Zombie Soap 2: Conspiracy

Forty-One

Diego: Part I

On the rooftop, Diego watched Jeannie and Major Orson leave through a pair of binoculars. He observed them for several minutes, long after they disappeared, to ensure no one followed before lowering the apparatus.

A set of footsteps approaching alerted him to a new presence, and he slowly turned to greet John, who'd stopped within arms' length and stuffed his hands into his fleece coat pockets.

"Is it done?" Mr. Whittaker asked quietly — his face an impassive mask.

Hugging himself for warmth, Diego nodded. "Yes. No one on Benson's team seems aware she's gone from her quarters."

"Good." John didn't elaborate, nor did he give any hint of his thoughts or emotions. He simply stood in place, silent as the grave and still as a statue except for the occasional shiver in the early winter breeze.

After spending several days, if not weeks, with the man, Diego still couldn't interpret his mood. John Whittaker was an enigma, and it was easy to understand why Taylor struggled to connect with him. The two were so different; Taylor tended to openly express himself while his father kept everything internalized. The only thing Diego could discern with certainty was that John did everything in his power to protect his family. He wasn't a role model by any means, but anyone who paid attention could see the lengths he was willing to travel for his wife and son. The only thing Diego had ever disagreed with was his methods, yet he understood. He himself missed his mother every day. To lose the only opportunity to cure Allison must have been a devastating blow.

"So what's the plan now?" he asked, deciding not to broach an unwelcome topic. "Jeannie is gone, but that doesn't address our more immediate problem."

Approaching the ledge where Diego stood, John stared ahead into the night. "I need to speak to General Reyes. It's not enough to arrest Benson in a world where law no longer exists. Much as I abhor capital punishment, we have no other option. He's behind the virus escaping containment, and he's been performing illegal experiments. If we don't stop him now, he'll continue while eliminating all who pose a threat to his work."

"Like Jayson," Diego whispered. Bile burned his throat. He'd never liked Recklaw — the man was a loose cannon with a horrible temper — but he'd been right this whole time. Benson had been targeting the survivors, and though no one had been able to verify how several people had disappeared, the common denominator was that they'd been men in decent physical condition. The variables ranged from tension with Benson to strangers admitted for quarantine in very small groups. And in some cases, men attracted to the women Benson leered at went missing too.

John bobbed his head, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead. "I have enough proof to expose him, but I'm not sure who he's working with, and he's not the type to concede."

"What exactly is going on?" Diego pressed, turning his full attention to John and pinning him with an interrogative stare he used on suspects. "You're all so busy running around with your heads up your butts, but no one ever gives a straight answer."

A small chuckle, accompanied by a puff of frigid air left John's lips. "I suppose we deserve that." The humor left his face as he sighed. "Taylor will have questions about the information I recovered on the flash drive he stole."

Diego lifted his eyebrows in amusement, but kept his mouth shut. Somehow, he wasn't surprised. If he knew anything about his boyfriend, it was that Taylor possessed endless curiosity. "Does he know what was on it?"