Clang! Clang! Clang!
Everyone in the streets looked over as the Williams' villa's steel gate opened, making crisp metallic sounds.
Max walked out, closed the door and locked it again. Then, he swept his gaze across everyone in the street before confidently walking over to Martinez's villa.
…
In her room, Ruth Martinez stared at the ceiling with a dead look in her reddened eyes. Her mascara was smudged and trails of dried up tears could be seen on her cheeks. Clearly, she had cried a lot recently.
Why?
It was because, five days earlier, after they ran out of rations, her father-in-law passed away. Unlike them, he was an old man and was suffering from a chronic disease, so he couldn't survive without nutrition.
Then, just a day later, they also ran out of water.
After eating no food for a few days and a whole day without water, her 10-year-old son, being a growing child, could also no longer bear it and passed out.
Desperate, she wanted to slit her wrist to feed him her blood, but her husband, Jose Martinez, stopped her and no longer worrying about the situation outside, he went out to find some water and food for them.
When he returned, however, he was covered in blood and immediately fell unconscious upon entering the villa. Fortunately, those who injured him didn't seem to follow him, otherwise, things would have turned out even worse.
While she gave him first aid and patched his wounds, just like their son, he was on the verge of death. And she knew within a day, her daughter, Nia, and she would be in the same situation.
Just as she was beginning to entertain the thoughts that no mother and a wife should ever do, she heard some faint metallic noise as if someone was banging on the main gate.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"...Mrs. Martinez… Nia… are you… alright? It's me… Max Williams…"
"...Mrs. Martinez…"
"Hm? Max…?"
At first she thought it was some desperado from the rural area of the city, trying to tear the gate down to try their luck in their villa, but as she paid attention, she heard a familiar voice and upon hearing his name, she recognised him as her good friend Emily's step-son.
She wanted to push herself to sit up and go see what he wanted and whether he could provide them some help, but then she paused.
What if he was here to plunder them because their supplies had also run out?
And what if this apocalypse had made him just like those desperados, who not only looted people's homes, but also forced themselves on women. Wouldn't their last bit of dignity be tarnished before they died?
'No! He wouldn't do that for the sake of our familial relationship.' She thought to herself. 'Yes, he wouldn't. And what if Emily has sent him to help us? Maybe we can… survive?'
A faint glimmer of hope sparkled in her dead eyes and she struggled out of the bed before stumbling out of her room.
…
Outside, after knocking on the gate and calling out to Mrs. Martinez several times without any response, he stopped, his brows furrowing slightly.
He looked at the wall, similarly fenced. After a moment, he nodded and turned around to walk back to bring the ladder—he wanted to enter their villa via the wall and confirm whether they were alive or not.
However, just then, from his peripheral vision, from the gap in the steel door, he noticed the main door of Martinez residence slowly open which stopped him in his tracks.
He turned around and saw a haggard woman, dressed in jeans pants and a pink top, appear at the door.
As she walked down the few stairs, she almost stumbled and fell.
Seeing her condition, Max couldn't help but sigh melancholically in his heart. Just how many lives this sudden disaster had destroyed.
But this thought soon passed by and his eyes lit up.
'I hope her son and Nia are also alive.' He thought. As long as they were still alive, he wouldn't have a problem making this beautiful Milf, who he had lusted after ever since he saw her, his woman.
As she walked across the courtyard and came nearer to the main gate, Max noticed she looked to be in an even more bad condition than they were.
"M-Max…?" Ruth looked through the gap in the gate and confirmed it was indeed Max. When she saw he looked no different than before, meaning he wasn't lacking food and water, the previously faint glimmer of hope in her eyes blazed.
Max noticed her eyes roaming over him and when he saw her eyes brighten, he understood what she was thinking and suppressed a grin.
"Yes, it's me, Mrs. Martinez. Are you, Nia and others alright?" He asked.
Ruth's eyes stung at the question. She looked at the street through the gaps in the gate and saw 5 or 6 people, staring at them.
She hesitated before asking, "Would it be alright to open the gate with them here?"
"Don't worry, Mrs. Martinez. I won't let them harm you." Max said, his voice deep and confident.
Ruth felt assured hearing this. After taking a look at him, she took out the key and with her trembling hands, she unlocked the gate.
She then opened the small gate and while anxiously looking at the emaciated people on the street whose eyes had brightened seeing her open the gate, she hurriedly said, "Come in, Max."
Max nodded, glanced at everyone on the street indifferently which made them lower their heads, and entered.
Click!
Ruth immediately locked the gate again before looking at him. She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated. She then sighed in her heart, told herself to not hurry, and said, "Let's talk inside."
Max nodded and then as he watched her stumble on feet as she walked, she stepped beside her.
"Here, let me help, Mrs. Martinez." He said before he grabbed her hand, put it around his shoulders and held her waist with his other hand.
Ruth paused for a moment and instinctively wanted to resist, but seeing he was just trying to help, she didn't say anything and let him lead her to the house.
At the same time, she found herself relaxing, which she hadn't been able to do in the past two weeks.