“My father is dead?” asked the Prince. “Does that mean I am the Emperor?”
“Yes, for now,” replied the Special Forces Commander. “Unless there is a coup at home, you are our Emperor. But we need to abandon New Memphis and avoid war with the human pestilence until you consolidate your power.”
“We outnumber the Legion in New Memphis,” argued the Prince. “Why should we withdraw?”
“We are too isolated to use our strength in numbers,” explained the Special Forces Commander. “We can punish the Legion by punching through their lines, but then we have nowhere to go. We have a huge logistics problem. We cannot get supplies and fuel to New Memphis. We have no nearby reserves. Our troops have been reluctant to deploy in the forests because they are afraid of wild animals. The nearest help is in Finisterra and Camp Alaska.”
“You may be right,” said the Prince. “New Memphis does not matter. I need to get back to Arthropoda to seize power before the Assembly decides some senator should be Emperor.”
“May I speak frankly?” asked the Special Forces Commander.
“You might as well,” said the Prince. “We may all die soon, anyway.”
“The Assembly will not accept you willingly,” advised the Special Forces Commander. “You are too young, and they do not yet respect you.”
“I realize that,” said the Prince. “I have planned for this day. I have friends in place in Arthropoda who will follow my orders. I will be ruthless to anyone who apposes me, and reward those loyal.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said the Special Forces Commander. “I understand. May I have my weapon back?”
“Not until I leave,” said the Prince. “I have learned a lot since coming to New Colorado. My father was correct that the experience would be a benefit. I will shuttle to Camp Alaska before beaming back to Arthropoda. I will take enough of the Fleet with me to force my will on the Assembly. You will fight on for a while, then negotiate a withdrawal to Finisterra. After you are safely away, nuke New Memphis.”
“You are upset about the murder of your father?” asked the Special Forces Commander. “Nuking New Memphis is dangerous.”
“My father got too greedy, and he paid for it,” said the Prince. “I will not be reckless with my Empire. But to allow his murderers to go unpunished would set a bad precedent. They might think they can murder me, too.”
“You do not fear further retaliation by the human pestilence?” asked the Special Forces Commander. “They have already threatened to attack Arthropoda if we use the Fleet.”
“So, do not use the Fleet,” said the Prince. “Do it yourself.”
“Remember what the human pestilence did to the Formicidaen Empire? The Ants as a species are almost extinct,” said the Special Forces Commander. “It is better that we not risk war unless we are certain about the outcome. As you said earlier, you need to consolidate your power on Arthropoda.”
“You are right,” said the Prince. “I should demonstrate that I put the good of the galaxy ahead of personal matters. Send a message to their President saying so. Tell him I will spare New Memphis. I will free all prisoners at the County Jail. And, I will not hold grudges against General Kalipetsis and Major Czerinski, even though they should be brought up on war crimes.”
“You are showing wisdom beyond your years,” said the Special Forces Commander.
“Not quite,” said the Prince. “After you are well on your way to Finisterra, and the Legion has occupied all of New Memphis, you will nuke the city. Place a remote-controlled nuke at the top of the Sheriff’s Office building.”
“But what about the possibility of starting war?” asked the Special Forces Commander. “You risk massive retaliation.”
“We have been at war all along. It has been a silent war. This has been a silent invasion,” said the Prince. “We will claim the Legion set off the nuke. Remember what they did to Finisterra? We owe them for that. The President won’t know for sure who set off the nuke, because his own people have lied to him before. They may be lying again, for all he knows. And he considers the Legion to be expendable anyway.”
* * * * *
An audio/video device had been planted on the Special Forces Commander. I listened to his conversation with the Prince. Later I watched him supervise the placing of the nuke atop the County Jail. When the Prince’s shuttle left, we were ready with a SAM to shoot it down. Unfortunately, two shuttles left New Memphis at the same time. The first shuttle was easily shot down. The second shuttle, carrying the Prince, took evasive action and escaped.
As ordered, the Special Forces Commander fought on in an effort to draw in more Legion troops. Arthropodan tanks punched through Legion lines, driving to the port, where they damaged the docks. Lieutenant Lopez arrived as the spider tanks were pulling back. Sergeant Green aimed an anti-tank missile at one of the departing spider tanks. The missile hit the sloped armor and bounced off.
“Is that the best you have got?” asked Lieutenant Lopez.
“You can do better?’ asked Sergeant Green, tossing a missile launcher at Lieutenant Lopez.
The tank’s turret swiveled toward them as Lieutenant Lopez took aim. Both fired at about the same time. Lopez and Green ducked as the explosion collapsed the building around them. The tank caught fire. Spiders climbed out and surrendered.
“That is how it is done,” said Lieutenant Lopez, dusting himself off.
“Only because I softened them up for you,” said Sergeant Green. “And still you almost got us killed.”
As Lieutenant Lopez was getting up from the rubble to supervise the prisoners, Sergeant Green pulled him back to cover. “Not so fast,” insisted Sergeant Green. “There is a sniper just down the block. He almost got me earlier. He let the others go by, then took a shot at me. I think he’s hunting officers. It’s a good thing I like you so much.”
“You’re on my Christmas card list, too,” said Lieutenant Lopez. Lopez used his binoculars to scan the city block ahead. There were several two-story buildings and lots of windows where a sniper could hide. “Corporal Tonelli and Private Stallone! Get up here!”
Guido and Gotti crawled up to the wall Lieutenant Lopez was using for cover. Lieutenant Lopez told them to check the burning spider tank for survivors or wounded. Guido and Gotti were not happy as they sprinted to the tank. Guido tossed a grenade into an open tank hatch. As Lieutenant Lopez scanned the buildings ahead, he saw movement and a metallic reflection in one of the upper windows. He fired another anti-tank missile, destroying the upstairs. The sniper’s body and rifle flew out into the street.
Another spider tank arrived. This one was flying a white flag. Its commander announced on a loud speaker that they wanted to negotiate a withdrawal from New Memphis. After some haggling, the spiders were told to get out of town by sundown. Lieutenant Lopez called me on the radio.
“What is your location?” I asked.
“In front of the Sheriff’s Office,” replied Lieutenant Lopez. “The spiders have cleared out.”
“Perfect,” I said. “There is a remote-controlled nuke on the top floor of the Sheriff’s Office. Take Tonelli and Stallone with you and disarm it.”
“Say what?” asked Lieutenant Lopez. “I’m out of here.”
“That’s an order,” I said. “Disarm the nuke. Here is your chance to be a hero.”
“You can get your mother to disarm the nuke,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “I’m through being a hero of the Legion. Been there, done that.”
“I’ll pay you twice what the spiders paid you,” I said.
“You know about that?” asked Lieutenant Lopez. “How long have you known?”
“Since you were putting your tag by the gate in Camp Alaska,” I said.
“Sorry about that,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “I didn’t tell them much. I was just stringing them along to take their money. I was being a double agent.”
“I’ll tell you what,” I said. “If you disarm the nuke, I’ll call us even. Otherwise, you can join your spider fri
ends in Finisterra.”
“Are you serious?” asked Lieutenant Lopez. “After all we have been through together?”
“Disarm that nuke, or I’ll put you in front of a firing squad for treason,” I threatened.
“Afraid to shoot me yourself?” asked Lieutenant Lopez. “You don’t want to look me in the eye because you know it would be wrong, after all the times I’ve saved your sorry ass!”
“If it will make you happy, I will join the firing squad,” I said. “And I’ll keep the blindfold so I can look a traitor in the eye as he gets what he deserves.”
“Fine,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “I will do it. But we are not even. You still owe me.”
“Whatever,” I replied.
“How am I supposed to disarm a remote-controlled nuke?” asked Lieutenant Lopez. “Do I cut the red wire or the blue wire?”
“I would go with the blue wire,” I said. “Ask Guido. He’s our expert on nukes.”
“That is not comforting,” argued Lieutenant Lopez. “Guido only steals and sells nukes.”
“I’m color blind,” said Guido, overhearing the radio conversation. “I don’t want to go.”
“Me either,” added Gotti. “I didn’t sign up for this.”
“Are you sure about the blue wire?” asked Lieutenant Lopez.
“You are wasting time,” I said. “Tell everyone else to evacuate.”
Lieutenant Lopez, Guido, and Gotti went upstairs. They found the nuke in a wooden crate on the top floor. Lieutenant Lopez examined the nuke, looking for a remote-control attachment that he could rip off. He saw nothing. The nuke had a control panel, but no on/off switch. There were no exposed wires No one brought any clippers. Lieutenant Lopez directed Guido and Gotti to assist carrying the nuke downstairs. They put the nuke in a Sheriff’s Office van and nailed the crate shut.
There were three spider prisoners sitting on the sidewalk nearby. They were the tankers captured earlier. Lieutenant Lopez cut their restraints and removed their blindfolds.
“Usually we execute and eat our prisoners,” announced Lieutenant Lopez, addressing the tank commander. “But a truce has been called, and I have been ordered to repatriate all of you. Take this van and drive it to Finisterra ASAP. If you stop for any reason, I will call for an air strike. Do you understand?”
The spiders all nodded. Lieutenant Lopez threw the van keys to one of the spiders and watched them drive off.
Along the way, the driver pointed to the crate in the back of the van. “What’s that?”
The tank commander scanned the human writing on the crate. “It says ‘Happy Birthday, Puta.’”
“What does that mean?” asked the driver, as they sped out of town.
“I do not know,” replied the tank commander. “The translation device has problems with human slang. I think it is some kind of friendly greeting. Do not worry about it. Be careful, and keep your eyes on the road. We do not need to die in a crash after all we just went through.”
“It’s a good thing you told me to be careful,” said the driver. “I would have surely wrecked without that fine piece of advice, sir.”
* * * * *
The Special Forces Commander did not want to abandon his armored cars and tanks. He would need his armor to defend Finisterra. As many tanks as possible were loaded on flat haulers. If necessary, the armor would be hidden in the forest and retrieved later.
The convoy stretched for miles. Trucks loaded with infantry led the way. Legion drones circled high above, targeting each vehicle. Missiles fired from helicopter gunships and ground launchers sought out each tank, truck, and armored car. The destruction was so complete that many spiders fled their vehicles rather than waiting to be hit. The Special Forces Commander, riding in a fast command car, escaped to Finisterra. Most of his command did not.
Some legionnaires felt guilty about the slaughter. This seemed more like murder than war, because the killing was so easy. But they got over it. Orders were given to not target the Sheriff’s Office van. The van got half way to Finisterra before its nuke exploded, killing the rest of the convoy.
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Chapter 13
The spider oil rig worker liked to spend his evenings watching videos. As he leaned back on his couch, he thought he saw movement at the window. It was dark outside, and the oil rig worker had to get close to the glass to see out. He pressed his face to the glass and cupped his hands around his eyes. Suddenly seeing two yellow eyes staring back at him, the startled spider jumped back. The wolf smashed against the metal protective grill recently installed on the window. It then ran away.
When the oil rig worker recovered from his fright, he grabbed an assault rifle and ran to the front door. The wolf was gone, but he could see the monster’s tracks in the snow. He fired several shots into the air to make sure the wolf kept going.
The phone rang. It was just one of his co-workers next door who had heard the shots. After he explained what happened, they both agreed the wolves had been coming around more often. They were thankful for the new window grills. There were rumors of wolves crashing through glass windows and killing other workers just a few miles away. Their supervisor begged the military to spray the forest with nerve agent to kill the wolves, but the idea was turned down. Instead, poisoned meat was left out, hanging from trees, but the wolves ignored it. A bounty on wolf pelts was being paid, although most hunters declined the offer.
* * * * *
The wolf had been watching the isolated oil rig workers with interest for weeks. It noticed that the humans had cleared out, leaving only the hated spiders. The wolf often scouted between the outbuildings at night, unchallenged. The wolf could see the spiders through the windows, but the metal grills were too strong to push in. The wolf had seen the spiders use the doorways, and now tested a door. The door stood firm. The wolf sniffed the doorknob. It had clearly seen spiders turn doorknobs before entering. The wolf pawed at the doorknob, then gripped it between two paws. The door easily opened. The wolf ran off to join the pack and pass on what it had learned.
* * * * *
The oil rig worker now felt the cold chill of a breeze as he watched TV. Somehow the Arctic air was getting inside. Gripping his assault rifle, he checked the front door again. The door was wide open. The oil rig worker could see more wolf tracks in the snow. He quickly shut the door and locked it. Then he did a quick search of his small company-built home and locked the back door.
In the morning the oil rig worker checked on his two co-workers. They had not answered their phones. He found their cabin doors ajar. Blood trails led from the cabins to the forest. His friends were missing. The oil rig worker ran to the office to call Camp Alaska on the radio. As he sat at the desk, speaking into the microphone, he glanced out the front window at the snow. The oil rig worker could see his reflection in the window pane. The last image he ever saw was the glass reflection of two yellow eyes behind him.
* * * * *
CIA Special Agent Hobbs and several zoologists arrived at Legion Headquarters with written orders to establish first contact and diplomatic relations with the wolves. I told Special Agent Hobbs he was crazy and to go away. Later, I got a phone call from General Kalipetsis, ordering me to humor the eggheads and to cooperate fully with the CIA. General Kalipetsis was already upset about the nuke being set off, even though I proved beyond any doubt that I was not responsible. He ordered me to personally escort Special Agent Hobbs and Dr. Smith deep into the forest to set up camp and provide protection until their experiments were completed.
We set up camp near where the nuclear explosion had blocked the roadway. Radiation and forest fires prevented us from getting closer to prime wolf habitat near Finisterra. I brought two armored cars and about twenty legionnaires. By now I had developed a phobia of wolves. At first I refused to even get out of the armored car at night. I told Lieutenant Lopez to get the camp set up.
“What’s the matter, Major?” asked Lieutenant Lopez. “El lobo makes you nervou
s? Or are you just afraid of the dark?”
“I have some map work to go over on the computer,” I explained. “I don’t like this mission. Do you remember what the wolves did to that spider regiment south of Camp Alaska? That was unnatural in so many ways.”
“No one knows for sure what happened,” replied Lieutenant Lopez. “Maybe a few slow spiders got attacked.”
“You and I listened all night to a thousand spiders get massacred and eaten. The prisoners we captured confirmed what happened. We saw the blood trails and abandoned equipment.”
“The prisoners were probably lying to mask their escape after getting lost in the woods,” argued Lieutenant Lopez. “Don’t tell me you are buying into the eggheads’ theory that the wolves are smart enough to coordinate military operations.”
“No, they’re wasting their time in that regard. But those wolves are nasty critters, and this is their element. All I’m saying is that I give them their due.”
“I’ll agree with that,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “That’s why I’m sleeping in the armored car, too. If Hobbs and the eggheads want to pitch tents and dance with wolves, that’s their problem.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “Sentries will be posted in the armored car turrets. I do not want any legionnaires to be picked off by wolf attacks. There are too many rumors about that sort of thing lately.”
“The eggheads are setting up a perimeter of motion detectors, video cameras, and a trap cage,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “That should be enough for now. Dr. Smith thinks sentries would scare the wolves away.”
“What kind of doctor is he?” I asked.
“Animal genetics and embryology,” replied Lieutenant Lopez. “The others specialize in animal behavior.”
America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 3: Silent Invasion Page 12
