Tomb of the Lost (43 page)

Schwann nodded nervously and lowered the salute.

“
You
’
ll do no such thing.
”

“
I won
’
t sir?
”

“
No. It
’
s a big desert. You
’
ll never find them. What you will do is as I
’
ve already instructed.
”

“
Yes sir.
”

Now Von Brockhorst returned the salute.

“
Dismissed!
”
he said loudly to the rest of the camp.

The Germans relaxed. The P.O.W.
’
s began to disperse.

“
Captain Schwann.
”

“
Yes Herr General.
”

“
I need to use your telephone.
”

“
Yes of course Herr General. If I may
…
.
”
Schwann said opening the door for Von Brockhorst .

“
In private Captain,
”
Von Brockhorst said as Schwann tried to follow him in. Schwann had almost got the door shut.

“
Oh and Captain.
”

“
Herr General?
”

“
Perhaps you would be good enough to arrange some transport for me.
”

Schwann closed the door with a little click.

Von Brockhorst stepped around Schwann
’
s desk and sat slowly in the chair. He took his hat off and placed it neatly on the desk in front of him. He reached forward for the telephone, picked up the receiver and listened to the dial tone. Then very slowly he replaced the receiver. He thought about the morning
’
s events. His stolen aeroplane and the escaped prisoners.

Then he threw his head back and roared with laughter.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Life for the fighter pilots of 225 squadron was like any other day for the men stationed in Thelepte, Tunisia. They flew an average of six sorties a day attacking enemy vehicle convoys, enemy aircraft and sometimes shipping. Some times they flew early in the mornings, sometimes at night, sometimes alone. But for the men, thankfully, it was very rare that they didn
’
t come back. They hadn
’
t lost a plane for nearly a month, a comrade, a friend.

Currently they had no planes out. The pilots taking a well earned rest. They had been out today already.

Bill Smith and his squadron had encountered the small unarmed German Fiesler Storch that very morning and it was a very embarrassed Bill who
’
d had to explain to his C.O. that he
’
d observed it and then let it go. Standing before Wing Commander Kenneth Wigmore he didn
’
t tell him that he
’
d actually waved to it. Not that the C.O. would have taken much of a view on that but Bill would never live it down with his mates.

Four of them were sat at a rickety wooden table playing stud poker. Bill, his brother, Don Foster and Tommy Burke. The other two of their close circle were brewing tea in an old petrol can. They served up the tea. Bill thanked them and took a swig, it was hot and tasted strongly of petrol. No matter what they did to the tea you couldn
’
t get rid of the taste of the fuel. After a while you got used to it.

Bill grimaced and held the tin cup away from his lips, frowning at it.

“
Did you bother to wash the petrol can out first?
”

Tommy Hurst who had served the tea looked offended.

“
Of course we did. What do you think we
’
re trying to do, poison you?
”

“
It would be a good guess,
”
Bill said to the sniggering of the others.

The other tea brewer Jack Meadows looked up.

“
If you don
’
t like it mate make it yourself.
”

Bill looked at the others and took another swig.

“
It tastes absolutely wonderful,
”
he said swilling it around his teeth.

They all chuckled at his sarcasm.

Meadows held up the petrol can to pour the rest of the tea. It trickled from holes in the can. It was a known fact that fifty percent of the British fuel was lost in this way.

“
Now if only we could find ourselves a nice German
’
Jerry
’
can,
”
Meadows said
“
They don
’
t bloody leak.
”

“
Would the tea taste any better?
”
Don enquired.

“
It couldn
’
t taste any worse,
”
Bill replied.

Don picked the cards up and began shuffling.

“
Right if you
’
re ready,
”
he said with a cigarette clenched between his teeth.

“
Here I wouldn
’
t smoke near that tea if I were you,
”
Bill said.

“
Right mate you
’
ve bloody asked for it,
”
Meadows jumped to his feet and as Bill leaped from his chair Meadows chased him around the table, all the while laughing. The others got to their feet. Part of the game as well.

“
Run Bill run!
”
they shouted
“
Get him Don get him!
”

They chased each other until finally the table and chairs went over. Jack Meadows caught Bill Smith and rugby tackled him to the sand. They rolled around laughing and Bill grabbed hold of Jack
’
s head as Jack playfully punched Bill in the ribs. Finally exhausted jack rolled off and they both lay on their backs staring at the sky. Don and the others watching. For these men play time was all important. Don dropped his cigarette butt to the sand and buried it with his boot.

“
Now if you two ladies have finished playing ring-a-ring a roses perhaps we can play cards.
”

Jack and Bill turned their heads to him. Don showed them the pack of cards he
’
d been holding the whole time.

“
Seeing as you two knocked the table over you can set it up,
”
Don continued.

Bill and Jack turned to each other now.

“
I will if you will,
”
Jack said.

Bill got to his feet and held out a hand and pulled his friend up.

“
I need to do something to take my mind off that tea,
”
Bill said.

“
Hey watch it!
”
Jack bunched his fist under his friends nose.

Bill threw his arm around Jack
’
s shoulder.

“
Come on before he starts moaning,
”
he said quietly gesturing to Don who now had his back to them,
“
You know what he
’
s like with his poker.
”

“
Time
’
s a wasting,
”
Jack said quietly so only Bill could hear.

They both chuckled. Don turned round.

“
Come on you two. Time
’
s a wasting.
”

They quickly set the table back upright and positioned the seating. A lucky few actually got chairs, the others had to make do with a variety of items including empty ammunition boxes. Soon the six men were seated.

We
’
ll play seven card stud poker,
”
Don began shuffling the cards
“
No limits but please let
’
s keep it friendly ladies.
”

He struggled to shuffle the cards, they were an old pack, yellowed by the sun and age and sticky from so much use. Don finished his shuffling, took the top card and placed it on the bottom in case anyone had seen it and dealt. First each player received a card face down. Then he went round the table again. Another card face down each. Then the next four cards were dealt face up and then finally each player received their last card face down. Don put the remainder of the pack in the middle of the table.

“
Whoever has the highest hand goes first,
”
he said for the players who had not long been playing poker. Jimmy Smith, Bill
’
s brother was the least experienced player. For weeks he had watched the others playing, trying to pick it up, then finally Bill had persuaded him to play.

“
It
’
s the only way you
’
ll learn,
”
his older brother had said.

Now Jimmy was hooked. It was all he ever talked about.

“
Can you quickly tell me the hands again,
”
he asked.

Bill opened his mouth to speak but an irritated, impatient Don got in first.

“
High card, one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush.
”

“
Aces can be high or low?
”

“
Yes!
”

“
O.k. I was only asking.
”

“
You
’
ve got a pair of nines. What are you doing?
”

Jimmy looked at the agitated Don.

“
All right keep your hair on.
”

Some of the others were trying not to laugh. Don got so wound up over slow play.

“
He
’
s not been playing long,
”
Bill said defending his brother.

“
You
’
ve got a pair of nines,
”
Don said to Jimmy, ignoring Bill and the others who sat embarrassed into silence,
“
It
’
s you to go first.
”

Jimmy looked at all the other hands. No one else had a pair. He looked at his stake money. It wasn
’
t much. They hadn
’
t received any pay for weeks. He took two coins of small value and put them in the middle with the ante
’
s. Bill looked at his cards and folded. Don went once calling the bet. The two Tommy
’
s both folded. Jack went once, open, he
’
d looked at his cards. Jimmy looked at the growing pile of coins in the pot. He touched more coins, trying to decide what to do. He looked at his brother for help.

“
If I were you I
’
d look. They
’
ve both looked,
”
Bill said looking at jack who was watching the cards. Don was staring at Jimmy, a slight smug expression on his face. He was a master at bluffing. At calling other peoples bluff.

“
Look,
“
Bill continued
“
If you improve go. If not well it
’
s up to you.
”

Jimmy picked his three other cards up.

‘
A six and two Kings
’

Kings and nines!

He put the cards back down and pushed his coins in. Don jutted his chin out but his eyes were giving away nothing. He quickly pushed more coins in, trying to appear hasty to put Jimmy off. Jack shook his head and threw his cards in. Jimmy looked at his small, remaining, stake money. He was annoyed at his brother for advising him to go on improvement. Don obviously had him beat and Jimmy couldn
’
t afford to lose much. He reached for his cards to stack them.

“
Pay to see him,
”
Bill insisted.

“
What
’
s the point. He
’
s got more than me.
”

“
See him anyway.
”

Jimmy put the coins in.

“
I
’
ll call.
”