Up For Grabs by Max Hennessy

Author:Max Hennessy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2020-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

That night the RAF came. It was fairly well understood at the other side of the lines that the Italians were up to something, and with Zuq among the entry ports for their army’s supplies it was inevitable that the RAF should turn their attention to it.

As the bombs whistled down round the harbour, the fire brigade turned out as usual and, despite their frightened eyes and wild cries of alarm, they did sterling work. They had no sooner put out a fire near the harbour, however, than the fort was hit. A wall collapsed but, apart from two lorries which went up in flames, little other damage was done. Even as the fire brigade headed towards it, though, they were caught up by a dispatch rider with the information that a corner of the hospital had also been hit.

Scarlatti, the town major, had called out the troops and the place was surrounded by soldiers in trucks and cars, and a whole string of them started carrying out patients and equipment and laying them on the lawns. To aid the ancient fire appliances, the usual bucket chain was started from one of the ponds supplying water to the fountain but it was never sufficient and, as they struggled to douse the flames, other soldiers were putting up marquees to house the rescued patients.

While all this was going on, a stray salvo of bombs from one of the last aeroplanes over the town hit Scarlatti’s dump. The first bomb brought down the gatehouse and part of the fence. A second fell inside, bringing down a corner of the food store, another demolished part of the heavy tool store, and the last two removed the fence at the far side. Immediately, as the news shot around the town, every Arab and Italian who wasn’t afraid to be out in the bombing descended on the place to grab what he could.

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