Black Sun by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 63

The eastern sky had begun to lighten by the time Ryan and Abby reached Pattersonville. The air was clean and cool, a refreshing break from the day’s hot, stifling sun. Still walking the highway, they passed within sight of the town. In the dim light of the approaching morning, they could see the small community of houses sprawled out on the north side of Route 90. Walking to the side of the highway, Abby inquired whether there could be an abandoned house that could be used for shelter—someplace where food and water might be plentiful.

“Well,” Ryan said. “There’s only one way to find out.” Leaving the highway, they started towards the town when Ryan was stopped by something that didn’t feel right. It was just a feeling, but he decided if it was strong enough to prevent him from entering the town, he should take it seriously. “What is it?” Abby asked.

Ryan shook his head slightly. He had learned to trust his instincts and realized that something was definitely amiss. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I just got this weird feeling.” No sooner did he take his next breath did they hear the sound of gunfire. It seemed to be coming from the town but Ryan was unable to pinpoint its exact location. “What the fuck is that?” Abby said.

Ryan continued listening to the cacophony of gun shots, soon joined by loud voices. It was as if they were the yells and whoops of celebration. But it was getting louder. “Trouble,” Ryan replied.

The clatter suddenly stopped as one voice fractured the morning air.

“There! You see them? Come on!”

Ryan assumed they had been spotted and, grabbing Abby by the hand, ran to the other side of the highway. The voice was met by others as the crowd they had heard only slightly became their pursuers. Not long before, Ryan spoke of camping in the woods, deep off the side of the highway. Now, he might have his chance, as long as the gun-toting mob didn’t catch up to them first.

Leaving the highway, Ryan led Abby into the woods, still darkened by the lack of full sunlight. But this, he thought, could work to their advantage, allowing them to hide should the crowd of gunmen approach too closely. Abby was terrified, not knowing how many people were chasing them. But one was one too many. “Where the fuck are we going?” Abby asked. Continuing what Ryan hoped was their escape, he spoke in a whisper.

“I have no idea, but we have to be quiet.” The voices became mingled with gunfire, forcing Ryan and Abby to run in a chaotic pattern. It matters where they were going as long as they avoided capture or getting shot. But Abby was rapidly growing tired and begged Ryan to stop, even for a minute or two. “We can’t stop,” he said. “If we stop, we’re dead.” As they ran through the woods, the sound of gunfire continued to follow them, occasionally burying bullets in nearby trees. But the woods were thick with stands of Pine and eventually grouped themselves as a wall, allowing Ryan and Abby to disappear into the forest.

The voices and gunfire faded into the distance as they continued running. But exhaustion began to overcome them, forcing them so slow their escape from those intent on killing for sport. Soon after, Ryan and Abby found themselves sitting on a fallen log, tired and out of breath. Examining the surrounding woods, Abby inquired about the direction they had taken.

“So,” she said. “Exactly where the fuck are we?” Having traveled Route 90 many times, he was familiar with the area but had never ventured into this part of the highway. Panic had set them far enough into the woods that they had, in fact, become lost.

“I don’t have a clue,” Ryan replied. “But I think we should keep going.”

Exhaustion led to frustration as Abby began to wonder where they end up.

“And where are we going to go?” she asked. Ryan was still in possession of several maps but their journey had taken them off any visible route. Without the maps for direction, Ryan would have to guess the route they would follow. After some conversation about their circumstances, Abby erupted into a tirade. “You’re the one who’s supposed to know this area, and you’re telling me that we’re fucking lost?! Are you fucking kidding me? What are we supposed to do now?”

Ryan’s reaction displayed an almost equal amount of frustration, and in his response failed to edit his words and control his anger. “How the fuck do I know?!” he replied. “I wasn’t exactly planning on getting lost, you know. So if you have a better fucking idea, I’d love to hear it!”

Never having seen this side of Ryan, Abby began to break down. Everything she had been through flooded to the surface as tears rolled down her face and her voice became shaky, followed by sobs of hopelessness.

“We’re going to die out here, aren’t we?” Her sobbing quickly escalated into wailing as she bent down, putting her hands over her eyes. Ryan became smothered with guilt. He had never raised his voice to her, and seeing Abby in such a state brought tears of remorse to his eyes as he realized that the last thing he wanted was to see her upset or hurt. It was something he simply couldn’t cope with.

They sat together with their arms around each other while Ryan apologized for taking his frustration out on her. Unable to speak through her tears, Abby simply nodded. But the question still remained. Where would they go? Turning back toward the highway was out of the question, given that the way back had become lost. Even if they could return, there were the people who had chased them into the woods. This was something neither was willing to face, in spite of being well-armed. Ryan had earlier made a silent vow to himself that he would protect Abby, even if it meant risking his life. The only thing they could was to keep walking.