Rebel (The United Federation Marine Corps) by Jonathan P. Brazee

looked surprised, but the man still had half of his burger left, and if he was a Marine and their target for the night, Michi didn’t want to fight with a full bladder.
    There was a drink waiting for her when she got back.  She brought it to her mouth and acted like she was taking a sip.  They were sitting two tables from the man, but he was more interested in his meal than in them.  He was dipping his fries in what looked to be mayo, then putting each one into his mouth, sucking off the mayo, then popping the fry into his mouth as well.
    “That’s pretty disgusting,” Tamara whispered as she lifted her own glass. 
    Unless she was dumping some on the ground, it looked like she had taken a few swallows of her beer.  Well, it wasn’t as if she was going to be doing any fighting, so maybe it was OK.
    Michi picked up her PA and dialed Doug.  Doug was their “back-up,” as Cheri had made them promise to have.  Michi wasn’t sure how much good having Doug around was, but with Cheri’s fear that there was a spy in the WRP, neither Michi nor Tamara wanted to bring anyone else in on their plan.
    “Hey, Danielle.  We’re at Yancy’s Café, over on Calamus Two,” she told Doug over the PA.
    “I’m on Calamus Four, so let me move over.  Do you have someone?” Doug asked.
    “Maybe, but don’t you worry.  We’ll let you know if we leave here,” Michi said before cutting the connection. 
    “Duty done,” she whispered to Tamara, bringing up the glass to cover her mouth.
    “Ah, yes, Danielle is such a sweetie,” Tamara said with a laugh. 
    The laugh sounded a little forced, so Michi knew Tamara was getting amped.  The girl had a mean streak in her, and Michi was glad they were friends.  She didn’t think Tamara would make a good enemy. 
    As the man finished his burger, he asked for his check, his off-world accent clearly reaching them.
    “Bingo!” Tamara said. 
    Whether he heard her or not, he looked up, catching her eye.  Tamara smiled and lifted her glass up in a toast.  The man nodded and lifted his up in return before breaking the contact.
    “I already paid,” Tamara told her.  “When he leaves, let’s follow him. If he starts to head towards the stadium, then he’s our man.”
    The man sat at the table for another 20 minutes, seemingly happy to just relax while Michi got more and more tense.  She was ready, and she wanted to get at it.  When the man finally got up, Tamara had to put out a restraining arm to keep Michi from immediately jumping up to follow.
    The man started to walk deeper down Calamus Two, which was a good sign.  The stadium was only five hundred meters or so through the winding small roads that made up this restaurant district.  At the point where the river bent around, there was a footbridge, and over that was the more open plaza where the stadium, museum, and opera house stood.  If they were going to jump him, it had to be before he got to the bridge.
    The two roommates trailed the man, and when he stopped to ask directions on how to get out of the district, that cemented it.  This was their target.  They were getting close to the outer river walk and the bridge, so they had to move.
    They picked up their pace.  They were still 10 meters in back of the man as he came within sight of the Riverwalk.
    “Hey!” Tamara called out.
    The man, the Marine , turned around.  “I was wondering when you two were going to say something,” he said in his off-world accent.
    “What do you mean?” Tamara asked, using the time to close the distance.
    “Well, you’ve been following me since the café.”
    “Well, did you have to make it that difficult for a girl, then?” she asked, reaching out to take one of his hands in hers.
    “Difficult is all relative, don’t you think?  Anyway, I’m afraid that as much as I find the both of you fine specimens of Kauregan womanhood, whatever you had planned won’t come to fruition.”
    Specimens” Michi thought as she