Separated
By: AliasCWN
The sun beat down on his head and Troy reached up to adjust his bush hat. When his fingers closed over empty air where the brim should have been, the sergeant stumbled to a stop. He reached for the hat again, but there was no mistake, the hat wasn't there. Dropping to his knees, he tried to remember where he may have lost the headgear. The memory eluded him despite his best effort to recall it.
"Troy."
The weak call reminded him that he wasn't alone. He turned back to wait for his companion.
"We should find some shade and rest for a bit."
"We can't," Troy answered, "We have to meet Hitch and Tully."
"They don't know where we are Troy," the other sergeant stated. "We didn't tell them that we were going to follow that patrol. They may not have missed us yet."
"They'll know," Troy responded.
"Troy, allow me to check your wound. It looks like you're losing blood again."
Troy glanced down at his body. The wound in his leg was bandaged but the bandage was wet with blood. The bright red spot on the white bandage seemed to penetrate the fog that clouded his thinking. He shook his head to clear it and settled slowly to the ground. "Where are we?"
Moffitt dropped to the ground next to him and squinted up at the sun. "The patrol headed east when it left the camp. We traveled about fifteen miles after leaving the camp, so that puts us somewhere in the vicinity of the village of Rhidalla."
Troy nodded. "Are the villagers friendly?"
"There are no villagers Troy. The village has been abandoned for months."
"But the well is still good, right?"
Moffitt shook his head. "The well was poisoned. We can't use the water there." The Brit hung his head with exhaustion. "It could be years before the water will be good again."
"But we need water!"
"We still have some in our canteen," the Brit countered. "Not a lot, but some."
Troy looked at the canteen hanging over the British sergeant's shoulder. "How much further to the village?"
"Three, four miles, I think." The Brit checked the wound on Troy's leg. "I still think we should rest a bit before we go on."
"Jerry's still out here, we're safer in the village." Troy swallowed hard, struggling to find the saliva to wet his throat.
"Only if we make it there."
Troy looked at the endless sand around them and sighed. "We'll make it, we have to."
"Troy," Moffitt began hesitantly, "you're not thinking clearly. This wound needs to be redressed and you need to rest. You can't keep going like this."
"Don't baby me Moffitt, I can make it."
"Of course you can," Moffitt agreed, "but not without rest. I'm not wounded and I'm exhausted, so you must be ready to drop. Take a drink, rest for a few minutes, and then we can go on." Moffitt slid the canteen strap off of his shoulder. He offered Troy the canteen.
Troy ignored the offer and shook his head stubbornly. "We don't have time to rest."
"A few minutes isn't going to make any difference. We have to keep our strength up or we won't make it."
"What if Hitch and Tully get there and we aren't there?"
"They'll wait."
"Are you sure?" Troy asked. He looked at Moffitt with a confused look on his face. "What if they go looking for us?" His vision blurred and Troy shook his head to clear it. Moffitt was sitting right next to him and Troy couldn't help but notice the other sergeant's red eyes and sunburned face. His beret was so dusty the color was hard to determine. Sweat streaks ran down his face but the sweat has long since dried up. His collar hung open and Troy noted the red rash caused by the irritation of sand rubbing the skin. He rubbed at his own collar bone, feeling the same rash there. It took a minute for Troy to realize that Moffitt hadn't answered his question. "Doctor?"
"What?" Moffitt jerked awake. "Oh, yes, the lads. If they come looking for us, they will find us right here. They will come looking for us, I'm certain of that, but it may be a while. But we need to stay alive long enough for them to find us. I need your help Troy; I can't do this alone."
"Do what Moffitt? What are we doing?" Troy looked around at the desert. "What are we doing out here anyway?" Troy rubbed his forehead with a shaky hand. "I don't know Moffitt. I don't know anything right now."
The Brit put a reassuring hand on the other sergeant's shoulder. "You're worn out Troy. We'll rest a while and then we'll continue to the village. Once you've rested, you'll be able to think more clearly."
"You know what we're doing out here, don't you?"
"Yes Troy, I do," Moffitt nodded.
"Good, then you can explain it to me." Troy leaned back and looked over at his companion. His eyes drooped with fatigue as he waited for an explanation.
Moffitt sighed and settled to the ground next to Troy. The sun felt hot on his back but he was too tired to move. He closed his eyes against the brightness of the sun and tried to remember what Troy had asked. "We were sent out to observe a German unit that has been driving around the desert. Captain Boggs wanted to know what they were doing out here. We didn't see them doing anything but driving so you and I decided to follow one of their patrols. You thought they might be meeting up with someone. We told Hitch and Tully that we would watch the camp while they watched the jeeps. We didn't tell them about the change in plans. They are probably still watching the jeeps."
"We didn't tell them?" Troy asked in disbelief. "We should have told them."
Moffitt raised an eyebrow at Troy's response. "I wanted to, but you argued that there wasn't time. You didn't want to lose the patrol."
Troy shook his head. "What was I thinking?"
"You thought they were meeting someone and you thought that if we could witness that meeting, it would answer all of our questions. That was why we were out here."
"Did it?"
"Did it what?" Moffitt's thinking was fuzzy too and the question was lost on him.
"Did it answer our questions?"
"Unfortunately, no. We never got the chance. The patrol spotted us before they met up with anyone. They ambushed us, the jeep was damaged, and you were wounded. We couldn't get back to the lads so we decided to find shelter until they found us. The jeep gave out before we found shelter and we ended up on foot. So, here we are. We were hoping to reach the village before the Germans sent anyone out to hunt for us."
"It sounds as if I messed up," Troy shook his head again.
"You made a decision based on the information you had at the time," Moffitt answered with a shrug. "Your instincts are usually correct."
"But not this time."
"Perhaps," the Brit responded. "We never really got the chance to find out. I blame myself for that."
Troy looked at his companion, waiting for an explanation.
"I drove into the ambush. I should have been more alert. This," the Brit waved his hands around, "is my fault. I feel responsible."
Troy sighed. "I may not remember everything, but I do remember that you've saved us more times than I care to count."
"But not this time."
Troy laughed at his own words being thrown back at him. "We aren't dead yet."
"And to keep it that way, I need to redress that wound and we need to rest before we go on," the Brit insisted.
"Okay Doctor, do what you have to do," Troy relented. He dropped flat onto the hot sand and allowed Moffitt to check his leg. The sun and the heat from the sand soon lulled him to sleep. Moffitt sat next to him and kept watch as Troy rested.
"Moffitt."
"Here Troy." Moffitt walked over to stand above the other sergeant.
The wounded sergeant blinked up at Moffitt. "How long was I out?"
"About half an hour. You really should rest longer."
"No," Troy shook his head and licked his lips. "We need to keep moving. We need to find cover before Jerry comes looking for us. We're too exposed out here."
"All right, take a drink first." Moffitt held out the nearly empty canteen.
Troy pushed it away. "I'm okay, save it for later."
Moffitt nodded and hung the strap of the canteen around his neck. He held out a hand to help Troy to his feet. As their hands met, he braced himself to support the other sergeant's weight. They both nearly fell to the ground before Troy caught his balance and could stand for himself. The two men stumbled toward the abandoned village and shelter of sorts.
"I don't remember the ambush."
Troy's admission came after several minutes of walking in silence. Moffitt didn't respond right away; not sure what Troy was getting at. He didn't want to say anything that would upset him. Between the blood loss and dehydration, Troy was in no condition to get upset.
"You're wounded, suffering from shock, and you lost blood. Add dehydration and it's no wonder that you aren't thinking straight. Confusion is natural under those conditions."
"I have to stay alert."
"Yes, you do. And you are doing well under the circumstances," the Brit responded. "You always take care of us, perhaps you should relax and let me take care of you for now."
"Taking care of you is my job," Troy argued as he pushed himself on, "not yours."
"And you do an amazing job," Moffitt answered. "Do you realize how high the odds are against us? The chances of this team surviving, not only surviving, but not losing a single man, is astronomical. You beat those odds for us Troy, not us, you. You're the main reason we have survived so long. That said, everyone needs help sometimes. Right now you are not at your best, but I am here to pick up the slack. Let me do that Troy, let me help."
Troy stopped and turned to face Moffitt. "You do help. I haven't kept this team alive by myself, you all help. If you weren't all good soldiers, I wouldn't been able to do half the things you say I've done. If it weren't for your medical skills, my record wouldn't be nearly as good as it is. Hitch and Tully do their part too."
"Yes, they do," Moffitt agreed. "But you are our leader, and we need you. So that means I need to keep you alive until Hitch and Tully realize we are missing and come find us."
Troy started off again and stumbled right away. He paused to catch his breath and nodded at Moffitt. "All right Moffitt, I know I'm not helping much like this, so I'll leave it up to you for now. "I can't seem to concentrate on anything right now anyway."
"All you need to do is keep moving," Moffitt assured him, "I will do the rest."
Troy nodded and walked on.
When the village appeared in the distance if front of them both sergeants sighed in relief. Troy was faltering again and Moffitt was supporting most of his weight. The two of them stumbled the rest of the way with tunnel vision. All they cared about was reaching the abandoned village where they could stop and rest in the shade.
Troy would have stopped at the first building but Moffitt urged him deeper into the village. They by-passed several suitable buildings before they settled in a small barn near the middle of the village.
"Why here?" Troy asked as he sank gratefully to the floor of the barn.
"Two exits, one with plenty of cover. Windows on both sides without doors. The roof is intact and the walls still look fairly solid. If the Germans come into the village we can see them from the loft and get out before they get this far. They'll search the buildings on the edge of the village first."
Troy was nodding at Moffitt's explanation at first, but as Moffitt finished, he looked over to see Troy sleeping soundly at his feet. With a smile, he lowered the canteen to the floor next to the other sergeant. Hefting the one rifle they had managed to salvage; he climbed the loft to keep watch as Troy slept.
The ladder was rickety and creaked and groaned under his weight. He was relieved to reach the top without falling back to the ground floor. The loft was covered in dry, dusty straw, covering any holes that might exist in the loft floor. Moffitt stepped carefully, testing each step before committing his weight to the move. Mice had taken up residence in the straw and squeaked in protest at being disturbed. The sergeant made his way to a spot in front of the window. Settling to the floor of the loft, he leaned against a post and stared out the window. He tried to stay awake, he ready did, but it was a losing battle. His eyelids drooped despite his best efforts. The village was quiet, so quiet that he temporarily forgot that they were in danger. His head dropped to his chest and he found relief in sleep.
A noise penetrated his slumber and he jerked awake, awareness slamming his senses. Not sure what had awakened him, he sat perfectly still and listened. He was struck once again by how beautiful and peaceful the desert could be. It also reminded him of the dangers that could be present at any given moment. That beauty could hide any number of dangers to the unwary. The sound repeated itself and Moffitt relaxed. After checking for any movement in the village, he headed for the ladder.
"Troy, I'm up here."
"Moffitt? How long was I asleep?"
The Brit checked his watch. "About four hours."
"Four hours? Why did you let me sleep that long?"
"You needed it." The Brit shrugged. "We had nowhere to go and you needed the rest."
"And you don't?"
Moffitt smiled self-consciously. "Actually, I did manage to get a little rest myself. I know I shouldn't have, but I dozed off. We seem to be safe for now."
"What time is it?"
"Nearly sundown."
"No sign of Hitch and Tully?"
"Not yet."
"Not good news."
Moffitt smiled. "No, that was the bad news."
"Then what's the good news?"
"The Germans haven't found us yet."
Troy sighed. "They'll come looking sooner or later."
"Most likely sooner," the Brit agreed.
"What do we have to defend ourselves?" Troy looked around the barn. The rest had helped and he was thinking much clearer now.
Moffitt lifted the rifle he held. "This, and our wits. I suggest that we depend more on our wits since we don't have any extra ammunition for this rifle."
Troy groaned. "We need a plan."
"Run?"
"Very funny," Troy growled. "How about something that will really work?"
"We could scout out an escape route. Perhaps find a few more places to hide."
"Sounds like a good idea." Troy started to climb to his feet but Moffitt stopped him.
"Let me go." Moffitt handed the rifle to the other sergeant. "You stay here and keep watch. I'll look around and see what I can find."
Troy sighed again. He wanted to argue, but he knew Moffitt was right. He wasn't strong enough to search the entire village. He nodded his agreement.
"Okay," Moffitt nodded, "I'll be right back. Maybe I should check your leg before I go."
"No," Troy answered, "check it when you get back. Look around before it gets dark. You can worry about me later."
"All right, yell if you need anything. I won't go far."
"Go as far as you need to go," Troy answered. "I'll be here."
Moffitt slipped out of the barn and searched the surrounding buildings for places to hide. Any weapons had long since been taken since they were considered far too valuable to be left behind. In the third house he searched he found a trapdoor leading to a basement room. When he checked that out, he found a tunnel leading to another building. It might be a tight fit but he thought that Troy could make it through, even with a bad leg. He headed back to the barn to tell Troy.
Troy spun around at the sound behind him. The rifle in his hands pointed at Moffitt.
"Whoa! It's just me."
"Moffitt!" Troy sagged against the wall and his legs gave out. He slid to the floor with a white face. "I almost shot you."
"I'm glad it was only almost."
"You should have called out before you came through that door."
"Sorry, I didn't want anyone else to hear."
"There's no one else here," Troy growled. The color was coming back to his face. He handed the rifle to Moffitt, relieved to be able to hand off the responsibility.
"I see that," Moffitt replied, "but I didn't want to take any chances."
"I would have warned you if someone was here."
"If you were able," Moffitt answered. "I wasn't sure you would be able. You lost a lot of blood. You may have been incapacitated." Moffitt tried to soften the blow to Troy's ego. "I trust you to stay on guard but I couldn't be sure how the blood loss affected you."
"I'm okay."
"I can see that," the Brit nodded. "Do you think you've rested enough to keep watch while I get some sleep?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"If the Germans don't arrive within the next hour I doubt if they'll come tonight. They'll make camp soon and wait until morning to hunt us."
"I'll keep my eyes open," Troy promised.
"Take another drink of water before you start," Moffitt urged.
"Are you going to take a drink too?"
"Not right now, I'm going to be sleeping. I'll take a drink when I wake up." Moffitt held up a hand to stop Troy's objections. "You need to stay alert, and water will help with that. I need to sleep and I don't need a drink to fall asleep. I promise Troy, I'll drink later."
"I'll hold you to that."
Moffitt smiled and nodded but he made sure that Troy took a drink before he settled into a corner. "Wake me in a few hours, or earlier if you need the help." He handed the rifle back to the other sergeant.
Troy nodded and turned toward the window. As darkness fell over the village small scurrying sounds were the only noises to disturb the silence. Troy listened until he identified the source and then he ignored them.
His thoughts turned to their assignment. They still hadn't determined what the German unit was doing running around the desert. They hadn't picked up any supplies or dropped any off. The occasional patrol they sent out always came back and fell in at the end of the line without making any reports. It was a puzzle, and Troy hated puzzles. When his head began to ache from trying to figure it out, he turned his thoughts to his team.
Leaving the privates to guard the other jeep had been a sound move. Running off to follow that patrol had been a mistake; not following the patrol; but not telling Hitch and Tully was the mistake. After the ambush they hadn't been able to raise the privates on the radio. They had barely escaped with their lives. The radio hadn't been so lucky. The younger men were probably frantic by now, wondering where they were. He hoped they didn't do anything rash in their zeal to attempt a rescue. That thought left him feeling restless, and with his bad leg, he couldn't pace it off. The night passed slowly.
"Why didn't you wake me?"
Troy turned at the sound of Moffitt's voice. "You needed the rest and I couldn't sleep."
"You're going to need the rest in the morning," the Brit answered.
"Why? We're not going anywhere."
"We should get out of this village," Moffitt replied. "If we can find a place to hide outside of the village there's less chance of the Germans finding us. We aren't in any condition to run if they do find us."
"Less chance of Hitch and Tully finding us too," Troy pointed out.
"If they show up, we can get their attention. I'm not worried about that."
"Didn't you find any good places in the village?"
"I found a tunnel that may have been used by smugglers," the Brit explained. "But if they figure it out before we get to the other end, we would be trapped likeā¦.like rats."
Troy made a face at Moffitt's choice of words.
"That might be a possible escape route if we need it, but that still leaves us trapped in the village. Being outside the village is still the better option."
"All right," Troy agreed. "We'll stay here tonight and move out just before daylight."
Moffitt glanced at his watch and then out at the sky. "Then you'd better rest while you can, it's going to be daylight soon."
Troy handed Moffitt the rifle and leaned back against the wall. He tucked his chin into his chest and closed his eyes. He hadn't been asleep long when Moffitt woke him.
"Troy!"
Troy opened his eyes and realized that he could see Moffitt. The sun wasn't up but the sky was getting lighter and he could make out the surrounding buildings.
"Troy!" Moffitt repeated.
"What?"
"There's someone out there."
Troy pushed himself to his feet and hobbled over to stand beside Moffitt. Looking out the window, he tried to see what had alerted the other sergeant.
"Over there." Moffitt pointed toward a building further down the street. "I caught a flash of color. They may be Arabs."
"How many?"
The Brit shook his head. "I only saw one but there may be more."
"Maybe just a loner looking for something to steal?" Troy suggested.
"Perhaps," Moffitt agreed, "but it could be a scout too."
"I see him," Troy grunted. "Wait, there's a second one."
"We should be ready to move," Moffitt warned.
"Do you really think they'll look in here?" Troy asked. "There's nothing to steal in here."
"I'd rather not take the chance," Moffitt answered.
Troy checked his leg and nodded. "Okay."
Moffitt turned and led the way to the back door. The house with the hidden tunnel was three houses away but there was sufficient cover to allow them to stay hidden until they reached it. They slipped into the house and dropped to the floor. Moffitt peeked out to make sure that they hadn't been spotted. There was no sign of either Arab.
"Stay near the trapdoor," Moffitt ordered, "and be ready to drop down if they come this way."
The two sergeants waited in silence as they watched for the two Arabs. They got brief glimpses of color but they couldn't keep track of the two men. After not seeing them for several minutes, the two sergeants got uneasy.
"I think we should move into the basement," Moffitt suggested. "We'll be able to hear their footsteps if they come into the house."
Troy nodded and lifted the trapdoor. The two sergeants lowered themselves into the basement room and left the trapdoor settle back into place. Their eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness until they could see fairly well.
"Where's the tunnel?" Troy asked.
"Over here." Moffitt led the way across the room. Barrels were stacked against the wall, blocking the tunnel entrance. The sergeant pulled the barrels to one side. The opening was small but there was room for a grown man to crawl through. "We can move them back to hide the entrance after we get in the tunnel."
Again the sergeants waited in silence. The basement room was cool, but not as cold as the barn had been. Troy rubbed his arms to try to warm his body. His recent blood loss made it harder for his body to maintain heat. He was already chilled from the long night of keeping watch. Now he leaned against the wall and waited for Moffitt to give the signal to enter the tunnel.
Finally, they heard it, footsteps on the floor of the room above them. Whoever was up there was moving slowly, being cautious. Moffitt moved closer to Troy. When it sounded like the person above them was moving toward the trap door, Moffitt indicated that they should enter the tunnel. Once inside Moffitt handed the rifle to Troy so that he could lean out and move the barrels in front of the opening. They heard the trapdoor being opened so they moved further into the tunnel. Moffitt urged Troy on as they moved toward the other end of the tunnel. The other end opened into a large storeroom with windows facing the morning sun. Sunlight was streaming into the storeroom, lightening the end of the tunnel. Troy squirmed out of the tunnel into the storeroom and turned to help Moffitt out.
"Sarge!"
Troy spun to see Hitch standing outside the window looking in. The sudden movement sent him crashing to the floor as his leg gave out. Moffitt reached for him as he lifted a finger to his lips.
"Quiet Hitch," Moffitt whispered. "There's an Arab at the other end of the tunnel, looking for us." Moffitt helped Troy to his feet as he cautioned the private.
"I know," Hitch answered in his normal voice.
Moffitt frowned at the level of his voice. "Did you see him too? I think he's found the other end of the tunnel."
"He knows its there, we found it earlier." Hitch explained. "That's Tully."
"Tully?"
"Yeah," the blond nodded. "We dressed as Arabs in case there were any Germans here. We thought the Arab costumes would give us a few seconds advantage while the Germans decided what to do about Arabs."
"Tully." Moffitt turned and called into the tunnel.
"Doc?" Tully's voice echoed the length of the tunnel.
"Yes, it's me. Come on over." Moffitt called back.
"How did you find us?" Troy asked as they waited for Tully to join them.
Hitch started to answer but just then Tully popped out of the tunnel and interrupted him.
"Doc, are you guys okay?" Tully rushed from the tunnel with his Arab robes billowing out behind him. His gaze ran over both sergeants, searching for injuries. His smile faded as he noticed Troy's leg. "Hitch, you'd better get in here, Sarge is hurt."
"I'm fine Tully," Troy quickly assured him. "How did you find us?"
Hitch dropped through the window in time to answer. "We were waiting by the jeeps just like you told us Sarge. Then these two Arabs showed up and headed for the camp. When they came back, they stumbled onto the jeeps. Tully and I had to take them out. We found some papers on them that were in German."
"What papers?" Moffitt interrupted.
"We left them in the jeep," Tully took up the explanation. "I went looking for you to tell you about the Arabs and give you the papers, but I couldn't find you."
"We were worried Sarge," Hitch added.
"Anyway," Tully continued, "I went back and told Hitch you were both gone. When we couldn't find the jeep either, we checked out the camp for ourselves."
"We didn't see either you or the jeeps in the camp so we went looking for tracks." Hitch took up the story. "Tully found them so we knew you weren't in the camp. When you still hadn't returned, we decided to follow the tracks."
"We found the jeep Sarge," Tully added. "What happened?"
Troy looked at Moffitt before he answered. "We were following one of their patrols and they ambushed us."
"Why didn't you tell us you were following a patrol, we could have helped."
"That was my call," Troy admitted. "When the patrol left the camp there wasn't time to go back and tell you. I didn't want to lose them. I thought the patrol might be meeting someone and I wanted to be there."
"Did they?" Hitch asked.
"Not before they ambushed us," Troy answered with a shake of his head. "We don't know about afterwards."
"The camp was packing up when we left. They looked like they were planning on moving out."
"Pull out?" Moffitt asked.
"That's what it looked like to us," Hitch confirmed.
"After they sent that message with those Arabs?" Troy questioned.
Hitch and Tully both shrugged.
"We didn't check the camp until after our run-in with the Arabs," Tully answered.
"We thought you were watching the camp," Hitch explained.
Troy nodded his understanding.
"So how did you find us?" Moffitt repeated the question that had not been fully answered yet.
"Tully found your tracks leading away from the camp and we followed them until we lost them. By then we knew which direction you were taking and we found traces to keep us on track. Once we found the jeep, we lost your tracks again. Tully knew about this village. Doc talked about it before. We figured you'd head for here. We got here last night after dark and searched the village. We didn't get as far as the barn then, but we started searching again early this morning. We saw movement in the barn and were going to check it out when we saw you move to the house. Tully found the tunnel last night so we decided to head off whoever was hiding in here."
"We were hoping it was you but we didn't want to take any chances," Tully continued. "We knew about the tunnel and figured it was a good chance someone would try to use it as an escape route."
Moffitt smiled. "I'm glad it was you who anticipated our escape route and not the Germans, or some Arabs."
"We know you Doc," Tully answered.
"But you didn't know it was us in the barn," Troy pointed out.
"That's why I was waiting outside," Hitch answered. "Just in case it wasn't you."
"Do you have any water with you?" Troy suddenly asked.
"Sure Sarge, here." Hitch jumped at the request and hurried to hand Troy his canteen. In his haste to unhook the water container he fumbled it and it dropped to the ground. The cap was still on but Hitch nearly fell over his own feet trying to pick it up. "Sorry Sarge. Here, let me open it."
Troy took the canteen from the private and stepped back. "I'll do it." He smiled at the private as he uncapped the canteen. Troy drank deeply before handing the water to Moffitt. The British sergeant too a long drink too.
"Are we short on water?" Moffitt asked as he lowered the canteen and recapped it. "The well here is poisoned." He looked at the container in his hand as he waited for an answer.
"We're good," Tully answered. "Take another drink if you want. We salvaged the extra water from the other jeep."
"Where did you leave your jeep?" Troy asked.
"On the edge of the village," Hitch answered. "We hid it next to a wall, covered with a tarp."
"We'd better get back to it," Troy suggested. "The Germans know we're out here and they'll be looking for us."
Tully and Hitch removed their Arab robes and folded them under their arms before leading the way to the jeep. Moffitt helped Troy limp through the village while the younger men kept an eye out for the Germans. They reached the jeep without incident and left the village behind.
After they had driven for a while, Moffitt called for a halt so that he could check Troy's leg. With four men in the same jeep they would have had to stop anyway to cool the engine. Tully took care of the jeep while Hitch stood guard.
Moffitt redressed the wound and was relieved to see that there was no sign of infection. Troy was still weak but mobile. Moffitt gave Troy a shot of morphine to keep him comfortable until they reached the base. He also encouraged Troy to drink more water. That done, he turned his thoughts to other things.
"Tully."
"Yeah Doc?"
"Where are the papers you took from the Arabs?"
Tully quickly reached under the seat and pulled out a bundle of papers. He handed them to Moffitt and went back to caring for the jeep.
Moffitt took the papers and went over to sit next to Troy. He sorted the papers into two separate piles before putting one pile to the side. He was soon engrossed in reading the second pile. Troy watched him for a few minutes before interrupting.
"Find something interesting?"
Moffitt looked over to Troy and nodded. "Yes." He held up the papers he had been reading. "These explain what the Germans have been doing out here all this time. Those others are regular dispatches."
"Yeah? So what's the answer? What are they doing out here?"
Tully walked up and stood beside the sergeants as he wiped grease from his hands. He listened with interest as Moffitt explained what he had found.
"This unit was supposed to keep us busy, too busy to notice the arrival of a high-ranking officer. This general is supposedly coming to brief the local commanders about a new offensive they have planned."
Tully grunted, "I guess it worked."
"Not completely," the Brit answered.
"Oh?"
"The general hasn't arrived yet, and now we know about him," Moffitt explained. "He's not due to arrive until tomorrow. There is still time for our side to intercept him. I'll get on the radio and let the captain know."
Sarge isn't in any shape to go after any general," Tully protested.
"We'd never get there in time anyway," Moffitt answered. "Four men in a jeep is going to slow us down. Someone else is going to have to deal with the general."
"Then we're headed home?"
"It's the only thing we can do," the sergeant nodded. "Troy needs a doctor and we need another jeep."
Once the engine had cooled down, the four of them climbed into it and headed for the base.
"The general arrived on schedule but he cut his visit short. He left after visiting only two of the local bases. We're trying to intercept a courier and see what dispatches they are sending out. We haven't had any luck so far. Maybe you can take your new jeep and find us a courier." Captain Boggs filled Moffitt in on the situation the day after they returned to the base. "It was a lucky break that you were able to get those papers from those Arabs."
"Tully and Hitch did that on their own," Moffitt explained. "Troy and I were in trouble by then and needed them to rescue us from a bad situation."
Captain Boggs nodded. "They've learned a lot from you and Troy."
"They're smart Captain. They learn fast and they have good instincts. We're fortunate to have them."
"And they're lucky to have you."
"We make a good team."
"Yes, you do," the captain agreed. "How is Sergeant Troy?"
"Cranky," Moffitt answered with a smile.
"Sounds like Troy," the captain laughed. "Well, I'll leave you go until we get word on a courier. I suppose you want to go visit him."
"Hitch and Tully are with him now," Moffitt explained. "He gets bored when he can't get around."
"Heaven forbid," the captain sighed. "Tell him I'll be by to visit when you have to leave to find a courier."
"Will do Captain."
Moffitt smiled to himself as he headed for the hospital. Troy would be well soon and they could get back to terrorizing the Germans. Another successful mission.
