The Aftermath of Failure Raid
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 5
Moffitt and Tully left Hitch and Troy behind as they prepared to strike at the convoy. As convoys went, this one was about average in size. Moffitt hadn't noticed anything unusual about it other than the presence of the colonel. Still, he wasn't about to take too many chances with only one jeep.
Tully made a fast circle around the hills to approach the convoy from the opposite side. They had to draw attention away from the wadi so Troy and Hitchcock could grab the colonel.
"I don't want to drive them into the wadi," the Brit explained. "We need to stay far enough away from the trucks so they feel safe leaving the colonel alone with his guards. Take full advantage of the room you have to move around."
Tully glanced back and nodded.
"One pass only," the Brit continued, "so let's make it good. We need to draw them after us."
Tully nodded again.
Moffitt glanced at his driver with affection. "Are you sure you got all that?"
"Sure Doc."
The sergeant shook his head and smiled. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Tully reached up and pulled the dust cover from the barrel of the 50. Before the sargeant could say another word, Tully hit the gas and the jeep surged forward.
When the Germans spotted the speeding jeep there was instant pandemonium. Bullets tore up the ground in front of the charging vehicle. Tully began to weave as the German gunners found the range. Moffitt opened fire with the 50 before they got into range in an attempt to drive the Germans to cover. Tully took the opportunity to get closer to the parked trucks.
The bullets flew back and forth at a furious rate. Trucks were burning and men were screaming. Despite being told to make one pass only, Tully swung back for a short swipe at the convoy again. Those trucks were just too tempting to pass up. Moffitt made good use of the additional opportunity.
Tully pulled away from the convoy as patrol cars moved out to cut them off.
Moffitt turned toward the cars as the trucks fell into the distance.
Tully looked over his shoulder and gave Moffitt an unrepentant grin before concentrating on his driving. Moffitt hit one of the patrol cars, turning it into a useless hunk of metal. Two more continued to give chase. Tully reached over and picked up a bag of hand grenades. Without looking over his shoulder, he handed it to the sergeant.
Moffitt lobbed one of the grenades behind them, timing it so that it would explode right in front of the closest of the cars. The German driver reacted by going faster, driving over the grenade just as it detonated. His mistake warned the second driver and he dropped back.
The American jeep was more agile than the German patrol car and Tully used that advantage to duck between two dunes. Moffitt kept watch as Tully wove his way through the narrow spaces between the hills. The patrol car continued to follow but was soon dropping behind. Moffitt even considered taking his seat next to Tully.
"We did quite a bit of damage," Moffitt called to his driver.
Tully glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "Didn't notice anything special about those trucks though."
"Nor did I," the Brit admitted. "Perhaps the only thing special was the colonel after all."
"Maybe Sarge has an answer by now."
"Perhaps." The sergeant looked behind them and found the desert clear. "I hope we gave them enough time to get away."
"Sarge got away," Tully answered confidently. "Those fellas were too busy chasing us to even notice him."
"Shall we go ask him if he got the answers he wanted?"
Tully grinned and ducked into another cut between the hills. Suddenly he slammed on the brakes and raised his hands off of the steering wheel. Moffitt glanced ahead and raised his hands too.
Behind them, two halftracks blocked the cut they had just used. The gun team on the halftrack in front of them was hunched over their gun, watching the Allies with a grim determination. Tully glanced at the top of the surrounding dunes and made a quick count of the soldiers looking down at them.
"Was this part of the plan Doc?" Tully asked out of the corner of his mouth.
"Hardly," the sergeant answered just as quietly. "I'm not even sure where they came from."
The answer came as a familiar figure stepped out from behind one of the halftracks. They watched wordlessly as the German captain walked around to stand in front of the jeep.
"Sergeant Moffitt. Private Pettigrew."
"Captain," Moffitt answered politely.
"Please climb out of your vehicle and step forward. Leave all of your weapons behind," Dietrich ordered. "But be very careful Sergeant," he warned, "my men are rather nervous."
Moffitt and Tully did as they were told. They were searched and bound before being shoved toward the front of their jeep. They looked around curiously as the Germans began to gather around them.
Dietrich took a breath and sighed. "I am most likely wasting my breath, but I must ask. Where is Sergeant Troy?" The captain smiled as Moffitt began to shake his head. "I know he is around here somewhere."
"Have you seen him around here?" Moffitt asked innocently.
"You are here," the captain smiled. "That means that Troy is here too."
"Then perhaps you will see him soon Captain. I really can't say."
"Can't, or won't?"
"A bit of both actually," the Brit admitted.
"I heard gunfire earlier. Did you locate the convoy?"
"What convoy would that be Captain?"
Dietrich nodded as if that confirmed his suspicions. "Climb into my halftrack Sergeant. Your driver can ride in one of the other ones. Perhaps we should go look for that convoy."
Moffitt started toward the halftrack but stopped as the captain finished his statement. "Don't you know where it is Captain? You haven't lost one, have you?"
"It wasn't mine to lose," Dietrich answered.
"But you don't know where it is? Interesting."
"Don't make anything of it, Sergeant. Once it left my base it was no longer my concern."
"It wasn't your convoy, yet it was on your base. You aren't responsible for it, yet you are looking for it." Moffitt acted as if he was trying to figure something out. "Doesn't something seem strange to you Captain?"
Dietrich frowned and let the matter drop. "Get moving Sergeant, I want to move on."
"To look for a convoy you didn't lose?"
"To look for a German convoy carrying German soldiers," Dietrich clarified.
"There is no need to hurry Captain," Moffitt smiled. "It's not that far away."
"Then you do know where it is?" The captain glared at Moffitt.
The British sergeant shrugged. "We may have seen one in our travels."
"And hit it I presume."
"Fortunes of war," Moffitt answered.
"And what about Colonel Bittenbender?"
"Who?"
The sergeant's innocent act didn't fool Dietrich.
"What have you done with him?"
"Me? I haven't been near him," the Brit answered honestly. "I merely observed him from a distance. He had a lot of guards around him the last time I saw him."
"German guards?"
"Of course," Moffitt nodded. "He is German, isn't he?"
Dietrich snorted in disgust and ordered his driver to move out.
Moffitt leaned against the side of the halftrack for support. He had hoped to give Troy more time, but it wasn't to be. He expected Dietrich to explode when he learned the truth. But, knowing the captain, he expected it to be a controlled explosion.
The halftrack lumbered on, circling around the hills instead of weaving between them as Tully had done. It wasn't long before the smoke from the damaged trucks drew their attention. Dietrich glared at Moffitt but didn't make any comment as they followed the smoke to the convoy. The only good thing about the trip was that it took much longer than Moffitt had anticipated.
Dietrich was quiet as they headed toward the smoke. He had been worried ever since receiving a radio message that the convoy was taking a detour so the colonel could examine the wadi where Major Alderbeck had met his fate. He recalled telling Colonel Bittenbender that he would use a convoy to draw Troy's team to an ambush. He should have thought about that when the colonel had informed him that he was leaving with a convoy. Instead, he had wished the officer well and allowed him to leave the base. If anything happened to the Colonel…