fist pressed against her lips. She pulled her hand away and gestured to him as she tried to form the right words. "I could kiss you right now, you beautiful cowboy."

  Everyone chuckled at her outrageous statement, except for Charlie—he just looked uncomfortable.

  Lindsey rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Sorry. You know what I mean. I'm gonna hug you, though."

  Charlie outstretched an arm. "Bring it in, then."

  They shared a brief embrace and Lindsey turned to Andrew. Thankfully, he didn't seem put out by her statement to Charlie. At that point he probably didn't care what she did, so long as he didn't have to hack off her hand.

  Before they could do anything, Caren interrupted.

  "Come on, Lindsey. I'll help you get cleaned up."

  There was so much Lindsey wanted to say to Andrew, but it wasn't the time, nor the place. She smiled and said softly, "We'll talk later?"

  He nodded and, somewhat imp
ulsively, reached out to cup the back of her neck, kissing the top of her head.

  _____

  As the sun began to rise, Andrew watched Lindsey hike up the pathway with Caren. He had to fight every inclination in his body to follow her. Obviously she would be okay, but he'd almost cut off her hand; the same hand he had kissed so tenderly after they'd made love. If he'd gone through with it and then Charlie had made the discovery, he never would have forgiven himself. None of them had ever tried cutting off a limb to stop the infection. If she'd died from the amputation… He couldn't even think about that. She was alive and in one piece. He couldn't have been more thankful.

  He turned around and discovered that Zoey was watching him. It took him a couple of seconds to realize what he had done. While the simple kiss may have appeared just that way to the rest of the group, Zoey wouldn't see it that way. Andrew had never thought to have the women-after-your-mom conversation. To be honest, he didn't think he would ever need to. Lindsey had completely blindsided him.

  Andrew was struck with another thought. What if Zoey didn't like Lindsey? Would that stop him?

  Not sure what to say or do, he slowly walked over to Zoey. His daughter's perceptive blue eyes, a trait they shared, bored into his own.

  "I'm glad she's all right."

  Andrew cleared his throat. "Me, too, sweetie."

  "I'm not a little kid, ya know," Zoey said suddenly.

  Andrew raised his eyebrows in amusement and waited for the girl to explain why.

  "I know you like her. I talked to her last week and told her so. I think she likes you, too. Her face got really red." Zoey laughed.

  Andrew smiled, the corners of his mouth tight. Where was this conversation going? "If all that were true, how would you feel about us being together?" His pulse quickened as he awaited a response.

  "Like I said, I'm not a little kid. I know you're unhappy. If you need a lady friend, it's okay with me."

  Andrew wondered when his daughter had become so blunt. He actually found it refreshing, especially in the instance of this discussion. He had imagined it to go over differently—and not well.

  "There is one thing I have to say, though," Zoey added.

  "I'm all ears."

  "There is no way that she, whether it's Lindsey or some other woman, will replace Mom."

  Andrew leveled his head with Zoey and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You have my word. No one could ever replace your mother."

  Evidently, Zoey could see the honesty in his gaze, because she nodded.

  "Andrew, could you give us a hand?" Eric asked, standing a little ways down the warped fence.

  "Sure," he responded, and looked back at Zoey. She smirked.

  "'Give us a hand?' Get it?"

  Andrew bit the inside of his cheek and tried to put on his best fatherly glare. "Too soon, Zoey."

  She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

  _____

  Inside the school, Lindsey sat in the empty common room as Caren stitched up her finger. All they had to numb the cut was some kind of gel anesthesia, which, unfortunately, didn't do much. Lindsey just focused on one spot on the floor and took deep calming breaths.

  "So, other than being crushed by a fence and almost getting your hand chopped off, how was your evening?" Caren asked, and batted her eyelashes.

  The unexpected question was enough to briefly distract Lindsey from the pain. She attempted to hide the pink that crept onto her cheeks. "It was fine," she answered in a soft voice. She felt a sudden jab from the needle and flinched.

  "Sorry," Caren said, feigning innocence.

  Lindsey sighed. "I had a lovely evening. Andrew is a very sweet man. Happy now?"

  Caren grinned with satisfaction. "So it was you… Robert and I noticed some items were missing from the pantry."

  "I didn't take them."

  "But Andrew did." Caren sat, grinning expectantly. It was like some kind of mind game to make Lindsey spill everything.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Lindsey replied. She could play this game.

  "Lindsey and Andrew sittin' in a tree..." Caren sang.

  She laughed. "What are we, eight?"

  "Oh, come on! Be girly with me for, like, two seconds. Tell me somethin'," Caren pleaded.

  Lindsey smiled. She'd had girlfriends before the end of the world, and most of their conversations had revolved around men and sex. It seemed like a lifetime ago that those topics were relevant. It felt strange to discuss them now.

  She lowered her voice, even though they were the only people in the room. No one else needed to hear what she was going to say. She proceeded to tell Caren about her night, sharing select information. Some things she wanted to keep for herself. When she was done, Caren was just securing the bandage around her finger.

  "Does this mean you're together now?"

  Lindsey opened her mouth to answer and realized she didn't have one. Most likely, she and Andrew would have talked about it afterward, but the storm and Caren had cut things short. She wanted to be with him—and the other woman wanted an answer.

  "That part of the story is 'To Be Continued,'" Lindsey murmured with a shrug.

  _____

  The men, along with Zoey, spent the rest of the early morning re-stabilizing and tightening the partially- collapsed fence, though, there wasn't a lot they could do to completely secure it. At this point, they could only hope that a pile of two-by-fours would be enough to keep out another horde of turners.

  Andrew looked at his daughter and felt proud of the morning they'd shared. Zoey had offered to stay and help after their heartfelt discussion. She'd been mature and surprisingly reasonable about the whole thing. After that, they'd worked on the fence together. Andrew, Charlie, Darius, and Eric gave Zoey advice along the way, and it was obvious she had enjoyed feeling like a grown-up while working with the guys.

  When they were done, Andrew was startled to find that he was actually quite hungry as they made their way to the cafeteria for breakfast. Usually he skipped mealtimes, only eating when it was deemed absolutely necessary. He had gotten into the habit after he'd found out Kelly was pregnant. The baby needed it more than him—Zoey, too. But the worst of it seemed to occur after Kelly died. He just simply wasn't hungry.

  Today, though, was a different story. Apparently, Lindsey had awoken something in him, and he was practically ravenous. It was as if his body was trying to make up for every meal he had missed in the past year and a half. He knew his portion would be small—they needed to conserve their goods—but was grateful nonetheless.

  They entered the common room and found it mostly empty. There were a few stragglers left over from the breakfast rush, Ana included. Darius immediately walked to her table and joined her with a kiss. Andrew picked up a clean plate and took his share of powdered eggs and oatmeal. It was not what his stomach desired, but at that point, he didn't care. He grabbed a bottle of water and sat down at the table with Ana and Darius. Charlie, Eric, and Zoey were quick to follow.

  As Andrew ate his food, he looked around the table. Charlie was cracking jokes—mostly at Eric's expense. Zoey was laughing. Even Darius hinted a smile.

  We really are a family.

  It certainly was not the family he had envisioned in his future, but compared to most of the people left alive outside of the school, he considered himself lucky.

  He was just emptying his water bottle when Robert walked in. He scanned the room and started toward Andrew when they made eye contact. He appeared concerned, which in turn, made Andrew uneasy.

  "Andrew, could I speak with you?" he asked in a low voice.

  Andrew nodded and they moved to a quiet corner of the room.

  "I didn't want to say this in front of everyone and cause a panic. It's not proving to be anything out of the ordinary, but we're in close quarters here and some people are passing around a flu bug—fever, chills, aches and pains. I'm finding that we don't have as much medicine as I had originally thought. If this keeps up, we'll be out of the proper
supplies before dark."

  Andrew sighed as the pressures of leading weighed on him. "All right. We'll go on a run. There may be a couple of places we haven't hit yet. I can't guarantee that we'll be back before dark, especially if we get pushed further out in our search."

  "I'll make what we have last as long as I can. All I ask is that you be careful," Robert said. "You all are perfectly healthy. It would be pointless to get yourselves killed."

  Andrew nodded again, his brain already working on overdrive to come up with a plan. The two men parted ways and Andrew slowly walked back to the others, who hadn't moved from their table.

  Darius saw him approaching and was the first to speak up. "Something up, boss?"

  Andrew settled his hands on his gun belt, appearing confident, but still grasping for a clear strategy. He glanced around the room and saw that they were now the only inhabitants.

  "We need to go on a run. Seems there's a flu bug goin' around. Robert needs supplies."

  "Where are we gonna get these supplies?" Eric asked. "I think we've hit every place within ten miles."

  "Just means we gotta spread out. I'll get the maps," Charlie answered as he stood.

  Andrew nodded. "Go ahead and start looking for a route. I have something I need to do. I'll be right back."

  _____

  The late summer sun beat down on Lindsey. She felt it deep under her skin, the warmth enveloping her soul. Crisp white sheets billowed in the soft breeze, surrounding her as she pinned them to the line. Her mind drifted to Andrew and visions of the night before. One in particular made her breathless and her heart fluttered. It had been so long since she'd felt this happy.

  If only it could last forever.

  She was startled out of her thoughts as strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist. A rough cheek rubbed against her neck, followed by lips that left one delicate, soothing kiss. She whirled around to look at her attacker.

  "Sheesh, you scared me! I was about to pull my knife," Lindsey said with a laugh.