If It Was Easy

by AliasCWN

Captain Boggs sends the Rat Patrol on a mission that he thinks will be difficult.

If I Was Easy

By:AliasCWN

The desert was bright, much brighter than the four men wanted. In order to carry out their mission they needed to sneak into a heavily guarded Arab town occupied by the highly vaunted German Afrika Korp.

Using only hand signals, for sound carried easily on the night air in the desert, the leader sent his men around the ends of the collapsed wall that separated them from the fuel depot. He stopped often to listen for something nagged at his subconscious. It was too easy.

The Germans were planning a new offensive and they would surely know that the Allies expected one. It would also stand to reason that the Allies would try to destroy their fuel and ammo stores; the guard detail was too light under the circumstances.

Sam Troy signaled for his men to stop. The others watched, motionless, as he studied the area in front of them. Still uneasy, he sent Pfc. Mark Hitchcock in a wide circle to the right around their planned route. Pfc. Tully Pettigrew was sent to make the same detour to the left of their route. Sergeant Jack Moffitt, the only Englishman in the group, stayed with Troy to give the privates cover if they ran into trouble.

In their well-worn, sun faded, desert tan uniforms the two young soldiers blended perfectly with sand under their feet. Their slow, fluid motions didn't stand out in the moonlight that cast long shadows around the wall. Troy watched Tully round a rock and drop to the ground, his attention caught by the roving guard. Shifting only his eyes, Troy tried to spot Hitchcock but the young private had already gone to cover. Once the guard passed the two privates resumed their cautious journey.

The smell of smoke alerted Hitch. Faint, not like fresh smoke, but more like the smoke that clings to your clothing after you've been in a room full of smokers. He dropped to his stomach and inched forward. A wall, damaged but still partially standing, separated him from the street in front of the fuel depot. Studying it carefully, he decided it would be the perfect place from which to launch an ambush on anyone trying to reach the fuel barrels. Crawling silently, inch by slow inch; he went around the far end, listening for the slightest sound.

Hiding crouched next to the stone of the wall, the five German soldiers waited tensely for the order to attack. The signal to alert them to the enemy presence had been given but they had to wait for the commanders to order them to move. Cramped and uncomfortable, they shifted their positions slightly to ease the tight muscles. The little sounds they made hid the soft brush of cloth on sand as Hitch eased back away from the wall. Moving back to where the sergeants could see him, he held up five fingers and pointed at the position of the German soldiers.

Tully found more German soldiers when he investigated an old crumbling building. He too crept back to alert the sergeants.

Troy watched as both privates reported what they had found. Once it was confirmed that they were walking onto a trap, he called for a withdrawal. All four men began a steady but somewhat quicker retreat.

Clear of the town, they gathered to compare notes. Both privates verbally confirmed what they had seen. Troy was about to tell them to return to the jeeps when they began to take fire. Bullets buzzed past them so close that they could actually feel the air disturbed by their passing. Not needing orders, they all ran for the hidden vehicles.

The jeeps were hidden close to the town and they were able to reach them in minutes. Troy had bypassed the scattered wadis in favor of a closer group of rocks. They had parked the jeeps tightly against the two largest ones and draped their camouflage nets from the rocks to the far side of the jeeps. Now, even in the bright moonlight they looked like big rocks. The draped nets broke up the lines of the jeeps and cast splotchy shadows that blended well with the shadows of the rocks.

The sounds of halftracks and patrol cars leaving the town disturbed the silence of the desert night. They rushed out into the darkness, breaking into small groups to search the surrounding desert. Searchlights lit up the wadis as they probed the darkness for the American jeeps.

Under the camo nets the four Allied soldiers watched all of the activity with interest. By the time they had reached the jeeps the search parties had already been organized and spewing from the gates of the German base. Thinking that their enemy had fled, the Germans had quickly headed into the vast desert to find them. The problem was, they had already passed the net covered jeeps before turning on their search lights. Now the Allies were trapped between the searchers and the town.

"That went well." Moffitt remarked as he watched the lights of the search parties disappear into the desert.

"Yeah," Troy answered with disgust, "they figured we come after the fuel."

"They had us figured all right." Tully Pettigrew added. "Like putting out bee hives to draw in the bears."

Troy turned to look at the lanky private, his face thoughtful. "Tully, what happens if you go chasing the bear and don't keep an eye on the honey?"

"The bear might come back and get it." Tully grinned.

"What are you thinking Troy?" Moffitt asked.

"Look Moffitt, they were expecting us. We came. They drove us off. They're out there right now searching the desert for us. Do you think they'll still have the men in place for an ambush?"

"You want to go back in right now?"

Troy smiled widely, showing even white teeth in his blackened face.

Moffitt shrugged. "You're the boss, but try not to smile. You'll give us away even if they aren't looking for us. That smile sticks out brighter than their searchlights."

Troy grinned at the warning. "Let's go. Slow and easy. Hitch, you and Tully check for those soldiers, make sure they called them off. We'll plant the charges and come right back here. Once the explosions start the search parties will come running back to investigate. If they see us we'll blast right through them and run for home. If they pass us by we'll sneak off nice and quiet. Ready?" Three heads nodded and three smiles showed him exactly what Moffitt had been trying to tell him. "No smiling." He warned.

Four shadows glided back into the town and this time they reached the fuel barrels undetected. They planted their charges and set the timers. They were back at their jeeps before the explosions rocked the ground. Black smoke poured from the burning fuel while orange flames licked at the surrounding buildings. The flames lit up the base with flickering shadows. Around the flames the German soldiers stood in confusion and watched as their fuel burned.

The Rat Patrol hid under the camo nets, ready to cast them aside it the searchlights lit up the rocks. They watched as the halftracks and patrol cars returned to their base, confused and empty handed. The shouts of the fire fighters were lost in the roar of the blaze. Only one of the returning patrol cars turned its light on the rocks but the nets provided enough shadow to fool the Germans. They rushed on past without taking a closer look. As the flames drew the attention of the Germans and ruined their night vision, the Allied soldiers packed their nets and crept quietly away into the night.

Captain Boggs studied the map on his wall as he listened to Troy's report on their latest mission. "So they were waiting for you?" Boggs asked.

"Yes, but we went right back in while they were looking for us in the desert." Troy grinned.

Boggs turned to face the sergeant, amused by his announcement. "One of these days Troy." He warned with a smile.

"But not today Sir, today we won."

The Captain laughed as Troy stated the obvious. "All right Sergeant, I have another assignment for you. An ammunition dump this time. Heavily guarded. Underground. And you're on a strict time table. The offensive will be starting soon and headquarters doesn't want Jerry to have access to that ammunition. Am I clear?"

"Chrystal Sir. Where is it?"

Turning back to the map the Captain pointed at the spot on the map where the ammo dump was located.

Troy whistled when he saw it. Biting his lower lip, he tilted his head and looked at the map. "You don't make things easy, do you Sir?"

"If it was easy I could send anyone." The Captain snapped.

"Yes Sir." Troy replied, accepting the compliment without comment. "How long do we have to get the job done?"

"Less than twenty four hours Sergeant." The Captain looked at his watch. "Actually, only twenty two hours and twenty minutes. You'd better get moving."

Troy raised his eyebrows at the time and looked at the map again. "Do we know anything else about the area or the depot?"

"It's all in the packet Sergeant. Requisition whatever you think you'll need." The Captain passed a packet to Troy.

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed Sergeant, and good luck."

"Really Troy, and just how do they expect us to reach this depot?" Moffitt had taken one look at the packet and shook his head. It's been tried before you know. No one has been able to get anywhere close to it."

"Well I'll tell you; the Captain didn't really go into it with that much detail. I guess he thought we'd figure it out for ourselves."

"And I suppose you have a plan?"

Troy smiled easily at his friend and fellow sergeant. "Not yet, but I'm sure something will come to me." He took the packet from Moffitt and smiled again. "Let's go find the others; we're on a tight schedule here."

The Germans had the ammunition depot well defended. Troy studied the depot through field glasses and whistled in appreciation.

"Still think this is possible?" Moffitt asked as he studied the depot through his own glasses.

"There's always a way." Troy answered confidently.

"They could defend that depot against an attack by an armored division." Moffitt pointed out.

Troy laughed as he slid away from the top of the ridge. "Good thing we're not an armored division then."

"How does it look Sarge?" Hitch asked as Troy slid down the slope.

"Like we have our work cut out for us."

"Sounds like fun." The blond responded with a quick smile.

"You would think so." Tully groaned.

"Hey Tully, you know Sarge is going to come up with something really cool to get this dump." Hitch turned toward his sergeant with an eager glint in his eyes. "Tell him Sarge."

Troy smiled at his driver. "Tully, find us a place to hide the jeeps. Let's move out."

Tully waited for Moffitt to take his seat before he accelerated out of the wadi to look for a good hiding place. Hitch followed close behind as Troy stared out across the desert, deep in thought.

The plane came in fast, its twin guns sending sand flying behind the two jeeps. The drivers held to the same course, staying side by side in a well-rehearsed routine. At the shout from Troy the jeeps separated and paralleled their earlier path. As the plane flew between them the 50's opened fire at its exposed belly. The heavy bullets chased the plane even after the pilot pulled up on his joy stick. A thin stream of oily black smoke trailed from one of the wings as the plane turned and headed for its base. Both jeeps slowed and rolled to a stop side by side.

Sam Troy lowered his goggles and squinted into the sun as he searched the bright sky for the return of the plane.

"Well, they know we're here now." Moffitt stated in the silence.

"Yeah, they'll radio our position." Troy growled. "They'll be expecting us when we try for the depot."

"We didn't really expect to stay out of sight for too long did we old chap?" Moffitt's amused smile annoyed Troy.

"I could hope."

"Really Troy, with the time table the Captain gave us we didn't have time to wait for dark. He had to know we'd be spotted crossing the desert during the day."

"Yeah I know. The Captain doesn't care how we get this ammo dump as long as we get it before the offensive starts. It just might have been easier if they didn't know we were out here."

"Well they know. Now what?" Moffitt removed his goggles and wiped the sweat from his face. He glanced out over the desert while he waited for an answer. There was nothing moving out there, they seemed to be the only things alive for miles.

"Now we change directions and try to throw them off. We'll try to come in from a direction they won't be expecting. We still have a little time to play with before the deadline the Captain gave us." Troy picked up a canteen and took a drink before handing it to his driver. Seeing the move, Moffitt copied his actions, handing his canteen to Tully.

"How do you want to do it Sarge?" Tully asked, handing the canteen back to Moffitt.

Troy looked at Moffitt, who shrugged.

"We could circle to the east and come in along the mountain ridge. There are some old trails the Arabs used to use." The Brit recalled.

"That would give us good cover but I bet they know about the trails. Chances are they have all of them under observation." Troy kept his eyes roving the sky as he answered. He tried to remember the map the Captain had shown him. They had maps in the jeep but the Captain's map had all of the latest updates marked in grease pencil. One mark had caught his attention but he couldn't remember exactly why it had seemed out of place. "Moffitt, dig out the maps; I want another look at the area around the depot."

Jumping gracefully to the ground, the sergeant took the map case out from under the seat. He leafed through the bundle until he found the map he wanted, replacing the others in the pouch. Smoothing the map across the hood of the jeep, he pointed the base with the tip of his finger.

"Right here Troy. Intelligence says it's underground and heavily guarded. We've gone over all of the roads leading to it, all guarded. They have air support just a few minutes away if they decide to send for it. So far the only success we've had is our own attacks on the convoys carrying the ammunition. The planes attack any large ambushes we've set up for the convoys."

"That's why the Captain sent us. He says the large forces can't sneak through. He's hoping the four of us can get past their defenses."

"By sending us out in the daylight?" Tully asked with a grunt of amusement. "He thinks the planes are just going to ignore two tiny little jeeps because we're small?" This time the lanky private chuckled at the insanity of it all.

"Does kind of defeat the purpose." Mark Hitchcock grinned at Troy.

"Maybe he thinks we're magicians." Tully laughed.

"Knock it off." Troy growled. "It doesn't matter what he thinks we are, he gave us an order, and he expects us to carry it out."

"Jerry doesn't know what those orders are." Moffitt mentioned quietly. He met the startled looks of the others and his eyes crinkled with a plan.

"Okay Moffitt, spill it; what's on that devious mind of yours?"

"They're sending out convoys nearly every day, correct?"

"Yes."

"Let's hit them." Moffitt smiled at the effect his suggestion had elicited. "Hear me out. Jerry knows we're here but he doesn't know why. If we hit a convoy and then disappear, he may think we got what we were after. If he thinks we went home it might give us a bit more freedom to move on the base.

"Then what?" Troy wondered.

"That, my friend, is your department." The Brit responded with a glint in his eyes.

Troy couldn't suppress a smile of his own. The freedom to do things his way was the best thing about the Rat Patrol as far as he was concerned. The Captain gave them a mission and then left them to do it. It didn't get any better than that. "Show me the map."

The last of the surviving trucks regrouped and headed toward their base. Troy watched through field glasses as they formed a line and drove away. The Rat Patrol had hit them without any warning, scattering them like leaves in the wind.

The convoy had been heading for their base when they were hit. Gas tanks had exploded and engines had died, but since the trucks were empty, there hadn't been any of the usual fireworks.

"Coming out they'll be loaded for bear." Tully remarked from behind Troy.

"Have you seen any bear around here lately?" Moffitt asked, tongue-in-cheek.

Tully growled deep in his throat, a low, grumbly growl.

"It wouldn't do to disappoint them." Troy laughed as he watched a group of ambulances rush toward the burning trucks from the direction of the base. "Cover the jeeps just in case they sent for air support. We'll just wait here for them to load the trucks and come back out."

Hitch and Tully ran to the jeeps and pulled the camouflage nets from the rear storage area. Flinging them over the little vehicles, they arranged the drapes to look like rocks. With the vehicles hidden from planes, they set about erasing their tracks so that a plane couldn't follow the twin sets of tracks to the jeeps. With the jeeps hidden the two privates filled the gas tanks and the radiators.

The sergeants kept vigil from the ridge, watching every move the Germans made. When the ambulances started moving away the sergeants slid down the slope and ducked under the netting.

"Hitch, you and I are going to follow them. Moffitt, you and Tully will follow us, but stay way back. Keep our dust trail down and stay off the ridges and out of sight."

"Right Sarge." The blond responded, leaping to his feet to uncover the jeep.

"Tully, the same goes for us. Only we have to keep an eye out to make sure Troy and Hitch aren't spotted." Moffitt told his driver who had jumped to his feet to pull his own netting down. Calm brown eyes met his as the younger 'rat' acknowledged the order. Moffitt turned to make his own preparations.

Troy and Hitch left first, moving carefully through the valleys. Troy would leap from the jeep and climb a hill to check on the ambulances every few minutes. Hitch kept moving at what felt like a snail's pace, afraid that they were going to lose the ambulances, but not daring to go any faster.

Tully kept his eyes on the jeep in front, keeping his tires in the tracks that Hitch left. Moffitt kept his eyes on the sky, the planes spotting them would undo all of their efforts.

They followed the ambulances straight to the gates of the base. Hitch had spotted the guards first and they had managed to sneak around them while the guards were watching the ambulances. Moffitt was waved through while Troy stood watch. The jeeps were once again covered while they waited to plan their next move.

"Look." Troy pointed toward the base as Moffitt looked on. "They take the ambulances straight to the medical tent. They have that big pile of coffins stacked there. Each driver and his helper load the bodies into the coffins and they carry them into the caves to keep them cool."

Moffitt studied the Germans as Troy explained the routine. "They probably have a separate detail to handle the dead." He suggested.

"Yeah. Yeah. But they aren't doing anything yet. Maybe they're going to wait until it gets dark to start digging the graves." The excitement in Troy's voice confused Moffitt.

"That's a possibility; it makes more sense than digging in this heat. Besides, it keeps them out of sight of our spotters."

"That's our way in."

"As an ambulance driver?"

"Listen; here's the plan." Troy outlined his idea to a thoroughly amazed Moffitt. Heads together, they hashed out the details of the plan as the privates kept watch on the base. Finally, satisfied that they had covered everything that they could predict, they called to their drivers to share their plan.

"Okay Tully, I'll ride with you. Hitch and Moffitt will be in charge of getting an ambulance. You understand the plan?" Troy climbed into Tully's jeep.

"Got it Sarge."

"Okay, let's hit that convoy hard."

Tully led the way as they once again slipped past the guards who were now looking the wrong way. They headed for the open desert and quickly outdistanced the heavily loaded convoy.

Troy calculated the route of the convoy and began to plot a place to set up an ambush. Troy acted as lookout, watching the dust trail of the trucks now loaded with ammunition. He watched as the convoy approached their position, one halftrack leading, and the other one bringing up the rear. He waited until they reached the road below him before giving the two privates the signal to go. Troy ran for Tully's jeep rather than his own. Moffitt was manning the 50 behind Hitch. The jeeps flew over the dune and bullets flew toward the convoy. Chaos reigned as the trucks full of ammunition began to explode under the onslaught of the two fast moving jeeps. The jeeps broke off the attack as soon as the halftracks entered the fray. Wounded men screamed and others yelled in confusion. The American jeeps dodged through the thick dust they had stirred up, using the dust to hide their movements. Abandoning the attack, they made their escape over the dune and into the distance. As soon as they were sure that they weren't being followed Troy ordered them to swing back to where they could watch the results of their actions.

Once the attackers vanished the halftracks returned to the disorganized survivors of the convoy. The remaining trucks formed a new line while a lieutenant walked down the line to check the damage. Troy watched as the commander of the convoy radioed a report to the base. The wounded were made comfortable and left in the shade of the trucks for the ambulances from the base to pick up. The dead were lined up off to the side for retrieval by the ambulances. The loaded trucks left a trail of dust that marked their progress away from the ambush site.

"Looks like their leaving Sarge." Tully leaned on one elbow by Troy's side and checked on his jeep.

"Yeah, the ambulances should be coming out by now. Moffitt and Hitch are going to try and take the last one. We'd better be ready to help them. Drop me off with them and you find a place to create that diversion. Remember; give us about forty-five minutes after we get Hitch in place."

"Got it Sarge." Tully hesitated before he continued. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"It's our best shot Tully."

"I just don't like it. It's kind of creepy."

"Hitch says he's okay with it. We're going to do everything we can to make sure he stays safe." Troy reached over and patted Tully on the shoulder. "No matter what, we won't leave him in there. If he doesn't come out we'll go back in and get him."

Tully nodded in agreement but his expression didn't change. He started the jeep and drove to the wadi where they were to meet the others. The captured German ambulance, with Moffitt driving, arrived a few minutes later. Tully covered the second jeep with a camouflage net while Troy joined Moffitt at the ambulance.

Moffitt was getting Hitch ready for his part in the plan. He was stretched out in the back of the ambulance while Moffitt worked on him.

Troy looked in the back doors to see blood covering the front of Hitch's borrowed German shirt. Grease and blood was smeared over half his face and his arms. A blood soaked blanket lay draped over his chest and lower body, hiding the explosive charges that Moffitt had tucked in next to him. The effect was so realistic that Troy caught his breath at the sight.

Moffitt, at seeing Troy's face, smiled. "I had to cover his face because he looked too healthy. Should fool anyone with a quick look, don't you think? Now if he can hold his breath long enough to pass inspection we should be good to go."

"Could have fooled me." Troy admitted. "You gave me a start for a minute there. Any problems?"

"None. The ambulance crew will be quite a while getting back to the base. We left them water and tied them loosely. Shall we be off?"

"Tully will wait forty-five minutes before he gives us a diversion. We only have that small window of time to get back off the base."

"Well we'd better rejoin our unit and pick up a real dead body. We'll need to be at the end of the line when we reach the base."

Troy and Moffitt drove the ambulance to the ambush site to pick up one of the dead German soldiers. They positioned their ambulance at the end of the line and followed the rest of the ambulances straight into the base. Parking near the stack of caskets but away from the other vehicles, Troy and Moffitt helped themselves to one coffin to hold the dead body. They placed the dead German into the coffin and closed the lid. A lieutenant approached as they were getting ready to pick it up.

Moffitt stepped forward to meet him. The lieutenant asked a few questions before glancing into the back of the ambulance. He asked Moffitt another question as he started to turn away. Moffitt reached into his pocket and extracted two sets of dog tags. Handing them to the lieutenant, he motioned for Troy to open the lid on the coffin at his feet. Moffitt indicated one set of tags and pointed toward the coffin while pointing toward the ambulance and the second set of tags. The lieutenant wrote the names on his clipboard before walking away.

The two sergeants carried the dead German into the cave and stacked it with the other coffins already there. Returning to the ambulance, they loaded Hitch into another empty coffin. Carefully carrying the now loaded coffin into the cave, they made sure that they were the last ones to finish. They placed the coffin next to the others, making sure that it was clear of any obstacles. Troy tapped softly on the lid as they turned to walk back to the ambulance.

Troy and Moffitt had barely cleared the cave when an officer came hurrying up to them. Troy held back so Moffitt could speak to him. Moffitt kept nodding his head while he hid his hand behind his back and motioned for Troy to go to the ambulance.

When Moffitt joined Troy in the ambulance he couldn't hide his grin.

"What?" Troy demanded, his imagination working overtime. "We only have about ten minutes until Tully creates a diversion for us. It may be our only chance to get out of here undetected."

"Tully has been busy already."

"What?"

"Apparently the commander ask his air cover to fly over the convoy to make sure we didn't hit it again. The plane spotted Tully and radioed back that he had seen the enemy."

"We're going to help Tully?" Troy asked.

Moffitt laughed. "No, we're supposed to go pick up the pilot. He radioed his position after Tully shot him down. We're not going to need that diversion after all."

"But that pilot may need another pick up." Troy laughed in relief. "Let's drop this thing off and get our jeep. We need to be in position to pick up Hitch."

When they pulled into the wadi where the jeep was hidden they found themselves facing a 50 caliber machine gun. Tully was braced behind the gun, his face a mask of determination; when he realized who it was, his face lit up with delight.

"That was fast Sarge. Everything all right?"

"Yes, thanks to you. We're supposed to pick up the pilot you shot down. We didn't have to escape, they sent us out here." The Englishman's eyes sparkled with humor. "They're being very cooperative today."

"What about Hitch?" Tully's concern returned.

"We got him in position. Now we need to get in place to pick him up and cover him if he needs it. He's going to try to get out over the mountain so we need to get back in there so we're in place." Troy headed for his jeep, leaving Moffitt to again pair up with Tully. "Let's shake it."

Mark Hitchcock heard the soft knock on the lid and breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was going according to plan. Listening intently, he decided that he was alone in the cave with the dead Germans. Carefully, he slid the lid off the coffin to one side so he could sit up. A quick look around and he climbed out of the wooden box. Leaning into the box, he collected the timed charges that Moffitt had tucked into the coffin with him. He stacked the charges along the wall and did a quick recon of the cave's interior. A second cavern, deeper into the mountain than the coffin cave, held the stacks of German munitions. Hurrying back to the coffin, he started to collect the charges when he hears voices calling outside. Thinking that the burial detail might be forming, he quickly gathered rocks to put into the coffin. He wrapped enough rocks in the bloody blanket to equal the weight of a body. The blanket would keep the rocks from sliding around and revealing his deception. Replacing the lid, he tapped it down and slid the coffin closer to the others.

Retrieving the explosives, he hurried into the second chamber to set the charges. Voices in the first chamber sent him scurrying behind a box of hand grenades. Gripping his pistol tightly, he listened as someone walked to within feet of his hiding place. They walked right past the stack of grenades as their light cast long shadows along the wall. Hitch held his breath, waiting for the shout that would announce his presence. It never came. The light circled the chamber and retreated to the first cavern.

He heard grunts and the shuffling of feet as the burial detail lifted the coffins and carried them out of the cavern. He could hear them loading them onto a truck outside. A truck engine rattled to life and the cave got quiet again. Hitch checked his watch and sat down to wait for the camp to settle for the night.

Checking his watch again, he rose and went back into the first cavern. A fast peek at the entrance revealed a lone guard standing next to the cavern opening with his back to the entrance, staring straight ahead. the sun, which had been bright only minutes ago, was dimming at a rapid rate. Hitch knew from experience that full dark was not far off and it was time to move. The longer he waited the more chance there was of discovery.

Setting the charges took only minutes. Each one was placed next to a box of grenades or mortar rounds. The resulting explosion would light up the sky for miles if it hadn't been underground. As it was, the mountain was going to shake before this night was through. One more check to make sure everything was set and he hurried out of the chamber.

Thankful that the main base had been erected a good distance from the caves, Hitch was certain that the guard would not be missed until he had had time to escape. Stepping quietly toward the entrance, his attention was on the guard. His foot came down on a loose rock, kicking it into the wall. The guard stiffened and strained to identify the sound. Hitch froze, hoping the guard would ignore the noise if it wasn't repeated. He pulled his knife and waited.

There was no light in the cavern, only the faint light of the setting sun filtering into the entrance. Hitch watched the guard slowly turn and stare straight at him. Drawing his knife hand back, Hitch prepared to silence the soldier before he could sound the alarm or aim his rifle.

But the guard did neither. His eyes got wide, the whites plainly showing as his mouth dropped open in shock. Frozen in place, he stared at Hitch mutely. Even as Hitch pulled his hand back, the guard's eyes rolled back in his head and he slowly crumbled to the ground.

Now it was Hitch who stared. He quickly recovered and knelt next to the unconscious guard to strip him of his weapons. As he reached across the body he noticed his blackened arms and hands. He started to chuckle, remembering his grease covered face and the bloody uniform he still wore.

He'd been about to drag the German guard into the cave but he changed his mind. Pulling the limp form out of the cave, he dropped him behind a broken down truck that was being used for parts. Satisfied that he would have a good chance of surviving the upcoming blast, Hitch patted him on the cheek and wished him luck. Standing, Hitch ran for the trail leading into the mountain, alert for the guard on the trail in case the others hadn't taken him out yet.

As he neared the top he heard a hiss ahead of him. Tully stepped out into the moonlight, a rifle cradled across his arms. Troy and Moffitt followed, rifles ready.

"Everything all right?" Troy studies his driver for any signs of trouble. He found him puffing from the rapid climb but he didn't appear to be worried about anything, in fact, he looked like he was trying to hold back laughter.

"Everything's fine Sarge, but we'd better keep moving, this whole mountain is going to start shaking pretty soon. I planted the charges between boxes of hand grenades and mortar shells. And believe me Sarge, there were a lot of them."

"Okay." Troy nodded, still eyeing his driver. "Let's shake it."

The four men ran for their vehicles and they were speeding away when the earth shook under the wheels. The shaking continued for several minutes as the chain of explosions rocked the mountain. Troy called a halt to listen as the ground groaned and sifted under their jeeps.

"I say Hitch, you outdid yourself old boy." Moffitt laughed in an exaggerated accent. "I think we can safely say that Jerry won't be using those munitions against any of our chaps."

Troy nodded. "The Captain ought to be satisfied with the results." Troy glanced at his watch and smiled. "And with an hour and ten minutes to spare."

"That's if the krauts didn't get any more convoys out before it blew." Tully drawled, spoiling the mood.

"We could always chase down the ones who got away." Moffitt suggested.

"No." Troy decided. "They'll be covered from the air and expecting us. Those couple that got away couldn't have been carrying enough to make much of a difference. We'll radio the Captain and if he wants us to chase them down, we'll hunt them in the morning. Right now I want to get some sleep."

"You aren't afraid of ghosts are you Sarge?"

Troy glanced over at his driver, who once again looked like he was holding back laughter.

"No, I'm not afraid of ghosts." Troy growled. "Why? Are you telling me that you saw a ghost down there?"

"Not me Sarge." The blond shook his head.

"Then why the question? Come on, give it up, what's the joke?"

Hitch stated to chuckle as the others waited for an answer. He held up his blackened hands and waved them in front of his blood stained shirt.

"When I came out of the cave the guard spotted me."

The others looked startled.

"Lucky you took him out before he could sound the alarm." Tully drawled.

"But I didn't." Hitch explained. "I never got the chance. Before I could throw my knife his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted."

"Fainted?"

"Yeah, just keeled over, out cold."

"Why?"

Hitch chuckled. "I guess he saw all of this blood and black stuff and jumped to conclusions. They stored their dead in there and I think he mistook me for a ghost. You should have seen his face."

Troy began to smile, his eyes alight with merriment. Reaching over, he slapped his driver on the shoulder. "We're just glad that he was a bit premature in his assumption."

Moffitt chuckled at the story. "Is that guard still alive?"

"Yeah." Hitch nodded. "I left him behind a truck where I thought he'd be pretty safe."

The Brit chuckled again. "I wish I could be a fly on the wall when he explains all of this to his commanding officer."

"Some other time Moffitt." Troy laughed. "Let's take our ghost and go home."