America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 2: Reenlistment Read Free Page B

thirty
days, you will be enlisted into the United States Galactic
Federation Foreign Legion,” said the ATM.
    “Risk being drafted for only ten thousand
dollars?” asked Guido. “No way. That’s not a deal. It’s not even
close to being worth it, especially with a war going on.”
    “It is not my fault you don’t have any work
history that the Legion would find desirable,” said the ATM. “I can
perhaps give you a little more money for valuable life experience.
But what valuable life experience would a lowlife criminal thug
like you have? You probably are not suitable Legion material
anyway.”
    “You let Czerinski in. Twice. What is he but
just another criminal who got lucky? I have plenty of valuable life
experience. I am officer material. I have management experience,
too. I’ve been a self-employed loan shark. It takes a lot to run
your own business in these troubled financial times. I’ve also been
a drug dealer and a Mafia hit man. Do you realize how many
references you need just to get in the Mafia? I’ve also been a
commodities broker, a computer hacker, and a high school
teacher.”
    “You were a high school teacher?” asked the
ATM. “Wow.”
    “Yes, for a while back on Old Earth. I had to
get out of that racket. Too dangerous.”
    “I understand,” said the ATM. “Fifty thousand
is the most I can lend you.”
    “It’s not enough!” said Guido. “I need twice
that.”
    “Look at it this way,” said the ATM. “You
want to stay close to Czerinski. If he joins the Foreign Legion,
can you afford to fly off after him when his unit beams to another
planet? No. You might have to enlist just to follow Czerinski.”
    “Can you get me into Czerinski’s unit?” asked
Guido. “If I decide to go in?”
    “Of course,” said the ATM. “Put your thumb on
the pad and we will have a contract.”
    “Ouch!” screamed Guido, as the ATM pad stuck
his thumb and sealed the deal in blood.
    As Guido left, he stumbled over debris. A
severely wounded monitor dragon, camouflaged in dust, came to life
and bit into Guido’s boot. Knocked to the ground, Guido drew his
pistol and pointed it at the dragon’s head. The dragon tightened
its grip. Guido pulled the gun back. The dragon loosened its grip.
Guido aimed his pistol again, and again the dragon tightened its
grip. Guido holstered his pistol. The dragon loosened its grip to
being a barely noticeable caress of two fangs.
    “You are smarter than you look,” said Guido.
“Are you making me an offer I can’t refuse?”
    The dragon then let go of Guido’s foot, but
kept control by walking onto Guido’s chest. Its jaws opened and
clamped around Guido’s neck. Guido closed his eyes in anticipation
of death. “Let me go and I’ll take you to a vet,” said Guido.
    The dragon let go and nuzzled its snout onto
Guido’s shoulder. Soon it was asleep. Not daring to wake the
monster, Guido did not move. He eyed the dragon’s leash. Its collar
had spider military markings.
    “I thought you were dead for sure,” said the
ATM. “That would have skewed my enlistment quota.”
    “This is a highly trained military lizard,”
commented Guido. “How much to enlist it into the Legion, too?”
    “Five thousand dollars,” said the ATM. “But
the dragon stays with you at all times.”
    “Deal,” said Guido.
    “Put the monitor dragon’s paw on to the pad
to finalize the contract,” said the ATM.
    Guido looked down at the sleeping dragon. It
was all bad breath and fangs. “Do I look that stupid? Take a
picture or something. I’m not waking the lizard or letting you
stick its paw with a pin.”
    “Agreed,” said the ATM. “That was a test. You
passed.”

    <> <chapter>> <> <>

    CHAPTER 2

    The war lasted only six days. It was crazy.
Who ever heard of a war lasting only six days? The beetles got all
of the old ant colonies that the United States Galactic Federation
had occupied during the last war. We got all of New