Free America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 1: Feeling Lucky by Walter Knight Page A

“They
will get us out.”
    “ If you want to tell the
rest of them the Tenth Fleet is going to save us, fine,” said
Green. “But don’t you look me in the eye and say it’s going to
happen. It’s bullshit. The Tenth Fleet isn’t going to save anyone,
and you know it.”
    “ All I know is we’re nuking
this place and getting out as soon as possible. And Green, you’re
promoted to corporal. So shut up.”
    “ I know one thing,” said
Sergeant Lopez. “We better not get captured.”
    “ I wasn’t planning on being
captured,” I said. “Besides, I don’t think they take
prisoners.”
    “ I’m serious,” said Sergeant
Lopez. “The spiders will kill us real slow.”
    “ What?” I asked.
    “ Think about it. We killed
over 300 spiders here today. Big spiders, little spiders, all kinds
of different spiders. And then, we ate them. We cooked them and we
ate them. They’re going to be real pissed off about that,” added
Sergeant Lopez. Lopez then took out a small satchel of looted
diamonds and handed them to me. “And another thing. I don’t want
these anymore. You keep them.”
    “ Private Nesbit!” I called
out. “Bring me your nukes!”
    “ You can have all three,”
replied Nesbit, handing the nuclear grenades over. “I’m tired of
carrying them around.”
    I set the timers on all three nukes. I placed
one nuke on the pile of dead spiders. Another nuke I put in the
middle of the cavern. I kept the third nuke. “Corporal Green,
you’re taking point. Men, we are moving out.”
    “ I get promoted to corporal,
but shit still rolls down hill to me,” complained Corporal Green.
“Ain’t that a bitch.”
    “ The spiders let our last
point man walk right by,” I explained. “I’m hoping they won’t see
you in the dark.”
    “ That’s not funny,” muttered
Corporal Green as he checked his equipment. “That’s not funny at
all. Hero of East L.A.? I don’t believe it. Tenth Fleet? I don’t
believe that either. They’ll promote any Polack right off the
street to officer. We’re all going to die. This is a bunch of shit.
I’d rather face Bubba Jones than do this shit.” Corporal Green
disappeared into the tunnel still muttering. We followed. The
tunnel seamed endless.

    * * * * *

    My communications pad beeped. I had mail!
Usually my E-mail box was empty, but now it was full of fan mail. I
scrolled through the messages until I found one of particular
interest. It read, ‘Hey, Joey C. I saw you on TV and I think you
are so hot. Imagine my surprise when my sister Patty told me she
met you, and you wanted to meet me. I am so mad at her for chasing
you off. I really want to meet you. Attached are some photos of me.
Do you think my tattoos are sexy? When you get back to Mars, let’s
hook up. I can’t wait. Hugs and kisses, Lisa.’
    I had a bad feeling about this tunnel. Green
was going real slow, and I could sense his anxiety. I could smell
the spiders again. Maybe they weren’t here now, but they had been
here recently. The darkness was unnerving. I immediately replied to
Lisa’s E-mail. ‘Dear sweet Lisa: I loved your photos and so did
everyone else. Your photos made my day. Your tattoos are especially
sexy, and I want very much hook up with you. However, I don’t think
I’m getting out of this alive. I want to give you something. There
is a top floor suite at Harrah’s Casino on Mars that has a huge
stuffed grizzly bear at the window. Hidden inside the grizzly’s
foot is a money card. The card has a substantial amount of money on
it. It’s all yours. I love you, Joey C.’

    CHAPTER 10

    Corporal Green walked quietly in the dark.
His equipment, secured to his body, made no sound as he
deliberately took one cautious step at a time. His light and heat
detecting goggles helped show the way. But Corporal Green never saw
what hit him. A spider jumped from a crevasse in the rock wall and
sprayed Corporal Green with nerve agent. Corporal Green dropped
immediately and was bundled up in