A Long Story

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

"I should have gone back for him." Troy repeated for the sixth time in the last hour.

"Troy." Moffitt interrupted. "It was no use! You know that! All you could have done was get you, and maybe Hitch, killed. We couldn't help him if we were all prisoners. He'd be the first to agree with me."

"Maybe." Troy acknowledged. "But that doesn't make it right. He couldn't even stand up by himself. That Major will kill him Moffitt!"

"Maybe not." The Brit answered quietly. "Maybe he'll keep him alive to use as bait." Moffitt looked up from caring for Tully. "Tully needs a doctor Troy. We have to get him back to the base."

"Yeah." Troy agreed. "We'll head back and get him a doctor. At least we saved one of them."

"Troy, none of this was your fault. You did what you had to do. Hitch and Tully understood that."

"They're my responsibility. The beatings; I know I couldn't prevent that. I couldn't tell him what he wanted to know. But I shouldn't have left Hitch there alone. If I couldn't save him I should have stayed with him."

"So Steinkopt could use him to force you to talk? Really Troy? I know how you feel. I can even understand why you feel that way. But that doesn't make it right either. Ask Tully, he'll tell you."

"I can't ask Tully, he's not awake. He could still die too Moffitt." Troy growled angrily.

"True, but we did our best. You did get us out of there." Moffitt watched as Troy paced. "Troy, if you want to go back, I'll go with you."

"We can't." Troy groaned. "Tully needs a doctor, you said so yourself."

"Troy."

"No Moffitt, you're right. We'll take Tully back."

"Then we'd better get moving, it looks like we're about to have company."

Troy spun to see Moffitt looking off into the distance. When Troy looked that way he could pick out a thin stream of dust rising from the desert. Grabbing binoculars, he ran for the highest ground. Through the field glasses he watched as three patrol cars stopped in the middle of the desert and sat there.

"It's Major Steinkopt and his lieutenant. It looks like they're hunting for something."

Moffitt looked up at Troy and frowned. "They could be hunting for us."

"Maybe we ought to let them find us."

"What about Tully?"

"We'll leave him here. There are only three cars and it looks like they are splitting up. If we can hit them one at a time we may have a chance. I want to capture the Major Moffitt."

"Revenge won't change anything Troy."

"No it won't," Troy growled, "but if Hitch is still alive I'd be willing to bet that Dietrich will be open to a trade."

"You go ahead Sarge, I'll be fine." Tully's voice surprised Moffitt and he turned to look down at his driver.

"Tully, we can't leave you out here alone."

"Don't worry about it Doc. If it comes to that I can always let the krauts know where I am. Go get that Major Doc. Use him to get Hitch back."

"Moffitt?"

"Let's go Troy; it's going to be dark in a few hours."

The first car didn't suspect a thing until Troy and Moffitt ambushed them from atop a dune. They took out two of their four tires and left them stranded. The second one was expecting them. They left that one with two dead men and the driver had a bullet in his shoulder.

Troy watched from behind some rocks as the third car stopped and the Major got out to talk on the radio.

The second car is reporting in." Moffitt translated from beside Troy.

"They look a bit nervous." Troy grinned coldly.

"Two out of three cars are down and they are riding in the third one. Maybe they have reason to worry." Moffitt suggested softly.

"Maybe you're right." Troy snarled. "Take out the soldiers; I want the Major and the lieutenant alive." Following his own advice, Troy sighted at the driver. "I've got the driver."

"Ready." Moffitt replied from beside him.

The two guns fired as one and the two targets dropped to the ground.

Troy concentrated his fire on the patrol car's engine next. When Lieutenant Hoatz jumped behind the wheel and attempted to start the car, it wouldn't start.

"Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up." Troy shouted.

"I don't think so Sergeant." Major Steinkopt shouted back. "We're pretty evenly matched right now but once our other car gets here you will be outnumbered. Then it will be you who drops his weapons."

"Your car's not coming." Troy yelled. "Either one of them." He gave the Major a moment to let the information sink in. "Now we may be evenly matched Major but we still have the advantage. We've got the high ground and you've got no cover."

"You're forgetting the car Sergeant."

"No I'm not." Troy responded. "I've got plans for that car."

"Then you're on foot?" The Major called with rising excitement.

"No."

"Then why would you need our car?"

"Oh I don't need it." Troy laughed. "I'm planning on blowing it up. A few well-placed shots to the gas tank should do the trick. Then if you survive the explosion we can shoot you down as you run from the fire."

"You need us alive!" The Major squawked. "You're superiors will want to question us."

"About what? Interrogation techniques? Yours don't work, remember?"

Two rifles flew over the top of the patrol car. "We surrender Sergeant. You Americans are bound by the Geneva Convention. You cannot kill unarmed prisoners."

Troy looked over at Moffitt in disgust.

"Unfortunately old man, he does have point." The Brit didn't look any happier than Troy.

Troy sighed. "All right, put your hands behind your head and come on out."

The prisoners walked out from behind the car with smirks on their faces. "You Americans are too predictable."

"Don't count on it." Troy growled as Moffitt searched them and tied their hands.

Taking them back to the camp where Tully waited, Troy began to make plans to contact Dietrich.

Tully watched the car return to their little camp. Despite the pain in his back he smiled as he saw the prisoners. "I see you got them."

"Yeah." Troy growled. "I just wish we didn't have to give them back."

"Do we have to?"

"If we want Hitch back we do." Troy knelt next to his injured private and offered him a drink. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I see what you brought back. Did they tell you what they did with Hitch?"

"Moffitt is going to ask them now." Troy replied, twisting to watch as Moffitt talked to the prisoners. He straightened and rose as Moffitt frowned at an answer the Major gave him. Walking toward the prisoners, Troy's face was darker than a storm cloud.

"What is it Moffitt? What did they do?"

"Troy." Moffitt tried to push Troy back.

"What did they do?" Troy shouted.

"Nothing Troy." Moffitt answered. "If they are to be believed, nothing."

"What do you mean?" The sergeant's face showed his confusion.

Pushing Troy further away from the prisoners, Moffitt lowered his voice. "They claim that they thought all of us escaped at the same time. They say they don't know anything about Hitch being left behind."

"Do you believe them?"

Moffitt glanced back toward the prisoners. "They seemed genuinely surprised when I ask about Hitch.'' The Brit shrugged. "And they seem entirely too happy to learn of it from us."

"So now what? If we contact Dietrich and he doesn't have Hitch, we'll be telling him that Hitch is still there."

"Yes."

"Maybe that's not so bad. He can find Hitch and make the trade. Dietrich wouldn't hurt Hitch as long as we have the major."

"What if he won't trade?" Tully asked weakly.

"Why wouldn't he?" Troy asked.

"Maybe he doesn't like the Major either."

"Then we'll try a different tactic."

"What?" Moffitt asked.

"We'll threaten to send them both back."

Moffitt smiled at Troy's solution. "You know, it just might work. We have to make a decision Troy. We still have to get Tully to a doctor."

"We need to get Hitch back."

"What about the Arabs we saw on the base?"

"What about them?"

"Maybe the Major ran roughshod over them too. They might be willing to talk to us if that's the case."

"I guess it's worth a try."

"We need to find some of the local Arabs. Someone who knows what is going on at the base."

"All right. We'll get something to eat and then we'll move back toward the base. Maybe we can catch some of them coming or going."

Nearly two hours later Troy was lying on top of a dune watching a caravan cross the desert. Moffitt had spotted a trail of dust leaving the base and they had moved to intercept them. Rejoining Moffitt and Tully at the car he told them what he saw.

"It's a caravan, a big one."

"Let me talk to them."

"It's a pretty big caravan; if they decide to fight we don't have much to fight with."

"Keep the car handy to cover me. I'll ask for a meet away from the main group."

"Okay, I'll agree to this, but only if we can do it without putting everyone at risk."

"Let's find another spot to confront them. A dune giving you the high ground would be best. You cover me from the top while I meet them at the bottom."

"All right, but if one thing looks suspicious, one thing, we're out of there."

Moffitt nodded. "Agreed."

They found a dune that fit Moffitt's criteria and he walked out to meet the caravan. The white flag he carried fluttered in the breeze as he waited for them to send someone out to speak with him.

The Arab who walked out ahead of the stopped caravan eyed Moffitt suspiciously. "I am Nahul. Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Moffitt. I wish to buy information."

"What kind of information?"

"The German base," Moffitt began, "I understand that the Germans captured some Allied soldiers and that those soldiers escaped."

The Arab watched Moffitt curiously.

"We, my friend and I, were wondering if all of those soldiers made it off of the base."

The Arab studied Moffitt a bit closer. "You were one of them."

"Yes." Moffitt admitted. "We were separated and we want to know what happened to our friend. It's possible that Captain Dietrich may have recaptured our friend. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"You have captured the Major and his lieutenant."

"Yes." Moffitt admitted cautiously.

"We want them."

"No."

"They tortured and killed two of our people for no reason. We want them."

"I am sorry for your loss but I can't give them to you."

"Do you want your friend back?"

"Yes, of course." Moffitt assured him. "But we need them to get him back."

"We want them." Nahul repeated.

Moffitt looked into the cold black eyes and considered his options. "Let me talk to my friend. Perhaps we can give you one of them."

Troy didn't like the idea but he was willing to deal with the lieutenant. "We can give them the lieutenant in exchange for information." He looked at the British sergeant with concern. "Do you think they know anything?"

"I guess we'll find out." Moffitt returned to the Arab and informed him that they would trade the lieutenant for information. "What can you tell me?"

"The Captain does not have your friend."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yes."

"Tell us."

"We want the Major too."

"Nahul, we can't. I understand your reason for wanting him, but we may need the Major to trade for our friend."

"You would trade the Major for your friend?"

"Yes." Moffitt replied eagerly. "If you can bring our friend to us we would give you the Major."

"Bring the prisoners."

"Nahul."

"You bring the prisoners and we will trade." The Arab turned to return to the caravan. His shouts brought his men rushing to meet him.

Moffitt climbed the dune to meet Troy. "He says he will trade Hitch for the prisoners."

"Hitch? He has Hitch?"

"I'm not sure. He isn't very forthcoming with details. He just said that he would trade our friend for the two prisoners."

"Okay, but we don't deliver the prisoners until we actually see Hitch." Troy cautioned. The two sergeants went to inform Tully about what was happening.

"You can't do this!" Major Steinkopt shouted. "They want revenge. We are prisoners-of-war. You are bound by the Geneva Convention."

"Those old rules, nobody follows those silly rules." Troy smiled.

""Do you think they really have Hitch?" Tully asked.

"I don't know but I'm willing to find out. Moffitt, make the deal. I trust you."

"You can't!" The Major shouted.

"I just did." Troy growled.

Moffitt walked back to where Nahul waited.

"We have a deal?"

"We have a deal, but we won't bring the prisoners down until we see our friend."

"Done." Nahul responded. The Arab motioned for his men to come forward. They led two camels toward them and Moffitt noted the bodies suspended between the animals.

"Nahul?"

"Your friend." Nahul indicted the camels. Moffitt watched as the bindings were unwrapped to expose three bodies, not two. He jerked in surprise when Hitch was lifted from the litter and placed on a blanket on the ground.

Moffitt knelt next to the unconscious private and examined him carefully.

"Your friend?" Nahul asked.

"My friend." Moffitt confirmed.

"Then we have a deal?"

"Done." Moffitt confirmed.

"Then we will carry your friend to your camp and collect our half of the bargain." Nahul offered.

"You took care of him." Moffitt noticed the bandages under the robes that Hitch wore.

"The Major wanted him. We chose to help him instead of helping the Major." Nahul explained simply.

"Thank you."

"A small bit of revenge until we could get the satisfaction we really want." Nahul said.

"How did you know we had the Major?"

"Captain Dietrich told us as we were leaving."

"Captain Dietrich?"

"Yes" Nahul confirmed. "He said that you would not sell them to us. But he did mention that you might consider a trade." Nahul frowned. "It was almost as if he knew what we concealed."

"Perhaps he did." Moffitt suggested.

"No. he said that he needed to follow the Major's orders. He could not allow your friend to escape."

"I'm sure he couldn't." Moffitt smiled. "If he had known for sure that Hitch was with you he would have had to detain you for helping him. Of course, if he didn't know…."

Nahul gave Moffitt a confused look, but then his face cleared as he understood what Moffitt was saying. "I think we will take our prisoners and go now."

"Thank you Nahul."

The Arab smiled and bowed to the British sergeant.

After the Arabs left with the prisoners Moffitt sat next to Troy beside his driver.

"They took good care of him."

"It looks that way." Troy answered.

"Our guests didn't seem too happy about the trade."

"They won't be causing us or Dietrich any more trouble." Troy replied.

"Not if Nahul and his people have their way."

"It couldn't happen to a nicer guy." Troy agreed. His face sobered as he glanced toward the car where Hitch and Tully were resting in the shade. "How are they?"

Moffitt looked over toward the two privates. "The Arabs treated Hitch; he's resting comfortably for now. Tully just had a shot of morphine and he'll rest for a few more hours."

"Can we take them back to the hospital?"

"The sooner the better."

"You know, if we had kept them they would be spending the rest of the war in a nice cozy POW camp for officers."

"Your point?"

"We couldn't take revenge. The Major was right about that. No matter what they did, we were bound by our morals. This way I have a clear conscience."

"And maybe Dietrich does too."

"Dietrich?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it on the way back to our base."

They loaded the privates into the back of the car and headed for the base and the hospital. Moffitt told Troy all that he had learned and all that he suspected. As he warned Troy, it was a long story.