Captain Hann

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Troy rolled with the bumps as Hitch guided the jeep over the uneven terrain. The message from the base had said to return at once. They had been in such a hurry to get the message out they hadn't even taken the time to code it. That part worried Troy. He wasn't sure what could be so important that they rush back but he didn't give the orders, he just followed them. The message said at once, so they were on their way.

He glanced around at the rolling hills and deep wadis that dotted this section of the desert. Any one of those wadis could hide an enemy patrol, or worse. The Germans used them for cover just like his own unit did, very effectively. Some of them were big enough to hide an entire column, not a comforting thought. The terrain was flat enough between the hills to allow them to make good time toward the base. They hadn't seen any sign of the Germans despite keeping a close watch for them. He twisted in his seat to look back at the other jeep.

Tully looked completely relaxed as he guided his jeep around the deeper ruts and cracks in the desert floor. His helmet was pushed back on his forehead and the matchstick in his mouth made lazy circles as he rolled it with his tongue. His jacket sleeves were rolled up halfway to his elbows and the front was open revealing a tanned, muscular chest. Troy didn't know why Tully preferred wearing a jacket to a shirt but the private often wore his jacket halfway open with no shirt underneath. The helmet was another thing that puzzled Troy although he could see the benefits of the steel hat. He just wasn't sure the benefits outweighed the discomfort of the hot metal. Tully didn't seem to mind it though and Troy wasn't going to question his choices. They all had their own reasons for the things they did and as long as it didn't have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the team he was okay with it. Troy was the first to admit that he wasn't exactly regulation army either. Tully caught him looking and winked at him. Troy smiled and was rewarded with a rakish grin from the lanky Kentuckian.

He turned his attention to the passenger in the other jeep. Moffitt was watching the sky, ever alert for enemy planes. As Troy watched the British sergeant lowered his gaze to study the hills around them. Moffitt knew the desert better than any of them. That knowledge had saved their lives on more occasions than any of them wanted to admit. They couldn't always avoid trouble but it was a lot easier with Moffitt's help. Moffitt glanced over as if sensing his focus. Troy nodded and Moffitt returned it. Both men looked away to once again watch their surroundings.

Troy spotted a desert fox out looking for an early meal and watched it trot toward the nearby hills. He was about to point it out to Moffitt when he saw it stop, sniff the air, and then turn and run back the way it had come. Puzzled, Troy checked the direction of the wind to see if the fox could have scented them. The breeze was blowing the right way to make it possible but Troy was suddenly uneasy. He twisted in his seat again to wave a warning to Tully. Tully saw and gave a nod, turning to pass the warning on to Moffitt.

Troy turned back to warn his own driver. Hitch suddenly swerved, nearly throwing him from the jeep.

"Sarge!"

That one word warning wasn't needed as the halftracks and patrol cars began to pour out of the wadis on both sides of them.

Troy twisted to reach for the base of the 50. He lost his grip as the jeep swerved again. Bullets hit the seat next to him and he threw his body backwards instinctively. The shift in weight was enough to throw him off balance and he tumbled from the jeep onto the solidly packed sand. He landed hard and all of the air was forced from his lungs. Fighting to draw a breath he rolled over and tried to get to his feet. Bullets barely missed him as he staggered and fell again.

Tully's jeep slid to a stop beside him and Moffitt reached out to grab his arm. With the other sergeant pulling he was able to slide into the empty seat next to Tully. His feet weren't even in the vehicle yet when Tully hit the gas to follow the other jeep. Moffitt returned to his 50 and began the fight to get clear. Troy reached forward and pulled a machine gun from the holder on the fender, adding his support to the return fire.

Ahead of them Hitch had noticed Troy's fall and was turning back to pick him up. As he completed his turn he spotted Troy seated beside Tully. A brief flash of relief crossed his face before it was replaced by intense concentration. Hitch twisted the wheel to turn and follow Tully's lead.

Tully narrowly missed being cut off by a pair of halftracks. Even as he dodged the larger vehicles Tully's right hand was reaching between the seats. He pulled out a cloth bag full of hand grenades and dropped them on Troy's lap. "These might help."

Troy pulled a pin and tossed one into the nearest halftrack. The grenade exploded with satisfying results, putting that halftrack out of the fight.

The second halftrack was past Tully's jeep and concentrating on the one Hitch drove. Being alone Hitch had no gunner to give him cover. He reached for his own grenades but his hand came up empty as he grabbed the wheel to avoid the heavier vehicle. He managed to get his jeep around the halftrack only to face a pair of fast approaching patrol cars. The patrol cars cut off his escape in that direction, forcing him to veer back toward the less maneuverable halftracks. Another halftrack swerved toward him, trapping him between two of them.

He reached between his seats again and found his bag of grenades. He pulled the pin on one with his teeth and tossed it behind him to discourage the patrol cars. It landed short but the driver of the first car caught some of the shrapnel. The second car crashed into the rear of the first car disabling them both.

Hitch pulled the pin on a second grenade and was preparing to throw it when a bullet hit him in the shoulder. He managed to roll the grenade out of the jeep before it detonated but it fell harmlessly to the ground.

One of the halftracks rammed the side of the jeep, missing Hitch but flattening the rear tire. Hitch fought the pull on the wheel as he tried to find a hole in the circle of vehicles surrounding him. He spotted a gap between two patrol cars and aimed for it. The damaged jeep made it through only to have a patrol car hit its rear bumper, spinning the jeep in a circle. Facing the center of the circle again Hitch put the jeep in reverse to try to force his way past the patrol car that had hit him. The jeep's engine groaned and died. Hitch reached for another grenade but the bag had been tossed in the crash. He looked down to see it on the floor on the passenger side. A red hot pain seared his leg, drawing his attention back to the battle. He reached for the machine gun on the jeep's fender.

Troy saw Hitch being cut off by the halftracks and yelled to Moffitt. Moffitt responded by taking out the gun crew on one of the heavy vehicles. Two patrol cars turned toward them and Moffitt was forced to take care of them before he could continue to help Hitch. He killed the crew of one and blew the gas tank on the second one. He was taking aim at one of the halftracks surrounding Hitch when Tully swerved and took them out of the fight.

"Tully!" Troy yelled as Hitch was once again surrounded by German vehicles.

"Another column Sarge." Tully yelled over the continuing sounds of the battle. Tully pointed toward a second line of German vehicles rushing toward the ongoing battle.

Troy looked back to see Hitch try to break free and get hit by the patrol car. He saw the jeep spin to end up facing the German armor again. When Hitch reached for the machine gun on his fender Troy couldn't believe what he was seeing. "No!" He expected to hear a volley of shots that would kill his driver. To his relief Hitch stopped and raised his hands into the air. The last he saw of his driver was as he was grabbed by the German soldiers who rushed to take him prisoner.