Madison's words instantly captured everyone's attention. Even Doris couldn't help but draw closer to the door and gaze at Gavin.
Confronted by the anxious looks of the group, Gavin leaned his elbows on the cargo bed of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and offered a reassuring smile.
"Certainly, there is an impact, but it's manageable. I believe that once they encounter the Ennis zombies, several scenarios will unfold."
"On the one hand, their small group may merge into the larger horde in Ennis and continue toward us, allowing us to stick to the plan."
"On the other hand, if they push through the Ennis zombie horde, the intersection of the two hordes will likely scatter both teams even further."
"Even if we run into them then, we stand a good chance of breaking through their formation, which will be even more disorganized than it is now."
"And if we can't do that, we can still follow them. Once they bypass the Ennis fork, we can speed through Ennis and head toward Coscana Town."
As he finished speaking, Gavin rubbed the corners of his eyes, as if he had something lodged there.
It's not a pleasant sensation to go without sleep for a night, but fortunately, I managed to nap for an hour, and the headache feels much better now.
At the RV door, Eugene chuckled and clapped his hands after hearing Gavin's words.
"Haha, quarterback, I'm starting to appreciate your tricks!"
"It's too soon for you to be fond of him. I believe the best is yet to come for Gavin!"
Madison patted Eugene's shoulder. In response, Eugene smirked, dodged her hand, and turned back to Gavin.
"I'm so eager to see what comes next! I can't help but ask, quarterback, have you gotten enough sleep? Do you want to rest a little longer?"
As he said this, Eugene pointed at Doris with a playful grin and continued, "I just passed by the oven and noticed that the barbecue she ordered still has over two hours to cook. We won't be able to eat until eight or nine!"
"So why not catch some more sleep? It's still early for dinner~"
"Ah, this…"
At Eugene's remark, Doris immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
Staring at her toes, she bit her lip, silently urging herself on.
Doris, stay strong!
Be strong!
After a few moments of self-encouragement, Doris lifted her head, only to find Eugene's disfigured face with a scar at the corner of his eye.
She quickly averted her gaze, her nose tingling with emotions.
"Wow... I'm sorry, I... I rarely make stew in the morning; it takes a little while..."
"Mom!!!"
Winnie panicked, nearly choking on her Coke.
Seeing this, Gavin waved his hand at Doris in irritation. "Go cook!"
"I understand, woooooo..."
Doris's sobs escalated, and she hurried back to the gas stove, frantically preparing the meal.
Watching her retreating figure, Winnie's expression fell.
Noticing Gavin's displeased demeanor, Winnie approached him, holding her Coke, and said apologetically, "I admit my mom can be a bit of a crybaby, but believe me, her cooking is truly delicious!"
"Before my dad and mom married, my mom ran a French restaurant, a fast food place, and a bakery. But after they got together, my mom stopped working."
"Oh, is that so?"
Gavin inquired, patting Winnie's head. "How old is your mother?"
"Forty-two. Why do you ask, Boss?"
Winnie regarded Gavin with suspicion, and he replied with a smile, "Only 42? She doesn't look it. But she married young. Your brother must be almost an adult now, right?"
"So, kid, why did your mom open so many restaurants before marrying, especially at such a young age? Did they close down too quickly?"
"Boss!"
Winnie rolled her eyes, though curiosity lingered from Gavin's comments.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to approach her mother with her questions.
As the two women entered the carriage, Gavin pulled out a cigarette and shared it with William and Eugene.
As he exhaled smoke, William approached the side of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, bracing himself against its body and speaking hesitantly to Gavin.
"Gavin, I... I want... I want..."
"If you have something to say, spit it out, man. You look like you're about to burst!"
Eugene, irritated by William's demeanor, stepped forward and scolded him, leaning against the Tyrannosaurus Rex with an air of annoyance.
Encouraged by Eugene's nudge, William glanced nervously at him before addressing Gavin, his voice trembling.
"I want to ask... when we pass by my house, can you... look for my brother? I need to know if he has truly turned into a zombie!"
After finally voicing his concern, William exhaled deeply, lowering his head as if awaiting judgment.
Gavin paused, considering his response, before casting an unreadable glance at Eugene.
Eugene's nerves prickled under Gavin's scrutiny.
Moments later, Eugene surged in front of William, grabbing the collar of his police uniform and growling, "Are you a hero? Tell me, are you Superman, William? You're just a trainee police officer!"
"Do you think you're the only one who cares about family? One moment you're brooding over your dead father, and the next, you're worried about your brother's fate. But what about the living?"
"You're such a devoted son and brother. What about me? I knew my sister and nephew were in Ennis, yet I didn't even look for them!"
"You're so noble, while I'm just trash, right?"
"Wait, that's not what I meant!"
As Eugene prepared to lift him, William struggled and shook his head. "You know I didn't mean it that way, Eugene. I just... I just can't help but feel anxious!"
"Haha, that's not what I meant. That's absurd!"
Eugene sneered at William's explanation, releasing his grip and thumping his chest as he shouted, "After I saw your damn father and the thousands of zombies trailing the RV, I didn't even dare to look for my sister to save our lives!"
"Because I know my living sister wouldn't want me in front of her dead body, and my deceased sister would only want me to live well in her stead!"
"But now you're worried and want to drag all of us into Ennis, crawling with zombies."
"You think the artificial lake isn't safe enough, so you want to give us a little adventure?"
After his tirade, Eugene almost kicked William in frustration but opted instead to circle around him in annoyance.
Continuing his rant, Eugene added, "Those quarterback tricks are maddening, but I love them because they remind me how to survive!"
"And you, William, as a trainee police officer, are always reminding me of how to take unnecessary risks!"
"What are you doing? Where's your brain? It's the damn apocalypse! The world has changed. You're lucky you didn't end up as a zombie!"
At that moment, Eugene, consumed by anger, shoved William onto the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
William stumbled, landing on the ground with his head hung low in defeat.
The sight of William's dejection only fueled Eugene's anger. He picked up a half-empty bottle of Coke and approached William with a fierce look in his eyes.
Seeing this, Gavin gently patted the Tyrannosaurus Rex and spoke softly. "Okay, Eugene, let me handle this."
After pushing Eugene aside, Gavin turned to William, nudging his legs on the ground. "You want to find your brother? No problem. If we can safely reach Ennis Junction, you can drive the Ford back to Ennis yourself."
At this point, Gavin called to Madison. "Old Mac, give him his USP."
"Okay."
Madison nodded and retrieved the USP from the Tyrannosaurus Rex, tossing it into William's arms.
William stared at the gun in his hands, his throat constricting, unable to find the words, silence stretching before him.
Observing this, Gavin exhaled a puff of smoke and said gently, "I don't enjoy taking risks, but I admit there will be times when we must."
"But, trainee police officer, I hope that when you choose to take a risk, you do not depend on others for the courage to do so."
With that, Gavin crouched down and placed his hand on William's shoulder.
After studying the silent William for a moment, Gavin withdrew his hand and asked, "So, William, what fuels your courage to return to Ennis?"
"It won't come from me."
"That's unfortunate. I seldom take risks for those I've only just met."
"And you?"