Payback
By: AliasCWN
Jack Moffitt left headquarters more than slightly distracted. He'd been called to a meeting of British and American officers for a consultation on a joint mission that had his fathers' influence all over it. The letter in his pocket from his father had hinted at the meeting but had not given any specifics. Now he had a better idea what was at stake, and the very concept intrigued him.
His father had sent him a new book only a month earlier, and though he found it interesting, he hadn't really understood why his father had chosen that particular subject matter. It was all too clear now, and he was eager to return to his quarters and consult the book on some theories he had formulated for the mission. Since it was classified, he wouldn't be able to tell the others about it, but they seldom questioned his research anyway. They would just tease him about always having his nose in a book and leave him to it. Tully was the only one who might ask any serious questions.
His mind still going over the information he'd been given in the meeting, Jack hurried along the deserted street. The meeting had run late, much later than he'd expected. There were not many people on the streets of the base after dark. He noticed someone come out of an alley ahead of him and head in the same general direction he was going. Not wanting to interrupt his train of thought by engaging in small talk, he slowed his pace until the other person was around a corner and out of sight. Alone again, he returned his thoughts to the puzzle the joint mission presented.
Nearing the street where he shared a room with Sam Troy, Moffitt entered a covered archway that connected the two streets. With thoughts of the book on his mind, he wasn't paying a lot of attention to his immediate surroundings. Quick footsteps behind him snapped him out of his musings and back to the real dangers a soldier alone at night faced.
He spun on his heels to face the person who was hurrying to catch up to him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized Mark Hitchcock rapidly approaching. As he called a greeting to Hitch by name, he saw the private stop and raise a hand to point at him. Even as Hitch got his hand stretched out toward him, a bullet came from behind. He fell to the ground, unmoving, a pool of bright blood around his head.
Hitch saw Moffitt ahead of him and hurried to catch up. He'd just finished a late supper after having duty and was on his way to find Tully. Knowing how dangerous it was to walk alone, he was happy to find someone headed in the same direction. Realizing it was Moffitt was even better.
As he rounded the corner to enter the archway he saw Moffitt turn to face him. The sargent smiled and called his name. Hitch was about to return the greeting when he saw the second man in the alley. He watched in horror as he raised a gun and pointed it straight at the sargent. Hitch raised his hand to point out the danger, trying to warn the sargent, but before he could utter a word a shot echoed in the stone archway. He watched in disbelief as Moffitt was flung forward to land on his face, the blood already staining the cobblestones.
The shooter turned and ran, darting between two buildings. Hitch gave chase but lost him almost immediately. There were just too many places for someone to disappear. Worried about Moffitt, he gave up looking and ran back to the archway.
There was a crowd already forming by the time he returned to the street. He tried to push his way through to Moffitt but the MPs were not letting anyone near. He watched anxiously as the crowd milled around and an ambulance arrived. The only glimpse he got of the British sargent was as he was loaded into the ambulance, a blood soaked bandage wrapped around the head wound.
Stunned and unsure about what to do, he headed to the room Moffitt shared with Troy. When he knocked on the door, Troy took his time opening it.
"Hitch. What are you doing here?" Troy greeted his driver with surprise. Usually while they were on base the privates tended to avoid him so he couldn't put them to work. As Hitchcock stepped out of the shadows of the hall into the room, Troy froze. "What's wrong?" He thought that his young teammate looked shell-shocked.
"It's Moffitt." Hitchcock mumbled.
"He's not here. He got called to headquarters. He should be back soon." Troy guided Hitch to the bed and gently encouraged him to sit down. Not sure what was wrong, he knelt in front of him to try to make eye contact.
"No Sarge. " The blond shook his head sadly. "He's not coming."
"What do you mean Hitch? What did you hear?"
"I didn't hear anything."
Troy was about to shake the youth to get some answers when he spoke again.
"I was coming back to my room to find Tully. I saw Moffitt walking ahead of me. I was trying to catch up to him. He stopped and called my name." Hitch stopped and met Troys' eyes with his own haunted ones. "Someone shot him Sarge. I saw him fall and the guy ran. I chased him but he got away. When I got back they were loading Moffitt into an ambulance. He didn't look good Sarge."
"Stay here." Troy barked. He grabbed his hat and rushed out of the door leaving Hitch sitting on the bed. Hitch got up and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. He wandered around the base for ten or fifteen minutes before going to his room to find Tully.
The two of them were waiting outside of the hospital when Troy came out. They'd tried to get in but both British and American MPs had blocked their way.
"How is he Sarge?"
Troy looked at them without really seeing them.
"Sarge?"
"I didn't get to see him. They said he died right after they got him here. The Brits and our MPs are investigating. They want to talk to you Hitch."
Hitch nodded mutely. Tully didn't say anything, he just bit down on his matchstick so hard that it broke in two. They both waited to see what Troy wanted to do next.
"Hitch. The MPs want to see you. Now! You'd better go find them before they come looking for you."
"Okay Sarge." The blond agreed listlessly. "Where will you be?"
"In our room. Meet us there as soon as you're done with the MPs."
"Right Sarge." Hitch left to find an MP who could tell him where he needed to go. Troy and Tully headed to Troys' room.
Two hours later, Hitch had still not returned.
"I'm going to head back to our room and try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning Sarge." Tully pulled himself to his feet and shuffled to the door. The night had been a tough one and the next day would probably not be much better. "If Hitch shows up here, tell him I'll see him there."
Troy nodded, still lost in his own thoughts. He barely noticed as Tully left the room.
Hitch found an MP who accompanied him to headquarters. He was surprised to be led to a room full of British and American officers and military police.
What followed was hours of questions, many repeated over and over. He told them his story exactly as it happened, over and over. He got the distinct impression that they felt he was lying or leaving something out. Finally, unable to get him to change his story, they allowed him to leave.
Tired, he was headed back to his room when he passed a set of stairs leading to the roof of an outdoor café. Needing a few minutes to unwind, he slowly climbed the stairs and crossed to a corner overlooking the desert. Taking deep breaths, he stared out across the open sands and tried to calm his shaken nerves. After about half an hour he left the roof and walked to the room that Troy and Moffitt shared. He knocked and waited for Troy to answer the knock.
The door opened with a rush. Troy stepped back and motioned him inside.
"What happened? What took so long?"
"They had a lot of questions….Sarge." Hitch looked at Troy with a serious expression. "I don't think they believed me."
"How do you mean?"
"I don't know. I just got the feeling that they didn't believe what I was telling them. Like they thought I was holding something back. I swear Sarge , I tried to catch the guy!"
"I know Hitch. I know." Troy yawned widely. " Tully headed back to your room and turned in."
"Okay Sarge. I guess I'll join him."
Hitch reached for the door knob. Boots sounded on the stairs. When the door swung open Hitch found himself face to face with a squad of military police. At the sight of him they raised their weapons. Hitch put his hands out to his sides to show that they were empty. An MP grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. With the speed of practice, he slipped a pair of handcuffs on the blond and fastened them behind his back.
"What?"
Troy rushed to the door to see what was happening.
"You're under arrest for the murders of Sgt. Jack Moffitt and Pvt. Tully Pettigrew."
"Tully?" Hitch tried to spin around to face the MP but they held him in place. "What do you mean Tully?"
"What are you talking about?" Troy demanded. He glared at the MP holding the arm of his driver.
The sargent in charge stepped past Hitch to face Troy.
"Your man here is under arrest for the murders of Sgt. Jack Moffitt and Pvt. Tully Pettigrew."
"What happened to Tully? He was here until about an hour ago. He left to go back to his room." Troy was confused.
"We found a witness who heard Sgt. Moffitt call to Hitchcock right before the shot sounded. Then we found the gun that was used in the alley. Another witness saw Hitchcock coming out of that same alley after the shooting. He's our prime suspect for the sargents' murder."
"But what about Tully?" Troy interrupted.
"We went to pick up Hitchcock. He said he was going back to his room. When we got to his room we found Pettigrew. Someone stabbed him in the back."
"No!" Hitch pulled against the hands holding him. "Not Tully too!"
An MP growled at him to stand still.
Troy was too shocked to respond.
"I didn't do it Sarge!" Hitch cried. He looked desperately at his sargent. "I didn't kill either of them. You have to believe that!"
Troy nodded. "I know that Hitch. I never thought for a minute that you did."
"I can't believe Tullys' gone too." Hitch forgot his own troubles. "Maybe there's a mistake Sarge. Maybe there was somebody else in our room." He grasp at the first thing that came to mind.
"We checked the dog tags. It was Pettigrew."
"Not just anyone could put a knife in Tullys' back." Troy reasoned. "He was too good for that. It would have had to have been someone he trusted."
"I didn't do it Sarge." Hitch repeated.
"I know Hitch!" Troy snapped.
"Then who Sargent?" The MP ask.
"I don't know." Troy answered. "But I do know it wasn't Hitch. There's no way! He couldn't have killed either of them. He wouldn't." His frustration overcame his grief. Not only had he lost two good friends, but he stood to lose the third to the MPs.
"The evidence says otherwise Sargent. How long has he been here?"
"About ten minutes. Why?'
"He left headquarters almost forty-five minutes ago. Where has he been? It doesn't take that long to get here."
Troy looked at Hitch for an explanation.
"I needed to get my head on straight. To figure things out. I sat on the roof of the café and just stared out into the desert. I never even saw Tully."
Troy looked at the MP.
"Any witnesses Private?"
"I don't know. I wasn't really looking for witnesses. I didn't know I would need them." Hitch frowned at the MP. "Did anyone see me near my room?"
"As your sargent stated, Pvt. Pettigrew must have trusted whoever was in that room with him." He turned to Troy. "Your man still looks good for it."
"No."
"He's under arrest Sargent." The MP motioned to his men and they pulled Hitch from the room. Troy watched helplessly as they hurried the blond down the stairs and out of the building.
Not sure what to do, Troy decided he needed to talk to Colonel Wilson or Captain Boggs. A glance at his watch gave him pause. It was too late to visit either man. Frustrated again, he threw himself on the bed to wait until morning.
Hitch paced the cell, too wound to relax. He was glad that Troy believed him but he knew things were looking bad for him. He'd already admitted to being there when Moffitt had been shot, and he had no alibi for the attack on Tully.
Exhausted, he sat on the cot and rested his head in his hands. The light from outside was blocked momentarily. He didn't notice the shadow that crossed in front of the barred window. It was the sound of metal on metal that caught his attention. He looked up at the opening and froze.
A man he didn't recognize had his face pressed against the bars with a pistol pointed at him.
"Who are you?" Hitchcock ask quietly. "What do you want?"
The man didn't answer right away. He kept the pistol pointed at Hitch while they studied each other.
"My name doesn't matter. You don't know me." The man answered. "But I know who you are. I've been watching you."
"Why?"
"Because Sargent Sam Troy likes you. He depends on you." The man smiled coldly. "You mean something to him."
Hitch was confused and it showed on his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do." The stranger disagreed. "Just like your two friends. Sgt. Moffitt and Pvt. Pettigrew meant something to him too. Did he take it hard when he found out they were dead? I wish I could have been there to see his reaction."
Hitchs' eyes flashed with anger as he realized what the man was saying. He jumped to his feet.
"You!...You killed them!"
The stranger laughed. "Yeah. That was me. I thought I was going to have a harder time getting to you. Just imagine how Sam is going to feel when he finds out that you are gone too. He might even break down and cry. All his men, his friends, gone in one night." The stranger smiled. "I sure wish I could see it when they tell him. I was going to just kill him, but this is so much better."
"Why?" Stuck in the cell, Hitch had no illusions about his chances. There was nowhere to go to avoid a bullet. The guards would never get there in time even if he yelled.
"Does it matter?"
"It does to me." Hitch assured him.
"Your sargent testified against some friends of mine, They all died in a prison escape attempt. Sam owes me. It was just pure luck that I got assigned to this base and just happened to see him. The rest is all history as they say. Payback is a b****. Say goodnight Private."
Hitch braced himself for the impact of the bullet.
"Hold it right there! Drop the gun!" Shouts and the scuffling of feet outside the window announced the arrival of the MPs.
The stranger pushed away from the window and fired at the MPs. His body jerked under the impact of bullets as they returned fire. A new face appeared at the window. This one Hitch recognized as one of the MPs who had arrested him.
"Are you alright Private?"
Still unsure just what had just transpired, Hitch nodded uncertainly before sitting heavily on his cot. He listened to the sounds outside his window until it finally got quiet again.
Morning found him again pacing the small room. He was hyper aware of the sounds coming from outside the cell. He heard the guards long before they stopped outside his door. As they led him toward the Colonels' office he was trying to decide how to phrase his defense. If Troy could make sense of what the stranger had told him, he might have a chance.
He walked into the Colonels' office to find Colonel Wilson, Captain Boggs, some British officers, and the head of the MPs who had arrested him. He was directed to sit in a chair as they all seemed to be waiting for something. No one spoke as the silence dragged on. Hitch was about to ask why he was there when there was a knock on the door. Sargent Troy was escorted into the meeting.
"Everyone is here. Shall we begin?" The Colonel addressed the British officers.
""Yes, well, right to the point. We have a confession to make." A major began after clearing his throat. "As you know, Sargent Moffitt was in this office before he was attacked for a meeting about a joint British-American mission." He looked to Troy for confirmation.
Troy nodded that he knew.
"When the sargent was shot, we were concerned that it might have something to do with that meeting. Concerned for his safety and the secrecy of the mission, we made a decision."
Troy looked at Hitch to see if he had any idea where this line of explanation was leading. Hitch looked as lost as he felt.
"Anyway, Sargent, I'm afraid we misled you. Sargent Moffitt was shot and needed to be taken to the hospital."
"We know that Sir. Hitch was there. He admitted that."
"Yes but Sargent, Sargent Moffitt did not die."
Hitch caught his breath as the British officer nodded at them.
"We told that story so his attacker would think he had been successful. We didn't want to take the chance that he might try again."
"Then why are you telling me now?" Troy challenged. His eyes narrowed with anger at the deception.
"Because we no longer feel that the attack had anything to do with the mission. That being said, we no longer feel the need to be involved. We have been assured that the sargent is no longer in danger and his attacker had been caught."
"Then he's still alive?" Hitch ask incredulously.
"Yes Private, he is. The wound was only a graze. He'll be released from the hospital now that the threat is over."
"But Hitch didn't do it. That attacker is still out there.´ Troy protested.
"No Sarge. The MPs shot him last night." Hitch explained unexpectantly.
Troy turned to stare at his driver.
"He came to my cell and was going to kill me too. Said he owed you. Said Moffitt and Tully were payback. He said he was going to kill me so you would lose everyone."
"Who Hitch? Who said that?"
"I don't know his name. He said it wouldn't mean anything to me because I didn't know him. He admitted to killing Tully too." Hitch glanced at the MPs. "Only I can't prove it. I don't think anyone else heard. And I think he's dead now so we can't make him talk."
"Who was he?"
"His name was Spenser Lawton. Does that name mean anything to you Sargent?" The MP ask.
"Lawton. Spenser Lawton." Troy repeated slowly. "No. I don't recognize the name." He stared at the floor, dredging his memory for any clue to the mans' identity. "I don't remember anyone by that name."
"He said you testified against some of his friends. They went to prison." Hitch watched Troy shake his head. His shoulders slumped as he watched his defense melt away. If Troy couldn't remember, maybe the stranger had lied.
"I testified against a gang of thieves while I was in basic. That was years ago. But I still don't remember any Spenser Lawton."
The MP pulled a photo from his pocket and handed it to Troy. Hitch recognized the face from the window. Troy studied it for a moment before he handed it back.
"His name is Gerald 'Jerry' Buckler, not Spenser Lawton. He was suspected of being a member of the gang but there was no proof. You're right, the rest of the gang went to prison. I didn't know Jerry was in the army. I haven't seen him since the trial. I didn't know he was on the base."
The MP wrote the information in his notebook, along with everything else Troy could remember about the case.
"Well Sargent, that clears up a lot of things." He nodded at the Colonel and tucked his pad into his pocket.
"You're excused Sargent." The Colonel said, dismissing him.
Troy rose to leave. "What about Hitch Sir? You don't still believe that he killed Tully?"
The Colonel smiled. "Actually Sargent. We never believed he attacked Pvt. Pettigrew. We only arrested him because we believed he was the next target. You were under surveillance too, just in case you were a target. You can take Pvt. Hitchcock with you. I believe you will both want to make a stop at the hospital."
"Thank you Sir. We'll stop by and see Moffitt. Does he know about Tully Sir?"
The Colonel smiled again. "Yes Sargent, he does. I believe their beds are side by side."
"Sir?"
"We lied to protect Pvt. Pettigrew from a second attempt too Sargent."
Hitch and Troy stared at the Colonel, afraid to believe what they had just heard.
"Private Pettigrews' wound was more serious but he handled the surgery well. He'll make a complete recovery. You can visit him when you stop to pick up Sargent Moffitt." When they just stood there he continued.
"The MPs went to ask Hitchcock if he recognized the gun they'd found in the alley. They found Pvt. Pettigrew on the floor, bleeding from a knife wound. Fortunately they found him in time, a few more minutes and he would have bled out. He was able to tell them what had happened. We didn't want his attacker to know that he had survived. Since he used Hitchcocks' knife, it made sense we would arrest Hitchcock for the crime. He was easier to protect in a cell, although the guards were a bit lax." The Colonel gave the MPs a disapproving stare. "Again, they were lucky enough to get there in the nick of time. They also heard the entire confession. Although the attacker was never supposed to get that close to him."
Hitch had heard enough. He didn't care about the details. Moffitt and Tully were alive and he was no longer a suspect. He wanted to go to the hospital.
"Sarge?"
The Colonel smiled again and nodded at the door.
Troy and Hitch saluted smartly.
"Thank you Sir. We need to get back to our unit."
The officers and the MPs watched as they hurried from the room. The Colonel went to the window and followed their progress toward the hospital until he lost sight of them.
"Sargent."
"Yes Sir." The MP answered curtly.
"Make sure our killer didn't have any friends who might decide to finish what he started. I want this over and done."
"Yes Sir."
"And keep an eye on them until we're 100% sure. They have done so much to keep the people on this base safe. Maybe it's time for a little payback of our own."