The Desert Search Raid

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

The two jeeps rolled to a stop and the four men climbed from the vehicles. All four of them paused to pull shovels from the rear of the jeeps.

Moffitt pulled out a map and studied it briefly before leading the way to a shallow dip in the desert floor. He paced off a certain number of steps and pointed to the spot. All four started to dig in the area he had indicated. After a few minutes, Troy paused to look around. Seeing nothing, he sent Hitch to stand guard.

"What is it, Troy?" Moffitt asked as the other sergeant paused to look around again. He scanned the desert around them as he waited for the American sergeant to answer him. He noticed that Tully was pausing once in a while to look around too.

"I just have this feeling we're being watched," the American sergeant answered. "The last thing we need is to be caught unaware away from the jeeps."

The British sergeant lifted his head and scanned the horizons around them. Now that Troy had brought it up, he realized that he had been feeling the same thing. It wasn't anything he could put his finger on, just a tingling feeling at the back of his neck. "Perhaps we should move on and dig somewhere else."

"Not yet," Troy answered, "let's stay here and dig a little bit longer. Just keep your eyes and ears open for company."

They spent the next forty-five minutes digging holes in the area. The valley looked like a prairie dog village by the time Troy called it quits. "Okay Moffitt, check the map. Where do we dig next?" Troy called Hitch down to join them. They stowed the shovels and helped themselves to some water. Moffitt picked the next spot on the map and the four of them slid into their seats and started across the flat sand.

Nearly ten miles later they stopped again. Tully was left to stand guard while the other three took their shovels and followed Moffitt's map to another flat spot in the sand. The British sergeant held the map in front of him as he counted off his steps. Troy and Hitchcock waited for him to point at a location before they settled down to digging more holes. Before long this spot too was filled with small holes several feet deep.

"I don't think we lost our watcher," Troy remarked as he stopped to wipe sweat from his face.

"Did you see something Sarge?" Hitch stopped digging too, looking around as he did. He stuck his shovel in the sand and wiped his sleeve across his forehead. Lifting his hat, he allowed the air to reach his hair. Sweat soaked strands hung across his forehead and he pushed them aside.

"No," the sergeant responded with a shake of his head. "It's still just a feeling."

Hitch wiped his face again and glanced toward the jeeps. "Is it okay if I go get a drink?"

"Sure," Troy agreed. "Bring the canteen back for us."

The blond nodded and headed for the jeep. All the way there he searched for whoever was watching, to no avail. He pulled the canteen from the jeep and took a long drink. Recapping it, he turned to head back the sergeants.

"Thanks." Troy took the canteen offered by his driver and pointed to a spot several yards away. "Start digging over there. Try three of four places."

The blond nodded and picked up his shovel. Moving to the new spot, he began to dig.

Troy heard the shovel scraping in the sand as he turned to Moffitt and offered him the water. "How are we doing Doctor?"

The Brit took a swallow of the water and swirled it around in his mouth. He spit it to one side before answering. "We should be able to make one more stop before dark. There is another site about fifteen miles further that looks promising. We can dig some holes there before setting up camp for the night."

"Sounds good. We can't go too far between stops."

"I don't think fifteen miles is too far," Moffitt replied. "And I agree, we haven't lost our watchers."

"Watchers? More than one? Have you seen them?"

"No, I haven't, but it makes sense. One to keep watch and one to report back to whomever they report to."

Troy nodded at the other sergeant's logic. "Okay, let's spend just a little longer here. I don't want them to think we gave up too easily. Another fifteen minutes, then we'll move on."

"I have spent an inordinate amount of time digging holes in the desert. Some holes are easier to dig than others. Some produce more results than others," Moffitt explained. "But in this heat, none of them are going to be easy."

Troy laughed. "I can't argue there. But then, the Army isn't worried about easy."

"There I have to agree," the Brit smiled. "Shall we get back to it? It wouldn't do to allow Hitch to have all of the fun."

"Fun? Yeah," Troy growled.

"Hey Sarge."

"Yeah, Hitch, did you find something?"

"Well, no," the blond answered. He looked down at the hole he had just dug.

"Then what is it? You don't have to get rid of all of that water you just drank, do you?" Troy grinned at his driver.

"No," Hitch blushed. "I can sweat that out. I was just wondering."

"Wondering about what?"

"You know," the blond stammered, "what if we find something?"

Troy waited for Hitch to continue.

"You know," the blond continued uneasily.

"What kind of something Hitch?"

Hitch looked around at all of the hills surrounding them. "This area has seen quite a few battles."

"And?"

Hitch licked his lips and looked down at the ground. "What if we dig up a grave Sarge?"

Troy's eyes slid shut as he realized what was bothering his driver.

"The sand will preserve them Hitch. Sort of like mummies. We'll have to bury them again if we find any. I don't think they'll mind."

The blond made a face.

"This desert is vast Hitch. The chances of us finding a grave are small," Moffitt added.

"But we could."

"Yes, nothing is impossible."

"What are we going to do if we do?"

"What do you want to do?" Troy asked. "We have a job to do Hitch."

"I know Sarge." Hitch lowered his head. "I don't know what I want to do, not dig up a grave, I guess."

"We're not trying to." Troy answered. Lowering his voice, he gentled his tone. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it? It doesn't do any good to worry about it until it happens."

"Isn't it a little late then?" Hitch asked.

Troy shook his head. "If it happens, I'll deal with it. Does that work for you?"

Hitch didn't meet the sergeant's eyes but he nodded his head.

"Okay, a few more holes and we'll be done here. I'll help you dig. Moffitt, go check the map again." Troy stepped closer to Hitch and jabbed his shovel into the sand. There was a clunk as the metal shovel hit something solid.

The sound drew Hitch's attention and he stared at Troy's shovel.

Troy looked into his driver's face and hesitated. Then he pulled the shovel out and moved it over a few inches. He stuck it in the sand and stepped on it. Moffitt came back from the jeep with the map and watched to see what Troy had found. Little by little, Troy moved the sand away from the object his shovel had hit.

"It's a bone Sarge!" Hitch took a step back as Troy cleared the sand away.

"Relax Hitch, we'll just bury it again," Troy promised.

"No need." Moffitt stepped around Troy and reached into the hole. He pulled the white bone free and shook it. "It's not human Hitch." He held it up for the others to see. "It's the foreleg of a jackal. It looks as if it has been here for a while, a few years at least."

"Are you sure Doc?"

"Positive," the Brit answered. "I saw quite a few of them when I was here with my father. It's not uncommon to find them along caravan routes and campsites. They tend to follow humans for the garbage we leave behind. The cause of death is difficult to determine but I doubt that it will mind that we dug it up."

"I get it Doc," Hitch nodded. "As long as it's not human, I'm okay with it."

Troy stepped forward. "Let's cover it up anyway. We're done here. We've spent enough time here."

Hitch looked relieved. "Right Sarge." He took his shovel and filled the hole as soon as Moffitt dropped the bone in.

"Go get Tully and we'll head out," Troy ordered.

Hitch nodded and returned his shovel to his jeep before going to get Tully.

"It's a sure bet he'll never take up grave robbing as a career," Troy remarked as he watched his driver walk away.

"Some people just aren't comfortable around the dead," Moffitt responded.

"He doesn't have a problem around the newly dead. He's made quite a few of them that way. He's a soldier Doctor, he deals in death."

"He's a soldier," Moffitt agreed, "but he's been trained to kill when it's required. He's seldom had to stay around and deal with the emotions after the fact. And to be fair, a dead body is different than a grave. A dead body must be handled in order to bury it. A grave is considered the final resting place, a place not to be disturbed. Some cultures even believe that if you disturb a grave you are inviting the spirits to haunt you."

"He doesn't belong to one of those cultures."

"Are you certain of that?" Moffitt turned to face Troy. "You were willing to humor him before you found that bone."

"Like you said, the chances of finding a grave are pretty slim. I thought it was worth the risk. I never really thought it would ever come up."

Moffitt nodded thoughtfully. "What will you do if it does?"

Troy shook his head. "I guess I'll just have to humor him."

The British sergeant laughed. "You are a fake Troy, either that or you are just plain soft."

Troy grinned and headed for the jeeps.