"Yes, but are you as important to them? Sometimes you just need to let go. It"s a natural thing for some relationships to die."
"I can"t let go," said Private Washington. "I love Pam and Fran, and they said in their letters that they are in love with me, too."
"Do you really believe that?" asked Tonelli. "After all, they do work in a brothel."
"They still write me love letters," said Private Washington. "They want to get married."
"So what is your problem?" asked Tonelli. "Go take them away from the brothel and marry them both."
"I don"t think they feel they can quit their jobs," said Private Washington. "And what about the spider I saw them with tonight? He is always with them."
"Nonsense. Everyone has free choice. Go get Pam and Fran and marry them."
"But I still feel so much anger," said Private Washington. "It"s not the Arthropodan way, but I cannot help myself. I will not share Pam and Fran with him or anyone else."
"Screw the Arthropodan way," said Tonelli. "This is America. Do what Americans would do."
"You are right. I will invoke the vendetta. I will kill all who steal what is mine. I will not rest until I free Pam and Fran from his clutches." And I will do it tonight, And I will do it tonight, he thought to himself. "Thank you Guido. You have been very helpful." he thought to himself. "Thank you Guido. You have been very helpful."
Private Washington then walked over to the armored car and started it up. He began checking weapons and ammo.
"Hey wait," said Corporal Tonelli. "What do you think you are going to do with the armored car?"
"I"m taking it to East Finisterra," said Private Washington. "I am invoking the vendetta."
"You are not taking the armored car anywhere," said Tonelli. "I"m signed for this car tonight. It cannot leave my sight. I"m responsible for it."
"You cannot stop me," said Private Washington, as he released the brake and started down the Finisterra Bridge.
"Then I"m going with you," said Tonelli. "Where the armored car goes, I go."
When they approached the checkpoint at the base of the bridge, Corporal Williams challenged them. "Where are you taking the armored car?" he asked.
"Into town to get some beer," said Tonelli. "We"ll be right back."
"Here!" said Corporal Williams, waving some money. "Get me some, too."
"No problem." Tonelli s.n.a.t.c.hed the money.
"You better hope Sergeant Green doesn"t come back and see you and the armored car gone," said Corporal Williams. "I don"t think he likes you anyway."
"Sergeant Green does not like anyone," said Tonelli.
"I hear you," said Corporal Williams. "I know he hates me."
Private Washington drove through East Finisterra at a high rate of speed. As he approached the party house, he accelerated, and turned on the overhead spot lights and siren. He crashed through the front wall of the home at sixty miles per hour. Spider bodies flew everywhere. Some were armed. Private Washington cut them down with the machine gun. Guido threw grenades. The Emperor of the North emerged from a side bedroom. A machine gun burst turned his chest into a b.l.o.o.d.y mist. Almost as soon as it started, it was all over. The spotlights lit up the wrecked home, but jagged shadows obscured some areas because of the debris.
"Don"t shoot!" shouted Pam from one of the bedrooms. She came out with her hands up. Fran followed her. "George? Is that you?"
"Yes," said Private Washington. "I came here to take you away with me, my love."
"How romantic," gushed Pam. "It"s just like in the movies."
"I came for you, too, Fran," added Private Washington.
"How ambitious of you," said Fran. "If this is just like in the movies, it must be a p.o.r.no movie."
"I want to marry you both," said Private Washington, getting down on his knees. "The sooner the better."
"Have you thought this out?" asked Fran, frowning. "Where are the rings? I"m not marrying anyone who won"t give me a ring."
"Help!" said someone in the corner under debris. "I"m tied up and can"t get up. Please help me."
Corporal Tonelli picked up bricks and dry wall pieces until he reached Ralph Singh. He cut the ropes and blindfold from Singh and helped him up.
"It is about time the Legion saved me," said Singh. "Where are the others? I want to talk to your commanding officer."
"It"s just us," said Tonelli. "Are you that Singh dude? You can call me Guido."
"Just you, Guido?" asked Singh, looking about at all the debris and dead bodies. "This is amazing. I am forever in your debt for saving me. Thank you very much for rescuing me."
"Whatever," said Tonelli, fending off Singh"s attempt to hug.
"I mean it," said Singh. "I will make you two wealthy men. I promise it." Sing hesitated when he got a better look at Private Washington. "You are a legionnaire too? That"s fine. Some of my best friends are spiders. I will make the two of you very wealthy. I will take care of you both for life."
"How wealthy do you mean by very wealthy very wealthy?" asked Pam, taking Private Washington by the arm.
"They will both be millionaires," said Singh. "I take care of my friends."
Fran sidled up to Tonelli. "Hear that, babe?" she asked. "You are going to be a millionaire, you cute little fur ball."
"Get away from me," said Tonelli, warding off the female spider by holding out the crucifix hanging from a chain around neck. "I said once before I"m Catholic. I don"t do the nasty spider thing."
Fran pouted and went over to Private Washington and took his other arm. "I can"t wait to get married," she announced. "Let"s do it as soon as possible."
CHAPTER 15.
When the Legion armored car smashed through the safe house wall, General Electric ducked out a window and never looked back. In his backpack G.E. had $700,000. Most of the insurgents and his Special Forces soldiers had deserted after they got their split of the money. A few die-hard types stayed at the safe house, hoping to get more ransom out of Singh. They were dead now, along with that fool Emperor of the North.
G.E. jogged to the river, where he bought pa.s.sage to New Memphis. After checking into a hotel, he changed his appearance by dying himself black. G.E. looked in the mirror at his new shiny black exoskeleton. He looked good. The next day G.E. took a bus to the New Colorado s.p.a.ceport with the intent of buying a ticket to Arthopoda. G.E. had more than enough money for the ticket. Unfortunately, an identification card was required before buying a ticket off-planet. No one left New Colorado or anywhere else in the Human Empire without proper ID or a driver"s license.
G.E. sat dejected on a bench with his head cupped in his hands. If Arthropoda still had an emba.s.sy, he would simply seek asylum. But Arthropoda and Earth had a falling out of sorts lately, and the emba.s.sy was closed indefinitely.
"Do you need help?"
G.E. looked around. He saw no one. "Who said that?"
"I did," said an ATM next to the ticket vendor. "Friend, do you need more money?"
"I have plenty of money," said G.E. "What I need is proper identification. I am a political refugee wanting to leave New Colorado."
"It"s more likely you are a petty criminal avoiding the police," said the ATM. "If you stay at the s.p.a.ceport, it is only a matter of time before face recognition camera computers identify you. That phony black dye job will not fool the computers."
"Can you help me get a new ID card?" asked G.E. "I will pay you. I have plenty of money."
"I am an ATM. I have no need for your money. I dispense money. Perhaps I can give you money. Do you have skills?" asked the ATM.
"I am a soldier," said G.E. "I have Special Forces commando training."
"Come closer," said the ATM. "I want to get a better look at you. Please put your claw on my scanner pad. Look into the camera and let me scan your retina."
As G.E. stood in front of the ATM, he looked at the machine closer. Printing above the computer screen read, UNITED STATES GALACTIC FEDERATION FOREIGN LEGION. He stepped back. "Forget it," said G.E., turning to walk away.
"Too late, Team Leader #4 of the Arthropodan Marine Special Forces, missing in action over a year ago," said the ATM. "I now know who you are."
"You will call the police to pick me up?" asked G.E.
"If it suits me," said the ATM. "But we will talk first."
"So do it," said G.E. "What do I care? What do you care? You don"t scare me. Call the police!"
"You are just a criminal," said the ATM. "But I can still help you turn your life around by issuing you an ID card, if you change your behavior."
"For how much?" asked G.E. "I thought ID cards could not be forged. How would you get me an ID card?"
"You are right. ID cards cannot be forged," said the ATM. "I will give you a real identification card. Pick a name. I have the power to give you a new name and a new life."
"You pick a name for me," said G.E. "Pick something heroic."
"Why would you want me to pick your name?" asked the ATM. "Names are very personal. You are the one who has to live with your new name."
"The last name I picked turned out to be a joke," said G.E. "People snickered at my choice of General Electric behind my back. I pretended to not to notice, but I knew. Pick me a heroic name."
"How heroic?" asked the ATM.
"Heroic enough to take on a whole army all by myself," said G.E.
"All by your self?" asked the ATM. "You mean like John Wayne?"
"Who is John Wayne?" asked G.E. "Would he spit in the eye of the whole galaxy? Is he that tough?"
"John Wayne was a tough guy actor," explained the ATM. "But he is ancient history."
"That"s me," said G.E. "I am ancient history. My new name will be John Wayne."
"Alright, Mr. Wayne," said the ATM. "I will now print your new ID card. First, however, we have some important business to discuss."
"I knew there was a catch," said G.E. "How much?"
"I told you I do not want your money," said the ATM. "But Uncle Sam wants you."
"Uncle Sam is not getting me."
"I want you to enlist in the United States Galactic Federation Foreign Legion. It will give you the chance to make something of yourself. A spider with your much-needed skills and leadership ability would be quite an a.s.set to the Legion. I will even pay you an enlistment bonus of $450,000."
"You must be out of your computer-chip mind," said G.E. "The Legion wants me dead."
"$600,000 is my final offer, but only if you distinguish yourself after you complete basic training," said the ATM. "Did I mention that I called the police and they will be here to arrest you in about three minutes?"
"I will get you for this," threatened G.E., as he looked over his shoulder. Four police officers were approaching him from all directions.
"Read the contract on my screen," said the ATM. "Then put your claw on the pad."
G.E. put his claw on the pad as directed. The ATM p.r.i.c.ked G.E., taking a blood sample and injecting a security ID chip. His identification card shot out a slot along with written orders to report immediately to Master Sergeant Green at Legion Headquarters in Finisterra. By now the police officers were upon him.
"Show me your ID card," demanded the first police officer. Another police officer drew his weapon. "Do it now, spider!"
"Is there a problem, officer?" asked G.E., slowly handing the officer his new ID. "Did I do something wrong?"
The police officer read out loud from the ID card, "Private John Iwo Jima Wayne, United States Galactic Federation Foreign Legion." He handed the ID card back. "No, sir, there is no problem at all. We must have been given a bogus report. We appreciate the tough job you legionnaires have been doing in the North. Have a nice day."
When Private Wayne arrived at Legion Headquarters in Finisterra, he was surprised to see one of his former fellow Special Forces soldiers had also joined the Foreign Legion.
"What is your new name?" asked Private Wayne.
"Charles Brown," replied Private Brown. "I am told I have a famous literary namesake from ancient Earth."
"They lied to you," said Private Wayne. "Listen carefully. I heard a rumor that Captain Czerinski can read our minds. He does it with new computer micro chip technology. When he pa.s.ses by, sing a song to yourself. It might jam his reception."
"Attention!" yelled Sergeant Green as he walked down the line of recruits with Lieutenant Lopez. They stopped at Privates Brown and Wayne.
"Charlie Brown, you"re a clown!" said Lieutenant Lopez. "Report to the kitchen for KP duty."
"Me?" asked Private Brown, upset that he had already been singled out.
"Do it now!" ordered Sergeant Green. Private Brown ran to the kitchen building.
Lieutenant Lopez stared at Private Wayne. "Do you two have prior experience?" asked Lieutenant Lopez.