Family Care

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

In the wadi Tully climbed behind the 50 to stand guard while the sergeants searched for clues. They had gone in slow and easy, just in case, but the wadi was empty.

Troy carried a flashlight in one hand and a machine gun in the other. Moffitt carried a flashlight. Kneeling on the ground he searched the hard packed sand for any signs. The night winds had blown away most of the tracks leaving very little evidence behind. The search was slow and time consuming. Moffitt took his time, not wanting to miss anything that might be important. He was acutely conscious of Troy following closely behind him and Tully standing anxiously in the jeep.

Tully kept his ear turned to the sergeants while he kept his eyes on the desert around the wadi.

"Arabs, this proves it."

Moffitt's voice carried to Tully where he stood on guard. Turning, he looked to see what the sergeant had found. Troy stood next to Moffitt pointing his flashlight beam at something on the ground. Tully had to strain to see what had prompted the remark. Squinting, he finally made out the half-buried pile of horse manure. The wind had wiped out the hoof tracks but it had not completely covered the mound of waste left behind by the horse.

"Where do we start looking for them?" Troy asked quietly as he looked up at Moffitt. Kneeling next to the evidence brought home the reality they had all feared. They could no longer pretend that Hitch had just wandered off.

"They have a three hour head start Troy and the wind has covered their tracks. I don't even know which way they went when they left here."

"Guess Moffitt, they have Hitch!"

The British sergeant closed his eyes as he thought about it. "They won't want to hang on to him for very long. The longer they keep him the greater chance there is that he will be rescued or escape. My guess is that they plan to sell him."

"Sell him where?" Troy growled in frustration.

"That's the question." Moffitt answered. "And to whom?" He turned to look out over the dark desert and consider the possibilities. "The nearest slave market I know about is three or four days on horseback. With a prisoner in tow you can add an extra day at least. They can't push him too hard if they want to get him there in good condition. A healthy slave brings more money than a sick one. Even if they gave him a horse Hitch will still slow them down."

Troy growled low and fierce. "Then let's go! I don't want them to get him to the market."

"Just a minute Troy." The other sergeant urged. "There is another possibility."

"Like what?" Troy demanded angrily.

"What if they plan on selling him to the Germans? We have a price on our heads. They could make a rather nice little profit without taking him so far."

Troy stiffened. He didn't know which possibility was worse. Either way they had to find Hitch, and fast!

"What do you want to do?"

"The nearest German base is only four or five hours by jeep?" Troy guessed.

"Approximately." Moffitt agreed.

"They have a head start on us."

"There is that to consider."

"We'll check out the base first." Troy decided. "If we don't find them there we can always head for the slave market."

"We could very easily miss them in the dark." Moffitt warned.

"We'll head straight for the base." Troy answered. "If we don't find them along the way maybe we can get there ahead of them and get Hitch before they go inside."

"How long are you willing to wait? If they don't go to the base we are giving them another day to get ahead of us."

"We'll wait until noon." Troy replied. "If they aren't there by then they probably aren't coming."

"It's risky Troy."

"Do we have a choice? You said we don't know which way they went after they left the wadi. The slave market is further; we can catch them before they get that far."

The Brit nodded his agreement. "There is still the chance that I am wrong but I have to agree, this is the best option we have at the moment. I just wanted to make sure that you understood the chances we are taking."

"Yeah, I understand." Troy admitted unhappily.

"We can't look for tracks until it gets light so I suggest we try to cover some ground before then. The tracks from earlier will already be gone by now anyway."

Troy started for his jeep. "Let's get going. You and Tully lead but keep your eyes open. We don't want them to spot us before we spot them."

The Brit nodded. "It wouldn't do to be spotted by a German patrol either."

Troy stopped and turned back to the British sergeant. Lowering his voice so it wouldn't carry to Tully, Troy voiced his doubts. "Do you think he's still alive?"

Moffitt nodded immediately. "Yes I do."

"All right." Troy sighed with relief. "Then let's go get him."

Moffitt nodded again and hurried to take his place in his jeep. Tully jumped from the back and took his seat behind the wheel. "Tully, take us straight back toward our camp."

Tully twisted to look over at his passenger with a question in his eyes.

"Just to be through." The Brit smiled to take the edge off of his explanation. "Not that I expect to find him between here and there."

"You think they might have killed him? Did you mention that to Sarge?"

"No I didn't, because it is only a remote possibility and he has enough on his mind without worrying him unnecessarily. We'll just take a quick look between here and there since we're headed that way anyway."

Tully bit down on his matchstick and kept his opinion to himself. He desperately hoped that they didn't find anything because he didn't want to find his best friend's body lying in the sand. Swerving slightly he tried to cover as much ground as he could without arousing any suspicion from Troy. If he had been able to see as far as the other jeep he would have realized that his precautions were wasted. Troy had already figured out what they were doing.

Troy drove one-handed, in the other hand he gripped the kepi that Tully and Moffitt had found. He kept wondering why he hadn't heard the Arabs when they took his driver. He knew he was a light sleeper, they all were, they had to be to survive. Yet they had all slept through the brazen abduction of one of their own. As he followed the other jeep in its weaving path toward their old campsite he realized why Moffitt had chosen that path. Like Tully, he anxiously scanned the desert floor, and like Tully, he hoped that they didn't find anything.

Earlier in the night he had been grateful for the clouds, thinking that they were providing a little extra cover for their small camp, now he wished that the moon would show its face. Even though he dreaded finding anything he still wished for more light to search the desert floor. Softer sand would have made driving more difficult but he would even have welcomed that because it would have held the tracks they sought for a longer time against the wind. The horse's hooves barely dented the hard packed sand even before the wind brushed the evidence of their passing away. The desert was keeping her secrets this night and Troy resented her for it.

By the time daylight arrived the jeeps were well clear of the wadi where Hitch had disappeared. They hadn't found any sign of Hitch or the Arabs. All three men were exhausted from lack of sleep and the constant tension. All of them knew that they were exposed out in the open during the day but none of them suggested that they take it slow or stay near the hills. Moffitt picked the trail he thought Hitch's captors might use and followed it.

When the German base came into range they were forced to admit that they had missed their quarry in the dark. Troy began to look for a place to watch the base and the desert around it. There were no hills high enough to watch both the front and the back of the base, forcing them to split up. Troy reluctantly made the decision to split his forces between the two vantage points they found. Tully and Moffitt would watch the entrance to the back of the base while he watched the front gate.

The sun was beating down on him as Moffitt watched the gate at the rear of the base. Lying on a dune about a quarter of a mile from the gate he was able to see over the wall to the activity inside. Shielding his binoculars from the sun to avoid a glare, he scanned the open desert around the base. If the Arabs stayed in the open they would spot them in time but he worried about the low hills that surrounded the base. Horses could sneak in through the hills and get pretty close before they could spot them. Moffitt was acutely aware of how adept the desert tribes were at concealing their presence when it suited them.

Hearing a rustling behind him Moffitt twisted around to see Tully draping a net over the jeep. He noticed that his driver was keeping the netting high on the vehicle instead of draping it all the way to the ground. Realizing that the private was keeping the jeep ready for a fast getaway he turned back to the base. He knew if he gave the word Tully would have the netting free and be ready before he could slide down the slope.

The Germans seemed to be doing an inspection of their vehicles. From where Moffitt lay he could see the armored tanks and halftracks lined up in a straight row along the wall of the base. An officer was walking along the line stopping only occasionally to talk to one of the men standing at attention in front of the line of vehicles. As the sergeant watched the officer stopped in front of one of the tanks. He spoke to one of the men standing in front of the tank. Apparently he didn't like the answer he got because he suddenly swung his right hand. The riding crop he held in his hand slapped loudly in the desert air hitting the offending soldier across the face.

Moffitt winced at the action, feeling angry and embarrassed for the unfortunate German who had angered his commander in front of his friends and fellow soldiers.

The soldier accepted the punishment with hunched shoulders and a lowered head. His companions shifted nervously, taking an unconscious step away from him. The sergeant could hear a voice raised in anger but the words were too muffled to understand. The soldier responded with a jerky nod while keeping his head down. The officer raised his crop again but held the strike. The soldier responded by ducking his head lower and hunching his shoulders even more in anticipation. The officer waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and moved on. The soldier remained tense long after the officer passed.

Moffitt had been so absorbed in watching the officer that he had taken his attention from the desert for a few minutes. The snort of a horse caught his ear bringing his attention back to the hills. Four Arabs rode tired horses out of the foothills onto the desert floor. Moffitt turned his glasses to the fifth horse and its rider.

Hitch looked as if he had had a rough night. There was dried blood in his hair and down the side of his neck. He swayed in the saddle held in place by ropes binding him to the saddle horn. Moffitt guessed that the ropes were the only thing keeping him on the horse.

Hitch's horse sidestepped as one of the Arabs jerked on the lead rope. Hitch grabbed for the horn to keep his balance and missed. He was thrown to the side and leaned heavily toward the mounted Arab. The Arab shouted at him and swung at him with the butt of his rifle. The rifle butt connected with his shoulder and Hitch bit back a cry. The horseman jerked on the lead rope again and urged his own mount toward the base. The horse Hitch rode had no choice but to follow.

"Tully!"

Tully looked up as Moffitt began to slide down the slope toward him. He reached over and pulled the netting from the jeep and threw it in the back. He was in the driver's seat with the motor running by the time Moffitt reached him. "What is it?"

"We have to warn Troy. The Arabs just came out of the foothills and are headed for the front gate."

"Is Hitch with them?"

"Yes." Moffitt confirmed. "But he's mounted on a horse so they will be moving right along. It won't take them long to reach the gate."

Tully bit down on his matchstick and nodded. Easing the jeep forward so it wouldn't alert the Arabs, he stayed behind the dunes to circle the base.

Troy heard them coming before the jeep cleared the rocks behind him. He slid down from his vantage point above the base and ran to meet them.

"What is it?"

"They're coming Troy, four Arabs and Hitch." Moffitt called urgently.

"How does he look?"

"Like he had a rough night." Moffitt shrugged. "They must have hit him on the head to keep him quiet." Moffitt looked over to meet Tully's worried eyes. "You were right Tully, but he looks like he can still fight."

"Is he still on his feet?"

"No."

Troy stopped, worried about what Moffitt would say next.

"They have him mounted on a horse." The British sergeant explained. "His hands are tied to the saddle so he can't fall or jump off."

Troy nodded at the news with relief.

"But that means that we don't have much time before they reach the gate." Moffitt continued.

Troy turned with a quick nod to go for his jeep. The roar of engines sounded from the direction of the base. Throwing the others a startled look, Troy ran for the top of the dune. His heart sank as he dropped to his stomach to watch the base. Two patrol cars and two halftracks were coming through the gate as he reached the crest of the dune. As he watched the two patrol cars forged ahead of the slower halftracks and raced toward the approaching Arabs with their prisoner. Lumbering along behind, the halftracks followed at a slower pace.

The patrol cars stopped in front of the Arabs and a short conversation ensued. One of the Germans got out of the car and walked over to look up at Hitch. Troy saw his driver raise his head and say something to the German. Before the blond could draw back the German reached out and hit him across the face. Hitch reeled in the saddle but he couldn't fall because of the ropes. Troy gritted his teeth and gripped his field glasses tightly.

The German waved toward the base and the leader of the Arabs nodded. Hitch swayed again as his horse was yanked savagely to the side. Kicking their horses into a tired trot the Arabs headed toward the gate with the Germans as escorts.

When Troy didn't return to the jeeps right away Tully and Moffitt joined him at the top of the dune. Moffitt dropped down next to him with Tully on his other side. "What's happening?"

"The Germans sent two patrol cars and two halftracks to meet the Arabs." Troy explained tersely.

"They're going to sell him to the Germans." The British sergeant nodded slowly.

"Yeah." Troy growled.

"At least we know where he is. If they had gone anywhere else we might have lost him." Moffitt tried to reassure Troy.

"They hit him."

Moffitt didn't look over at Troy as the other sergeant revealed what he had seen. His mind was going back to the scene in front of the tank earlier. A sense of dread hit him when he thought of their friend in the hands of the German commander.

"They're stopping them outside." Troy announced.

Moffitt looked at Tully before he turned toward the base. Tully was watching the scene below with his teeth clenched around the slender matchstick in his mouth. Moffitt concentrated on the Germans as the Arabs stopped in front of the gate.

` The four German vehicles parked in a half circle behind the Arabs as they faced the gate. It didn't escape the sergeant's notice that the halftracks were in the center with the faster patrol cars on the ends. He waited with bated breath as the German commander walked out through the gate.

"What's going on Moffitt?"

"I can only guess but I would wager that they are about to negotiate a selling price for Hitch."

Troy growled.

The three Allies watched as the Germans and the Arabs argued back and forth. It took quite a while and the Arabs appeared to be getting more and more agitated as the talks went on. Finally both sides began nodding their heads and smiling at one another.

"It would seem that they have come to some sort of agreement." Moffitt observed.

The German commander pointed at Hitch and two soldiers stepped forward to cut his bonds and pull him from the horse.

The lead Arab threw a hand out to stop them. The other Arabs crowded their horses forward to cover them with their rifles. The German commander smiled at the Arabs and waved the leader forward. Reaching into his shirt he pulled out a small pouch. He bounced the pouch in his hand as the Arab leader stepped forward eagerly.

Troy, Moffitt and Tully jerked as a volley of shots rang out. All four Arabs fell to the ground as the guards on the wall prepared to shoot again if necessary.

"Hitch!" Tully grunted and started to surge forward.

"He's all right Tully!" Moffitt reached for his driver's arm as Tully started to move toward the scene below. "Be careful, we don't want to be spotted. We don't want to warn them that we are in the vicinity."

Tully groaned and dropped back to the ground, his entire focus on his fellow driver.