"Well…"
Gavin and Madison's words were abruptly silenced by Doris.
Winnie slapped her hands to her face.
"Mom!"
Winnie growled, her voice slightly hoarse.
"That's not the eldest's fault! Our entire family agreed to take a trip to Dallas!"
Once she finished speaking, she tugged her mother toward the RV while continuing to speak to Gavin.
"Boss, I'll ask my mom to make some stew for you. Her stew is really good. Just wait and enjoy it~"
"Mom, please stop crying and make breakfast quickly. I'm starving! Stop crying!"
As she watched Winnie and her mother disappear into the RV, Madison rolled her eyes in disbelief and approached Gavin.
"That kid is more like her mother than she realizes, you know what I mean?"
"Uh-huh."
Gavin responded noncommittally.
Seeing this, Madison exhaled and sighed.
"As for her mother's words, don't take them to heart. Our victory has nothing to do with the deaths of their family members."
"Moreover, if they had stayed in Houston, a larger city, instead of driving to Dallas, they might not have survived."
"We didn't harm them; we saved them!"
Having said that, Madison glanced at Gavin with concern, fearing that her boss might develop psychological issues.
Gavin, taken aback by her worried expression, shook his head in amusement.
"What are you thinking? I don't care who lives or dies. I'm focused on the next step."
"The movements of zombies are too easily influenced by the living. If there are survivors in other towns after Ennis, who knows how their actions could disrupt the zombies' distribution?"
With that, Gavin picked up the telescope and scanned across the lake before lowering it and continuing.
"Call Eugene and William. Let's all gather in the RV. We shouldn't wait for Doris to invite us."
"What can you do out in the open? There isn't even a tent or a folding chair. Are you just going to be a target out there?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin opened the door of the RV.
Doris, who had been crying in front of the stove, quickly turned to look at Gavin in horror.
Winnie rushed over, grabbed Gavin's hand, and asked, "Boss, can you please persuade my mom for me? That would be great!"
Noticing Winnie's exaggerated demeanor, Gavin pulled his hand back, ruffled her hair, and said, "Don't make faces. I'm not in the mood to scold your mother. It's just not safe out there. We need to get everyone into the RV."
After saying this, Gavin glanced at the interior of the vehicle.
The interior of the Ford F450 was particularly spacious. There was a sofa and a dining table in the front, a gas stove and a microwave directly opposite the door, and a shower room, toilet, and bed in the rear.
Doris had previously fainted after hitting her head on the gas stove while getting into the RV.
Now, after Gavin pushed Winnie next to her mother, he sat down at the dining table without ceremony and rested his hands on the table.
Outside, Madison called for Eugene and William to get in, then climbed in and sat down opposite Gavin.
The dining table seat was a bit narrow for him. After fidgeting for a while, he finally left the table to sit on the sofa, stretching his legs comfortably.
When Eugene entered, he playfully kicked William, took in the RV's layout, and smiled.
"This RV is really cool! I wanted to buy one before."
"But I'm more interested in a trailer RV. It has more space and is cheaper. Unfortunately, even if it were cheaper, I still couldn't afford it. Damn America, screw the White House!"
After finishing his rant, Eugene sat down opposite Gavin without hesitation, fiddling with the roses on the dining table like someone with ADHD.
William hesitated for a long time in the aisle before Madison invited him to sit on the sofa.
Seeing everyone sitting quietly in front of the distant gas stove, Winnie instinctively pursed her lips and whispered to her mother, "Mom, go cook!"
"I know, woo woo, I know."
After a group of men had burst into the RV, Doris was so startled that she no longer had the energy to cry and hurriedly began preparing food.
Winnie moved closer to Gavin, plopped down beside him, and leaned against the dining table. "Boss, what are we discussing here? Are we talking about how to deal with the patients outside?"
"We're discussing how to avoid being overwhelmed by the zombies outside!"
Gavin joked, then raised his hand to knock on the table, looking around at everyone. "I estimate that the Ennis zombie horde is about sixteen kilometers away from us. They could reach our vicinity in about two hours at the fastest."
"There are a few possible scenarios. Let me explain them briefly."
At this point, Gavin knocked on the dining table with enough force that Doris, who was cooking, couldn't help but listen.
"On one hand, there's a good chance the zombies will pass through Palmer Town along the road. In that case, we don't need to do anything; we just have to observe their movements. Once we confirm that a large number have passed, we can hit the road and head to Ennis."
"But if we're discovered and chased by zombies, we'll likely have three options."
Gavin's hand traced a circle on the table.
"First, if the zombies notice us before we reach the lake, we can drive around the lake and try to use its range to lure them off the road, then rush onto the road on the opposite side and speed toward Ennis."
"Secondly, if the zombies surround us on both sides of the lake, we can drive into the forest and try to shake them off with our speed. From there, we can navigate through the forest, avoiding Ennis, and head to Corsicana to assess the situation."
"Finally, if we find ourselves completely surrounded by zombies, to the point where even the forest is filled with them, we'll jump into the artificial lake and try to drag as many zombies as possible into the water."
"Zombies can't swim, and they move much slower than we do in the water. We can then choose a direction with fewer zombies and swim out."
"Of course, there's actually quite a bit of open space around us. Even if the zombies get close, there's a high chance we can use that space to evade them, though it does carry some risk."
"As for what to do next, I'll make a quick decision based on the specific circumstances. All you have to do is listen carefully to my every command and follow closely!"
"I've already explained it clearly enough. If anyone is confused, go to the driver's seat and take a closer look at your surroundings. Use your brains to simulate the route I've described!"
After he finished speaking, Gavin leaned back in his chair and surveyed everyone.
Upon hearing his plan, Eugene grinned thoughtfully and said, "No wonder the fat black guy calls you Boss. You're just like a client afraid of getting sick; one thing after another, there's always something!"
"Eugene!"
Madison immediately slapped her thigh and growled at him.
Seeing this, Eugene quickly ducked by the car window, waving and shouting to Madison, "Don't be so sensitive. I just admire and appreciate you. I don't mean anything else!"
"That's better!"
Madison snorted coldly and leaned back on the sofa in silence.
After a moment of silence, Doris, who was tying a large piece of meat with rope not far away, trembled as she asked, "So, are people really turning into zombies? I mean, is Ennis the only place like this?"
"Don't be silly, Mom. Dad was bitten to death by those creatures. You saw it!"
Winnie interrupted Doris, her dissatisfaction clear. "Besides, haven't you ever watched TV dramas? The zombies in those shows are everywhere. You can't even get through to Grandma and Grandpa on the phone, can you?"
"I…I…wuwu…"
Doris began crying again.
Gavin rolled his eyes, took out a cigarette, and grabbed Winnie's arm. "Alright, let your mother cook properly. I'm still waiting to eat!"
With that, Gavin glanced at the listless William once more.
"And you!"
Gavin turned his head and continued to scold William.
"If you still can't let go of your father and brother, then do something like Doris to distract yourself. Keep watch with the binoculars for us—damn Dallas police!"
After saying this, Gavin handed the telescope to Eugene and gestured for him to pass it to William.
Eugene stood up, thrust the telescope into William's arms, and cursed under his breath.
"Go stand guard, man! Can you not even manage this?"
With that, Eugene dragged William to the back of the RV and instructed him to keep watch at the window beside the bed.
Once he dealt with William, Eugene returned to the dining table, shaking his head and sneering.
"I don't feel comfortable leaving my life in that kid's hands, so I'll keep an eye on the outside as well."
"I'm not worried about you, Eugene. You can decide for yourself. I'm afraid I need to rest for a while; I didn't sleep at all last night."
Gavin replied, patting Eugene's arm before leaving the table and heading to the passenger seat, where he reclined the seat.
"Old Mac, call me when the meal is ready~"
He greeted Old Mac, then settled into the passenger seat, opened the window, and began smoking.
After nodding, Old Mac approached Doris and asked, "Hey, big sister, do you have any rice? My eldest brother likes stewed meat with rice!"