Race to Refuge

Chapter Twenty-Two: Mallory

By the time we got back to the car, it was pitch black. It was lucky I'd thought to carry flashlights with us, or we'd never have been able to find our way back.

"Let's just sleep in the car tonight and then head out early to see your Nana," I said. "It will be easier to see what the situation is like at the retirement home when the sun is up and we can see."

Then I was kicking myself because a worried line appeared on Ginny's brow. "You think maybe those things are in the retirement home?"

"No, I don't think that. I like to stay positive. But I do want to be able to make absolutely sure the coast is clear when we get there. It's good to think positively, but it's good to be safe, too."

Ginny relaxed a little. "That sounds good." She yawned. "I'm pretty tired, anyway. Do you think we'll be safe when we sleep?"

I wasn't sure which was more dangerous—the zombies that were rapidly spreading the virus, or the dangerous, uninfected people like the ones Ginny had run into. I had a feeling that parking on the side of the road wasn't a great idea.

"I'm going to drive on a little ways and see if I can find a good spot to park the car where we might be hidden. Do you know much about the route to the retirement home? Are there any towns you go through, anything like that?" I asked.

Ginny frowned in concentration. "There's one small town that sometimes we stop in for gas on the way. I've gotten an ice cream there before, too."

"But we haven't passed it?"

Ginny shook her head.

"Okay. Let's drive on for a while and see if we can get to the town. If not, I'll find a spot in the woods to park. Maybe a driveway, or something that's off the main road," I said.

Ginny nodded, but looked worried. The fact she'd been hijacked last time was clearly on her mind.

I kept driving in the fading light. For a while, all we passed was a heavily forested area full of pine trees. But after a while, I noticed signs pointing us to the small town of Emerson.

Emerson was one of those small towns that had probably allowed itself to fall into disrepair at some point, but was now trying harder. Old brick buildings in its downtown now housed what appeared to be galleries, shops, and a diner. The awnings and signs over the businesses were new and cheerful.

Ginny stared out the window, as if longing for a glimpse of something stable and normal. But there was no sign of life. Or of death.

"Can we just park the car and see if we can stay in one of these shops or something?" asked Ginny. Maybe they have fresher food there. And the floor might be more comfortable than sleeping in the car.

Part of me wanted to agree with her. The only problem was that we had no idea what the situation was like in the town of Emerson. For all we knew, there could be zombies roaming the streets at night. And it was night now.

So I reluctantly said, "Better not, sweetie. I think we're safer in the car. We'll just keep the doors locked, keep the car hidden, and we'll be fine."

I drove a little while to see if there was a good place to park the car for the night. Finally I found the gas station that Ginny had mentioned. I shivered, thinking of what had happened to Joshua at a gas station. I pushed those memories firmly aside. "There's a car wash there. That might be a good place to hide."

"Inside the car wash?" A faint hint of a smile from Ginny now. "I always love the car wash. Especially the kinds that have the things that come down and wipe the car off."