The Lizard Wars

Chapter 1

I was 22 years old when I got married. My husband was 27 and just out of the military about two months, but he was still in the reserves since he had been a captain, he felt he should stay in the reserves in case his country needed him. I didn't think too much about it at the time. Two weeks after we returned from our honeymoon, two men showed up at the front door dressed in uniforms and asked for my husband. He led them into the den and closed and locked the door behind him before I could enter the room. For about 30 minutes I could hear them arguing then it got quiet. I got a little worried, but after 15 minutes they all came out of the den. My husband asked me to make some coffee for all of us and he would join us in the kitchen in about 10 minutes.

We went to the kitchen and I started the coffee. I was about to go and find my husband and ask him what was going on when one of them stood up. "I'm sorry Mrs. Foster your husband didn't introduce us before, I'm Colonel Stone and this is Major White."

"Hello, I'm Tina Foster, but please call me Tina."

I could hear my husband, Frank, coming down the hallway to the kitchen as the coffee pot beeped to tell me it was done. I went to the coffee pot to pour the four cups of coffee. My husband came into the kitchen at the time I was turning around with the tray of cups and what I saw almost made me drop the tray. My husband was standing in the doorway with his uniform on.

Frank looked straight at me and said, "I've been recalled, I have to leave right away."

Major White saw I was ready to drop the tray, "Let me take that tray for you Tina." He took the tray and placed it on the table.

"What do you mean you've been recalled?"

"Something very important has come up."

"I'm afraid it's a matter of National Security, so your husband can't tell you anymore than that Mrs. Foster." Colonel Stone interrupting my husband before he could say anything else.

"Don't worry hon, I'll be back in no time," My husband said.

I could see in his eyes that even he didn't believe that. He was just trying to calm me down.

We all sat down to drink our coffee and talk, well they drank their coffee and talked, I just sat and tried to listen. Even with my throat as dry as sand I couldn't think of drinking my coffee. I was trying to keep from crying. When they finished their coffee we all got up and headed to the front door. My husband kissed me and again told me he'd be back soon.

I went and sat on the couch and cried for the next hour. Alice a friend of mine phoned. "Tina its Alice, my husband and brother have been recalled into the service!" For a moment I couldn't say a thing. "Frank was also recalled, he left about an hour ago."

"He did? Tina since your husband is an officer he must have told you something."

"No. There were two higher ranking officers here and I don't think they would have allowed him to tell me anything. Right after they finished their coffee they all left."

"COFFEE! My husband wasn't even allowed to finish his breakfast. They ordered him to get into the truck they came in." Alice shouted into the phone.

By the end of the day everyone in town knew that 30 men in town and maybe a dozen in the surrounding area had been recalled. The radio and TV channels said nothing about it. Calls to the military bases brought an answer of "We're sorry but because of National Security we have no more information that we can tell you at this time."

After a week some hints of news started to appear in the news media. There was fighting going on in a number of countries, but their names or who was fighting who was not mentioned and there were restrictions placed on travel, mail and even phone calls outside our area. I and the others in our town had never felt so isolated before.

Three weeks after my husband left the military informed me that he had been killed in action. Alice was also informed that both her husband and brother had also been killed in action. We soon found out that 25 of the men from our town and the surrounding area had received the same information about their loved ones. The whole town was both in morning and enraged that we knew nothing about what was going on with this war or even who the enemy was! Within the next two weeks we would know more than we would want to know.

Seven months later two military tent villages appeared outside of town. One to the South and the other to the Northeast. Marshal Law was declared in town and a curfew was imposed from dawn to dusk. Military patrols were everywhere, and ID cards were issued to everyone. Anyone without their ID card who was stopped by a patrol was arrested and jailed. I was told by the base commander, because he had known my husband, that the enemy was only 20 miles away to the West, East, and South of the town. "Who is the enemy? And how long have they been in our country?" I asked.

"That Mrs. Foster I can't tell you right now, and please don't tell anyone else in town. If the people panic they might try to run and some units I don't control a little farther outside of town have orders to shoot to kill any persons trying to leave the area."

Four days later all civilians were ordered to help at the aid station that had been set up in town. Truck load after truck load of wounded soldiers arrived, many without arms and or legs. I saw no bullet wounds on any of these men, their arms or legs looked like they had been burned off. The wounds of these men looked like they were cauterized so there was little or no blood. Others with shrapnel wounds were usually too far gone to help. Still about 80% of these men would die from their wounds or shock because the medical supplies ran out before the first day had finished.

On the fifth day General Bright, the man I had talked to a week before came to the aid station. He asked most to go home and get some rest as trucks where coming to get most of the wounded. Only a few of the stronger people were asked to stay to help load the wounded on the trucks. I was going to stay, but when General Bright saw me he stopped to talk to me.

"Mrs. Foster, you need to go home and rest." The General said.

"No, General I need to help these men." I replied.

"Mrs. Foster, Tina I want you to go home I'll drive you there myself."

The General opened the front door of the car for me then he got in the driver's seat and started off. "Where's your driver General?"

"I had to send him to the frontlines, we were short of troops there."

He was quiet for the rest of the trip. When we got to my house he told me he wanted to talk to me inside. I agreed, and we both went inside.

I got some coffee and sat at the kitchen table with the General. "Tina about a week ago you asked me who the enemy is and I couldn't give you that answer at that time, remember."

"Yes, are you going to now tell me?" I said.

"Yes, but only if you promise not to tell the other town's people they'll find out soon enough." He looked at me very seriously.

"Yes I promise General."

"THE ENEMY is not of this world. We were attacked by a race of Lizards. They have weapons that are far more advanced then we have. All the armies, navies and air forces of the world have been fighting with them with staggering defeats. About 1/6 of every nation is now occupied by them. We don't seem to be able to stop them at this time. Actually the way their fighting every battle I'm surprised they haven't taken half or more of the world. Headquarters believes that they just might not have enough men to man the fronts they have now and still keep garrisons in the towns they have taken. I'm not sure that's what's happening from where I stand, they still seem to be pushing pretty hard," the General finished with his eyes staring at the ground.

"LIZARDS FROM SPACE! And you say we can't beat them!" I'm still wondering if this is true or if the General had battle fatigue.

"Yes and I didn't say we couldn't beat them. I said it is very hard to beat them. Their skin is like a bulletproof vest. I've seen a machinegun fire a complete 50 round belt at a single lizard soldier and he didn't fall down until a hand grenade landed right in front of him, and he was only wounded, badly but not yet dead." Said the General.

"General why are you telling me this now? Why do I feel that there is something wrong here?" I looked him straight in the face as I said this.

"Well we know from people who have escaped from behind their lines the first troops on their frontlines are known as long tails. These troops are the most aggressive soldiers. If you look at them in a way that they think you mean them harm they might kill you right then. The group behind them are the mid tails with some long tails but not many. The mid tails usually guard the captured towns. The long tails are usually not that close by unless the frontlines are close. The last group is the short tails they usually take charge of the captured towns and command the mid tails there. The civilians are not usually treated badly. Only when someone tries to interfere with or harm one of them. Then it might get pretty rough for them."

"Are you telling me your troops are going to pull out, but you're not taking the civilians with you?" My anger growing as I finished.

"Yes I am saying that, but there are good reasons for what I have to do and I want you to know and understand them before we leave. By leaving the civilians, we can move out faster and the enemy then has to leave more and more troops behind. If Headquarters is right than they will run short of troops and will have to slow down their advance which will give us a chance to do something. Our people are working on some of their captured weapons so we can reproduce them, we know they DO kill them." He half smiled at his last statement.

"That's great for you but we'll be here as their prisoners while you guys try to invent a new weapon and we won't have anything to stop them from hurting or killing us." Now I'm getting pissed!

"I have to think about the bigger picture, but you will have some defense if things do get bad here. There were two reasons for having all the people in town help at the aid station first so they could see how the fighting was and second to hide some weapons in town that won't be found. If you remember Frank's Grandfather was not at the aid station. That's because he was in the service with me in the last war and I knew I could trust him. Under his work shed is buried a cache of weapons. It's about a quarter of what is hidden in this town. Frank's Grandfather can be trusted but he's an old soldier so he might try to fight them. His Grandson your younger brother-in-law was not with his Grandfather but was at the aid station so he doesn't know about the weapons. The other three quarters of the weapons are in a vault under the work table in your cellar. Do not take them out unless you feel there is a danger that can't be avoided and don't tell anyone not even Frank's Grandfather about this."

"Why I'm I getting this privilege, there are a lot of other people in this town." Not happy with this responsibility I answered.

"I only know two people in this town Frank's Grandfather, Paul, and you. And with what Frank told me about you, I know your level headed enough to only use these weapons if there needed and only then." The General finished with a stern look on his face.

I couldn't refuse without insulting my late husband, so I just shook my head yes and said nothing else. The General shook my hand and left. I had forgotten to ask when the troops would leave. The next day the enemy frontline troops spend no more than 30 to 45 minutes in town before moving on. I was glad of this because the shock of seeing the lizard men kept anyone from doing anything stupid. Within an hour and a half the mid tails entered followed shortly by the short tails just like the General said they would.

The General said they would move fast and far so the long tails shock troops wouldn't stay long in town. I was glad for that favor. The town lizard troops rounded up all the people and brought everyone to the town hall parking lot. A grandstand had been built so their commander could speak to the civilian population. He told us about the long tails, the mid tails and the short tails soldiers. Then about the war and finally the rules of our occupation. The lizards had actually given us more information than our own government which was afraid of the panic that might happen. It didn't take me long to see this panic in the eyes of the town's people especially the women which made up 85% of the people in town.

Their commander had an almost human face, except that it was a light green with scales. It was easy to see he was a short tail as his uniform didn't have material extending out to cover the tail or for those with longer tails a hole for the tail to come out of. His face also was not as protruded as the other's in his command. His eyes were a golden color which were only accented by his light green skin. His English was almost perfect and in a few cases better than some of the town's population.

We were allowed to go home, but we were to return here at 10:00AM tomorrow for another meeting.

It had been a long and hard day and I was so tired I went to sleep right away even though it was still light outside. When I woke up I found that there was no power, no gas for the stove and the phone was dead. I was about two minutes late for the meeting which was very noticeable and pointed out to me by none other than the commander from his grandstand position. I raised my voice and told him if they hadn't cut the power and gas I might have gotten here on time and even been able to have breakfast too. It then dawned on me, we were their prisoners. He spoke in what must have been their language and two guards were at both of my sides. The meeting when on for about two hours and the guards would not let me sit in any of the chairs they had provided. I didn't hear a word that was said I was more frighten of what was going to happen to me for talking back. I tried to remember yesterday did any of the rules say anything about not talking back. I couldn't remember and the more I thought the bigger a headache I got. When the meeting was over everyone left for home except me, the guards kept me there.

The commander approached me and I was shaking so much I thought I would fall down. "What is your name?" he said.

For a moment I couldn't think of my own name. "Mrs. Foster, I'm Mrs. Foster."

"What is your first name?" he then asked.

Again I had to think very hard for my own first name. "It's Tina. That's my first name."

"Where do you live Mrs. Tina Foster?" he then asked.

"At 47 North Smith Avenue." I answered.

"Lets walk to your house Mrs. Tina Foster."

I turned and started towards my home. The two guards fell back a little behind me and the commander stepped up to my right side and walked with me. My mind was going a mile a minute trying to think of what they were going to do to me. Maybe they wanted to hang me from the oak tree in my front yard they could leave my body there to rot as an example to others. Maybe they were like the barbarians of centuries ago maybe they like to rape the women first before they killed them. My thoughts were interrupted as I realized the commander was saying something to me.

"I'm sorry could you repeat that again. I wasn't paying attention," I told the commander.

"I said you didn't seem to be paying attention at the meeting today and it looks like your still not either." The commander said.

"I'm real sorry about that and my outburst when I got there, but when I don't have breakfast I get cranky and mad at the world." The look on his face reminded me of telling a bill collector the check is in the mail even if it is they don't believe you.

"Please don't apologize I'm the same way in the morning, so I understand. If however you had been listening, you would have heard me tell your people that we didn't cut your power or gas. Your retreating armies had them cut after they left." He said.

"Why would they do that?" I dumbly said.

"We would do the same thing if we were retreating. You don't want your enemies to use your resources." He replied.

"I guess not."

"Mrs., that means you're married, doesn't it? Where is your husband?" he questioned.

"He's dead. Killed during the first two months of this war." I said with hatred in my voice.

He stopped me from walking with his arm on my shoulder turning me so I was looking at him. "I'm very sorry about that. A lot of very good people on all sides die or are hurt in a war." He let go of my shoulder and again started walking towards my house. I had to speed up a little to catch up. I think he really meant what he said. It kind of surprised me that this creature could care about others who weren't of his own kind.

"This is my house." I told the commander.

"Let's go inside and we can talk a little longer." He said.

Before I can answer one of the guards jumps over the fence and goes to the front door.

"Don't worry about him Mrs. Foster. He's one of my body guards and he must check the house first." The commander tells me.

"Well, tell him to let me unlock the door first." I reply.

He said something to the guard in their lizard language and he stood back and allowed me to unlock the door. He and the other guard began to check the house room by room while the commander and I waited at the front door entrance. "What do they think they'll find. An ambush or booby traps commander?" I said.

"Their following the orders issued by our headquarters not by me. If I were to try and stop them they would likely report me and I would be in trouble. By the way please call me Ariel, that's my first name and it's much less formal than Commander I think Mrs. Foster." The commander, Ariel, said.

"Yes, Command, I mean Ariel, and please call me Tina, Mrs. Foster is also a little to formal." I replied. I know this is the Enemy, yet he'd been very nice and almost like an old friend. I have to admit that he was very likeable as a person, or should I say lizard.

It took the guards about 45 minutes to check my three story house from the attic to the cellar before they reported back to their commander and told him to my surprise in broken English that the house was clear. "I didn't know they could speak English." I said to Ariel.

"Some of our people understand and can speak and read English and other languages of your planet very well. These two are just learning, which is one reason they are my personal guards." Ariel explained. "Lets go into your kitchen and maybe you can make coffee or tea. I have found I like both, but I do prefer coffee."

As I made coffee Ariel was talking in general about the weather, the pretty country side what could only be considered small talk one might have with a friend over morning coffee. As I listened I found that only if I looked at him did it remind me he was not a human, but a lizard. I then realized the power and gas was back on. "The power and gas is back on!" I stated with surprise.

"You really didn't hear anything I said this morning did you? I told the people we were working on restoring both and should be done soon. Except for your telephone lines, which there's little we can do here." Ariel said to me.

"No, I'm afraid my mind wasn't on what you were talking about this morning." I confessed.

"I think I understand. My sending the two guards to watch you likely frightened you. You where more afraid of what was going to happen to you for speaking out. I know some commanders that might use you as an example to scare the others, but that's not my way." He said in a calm and quiet voice.

"I was very worried about my outburst since we are your prisoners." I stated.

He looked at me intently before answering me. "Prisoners, yes I guess that's true, but I would hope that the people here will not dwell on that thought too much. It would only cause problems that would require harsh measures that headquarters would insist on me doing and that is something I don't want to have to do." As he started to drink his coffee. "This is great coffee Tina."