America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 4: Demilitarized Zone Read Online Free

border
would be perfect.”
    I looked out my office window at the Golden
Arches towering over Guido’s guard shack. “Sorry, but that spot has
already been taken by the McDonald’s Corporation. Don’t worry.
There are lots of other prime sites available.”
    “Walmart needs that border site to properly
serve both sides of the DMZ,” insisted Grigg. “General Kalipetsis
assured me you could make it happen.”
    “The hamburger flippers got here first,” I
explained. “What can I say?”
    “Would ten thousand dollars persuade you to
change your mind?” asked Grigg. “I need that site.”
    “Is that check or cash?” asked Captain
Lopez.
    “We don’t accept bribes,” I said, frowning at
Lopez. “McDonald’s was here first. There is nothing I can do.”
    “How about twenty thousand dollars and a
complementary Sam’s Club membership card?” asked Grigg. “This is a
very time-sensitive issue. I want to begin construction this week.
Crews are already on the way. I was told I could work with
you.”
    “I can’t take your money,” I said. “But if
you could do me a favor, I will see what I can do. The insurgency
destroyed an automated lighthouse south of New Memphis. Order your
construction crews to rebuild that lighthouse, and I will order
McDonald’s to move their site.”
    “Major Czerinski, we have a deal,” said
Grigg, shaking my hand and briskly leaving to inspect the site of
New Gobi’s new Walmart superstore.
    “What are you going to tell McDonald’s?”
asked Captain Lopez.
    “Place Ronald Carter under arrest and bring
him to me,” I ordered. “Tell Carter he is under arrest for health
code violations.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    Captain Lopez and a squad of legionnaires
arrested Ronald Carter at the construction site and dragged him to
my office. All construction was halted.
    “This is outrageous!” complained Carter.
“What is the meaning of this?”
    “There has been an Escherichia coli bacterial
outbreak at the last restaurant you opened,” I said.
    “At the DMZ site near Waterstone?” asked
Carter. “I was not advised of this.”
    “That’s the one!” I exclaimed, pounding my
desk with my fist. “You have now been advised. I am holding you
personally responsible. And, as a precaution, I am stopping all
construction of your new McDonald’s until your legal problems are
resolved.”
    “What legal problems?” asked Carter. “How
much? I’ll just pay the fine and be done with it.”
    “We have orders to shoot you at dawn,”
advised Captain Lopez.
    “This is a joke. Right?” asked Carter. “It
better be a joke. I am a well-respected businessman, and a personal
friend of General Kalipetsis. Can’t we work something out?”
    “I don’t see how,” I said. “Someone has to
take the blame. The E. coli has even killed spiders.”
    “How come this is the first I have heard of
an E. coli outbreak?” asked Carter.
    “There are national security issues,” I said.
“We are trying to prevent a panic, and possibly even a new war. If
the spiders think you tried to use biological warfare against them,
it would be bad for everyone. They are very sensitive about fecal
contamination.”
    “Brown floaters in the New Mississippi River
drive them crazy,” added Captain Lopez.
    “Please, I’ll do anything to help,” said
Carter. “What can I do?”
    “McDonald’s needs to keep a low profile for
now,” I suggested. “Out of sight, out of mind. Quietly move your
construction site and those Golden Arches away from the border
crossing. The Arthropodan commander has already announced he will
blow it up with cannon fire.”
    “I’ll do it,” said Carter. “Anything
else?”
    “The spiders want a million dollars
compensation for families of the deceased,” added Captain Lopez,
greedily. “It’s a fair amount. We negotiated them down from fifty
million dollars.”
    “I can authorize that,” said Carter. “It’s
fair.”
    “We will try to hush up the matter as much