Rhineland Inheritance by T. Davis Bunn Read Free Book Online

squad of prisoners and whip Connors’ pride and joy from here to Moscow.”
    â€œI sort of inherited the team,” Jake explained.
    â€œThen you dig up the first whiff of treasure—”
    â€œLike you said,” Servais said to Jake. “News travels fast in these parts.”
    â€œAnd then proceed to whip his goons a second time.”
    â€œIt came close to being the other way around,” Jake pointed out. “How did you hear about it?”
    â€œOne of my men was up at Badenburg and caught sight of the Ice Queen laying you two out in front of HQ. So did Colonel Beecham. Colonel Beecham ordered her to tell him what happened, as she wasn’t all that eager to have it spread around. My man overheard the story.” Major Hobbs grinned. “Man, I wish I’d been there to help you guys out.”
    â€œWe could have used it, sir.”
    â€œSkip the sirs, it’s just us turkeys here anyway. You know Connors is scouring the forces stationed around here, trying to dig out all the toughest guys?”
    â€œI guess that news missed us.”
    â€œYeah. He’s putting together a rough crew. Sort of his own private army. The other MP officers around here can’t stand him. They won’t allow Connors’ boys even to set foot into their territory. That’s why he agreed to play touch football with your team. Nobody else’ll touch them with a ten-foot pole.”
    â€œThey were big,” Jake said. “But they were dumb. It wasn’t that hard to out-think them on the field.”
    â€œSo I heard.” The major’s good cheer clouded over. “We’re hearing some rumors that they’ve worked over some people. Way outside the line of duty. Nothing proven. Just stuff passed down the road.”
    The idea burned a hole in his gut. “I thought the war was over.”
    â€œYeah, that’s what I heard too.” Major Hobbs’ gaze turned sharp. “I’ve even been wondering if there might not be more than bullies at work here.”
    â€œI don’t follow you.”
    The major focused on Servais. “You’ve been around here for a while, haven’t you, Captain?”
    â€œAlmost six months, sir. Since just after VE-day.”
    â€œHad you ever seen a roadblock at that point before?”
    Slowly Servais shook his head, knitting his brow inconcentration. “Now that you mention it, nossir. Nowhere near it.”
    â€œStrange place to set one up,” Major Hobbs went on. “Out in the middle of nowhere, forest around on every side, only traffic that time of night probably between the base and headquarters down the hill. Makes you wonder.”
    â€œDo you think they set up an ambush for us?”
    â€œYou said it, not me, soldier.” The major played at casual. “Just the same, I’d watch my step if I were you.”
    â€œThat’s exactly what Colonel Beecham told us.”
    â€œYeah, there’s no water on the colonel’s back. If he said something like that to me, I’d pay attention. Now, what was it I could do for you gents?”
    Jake explained his official mission. “We’d like to ask you to assign men to patrol the border as far as Wissembourg to the north and Rastatt to the south.”
    Major Hobbs stood and walked over to the large map on his side wall. After a moment’s inspection, he said, “We’re talking about a forty-mile stretch, give or take a dogtrot.”
    â€œThat’s about it, yessir.”
    â€œI guess I’ve got no problem with that.” The major came back and sat down. “I’ll have to run it by the brass, but I doubt they’ll object. There’s a lot of respect for Beecham around these parts. What are we supposed to be on the lookout for, anyway?”
    â€œDisplaced people, escaped POWs—”
    â€œGuys carrying sacks of treasure on their backs,” the major added.
    â€œDoes everybody know