"Calm down, please" screams Maria with the girl on her back.
"Okay, okay..." Irene says and moves away from Rambo.
Iñaki reaches down, grabs Rambo by the collar, and pulls him away. Juan and Mike stand up. Eliza and Daniel continue impassively. Martina and Eduardo still don't put the guns down.
"What do you suggest?" she asks.
"What do you propose?" he replies.
"Put the guns down!" Maria's voice resounds on the four walls.
"Listen to her!" Irene pleads.
Like the hands of the clock, the arms of Martina and Eduardo go down little by little. Little by little. Until 6: 00.
"Let's talk like civilized people," Maria says.
Meanwhile, in Eduardo's apartment...
A nerve impulse, an electrical signal ignites in the brain like a distant lightning bolt. The fingers contract on the floor and the mouth opens with an exhalation. The eyes turn white and a ravenous hunger makes the creature's brain beat. The aroma of food flows through his nostrils. The teeth chatter. The last atom of oxygen leaves the lungs and Victor stands up.
The zombie roars overwhelmed by his senses. His sense of smell lies to him. The creature turns its head in all directions like a beast. Hunger oppresses his brain. The electrical signal has only one message: "feed me."
Feet drag on the floor, hands fly across the room, and furniture falls at the corpse's feet. Then, the creature perceives <
There it is... in addition to smell and sight, Víctor now detects some vibrations that reach his ears. Ten bloody fingers touch that part of the body. The sounds go through the wooden door, and hands and then lands in his ears. They're human voices. It is food.
Around the table, everyone has sat down again and the weapons have disappeared into three different pockets. The heart still rides in Iñaki's chest. Sofia is back in his arms and Mike has Rambo by the collar. Martina clears her throat.
"I am sorry. But we have to learn to get along; otherwise, coexistence will be impossible."
"Are you saying that for Juan?" asks Mike.
"And for Eduardo...and for me, for you, for Iñaki, for Maria, Irene, Daniel, and Eliza."
"Are we a team now?" Iñaki asks with sarcasm on his tongue.
"You don't want us to be?" Martina addresses Iñaki.
"No."
Iñaki sees Juan out of the corner of his eye touching his pocket.
"Relax, Juan," adds Martina. "We're not going to attack anyone for not wanting what we want."
The brother snorts and moves his hand away from his pants.
"I understand you, Iñaki," Irene says, gesturing with both hands. In your situation, I probably would have said the same thing. But I know Martina, I know what she suffered at the hands of that man, I know she's a good person and she just wants us all to survive together."
"Surviving," Eliza says, "is the only option.
Daniel looks at the ceiling, his mind is miles away.
" And what's your plan for survival?" asks Eduardo.
"Shelter and resources," replies Eliza like a statue.
"This shelter and our resources?"
"Eduardo," Martina asks, keeping her gaze on him, "do you want us to leave?"
Eduardo breaks eye contact.
"Mike, Maria…Iñaki?"
Mike shakes his head.
"No," replies Maria.
When Iñaki is about to open his mouth, Eduardo extends his index fingers in Daniel's direction.
"You!"