The second terrorist assault appeared quietly and untelevised, but resulted in the same panic and over-run hospital emergency rooms as the World Trade Center. It was usually too late to save the victims.
Within a three week period, America's best, brightest, most powerful, and richest were dying like flies. Celebrities, key men in law, finance, the media, politics, government, and corporate management were dying of exposure to anthrax.
Almost unnoticed were those at the lower end of the social and economic stratum. Welfare mothers, hookers, adolescent gang bangers. Unscathed were the blue- and white-collar middle class.
The cause of the deaths was identified early in the attack, but the method of delivery and how they were targeted was undetermined.
FBI profilers were called on to analyze victims instead of perpetrators in an effort to track the source of this new biological terrorism. To no avail.
The Center for Disease Control ran an independent analysis based on medical examiner reports and discovered the answer. Cocaine. In every case, cocaine or crack as well as anthrax, was present in every cadaver.
Poppies are Afghanistan's only cash crop, so the origin of the bio attack was once again obvious. Besides, the Colombians had the sense not to destroy the market for their best cash crop.
CDC sent the report to the highest government and law enforcement officials (who were still alive anyway) and the facts eventually leaked to the press. But this time, there was no outpouring of support from the general public. No celebrity telethons. No military reprisals. The bio warfare was limited to cocaine users, and the general public was cared less.
Impact on the economy was negligible. Rehab centers went out of business. Drug dealers filed for bankruptcy. Congressional and Executive Branch payrolls declined. Payrolls for top corporation management also declined dramatically with the deaths of many shamefully overpaid executives. Insurance companies were relieved that they were able to deny pension and life insurance claims based on cause of death.
The bio-terrorists had accomplished what the Drug Czar had been unable to. Their bio-attack had inadvertently won our war on drugs for us. In one stroke, they had also wiped out a major source of their own financing.
Sometimes, a little terrorism can make a difference.
