The Sleeping Beauty Raid-Chapter 5
"Alright Chip. We need to stop the ambulance. We need it." Troy whispered instructions to Saunders. "Once it stops we have to deal with the driver and crew. You and your men will have to keep them tied up until this operation is over."
` "We have this Sam. Just relax and let us do our job." Saunders sent his men to cover the road, waiting for the ambulance in question. At a sign from Cage, he gave the warning to get ready. When it came into sight it was alone, no escort.
Littlejohn and Billy stepped out into the road and pointed their weapons at the approaching vehicle. Instead of stopping, the driver whipped the wheel, trying to get around the two men. He lost control and the ambulance clipped a tree before sliding down an embankment. It came to rest on its' side.
Littlejohn and Billy were the first ones to reach the wreck. They checked the driver and pronounced him dead. Saunders and Cage were the next to arrive. They checked the back and found the medic crumpled next to the door. As they opened them he tumbled out, lifeless. Saunders crawled in to find two wounded men alive inside.
"Get them out. We need them alive if possible." Troys' voice floated in from outside.
Cage and Kirby helped Saunders lift the wounded men out of the wreckage.
"Lt. Karl Stahl. His father is high up in the Gestapo. The lieutenant here is a national hero. Wounded in combat, been in a coma ever since. The Germans are sending him to their best doctors in Berlin." Troy identified the first injured man. He was young, early twenties, blond and tall. His head was wrapped in gauze, forming a turban. His eyes were closed but Saunders was willing to bet that they were blue.
"Sargent Rutger Wolfe. Another hero. He's on his way to Berlin too. Hitler wants to personally give each of them a medal." This one was older, dark haired and thin. He also had a head injury.
"Okay Jack, you and Hitch get ready." Troy was surveying the damage to the ambulance. "This wasn't what we had in mind but it might actually work better than our original plan."
"How are you going to get your men into the base without the ambulance?" Hanley knew the original plan called for using the ambulance to drive the men to the base.
"We'll let the Germans do it for us Sir. They'll find the wreckage and check it out. They'll find Jack and Hitch in the wreck and take them to the base. We'll just stay around to keep an eye on them until our friends get here." Troy was rummaging through the wreckage for the medical records for the two men. When he found them he crawled back out to wait for Moffitt.
Moffitt returned dressed in a German sergeants uniform. He held several rolls of gauze in his hand.
"Doc, could you wrap my head like this?" He indicated the dark haired German.
"Fix these records Jack. Give the lieutenant a broken arm. Make sure it's his right arm." Troy held the records for Moffitt.
The British sargent pulled a pen from his pocket and made some notations on the proper file. Doc wrapped his head carefully trying to copy the other doctors' work.
Mark Hitchcock appeared next. He was wearing the uniform of a German lieutenant with the right sleeve cut away. He held two pieces of a cast in one hand and several rolls of gauze in the other.
As soon as Doc finished with Moffitt he started to work on the private. As Doc wrapped his head, Moffitt worked on his arm. Moffitt took the cast and fit it over the blonds' right arm up to the shoulder. Using some paste from his pack he glued the two pieces together. Then he wrapped the cast with a layer of gauze. Next he sprinkled the whole thing with a dry powder. Once he wet the gauze the powder made a paste that he smeared to give the gauze a plaster like appearance. When he was finished he had Doc check his work.
"Will it pass inspection?"
"Ought to." Doc nodded thoughtfully. "Why did he need a broken arm anyway?"
Moffitt smiled. "Insurance Doc, insurance."
"Okay Jack. Let's get you two in place. Do you have everything you need?"
"Yeah Sam. We double checked everything."
"Chip, we need to get these two to our truck. Don't let them make any noise." Saunders nodded as Troy issued orders.
They moved the injured men off the stretchers and the stretchers were returned to the ambulance. Hitch crawled onto one and Troy helped him get situated. He watched as Moffitt settled onto the other.
"Sam, put some cuts on our faces. Both of those Germans had cuts from the wreck." Moffitt watched the emotions play across Sams' face. "They don't need to be deep, just a little bloody." He smiled at Troy.
"Alright, but we'd better tie Hitch up, he's not going to be happy."
Tully chuckled at Troys' comment. "Can I do it Sarge?"
"Come on Sarge. You're not going to let Tully do it are you?" Hitch cringed as Tully approached him. "Sarge, have a heart!"
Troy grinned and walked away. "Just remember what they say about paybacks Tully."
"Sam, here's the first dose of the drug for Hitch." Moffitt held a syringe in his hand.
They waited together for the Germans to arrive. The sound of an approaching truck drew their attention.
"Show time." Moffitt looked at Hitch who nodded in return. Troy took the syringe and knelt next to the blond.
"It's not too late to back out."
"I'm okay Sarge. I'm ready." Troy studied the privates face for a moment before he nodded.
"Okay." He slid the needle under the skin and pushed the plunger. Almost immediately Hitchcocks' eyes began to close. He was completely out before Troy had a chance to wish him luck.
"You'd better go Sam." Moffitt watched as Troy gently brushed his finger over the blonds face. "I'll take care of him Sam. I've got his back."
"I know Jack, I know." With a sigh, Troy left without a backward glance.