Play Dirty Page #2

- Have you signed your crew on yet?

- Yes.

- How many are you taking?

- Oh, seven, that's enough.

One more would get in the way.

Seven's my lucky number.

Eight is what you've got,

and I believe I'm in command.

Is our friend serious?

I'm sure he will work

very closely with you, Leech.

Naturally, I would be grateful

for any help I could get.

I see. Well, I've got a better idea.

Keep it at seven.

You go, I'll stay.

Then everybody's happy.

I've told Stores to kit you out.

I expect they're waiting for you.

- We'll talk more at dinner.

- Very well, sir.

Captain Leech, I want a full inspection

at 7:
00 tomorrow morning.

Everything laid out and ready to load.

Anything else you'd like?

No, I think that's all.

I'll see you at dinner, sir.

What's all this about?

Brigadier Blore's not very pleased

with our record.

He insists. We'll have to take him.

I'll take him.

If he doesn't come back alive,

we're out of business.

You're out of business.

You get well paid for these trips,

don't you, Leech?

Not really.

I'll give you a bonus if you get him back.

- How much?

- Dead, nothing.

Alive, 2,000.

You just bought yourself an Englishman.

Where did you find him?

One of my recruiting drives

at Rbida prison.

Tunisian named Sadok.

He threw a bomb into a caf,

shot a policeman,

and then at his trial, he leaned over

and punched the presiding official

on the nose.

He got 14 years. He's our demolition man.

Kostos Manov.

Smuggling arms and explosives

into Egypt.

They ran him in and I ran him out.

First class armorer.

Boudesh.

Nice chap.

Going a bit strong with an Egyptian girl.

Her brothers came down to invite him

to his wedding. He shot them.

Still a bachelor. Communications.

Kafkarides, a Cypriot.

His game was narcotics in a big way.

Shot a couple of customs men.

Transport and supplies.

Hassan and Assine, Sinusi Arab guides.

Are they always so friendly?

All they ask is keef and each other.

That's everybody.

Aren't you going to tell him

about me?

I thought you might like

to do that yourself, Captain Leech.

The black sheep of an otherwise

admirable family from County Dublin.

Most recent deployment,

master of a tramp steamer

running around the Red Sea.

Sank her for the insurance off Djibouti.

You ought to tell the crew, of course.

They're all drowned, all but one of them.

He told the insurance company.

I got 15 years.

When I met him in Rbida

prison, he was king of the damn place.

They hated to see him go,

but I needed him more than they did.

War is a criminal enterprise.

I fight it with criminals.

Not to worry, my dear fellow.

Leech knows the routine.

He'll get you out and he'll get you back.

Won't you, Leech?

If he's lucky.

Will I be lucky?

That's up to you, and him, of course.

Very Italian.

Yeah.

Nice morning for a drive, Captain.

I ordered an inspection

for 7:
00 this morning.

I did it for you. All over.

Let's go.

Anything wrong?

Good luck.

And keep in touch.

Let's go!

This is as far as we can go, sir.

The Germans have a few patrols

going south of here.

Thank you, Corporal.

Here we go to the right.

I said we go right.

That road was mined by the Italians

a week ago.

They don't put it all on the map.

Take another left.

Splendid, Major Watkins. Good luck.

Thank you, sir.

Carry on, Lieutenant.

Mount vehicles!

Bara'sa.

- What does that mean?

- They're Bara'sa. Could be dangerous.

Depends who's paying them.

Six men, six camels.

No lead camel.

They're an advance party.

The others could arrive any minute.

Hassan's going to spot them.

- We've got to have water.

- Exactly.

We're Italians, aren't we?

Why don't we trade?

You asking me or telling me?

I'm asking you.

There's an advance party

of Bara'sa at the oasis.

We're an Italian patrol who need

food and water. Let's go to market.

Everybody else, parli Italiano.

And tune into an Italian radio station.

- I think we chose the right uniform.

- Don't be too sure.

If they offer you tea, drink it.

If they offer you food, eat it.

- What did you do that for?

- I didn't like the tea.

See if there's anything we need

in the packs.

Are you out of your mind?

If anybody's going to get killed here,

I give the order.

- Is that clear?

- Somebody gave the show away.

- Who?

- You did.

If you'd stayed at home,

they'd still be alive.

Well, I didn't stay at home.

And I'm not leaving.

It's a German radio.

Every patrol in the south would have been

on to us five hours after we left them.

Destroy it.

Fifty more Bara'sa coming.

They're miles away.

They won't be here till nightfall.

We can't go that way.

We're not going back.

Then there's only one other way

we can go.

Is there a pass?

Not for 120 miles, right down to Siwah.

Let's have a look.

All aboard!

Aren't they going to bury them?

We'll have to go back.

- How long are these cables?

- About 250 feet each.

That'll never work.

Are we carrying any string?

Yeah.

Get it.

Lead on.

We need 327 feet.

Sadok, shackle those cables together.

- Are you strong?

- Yes.

Then get the end of that cable

to the top of that cliff.

- Aren't you coming up?

- No.

Kafkarides, sand channels, pulleys

and tow chain.

Unload those trucks!

Take that down

and shackle it to the other truck.

Yes, Captain.

Hold it!

Kostos Manov.

- He says unload.

- Take it up.

Are they ready?

Yes.

Take it away.

Is that truck loaded?

Foolish!

Cable's going!

Get down!

Radio's gone. No more music.

I ordered you to unload.

Yes.

Salvage what you can.

We spend the night at the top of the cliffs.

Murdering bastards.

Masters' men. Who else?

Now every Arab for 200 miles

knows there are British patrols

in the Qattara Depression.

Do you think we should

change our course, sir?

Impossible.

This is the only track out of the Qattara.

We got to keep going south

until we get to Siwah Pass.

Very good, sir.

- Lieutenant.

- Sir.

Get these corpses buried.

They're beginning to stink.

Certainly, sir.

Get these corpses buried!

Germans.

Come.

Our business is blowing fuel dumps.

You play dirty, Captain Leech.

The way to survive here is to watch,

listen and say nothing.

I play safe.

Good. Get the men.

Bury them.

Bury them!

I think he means it.

You'd have killed one of us, maybe two,

you'd have been the third.

- I know.

- That wasn't very clever.

You want to forget the noble sentiments

if you want to live.

I'll manage.

Funny thing, survival.

We've only covered 80 kilometers

in the last two-and-a-half days.

Quite good going.

At this rate, the war will be over

before we get there.

Don't worry, you'll get your medal.

Why don't you say something?

What?

I said why don't you say something?

Why don't you talk, like a human being?

Because I want to survive here,

I watch, I listen and I say nothing.

In any case, Captain Leech,

I don't trust you,

and I really don't want to know you.

- All right.

- Tell me something.

- How did the other English officers die?

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