War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 246
In the depths of the desert, except for the two wounded Pierre and Trento who were still lying in the cargo compartment of the truck, the rest of the people, including the British prisoner Harry, were beside the truck, surrounding the sand pit Sitting in a circle with the constantly beating bonfire in the center, while a bottle of red wine was being passed around in everyone's hands, you talked with each other one by one. Wei Ran asked for information from Harry.

"We can't wait any longer"

Carlo waited for Wei Ran to finish repeating his question and answer about water with Harry, took the wine bottle in the former's hand, raised his neck and took a sip, and said first, "These red wines can't last for so many of us for too long. , we must find fresh water as soon as possible."

"It is really necessary to find fresh water as soon as possible." Panetto took the wine bottle and the topic, and also took a sip and said, "Only when fresh water is found, those pasta can be eaten."

"I have no opinion"

German reporter Pell ignored the Italian foodies around him, took a sip from the wine bottle, and then skipped over the captive Harry sitting on the other side of him, and handed the wine bottle similar to a microphone to Wei Ran and said, " Only by finding fresh water can we make that truck run, otherwise it is impossible to take so many people out of this ghostly place with only your three-wheeled motorcycle."

Wei Ran handed Harry the wine bottle with only the last two sips left, but he didn't intend to say anything.Excluding the two wounded who were basically unable to move, there were Germans, Italians, British, and an outsider in their circle.

To put it more bluntly, everyone's camp is different, and the situation they face is different, so there is no way to maintain a high degree of unity in their views on this war.Correspondingly, if there is no way to break the barriers between everyone, even in the face of the imminent matter of finding water, it is difficult to guarantee that everyone will not have small thoughts.

Especially the British prisoner Harry, does he know where there is water and put it aside first.But even if he knows, how can he ensure that he won't use tricks to kill everyone while looking for water?
Compared to the thoughtful Wei Ran, Panetone, who was sitting opposite him, couldn't wait to say, "In this case, we need to count the supplies first, and we also need to select people to find water."

"Wait first." Carlo waved his hand and looked at the German reporter Pell seriously. "Before we start, we must first reach a consensus."

"What consensus?" German journalist Pell asked, looking up.

Carlo was silent for a moment, and then said, "At least until we are rescued, there are no prisoners here, and there is no difference between Germans, Italians, or British. We must ensure enough equality and take care of all injured people."

Reporter Pell is obviously not a fool, he quickly understood Carlo's thoughts.After hesitating for a while, he took the initiative to extend his hand to the bewildered British prisoner Harry.

The latter subconsciously looked at Wei Ran, saw the latter nodded with a smile on his face, and shook hands with Pell hesitantly.

"We!" Wei Ran pointed to the people around him, and then "friend" came out of his mouth

"Friend! friend!" Harry immediately shook hands with everyone.

"Victor, tell Harry that I will go find water with him." Carlo shook hands with Harry and said, "Tell him, after we get out of the desert, we will send him to England."

"I can't say it," Wei Ran said helplessly, "It's too difficult for me."

"Uh..." Carlo pinched a chicken paw, and didn't know what to say for a while.

"Let me go with you." Wei Ran said, "Although I only know a few English words, I can barely communicate, and if there is an accident, three people are better than two."

"But Pierre and Trento also need you," Panettone said, "Carlo, I'll go with you."

"The two of them only need to change their dressings regularly. You can do this. I will teach you later."

Wei Ran pointed to the captive Harry as he spoke, "But communicating with him is not something I can teach."

"Just let Victor come with me"

Carlo made a decision, "Panetone, and Per, you need to take care of the people in the car and make sure they are alive before we come back with water. This is equally important."

Panettone and Pell looked at each other and nodded in agreement with Carlo's decision.

Carlo did not give them a chance to repent, stood up and said, "Now let's count the materials!"

Hearing this, Panettone was the first to stand up, while Wei Ran and the German reporter Pell looked at each other until the latter nodded imperceptibly, then the former stood up and will monitor Harry's work. Passed it over to the other party.

Under the leadership of Carlo, Wei Ran and Panetone counted the supplies they currently have.First of all, after filling up the three-wheeled motorcycle and that truck, they still have four barrels of gasoline totaling 80 liters and enough cans to feed everyone for at least half a month, and several boxes for a short period of time Red wine that can be used as water.

In addition, they also have five empty oil drums, one is exactly the same shape as the oil drum, only a 20-liter empty water drum with different paintwork and two medical boxes, as well as two tin drums for adding water to the truck and A piece of canvas that can be used as a tent.

In terms of weapons, apart from the 20mm Breda 35 anti-aircraft gun and the supporting ammunition, there are only three submachine guns, nine spare magazines, five grenades, and a P9 pistol belonging to reporter Pell, and A Webley revolver that originally belonged to a British prisoner Harry.

Although in the discussion just now, Carlo suggested that everyone get along with each other as equals, but even Carlo himself had no brains to assign a weapon to Harry. After all, they were only looking for water, not death.

After some discussion, Wei Ran and Carlo loaded a barrel of fuel on the three-wheeled motorcycle, a box of red wine for drinking water, all empty barrels and a tin bucket, and finally the piece of canvas that can be used to pitch a tent. A submachine gun and two spare magazines, and a box of canned food.

Before departure, Wei Ran instructed reporter Pell to change the medicines for Trento and Pierre in the cargo compartment of the truck, and the captive Harry who was about to go back together, and finally gave each of them a shot. After receiving penicillin, he carried a medical kit and led Harry into the cargo bed of the three-wheeled motorcycle.

"Every day at two and four o'clock in the morning, you use that anti-aircraft gun to shoot a tracer bomb, an incendiary bomb and a high-explosive bomb in the direction we left at the maximum elevation angle to guide us in the direction we are coming back." Before getting into the car, Carlo , while talking, checking the time on their respective watches with reporter Pell.

"What if the British are attracted?" Pell asked worriedly.

"If the British are attracted, we will have fresh water to drink." Panetone answered the question with a smile.

"Try not to engage in firefights with them"

Carlo pointed to Harry on the three-wheeled motorcycle beside him and said, "At that time, you can surrender first, and then bring the British to us. We will exchange you with Harry. This is so that both of us can get from here. The most sensible choice for surviving a war, right?"

The German reporter Pell exhaled heavily, and took out an expensive Robert camera from the satchel that he always carried with him, and suggested, "It is indeed the most sensible choice, Carlo, before you leave, let's take a picture Let's take a photo."

Hearing this, Carlo replied half-jokingly and half-seriously, "As long as you don't publish this photo enough to send us to a concentration camp in the newspaper."

Reporter Pell said with a smile, "Of course, haven't we put aside our respective identities for the time being?"

Carlo laughed loudly, "Then wait for Victor to come back, I suspect that guy is a woman, and he even wants to avoid us after shit."

"At least it won't smoke us, won't it?" Panettone leaned forward and said, "Those canned tuna are already disgusting enough, I don't want to accidentally step on shit while waiting for you."

While these people were teasing Wei Ran, they hid behind a sand dune not far away, took out the anti-tank from the metal book, and quickly emptied the magazine full of training ammunition. Sneaking away those high-velocity tungsten-core armor-piercing rounds while I was doing surgery on Trento.

Finally, an armor-piercing bullet was placed in the chamber and the matched muzzle brake was replaced. Wei Ran kicked a hole in the sand with his feet and buried the training bullets in it.Compared with pistols and rifles, the ammunition replenishment of this anti-tank gun is a big problem. Now that he has the opportunity, he can naturally replenish a little bit.

Putting away the anti-tank gun and the matching gun carriage, when Wei Ran walked back, the rest of the people, including the two wounded, were already sitting on the ammunition box next to the truck and waiting to take pictures.

"It's really a common problem of war correspondents to like to take pictures," Wei Ran muttered to himself, and honestly chose a corner seat and sat down.

Reporter Pell first pointed the camera at the crowd, adjusted the angle and aperture, then pulled down the selfie lever, then trotted and sat between Wei Ran and Carlo.

After the crisp shutter sound, it was time for Wei Ran and others to set off.After bidding farewell to the people who stayed behind and waiting, Carlo started the three-wheeled motorcycle and left their temporary camp under Harry's guidance.

Until the truck behind him was completely invisible in the night, Wei Ran touched Harry who was sitting beside him with his arm, and asked in a low voice in Italian, "Actually, you can speak Italian, right?"

In the night, Harry's eyes changed, and after a long silence, he put his mouth next to Wei Ran's ear, and asked in blunt Italian that was worse than Peer's, "How do you know?"

Confirming the guess in his heart, Wei Ran replied in a low voice, "Even if a British scout doesn't know Italian, in order to obtain information, he will at least learn a few basic sentences. But the most important thing is, what we just discussed You have been listening very seriously all the time. And when Carlo proposed to treat each other as equals, you were obviously relieved."

"I just don't want to be killed by that German." Harry sighed, and said in a low voice, "I don't even want to be tortured by him for information. Compared to you Italians, the Germans are simply lunatics."

　Thanks to Pula Xiaobu for rewarding 1500 points

　　Thank you Flying Hands for rewarding 500 points

　　Thank Xiao Xiaoen for rewarding 466 points

　　
　
(End of this chapter)