Black Sun by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 40

It was nearing July and carrying only the basics, Ryan and Abigail started out toward the highway that would eventually take them to Fulton County. According to the map, they would pass through several small towns and planned on making a brief search of each for anything that could be of use. Then, there was Schenectady. It was a modest city that promised to offer far more than the small towns they would pass through, and Ryan thought they might spend a few days there, believing that a short rest would be beneficial.

Using the map, Ryan and Abigail left the house and finding route five made their way out of Albany. Their journey seemed straight forward, and the only time they would alter their course would be when they arrived at route sixty-seven. Having been to the Fulton County area several times, Ryan had memorized the way there, but having a map was a good fallback in the event they became lost. Abigail, however, had never been to upstate New York and was more than a bit leery about walking through, what was for her, undiscovered territory. But the idea of living someplace where she would likely be left alone was more than adequate comfort, given the act of violence she had experienced. Still, she knew that anything could happen along the way.

At first, Ryan believed that the best way to proceed would be to travel Route 5. But upon closer examination of the map, he realized that the possibility of encountering people would be far less if they traveled by Route ninety, then route five. But their first goal, of course, was to safely get out of Albany. Large cities tend to generate more crime, and the last thing they needed was another assault. Ryan would never again let Abigail out of his sight.