A Major Problem

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Troy had Hitch and Tully circle out of range of the armored vehicles fighting for control of the desert oasis. They had taken on halftracks with their small jeeps but this time the big guns were here to go head to head with them. Troy wanted to be close enough to help if the need arose but far enough away to stay out of the way. He didn't really expect to be needed but the thing about war was that the unexpected happened all the time. He had his drivers find a nice hill to park on where they could watch the battle.

"Looks like things are getting really interesting down there." Tully drawled around the matchstick in his mouth.

"We aren't going down there." Troy growled without looking at the private.

"Just saying Sarge, it looks like the Major's men have them on the run."

"The ones that can still run." Hitch added.

The scene below them looked like utter chaos but it was already clear who was coming out on top. A good half of the German halftracks were either disabled or destroyed with most of those burning. A few were still putting up a fight but the majority of those still able to move were trying to retreat.

"They put up a much better resistance than I expected." Moffitt noted. "Surely their commander knew how outnumbered he was going to be once our tanks got here. They must have had some warning, a tank force this size couldn't have escaped detection this deep in German territory."

"Maybe their scouts messed up." Tully suggested.

"It would have had to have been a major lack of communication." The British sergeant responded. "I know that Jerry wanted to keep this oasis but only a fool would have tried to hold it against these odds."

"A fool or someone really determined." Troy agreed. "Like you said, they did better than expected. I can't believe they didn't have some warning."

Hitch popped a bubble that sounded loud in the silence that followed the short conversation. All four men watched as a tank chased one of the halftracks that was still making a fight of it.

"Ut-oh." Hitch uttered. "It looks like that one's almost done."

"Doesn't look like the driver's ready to give up yet though." Tully added. "Gotta give him credit, he's making them work for it."

They watched as a grenade exploded in the rear of the halftrack, silencing the machine gun.

"He's still not quitting." Hitch watched in admiration as the driver of the halftrack continued forward.

"That got him." Tully announced as a tank shell hit near the halftrack and sent it flying through the air.

"Do you think anyone survived?" Hitch asked as the tank moved on to another target.

"Not likely." Troy huffed.

"It is possible Troy." Moffitt remarked. "I thought I saw someone jump from the driver's side door just as the halftrack went airborne." The British sergeant was watching the halftrack and missed Troy's look of disbelief.

"You think someone survived that wreck?"

"I merely suggested that it was possible." Moffitt shrugged. "If he was thrown out by the momentum of the vehicle rather than blown out by the blast, theoretically it is possible."

"Theoretically." Troy replied, shaking his head. "A cold beer says there were no survivors."

"You're on. We can check after the battle, it shouldn't be long now."

"It looks like the krauts are pulling out." Hitch announced. "They look like they just decided all at once to call it quits."

"Maybe their commander was in that halftrack." Tully suggested.

"Maybe." Troy agreed. "Whatever the reason, it looks like they've had enough."

"You know Troy, according to the scouting reports, there should have been a lot more armor guarding that oasis."

Troy looked over at his second and bit his lip. "You're right. There can't be more than a company down there. The reports said there was a division holding the oasis."

"Where'd the rest go?" Hitch asked, popping another bubble for emphasis.

"Good question." Troy grinned at his driver. "Why don't we take a little drive and see if we can find any answers?" Troy swatted his driver lightly on the arm and headed for their jeep.

Hitch rolled his eyes at Tully and Moffitt. "Me and my big mouth." He turned to follow his sergeant as the others laughed and headed for their jeep.

Troy had them swing way out around the action so they wouldn't get caught up in the battle. He didn't want to get caught between the fleeing Germans and the American tanks either. Picking up speed they quickly outdistanced the retreating halftracks heading in the same direction. Troy figured that if some of the defenders had left earlier the survivors would try to rejoin them. They hadn't gone far when they found the tracks they were looking for.

"This doesn't make any sense Troy." Moffitt studied the tracks from the back of his jeep. "Why would they leave such a small force behind to defend the oasis?"

"You said they wanted to keep it."

"That's true, so it would make more sense to use the entire division to defend it. If they really didn't want to keep it then why not pull all of their armor out instead of leaving so few behind? Surely they knew what would happen."

Troy shrugged, his attention only half on the conversation. "Have you seen enough? Those surviving halftracks are going to be catching up to us soon."

"I suppose so." Moffitt answered. "But there is a mystery here and you know how much I hate mysteries."

Troy laughed. "Not true. You love mysteries; you just don't like them until after you've solved them." He turned at the sound of approaching German motors. "That's our cue to go Doctor."

Moffitt nodded. "Drive on Troy, but I will get to the bottom of this."

Troy smiled. "Don't doubt it for a second Doctor, but let's do it somewhere else." Troy gave Hitch a nod and the two jeeps darted out ahead of the retreating Germans. Troy kept looking ahead, watching for the German armor they were following. Moffitt kept an ear out for the ones who were behind them.

"Sarge."

"I saw them." Troy answered. "Find us some cover, I want to find out what they're up to."

Hitch and Tully pulled the jeeps into a wadi off to one side of the trail. Tully guarded the jeeps while Hitch ran back to erase the tire tracks where the jeeps had left the road. Once the tracks were no longer visible Hitch ran back to rejoin Tully. They each took a weapon and guarded one side of the entrance to the wadi while the sergeants watched the Germans ahead of them.

"I think they know the others are behind them." Moffitt had the binoculars in front of his eyes as the German commander halted his column.

"Whoever is in charge probably radioed ahead to let them know that they were coming. I know I wouldn't want to drive up behind a retreating column without letting them know, even if they were ours."

Moffitt smiled. "If their expressions are any indication, I don't think those survivors are going to get a very warm welcome."

"Maybe they weren't supposed to survive." Troy answered thoughtfully.

"You think they were meant to die at the oasis?"

"May be." Troy admitted. "You know some of those German officers; they think that their survival is the only thing that matters. Maybe the ones that were left behind had orders to fight to the last man to give this one time to get away."

"Then their commander probably didn't expect them to win. He expected them to keep us busy until he could escape even if it meant they all died. But, considering that he did get clear, it would seem that he would welcome any survivors; they add more halftracks to his current force."

"Not if our guys are chasing them or," Troy paused in thought, "maybe he just didn't want any witnesses to be able to talk about what he did."

"He doesn't want his commanders to know that he ran out and abandoned his responsibilities. That does make sense in a sad sort of way."

"Makes more sense than those poor saps thinking they could hold that oasis against a force the size of ours." Troy agreed.

Moffitt snorted in disgust. "I will never understand how some people can just throw away the lives of others as if they were nothing. I know that sometimes sacrifices are necessary but some officers just don't seem to care."

"That's one reason I'll never be an officer."

"I didn't mean you Troy; I could never see you doing such a thing."

"Officers take orders like everybody else," Troy explained, "even if they don't always agree with them. There are a lot of good men giving orders in this war, but there are some of the other kind too. You know what they say about power, it corrupts."

"And absolute power corrupts absolutely." Moffitt finished the quote.

"I like keeping my unit small; it gives me a lot more flexibility when it comes to making those decisions. I know we're all expendable, but if I'm going to send someone else out to die, I want to know that it's for a good reason. Their life, or death, has to mean something."

Moffitt was silent for a moment, thinking about Troy's revelations. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that we appreciate those sentiments."

Troy looked at Moffitt and grinned. "Okay, so what are those krauts up to?"

Moffitt smiled at the change of topic. "I would guess that they are waiting to get a report from the survivors." As Moffitt spoke a patrol car left the forward unit and drove around the new arrivals. "And that is a spotter going back to see if the survivors are being followed."

"It's a good thing we got out of the way."

"Agreed." Moffitt smiled. "I don't think getting caught between those two groups would have been healthy for us."

"Wouldn't have done them any good either." Troy growled.