Norman Barnes had been walking all day. Together with William, David, Henry, Aron, Cara and Riley, they traveled from the ranch to an asphalt road that had a very cracked pavement. This path would lead them to the Center, the main town that had a very adept population of men and women in different races.
Norman had remembered through the course of their journey last night. He and Daisy had their first attempt at a sexual encounter in a seven-month romantic relationship. He could still feel her lips touch his, the hands caressing his body, and the steamy, nervous laugh of the young, gorgeous woman. The relaxing comfort of her curvy torso, and bony arms embracing him, made him fall into a sweet sleep faster after a day of slaughter and gore.
"How're you holding up?" Henry came by beside him. The thirty-something married man was buffed, had a trimmed beard and goatee, and taller than Norman.
"Good," Norman moaned.
"Missing someone?" said Henry like a tease.
Norman elbowed him. "Jerk," he muttered.
Henry chortled. "Man, it is no secret you and her are a sweet little couple. I mean, Bill knows, right?"
Norman shook his head.
"I know," William replied all of a sudden, while he trekked along with them. Norman wasn't surprised at all. He'd always known everything.
"And what do you think of it?" Henry asked.
"I think I wanna punch the damn guy in the face," the old man growled, then continued, "but no. If my niece can find happiness in him, then why would I bother ruining it."
"That's pretty touching, Bill," Norman said sarcastically.
"I never said I agree of what's happening between you and Daisy," he snapped. "If you hurt her-"
"I won't hurt he-"."
"IF you hurt her, I will let a horde of those bastards tear your heart out. Capiché?"
Norman sighed. "Sure."
"That's my boy," William patted Norman's head a bit too hard, and off he went, passing Riley and Cara who were busy talking in the front of the party. David glanced at the old fellow, then at Norman as he side-walked. He slowed down his gait until Norman was at his right side.
"What's up with you and the old-timer?" David asked in a low voice.
"He knows," Norman whispered.
"Knows about what? Between you and Daisy?"
Norman nodded. He could feel Henry's gaze, slightly smirking at him.
"Of course, he knows, you idiot! You'd think he won't notice your eyes looking at his niece for over seven months of relationship! And fuck, you just slept with her!"
"How do you know about the stares and shit?"
"Don't change the topic. You're looking at her most of the time last night with smiles and crap."
"Yeah," Henry joined in, "and we heard your noises that night. Me and Rose can't even sleep."
"We were silent, man. No one can hear a damn thing."
"Still, you'd just laid with her!"
"Yeah," David added, "and I bet you don't even get to put that thing in her."
"I didn't," Norman said. "She wasn't ready, I wasn't ready, and you'd think I want a baby in this shitty world. She's in the mood. I was in the mood, too. But we didn't want to get her pregnant, and if we did, then Bill is going to kick me out of this community."
"It doesn't matter," David said. "The point is, he noticed you, he saw you ogling at Daisy, and even he heard you flirting with her in some nights."
"What?"
"You know, stalking, looking, glancing at her from the time to time during dinner." Henry said. "Bill observed, and we observed, don't we, David?"
David was silent; his cheeks went peek. "I think so," he said slowly.
"I guess I'm careless as hell," Norman muttered.
David chuckled. "Don't worry, my friend. In quite some time, Billy would accept you, even made you as a son-in-law."
"Really?" Norman raised an eyebrow. "You'd think marriage stuff, even if we're in the middle of the damn Apocalypse."
"Well, why not?" Henry said. "In a world full of shit, why can't we have a wedding? I get that there are no wicked bachelor parties, but you can still have a one-hell-of-a wedding. David will be your best man."
"Mm-hmm."
"You're kidding? Tell me you're both kidding."
"We're serious," Henry said, almost laughing.
"Dead serious," David added.
"You are such an ass," Norman gave up, and went heading for the road ahead. David and Henry gave a short chuckle, before continuing silently on the journey.
It took another twenty minutes before they could see the outskirts of the Center. The trees were gone, replaced by fields of tall grass. Norman was sure they had wild, poisonous snakes in there. The huge metal gate stood, with outposts where unseen men and women looked with binoculars and scopes of long-ranged sniper rifles. They were spotted by now. Norman was sure of it. He could see a faint sight of the nose of a gun appearing on a dirty curtain. William kept up, hurrying the pace. He wanted the meeting to be over sooner. He had other things to do. They had other things to do.
They were fifty feet away when a clicking of a gun echoed on the lonely road. "Don't move a muscle!" yelled a man who had a very deep but familiar Irish voice. Norman knew who he was.
William and the rest of the guys kept on moving against the shooter's wishes. "Nice try, Zed!" shouted David.
He guffawed and howled out, "Just trying to do my job. Open the gates!"
