The Race for the Diamonds Raid
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 3
"Here he comes," Moffitt warned under his breath.
Troy nodded. "Just tell him what I told you to tell him. Don't make the deal too quick, make him work for it."
"Let him beat it out of me, is that what you mean?" Moffitt smiled because he knew Troy didn't mean that at all.
"Just don't give in too easy. That will only make him suspicious."
"I have done this before."
Troy glanced at the Brit and smiled. "I know, but this is important."
The Brit nodded and turned his attention to the approaching Arab leader.
The Arab marched over to the prisoners and held out the bag of diamonds. "Where did you get these?"
Moffitt looked at the bag but didn't respond.
The leader took a step closer. "Where?"
Moffitt still refused to answer. He was considering at what point he wanted to answer when the decision was made for him. The Arab gave a command and two of his men stepped forward and grabbed Hitch by the arms and pulled him to his feet. Tully leaped to his feet to defend his friend. More of the Arabs rushed to control the rapidly developing situation. Hitch was pulled away and Tully was knocked to the ground. The Arabs moved Hitch out of reach of his friends.
Moffitt didn't have to pretend to be alarmed. "What are you going to do with him?"
"He shot one of my men. The others want revenge. Unless you tell me where you got these diamonds, I will allow them to do as they please."
Moffitt licked his lips and glanced at Troy. "We found them."
"Where?"
"The Germans had them. We took them when we were on their base." The sergeant looked toward Hitch. "My friend was only defending out camp. You and your men attacked us."
"Tell me where you got the diamonds and I may let him live."
"I told you, we took them from the Germans. Oberst Gerschon had them in his safe."
The Arab glanced between the sergeants. "Where did he get them?"
"He said he found them." Moffitt motioned to Hitch. "Release my friend, I told you what you wanted to know."
"Not everything," the Arab replied. "Were there more where you found these?"
"No," Moffitt admitted. He glanced at Troy as if to ask permission for his next comment. "But he told my friend that there were more where he got those."
"Where?" The leader waved at his men to move Hitch further away.
Moffitt jerked his eyes away from the blond and put a whine in his voice. "We don't know where he got them. He didn't tell us that, only that there were more where he got those."
"Who is this man?"
"Oberst Gerschon," Moffitt repeated.
"Who is he?"
"He is the commander of the German base near here." Moffitt waved in the general direction of the base.
"Then you will go back and get us more."
"We can't," Moffitt protested. "He didn't have them there. We happened to overhear him talking about them and he confessed that there were more. But he didn't say where they were. You will have to ask him where he found them."
The leader looked from one sergeant to another, watching their expressions. Apparently satisfied, he turned and ordered his men to free the blond.
Hitch stumbled back to his friends and dropped to the ground next to Tully.
The Arab leader turned away and called to his men to follow him. Only one of the younger Arabs stayed to guard them.
"You almost got your wish Hitch," Moffitt commented as he watched the Arabs.
"Yeah, thanks."
"Don't thank me, thank Troy, this was his idea." The Brit glanced at their guard to see if he gave any indication of understanding them. When the young man continued to watch his friends more than the prisoners, the Brit went on. "I hope this works."
"I think you convinced him," the blond remarked.
"I certainly hope so. If Troy is correct, he'll take most of his men and head for the base, leaving us with only a few guards."
"What if Tully killed him with that last bazooka round?"
"Then let's pray we're not here when he finds out."
"If he goes with them, how are we going to get the diamonds back?" Tully asked.
"The usual way."
"We have a usual way to get diamonds back after we lose them?"
"We'll use our usual method," Troy explained, "improvise."
Tully shrugged. "That works for me."
"Let's hope so," the sergeant continued. "Hitch?"
"Yeah Sarge?"
"You hesitated before you threw out your rifle? I hope you took that time to hide your penknife in the usual place."
"What else?" the blond smirked.
"Don't look so pleased with yourself," Troy warned, "they'll get suspicious."
"Doc can just explain that I'm happy to be alive," Hitch smirked again. "You heard him; I almost wasn't."
Troy glanced over at his driver but the youth had already acted on his advice. "Keep track of the diamonds," he warned instead.
Their captors took the time to tie them up before they settled around a fire to plan their next move. There was a lot of arguing before the leader won out.
"He's leaving four men to watch us; the rest are going along to the base to ask about more treasure. He's going to try to convince the colonel to tell him where he found them." Moffitt leaned in close to Troy to translate the conversation around the fire.
"Four men," Troy repeated. "We can handle four."
"He's sending a runner for more men," the Brit continued. "He wants them to come and take us back to their main camp until they decide the best place to sell us."
"Any idea how long we have before they get here?"
"I'm afraid not," Moffitt answered.
"Okay," Troy nodded, "then we take the first opportunity that comes along. We still need to get those diamonds back."
"That may mean going back to the German base," Moffitt warned.
"He won't take the diamonds back onto the base," Troy answered. "He'll send his men onto the base while he keeps the diamonds outside the base. Maybe we can catch him outside while his men are still inside."
"That may be wishful thinking Troy. I doubt we'll catch him alone as long as he has the gems on him. I doubt his men trust him; they'll want to keep an eye on him too."
"Doesn't matter, we need to get them back. Headquarters will be wondering where we are when we aren't back on time."
"Then perhaps some of us should get some rest so we are ready."
"Good idea," Troy nodded. "I'll take first watch."
"Let me," Moffitt suggested. "I can listen in on their conversations until they leave. You don't speak the language."
"Okay, wake me when they leave."
"I'll wake all of you when they leave. We may not have much time before the others arrive for us."
Troy and the privates went to sleep while the British sergeant listened to the Arabs. Hours before the sun made its appearance in the morning sky, the Arabs mounted their horses and rode off in the direction of the German camp.
Moffitt nudged Troy with his knee. One of the guards noticed Troy stirring and walked over to investigate. To distract him, Moffitt asked for water. The guard cast another suspicious glance at Troy before telling Moffitt that he would have to wait.
"Wait for what?" the Brit asked.
"You will be given water before you are moved," the Arab answered.
"Moved to where?"
The guard ignored the question and walked back to the fire.
"We have to figure out a way to get one of them to come over here," Troy stated.
"I'll ask for water again," Moffitt suggested. "If I insist, one of them will come to silence me."
"That may bring more than one," Tully whispered as he joined the conversation.
"Then we'll deal with it," Troy growled. "Everybody be ready." He leaned back and tried to look bored. "Did you find out anything else before they left?"
"Yes, unfortunately," Moffitt answered.
Troy twisted to stare at Moffitt.
"Hitch and Tully are destined for the slave market. Their fair hair makes them valuable; Hitch especially, with his blue eyes. They're younger so that helps too."
"And us?"
"You and I, they have something else in mind for us."
"Not slaves then?"
"Slaves," the Brit responded, "but as workers instead of playthings." The Brit laughed without humor. "They think we would be too hard to train."
"I'll train them," Troy growled, "and they won't like it when I do."
"It would be my pleasure to help," the Brit offered, "if we have the time."
Troy glanced over at his drivers. "We aren't going to let anything happen to you."
Hitch glanced at Tully before smiling at the sergeant. "We weren't worried Sarge."
"I don't think these guys want to try training us either," Tully grumbled.
Hitch nodded his agreement.
"We aren't waiting around here for them to haul us off to some slave market. First chance we get we're out of here. How long do you think we have Doctor? What are they going to do while they wait?"
The British sergeant continued to listen to the conversation around the fire. "They are still angry at Hitch. The man he wounded has many friends in the band. The only thing saving him from their revenge is the belief that he will bring a good price on the slave market. Greed has its advantages. Their leader convinced them that Hitch will suffer longer if they sell him. Most slaves are not treated kindly by their masters."
Troy glanced over at his driver but the blond avoided looking back. Tully was watching the Arabs with an intensity that the sergeant found telling.
"Okay," Troy decided, "we'll use that to our advantage."
"Troy, we can't use Hitch! They may decide to take their revenge and forget about the money. After all, a bag of diamonds did just fall into their laps."
"Have you got a better idea Doctor?"
"Perhaps."
"Okay, spill."
"What if we tell them that we lied earlier? We can tell them that we hid another bag of diamonds somewhere in this wadi. If we can distract them…"
Troy considered the idea from every angle he could envision. Finally, he nodded. "Okay, we'll try it. They'll probably want you to show them where we hid them. The rest of us will have to be ready to take out the guards."
"How Sarge?"
"We'll try to jump them and get our hands on their weapons. There are only four of them and four of us."
Moffitt nodded. "Just say the word and I will call them over."
"They aren't going to believe that you are willing to give them that information for nothing," Tully drawled.
"What if we pretend we want to buy our freedom?" Hitch suggested.
"Tully, how's your head?"
"It's okay Sarge."
"Are you sure?"
"What are you thinking Troy?" Moffitt risk a glance toward their captors. The guards were still ignoring the prisoners.
"We try to buy our freedom, and when they refuse, we settle for water for Tully. That way they won't have to beat the information out of you," Troy grinned.
"That might work," Moffitt agreed.
"Hitch, can you reach your penknife?"
The blond nodded.
"Do it. Have it ready to cut these ropes."
"Hitch can probably cut his ropes," Moffitt warned, "I doubt they will check on him." The Brit smiled at the blond. "Perhaps after your hands are free you could cut Tully's ropes most of the way through. Enough that he can break free if something goes wrong."
"Okay Doc, give me a minute."
At Hitch's signal, Moffitt turned to Troy. "Are we ready?"
"Go for it," Troy ordered.
