CHAPTER TWO
"Sure Serge." Tully took up a position near the driver's side as Troy walked toward the water.
As he approached the water hole, Troy scanned the ground…no dead animals, no unusual smell and there was evidence of a few four-legged creatures using it recently. Taking a small vial from a pouch connected to his utility built, he placed a small white strip in the bottle before filling it three quarters of the way with water. Capping the vial, he shook it gently...after a few minutes when the strip remained clear, placed a small label on the bottle then placed it back in the pouch. Making notes in a small tablet which included a description of the area ending with the coordinates, after which he walked back to the jeep.
"Water's good…based on the test." Troy said approaching his driver.
As the men took their seats in the jeep, Tully threw a glance at Troy. "Well, that's one down five to go."
"Yeah…let's see if we can locate a few more before sun down." Troy checked his watch as he settled back then glanced down at the chart. "This shows the next one should be about ten miles North…it's almost six, we have maybe two hours before it'll be dark…let's see what we can find."
Nodding, Tully hit the start button and a few minutes later they were on their way.
By the time the sun was setting the two men had found two more water holes, much smaller than the first but both tested drinkable and Troy had added the test vials to his pouch. It was past seven and shadows stretched over the dunes, the day starting to fade into dusk as the sun gradually slid below the horizon.
They were ten miles past the third water hole and Troy was scanning the terrain, looking for a good place to camp when Tully broke the silence.
"Serge, I see something ahead, about twenty yards to the right…might be a place to hold up for the night."
Troy squinted in the direction indicated, trying to locate the structure…as Tully steered them closer he made out two stone pillars, about seven feet tall with enough space in between for the jeep to drive through. "Hold up for a minute, Tully."
Soon as Tully brought the jeep to a halt, Troy jumped out to take a closer look at what turned out to be the remains of a stone house, gutted a long time ago, the pillars were the only thing remaining. He walked through the ruins noticing pieces of stone scattered over the ground when he reached the end of the structure his eyes surveyed what would have been the back yard walking another twenty feet he stopped, surprise showing on his face.
There, not more than ten feet away was a stand of spindly trees, leaves blowing gently in the night breeze, standing between four and five feet tall. At the base of the thin trunks was a pool of water, maybe six feet in diameter, with a few tall reeds growing along the edge. The water glistened in the moonlight and for a moment Troy stood, simply enjoying the view…
Tully cut the engine as soon as Sgt. Troy was out of sight, he stepped out of the jeep and stretched for a few minutes before settling his rifle on a shoulder and making his way toward the gun mount, jumping up to stand beside it, intending on giving it a once over while there was still enough light to see. Finding all parts in working condition he leaned a forearm over the 50-caliber stock and scanned the back trail. By now it was almost too dark to see anything even with his sharp eyes, nothing moved the only sound was the moaning of the wind as it passed through the ruins. Reaching down into the driver's seat he grabbed his jacket…quickly putting it on…re-positioning his weapon let it rest on his left shoulder letting his right arm rest on the 50's barrel. Standing there, he thought about Hitch and Moffitt wondering if they had made it to the Hospital yet, checking his watch, calculated time, distance and speed figuring if they didn't have to make too many stops they would have arrived by now. Hitch would probably be laid up for a week or two, but it could have been much worse…if he hadn't pushed Hitch out of the way he would have been dead…the German Soldier that had hit Hitch had been trying for a kill shot.
Sgt. Troy made his way back to the jeep. "Tully, I found another water hole…you should be able to park the jeep within a few feet, it'll be a good place to camp for the night."
Tully climbed over the back seat and settled behind the wheel. "Is there another exit in case we have visitors…it wouldn't do any good if this is the only way out."
"There's plenty of open land once you get past the Oasis…we should be good." Troy stated taking his place in the passenger seat.
A few minutes later the two men started setting up camp. Troy built a fire and had a pot of coffee brewing while Tully gathered the radio and blankets from the back of the jeep. Having been told the water tested good Tully filled the extra water container and placed it back on the vehicle then made sure the canteens were full. Settling near the fire Tully passed the radio over to Troy who made a quick call in to Moffitt, after a few minutes of chatter he signed off.
"Hitch is resting comfortably being tended by an attractive French Nurse…according to Moffitt…the bullet didn't cause any muscle damage, according to the Doctor, Hitch will be back with us in two weeks." Troy sounded relieved as he passed the news to Tully.
"That's good to hear Serge. Tully finished his coffee tipping the cup over to drain. I'll start my patrol... see you in a few hours."
"Don't go beyond the pillars just in case we have unwanted guests before the night is over, glancing at his watch…I'll relieve you at midnight."
With a two-finger salute, Tully moved toward the ruins.