The Trade

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

The German camp was exactly as the Arab had described it. The headquarters were on the opposite side of the base from the building that housed the prisoners. The lights were out at the headquarters. Two guards stood by the door watching everything around them.

Since the prisoners were not near the main buildings Troy kept well clear of those guards. He and Moffitt made their way around the perimeter of the compound, carefully avoiding the guards. Away from the headquarters the sentries were more relaxed, less alert. As the sargents approached the building housing the cells a sentry walked into the alley where they were concealed.

Glancing from side to side, he ducked deeper into the shadows and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. He lit one quickly and puffed on it, inhaling as much smoke as he could as fast as he could. Glancing around, he stomped it out and hurried to return to his post. At a nod from Troy, Moffitt darted forward and chopped him across the side of his neck. Moffitt caught him as he fell. Troy pulled off his jacket and helmet. Donning the disguise, Troy replaced the guard.

Moffitt made his way into the cellblock. He met another sentry on the inside. This one heard him before he could silence him. The sentry yelled to the outside guard before Moffitt hit him under the chin.

Outside, Troy quickly looked around to see if anyone else had heard the cry. When he didn't see any sign of alarm he stepped to the door and whistled a low all-clear signal.

Moffitt sighed as Troys' signal reached him. He hurriedly searched for and found the keys to the cells. Peeking into the doors as he went, he discovered that most of the cells were empty. Only the last three contained prisoners. The three Arabs had been separated and each had been interrogated. Moffitt could barely recognized them from the description he'd been given. All were in need of medical attention, he just hoped they'd be able to keep up during the escape.

As he tried the keys in the first lock, the prisoner rolled to face the door. He squinted at the sargent as he door swung open. In German , he swore at Moffitt and spat on the floor in front of his feet. The British sargent responded in the same language. He quickly explained why he was there. He told him that he was there to rescue them and return them to their friends. The Arabs didn't believe him, suspecting a trick. Grateful that he'd gotten the additional information from the leader, he was able to convince them that the rescue was genuine. In short order he had all three cells opened and the former occupants were stumbling toward freedom.

Troy was walking the sentrys' post outside, keeping an eye on the foot traffic around the area. Just as Moffitt reached the door, Troy spotted a patrol marching along the next street. He alerted Moffitt who ducked back in time to avoid being spotted. The moment the patrol turned a corner, the two sargents and three Arabs ran for the alley.

The ex-prisoners were barely keeping up even though Moffitt had set a slower pace to accommodate them. Troy watched worriedly as they stumbled and nearly fell crossing a road. Realizing that they wouldn't make it across the compound before the outside guard was missed, Troy began looking for some transportation. He wanted to get out before the alarm was sounded. A staff car sitting by itself presented a viable option. He motioned to Moffitt who herded the injured men to the doors. Shoving them inside, Troy slid behind the wheel. A German corporal ran from the building shouting at them when the car started but the alarm from the prisoners' quarters distracted him. Troy took advantage of the break and floored the gas pedal.

Taking the shortest path to the gate where they'd entered took them right past the headquarters building. The guards, over their initial surprise, took cover to fire at the approaching vehicle. The bullets pinged off the metal sending sparks flying. As others ran out in response to the alarm Troy scattered them with the heavy staff car barreling down on them. Moffitt kept his head down, depending on Troy to get them to the gate.

As the gate came into sight the guards on duty fell to the ground. The muzzle flashes from outside the gate guided Troy to Tully. The private covered their escape, keeping the soldiers on foot from getting a good shot at the fleeing car. As the staff car disappeared into the desert outside the wall Tully took advantage of the continuing confusion to retreat to the jeep he had hidden nearby. Before he ran he detonated a series of charges he had set to destroy the gate, forcing the Germans to take their chase vehicles through another gate. The delay gave them a small head start.

Tossing the machine gun into the passengers' seat, Tully guided the jeep through the dark in the direction the staff car had taken. Since lights would give his position away he drove using his night vision and the light of the moon. He almost ran into the staff car as he rounded a hill, hitting the brakes as Troy stepped out to meet him.

"Everything alright Sarge?" He studied the three men they had come to rescue. Moffitt was herding them toward the jeep, coaxing them in German to hurry.

"Fine Tully. Anyone get out behind us?"

"Nope. They have to go around. They won't be too far behind though."

"Alright, let's go." Troy motioned the others into the jeep. They'd be leaving the heavier staff car behind in favor of the lighter, more maneuverable jeep. The second jeep was parked a short distance away and they would pick it up before leaving the area.

"Sarge." Troy paused to look at Tully. "I have some more explosives. It would only take a minute to leave them a little surprise in that car." Tully pointed his chin at the staff car.

"It might slow down any pursuit they could organize." Moffitt suggested.

Troy only hesitated a moment to consider the idea before giving his approval. Glancing around them at the desert floor, he made his decision.

"We still have to make sure we avoid that patrol that chased us earlier. They know we're out here. If we can cause a diversion, so much the better. Do it."

Tully nodded and reached behind him for his bag of explosives. True to his word, he had the charges in place and ready to go by the time the Arabs had made room for themselves in the back of the jeep. Tully drove to the other jeep and the passengers were divide between the two vehicles. Using a compass, Tully set a course straight for the town where they had left Hitch. They were several miles away and moving fast when Tullys' little surprise lit up the sky.