The Games We Play
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 1
The jeeps rode side by side as the drivers scanned the desert ahead for any movement. Both passengers kept an eye on their surroundings, including the sky. German planes had attacked several convoys in this sector and none of the four men in the jeeps wanted to be caught unaware while out in the open. The hills and wadis in this area made convenient hiding places for ambushes, making travel extremely dangerous. None of the four men took anything for granted.
"Troy!"
Jack Moffitt yelled a warning as he scrambled over the back of his seat to reach the 50 caliber machine gun in the rear.
Troy glanced back to see the German plane headed directly for them. He took the time to search the sky for the second plane since they usually traveled in pairs. His look failed to locate a second plane. Twisting in the seat he scrambled for the 50. As he spun the big gun to target the plane, he heard a yell from his driver. The jeep swerved toward the second jeep, not the direction he had expected. He turned to tell Hitch to separate so they would present a harder target for the plane. As he turned he saw the reason why his driver had deviated from their normal tactic.
Two halftracks were pulling out of a wadi to head them off. He tried to warn Tully but the other driver was concentrating on avoiding the strafing run of the plane.
Troy braced to turn and face the halftracks when the plane lined up to go after Tully and Moffitt. With a growl, Troy opened fire on the plane. He failed to down his target, but his bullets punched some holes in the aircraft's body, causing the pilot to pull up and abandon his strafing run.
Hitch yelled again and the jeep swerved sharply. Troy twisted to exchange fire with the halftracks. He glanced quickly at his driver and noticed that he was favoring his left arm; his shirt sleeve was quickly turning red. Despite the injury, Hitch was swerving his jeep around the shells from the armored vehicles. The sergeant hung onto the handles of the 50 and prepared to battle the larger vehicles.
Bullets hit the fender of the jeep and a line of holes appeared in the seat next to Hitchcock's shoulder. The private groaned aloud as one of the bullets caught his shoulder.
Troy tried desperately to ruin the aim of the German gunner. While he aimed at one, the gunner in the second halftrack took his time to aim his weapon. When he fired, Troy jerked and lost his grip on the handles of the 50. He dropped to his knees, reaching for the handles again. His driver looked back and his eyes dropped to Troy's side.
The bullet had hit just above the belt on his right side. The sergeant's face was already twisted with pain and shock. His determined grimace only added to the reality of his situation.
Hitch swerved the jeep toward Moffitt and Tully.
Moffitt glanced over as the other jeep swerved toward them. Knowing that their normal strategy was to remain separated, he knew immediately that something was wrong. He had already turned his own gun toward the halftracks.
Both jeeps now headed away from the armored vehicles. Hitch was trying to drive one handed, favoring his wounded arm and shoulder. Troy was still struggling to get into position to get his gun facing the rear of the jeep. The two halftracks were giving chase, their gunners encouraged by their earlier successes.
Moffitt noted their injuries with concern. "Hitch," he yelled across the space between them, "take Troy and get out of here. Tully and I will keep them busy and we'll catch up to you."
Hitchcock looked over at the yelled instructions and nodded his head once. He looked back at Troy and his face became grim. Stepping on the gas, he pulled ahead of the other jeep as Moffitt's gun covered them. With one final glance back, he nodded at Tully, gave him a fleeting smile, and drove his jeep into one of the nearby wadis, hiding it from the pursuing halftracks.
Quickly changing directions, he doubled back to take advantage of a cut in the dunes. The sound of battle grew fainter as he struggled with the soft sand. He wanted to get back to the desert floor where the sand was packed harder, but he was still worried about the plane. Troy's moan drove him on, desperate to find a safe place to stop and check their wounds. The sergeant had dropped into the back of the jeep and was now swaying with every move of the little vehicle.
Troy, for his part, gripped the base of the 50 for support. He strained to hear the sounds of battle as they faded behind them. Leaving the second jeep behind was not something he wanted to do. Only the wound prevented him from countermanding the order. He knew he was in no condition to make the split second decisions that needed to be made at the moment. The fact that his driver was also wounded only added to his worry. Together they would only serve as a big distraction for the other jeep. He leaned back against the spare tire and pressed his hand tightly over the wound in his side. A quick look toward his driver and he caught Hitch looking back at him. All he could manage was a tight lipped nod to let the blond know that he was holding on.
Biting back another groan, Troy closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on what had happened. It was either well planned or very lucky for the Germans that the plane had found them just as they launched their ambush. With the plane commanding their attention, the halftracks had had the advantage. Still, the Germans had not managed to claim a total victory. With one jeep clear, and the second one still fighting, there was still a chance that the Germans would come up empty handed.
Hitch, feeling weakened by blood loss, was determined to get the sergeant to safety. He kept diving, counting on the other jeep to catch up. Only when he felt safe did he find a place to stop so he could help Troy bandage their wounds. The sergeant's injury was more serious than his own and he knew that Troy would resist his intention of caring for him first. Hitch stopped the jeep and leaned on the steering wheel with a sigh. He let his head rest on the wheel as he closed his eyes.
"Are you all right Hitch?"
Hitch raised his head at the sound of the sergeant's weak voice. "I'm okay Sarge. We need to take care of you, you're still losing blood."
Troy laughed without humor at the comment. "And you're not?"
"Yeah, I guess I am, but you're hurt worse than I am."
"We'll take care of each other." Troy said grimly. "I don't think we should wait for Moffitt."
"They'll be here Sarge." Hitch assured him.
"Maybe, but once they get here I want to get on our way. In fact, I think we should get the bleeding stopped and keep moving. Moffitt may bring the Germans with him."
"Right Sarge." The blond nodded, reaching under his seat for the medical kit. "You first."
"Hitch."
"I'm okay Sarge, you first." The private insisted.
Troy nodded wearily and shifted his position in the jeep. He pulled his shirt out of his belt as Hitch gathered the supplies he would need. Using a clean cloth, Hitch carefully cleaned the wound and powdered it liberally with sulfa. Making a gauze pad, he placed it over the hole and wrapped it tightly with more gauze. Once he was done, he stepped back to examine his handiwork. Satisfied that the bleeding had stopped, he helped Troy tuck his shirttail into his belt.
Troy took a deep, ragged breath, and reached for the medical kit. Careful not to stretch his side, he worked on taking care of his drivers' wounds.
Hitch gave Troy a half a styrette of morphine before packing the medical kit under the seat. Flexing his wounded shoulder gingerly, he helped Troy into the passenger seat.
"Let's go home Hitch. Moffitt and Tully are probably leading the Germans away from us. They'll be along later." Troy studied the desert behind them as Hitch put the jeep in gear.
"Maybe we should go back and look for them." Hitch spoke hesitantly as his jeep idled in place.
"No." Troy responded tiredly. "We're in no shape to help them no matter what we find. We'd just be a handicap if they had to run."
"But Sarge."
"Go Hitch, they'll be all right."
The blond nodded and let the clutch out, starting the jeep forward. He glanced toward Troy, still reluctant to leave.
"We can't help them Hitch." Troy repeated.
Worried but resigned, Hitch and Troy returned to the base, all the while watching the desert behind them.