Major Mix-up
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 6
"Can you get it running Tully?"
"Yeah, but that's not the problem." Tully answered after checking the car.
"What do you mean? What's wrong now?"
"The minute we start this thing up we're going to alert whoever is inside. These engines rattle worse than pappy's old tractor. And that tractor is ancient." Tully explained. "They'll probably come out to check on it and sound the alarm."
"It can't be helped Tully. We need the ride." Moffitt admitted.
"We could push it." Hitch suggested.
"Push it?" Troy asked.
"Yeah Sarge. Let Tully sit in the car and steer while the rest of us push it. The three of us should be able to get it moving with no problem. We can start it when we're further away and maybe it won't be noticed. If they hear us Tully can start it and we can jump in and make a run for it."
Troy looked at the hard packed sand where the car was parked. The road was close, pushing wouldn't be that hard. "Okay, Tully get in. Be ready to start it. The rest of us will push it as far as we can. Maybe we can get it far enough that no one will think anything of it even if they do hear it."
Tully chewed on his matchstick and nodded. He took his place and disengaged the gears. "Okay Sarge." He called softly.
The patrol car moved easily enough. The noise the tires made on the sand was no louder than the grunts of the men pushing. The car was parked on a slight downhill angle so it rolled almost by itself once they got it started. All they had to do was keep up with it once it started rolling. Tully avoided the brakes, letting it slow to a stop on its own.
"This should be far enough away." Troy decided. "Everybody get in and stay down. Tully, start this thing up and get us out of here."
Tully nodded and pressed the starter. It didn't run like their jeeps, the engine was louder, but not as loud as they had feared. Tully put it in gear and drove off into the night with no alarm sounding behind them. They traveled the road until the sky began to lighten. Hitch kept them amused with his dialogue about how his parents would never forgive Troy for teaching their son how to steal cars; that and all of the other bad habits he had picked up since joining the Army. Before they knew it it was morning.
"Get us off the road Tully."
Tully waited until he found an old set of tracks that cut across the desert and he followed them. By following the other tracks he was hoping to confuse any planes that spotted the tracks. The Germans would be looking for a lone patrol car headed for the American lines.
Three and a half hours later the precaution paid off. The plane appeared in the sky as Tully and Hitch were switching places. Hitch had caught a nap while Tully drove and Tully needed the rest.
"Plane!" Moffitt called as everyone stretched tired muscles and passed around a canteen they had found under one of the seats.
"There's a camo net in the back." Hitch called.
"Get it out and cover the car." Troy ordered as he searched for the plane.
Tully ran to the back and pulled the net free. Hitch helped him drape it over the car, letting the folds hang loose in case they needed to pull it back off in a hurry.
"Under cover!" Troy called.
Both privates dove beneath the netting.
"He's checking out those tracks." Tully noted out loud.
"Maybe he won't be able to tell the old ones from the new ones." Hitch suggested hopefully.
"A lot depends on the angle of the sun." Moffitt reminded them. "With the right angle he won't have any trouble at all."
"Be ready to pull the net, just in case." Troy ordered.
"This tub can't outrun a plane." Tully drawled.
"Or a bomb." Hitch added.
"Neither can we." Troy growled. "And I don't know about you but I'd rather take my chances on wheels."
"Just so you don't expect our usual maneuvers." Tully warned.
"I'm hoping we don't need to run at all." Troy answered in a softer tone. "But if we do, just do your best."
"I wish we had one of the 50's." Hitch added with a sigh.
Troy looked over at his driver and grinned. "What? You don't trust Tully's driving?"
Hitch glanced over to see if Tully looked insulted. "Sure I do Sarge; I just don't trust the German mechanics. They can never keep these tubs running."
Moffitt chuckled as Hitch turned red faced.
"I'm not mad Hitch." Tully grinned. "It just so happens that I agreed with you."
"He's leaving." Troy announced.
"I guess the sun was on our side today." Moffitt relaxed against the car.
"The day's not over Doctor." Troy sat on the ground by the car, still under the netting. "And these old tracks aren't going to take us all the way to where we want to go. We need to find a German patrol."
"A German patrol? What for?" Hitch blurted.
"So we can pick up a second car." Troy explained. "Germans patrols almost always have two cars. The Germans are looking for a single car. If we had a second car we could pass for a patrol and run out in the open."
"Until they noticed that there are only two men to a car." Moffitt added. "Patrol cars carry a four man crew."
"How do you feel about riding with dead men?"
Moffitt raised his eyebrows.
"We could put them in the back seat by themselves if you're squeamish." Troy grinned at the others.
"Let's go find a patrol." Moffitt answered for all of them.
Finding a patrol that they could ambush turned out to be harder than they expected. The first one they saw was out in the open where they could not approach undetected. They spotted the second one just as the plane reappeared. By the time they could come out of hiding the patrol was gone. Three turned out to be the charm. The third patrol was just entering a series of small hills that allowed the Allies to sneak up in them.
Covering their stolen car with a net the four men positioned themselves atop a hill they expected the patrol to pass. Troy gave each man his orders. Make it fast. Don't let them radio for help. Try not to damage the cars.
As the patrol cars rolled past them in single file Troy opened fire. That was the signal for the others to take out the crews. Most of the Germans fell in the first volley. Both drivers were among the dead before the remaining soldiers could react. The Allies had the advantage since the attack was unexpected and the Germans didn't know where the attackers were hidden. One by one the crews of both patrol cars fell victim to the Rat Patrol's deadly accuracy.
Troy waved his arm and sent everyone to check for survivors.
"This one is still breathing Sarge." Hitch called. He stood over the wounded soldier as the others checked the other Germans.
"All dead." Moffitt announced as he knelt by the wounded soldier.
"No survivors." Tully added as he joined the others.
"Tully, check the cars."
Tully nodded and ran to the cars.
"Hitch, stand guard."
Hitch turned without a word and headed for the top of the hill.
"How is he?" Troy leaned over Moffitt's shoulder and watched him work.
"Not good. I don't think he's going to make it." The Brit announced. "The bullet did too much damage."
"Did you find a first aid kit in any of the cars?"
"Yes." Moffitt sighed. "But there is only so much I can do Troy. I'm not a real doctor you know. I doubt if this man would make it even if the hospital were on the other side of those cars."
Troy nodded his understanding. He knew how helpless Moffitt felt when he couldn't help the wounded, heck; he shared that feeling more than he wanted to admit. "Make him as comfortable as you can. We'll hang around a few minutes and wait."
Moffitt nodded and went back to his patient.
Tully came over a few minutes later to report that both patrol cars had come through with only minor damage.
"Good, we have to get rid of four of these guys. We can bury them and take the dog tags with us."
"What about the other four?"
"Did you think I was kidding about riding with dead men?" Troy watched Tully for a reaction.
"Sort of."
"I wasn't." Troy shook his head. "We need to get this information back as quick as we can. If that means using dead men as decoys then that's what we'll do. We'll be less noticeable with four men to a car. We can give them a decent burial after we deliver these plans. A lot of lives depend on it."
"Okay Sarge, I get it. Which ones are we taking with us?"
"Whichever ones you don't bury." Troy answered.
Tully nodded silently and went for a shovel.
"Troy."
Troy turned at Moffitt's call.
"Hold up Tully." Moffitt urged. "Troy, are we really going to use the dead as decoys?"
"I don't like it either Moffitt but it's a way to get the plane off our trail."
"In that case may I make another suggestion?"
"What is it?"
"We now have three cars." Moffitt went on as Troy nodded. "The Germans are looking for a single car." Troy nodded again. "Why not leave the other dead in the car we leave behind? The plane will spot it and report it. With any luck they will think that we ran into a patrol and got wiped out."
"They'll send someone to check Moffitt."
"Of course." The Brit smiled. "But we're awfully close to our lines. By the time they get someone here to discover the truth we will be long gone and perhaps even home safe."
Troy looked over at Tully. "Okay, just load the dead into the patrol car. We'll plant a grenade under the car so it looks like they hit a mine." At Moffitt's questioning look Troy grinned. "They'll want to know why this wasn't reported. A patrol would have been on the radio right away to say they got us. If they think we hit a mine they might not question it. They'll still send out a patrol to check, but it might buy us some time."
Moffitt chewed on his lip and looked toward the cars. "It can't do any harm."
"Do it Tully." Troy ordered.