After he finished speaking, Gavin picked up the telescope and silently scanned the road leading toward Ennis.
Meanwhile, on a billboard in the direction of Palmer, Eugene crouched as low as possible, gripping the steel pillar at the edge of the structure, cursing at William.
"I'm out of my mind for playing the hero with you. I must be high off my rocker!"
"Why should I care if my sister is dead? She can live or die for all I care! Is it not enough that I'm still alive? And what about your damned brother?"
"Damn! I swear the moment those zombies look up, they'll see me. No, I've got to go back. Maybe the stew is done. Even if I'm going to die, I should at least have something to eat. Damn it!"
"That quarterback definitely has bad intentions. He's just waiting to see me wet myself. You're crazy, I'm crazy, we're all completely insane!"
After he had spoken, Eugene kept turning his head, vigilant. Once he confirmed there were no zombies in sight, he slammed the steel pillar in frustration.
Bang!
Hearing Eugene's outburst, William swallowed hard and said with a pained expression, "Sorry, bro."
"Ha, now you're sorry? What was that gas you let out just now?"
Eugene immediately scolded William. "If you hadn't farted, I would have finished my Coke and gone back to the RV to check on Naizi!"
"By the way, William, don't you think that little ghost's mother is quite pretty? She has a gentle and delicate demeanor, and her figure is alright, but she's a bit wrinkled and her backside could use some more volume..."
"If you hadn't mentioned that fart, I could have seduced that older woman with just two words. To please a woman like her, you need to be a tough guy like me, fresh from the army, haha!"
Amidst their loud laughter, Eugene pulled out an eight-fold telescope and held it up to his eyes to survey the road in the distance.
Opposite him, William lay back, rolled his eyes, and forced a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous, bro. We have Gavin King on our team. He's a football legend, more appealing to women than Beckham and Leonardo combined!"
"Do you think a woman would pick Gavin first or you?" William swallowed hard, his heart racing at the thought of the horde of zombies they would soon face.
Eugene grinned at William's words, gazing into the distance as he replied, "I won't argue with you on that. Quarterbacks are indeed quite charming, but they can be a bit domineering."
"But he's so damned wealthy. He's had his share of women. Why would he be interested in an older woman like Doris?"
"Even if he encounters more living people in the future, I doubt he'd want to get involved with another unattractive backside!"
"The pickier he is, the better for me. At worst, I can let him choose first. I'm not picky about food anyway; I'll take whatever he leaves behind..."
Eugene's words suddenly trailed off.
William was taken aback for a moment, then rolled his eyes and said, "You can't even finish a sentence. You sound like a beggar, only able to scavenge leftovers..."
"Shut up."
At that moment, Eugene interrupted William, his tone grave and unlike before, making William tense.
Nervously, William looked at Eugene, who gripped the eight-fold scope tightly and spoke deliberately. "Directly ahead, on the highway, 3.5 kilometers away, the wind is blowing from the north at force 4. The size of the zombie horde has not diminished."
"William, even if you are not my sniper, I must warn you."
"From this moment on, breathe slowly, remain still, and be prepared!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Eugene's breathing slowed, and William could no longer hear him.
For a moment, William refrained from speaking, trying to peer into the distance.
However, his naked eyes could not discern the scenery several kilometers away, so he turned to Eugene for guidance.
In his gaze, Eugene's eyes were calm yet held a glint of danger, reminiscent of a coyote. William felt as if those steady eyes could turn predatory at any moment.
Though he had known Eugene for ages, this was the first time he had seen him like this!
Meanwhile, inside the RV, Madison rose from the driver's seat and made his way toward the shower room.
As he passed the stove, he smiled apologetically at Doris. "Excuse me, ma'am, may I use your bathroom to wash my face?"
"It's alright... it's alright!!!" Doris responded quickly.
To her, as long as there was no more trouble and no harm came to her children, nothing else mattered.
Ever since her husband had died before her, she had been prepared to lose everything. What was a mere bathroom?
Seeing Doris agree, Madison nodded gratefully and continued toward the shower room.
At that moment, Gavin, who was observing from the window with the telescope, suddenly stood up, walked to the RV door, pushed it open, and stepped outside.
Boom!
The sound of footsteps echoed from the roof again, striking Doris's heart hard, causing her to grip the frying pan tightly in her nervousness.
Madison immediately abandoned his plan to wash his face, turning back to the driver's seat of the RV to retrieve his S686.
Winnie approached the RV door, looked up at Gavin on the roof, and asked in a low voice, "Boss, are the zombies coming?"
Hearing this, Gavin, still watching from the roof, frowned. "There are birds taking off in the forest. They may not be zombies; it could be deer or wolves."
"Profound."
Winnie quickly pushed the RV door wide open to prevent Gavin from falling.
For her, the memory of her mother fainting at the door and forcing her to drive away from the zombie horde was something she would never forget.
Time passed slowly. After two minutes of observation, Gavin jumped off the roof and stood at the door, addressing the nervous Winnie.
"Go back to bed, kid."
"Okay!" Winnie hurried away, while Gavin turned his attention to Doris.
"And you, Doris, secure the pots and such. We may need to prepare to leave."
"The zombies are coming, right? I'll do my best not to spill the soup!"
As Doris replied, Gavin closed the RV door and approached the driver's seat, knocking on Madison's window.
Gavin spoke quickly as Madison rolled down the window. "The birds in the forest are taking off in a regular pattern. We can confirm that a group of zombies is moving at a steady pace. However, they haven't left the forest area yet; they're still at least eight minutes away from us."
"We'll decide on a course of action based on Eugene and William's situation. If they haven't been spotted by the zombies, we'll wait for them to return for dinner."
"If they are discovered by the zombies but don't lead them to us, we'll shoot to draw the zombies' attention, then circle around the artificial lake to contain the horde and try to save their lives."
"And if they're discovered right away, scared out of their wits, and jump off that billboard, running toward us to bring the damned zombies with them..."
Gavin patted the holster of his Colt Python and continued, "If they choose that, Old Mac, you can drive the RV around the lake and onto the road, using it to shake off the zombies."
"What about you?" Madison asked quickly.
Gavin smiled. "I'm going to make sure they meet their end at the hands of the zombies, or at mine."
Hearing this, Madison rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you rarely take risks for strangers unless you need to eliminate them, right?"
"Hehe~"
Gavin waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, Old Mac, you don't need to worry about me. Your modified Tyrannosaurus Rex is a marvel. It's a beast with over a thousand horsepower."
"Relying on the performance of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the open space nearby, getting rid of the zombie horde won't be a challenge. I can catch up with you."
"Besides, even if I am merely running, those zombies will not be able to catch me. Unless Usain Bolt becomes one of the undead, there are few who can outrun me."
With that, Gavin patted the car window before returning to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, where he drew out the Colt Python for inspection.
After confirming that the magazine was fully loaded, he returned the firearm to its holster and raised his telescope to observe Eugene and the others.
Through the lens, he noted that Eugene and the other man remained still, which he hoped was a good sign.
Gavin took a moment to light a cigarette, then settled onto the bed of the Tyrannosaurus Rex to continue his watch.
On the billboard, Eugene's breathing grew steadier.
However, William's heartbeat and breath became increasingly erratic.
He had finally caught sight of the zombie horde!
Hearing William's labored breaths, Eugene turned to him, ready to unleash a curse.
But after taking a deep breath, he opted instead to whisper a word of comfort.
"You're panting like you're caught in a frenzy, my friend! I swear I will pinch your ears!"