Bitter Victory Page #2

- That's not true.

I've never called him anything but Leith.

If you knew just how much I needed you.

And now, the first night you are here...

Stop it, David! You're hurting me!

- Not bad?

- I can't take me eyes off her.

Hey, Frenchie!

How do you say "chick" in Franais?

Boys, look at that.

That's a smasher.

I'm sorry, Jane.

If I didn't care so much, I wouldn't...

I can't help being jealous.

It's all right, David.

Let's go home.

- You want something?

- The General wants to see you.

Already?

I'm sorry, darling. I'll

be back as soon as possible.

- What is it, David?

- Can't tell you now.

- A little walk in the desert.

- You shouldn't joke about it, Leith.

- Especially when you're staying behind.

- I'm not so sure that I am.

Goodbye.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Mokrane.

I am very happy to see you,

sir. It has been long time.

- It will be very good to work with you again.

- Thank you, sir.

Very good, Mokrane. Very

lucky to have him with us.

- You seem to know him pretty well.

- Yes, I met him first about five years ago.

First time I went to

Libya, we worked together.

- Loyal?

- A friend.

- Michael?

- Sir.

- Start the briefing right away, will you?

- Very good, sir.

I want to see you two for a moment.

Gentlemen, I've decided

you're both indispensable.

So you're both going.

Maj. Brand will be in command, of course.

John Barton, who, in my opinion, is the

best young commando officer we've got...

will also be with you.

These are your orders.

I need not remind you that

you'll be entirely responsible...

for the lives of 30 men.

- They're all expendable.

- All of us?

We don't expect you to do

anything inhuman, of course.

But we need those documents from Benghazi.

We need them here, right away.

I understand, sir.

- All right, then.

- Thank you, sir.

Two planes will drop you in the desert...

three hours' march from German HQ, Benghazi.

Sgt. Evans of the Camel Corps

will meet you with your gear...

and you'll proceed to rendezvous.

At 2305, Maj. Brand will lead his attack.

At the same time, Mr. Barton will put in

his diversionary attack from the north.

Barton, will you show me on the model...

the point from which you'll make your attack?

From this direction, sir.

Good. Now remember, if

Maj. Brand is to succeed...

- you must hold out for 20 minutes.

- Yes, sir.

Now carry on.

After the two groups have

accomplished their missions...

they will rendezvous 24

hours later at Bir El Sidi.

They will then proceed to Crown City...

where Sgt. Evans will be waiting

with the camels to bring you back.

It will be a four days' ride.

Wilkins, tomorrow night at

2300 where exactly will you be?

Right here, sir.

Good.

Any questions?

What happens, sir, if

the camels don't arrive?

- We walk it.

- What, with my feet?

- You'll have to carry me on your back, sir.

- Anything else?

All right, fall out.

And get some rest. It may be a long journey.

- Good night, sir.

- Good night.

- Good night, David.

- Good night, sir.

Good night.

Sorry, fellows, you can't go out tonight.

These are my orders!

I've got a date tonight.

I've got to get out of here.

I'm sorry, fellows.

- Whose orders are they, then?

- Orders of Maj. Brand, Wilkins.

It seems our Maj. Brand

doesn't like me personally.

- He likes discipline, though.

- Yeah.

The only thing he ever slept

with is the book of rules.

- Maj. Brand, please.

- Who are you, please, ma'am?

I'm the book of rules.

- Is it true you're going?

- Yes.

When?

- In a few hours.

- How long will it last?

- The survivors should be back in a week.

- Survivors?

Your husband's still here.

I don't want to see him yet.

- Yeah?

- It's all so mixed up.

A year ago, I joined up to be with David.

What if he doesn't come back?

Then he and I and you will

become a part of history.

- Of its futility.

- Don't talk to me in riddles, Jimmy.

It's a long time since I was in Libya.

The Romans built wonderful

cities in Libya, you know.

Dead bones sticking out of the sand.

War rolled over them.

Be good to see them again.

You always seem to prefer stones to people.

- You learn things from stones.

- What?

All that people have forgotten

in the centuries, and...

I seem to remember that I

was less than a stone to you.

I loved you, Jimmy.

- Better go in. There isn't much time.

- What can I say to him?

Tell him all the things women

have said to their men...

before they go to the wars.

Tell him he's a hero.

Tell him he's a good man.

Tell him you'll be waiting

for him when he comes back.

Tell him he'll be making history.

Sgt. Evans, sir. Mr. Barton's

plane arrived an hour ago.

- Very well. Camels all right?

- Pretty healthy, sir.

We're relying on you, Sergeant.

They can't pick us up by plane.

If you're not at Crown

City with those camels...

Don't worry. We'll get you back all right.

- Here's your Arab clothing.

- Thank you, Sergeant.

Your gear and provisions, you

will find at map reference 278225.

That's at the head of the wadi, the

riverbed 27 kilometers due east of Benghazi.

All right.

- I'll have a man watching for you, sir.

- Thank you.

What are you waiting for?

Barton.

He's early.

No, sir. We're late.

Wilkie! Your baby!

Hello, there.

Give us a touch, lovely.

Hurry it up, Wilkins.

Can't rush it, sir. Skilled labour.

Lucky I'm not charging you overtime.

Here she comes.

Wilkie's won the war.

So crime doesn't pay?

All right. Start loading.

Assemble the others, Leith. I've got them.

All right, everybody out!

I'll wear your hat for you, mate.

Glad to see you, sir. Mr.

Barton left a few minutes ago.

He's just ahead at rendezvous.

- Was he all right?

- He seemed to be all right, sir.

With your permission,

sir, I'll rejoin my group.

- Thanks.

- Thank you, sir.

- I wanted to ask you something, Leith.

- Go ahead.

Why did you take over with the sentry?

I've been wondering when you'd ask me that.

You have? What was the matter?

- Couldn't you stand the tension?

- Couldn't you?

Is that what you're going

to tell at headquarters?

What?

That I failed?

What happened tonight

has nothing to do with me.

That's between you and you.

Are you insinuating that

I was afraid? I wasn't.

Stout fellow.

I was.

All right.

- Let's move on.

- Yeah, okay, sir.

Please yourself.

There's Barton.

Leave the documents.

Good work, Barton.

We got here a few minutes before you did.

Jerries didn't see us. We saw

them, so we opened up on them.

You know what the instructions were.

We'll have all the patrols

in the desert on our tails.

- We could have taken care of ourselves.

- I'm sure you could have...

but we got the radio truck

with our first grenade...

Personally, I think you lost your head.

Who's that?

You hang on there, Browning.

You'll be all right.

Just my horrible luck.

The man in charge of the

documents. Good work, Barton.

- Just the man to help you sort them out, sir.

- Our patrols will sort you out.

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