Chapter 23: One Scheme After Another

"Ugh..."

Gavin and Madison were cut off by Doris's whimpering. Winnie slapped her hand against her own face with a sharp smack.

"Mom!" Winnie growled in her slightly raspy voice. "It wasn't the Boss's fault. Our whole family agreed to go on that trip to Dallas!"

As she spoke, she dragged her mother toward the RV while repeatedly whispering to Gavin, "Boss, I'll make my mom stew some meat for you. Her stew is amazing, just wait and see—" Then, turning back to her mother, she added, "Mom, please stop crying. Hurry up and make breakfast; I'm starving. Just stop it!"

Watching Winnie and her mother disappear into the RV, Madison rolled his eyes in silence before coming up beside Gavin. "That kid is more like her mother than her mother is, you know what I mean?"

"Uh-huh," Gavin replied noncommittally.

Seeing this, Madison let out a sigh and remarked, "As for her mom, don't take it to heart. Our winning the championship has nothing to do with their family's deaths. Besides, if they had stayed in a big city like Houston instead of driving toward Dallas, they might not have even survived as long as those two did. We didn't hurt them; we saved them."

With that, Madison looked at Gavin with concern, fearing his leader might be developing psychological issues. Gavin, noticing Madison's worried expression, paused and gave a funny shake of his head.

"What are you thinking? I don't care who lives or dies; I'm just thinking about the road ahead. The movement of the walkers is too easily influenced by the living. If other towns beyond Ennis have individual survivors left, who knows how their actions might scatter the walkers' distribution?"

Gavin picked up his binoculars to scan the far side of the lake, then lowered them and continued, "Get Eugene and William. Let's all get inside the RV; don't wait for Doris to invite us. What are we going to do out here in the open? We don't even have tents or folding chairs—are we just going to stand here and be target practice?"

Gavin pulled open the RV door. Doris, who had been hunched over the stove crying, turned around in a panic, staring at Gavin in terror. Winnie rushed over to grab Gavin's hand, asking, "Boss, are you going to talk some sense into my mom for me? That's great!"

Seeing Winnie's dramatic display, Gavin pulled his hand back and ruffled her hair. "Don't make a scene. I'm not in the mood to hurt your mother; it's just not safe outside. Everyone needs to get inside the RV."

He glanced into the cabin. The interior of the Ford F450 was spacious. The front section featured a sofa and a dining table; directly across from the entrance were the gas stove and microwave, while the rear held the shower, bathroom, and bed. Doris had bumped her head on the stove and passed out when they first boarded.

***

Once Gavin pushed Winnie toward her mother, he sat down at the dining table without ceremony, resting his arms on the surface. Outside, Madison shouted for Eugene and William to get on board, then followed suit and sat across from Gavin. The booth seating was a bit tight for him, so after fidgeting for a moment, he moved to the sofa to stretch out his legs comfortably.

When Eugene climbed in, he gave William a kick, surveyed the layout of the RV, and chuckled. "This RV is pretty sweet. I wanted to buy one myself back in the day. I was looking at a travel trailer—more space, cheaper price. Too bad even the cheap ones were out of my reach. Damn America, screw the White House, f*ck it!"

He sat down across from Gavin and started fiddling with the roses on the table like a child with ADHD. William stood in the aisle, hesitating for a long time until Madison beckoned him to sit on the sofa.

Near the stove, seeing everyone sitting in silence, Winnie instinctively pursed her lips and pulled on her mother, whispering, "Mom, hurry up and cook!"

"I know, *sob*, I know." With a group of big men crowding into the RV, Doris was too frightened to keep crying and scrambled to organize the ingredients.

Winnie squeezed in next to Gavin, pressing her hip against his, and leaned over the table. "Boss, what are we talking about? Deciding how to deal with the sick ones outside?"

"We're deciding how to make sure the walkers outside don't deal with *us*!" Gavin quipped. He tapped the table, catching everyone’s attention. "I estimate the Ennis herd is about sixteen kilometers away. At their fastest, they’ll be near us in about two hours."

"There are only a few scenarios, so I’ll be brief." Gavin tapped the table hard, the sound making even Doris stop to listen. "On one hand, it's highly likely they'll follow the road through Palmer. If that happens, we don't need to do anything. We just watch their movement, confirm the bulk of the herd has passed, and then we hit the road toward Ennis."

"But if we get spotted and chased, we have three options." Gavin traced an arc on the table. "First, if they spot us before passing the lake, we drive around it, try to use the lake to draw them away from the road, then head back onto the path on the other side toward Ennis."

"Second, if they surround us from both sides of the lake, we drive into the forest, try to lose them with speed, then hike through the woods to bypass Ennis and head toward Corsicana to scout the situation."

"Finally, if we’re completely surrounded, even in the woods, we jump into the man-made lake and try to drag them into the water. Walkers can't swim; they move much slower in the water than we do. We can choose the direction with the fewest walkers and swim for it."

"Of course, there’s plenty of open space around us. Even if they close in, we have a good chance of shaking them, but that’s risky. I’ll make the call based on the situation. Your job is to listen clearly to my decisions and stick to me! I’ve been as concise as possible. If anyone doesn't get it, go to the driver’s seat, look at the terrain, and use your head to simulate the routes I described."

Gavin leaned back in his chair. Hearing the plan, Eugene grinned thoughtfully. "No wonder the big black guy calls you Boss. You’re like a germophobic pimp—you've got a plan for everything. Not bad!"

"Eugene!" Madison growled, slapping his thigh.

Eugene quickly dodged toward the window, waving his hands at Madison. "Don't be so sensitive! I’m admiring you, I’m appreciating you, I don't mean anything else!"

"That’s better." Madison snorted and leaned back against the sofa.

After a moment of silence, Doris, who was busy tying up a large piece of meat with string, asked with a tremble, "So... have people really all turned into monsters? I mean, could it just be Ennis?"

"Don't be stupid, Mom. Dad was bitten to death by those things, you saw it!" Winnie interrupted, sounding frustrated. "And haven't you watched TV? The zombies in those shows are everywhere. You couldn't get through to Grandma or Nana on the phone, could you?"

"I... I... *sob*..." Doris started crying again.

Gavin rolled his eyes, lit a cigarette, and grabbed Winnie’s arm. "That's enough. Let your mom cook; I'm waiting to eat." He glanced at the listless William. "And you!"

Gavin turned his gaze to William. "If you still can't let go of your father and brother, do something to distract yourself, like Doris. Take the binoculars and keep watch, you damn Dallas cop!"

He handed the binoculars to Eugene, signaling him to pass them to William. Eugene stood up, shoved the binoculars into William's chest, and cursed, "Go on, get to the post, man! Can't you even do that?" He then shoved William toward the back of the RV, forcing him to watch out the window by the bed.

Once William was settled, Eugene returned to the table and sneered, "I don't trust that kid with my life. I’ll keep an eye out myself."

"I'm not worried about you, Eugene. Do what you want. I need to rest; I didn't sleep at all last night." Gavin patted Eugene's arm, left the table for the passenger seat, and reclined it. "Mac, call me when the food is ready."

He closed his eyes, opened the window, and smoked. Madison nodded and went to stand behind Doris. "Hey, ma'am, do you have any rice? My boss likes his stew with rice!"