Romance Sex Stories

by Carly Smesh

  "Petrol is no problem, I've arranged with the boss of the fuel depot, for a small fee. Water is another thing. It's only drinkable if you boil it first."

  "Okay" murmured Shaun, "We'll start tomorrow filling them. In the mean time we will set up a guard roster, we need to keep a low profile until the ship arrives."

  Over the next seven days the bowsers and jerry cans were filled with petrol and water. The water jerry cans were filled with water that had been boiled on a butane stove's Bobby had supplied, it also doubled as the means for making tea.

  In the meantime weapons were checked and loaded. Shaun had found his rifle case in the crates and withdrew it to check it out. The Cartwright .303 had been completely overhauled back at the Birmingham factory. A new heavier barrel which added to its weight had been fitted along with replacement breech parts. When he had retried it, he found no appreciate difference in its balance when he zeroed it in. He filled his grandfather's bandolier, carefully checking each bullet before placing it in the clip.

  From his frequent trips to the harbour master he found out at last, that the Iona Star was expected to dock in two days' time. The crates were repacked but the men retained their side arms hidden under their clothes.

  The Iona Star nosed into its berth in the late afternoon of the second day. After the Captain had gone through the Harbour procedure Shaun went on board.

  Captain Stavros welcomed him aboard in his cabin with a scotch, "Welcome abroad Major Ramage."

  Shaun smiled taking the drink, "Thankyou Captain Stavros."

  "We have the things you requested from Mr Silverman down in the hold. The small vehicles, Jeeps I think you call them will be loaded there. The larger vehicles and the petrol bowser will be placed on deck due to lack of space below deck."

  Shaun smiled, "That will be fine thank you Captain." Shaun knew keeping the petrol bowser on deck was a percussion against build-up of petrol vapours.

  Captain Stavros continued, "Your people who you trained joined us in the Canal. You will find them in the mess room or down in the hold."

  Shaun nodded, "How are things in Palestine Captain?"

  Stavros's face changed slightly, "Your friends below will tell you. From what they told me and what I have heard and seen, events are coming to a head. We noticed the build-up of Egyptian units on the Sini side of the Canal. Most are out of view but there is no mistaking the tracks the tanks make in the sand. The Jews will have a fight on their hands."

  Shaun left him to make his way below, he could hear the work of loading the ship as he moved along the corridors.

  When he opened the door to the mess room he saw Cookie and Bobby talking to the man he recognised from his time at the training camp, it was Stanley.

  Stanley was former SAS, he had fought alongside LRDG units in North Africa and later in Italy and Europe. On demob he had acquired the rank of Company Sargent Major along with the Military Cross. He had been the best of the trainees to pass from the training camp, quickly picking up the skills he had used in the war. Now at almost forty years of age he still maintained a military demeanour coming to attention as he spotted Shaun coming through the door.

  Shaun smiled to himself at Stanley's action. "Relax Stanley, welcome abroad. I see you have reacquainted with Cookie but may not have met Bobby before?"

  "No Sir, but Cookie made the introductions to Major Dole."

  Shaun smiled "As far as I know you don't have ranks in the Jewish army. So it's just Bobby and Shaun."

  It was Stanley's turn to smile. "Very well Shaun."

  "The Captain told me the items I requested are down in the hold?"

  Stanley nodded, "we brought them from Tel Vive, forty gallons of paint and ten camouflage nets. The other members are down there helping with the loading."

  Shaun nodded again, "Good, as soon as the ship gets underway we start painting the vehicles. U S army green is not appropriate for the desert. When that is done we can mount the weapons and radios and cut the camouflage nets to suite each vehicle."

  * * *

  The work began as soon as the ship left the harbour. With help of the 22 trainees the vehicles were painted as it rounded the Horn of Africa. The work began on mounting the weapons and radios. Bobby had two twin .50s mounted on each of the trucks in the centre of the flat bed for aircraft defence.

  In the meantime Shaun, Cookie, Bobby and Stanley held meeting in the mess room going over the maps Proff had supplied.

  "We will need to head south once we are unloaded," Stanley began, pointing to the route on the map. "When we meet the hills the track becomes much harder and the speed will drop. It's about sixty five miles from our unloading point to the hills across mainly desert, we must reach the hills before daylight. From there we pass between the villages of Hasna and Nekhel. There we begin to edge north until we reach the main camp. Its ten miles from the main Sini -Negev highway which the Egyptians will have to use in the event of an invasion."

  Later that night Bobby asked Stanley about the situation in Palestine regarding the deaths of British soldiers caught up in the fight to free Palestine.

  Stanley looked embarrassed, "Unfortunately some of my countrymen are more radical than most. The Haganah is the major party in freeing Palestine by negotiation with the UN and the British. Its military wing is the Palmach, which receives its orders from the Haganah council. Ari Silverman is on that council. But some groups, the Irgun and Lehi wanted a more direct approach against those who administered the rule in Palestine...the British."

  He smiled apologetically, "The Haganah have condemned them for their actions and refuse to help them with arms or information. Fortunately there are not that many members in their ranks. But atrocities have been carried out against the British and the Haganah have condemned them for it. The British by enlarge have had a difficult task trying to keep the peace between the Jews and Arabs, but as in all situations regarding people there are some with more extreme agendas than others."

  Bobby sadly nodded at Stanley's explanation.

  The following day after checking the deck cargo that all was fitted in place, radios, weapons, and navigation equipment. Work began on concealing them, tarpaulins and wood were used to break up the outlines of the vehicles giving them a boxlike appearance. Hydraulic Pumps, were stencilled onto the woodwork, all done to satisfy the cursory inspection of the guard boat that would lead them through the Canal.

  The Iona Star made its slow way up the Red Sea passing Jeddah on its starboard bow, as Shaun smoked a cigarette sat at the stern rail. He reviewed the situation in his mind. The Haganah was trying to stem the tide of the Arab incursions into the Jewish settlements in the Negev and Jerusalem. The Palmach were defending the supply routes to Jerusalem but at great cost in men and vehicles. The British were starting to withdraw from Palestine reducing their ability to maintain peace between both sides.

  So far he mused, there had been only firearms and homemade bombs used on both sides.

  Chapter 48

  The ship slowly nosed up to the unloading point. The moon cast a faint glow on the desert landscape as everyone on board held their breath. Then from the shore a red light was seen flashing on and off. Shaun relaxed from the tension that had built up. They had not been discovered, Captain Stavros quietly gave an order and the ship slowly came to a stop.

  The ship was secured to the shore, and the ship's derrick swung into action. Shaun could see from the bridge shadowy figures appearing on the shore getting ready to receive the first vehicle. He turned to Stavros, "I'd better get ashore so I'll say my goodbyes Captain."

  Stavros smiled sadly "God go with you Major and your men." They shook hands, then Shaun made his way to the deck of the ship.

  He gave an involuntary shiver feeling the cold of the desert night. Finding his kitbag mixed with those of the others he slipped on the Shernaghs scarf around his neck and his goggles, then put on the old RAF fur lined flight jacket, feeling the instant warmth of it. Clipping on the army belt with the holster that cont
ained his grandfather's 1911 Colt Automatic, his final act was to put on his Australian bush hat, satisfied he made his way to the ladder that led to the shore.

  On the shore he could see Stanley's men had everything in hand, already two of the trucks had been unloaded and moved away waiting for the bowsers to be unloaded. Bobby, Cookie and the four trainees stood to one side allowing Stanley to organise his men.

  Shaun glanced at his watch, they were on schedule. Bobby came over to him.

  "You can tell they have done this before," he chuckled. Shaun nodded, watching as a bowser was unloaded. In seconds a truck was reversed and the bowser hooked on and moved away. He saw Cookie examining the back of the Bedford truck that had brought Stanley and his men, and walked over to him.

  "I see they have improved on what we told them at the Crater boss," Cookie said.

  Hanging down from chassis of the Bedford were two heavy canvas strips about three feet wide with steel strips riveted to the canvas dragging on the ground.

  Shaun nodded, "They'll obscure the tyre tracks but kick up a hell of a lot of dust. Just as well we will be travelling at night."

  * * *

  After ninety minutes the Jeeps had all been unloaded and the convoy was formed up. The Iona Star had moved away, rebuilding the large packing cases, now empty on the decks. They were alone now.

  Bobby had cheeked that all the radios in the vehicles were all on the same net, their kitbags and bedrolls had been placed in the water bowser truck.

  They had discussed the setup of the convoy with Stanley. The four Jeeps would lead with the two trucks behind and the Bedford bringing up the rear.

  Stanley came up to them, "We are ready to move Shaun, and we have to get to our first point before daylight before the Egyptian's have their aircraft up."

  Shaun knew that the Egyptians had Spitfires and patrolled deeply into the Negev. "We're ready Stanley," he said climbing into the truck to join Bobby and Cookie. Stanley walked back to the lead Jeep.

  Shaun put the scarf around his face and adjusted the goggles on his face then settled down onto the bedrolls has the convoy moved off. He knew that they would only be doing about ten or fifteen miles an hour, and even this would drop to a crawl on some sections. Laying back on the bedrolls he contemplated the night sky awash with stars. The adrenaline slowly draining away from the tension that had gripped him during the unloading and he relaxed into a restless sleep.

  * * *

  Cookie woke him shaking his shoulder, he blinked regaining his senses.

  "Get this inside you Boss," he said handing over a mug of tea. The convoy had stopped and the first light of dawn was appearing in the east.

  Sitting up he looked around through the netting of a camouflage net. They appeared to be in a narrow valley vehicles were positioned on either side of it already covered with nets. Finishing his tea he jumped down from the truck, Cookie already had the Bengasi burner's working, "breakfast in twenty minutes Boss," he said. Shaun nodded stretching to free his body of the kinks.

  Seeing Bobby in conversation with Stanley in the front of the truck, he joined them.

  "Good sleep Shaun?" Bobby asked with a smile on his face.

  "Yes thanks," Shaun replied sheepishly.

  "Stanley says we made good time last night, but the going will get slower from here on," Bobby continued.

  They were interrupted by Cookie shouting "Grub up."

  "Have you had your breakfast yet Stanley?" Shaun asked Stanley.

  "Not yet," he replied.

  "Well you are welcome to join us, but it will be bacon and eggs I'm afraid." Shaun continued.

  Stanley smiled sheepishly, "After five years in the British army I'm afraid I've become a lapsed Jew regarding food."

  Shaun and Bobby chuckled, "There's going to be another for breakfast Cookie." Shaun shouted.

  After they had eaten, Shaun and Stanley walked along the ravine checking the displacement of the vehicles. They had been placed either side of the ravine in the shadows cast by the steepness of the sides. Each was concealed by a camouflage net which broke up the outline of each vehicle. Shaun could make out the men wrapped in their bedrolls already asleep from the labours of the previous night.

  "They had been on the go for over twenty four hours straight," Stanley explained.

  Shaun nodded as he continued.

  "I have lookouts placed on either side of the valley, they'll be relieved after two hours by the next lookouts," Stanley explained. Shaun nodded again.

  Stanley carried on, "We have a further three nights travel until we reach base camp. The last night will be the most dangerous, we head north to bring us closer to the Sini road. We have to pass between two villages which we suspect of having Egyptian sympathisers housed there."

  Shaun left Stanley pulling out his bedroll from his Jeep, thinking he too had been busy over the last twenty four hours.

  He pulled out his silver cigarette case and selected one before lighting it with his Zippo lighter. Drawing deeply on it he set off slowly back to the truck.

  * * *

  The next three nights they made their way slowly but carefully along the route Proff had mapped out. The last night their speed dropped down to only five miles an hour as they navigated between the two villages coming to a halt, finally in an outcrop of steep cliffs. It was still too dark for Shaun to make out the details of the place, but he was thankful to pull out his bedroll and get some sleep after the tension of the previous night.

  Cookie woke him with a steaming mug of tea, he drank it slowly getting his bearings of the location, whilst Cookie returned to the burner.

  They appeared to be in an old dry riverbed hat had been out of use for over a thousand years. The sides had been washed smooth by the river that had flowed through it but now it had crumbled in places. Some of Stanley's men were putting the finishing touches to the camouflage net the hung above him.

  Bobby crouched down beside him, "You slept deeply as well as I it seems," he said grinning.

  "Yeah, I must be getting old," Shaun replied sheepishly.

  "No, you are just out of practice like Cookie and I. I had a word with Stanley ten minutes ago, after we have eaten we are to meet him in the command post, he'll send someone over to guide us."

  Cookie handed him his plate and another to Bobby before taking his and settling down by the truck. "It looks fairly secure," he said glancing down the riverbed.

  "I had a quick look when I met Stanley. It's quite narrow so there is a lot of shadow cast down to hide the vehicles," Bobby murmured.

  "I can't remember Proff mentioning anything about it. But again he only surveyed the South side of the Sini. This is further north, closer to the Med and the main Sini road," Shaun replied.

  They were cleaning up their plates when Sol arrived to show them to the command post.

  In conversation with Sol as they walked, it seemed he had been here at the base for seven months. And it didn't look like he would get home soon.

  The command post was a large tarpaulin suspended on poles covering a deep recess at the base of the valley wall. Inside a four foot by eight foot sheet of ply wood suspended on trestles was covered in maps and sketches. Around the makeshift table three men stood, Shaun recognised his father-in-law immediately, Ari Silverman and Stanley. The third he had never seen before.

  A huge smile lit up Ari Silverman's face as he saw Shaun. "So how is my daughter and my grandson Shaun?"

  "Sharron was annoyed I wouldn't let her come, but David keeps her occupied, he's into everything now he's toddling."

  Ari chuckled, "Well let me introduce you to our third member, you already know Stanley. This is Professor David Wiseman, he's head of archaeology at Tel Aviv University, but also a very fine Cardiologist and has produced most of the maps you see on the table." Turning to Professor Wiseman Ari said, "David this is my son-in law, Major Shaun Ramage, the one at his side is Major Robert Dole and the other is Staff Sargent Stan Yates. Between them they know more about the type
of fighting we will encounter then anyone currently in Africa."

  Wiseman smiled and held out his hand to Shaun, "The name is David, Major."

  Shaun shook it replying "And ours is Shaun, Bobby and Cookie, David."

  "Well down to business," Ari Silverman said brusquely. "I think the best thing is for Stanley to bring you up to date with what's happening here, I'll bring you up to date with the situation regarding the UN after Stanley has finished."

  Stanley cleared his throat before beginning. "Including Shaun, Bobby and Cookie and the four trainees they brought with them, our total strength is 82. Of those eight are out scouting the road and the Egyptian base on this side of the canal.

  Vehicles, currently we have 7 Jeeps. Two are out at staging posts along the road. 2 support trucks, along with water and fuel bowsers and two Bedford 3 tonners for general duties.

  Thanks to David we have successfully managed to re-open the old Roman well and now have a reasonable supply of water. Rations, we have sufficient for two weeks and are expecting a resupply within the next six days.

  Regarding intelligence. We know at the present the Egyptian's have just over 800 troops on this side of the Canal with 2000 based close by on the other side. It would seem that billeting them is the reason for the numbers, having said that they are making progress in building new ones so the numbers are likely to increase. Currently they have 10 Sherman Tanks, 6 tracked troop carriers and 30 3 Ton trucks. They also have 3 Radio Detection vans and 10 or so jeeps and 15 cwt trucks.

  It's been reported that five European's seem to be quite possible having a major say in the organisation of the force facing us. Going on the description of their uniforms I would hazard a guess that they ex-Waffen SS, the senior man seems to have the insignia of a Sturmbanfuhrer which is the rank of Major in the British Army. We hope to get a photograph of them, but the problem is getting a camera into the site safely.