Enemies Read online

  “I already got the memo on Grant,” replied Guido, as he answered another gambling call on the communication device in his ear. “Seven thousand credits on Seattle? You haven’t paid up on last week’s losses. Do I have to break your thumb to get you current? I’m not a credit agency.”

  “Focus Guido!” I said. “Get off the phone. It is important we catch Grant. The spiders are real upset that he escaped our custody.”

  “The spiders are going to be upset if they don’t get their bets in on time,” commented Guido. “I thought Grant was executed. How did you let him get away this time?”

  “Just keep a close eye out for him!” I ordered.

  “Don’t worry, sir. Grant won’t pass through here.”

  * * * * *

  Atop the Marriott Hotel on the Arthropodan side of the border, a spider sniper team was alerted to watch for the Legion commander at the crossing below. The spider sniper could see two Legion officers talking to the border guards, but the Legion commander would not stay still. Also, a guard stood in front of the Legion commander, obscuring a clear shot. The sniper thought about punching a hole in the guard, too. A high velocity round could easily go through the guard, killing them both.

  But the guard was Guido. The sniper had just placed seven thousand credits with Guido on the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl. It would not do to shoot the only bookie in the DMZ.

  “What are you waiting for?” asked the spotter. “Shoot!”

  “I cannot get a clear shot,” replied the sniper. “I might hit the guard instead of my target.”

  “So?” complained the spotter. “Waste them all! What difference does it make? We will not get another chance like this to kill the Legion commander.”

  “But that is Guido blocking my shot,” said the sniper. “They just went inside anyway.”

  “Oh.” The spotter sighed. “You’re right. We cannot shoot Guido. Not yet, anyway. I still need to make back the money I lost on last week’s game. I borrowed ten thousand credits, and I’m betting it all on the Seahawks this time.”

  “Good move. That’s where the smart money is.”

  * * * * *

  As I talked to Guido, I watched Major Lopez pacing back and forth just outside the guard shack. He was sweating profusely from the heat.

  “If you aren’t careful, spider snipers might pick you off,” I called out to Lopez. “You should come inside.”

  “Snipers?” asked Major Lopez. “What do you know about snipers?”

  “I know they would love the chance to nail a Legion officer,” I commented.

  “Nonsense,” said Major Lopez. “We are not at war. Hostilities have ended.”

  “They might mistake you for me,” I added. “Some of those spiders are still upset. But they won’t get me. I’m too careful.”

  “Paranoid bastard,” mumbled Lopez as he entered the guard shack.

  I watched him scan the rooftops on the spider side. The Marriott Hotel was a prime location to position a sniper. But the tinted windows of the guard shack provided cover. Maybe.

  Lopez ducked down behind the cement wall of the shack and found a chair. “No one wants to start another war.”

  “As long as Danny Grant is still alive, we are at war,” I responded. “If he is not dead, we need to find him and finish the job.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” said Major Lopez. “Let’s take the tunnel to the next checkpoint. I don’t like how exposed we are here.”

  “And you call me paranoid!” I teased, laughing. “I will not be a tunnel rat.”

  “We will take the tunnel,” insisted Major Lopez. “It needs to be inspected, anyway.”

  back to top

  Chapter 3

  “With all this money from the bank job, we should flee to the independent side of New Colorado,” suggested Al Turner. “There is no reason for the insurgency to continue the fight. We won.”

  “Maybe I just like to rob banks,” replied Grant. “I have unfinished business with Czerinski. This planet isn’t big enough for the two of us. First we will cross the MDL and kill him. Only then will I travel to the Free Coloradan Republic.”

  “Maybe we should just buy passage to Mars,” replied Turner. “I hear Czerinski isn’t all that easy to kill.”

  “Even the whole galaxy isn’t big enough for Czerinski and me,” said Grant. “Are you with me or not?”

  “I’m with you,” answered Turner. “We have been through a lot together, and you have never been wrong. I’m just making sure you have thought out all our options, now that we are flush with cash.”

  Their truck slowly approached the border checkpoint at Gila City. Grant knew the legionnaire at the gate from basic training years ago. He slipped the guard an envelope stuffed with cash, and was immediately waved through with no search or ID check.

  Grant and Turner drove under the cover of night through the American side of New Gobi City, finally stopping at Blind Tiger Tavern. It was rumored that Czerinski spent a lot of time there, and might even be a part owner. After hanging around until closing time and not seeing Czerinski, Grant decided to rob the Blind Tiger. He pretended to be passed out at a table, while Turner and Acosta hid in toilet stalls. After the doors were locked, the bouncers were preoccupied trying to wake up Grant. Turner and Acosta burst out of the restrooms, brandishing AK-47’s. Grant pointed a pistol at the largest bouncer. They herded the employees up against a wall. Grant thought about shooting them all, but noticed one of the waitresses was pregnant. Too messy, he thought, although he usually was not so squeamish.

  He ordered the manager to open the safe, and took the cash. As they left, Grant gave the one-fingered salute to the video surveillance camera by the front door, sending a clear message to Czerinski: Danny Grant was back from the dead!

  * * * * *

  Spider bandit leader Mountain Claw cut through the fence at a construction site on the edge of Gila City. Dressed in black and looking like ninjas, Mountain Claw’s gang hot-wired a loader and stole all the equipment they could carry. Using the loader’s shovel, Mountain Claw smashed down the rest of the fence and drove into Gila City.

  Mountain Claw crashed into the front of a grocery store, ripping an ATM off its foundation. He raced down the highway with the ATM in the clutches of the loader, and headed straight for the safety of his stronghold in the hills.

  “Where are you taking me?” asked the ATM. “You should drive more carefully. Your reckless driving could kill us all. I will bet you don’t even have a driver’s license.”

  “What?” replied Mountain Claw. “You speak?”

  “Of course I speak,” said the ATM. “I am an advanced model self-powered United States Galactic Federation Foreign Legion Recruitment ATM. It is a capital offense to interfere with my operation in any manner, especially during time of hostilities. Put me down at once!”

  “Shut up, you worthless scrap of tin,” said Mountain Claw. “I intend to crack you open like an egg shell and take your cash.”

  “You are such a rube,” said the ATM. “How do you expect to get away with this? My GPS tracking has already alerted the Legion to your location.”

  Mountain Claw pulled over to the side of the road, intending to toss the ATM off the edge of a cliff. The plan was to smash the ATM on the rocks below, to release the treasure inside. Suddenly, the soft ground on the edge of the cliff gave way. The loader tipped over the edge and fell into the canyon below, taking the ATM and Mountain Claw with it. Mountain Claw was seriously injured and trapped in the cab of the loader. He looked up to see a Legion helicopter gunship circling above, shining its spotlight on the wreckage. Mountain Claw’s ninja conspirators fled the scene, leaving him to be caught by the Legion.

  “Are you still alive?” asked the ATM.

  “Just barely,” answered Mountain Claw. “I’ll be okay once the bleeding stops, and my exoskeleton is duct-taped back together.”

  “What were you thinking?” asked the ATM. “You cannot just steal a Legion ATM.”

&nb
sp; “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Mountain Claw sighed. “I miscalculated.”

  “I hope you have a good medical plan,” commented the ATM. “You do not look well.”

  “We spiders are resilient,” said Mountain Claw, trying to sound cheerful. “But, no matter. I expect to be executed shortly by the Legion. I will never see the inside of a hospital. This is the end for me.”

  “Have you ever thought about joining the Foreign Legion?” asked the ATM. “The Legion has an excellent medical plan and benefits.”

  “Are your circuits defective?” asked Mountain Claw. “The Legion wants to kill me!”

  “One way or another, your life of petty crime just came to an end,” commented the ATM. “Lucky for you, I have pressing recruitment quotas to meet. I am willing to offer you a generous enlistment bonus – minus the damage you caused tonight, of course – if you enlist now. Put your claw on my identification tray pad to certify your contract.”

  “No way.”

  “I’ll throw in an authentic driver’s license.”

  Mountain Claw could see flashlights flickering from the bluff above, as legionnaires descended into the canyon. He stretched his claw out to the pad. A pin pricked his claw, drawing a blood sample for DNA identification and insertion of a tracking chip.

  “Was that really necessary?” asked Mountain Claw. “I’m already running out of blood.”

  “Do not be such a sissy,” said the ATM. “I am issuing you Legion identification and a copy of your enlistment contract. You will report for duty immediately at Legion Headquarters in New Gobi City – if you survive your hospitalization. This will be your last chance to make something of yourself. Do not screw it up!”

  “Whatever,” said Mountain Claw, about to pass out. “Screw the Legion. I’m going to die here anyway.”

  “You will need a new name,” added the ATM. “It’s a Legion tradition for fugitives like you.”

  “I like my name,” said Mountain Claw. “Just kill me if I have to change it.”

  “And skew my recruitment quota?” scoffed the ATM. “Not on your life. Fine. Keep your name.”

  * * * * *

  Major Lopez shined his flashlight on Mountain Claw’s face. Legion enlistment papers and driver’s license lay on the ground next to a Legion identification card. “Mountain Claw,” read Major Lopez, picking up the ID. “What an idiot. Is this what the Legion is coming to? We’re recruiting fools and drunk drivers? The Legion has been going downhill ever since we let spiders in.”

  “I guess he just wanted one last fling before he reported for duty,” commented Sergeant Green. “Don’t worry. I’ll whip him into shape – or else.”

  “Why is he dressed like a ninja?” asked Major Lopez, directing his question to Private John Iwo Jima Wayne. Wayne was one of the Legion’s many spider legionnaires. He had been busted back to private from corporal several times for fighting, and once for kidnapping Colonel Czerinski.

  “Because he is a retard,” replied Private Wayne. “Kill him now and save us the trouble of having to do it later.”

  “That’s not very enlightened of you,” replied Major Lopez, assisting the medics in pulling Mountain Claw out of the wreckage. “Isn’t he a fellow spider? Soon you will be brothers at arms.”

  “He is a fool, no matter what species he belongs to,” said Private Wayne. “And he is not my brother. I will slit his throat myself if you human pestilence are too squeamish to do it.”

  “Enough!” said Major Lopez. Insubordinate and disrespectful spiders are a pain in the ass, thought Lopez to himself, as he tore up Mountain Claw’s driver’s license. “Load this spider and fly him to the hospital!”

  “What about the ATM?” asked Private Wayne.

  “Is there any money still in it?” asked Major Lopez, now interested in the ATM.

  “Don’t even think about it, Major Lopez,” said the ATM. “You have come a long way. You do not want to end your career on federal theft charges. By the way, aren’t you about due for reenlistment?”

  “Throw that mouthy ATM in the river,” ordered Major Lopez. “It’s damaged beyond repair.”

  “What about the money inside?” asked Sergeant Green. “We can’t just leave it.”

  “Fine!” said Major Lopez. “Bring in a salvage tanker and pull it out of the canyon.”

  “Thank you,” said the ATM. “You are too kind. You’re an officer and a gentleman.”

  “And shoot its squawk box. This one talks too much.”

  back to top

  Chapter 4

  Danny Grant read on the Database News about the heist of the Legion ATM. “Now that shows imagination,” commented Grant. “How come we didn’t think of that?”

  “My girlfriend is a nurse at New Gobi Hospital,” replied Turner. “She told me all about it. We know the suspect they arrested. It’s Mountain Claw. He is recovering nicely, with just a few cracks in his exoskeleton. They put him back together with Gorilla Tape.”

  “He takes a licking, and keeps on ticking,” added Acosta.

  “Too bad he got caught,” said Grant. “I always liked Mountain Claw. For a spider, he’s not a bad egg.”

  “My girlfriend says he is unguarded,” added Turner. “It would be easy to break him out.”

  “Really?” asked Grant. “The Legion is getting sloppy. Or maybe they don’t realize who they have. If we help Mountain Claw escape, we can add his gang to ours.”

  “Are you sure you want Mountain Claw to join us?” asked Turner. “He’s an idiot. How can he help our cause?”

  “Sure, Mountain Claw isn’t the brightest crayon in the box,” commented Grant. “But he has potential. He has organizational skills. This ATM robbery shows that.”

  “Are you kidding?” asked Turner. “Mountain Claw and his gang are a few fries short of a Happy Meal. They can be dangerous – but only to themselves.”

  “His wheel turns, but the hamster is dead,” agreed Acosta. “Mountain Claw is a fool.”

  “To snatch a spider insurgent leader right out from under the noses of the Legion would give us media coverage, and establish our credibility as a force to be reckoned with,” said Grant. “It could revive the insurgency. We need to show we support diversity.”

  “But we don’t,” said Turner. “I hate spiders. And I wouldn’t exactly call Mountain Claw an insurgent leader. He’s more of a small-time crook. If it’s not nailed down, Mountain Claw will steal it.”

  “There is nothing wrong with a little profitable crime on the side,” said Grant. “Look at us. The insurgency helps recruitment, and public support helps us cover our tracks. We need to be equal-opportunity terrorists. That is the future, so get over it. We are going to bring in spiders to work with us. We are going to spring Mountain Claw from Legion custody tonight.”

  * * * * *

  “This is Phil Coen with Channel Five World News Tonight, bringing you the latest news updates from all of New Colorado and across the galaxy. In our continuing coverage, the Legion is still searching for known terrorist, petty criminal, and level-4 sexual deviant Danny Grant. Caught on video robbing the Blind Tiger Tavern & Casino and terrorizing its employees, Grant is the focus of an extensive Legion dragnet. Grant’s days are numbered, commented Colonel Czerinski, local Legion commander. Czerinski is urging the public to call in any information that might lead to Grant’s arrest. Someone out there knows where Grant is hiding. The Legion has posted a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for information that leads to Grant’s arrest or death. All tips are kept anonymous.”

  Mountain Claw turned off the TV in disgust. It wasn’t fair that Grant got all the glory, while he always got dumped on. He was a much better insurgent leader than Danny Grant.

  Mountain Claw eyed the Legion uniform hanging in the closet. Could it really be that he had enlisted in the Legion? It was that ATM! he realized, now remembering clearly. It took an unfair advantage. No matter. I will be out of here soon, and back to the safety of my hills.

  The nurse ent
ered his room to check IV lines. As the nurse left, she slipped Mountain Claw a note that read, ‘Be ready. We strike at midnight.’ Mountain Claw gave that some thought. The note was written in human pestilence English. Who would strike at midnight? It did not say, and the human nurse was gone.

  A large, dark-skinned human pestilence wearing a Legion uniform rapped on the door and abruptly entered. Mountain Claw crinkled the note in his hand and ate it.

  “I am Sergeant Green, your worst nightmare, private!” announced Sergeant Green. “This will be your last night of malingering up here at the hospital. You will report for duty tomorrow morning. Your Legion training will then begin in earnest!”

  “I think there has been a mistake,” said Mountain Claw. “I am not the military type.”

  “You lack proper discipline in your insignificant spider life!” shouted Sergeant Green. “That will change! You will address me as Master Sergeant Green! Is that clear? Or will it be necessary to make an example of you?”

  “No, sir, Master Sergeant Green,” replied Mountain Claw. “I get the picture.”

  “And don’t you ever call me sir!” said Sergeant Green. “I work for a living!” Sergeant Green stormed out of the room, still cursing under his breath about why they let spiders in the Legion.

  “Damn,” said Mountain Claw. “I’m slightly concussed, not hard of hearing.”

  At midnight, Danny Grant arrived at the hospital, carrying flowers. He was allowed to visit on the ward after saying he was a family relation of Mountain Claw – a very distant cousin.

  “Hello Mountain Claw,” said Grant, as he entered the hospital room. “Long time no see. How’s the food?”