It was late into the night.
When the crowd began to disperse, returning to their respective rooms, odin was mostly completed, and Shawn was still filling in the internal details.
From a distance, a full figure approached, carrying the hurricane lamp she had brought from the Farm.
The flickering light illuminated odin's distinct, hard, grayish-white outline, its 4.5-meter height resembling a small mountain hidden in the darkness.
Beth, draped in one of Shawn's shirts, raised her hand and knocked on odin's door.
Clang, clang, clang--
"Is Little Pig home?"
Beth couldn't help but chuckle after she spoke.
Little Pig naturally referred to the three little pigs who built houses. The fairy tale seemed a bit out of place when applied to Shawn, but in Beth's eyes, it had a unique kind of cuteness.
Shawn didn't make a sound, as if he wasn't inside the vehicle.
But the next second, the door suddenly opened with a dull 'creak'.
Inside, it was pitch black, impossible to see anything.
Beth suppressed the fear in her heart, leaned in to look, and instantly brought the hurricane lamp in her hand to her face, shining it inside!
There was nothing.
"Didn't Carl say Shawn was here?" Beth asked, puzzled.
She took two steps back, about to turn and look elsewhere, but the next second, her back hit a solid chest.
The sudden obstruction startled Beth, but she quickly turned around, only to be met with Shawn's playful, half-smiling expression.
"You did that on purpose!"
Beth frowned, a few neat, regular wrinkles appearing on the side of her nose.
But the next moment, Shawn pressed closer.
Beth retreated repeatedly until her back was against odin's door.
Shawn propped one hand on the door, lowered his head, and slowly moved his nose from Beth's hair to beside her earlobe, then to her smooth neck.
Feeling Shawn's breath move across her, Beth couldn't help but lower her head, even forgetting the fear from being startled moments ago.
The world fell silent; she seemed to only hear Shawn's breathing and her own heartbeat. She slowly closed her eyes.
But even though it had reached the final step, Shawn made no move.
After a long pause with no movement, Beth had no choice but to open her eyes again.
Opening her eyes, she met Shawn's gaze directly.
Holding the hurricane lamp to the height of both their faces, Beth saw herself reflected in Shawn's eyes.
At this moment, Shawn seemed to be observing carefully, like savoring a exquisite, delicious meal, holding back the urge to bite into it.
"You don't look like the Big Bad Wolf. Could it be Little Red Riding Hood knocking on the door?"
"Why would I knock on a pig's door?"
Beth feigned indifference, humming to herself.
"Even if I'm a pig, I'm the smartest one among my brothers."
"This is my newly built house. Interested in coming in for a sit?"
As he spoke, Shawn wrapped his hand around Beth's back and gently patted her.
The hurricane lamp couldn't quite capture Beth's blush. She simply opened the door silently, gave Shawn a look, and then slipped into the darkness of odin's first floor, disappearing from view.
But Shawn, in the complete silence, could still hear the faint sound of skin rubbing against clothes coming from inside the vehicle.
"Woman, your name is desire."
Shawn dropped this remark with a sigh, then got into the vehicle and closed the door in one smooth motion.
Fortunately, this medium-sized truck, with its alloy-constructed shell, used tons as its unit of self-weight, so the vehicle barely swayed.
However, not long after, the not-so-strong lights inside flickered on and off.
Beth and Shawn's voices could be heard from inside.
Beth said, "Is there something wrong with this light? Why does it keep turning on?"
Shawn said, "It's nothing, I'm too comfortable, accidentally pressed E."
Beth said, "Pressed E?"
Shawn said, "You misheard, I accidentally pressed the switch. Never mind that, I thought of a new move, only suitable for this vehicle, you know."
Beth said, "Shawn, you… the light is on again!"
…
As expected of a mobile tribal base.
This place was practically a home, capable of meeting all the needs of a household.
…At least, that's what Shawn thought last night.
A night passed, and he felt refreshed.
When Shawn donned his tactical suit and opened the door to get out of the vehicle, the first thing he saw was Maggie, wearing a loose, coffee-colored shirt.
"Is something wrong, Maggie?"
Maggie was a mother now, and Shawn's attitude towards her was even gentler and more patient than before.
"You slept here last night? I mean… I went to look for Beth this morning, but I didn't see any sign of her."
Maggie's abdomen wasn't particularly prominent now, and she could often move around freely on her own.
Usually, Glenn accompanied her, or she would go chat with Carol and the others, or confide in Beth.
This morning, Maggie had knocked on the door of the third-floor room in the Administrative Building but received no response.
But because it was the Warden's room, Maggie didn't open the door without permission. Instead, she went downstairs to ask others.
It was then that she learned from Rick that Shawn hadn't gone upstairs last night.
And now, she had just arrived and stood in front of odin, only to see Shawn open the door and step out of the vehicle.
"Beth… you didn't see her?"
Shawn looked puzzled, calmly closing the door.
In truth, Beth had woken up long ago, but after she woke up, the other residents of the Prison also woke up and occasionally passed by the vehicle. She felt a bit too embarrassed to get out with Shawn.
Bang--
The door closed, the sound of the internal lock fine and crisp.
With that sound, a flash of insight seemed to strike Maggie, and she understood.
She looked at Shawn with an 'I understand' expression, a smile playing on her lips.
When she spoke again, whether intentionally or unintentionally, her voice was much louder.
"Okay, if you see her later, please tell her for me that I'll be waiting for her outside the Administrative Building."
Maggie said, mostly meaningfully.
After speaking, she merely gave Shawn a look, then turned and left.
Shawn watched her leave, then opened the door, revealing Beth's somewhat flushed face.
Clearly, Beth had been eavesdropping, hidden behind the door, while Shawn chatted with Maggie.
"Oh~~ Beth?"
"Maggie just asked me to find you. I didn't expect to find you so quickly."
Shawn gave her an innocent smile.
"You!" Beth glared at Shawn.
Stubbornly, she made a small fist and lightly punched Shawn.
Then she put on her coat, quickly got out of the vehicle, and hurried away.
What Shawn had to do today was still to build the vehicle.
Last night, he had installed the 'candle' and the Stirling Engine.
The Stirling Engine was placed in the 'empty equipment bay' in a corner of the first floor.
Originally, this space was meant for electronic devices, but seeing that the size was just right, he simply placed the engine inside.
The remaining space was just enough to bind the nuclear-powered torch and place it underneath for power generation.
Using 'wiring tools,' the engine was directly connected to the battery, so when the engine operated, the generated electricity would flow directly into the battery.
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