Alex Knightly - Sudden Darkness - A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Thriller

He sighed. What else were they going to run into that night? Would they ever make it to the farmhouse?

He looked in the mirror again. He couldn’t stop himself, even though he knew his attention was best kept on the road. They must have been getting closer to a big town because there were a lot more obstacles to avoid now. Olivia was so focused on tending to Terry that she didn’t notice he was watching.

He looked back at the road. The sky was beginning to glow orange with that intense late afternoon light one only saw in winter. It was a beautiful evening, he realised.

He sped up. The Renault was beginning to move away. Annie had given him the address of the farm and directions, but he’d prefer to keep them in his sights since he had no map to rely on. In all the panic over Terry, none of them had thought to check the shop for maps.

He glanced in the mirror. Terry’s face was a bluish shade of pale and he didn’t look like he’d moved since they all worked together to lift him into the back of the Jaguar as gently as possible.

“Is he alive?” he whispered.

“Yes, of course he is,” his wife muttered. “Though he’s in a bad way. How long until we get to the house?”

Clive shook his head. He wasn’t familiar with this part of the country. “I don’t know. Not long, I hope.”

That all depended on the road, of course. At this rate, they might make it in an hour. That was the best case scenario. The worst? Well, it didn’t bear thinking about now. They were all spent and exhausted.

“It’s okay, love,” Olivia murmured, patting Terry’s cheek. “We’ll get you to safety. You’re very brave.”

Clive glanced at Terry’s still form in the mirror. “He is. Very brave.” All his frustrations at the man had disappeared. He’d done exactly what he’d said he would. It had been a dangerous task.

I’m off my game, he thought. That thought had been plaguing him ever since the standoff. What if he’d been quicker off the mark? Then those men wouldn’t have had a chance to get a shot off and Terry might not be in this state.

The guy needed a hospital, not the back of a filthy car. But there wouldn’t be any hospitals. A doctor, perhaps, but how would they find one? He glanced at Olivia before returning his attention to the road.

She had been the best there was; two years ago, he wouldn’t have even hesitated to leave Terry in her hands. Now? His heart sank. It felt like a betrayal to even think that way. Could she be as good with a load of diazepam and caffeine rushing around in her system? Was it simply a case of the two cancelling each other out, like Si had been so adamant they would? Well, to look at her work, it certainly seemed like it.

He smiled. As worried as he was, it felt good to see another glimpse of the woman she once was.

Focus on driving , he told himself. We’re not out of danger yet.

His heart accelerated at the sight of two articulated trucks up ahead. There were only two lanes on the road now, and from this vantage point, it looked like they were side-by-side. Si’s car didn’t slow down. His stomach clenched as she moved between the trucks at speed. He tried to judge the gap. The big Jaguar was wider than the Renault. And he was trying to drive as smoothly as possible for Terry’s sake. He kept his foot on the accelerator: he trusted his depth perception, even though his gut instinct was to slam on the brakes. He powered right through the gap.

Olivia hadn’t even noticed the daunting sight, she was so focused on Terry.

He should have been relieved, but he wasn’t. It had been a close call. What if they happened upon a crash that had blocked the whole road? What then? They’d have to carry on on foot. He hadn’t even thought about that possibility, but now it began to worry him. He swallowed. They needed options. And now, before it was too dark.

But they didn’t have options, that was the frustrating thing. They had to go with the hand they’d been dealt and deal with whatever lay around the corner.

He gritted his teeth. He was too old for this emotional see-saw, especially after a year away from the front line.

They passed yet another sign for an exit. Clive glanced at it. He’d given up looking for anything familiar. He’d worked in London for decades and any geographical knowledge about other parts of England had long since been crowded out of his brain.

This time, though, his eyes caught on one of the places listed. Sheffield. He might not have known much about the north of England, but he knew that was in Yorkshire.

For the first time, Clive allowed himself to hope. Maybe they’d get out of this after all; against all the odds.

Annie gnawed on a snagged fingernail, trying to smooth it out with her teeth. She tried to stop herself looking out the rear window, but she couldn’t help it. Yes, the Jaguar was still there, not that that told her anything. How was Terry? Right before they left, they’d force-fed Olivia multiple cups of cold coffee from the service station. Had it been enough?

She stared at the Jaguar’s lights. Clive was to signal if there was urgent danger: flash once to keep going; twice to stop. They’d come up with some equivalent system involving the Renault’s brake lights—Annie couldn’t recall what it was now. Her attention span was shot. One minute she was in the present; the next she was imagining herself at the farmhouse with Dan; the next she was reliving the little kick of the gun in her hands as she popped off the bullet that had killed one of those men.

She closed her eyes. She’d been on the verge of tears since they got on the road again and she couldn’t stop it.

“It’s just a physical reaction,” Si said, glancing at her. “You don’t have to be so embarrassed.”

“What is? And can you please keep your eyes on the road?”

“You. You’re being so weird about crying. Of course you’re crying. Think of what you’ve seen today.”

Annie watched her closely. “And you’re not? You don’t seem affected at all.”

Si shrugged. “No. I guess not. Maybe I cried myself dry when they took Max.”

“Maybe.”

Annie stared out the window as the trees blurred past. They were so close now, it was unbearable. She started to think of all the things that could go wrong before they reached the farm.

What if they’d come all this way for nothing?

She shook her head and tried to laugh at her fearfulness after everything she’d been through that day. What was the use in trying to protect herself from something bad? They’d deal with it if they had to.

Dan.

She’d missed him more than she’d even allowed herself to acknowledge.

What if he’s gone looking for me?

It was a very real possibility. She knew there was a chance she could get in and find a note on the kitchen table saying he’d gone looking for her. It wasn’t like they’d ever talked about something like this happening. But surely he knew she’d set out for home no matter what…

“It’s this exit.” There was a lump in her throat. She couldn’t shift it, no matter how hard she tried.

Si raced up the slip road.

“Straight through the roundabout. Then keep going straight until the next roundabout. Then go right.”

Annie tried to relax. They were almost there. The roads were deserted. Couldn’t she assume it was safe now?

She knew better than that.

The old Renault bumped over another pothole. Annie’s nerves were ragged.

“Sorry,” Si muttered. “These are the worst roads I’ve ever seen.”

“You’re supposed to avoid the potholes, not drive straight into them. Take this next left up ahead.”