Black Sun by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 58

As Abigail drifted off, Ryan sat up studying the map. Their next stop was Amsterdam, and he wanted to take the shortest route in getting there. But he also knew that the shortest route wasn’t necessarily the safest. They would have to stay on the highway and hope that the cover of night would continue to protect them. After planning their route, Ryan drifted off as well, waking as the sun kissed the western horizon. He let Abby sleep a bit longer as he prepared a light meal. Certainly, they couldn’t walk as far as they needed to on empty stomachs and with the strong possibility that Abby might be pregnant, Ryan would have to make sure that she was well-nourished. Taking a few moments to absorb the reality of raising a child, his senses swirled at the thought of being a parent in the world’s current state. They would certainly not receive an education, and what little they would acquire would be I the way of survival skills. And having no such skills, Ryan feared for the child’s future. He needed to learn a great deal in order to pass on that knowledge to his impending offspring. But Abby was still in the early stage of her pregnancy and time was in his favor—for now.

Glancing out of the window, Ryan saw the even sun sinking below the horizon, leaving a small sliver of golden light before vanishing completely. He had finished preparing their meal and getting to his feet, Ryan quietly walked over to Abby and gently roused her from sleep. He slipped his hand down to her waist and felt what appeared as a mild swelling of her abdomen. The reality of fatherhood at a time when people had reverted back to their animal nature finally sank in, instilling a fear in him that he had never known. But they had come this far and Ryan came to the belief that if they were careful things would work out. There was no other option.

After consuming their meal, Ryan and Abby packed up and left. Ryan made sure that the guns he still carried were loaded in the event they ran into trouble. He had been carrying them for so long that they had become quite lighter than when he first acquired them. They tried to ignore the sight of dead as they left the complex. They were everywhere and all of them bore similar wounds created by the surging of electronic devices either carried or implanted. Some injuries seemed worse than others—especially head wounds. But they made it a point never to stop to examine the dead, at the risk of being overwhelmed. Yet, by this time, the dead had become swollen with the gases of decomposition and in the heat of the day some lay with their skin having slipped from their bodies. The sight of so much death and decay prompted them to speed their pace into running as Ryan and Abby continued to make their way toward the highway.

Stepping onto route 7 Ryan decided to go south. In examining the map, he noticed a market close-by. “Abby, look,” he said. “There’s a Market 32 just across the road. We might be able to find more water there.”

They always had a need for water.

Abby glanced at the map.

“Maybe chocolate?” she responded.

Ryan looked at her with an affectionate smile. “Okay,” he replied. “We’ll see if there’s any chocolate.”

Abby smiled broadly while leaning her head on Ryan’s shoulder. After all, she was pregnant, and he would, when possible, go out of his way to spoil her—getting her anything she wanted. “So,” Abby continued. “Where’s this market?” Ryan noticed the enthusiasm in her voice and, again, studying the map pointed.

“It should be right over there.”

It wasn’t far from the commons—maybe twenty minutes walk. Once they crossed Altamont Avenue, the market stood in plain sight. A large, imposing building, it appeared to hold the promise of offering whatever they needed and more. Thirty minutes later they emerged into the parking lot with their backpacks stuffed to capacity and getting one more look at the map, Ryan saw an opportunity—a way out of Rotterdam that would take them directly to Route 90. It would also take them through the suburbs where they might not encounter nearly as much housing and thus people. And if they needed to stop, they would certainly have their choice of shelter. The fact that this route was also on the edge of several wooded areas was a plus, and Ryan and Abby thought it would be good to see a few Pine trees for a change.