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The Weekend

I jerk my hand from the president's, and say, "What the hell? What are you two doing to me? What do want? What in the hell does "raw fish can be poisonous" mean?"

Julie stands beside me, saying, "John, there's something you need to know about this plague. It wasn't accidental. It was deliberate."

"Deliberate? Deliberate by whom?" I ask.

The president and Julie look at each other, waiting to see who will be the one to answer my question.

"John, before we answer that, I must tell you something," Julie volunteers. "Someone from the CDC may be involved."

"What? Are you serious? Do you have any proof, or are you speaking out of your ass?"

"Dr. Bennett, please listen to what we have to say. Julie left the CDC under false pretenses, because she was under my orders to do some investigating on her own. The information she discovered is overwhelming, and unfortunately, the evidence she has uncovered leads to one person," President Mansoor explains, as I give Julie a stern look.

"And who does Julie believe this person is, Madame President?"

Julie and the president clam up when I ask.

"Come on, you two. You drag me down here and tell me that Julie knows who is behind this, and then you both just say nothing. Who is... "

"It's your father, John. It's your father, Gerald. He's the one behind this massacre," Julie reveals.

"My father! What in the hell are you saying, Julie? You know as well as I do that my father died over seven years ago. How could he possibly have anything to do with this madness?" I demand.

"Dr. Bennett, if you'll allow me to speak," as President Mansoor interjects.

I nod my head, apologize to the president, and signal her to continue.

"Dr. Bennett, we've known for some time now of your father's existence, as well as your mother's. They did not die as you were led to believe for all of these years. Your parents, especially your father, were on the verge of a great scientific discovery that would have changed this world forever. Instead, the discovery became altered and was used in a way that no scientist in their right mind would have moved forward with. Your father, Dr. Bennett, is the culprit of this atrocious plague, and you Dr. Bennett are his proof."

"His proof of what?" I ask in astonishment.

Julie goes to a briefcase sitting on a table. She opens it, then takes out a manila envelope and hands it to me.

Unsure of what I should do, or even believe what they're telling me, I take the envelope and carefully open it. Inside is a journal with my dad's name on it.

"Shit! Monica was right. My dad did have another journal."

"Dr. Bennett, I believe that once you read your father's journal, you'll understand what has been happening and why," says the president.

"John, I need you to read the journal, and then, when you're ready, come see me in my office. You'll know what to do then," says Julie.

"What do you mean I'll know what to do then?"

The president begins to walk towards the exit, turns around, and says, "Remember, Dr. Bennett, raw fish can be poisonous. We'll be in touch. Good day." The president walks out the door, without security guards, as Julie and I stand alone in the anteroom.

"Well, Julie," I say, "I'm going to the cafeteria to get coffee. Then I'm going to locate Monica and Ted and tell them to come to my office to read my father's journal. I'll be curious to see what they'll think of it."