The Games We Play
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 2
Tully didn't have time to watch the other jeep leave. He gave Hitch a quick encouraging grin before he had to turn his attention to the halftracks.
The Germans split up trying to outmaneuver the lone jeep.
Tully evaded their efforts, dodging one way and then the other. His jeep rocked erratically as shells landed close by. Behind him Moffitt protected them as best he could with the 50. The whistle of bullets past his head were disconcerting to say the least. Ignoring them as best he could, he concentrated on keeping the Germans preoccupied until Hitch could get clear with Troy.
The battle covered another mile of the desert floor with the agile jeep avoiding the best efforts of the German troops. The distance between them grew as Tully sought to lead them in the direction away from the other jeep. Moffitt's gun was giving the halftrack drivers reason to hold back, fearful of his accuracy.
Moffitt gave Tully the order to widen the gap and lose the Germans. Satisfied that they had given Hitch time to get clear, he wanted to lose the pursuit and catch up to the other jeep.
Another shell landed in front of the jeep and Tully drove right into the dust cloud. He hoped to use the dust to cover his movements, sort of like a smoke screen. Unfortunately for them, the dust cloud also hindered their view. As they came out of the dust still hanging in the air, the sun glinted on the forgotten aircraft.
The pilot, realizing that the halftracks were being left behind, lined up to drop his bomb.
Moffitt saw the glint and heard the change in engine noise as the plane began its bomb run. He jerked the muzzle of his 50 up to target the plane. The plane was headed directly at them, already in his glide pattern. Moffitt opened fire, his bullets flying true as he caught the pilot by surprise.
The plane began to trail a thick stream of oily black smoke as the engine sputtered and the plane shook.
Moffitt watched as the bomb bay doors opened. Even as the aircraft lost power, the pilot released his bomb. The sergeant watched the cylinder loom larger and larger.
The explosion near the speeding jeep threw the small vehicle into the air, dropping it onto its wheels with a heavy thud. Moffitt was thrown from his position in the rear of the vehicle to land in a heap in the sand. Tully jerked the wheel hard, fighting for control. He jerked in pain as a piece of shrapnel bit into his leg. Worried about Moffitt, he glanced behind him. Finding the rear of the jeep empty, he swung it around to look for the sergeant. In the distance he heard the plane hit the ground and burst into a ball of flames. He ignored the new explosion as he spotted Moffitt lying motionless on the sand. Twisting the wheel, he pulled the jeep up next to the unconscious sergeant. Dragging his injured leg, he dropped to his knees and checked for injuries. There were various cuts on the sergeant's face and torso. None seemed to be life threatening nor could they account for the sergeant's present state. Feeling gingerly, Tully found a huge lump on the back of Moffitt's head. He shook the sergeant gently, trying to wake the other man before the halftracks arrived. When that failed, he tried to lift the unconscious man and get him into the jeep. His leg buckled under him, dropping them both to the ground. He was still struggling to reach the jeep when the halftracks pulled up next to them and stopped.
Tully paused in his struggles and gently let Moffitt's limp body settle to the sand. Raising his hands in surrender, he held perfectly still as he was encircled by German soldiers holding weapons.
He wasn't really surprised when Captain Hans Dietrich climbed out of the lead halftrack and approached them.
The Captain stopped in front of them and took note of their injuries. "How badly is the Sergeant injured?" He asked, not unkindly.
"I don't know." Tully admitted. "He won't wake up. I don't see any open wounds."
"And you?"
"Shrapnel in my leg." Tully admitted again.
"And where did the other jeep go?"
Tully shrugged his shoulder, watching the Germans standing over Moffitt. "They took off. Sarge didn't say where they were going."
"Really Private, is that the best you can do?"
"Yep."
Dietrich sighed in defeat. He knew the chances of getting answers from the private were slim. He had to accept the fact that he may have lost Troy and his driver. With a nod toward his men, he had them bind the private and load both prisoners into the halftracks. As the prisoners were hustled to the vehicles, Dietrich turned his gaze to the burning wreckage of the plane. He had only a few planes at his disposal and the loss of even one was devastating. Sending the plane had been a calculated risk that may have contributed to the success of the mission but he wasn't sure the gain had been worth the cost.
Returning to his halftrack, he resigned to returning with only half of his hoped for success. Ordering one of his men to bring the jeep, he waved his arm to get his column moving.
As the heavy vehicles headed for the base, Dietrich cautioned his men to be alert for an attack from the second jeep. His gunners had reported hitting at least one of the other men but there was no evidence to support their claims. If the driver had been hit, it hadn't stopped him from evading capture. They would have to be on full alert until they were safe inside their own base.
The sun beat down on his face as he stood in the front of the halftrack. The desert around him somehow took on a threatening atmosphere. While he had been waiting in hiding to launch his attack, the desert had seemed to be his friend. Now, with the whereabouts of the second jeep unknown, it felt like he had a target on his back. The presence of the prisoners was a magnet that would draw Sergeant Troy and his driver to them at any moment. Not knowing if the rumors of their wounds were true, he had to expect them to appear at any time. The entire situation set his nerves on edge. He ground his teeth in frustration and made an effort to appear calm for the benefit of his men. He could see them twisting their necks in an effort to spot the other jeep before its 50 caliber machine gun could claim its next victim. It was unbelievable really, that four men, or in this case two, could so unsettle his men who outnumbered them eight to one. And on top of that, his vehicles were armored while the enemy drove thin sided vehicles barely large enough for two men. It was ridiculous that they could instill such fear in the highly regimented German troops. Still, there was no doubt that the reaction was real. Even he was not immune to their uncanny ability to surprise even the best prepared and alert soldier.
That his ambush had worked was uplifting, but it had only half succeeded. Now he had to deal with the unpredictable in the form of Sergeant Troy. He would have to be ready for anything, because the sergeant was unswervingly loyal to his men. Their capture would not go unchallenged, of that he was certain.