Someone Will Die

"Back to my story. Jessica, I hate to tell you this, but he cheated on you in Brazil, the very night before he came home. He did more than that, because I made sure that she carried BFF in her." He watched their faces, she was in denial that he would cheat on her, and his face was in total terror at the realization of the truth Mike had just spoken.

"Tell him it's not true, Greg!" I begged. "Tell him!" It took just one look at the shame and fear on his face, and I knew the truth, as well. "Oh...my...God..."

"That's right, traitors. But all I did was get her there, and instructed her to flirt with Greg in the hotel bar. One of my old team flew down there and found a cheap hooker. He cleaned her up, bought her a nice dress, fed her well, and infected her. Then he pointed her in Greg's direction, and paid her for a night. If Greggy here was a loyal, trustworthy man, he would've walked away, knowing full well that he'd be back in your 'loving' arms, me out of town, in less than eighteen hours. Just couldn't wait, could you? How ironic Jessica, you—the betrayer--was betrayed by the schmuck you chose to betray me with. In the future, you must choose your friends more carefully." He smirked at me.

"As I previously noted, you two came right back here, and 'Mr. Loyal' infected 'Ms. Slut.' You even did it twice for good measure. You make me so proud at times like this." The sarcasm of the last statement hung heavy in the silent room.

"Let me tell you a little more about BFF. As I said, there is no cure. They have tried many things to delay the onset, or soften the symptoms, but to no avail. They did accidently discover that vitamin E, however, makes the symptoms come on faster, and more intensely. You both will be given a high dose shortly. BFF has an incubation period of two to five days. It will seem like it went to from initial infection, to stage one, at almost the same time for you both, of course with Greggy being infected only about twenty hours prior to infecting you.

"They call it the fire fever because it attacks your nervous system, and makes your nerves hyper active. Any touch to your skin is intensely painful, like a second degree burn. Your eyes become so sensitive that everything will become bright white, until your optic finally burns itself out, leaving you blind. The same with your hearing; a pin dropping will be almost deafening, until you mercifully go deaf. Your motor nerves will fail first, though, effectively paralyzing you. Finally, your autonomic nerves will go into overdrive causing your heart to fail, and you die a very, very, very painful death. This whole process takes three to four days from the first onset of symptoms, which for you two, will be in about two hours.

"Since this is a rare disease, and native to South America, I'm betting that they won't diagnose it before your deaths. Sarge took that bet, saying what a fine hospital we have here; if I'm wrong, I'll gladly pay him the five bucks. Not that it will make any difference to you two. Like I said—there's no cure; just pain, agony and no way to communicate it. I wanted to share the pain you two caused me, and this is the best way I can think of.

"In case you're worried about me, one of my former team, who happens to look remarkably like me, has been in New York. He will be flying back here this afternoon, where he will change appearance with me in an airport restroom. Then I will get a cab and chat with the cabbie all the way back here. I'll get him to help me with my bags, and as we come in the house, we'll discover the trail of clothes you both left on your way back to the bedroom. There we'll both find you...naked...semi paralyzed...scared shitless, and in intense but increasing pain. We will, of course, call 911 and have you taken to the hospital. I'll be the confused, victimized husband, with an airtight alibi.

"In time, they'll piece together that Greggy picked up the disease on his trip south and gave it to his anxiously awaiting slut as soon as he got back. Your families will be disgraced by your public affair, and your memories will be tarnished, and the more judgmental people will say that you got what you deserved."

"How long have you known, honey?" she asked.

"Since the first time you got together here...in my house...in our bed, you piece of disrespectful trash. Because of my former profession, I keep the house under surveillance. I have to watch for enemy agents out for retribution—for my safety and yours. After the first time Greggy came over, I had to add a camera to our bedroom to record your 'play time' with each other. Ironic that a device I installed for our safety has lead to your death--isn't it?"

"Why did you have to kill us, you jerk? I was your best friend for piss sake."

"Again,youkilled yourself, by being the scumbag sleaze ball that you are, Greggy. We didn't tell the hooker to seduce you, just to flirt—flirt a little, and walk away. I hear that all she had to do was say 'hello' and you did the rest. So, if you would've at least been loyal to my slut wife for a few more hours, or even if she could've kept her legs together and, in an uncharacteristic act of remorse, ended this betrayal, you'd have lived. Besides, you were both warned—many times--that I valued loyalty above all else, with the phrase that if I was betrayed, 'someone will die'."

"Just in case, my loving wife forgot what I said to her the morning I left, I have a recording cued up to remind you. Let me play it for you..." Mike clicked a couple of times on the computer and the screen came to life again, showing our kitchen as it had been on the morning that he left for New York, on the morning that Greg came back from South America...on the morning that I was infected with this deadly virus.

Mike's suitcase was on the floor as he spoke lovingly to me for the last time, "Jessica, you know I love you more than anything in the world, don't you?"

"Of course I do, honey. And I love you, too."

"And you know that I value trust and loyalty above all else, don't you?"

"I ought to, you've told me enough times," she replied lovingly.

"So, you do realize that if you ever cheated on me, you know what I always say..."

"Yes, baby, 'someone will die.' Don't you think that's a little over the top?"

"Complete trust is the very foundation on which my life is built. There is no backing off from a belief like that. I tell you what, right now, I'll give you a free pass: if there is anything—I do mean anything--that you've ever done that you know I'd be pissed if I found out, tell me right now and I'll forgive you. I'll forgive you anything and everything you may have done, but only if you confess in the next two minutes. After that, all bets are off and it's back to the original standard."

Her face looked scared for a minute, as she wondered if he knew something, sheepishly she turned away. 'I can fool him,' she thought, 'there's no way he knows anything and I don't want to hurt him. My fling with Greg will be over soon, and he'll never be the wiser. No harm, ho hurt, no foul.'

"No, honey," she said to the wall. "I can't think of anything..." Actually she was thinking of the last time Greg had fucked her. Then her mind raced forward to the get together planned for just a few hours from now. She couldn't very well enjoy it, if she knew that she'd broken Mike's heart by confessing her affair with Greg.

"You seem to be pretty deep in thought, for not having anything to confess, babe. Are you really sure there's nothing you want to tell me? Confession is good for your soul, and sometimes it can save everyone a lot of pain..."

"I was just daydreaming about us, hon. I was looking forward to welcoming you home in a few days." She turned back towards him, having covered her emotions.

"Last chance," he said as his face hardened and almost sent a shiver down her spine. "If I find out anything later, someone will die."

Mike turned the recording off. "Did I need to explain that to you any clearer? I even called Greg from the plane, and had basically the same conversation."

"You're not the tough guy type. We didn't know you meant it so literally. Please don't do this to us!" Her tears were starting again.

"You're not listening! You did this to yourselves! You have a lot of nerve, after the way you betrayed, disrespected,andbelittled me. You both did this without respect or any feeling for me, other than total disdain. Now, you have—in effect—killed yourselves and you're blaming me for your lack of morals and loyalty. If I wasn't so pissed at you, I'd almost feel sorry for you. I always said that if you cheated on me just once--or you were forced or drugged--that only your lover would die, but this is clearly not the case."

"But I love you, Mike..."

"You sure as hell have a strange way of showing it. I know, let's show all of America show how much we love our spouses by screwing their best friends behind their backs—and in their own marital beds, no less! You didn't even wait very long after we were married! We haven't even been married three years yet, and you're restless and out 'hunting strange!' The world will be better off without the likes of you two and your brand of love, friendship, respect, and especially abused trust."

Sarge spoke up, "It's almost time, Cap. We do have a schedule to keep."

"Thanks, Sarge. Okay, any last questions?"

"Why?"

"First of all, you never told me what I did to deserve this abject betrayal. I'll answer that one: not a damn thing. I've treated you both well; too well I guess. You've never acted remorseful—in fact, just the opposite! You showed me as much total disrespect as you possibly could without tying me to a chair and making me helplessly watch you screw each other, while you both tell me how useless my dick is. So, you should know the answer by now. Simply put, you did this to yourselves. I even warned you both--the day Greggy flew back from Brazil, giving you one last chance. I made a point of saying it one last time—to each of you: 'Betray me, and someone will die.'

"Sarge, are the vitamin E injections ready?"

"Yes, sir"

"Well, it's time to say 'goodbye.' I really am going to miss you both. It's a shame you both have the morals of an alley cat." He walked over to the table, and picked up the first syringe. "This is enough to trigger the paralysis that is the first symptom of the onset, but not so much that it will give a false trail for the doctors to follow. What do you think, Sarge, ladies first or assholes first?"

"Assholes."

"I agree," he said, shoving the needle into the area of Greg's that was exposed because his arms were pulled behind the chair. A moment later, he injected me in the same area. I was struggling to free myself, when I felt my joints start to stiffen a moment later.

"Oh, nooooo... Mike, I'm...so...sorry." The reality of his words began to set in as the symptoms began to become all too real to me. I struggled with my final words, "I...love...you."

He looked into my eyes, and his hard eyes became soft to me for the final time, before the room got brighter and brighter....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is no such thing as BFF; it's just a figment of my twisted imagination. As for the top secret assassination squad, I really hope that is also a figment.

I don't advocate or condone murder as a response for cheating, but as one who has been on the wrong corner of a 'love triangle,' the thought of causing my 'loving wife' a slow, agonizing death has crossed my mind. That's where it stayed.