America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 2: Reenlistment by Walter Knight

this job! It’s not worth it for
minimum wage!”
    The bombing stopped so we could finish lunch.
Lieutenant Lopez offered pizza to any spider who came out of the
tunnels and surrendered. None did. At 1600 we started throwing
grenades down spider holes and using a flamethrower to burn them
out.
    “What we need is a nuke,” I said to
myself.
    “Nuke?” asked Private Tonelli. “I know where
there is a nuke. I could give it to you.”
    “They might consider nuking rioters a bit
excessive,” commented Lieutenant Lopez.
    “I don’t see much difference,” said Tonelli,
looking out at the destruction.
    “It’s good to see you, Guido,” I said. “When
this is over, you and I are going to have a long talk. Go help
Private Williams and Sergeant Green throw grenades down spider
holes.”
    “Yes, sir,” replied Tonelli as he left.

    * * * * *

    By the third day, it was clear the spiders
were not coming out, no matter what we did to them. Even gas had no
effect. Finally, engineers redirected a nearby irrigation ditch to
flood the prison underground. No spiders survived. They all drowned
except for the Lion of the Forest and a few terrorists. They
returned to Disneyland through the tunnels.
    About eight hundred spider bodies were
recovered. Most of our losses were spider guards. At the outset,
legionnaires had retreated to safety and were saved by the
quickness of the air support. Captain Norris’ body was recovered.
It had been booby-trapped with a grenade. Sergeant Mendoza was
still listed as missing in action, presumed dead and buried in the
rubble.

    * * * * *

    “This is Phill Coen, World News Tonight,
broadcasting live from the deadly prison riot at Disneyland, on the
planet of New Colorado. Sources tell me that over eight hundred
prisoners were killed when the Legion retook the prison. No
prisoners survived. About sixty legionnaires and spider guards were
killed or wounded. First we will be talking to the ranking officer
on the scene, Captain Joey R. Czerinski.”
    “Hello Phil,” I said. “Long time no see.”
    “Captain Czerinski, this appears to be
another massacre. You have been accused of massacre before,”
commented Coen. “I believe the spiders still call you the Butcher
of New Colorado.”
    “That is unfair,” I said, agitated. “We
almost got wiped out when the battle began.”
    “At the very least, some would say that you
used disproportionate force to quell the prison riot,” said Coen.
“You used tanks, armored cars, artillery, jet fighter bombers,
helicopter gunships, and the strategic bombing platform of the T.
Roosevelt starship. There is even a rumor you discussed using a
nuke. How do you justify using that much firepower?”
    “The prisoners had grenades, mortars,
anti-tank weapons, and machine guns,” I answered. “They almost
overran our positions. We had no choice but to call in the big
guns.”
    “The war has been over for quite some time,
yet half the prisoners were still just plain Arthropodan soldiers
waiting to be repatriated,” said Coen. “Why would these spiders be
so desperate as to riot?”
    “I don’t know,” I said. “Captain Norris, the
prison warden, would be more familiar with the prison living
conditions, but he was murdered at the beginning of the
battle.”
    “How do you think this many spider deaths
will affect future U.S.G.F. relations with Arthropoda?” asked Coen.
“Aren’t relations already strained?”
    “Whatever,” I said. “Hopefully the spiders
have learned that another cowardly surprise attack will be dealt
with harshly by the Legion.”
    “Sources say the riot started when Captain
Norris pistol-whipped a new spider detainee in front of the whole
prison population,” said Coen. “Is that true?”
    “I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But, I doubt
it. The riot was not caused by Captain Norris. It was caused by
rioters.”
    “How can you explain that no prisoners
survived?” asked Coen.
    “At the end, we drove the spiders into