Zombie Soap 2: Conspiracy

Eighteen

Jayson

As Taylor fled the cafeteria, Jayson followed, hastening his pace as the former turned each corner. It wasn't until Taylor stopped near the promenade to catch his breath that Jayson closed the gap.

This was his chance to demand answers, but Jayson's mind buzzed with images of Jeannie's gaunt condition and everyone else who'd turned. Loki pranced through his memory, dooking happily as he terrorized Taylor, and ghosts of his past with him and Eric also haunted him. Jeannie and Monica giggled together while cuddling the animal, Eric played countless hours of Xbox games with him, and Taylor cooked dinner.

All of that shattered before his eyes the moment the virus became a reality. Eric was dead, Jeannie faced a fate worse than death, Loki's remains were still splattered and decomposing in their abandoned house, and Taylor had betrayed them all by joining the Council and lying to his friends. By standing aside and turning a blind eye, he'd help condemn one of their closest friends to experiments at the hands of these monsters. If he knew about her, then surely he knew Benson was controlling Monica through fear as well.

Taylor had gone from innocent to guilty, and he was going to pay for it with everyone else.

Jayson's punch landed on the first blow, connecting with his best friend's jaw and sending him to the ground. Red painted his vision as he kicked Taylor in the ribs and then dropped to punch every part of the body he could reach.

Diego dove between them, acting as a shield and taking the hits. When Jayson moved to pry him away and resume his rage, two pairs of hands grabbed him from behind, dragging him backward. He fought to break free, sending an elbow to one man's gut and his head in someone's mouth. People surrounded him on all sides now, civilian and military alike, with the latter training weapons on him as Colonel Benson calmly walked into the center of the ring.

"You knew Jeannie was alive this whole time!" Jayson shouted. "You were using Taylor against us!"

Benson tilted his head to the side and lifted one shoulder into a shrug. "You give me too much credit, Recklaw. You poisoned yourself against your friend on your own through your paranoia."

"You sick bastard! Jeannie is alive and you're experimenting on her! Admit it!"

Benson shrugged dismissively. "We do what we must to ensure our safety and survival. She will provide a cure, and then we will rebuild the world."

"With you in control, right?"

Jayson spat at Benson's feet, and the colonel smiled. Smug triumph glittered behind his eyes as he turned to face the crowd. "Take him to the gate and bring his things."

People scrambled out the the way as the guards led him through the facility. Hundreds of eyes watched him with expressions of fear and disgust, as if he would be the one to bring about their doom if he were permitted to walk free.

Benson walked ahead of him with a bounce in his step. If it wouldn't get him shot, Jayson would gladly strangle him. The man was a snake, luring everyone into a false sense of security while he seized power.

"So what's your play now?" Jayson demanded loudly as they marched through the facility. "Isolate the group until you tear everyone apart from within?"

Benson's shoulders bobbed as he chuckled, not even bothering to face him. "You did that on your own. I told you, I'm not the enemy. These people depend on me and the Council to safely govern the survivors. You would have seen that if you'd kept your temper in check."