Films, Plans, and Magazines
By:AliasCWN
The office was dark as the four men slipped inside. Moving carefully, they made sure that the black-out curtains were completely closed, shutting off all light to the outside.
"Tully, cover the door."
The private nodded and moved across the room at the whispered command.
"Hitch, make sure that you get pictures of everything we find. Start with the maps while Moffitt sorts through the papers."
"Right Sarge."
"There are some reports here on troop movements." Moffitt whispered as he placed his penlight on the desk so that it illuminated the papers. "Here Hitch, snap a photo of these." He placed the papers side by side on the desk and waited until they had been photographed. Then with a nod he dismissed the private to return to the maps while he returned the papers exactly as he found them.
After he had Hitch take pictures of all of the papers on the desk that he thought had any value, he turned to the filing cabinet. Pulling folders out, he had some of them photographed as well.
Troy made his way around the room looking for anything that might prove valuable. Occasionally he would go to the window and peek out, checking for signs that they had been detected. Then he would once again move around the office, searching diligently for anything out of the ordinary.
He was passing a book shelf for the second timee when he noticed a paper sticking out of one of the books. It was just a sliver but it caught his attention. Curious, he pulled the book off of the shelf and opened it. The center of the book had been hollowed out and replaced with a small packet of documents. Troy stared in wonder at the small bundle.
"Moffitt!"
"What is it Troy?" The British sergeant hurried across the room at the whispered call. When he saw what Troy held he smiled in delight. "Well, what have we here?"
"That's what I was hoping you could tell me." Troy growled, nervous at the time they were spending in the office. Hitch's soft chuckle didn't improve his temper any either.
Moffitt took the packet and opened it carefully, memorizing the knot so that he could duplicate it later. As he unrolled the documents his face lit up with a triumphant smile. "These are the plans that headquarters has been hearing about. It's all here Troy, everything."
Troy smiled at the report. "Hitch, take the pictures, make sure you get clear ones."
Everyone waited tensely as the entire packet was photographed, twice. Hitch wanted to make sure that he got good pictures. He finished one set on the first roll of film and had to pause to change rolls in the camera. Needing his hands free, he dropped the first roll into his pocket. Using the second roll, he took another photo of each page. As soon as he was finished Moffitt resealed the packet and Troy replaced it where he had found it.
"A good night's work." Troy grinned at the darkened faces surrounding him. "Now all we have to do is get out of here. Is everybody ready?" He took one last look around the office to make sure that nothing looked disturbed.
"Let me take a few more photos of the maps Troy. We have the extra film, we may as well be sure that the pictures come out clear." Moffitt smiled at Hitchcock who looked surprised at the suggestion. "Not that I don't trust your picture taking skills Hitch," he explained quietly, "but it seems a shame to waste the film."
"Go for it Doc, I never claimed to be a good photographer." The blond shrugged.
"Hurry it up; we've been here too long already." Troy growled by way of permission. "Tully, you, and Hitch head out. Go straight back to the jeeps. Anything happens; you just keep going and get that information back to our lines."
Tully nodded and jerked his head at Hitch. The two privates waited for Moffitt to turn out his light before they crawled out of the window. They glanced back once as Troy pulled the black-out curtain closed behind them. Listening before they moved, they waited until they were sure that they wouldn't run into any guards before they headed back the way they had come when entering the base. Several times they had to hide and wait for German soldiers to walk by, but their presence was not detected.
Hitch reached up to touch his pocket, reassuring himself that the film was still there. Tully saw the move and smiled. It was valuable information; they had to get it back to their own headquarters. They both glanced behind them, wondering what was keeping their sergeants.
The sudden blare of the base alarm took them both by surprise. Ducking into the first alley they came to, they waited until the first rush of soldiers responding to the alarm had run past.
Tully led the way through the streets, keeping to the ones they knew. There were too many dead-end streets to risk taking an unknown route. A few close calls later they found themselves within sight of the wall and freedom.
Tully paused, checking the security on the section right in front of them. The guard on duty was staring toward the center of the base where the alarm still shrilled. Gunshots rang out from that general direction, sounding like they came from the area of the German headquarters. Tully and Hitch exchanged worried glances.
"Sarge said to take this film back." Tully didn't try to disguise his concern. "They'll be okay; they can take care of themselves."
Hitch didn't look convinced but he nodded his head reluctantly. "We can wait a few minutes at the jeeps."
Tully agreed, his eyes on the guard by the wall. "We can do that, at least a few minutes, but right now we need to get off of this base." Pushing off of the side of the building, Tully ran for the wall with Hitchcock right behind hm.
The guard saw them coming before they got close. He opened fire with his rifle, kicking up dirt near their feet. They returned fire, knocking the German sentry backwards. They reached the wall at a full run. Tully slung his rifle onto his shoulder and made a leap, catching his fingers on the top edge. Hitch ducked and got his shoulder under Tully's feet and pushed upward. Tully scrambled desperately, pulling himself to the top. He perched on the top of the wall and unslung his rifle, giving Hitch cover as the other private slipped his own rifle onto his sling. Hitch jumped as high as he could but, like Tully, he could only catch his fingers on the top edge. Tully fired off another round and reached down one-handed to grip Hitchcock by the wrist. With one mighty pull the two of them tumbled over to fall outside of the wall with a thud.
Hitch was slow to get up, groaning as he tried to stand. Tully reached for him, his fingers coming in contact with something wet and sticky. Pulling his friend to his feet, Tully pushed and cajoled to get him to safety. Behind them the Germans continued to fire into the darkness trying to cut them off from their jeeps. From inside the wall they could hear German engines roar to life as the Germans prepared to give chase.
Moffitt finished taking photos of the maps and tucked the camera into his pocket. "That gives us two copies of everything. Headquarters will be quite pleased I should think."
"I'll be quite pleased once we get out of here." Troy growled impatiently. "Hitch and Tully will be halfway to the jeeps by now."
"We haven't heard any alarms so we can assume that they have managed to stay out of sight." Smiling at Troy's eagerness to leave, he turned out his penlight and pulled the black-out curtain aside. "You first." He waved gallantly.
Troy grunted and slipped out of the window. He dropped to the ground and waited for the other sergeant to join him. Neither one moved as they listened to the sounds around them. When nothing seemed out of place they began to follow the path that the privates had taken earlier.
As they crossed one of the streets a shout rang out from one of the upstairs windows. The shout was picked up by others and the base alarm began to blare. Troy ran, leading the way through dark streets fast becoming possible traps for the unwary.
Shots hit the wall on one building as they ran past and Troy ducked into another alley. Unlike the clear street that they had just left, this one contained some scattered trash, broken pallets, and pottery. In the dark, and more concerned with ducking bullets, Troy had the misfortune to trip over some of the junk. He fell, landing heavily on one knee. With a grunt of pain, he tried to get back onto his feet. Moffitt turned and came back for him, helping him to stand.
"Get out of here Moffitt, get that film to headquarters." Troy stumbled, catching himself on Moffitt's arm as his knee buckled.
"I'm not leaving you Troy."
"That film has got to get back to headquarters!" Troy insisted, pushing the other sergeant away.
"I'm afraid that that is not going to happen Sergeant."
Troy and Moffitt both twisted to face the end of the alley. Dietrich stood facing them, surrounded by a squad of armed soldiers. Behind them they could hear more soldiers rushing to seal the other end of the alley. Dropping their weapons, both sergeants surrendered.
"Where are the others?" Dietrich demanded of his prisoners.
Troy shrugged.
"Come now Sergeant, where you go, they go. I'm sure that they are not far away. You can save them from possible injury if you call to them and tell them to come out."
"You know Captain; they've been getting on my nerves lately so we haven't been spending as much time together as usual. I can't say for sure just where they are right now."
The Captain smiled. "Where are they Sergeant?" His smile disappeared as he waited impatiently for an answer.
The sound of gunfire from the wall surrounding the base interrupted them before Troy could respond.
"Never mind Sergeant, I think I have my answer."
Troy listened as the sound of American rifles responded to the initial shots fired by a German gun. The response was brief, followed by a barrage of German rifles that lasted for a full minute. They didn't hear the American rifles again.
Hearing the same things that Troy heard, Dietrich nodded almost sadly. "They didn't put up much of a fight Sergeant. Perhaps they died quickly… or perhaps they were smart enough to surrender."
"They're smart Captain…perhaps they got away." Troy smiled at Dietrich but there was no real conviction in his words.
"Were they in the Commanders office with you Sergeant…or did you leave them outside to guard your way out?"
"Someone has to watch our backs." Troy smiled.
"Then they didn't see any of the maps and other information in the office?"
"What office would that be Captain?" Troy asked innocently.
"Don't play games Sergeant." Dietrich snarled. Holding out his hand to Moffitt, he watched Troy's face as he waited. "Give me the camera you used to photograph the information."
Moffitt met Troy's eyes and at a nod from Troy, Moffitt reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny camera. He tossed it to the Captain with a frown of disappointment.
"Don't feel too bad gentlemen." Dietrich gloated. "If it makes any difference, we only discovered your presence by sheer luck. Good luck on our part, bad luck for you." With a wave of his arm the Captain ordered his men to take the prisoners to the cells.
There were six cells in the prison area, three on each side of the long hallway. Dietrich had Troy thrown into the first cell on one side. Moffitt was taken to the third one on the same side.
"There will be no talking gentlemen. The guard has orders to shoot anyone who speaks. I'm sure that your men will be joining you shortly so try to stay alive until my return." The captain stalked proudly out of sight with his hands clasp firmly behind his back.
The guard, rifle ready, stood with his back to the cells across the hall and between the two occupied cells. Glaring fiercely, he watched the prisoners' every move.
Ignoring the guard, Troy hobbled around his cell, trying to ease the tightness in his twisted knee. He heard the springs creak as Moffitt settled in the cot in the other cell. The walking helped his knee but he exaggerated the limp for the benefit of the guard. If they got a chance to escape, maybe the guard thinking that he was crippled would work to their advantage. The walking also gave him a chance to think, to worry about the two privates. It was almost a relief when Dietrich returned,.. almost.
The sounds of the guards returning had both sergeants instantly on their feet. Rushing to the bars, they waited to see who was coming, not caring that they were giving Dietrich the satisfaction of knowing that they were worried. Dietrich's tall form marched haughtily down the hall, his face giving no clue as to what was happening.
Troy smiled as he watched the guards follow the Captain along the hall, minus the two privates.
"Did you lose something Captain?"
The German officer's eyes flashed with sudden anger. "They managed to escape Sergeant, but they won't get far." To explain his meaning, the Captain held out his hand; his fingers were covered in fresh blood. "At least one of them was wounded going over the wall. My men are searching for them as we speak. There is a better chance of our reaching them in time if we knew where to look."
"Sorry Captain, I can't help you."
"If they survive they may try to sneak onto the base either tonight or tomorrow night to rescue the two of you."
Both sergeants remained silent, allowing the Captain to think what he would.
"I've doubled the guards, they won't get through again."
"Then you don't need us." Troy told him. "You have it all figured out."
Dietrich eyed the two sergeants thoughtfully. They returned his stare without any change of expression. "No talking." He reminded them before he turned and stomped away.
As Troy watched him go he wondered how much, if any, blood the Captain had really found on the wall. If there had been much he doubted that the Captain would have suggested that the privates might try a rescue. Personally Troy expected the two young men to follow their orders and take the film to the American commanders. He knew that they understood how important the film was and was confident that they would make sure that it reached the right people.
The rest of the day passed slowly and the following night seemed longer than usual. Their only visitor after Captain Dietrich left was the soldier who delivered their meals. As night fell Troy noticed an increase in the number of guards both inside and outside of the building. He finally fell asleep after watching the extra guards slinking around in the shadows for hours. When morning arrived with still no sign of the privates, Troy didn't know whether to laugh or worry. He chose to believe that they had followed orders and made their way back to the American lines.
Dietrich made his next appearance late in the morning, his mood more subdued. "How much did your men know Sergeant Troy?"
Troy chose not to answer.
"Were they in the office at all?" The German officer demanded. "Sergeant, if I don't know the answers to these questions, I shall have to assume that they know too much and send men out to hunt them down. For their safety it would be best if you answered."
"It doesn't take four men to take pictures Captain." Troy finally offered, not really a lie, but not the whole truth either.
The Captain considered the answer, remembering that the privates had been at the wall only minutes after the sergeants had been captured in the center of the base. He couldn't see how they could have reached the wall that quickly if they had been in the office. It seemed believable to him that they had been left to guard the exit as they had been on other occasions. That belief was strengthened by the fact that no one had seen either of them anywhere near the center of the base either before or after spotting the sergeants. That line of thought eased his mind about the possibility that the plans and maps had reached the Allied commanders. He decided to return to his office and destroy the film that he had taken from Sergeant Moffitt; satisfied that he had contained the leak.
On his way out he reduced the guards to their original number, leaving the single guard to watch the prisoners, again ordering them not to speak. Then he sent a patrol out into the desert to search for the American jeeps. By lunch time they had returned to report that they had found no sign of them. Dietrich let them rest for several hours before he sent them out again.
Troy and Moffitt were resting in their cots late in the afternoon when they heard guards approaching. They both rose to their feet, moving to stand facing the cell doors. Captain Dietrich again led the way through the door, an odd expression on his face. Armed guards marched behind him, walking two abreast. Both sergeants stiffened as a new prisoner appeared, walking behind the second set of guards. Dietrich smiled in triumph as he ordered Tully to be placed in the middle cell, across the aisle from his sergeants.
Tully looked grim as he obediently walked through the cell door. His bound hands were freed before the door clanged shut behind him. Spinning around, he faced the concerned looks of his sergeants. Neither sergeant ask any questions, mindful of the Captain's continued presence. Tully's shoulders slumped as he lowered his head.
"Sorry Sarge, I thought that I could get you out. I had to take Hitch back to the base hospital for treatment or I would have been here sooner." Tully raised his head and met Troy's eyes. "He got hit on our way out the other night." At Troy's worried look he hurried to explain. "He's going to be fine Sarge; the docs say he'll be good as new in no time at all. You know Hitch; he'll want to get right back out."
Both Troy and Moffitt nodded at Tully's reassurances.
"And I shall be waiting when he tries to rescue you Sergeant." Dietrich gloated. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a base to run." With a dip of his head he took his leave, once again reminding the prisoners not to talk.
The guard could no longer stand between the cells with his back to the other side since Tully now occupied that cell. Dietrich had him move to the end of the corridor near Moffitt and ordered the door to the corridor left open so that the guard could easily yell for help if the prisoners tried anything. With a satisfied smile on his face, the officer left to take care of the many tasks required to run a large base.
Tully caught the attention of both sergeants and winked at them. With a small smile he turned to his cot to get some much needed sleep.
A short time later a small noise from the next hall caught the attention of the guard. He turned to watch as a young lieutenant walked toward him, his attention on a girly magazine in his hands. The guards eyes widened in surprise when he realized what kind of magazine the officer held. He tried to sneak a peek at the picture that so obviously held the lieutenant's eye. The officer glanced up as he got closer and nodded absently, returning his eyes to the picture. The magazine dipped a little, allowing the guard a better view of the lovely lady on display. As far as pin-up girls were concerned, he had seen more scantily clad ones, but this one was a looker. Trying not to appear obvious, he twisted his head for a better view. He was so intent on the picture that he missed the slight movement of the officer's hand until it was too late. The knife flashed, flying true, catching him between the second and third ribs. He tried to cry out but he couldn't catch his breath; he fell to the floor still wondering what had happened.
The lieutenant bent over and quickly searched the dead guard's pockets. "The keys aren't here Sarge."
"Find me something I can use to pick the lock." Moffitt called from his cell.
The lieutenant, also known as Hitch, nodded and hurried back the way that he had come.
"I thought that you left him at the hospital." Troy growled at Tully as the blond rushed away.
"I said that I took him to the hospital. I also told you that the docs said that he would be as good as new in no time. They treated him and released him right away." Tully grinned from his cell. "I had to tell Dietrich something and I figured that he found the blood. It just seemed natural for them to think that he was too badly hurt to come right back. We didn't want them watching for him here on the base. We figured the best way to hide him was to put him out there in plain sight. As far as his wound, I only took him to the hospital because we had to take the film back anyway. If not for that I would have patched him up myself, it wasn't bad, just messy."
"You should have told me."
"I winked at you; I didn't want to tip off the krauts."
Troy shook his head, not sure what to say to that. He finally decided to let it go. "We're going to have a tough time getting out of here in broad daylight." The sergeant was already forming and discarding ideas on how to get them off of the base.
"We have a plan Sarge." Tully surprised him by saying. "Before I got caught I planted a bunch of explosives around the gate and along the wall."
"Those will help but it won't be enough to keep Dietrich from searching for us, he'll know that you planted them."
"He may be a little busy." Tully winked again as Hitch returned with a happy grin.
"Found the keys Sarge, they had them hid." Hitch quickly used them to unlock the cell doors.
"Okay Tully, what exactly do you think is going to keep Dietrich too busy to look for us?" Troy confiscated the guard's rifle before he demanded an explanation from Tully.
"How about an attack on his base?" Tully grinned.
"Tanks, mortars, troops…enough to get the job done once the gate blows." Hitchcock added.
"You brought help?" Moffitt asked with a laugh, relief plain in his tone.
"Plenty of it." Hitch nodded, smiling at Tully.
"But how did they get here so fast?"
"We radioed ahead and told them just a little bit of what we had." Tully explained. "The Captain went to headquarters and they agreed that action was needed. They sent this big force to take the base. They left the base even before we got there"
"They met us along the way and we briefed the officers. They came on here while Tully and I delivered the film." Hitch took up the explanation.
"Once Hitch got patched up Captain Boggs sent us back to help with the attack. We caught up with them before they got here and worked out this idea to get on the base. We led them here by a roundabout route so that Dietrich wouldn't catch on. They are out there just waiting for the gate to blow so they can launch the attack."
Troy looked from one grinning face to the other with pride. He met Moffitt's twinkling eyes and he couldn't hold his own smile back any longer. "I guess we need to be ready then." He grinned back at them. "This may not be the best place to be when all hell breaks loose. When are the explosives set to blow?"
Tully glanced at his watch, raised his eyes, and smiled. "Right about now."
The first blast shook the building. The four commandos ran for the exit, not wanting to get trapped in the building if Dietrich sent more guards to watch them. Outside was pure chaos, soldiers ran aimlessly in every direction, not knowing exactly what was happening. The men of the Rat Patrol found a place to hide until the soldiers were slightly more organized, getting most of them off the streets as they were assigned to details. Stealthily the four men made their way across the base. The sound of a heated battle soon filled their ears; tanks fighting tanks, soldiers fighting soldiers. The mortars hit around them as they ran.
They had almost reached the walls when Troy cried out and stumbled. Moffitt grabbed his arm to help him up as the two privates covered them. With Troy hobbling along painfully, they made it to the wall.
"You go first Doc, get Sarge over. Hitch and I will cover you." Tully called to the sergeants as they were fired upon by a small group of Germans.
Troy was dragging his wounded leg, fighting to stay on his feet. Moffitt nodded and rushed to help the other man to safety. The two sergeants struggled to reach the wall. Once there they tried to scramble over the top but it was too high, Troy couldn't push himself high enough. Moffitt went first; stopping on top to lean down and reach for Troy's hand. It wasn't enough; Troy still couldn't get over the top.
Seeing the problem, Hitch propped his weapon against the wall and helped to lift his sergeant. Tully turned in time to see a German guard pointing his rifle at the blond. Tully swung his weapon, knowing he was too late; the other man already had his weapon in line. Squeezing the trigger anyway, he hoped to save at least one of them. He yelled in denial as his bullets tore into the German soldier.
The German fell back, a look of surprise on his face. He had held his fire at the sight of the lieutenant but as his vision darkened he watched in confusion as he saw what looked like one of his own lieutenants' help the Americans escape.
The run from the wall to the protection of the American lines required a lot of ducking and dodging. Tully and Hitch did their best to keep the Germans ducking for cover. Still, a few managed to get off a couple of shots. One of those shots hit Moffitt in the shoulder. They were nearly out of range so it didn't do as much damage as it could have, but it still managed to knock him on his face. He jumped back up, spitting sand and fighting mad.
"You'd think they could find someone else to shoot at." He grumbled to hide the pain of the wound. "Come on Sam, I don't believe we're welcome here." Taking a firmer grip on Troy's arm, they staggered the final distance to shelter behind the American lines.
The medic took care of their wounds while Tully and Hitch went in search of the officer in charge of the attack. They brought him back with them when they returned.
"Major Beckett." The officer introduced himself. "You must be Sergeant Troy." The Major held out his hand instead of saluting. "And you must be Sergeant Moffitt." Again, the Major shook the Sergeant's hand. "I understand that you found some interesting information here."
"Yes Sir." Troy answered warily.
"It's all right Sergeant. I haven't been told any more than that and I'm satisfied to keep it that way." The Major smiled at Troy's wariness. "My orders are to take this base…. or in the very least, destroy the armor assigned here." He paused as a corporal appeared and handed him a note. He read it quickly and gave the corporal a curt nod. "As I was saying Sergeant, my orders are to take this base or destroy the armor. We've already accounted for about two thirds of the armor but it seems that someone has taken charge of the remaining tanks; someone very cunning it would seem. Apparently this new leader has a few tricks up his sleeves." The Major sounded almost respectful.
Troy watched the emotions cross the officer's face at the announcement.
"I was going to ask about the base but I will have to leave that up to Captain Archer. I think it would be best if I deal with this tank commander in person. The Captain will be by to see you Sergeant, we'll talk later."
"Be careful Major," Troy called after him, "if you're going up against the man I think is in that tank, you're right, he's cunning. Expect anything…and I do mean anything."
"You know him?"
"If Captain Dietrich took command, I do. He's smart and tricky, watch your back Major."
The Major nodded, his face thoughtful. "Thank you Sergeant, I'll keep that in mind."
Troy and Moffitt were returned to the base by ambulance. Hitch and Tully stayed behind to help capture the base.
"They took the base but Dietrich got away." Troy awoke to the sound of Tully talking to Moffitt.
"Then he was the commander who took over the armor?" Moffitt asked in a quiet voice.
"Yeah." Tully nodded. "He gave the Major fits before he managed to escape with two of his tanks and a couple of halftracks."
"What about our losses?" Troy asked.
Tully looked over, a look of surprise and guilt on his face. "Sorry Sarge, I didn't mean to wake you."
Troy sighed, "That's all right Tully, I was all slept out anyway."
"But the doc says that you need plenty of rest so that your leg will heal."
"Tully, they're going to keep me here for at least a week according to the doctors; I'll have plenty of time to rest."
"Okay Sarge."
"What about our losses?" Troy repeated.
"Light. Eight men killed, another twenty or so wounded, one seriously. We lost two tanks but their crews survived. It could have been a lot worse. The Captain says that headquarters was pleased with the reports."
"Eight men." Troy repeated.
"It could have been worse Sarge." Tully repeated.
"Yeah, especially if they had carried out those plans we found." Admitting it didn't lessen the loss but Troy understood what Tully was trying to tell him. Suddenly he realized that Hitch wasn't present. "Where's Hitch?"
Tully jerked his head toward the other end of the hospital tent. "The docs wanted to check his injuries to be sure that he didn't rip the stitches out."
"What stitches?"
"When we left the base that night a bullet creased his ribs, remember?"
The sergeant nodded slowly, "You never said how bad he was really hurt."
"It was bloody and they put some stitches in to keep it closed since he insisted on going right back out. I figured Dietrich would have found the blood, that's why I told him what I did. We figured that if Dietrich thought that he was wounded and in the hospital it would be easier for him to sneak across the base. I drew the job of planting the explosives while he was supposed to sneak in and rescue you."
"Dietrich could have had him shot as a spy if he had gotten caught in that uniform." The sergeant pointed out.
Tully shrugged, unconcerned. "He knew that Sarge. We figured that Dietrich could have him shot anytime he wanted anyway; he didn't need an excuse. At least in a German uniform he could maybe slip by where an American uniform would have sent up red flags." Tully looked past Troy and smiled. "Here he comes now."
Hitch stopped when he saw everyone looking at him. "What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Fine Sarge. The stitches held and they come out in a few days. How are you?"
"I'm stuck here for a while." He couldn't hide the grumpiness as he answered. "Tell me something Hitch, how did you capture that guard's attention so completely?"
"That was easy," the blond laughed, "the same way I walked across the base in plain sight without getting stopped."
Troy and Moffitt exchanged startled looks.
"You mean you deliberately let them see you?" Moffitt asked in disbelief.
"They would have been suspicious of one of their lieutenants sneaking around the base." The blond responded. "If I had been seen trying to hide it would have drawn too much attention."
"And no one tried to stop you?"
"No."
"No one spoke to you?"
"Yeah, a few did." Hitch answered seriously. "I just returned their salutes and kept walking."
Troy looked at Moffitt and shook his head. "And no one thought that that was odd?"
Hitch shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that they just thought that I was preoccupied."
"And just why would they think that?" Troy demanded.
Hitch smiled and pulled a rolled up magazine out of his back pocket. "Because I found some kraut reading this in a dark corner and I borrowed it; he didn't need it anymore."
Troy took the magazine and unrolled it. It was in German but the pictures spoke for themselves. "I didn't think that Hitler liked his men reading this sort of thing." The half- naked ladies covered nearly every page.
The blond shrugged again. "Maybe that's why he was hiding to read it."
Troy rolled the magazine back up and looked at Moffitt. "Hitch, I need to confiscate his."
"But Sarge!"
"No buts," Troy answered as seriously as he could manage, "I can't allow you to keep this. For one thing, it's captured contraband …and for another, you're too young. If the Captain found out about this, he'd be here in a minute."
"But Sarge!"
"Why don't you and Tully go get some lunch before the line gets too long? Moffitt and I need to rest."
Hitch glanced at Tully, but seeing no support there, he nodded reluctantly. "Okay Sarge, we'll be back later."
"Make sure that you both get some rest." Tully added with a grin.
"Get out of here." Troy growled in mock anger.
The two privates left together, headed for the mess tent.
"Really Troy, captured contraband? And that part about Hitch being too young…."
"You aren't worried about his innocence?" Troy looked at Moffitt with a definite twinkle in his eyes.
"What about the Captain?"
"You don't think that the Captain likes to look at pictures as much as anyone else?"
"So you're not worried about corrupting Hitch's morals?"
"Me, no." Troy laughed. "He can do that all by himself. I was thinking more about all the long, boring hours we're going to be spending in these cots while we recover."