Madison's words immediately drew everyone's attention. Even Doris couldn't help edging toward the doorway to look at Gavin.
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Under everyone's tense gaze, Gavin leaned both elbows on the Tyrannosaurus's bed and smiled.
"Of course it matters, but it's not a big problem. I think after they run into the Ennis Zombie Horde, a few things could happen."
"On the one hand, their small group could merge into the larger Ennis horde and keep coming our way. If that happens, we just stick to the plan."
"On the other hand, they could pass through the Ennis horde and keep moving. If the two hordes meet, both groups will inevitably scatter even more."
"By then, even if we run into them, there's a good chance we can break through their ranks, which will be more dispersed than they are now."
"And even if we can't, we can follow behind them. Once they've passed Ennis Crossroads, we'll speed through Ennis and head for Coskana Town."
At that, Gavin rubbed the corner of his eye, as if there were some eye gunk stuck there.
Going a whole night without sleep was no fun. Fortunately, he'd managed to doze for an hour, and his headache had eased up a lot.
At the RV's entrance, Eugene burst out laughing and clapped his hands after hearing Gavin out.
"Haha, Quarterback, I'm starting to like how you always have another plan up your sleeve!"
"You're getting ahead of yourself. I'm sure Gavin's best ideas are still to come!"
Madison patted Eugene on the shoulder. Eugene sneered and dodged his hand, then continued speaking to Gavin.
"Then I can't wait. I'm practically itching to fuss over you, Quarterback. Have you gotten enough sleep? Want to go back to bed for a while?"
At that, Eugene pointed at Doris with a cheeky grin and went on.
"I just walked past the oven and found out the roast that woman ordered still has more than two hours to go. We won't be eating until eight or nine!"
"So why not sleep a little longer? It'll be ages before dinner~"
"Ah, well..."
Hearing Eugene, Doris immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
Staring at her toes, she pressed her lips together and kept trying to work up her courage.
Doris, you have to be strong!
Be strong!
After giving herself another pep talk, Doris raised her head and looked at Eugene's fierce face, the scar at the corner of his eye.
She hurriedly looked away, and her nose began to sting.
"Wuwu... I'm sorry, I... I don't usually make stew in the morning. It takes a while, wuwu..."
"Mom!!!"
Winnie was so frantic she nearly snorted her cola out through her nose.
Seeing that, Gavin impatiently waved Doris off.
"Go make dinner!"
"I know, wuwuwuwu..."
Doris's sobs grew louder. She hurried back to the stove and began preparing everything in a fluster.
Watching her mother leave, Winnie's face fell.
Then she glanced at Gavin's displeased expression and reluctantly came over to him, holding her cola as she said sheepishly,
"I admit my mom does cry a little easily, but believe me, she's really good at cooking!"
"Before my parents got married, my mom ran a French restaurant, a fast-food joint, and a bakery at different times. But after they got together, she stopped working."
"Oh, really?"
Gavin patted Winnie on the head and asked,
"How old is your mom?"
"She's forty-two. Why do you ask, boss?"
Winnie looked at Gavin warily, but he just smiled at her.
"Only forty-two? She doesn't look it. But she married pretty early, and your brother's almost an adult, right?"
"So, kid, if your mom married young, how did she have time to run all those businesses before she got married? Maybe those restaurants just went under really fast?"
"Boss!"
Winnie rolled her eyes, though Gavin's words had made her a little curious.
After a moment's hesitation, she went over to ask her mother.
Once both women had gone inside the RV, Gavin took out his cigarettes and passed some to William and Eugene.
As they smoked, William came over to the Tyrannosaurus, braced a hand against its side, and said to Gavin,
"Gavin, I... I want... I want..."
"If you've got something to say, spit it out, buddy. Why are you acting like you're constipated?"
Eugene was fed up with William acting like this. He went over and snapped at him, then leaned against the Tyrannosaurus as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
After Eugene urged him on, William glanced nervously at him, then turned even more nervously to Gavin.
"I wanted to ask... when we pass my house, could we... look for my little brother? I want to know if he really turned into a zombie!"
At last, William had said what was on his mind. He let out a long breath, then lowered his head, wearing the expression of someone awaiting judgment.
Gavin fell silent for a moment, then looked at Eugene without expression.
The moment Gavin's gaze swept over him, Eugene's scalp prickled.
A second later, Eugene lunged in front of William, grabbed him by the collar of his police uniform, and glared up at him as he roared,
"Are you a hero? Tell me, are you Superman, William? You're a goddamn Trainee Police Officer!"
"Do you think you're the only one who cares about your family? You can't let go of your dead dad, and now you're worrying about your brother, whose fate is unknown. What about the people who are still alive? What are they to you?"
"You're such a good son, such a good brother. What about me? Am I trash? My sister and nephew are in Ennis, and I didn't even go look for them, right?"
"You're so damn noble, and I'm the fucking lowlife, is that it?"
"Wait, that's not what I meant!"
Seeing that Eugene had nearly lifted him off the ground, William struggled and hurriedly shook his head.
"You know I didn't mean that, Eugene. I just... I just can't stop worrying!"
"Haha, that's not what you meant? What a joke!"
Eugene sneered and released William's collar. Then he jabbed him hard in the chest and shouted,
"After I saw your deadbeat old man and the several thousand zombies following the RV, I didn't even dare look for my sister, because I was trying to keep us both alive!"
"I knew my sister, who's still alive, wouldn't want me showing up in front of her as a dead man. And my sister who's gone would only want me to live on for both of us!"
"But now you can't stop worrying, so you want to drag all of us into zombie-infested Ennis."
"Is it not safe enough here by the Artificial Lake? Are you trying to get us all into some damn trouble?"
When he finished, Eugene seemed about to kick William, but he was too irritated to even lift his foot. He simply paced around him in agitation.
Spitting to the side as he paced, Eugene continued,
"That Quarterback kid's full of plans, and it drives me crazy, but I love it, because every one of them reminds me how to stay alive!"
"But you, William—you're a Trainee Police Officer, yet all you ever remind me is how to go looking for trouble!"
"What's wrong with you? Where's your brain? The damn apocalypse is here! The world has changed. We're lucky enough not to have turned into zombies, okay?"
At that, Eugene couldn't hold back any longer. He shoved William against the Tyrannosaurus.
William stumbled and slid to the ground, then sat there with his head bowed, utterly dejected.
The more Eugene looked at William like that, the angrier he got. He grabbed the half-full bottle of cola and approached William menacingly.
Seeing that, Gavin patted the side of the Tyrannosaurus and said quietly,
"That's enough, Eugene. Let me talk to him."
After pushing Eugene aside, Gavin looked at William and nudged his leg, stretched out on the ground.
"You want to look for your brother? Fine. If we make it safely to Ennis Crossroads, you can drive the Ford back to Ennis yourself."
At that, Gavin called out to Madison.
"Old Mac, give him his USP."
"Sure thing."
Madison nodded, went into the Tyrannosaurus to get the USP, and tossed it into William's arms.
William looked at the gun in his hands and swallowed, but he didn't know what to say. He stayed silent.
Seeing that, Gavin exhaled a stream of smoke and said softly,
"I don't like taking risks, but I admit there are times when we have no choice."
"But, Trainee Police Officer, when you decide to take a risk, I hope you won't put the courage to do it in someone else's hands."
At that, Gavin crouched down and put a hand on William's shoulder.
After holding William's silent gaze for a moment, Gavin withdrew his hand and asked,
"So, William, where exactly does your courage to go back to Ennis come from?"
"It wouldn't happen to come from me, would it?"
"Too bad. I rarely take risks for people I've only just met."
"What about you?"
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