Zombie Soap 2: Conspiracy

Twelve

Jayson: Part II

He couldn't believe it. This whole time, he thought Jeannie was dead, yet here she was, looking at Jayson like he was the ghost. Her face was gaunt as if she hadn't eaten since they were rescued. In fact, she didn't look anything like the blonde threatening to put Sergeant Heard's kidney on ice.

She stepped backward, stumbling as she tried to get away. "Who are you?" she asked in a trembling voice. "Are you another soldier here to hurt me?"

Jayson halted, slowly bringing his hands up in surrender. His voice shook with emotion as he tried to reason with her. "No. You were Eric's girlfriend. He was my best friend; you were my friend. Do you really not remember me?"

She shook her head, backing further away into the shadows. "Daniel, I want to go back inside."

The man he was just speaking to stepped between them, giving Jeannie a reassuring nod before turning to Jayson. His eyes weren't unkind, but they narrowed all the same, scrutinizing him as he kept Jeannie shielded with his large frame. When he spoke, his voice was low, out of earshot of her and Jayson's companion. "Listen, Echo is fragile right now. I don't know what happened to her, but it was enough to make her forget. Keep your mouth shut before you get yourself killed."

Jayson's chest heaved, and his fists clenched at his sides. Regardless if this man was telling the truth, the Council wasn't. Even worse, Taylor lied to him. He wanted to throw caution out the window, to say screw whatever happened to him, but then no one would ever discover the truth.

"You wanna know what happened?" he whispered in a harsh tone, "her boyfriend was killed protecting her, her mother treated her like shit until the very end, and she was bitten right after saving Whittaker's life. Then the government you serve lied and told us she died. Can you really claim innocence and say you didn't experiment on her?"

Jeannie whimpered behind Daniel. "He wouldn't hurt me. I don't know you, I don't remember anything from before this place, but he keeps me safe from the bad people."

"We can keep you safe," Jayson snarled, looking around Daniel. Jeannie shrank in on herself, refusing to meet his eye as he continued. "Did you forget Monica, your best friend? She cried over your death. She fought to let you into the compound in Phoenix when everyone else would have left you to die."

With his teeth barred between curled lips, Daniel shoved Jayson back. "I said keep your mouth shut," he hissed. "If you want to help, don't say anything."

Screw that. Jayson did an about-face and ran, pushing through the doors to the compound. Daniel shouted something behind him, but Jayson kept going. Where, he didn't know, but he needed to get away from all the lies. He needed to speak to someone, to Monica, someone he trusted with the truth.

One hallway merged into another until he was thoroughly lost. He didn't know how anyone could navigate this place, let alone the soldier after him as they ran blindly through the building. When it became clear he couldn't shake his pursuer, Jayson spun around just before Daniel caught up with him and swung.

Daniel immediately blocked, twisting Jayson's arm behind him, only for him to wiggle out of the bigger man's grasp and sweep his leg beneath Daniel's. The other man landed on his back with a loud thump, smacking his head on the tile when he went down.

Scrambling to his feet, Jayson took a defensive stance as Daniel groaned and found his bearings, rubbing the back of his head. "Not bad. You're lucky I'm on your side, or I could have you shot."

"Try it," Jayson growled. "I don't have much left to lose here."

Daniel slowly stood up; his bones popped at the joints, making him wince. He rolled his shoulders before leveling a firm gaze on Jayson. "Don't be stupid," he whispered. "I was serious when I said Benson would make life hell for you. You said you know Echo?"