Content warning for violence and racist remarks that in no way reflect my views as an individual. Racism is never okay in any circumstance.

Also, I don't normally ask forgiveness but... I hope y'all can forgive me. 🫣

...

Diego: Part II

Six days passed. Six endless days of psychological and physical torture stretched into a blur. Diego had been beaten, starved (only to be given a mouthful of food by the third day and denied anything else but water), and forced to choose one person during each pit.

True to his word, Benson found people to toss into the pit each afternoon, making the entire facility watch. Benson had stopped telling Diego what to choose; only that he must pick one person. Sometimes, that action saved people. Other times, they were condemned to the lab or ravenous zombie horde.

By this point, he'd lost count of those thrown into the pit.

Despite everything he'd experienced, Diego hadn't broken or given Monica to the enemy.

On the seventh evening, Diego found himself at the end of Sergeant Reid's fist. Oddly, he was grateful Benson couldn't be bothered to show up.

Fresh blood spatter joined old on the wall, floor, and Diego's socks. He'd been moved to a different office on the same floor with no furnishings. The only upgrade was that he'd no longer been kept in handcuffs.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked after Ried's knuckles cracked Diego's nose.

To be honest, the pain had become almost an out-of-body experience; it hardly bothered him anymore as his tolerance grew with each day.

Ried responded by yanking Diego by his hair and hauling him to his feet. "You fucking Mexicans just don't know how to stay down."

Rage burned inside Diego's gut, but he miraculously refrained from taking the bait. Karma was a vengeful bitch, and Diego hoped She had no mercy.

"Got nothing to say?" Ried taunted, slamming Diego's face into the plexiglass window. "Let's see what you say now. Look into the pit."

Whoever was down there today sent chilling dread down Diego's spine. So far, Benson had stuck with killing only men, and two teenagers. One, Diego had managed to save from the pit and experiments. Today, only one person stood on a platform, sobbing as a fit man swung at her. Her head snapped sideways from the impact, and she cut her legs and hands as she connected with the asphalt.

Then she raised her chin defiantly, and Diego immediately recognized her.

Ashley. Taylor's ex-girlfriend and Oliver's friend with benefits. The same Ashley who'd been close to the entire Whittaker family. The one who'd helped Taylor and his friends escape.

The man with her was new. Every time before, Ried had been with the victims while Benson forced Diego to choose.

"Who is that?" Diego demanded, forgetting about his vow of silence.

"That is Colonel Alastor," Ried replied smugly. "The power grids have come up in some areas, and we got reinforcements yesterday. If you want to save that girl, tell us where Doctor Wainwright went. And if you think we're bad, Alastor will make her death far more painful than anything we've done."

Diego shook his head, sticking to the lie. "I've told you all a million times, I don't know! Monica drove the truck; not me! I never saw the map!"

Por favor sea suficiente. Please be enough.

Ried rolled his eyes and drove his knee into Diego's stomach. As Diego dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and groaned, Ried grabbed a radio. "He's not talkin', over."

¡Mierda, mierda, mierda!

"I don't know anything!" Diego screamed.

He couldn't tell the truth; not now. They'd kill Ashley anyway.

A glance to the pit revealed Colonel Alastor staring straight up, as if directly into Diego's soul. But no one knew he was in his current location, or they'd all have sought him out with condescension and rage. The man touched his ear, but Diego couldn't make out his more subtle movements.

His voice, however, came in loud and clear. "Copy that. I guess he just needs some motivation. Over."

Then, Alastor knelt and grabbed Ashley by her hair while leaning forward. "All right, Ashley, listen up. There's a man deciding your fate right now; all he has to do is give us the information we need. He does that, and we'll give you a second chance to rejoin our little community and get your shit together."

Diego's stomach lurched. Did Ashley even know it was him? As if this betrayal wasn't horrific enough.

"Is there anything you want to say to this man?" Alastor finished.

A broken plea cackled over the radio. "Please don't let me die like this."

"Please don't let me die like this," Alastor repeated in a harsh tone. "Do you hear that? She is begging you not to make a selfish decision. Is the information you stole worth this woman's life?"

Time slowed to a crawl as each heart beat thundered more than the next inside Diego's ears.

Esta no puede ser mi realiad.

Pressing his fist to the window, Diego sank to the floor and stared at his knees. He couldn't make this choice. It wasn't right or fair.

"You're pretty quiet," Alastor taunted, "I'm going to want an answer soon."

The line suddenly cut, and Diego glanced down to see Alastor touch his ear again and nod. He stood, and not even a moment later, light rain began to fall.

The crowd remained seated as they wiped hair from their face or created a visor with their hands to see. Alastor folded his arms across his chest and scowled.

Several minutes passed where nothing happened. For a brief moment, Diego wondered if he'd died and his soul had left his body, but his throbbing nose and split lip indicated otherwise.

Then the door opened.

"D?"

Mierdaaaa... ¿Por Que?

Diego turned until he faced Taylor, who sat in a wheelchair, hooked up to an IV bag attached to his chair. One arm had been recast into fresh plaster while the other sat in a sling. He looked miserable with dark rimmed eyes and slumped shoulders.

Behind him was none other than the devil himself: Sheldon Benson.

Diego dreaded whatever was about to happen.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly. "Are they—" Diego choked on his words. "Are you alright? Has anyone hurt you?"

"Aside from Wheeler shooting me? I've been better, but no one has lain a hand on me." Taylor cast Ried a troubled frown before shifting to glance at Benson. "You told me he wouldn't be harmed—"

"The prisoner attacked, and I defended myself," Ried interjected robotically. "The use of violent force was necessary."

Benson, who'd been quietly observing the exchange, pursed his lips. The stern expression was present in his hard features, but his eyes gleamed too brightly for him to be truly perturbed. "That is rather unfortunate. All we want is the truth, Mister Castellano. Ashley and everyone else who stole classified data or facilitated your escape have been judged accordingly, but we can request leniency with the remaining prisoners if you will just cooperate."

"You caused this!" Diego shouted. Ried's sudden grip on his shoulder enraged him more, sending all reason out the proverbial window.

He lunged for Benson, only for Ried to tackle him and pin him to the ground with a knee in Diego's spine.

"That's enough from you," Ried sneered.

Benson sighed. "All we want is the research back."

"What, so you can twist it into another experiment!"

Taylor chewed his lip and dropped his gaze. "D, Dad lied to all of us. He funded this project and the research, remember? Mom—" His voice cracked, and he sniffed. "Mom was Patient Zero. This virus was enhanced here. Doctor Benson wasn't even around for any of the testing. Why do you think he wouldn't let me into his computer? He wanted to cover his tracks. And then he used us to do his dirty work."

For a whole ten seconds, the world stored spinning. After everything, Taylor believed Benson. Even with Diego bloodied and beaten in front of him and Ried's casual confession.

"He didn't lie—" Diego argued. "Your dad wasn't the best guy, but this is all Benson! Your dad never would have unleashed a deadly virus on the world."

"But he did!" Taylor shouted, nostrils flaring. "He didn't have to sell this project to the government. He and every doctor playing God, thinking they could control this disease are responsible. Doctor Benson showed me the drive. How would Dad gain access so easily if he wasn't in on unit conspiracy from the beginning? He knew I was insecure about myself and craved his approval. He used me."

Tears streamed down his face, and Taylor awkwardly wiped his eyes on his arm. "Just tell them where Monica is. No one will hurt her; he's promised."

"And you trust him?!"

Taylor exhaled a shaking breath. "I have to; we don't even know if she survived, but I can't watch Ashley die just for leaving the greenhouse door unlocked. You and her were both victims of Dad's lies, and this will all stop if we cooperate. Please don't make anyone else pay for my dad's mistakes."

The final remnants of resistance crumbled with Taylor's misguided speech. In the end, Benson hadn't broken Diego through violent force or coercion, but by poisoning Taylor against his father, and thus, anyone who'd been loyal to John Whittaker.

Resting his cheek on the cold floor, Diego closed his eyes. "Find me a map. I retrace the route to the best of my ability, tell you everything I know, and you don't kill Ashley or anyone else."

"We'll spare Ashley," Benson stated matter-of-factly, "but that won't absolve anyone from future interactions. Colonel Alastor runs a tight ship with an iron fist. With the power grids slowly coming up again, we must restore order, and do so quickly while neutralizing the threat. This world has no room for insurrections, and Alastor's justice will be swift. The world has changed; it's harsher, and we must adapt. Part of that means ensuring adherence to martial law."

So that's how he'd lied to Taylor; Benson was using Alastor as a puppet while he set himself up as a sympathetic figure. He'd plead for mercy at his convenience, making everyone believe he'd been misunderstood and that John had orchestrated the apocalypse.

Taylor was so vulnerable, so insecure and starved for approval, he'd believe anyone who showed him the slightest acceptance.

"Just give me a map," Diego repeated. "And get Taylor the fuck out of here. I have nothing to say once this is done."

A sharp gasp from Taylor made Diego flinch, but he dug his fingernails into his palms and kept his resolve. "Just get out. If Monica gets hurt, just remember I fucking warned you."

Bitterness soaked his words until he struggled to draw breath. Taylor's argument made sense to a point; Monica's status was unknown. People were dying right then and there, and Diego could put an end to it. And if Taylor truly believed Benson, he'd likely told him everything in his desperation to save his final link to the world before the disease. And like Diego, Taylor was in a no-win situation: choose Monica or watch the first woman he'd ever loved be devoured by zombies.

"D—"

"GET OUT! JUST GET OUT!"

Diego wanted to scream so much more but stopped himself before he said something he could never take back.

The pressure eased from Diego's spine as Ried removed his knee and spoke into his radio. "Sir, he's agreed to talk in exchange for the girl's release."

A cold laugh cackled over the line. "Looks like it's your lucky day, sweetheart! Let this be your warning not to break any more rules. This world has no room for criminals and dissenters."

A strangled sob carried over the line before the radio abruptly cut off.

Benson spun Taylor's chair around so they could leave, and he paused before opening the door while speaking over his shoulder. "See about some accommodations for Mister Castellano on the bottom floor once this is done. We're not uncivilized."

The earth resumed its rotation again, spinning faster until Diego curled into the fetal position and wretched. Almost defiantly, his final thought was of the promise he'd made to Jayson and no longer intended to keep.

If he said anything now—whether on purpose or by accident—Taylor would probably get Jayson killed.

***

I feel really bad... like appropriate amount of guilt and then some. I'm usually pretty merciless and unapologetic, but this chapter hurt to write. I love Taylor, but he couldn't maintain his innocence forever. But poor Diego! My heart is broken. He deserves better.