America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 4: Demilitarized Zone Read online

  “What are you boys doing out here?” asked Guido. “Are you bandits?”

  “We’re Militia,” replied Ross. “We protect the local towns and keep the spiders in line.”

  “What is your name?” asked Guido. “Show me your ID.”

  “What if I said we don’t carry no stinking ID?” asked Ross, smiling.

  “Then you would be under arrest,” said Private Camacho, pointing his assault rifle at Ross and the others.

  Ross ignored Private Camacho. He scanned the ridge line, looking for movement or signs of an ambush. Then he handed his ID to Guido.

  “The two of you are in Colonel Czerinski’s battalion,” commented Ross. “Say hello to Czerinski for me.”

  “I’ll take you to see him if you like,” said Guido. “He’s not far.”

  “Not today,” said Ross, snatching back his ID back and returning to his jeep. Ross nodded for the driver to go. A minute later they were just a dust trail on the horizon.

  * * * * *

  Towards evening, a spider on a dirt bike rode by. One of the legionnaires by the broken-down postal truck waved. The spider did not stop, but he did radio the location of the broken-down truck to other insurgents. The dirt-biker waited on a nearby hill for the others to arrive. They would try to take these legionnaires alive. They would make good hostages for a prisoner exchange, and a video of the prisoners would make good propaganda for the cause. The dirt-biker scanned the horizon with binoculars, watching for legionnaires or his insurgent friends. Soon, two beat-up old Toyota pickup trucks full of spiders came into view.

  * * * * *

  Sergeant Green had been watching the dirt-biker through the scope of his sniper’s rifle. As the insurgents came into range, Sergeant Green shot the dirt-biker. Machine-gun fire raked the Toyotas. When the shooting was over, the Toyotas had so many holes in them, they were barely recognizable as trucks.

  Captain Lopez walked through the debris, looking for anything of value to Military Intelligence. He estimated they had killed at least eight spider insurgents, but their body parts were everywhere, making the count difficult. Captain Lopez collected IDs, weapons, and communications devices. In one such device he found a text message saying that the spider commander for New Gobi would be in this sector soon. The spider commander wanted to know what Colonel Czerinski was up to, and promised to bring newer and better weapons.

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  Chapter 15

  John Hume Ross drove his jeep at breakneck speed to the town of Yellow Brick, intent on sounding the alarm. In violation of all local agreements, an Arthropodan marine task force of mechanized infantry was just down the road, headed their way. Yellow Brick was a mostly human enclave north of the DMZ. Although Yellow Brick was inside the boundaries of the Arthropodan Empire, local spider authorities had agreed not to bring large military units to town to enforce Imperial will. Two spider constables kept the peace and handled Imperial administrative duties. The Legion was poised to intervene, should the human population be molested in any way.

  Now an air-raid siren sounded in the middle of town. Radio calls for help were being broadcast to the Foreign Legion camp to the south. More radio communications went out to alert the local militia. A barricade hastily went up across a dry creek bridge just north of town. Forty militia had already assembled at the bridge and were milling around, waiting for orders. They carried the latest Legion assault rifles and had shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles hidden in the grass at their feet.

  The spider task force, armored cars carrying about a thousand Arthropodan marines, stopped at the north side of the bridge. A spider constable and John Hume Ross walked out to greet them. The spider marine commander and his aides dismounted and met them half way. The marine commander had been instructed to be observant of local customs and sensibilities, but this confrontation bordered on open rebellion!

  “Good morning Commander,” said the constable, amicably. “Why are you here?”

  “It is not my custom to explain myself to the local constabulary,” answered the marine commander. “Are you in league with the armed human pestilence blocking the bridge?”

  “Certainly not,” replied the constable. “But there have been local agreements in place for quite some time, prohibiting large-scale troop occupation. In exchange, the human colonists peacefully submit to Imperial rule and pay their taxes on time. Your presence upsets everything. I insist you go around town.”

  “Military Intelligence says your human pestilence militia has established a substantial armory here in Yellow Brick,” accused the spider marine commander. “I intend to seize their armory.”

  “You may not enter Yellow Brick,” said Ross.

  “You and that rabble by the bridge cannot stop me,” said the marine commander. “Order your human pestilence corps to yield, or you will be declared to be in open rebellion against the Empire. My armor will crush you.”

  “No,” replied Ross. “You would not dare attack us. We are a legally constituted militia.”

  “The Emperor does not recognize the right of armed human pestilence to interfere with his marines’ duties on the frontier,” said the commander. “You have ten minutes to disperse and to yield the bridge.”

  About that time, two Legion fighter-bomber jets did a low fly-by. The militia waved and cheered. The lead jet wagged his wings. Ross and the constable ran back to the barricade.

  “Spread out,” ordered Ross. “Get the anti-tank missiles ready.”

  “Are they going to attack?” asked a militia lieutenant. “We can’t fight against armor.”

  “We won’t have to,” assured Ross. “Those Legion jets put a scare into the spiders. No one fire. Put your weapons on safety. No one wants war, but if war starts, let the spiders start it with the first shot. We will stand our ground here at the bridge. Don’t worry. Time is on our side.”

  The constable ran back to the police station and tried to phone New Gobi Legion Headquarters. The line was busy. Then he unlocked jail cell doors, releasing three drunks inside.

  “Is it lunch time already, boss?” asked one of the drunks. “I’m not leaving until I get my coffee and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.”

  “Get out!” yelled the constable, firing a shot into the ceiling. “Run for your lives!”

  “Who lit a fire under your spider butt?” asked the first drunk outside. He squinted from the bright sunlight. “Damn, it looks like the whole Chinese army across the Yulu River!”

  “You’re not that old,” laughed one of the other drunks. “And those aren’t Chinese. They’re spiders!”

  “I’m in the militia,” said the third drunk. “I should be over there, too.”

  “Find cover!” yelled the constable as he closed the front door to the police department. The constable opened a heavy metal trap door located under his desk and dropped into the spider hole below. Every building in Yellow Brick, and most on the frontier, had similar holes and tunnels under the streets and buildings.

  The spider marine commander angrily watched the human pestilence across the bridge. They did not appear to be dispersing as ordered. Instead, the human pestilence were digging in. One human pestilence was even aiming a missile. The short human wearing the sunglasses was directing the militia and yelling encouragement. Smoke rose from the nearby hills. Obviously it was a signal to alert more militia. The commander ordered his armored cars to deploy along the dry creek bank and to be ready to cross along a wide front. They would hit the militia holding the bridge, then out-flank the survivors. The whole rabble would easily be rolled up and done with in short order. The arrogance of these peasants had no bounds.

  When the Arthropodan armor left the road, they struck landmines. Spider marines immediately fired machine guns at the militia. Several missiles were fired back. One missile damaged an armored car. The other merely bounced off sloped protective plating. The militia retreated as the spider marines crossed the dry creek bed and occupied Yellow Brick. The entire brief battle was r
ecorded on video and instantly broadcast via the database to every news organization and TV station on New Colorado.

  Two wounded militia were captured and locked up in the town jail. One was drunk. Three more were left dead on the bridge. Six spider marines were wounded. A medivac air-lifted the spider marines back to New Gobi. House-to-house searches failed to locate the armory. Out of frustration, the commander arrested hostages, demanding the location of the militia armory in exchange for their release. The next morning, the two wounded militia were executed by firing squad for treason and rebellion. At noon two Legion armored cars arrived. Legion helicopter gunships and jets circled in support.

  “What have you done?” asked Captain Lopez, confronting the marine commander.

  “We were met with armed resistance,” explained the marine commander. “We acted in self-defense and only used proportionate force, as allowed by our rules of engagement.”

  “Hostage-taking and public executions are not a part of your rules of engagement,” replied Captain Lopez. “You will release the hostages at once, or risk war crimes prosecution and an escalation of hostilities.”

  “Very well,” said the marine commander. “I was going to release them anyway. We cannot find the armory, although I am sure it is here somewhere. I don’t have time to blow up every tunnel in Yellow Brick. We are moving on.”

  “Where are you going?” asked Captain Lopez.

  “The next town to be searched is Redrock,” answered the marine commander. “You will leave, too. You are trespassing north of the DMZ.”

  “We are merely a token force,” said Captain Lopez. “But we will stay to protect humanity from your brutal excesses.”

  “Whatever,” said the marine commander. “Your own debauchery is well documented. I give you permission to keep a minimal police presence here until things get sorted out. Then you will leave.”

  “I want your word there will be no more trouble here,” demanded Captain Lopez. “The same goes for Redrock.”

  “Redrock is a civilized, mostly spider farming community,” said the marine commander. “There will be no problems at Redrock.”

  Captain Lopez set up a headquarters at the police station. Satellite reconnaissance indicated a large dust storm was coming, and Lopez did not want to get caught out in the open. The spider Task Force moved on towards Redrock. When the dust storm hit, it moved sand dunes across the dirt roadway and reduced visibility to just a few feet. The spider marines pressed on into the evening. Then it rained.

  It almost never rains in the New Gobi Desert. The roadway, already obscured by sand, turned to deep mud. The armored cars got bogged down, but were fine as long as they kept moving. When they stopped, they sank up to their windows in yellow mud. The Task Force was strung out for miles when it finally came to a complete halt. The small valley they were in was becoming a shallow lake of mud. Spider marines stood on their vehicle rooftops to stay out of the mud and water. They scanned the surrounding hills through the torrential rain, looking for solid high ground. The marine commander dispatched squads to reconnoiter the hills to establish a secure perimeter. The spiders’ pointed legs sank deep into the yellow clay and mud. The mud clung heavily to their bodies and limbs as they labored to climb the hills. Soon they were out of sight of the main column.

  For the last several days, the militia had been gathering on these hills. Now Ross watched the scouts approaching their positions. He dispatched patrols to silently kill or capture the approaching spider marines. A few shots rang out, but most of the spiders were easily taken. Humans, with their flat feet, easily crossed the mud, literally running circles around the spiders.

  Now mortars and rockets rained down on the spider task force. Exposed, immobile, and on lower ground sinking in mud, the spiders panicked. As their armored cars disappeared in the mud or were hit by mortars, the spider marines abandoned their vehicles and fled back toward Yellow Brick. Militia snipers picked them off from hills and small ridges along the route. The marine commander, trying to direct his troops into an orderly retreat, was killed by a sniper. The situation became more desperate as more militia continued to arrive. Even teenaged children traveling with their militia parents fired a few shots at the bedraggled spiders, then went back home after their ammunition was used up.

  A few spider squad leaders tried to flank the main column to keep the human pestilence away, but it was useless. They could not move adequately through the mud and rain. Soon a full-scale rout was on. It was every individual for himself, and very few spiders made it back to Yellow Brick. Those who surrendered were executed in retaliation for the earlier killings. A spider helicopter gunship burst through the low clouds in an attempt to strafe militia positions. However, it was brought down by a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile. The militia was using the latest Legion weapons, courtesy of Legion Military Intelligence and Captain Lopez.

  A few spider marines staggered into Yellow Brick. Captain Lopez arrested these marines and placed them in protective custody in the city jail. They would be repatriated as soon as spider shuttles could be called. When the rain stopped a few days later, a battalion of legionnaires arrived. Captain Lopez raised the American flag over City Hall and annexed Yellow Brick into the United States Galactic Federation.

  The jail got a bit crowded. About a hundred spiders made it back to Yellow Brick. Many were injured. As Captain Lopez sat at his desk, watching noisy prisoners through the bars, his chair tipped over. Two spiders opened a trap door and scrambled out of a tunnel hidden beneath Lopez’ chair. Captain Lopez drew his pistol to confront and capture the suspected tunnel rats.

  “Who are you?” asked Captain Lopez. “Explain yourself!”

  “We are Yellow Brick’s constables,” announced one of the spiders. “Is the war over?”

  “There was no war,” said Captain Lopez. “Not yet. But Yellow Brick is no longer a part of the Empire.”

  “Oh, my,” said the constable. “I guess that means I am out of a job.”

  “You are police officers?” asked Captain Lopez. “Were you any good at your jobs?”

  “Of course,” said the constable. “We have never had a murder in Yellow Brick.”

  “I’m appointing you sheriff until the situation sorts itself out,” said Captain Lopez, washing his hands of the overcrowded jail and leaving the building. “Good luck!”

  The constable looked at all the marines locked up in his jail. They were getting belligerent. “We are going to need a lot more peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.”

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  Chapter 16

  The desert was in full bloom from the rains. The sandy creek north of town was still flowing. A memorial service was held by the militia on the bridge. Ross said a few words and threw a small wreath of desert flowers into the water. Captain Lopez approached the militia leader.

  “Generalissimo Ross, that was a fine service,” commented Captain Lopez. “You won a well-fought victory. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” said Ross.

  “We intercepted a message that the spiders’ Supreme Commander for New Gobi is going to visit us soon,” said Captain Lopez.

  “Let him come,” replied Ross. “We are ready.”

  “You are now under the protection of the United States Galactic Federation,” said Captain Lopez. “The Legion will protect you.”

  “Like you protected us before?” asked Ross. “No thanks, we will protect ourselves.”

  “You fought very well with the weapons I gave you,” said Captain Lopez. “But we had an agreement. You will now return the surface-to-air missiles and launchers.”

  “I appreciate your help,” replied Ross. “But the militia will keep the SAMs.”

  “I insist,” said Captain Lopez. “We cannot risk the SAMs falling into the hands of terrorists.”

  “Too late,” said Ross, laughing bitterly. “The militia will keep all of its weapons.”

  “You are jeopardizing future arms agreements,” said Captain Lo
pez. “And you may face arrest.”

  “The Legion has overstayed its welcome in the Yellow Brick Valley,” announced Ross. “You have one week to get out.”

  * * * * *

  The spider Governor of the North Territory was upset over the loss of his marines, and called the Commander of New Gobi to express his concerns. There would be an investigation. That idiot nephew of the Emperor took more time out of his day than he was worth, and would be chewed out good this time.

  “Explain to me how a thousand marines can be defeated by the human pestilence National Guard!” demanded the governor. “Your incompetence has reached a new level!”

  “I gave the marine commander you assigned full discretion on how to conduct himself in the field,” replied the spider commander. “He was the incompetent, and it was the human pestilence militia that destroyed him.”

  “And that makes it better?” asked the governor. “Militia are nothing but drunken rabble and terrorists! At least a National Guard unit has organization, training, and government support. Is there no end to your disgrace?”

  “The task force got trapped in a rain storm,” explained the spider commander. “They sank in the mud during the battle.”

  “Enough excuses!” shouted the governor. “In the next month, about a hundred thousand of our colonists are going to be arriving in the Yellow Brick and Redrock areas. You will ensure their safety and get them settled in.”

  “How can I do that?” asked the spider commander. “The Legion has seized Yellow Brick. You want me to kick the human pestilence out by force?”

  “There is no border,” explained the governor. “Just flood the town with new arrivals and plop prefabricated houses down everywhere you can. Expand the water district and infrastructure to our citizens only. You will take Yellow Brick back by default. The Emperor does not want you shooting it out with the Legion. You would probably screw that up anyway.”