red hill - jamie mcguire

quick walk to Walter’s house, I waved to Joy and Zoe, and then hopped into my car, which was still
parked in the middle of the dead end.
“I’m going to fill up with gas, and then I’ll be right back to get you.”
Zoe smiled.
“I’ll pack you a few things,” Joy said. She was smiling, too, but her eyes were heavy with sadness.
Bryce was just topping off the last gas can when I pulled up. I’d passed Walter on the way. He
didn’t look up. I imagined he was probably sad, too, and the responsibility of surviving alone was
weighing on him. Guilt burned my insides, but not enough to sway my decision. They could come with
us, or we could ask the doctor’s permission and then come back for them. Things weren’t so bad in
Shallot that they couldn’t survive for another day or two. At least as long as the infected were still
ambling around on the highway instead of in town.
Bryce put the last of the gas cans in the trunk, and then they crowded into the Bug. Ashley was
hunched over in the backseat, sitting on both Cooper and the soldier. It looked uncomfortable as hell.
Miranda smiled. “We’ll meet you at Walter’s.”
“Does one or two of you want to ride with me Looks kind of cramped in there.”
Miranda looked to the boy in the passenger seat, and then to those behind her. “Yeah, I bet Joey
could fit better in your car.”
Joey lifted his hand. “Joey.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said with a nod.
They pulled out of the lot onto the street, and I pulled up the lever on the pump, waiting for the
noise to click on. It didn’t. I jogged into the station, and toggled what I thought was the switch, but I
wasn’t in there when Walter had showed the boys, so I wasn’t sure which it was.
I had barely crossed the parking lot and stepped into the street when I saw an infected just a block
away making her way to the highway. I turned on my heels and ran back to my car, reaching inside to
pull out the bag of guns Skeeter had given me.
Skeeter. As I made my way back, I thought about my brother and sister-in-law. They were both
likely dead by that point. Aubrey probably was, too. Aubrey and Skeeter’s parents had been gone for
several years, but knowing they were all gone made the situation even sadder. Zoe was the only one
left.
When I approached the porch, Walter smirked. “You forget something” he said, nodding to my
car that still sat at the pump.
I laughed once, glad for the distraction. Walter and Joy were good people. Changing their minds
about joining us at the doctor’s place was still a possibility. Once I got Zoe settled in, I was
determined to come back for them.
“The pump didn’t come on.”
“No” Walter said. “I can head back down there to see what the problem is.”
“Do you mind”
Walter descended the porch steps, taking care to use the railing. “Not like I’ve got anything better
to do, son.”
Miranda had parked in front of Walter’s house, and then she and her group lingered around the