Eyes for an Eye
By Gary Jordan

Copyright © 2004

Jane grunted as her husband thrust into her. She was almost there...

Richard stopped. Nothing Jane could do would move him again. She looked into his face, afraid he was suffering a stroke or seizure. But no, his face looked like... like his best friend had died. He was wilting within her.

Richard got up. He turned on the television, switching to CNN headline news.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked. "What's the matter?" Had the hurricane veered back toward them? Richard was wearing that stupid ear-plug radio, even while they made love, to track the weather news. They'd been relieved when the path swerved inland.

Frustrated, frightened, she yelled, "Answer me! Is it coming this way? Tell me!"

Richard motioned her silent and turned up the television volume. An announcer shuffled notes and looked into the camera.

"Repeating the top headlines, American Inspectors in Iraq announced today that they had finally uncovered the long-sought Weapons of Mass Destruction. CNN takes you to the White House where spokesmen for the president are holding a press conference."

The screen switched to the White House Press Corps and the spokesman. "...and they've already unleashed this biological weapon on the unsuspecting American public in revenge for the invasion of Sadaam's regime."

"What type of weapon is it?" someone shouted. "Anthrax? Ebola?"

The spokesman held up a large picture of a fine-mesh cage. It contained no birds, but perhaps a dozen butterflies. "Already unleashed from this secret cache are the specimens code named Alex, Bonnie, Charlie, Danielle and Earl, as identified by markings and documents found with them.

"As you all know, the so-called 'butterfly effect' means that when these weapons flap their wings..." Richard angrily clicked the set off. "Is anybody stupid enough to believe--"

Thinking ahead to November, Jane said, "We are so fucked."