Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.
Easier Said than Done
By Suzie2b
Tully was just leaving the barracks when he heard his name called. He turned and saw Private Carl Jensen walking quickly in his direction. "Hi Carl. What's up?"
He handed Tully an envelope. "Charley asked me to get this to you."
Tully took it. "Where is Charley?"
"Still in Benghazi. She said she was staying a few more days and asked me to deliver that to you."
"Okay. Thanks, Carl."
"Not a problem, Tully. See you later."
Carl walked away and Tully looked at the envelope in his hand. He opened it, unfolded the paper, and smiled at the neat script that was Charley's handwriting. It read:
"Dear Tully,
I know I was supposed to be back at base by now, but I found out that my dad is here in Benghazi for a few days. I realize we had plans, and I hope you'll forgive me, but I've gotten permission to stay here until the end of the week to visit.
Love you, Charley"
Tully sighed, then smiled as he thought, "She hasn't seen her father in a while. I'm glad she has this opportunity." He refolded the note and put it back in the envelope. As he put it in his pocket, he saw Hitch coming his way.
"Hey, Tully, glad I found you. Just got word that Captain Boggs wants to see us."
"What'd we do this time?"
Hitch grinned. "No clue. I thought we were doing a good job at behaving ourselves."
Tully chuckled. "Well, I guess we'd better go find out what's goin' on."
##################
Hitch and Tully were let into the office by the captain's aide. They saluted and Captain Boggs said, "At ease, men." Getting right to the point he continued, "Since Sergeants Troy and Moffitt are going to be in meetings for a few days, I have a mission for you." The captain saw the curiosity on the two men's faces and smiled slightly. "I don't want a repeat of two months ago. Though, for the most part, your pranks were entertaining it would be better if you stayed busy doing something a little more appropriate."
The two privates said in unison, "Yes, sir."
Captain Boggs said, "Private Pettigrew, by now I'm sure you know that Miss Williams is remaining in Benghazi to visit with her father for a few days."
Tully nodded. "Yes, sir. I received a note from her just a little bit ago."
"Good. I want you and Private Hitchcock to go to Benghazi and bring her back. By the time you get there it will be time for Colonel Williams to head back to France and he has requested you to give his daughter a ride back here."
Knowing that Tully would prefer some alone time with Charley, Hitch asked, "Excuse me, sir. Why do you need both of us to go?"
Captain Boggs replied, "There's been enemy activity reported along the route to Benghazi. You'll be safer as a pair." Hitch nodded. "All I ask is that you stay out of trouble."
"Yes, sir. When do you want us to leave?"
"As soon as possible, private. Dismissed."
##################
A day and a half later Hitch and Tully arrived in Benghazi. They had spotted one German scout column, but managed to get around it without incident.
Charley was waiting in the motor pool when they pulled in and greeted them with her usual, "Hi guys!"
Hitch grinned. "Hi, Charley. How was the visit?"
"It was great. I hadn't seen dad in months."
Tully hopped out of the jeep, put an arm around her and said, "Hi." Then gave her kiss. "Missed you."
Charley looked up at him and smiled. "Missed you too."
"Did the colonel leave already?"
"Yeah. His plane took off a couple hours ago."
Hitch watched his friends, then moved to the driver's seat. "I'll gas up the jeep and check the radiator."
Tully took Charley's things and put them in the back of the jeep. "Thanks, Hitch. Meet you in fifteen."
Hitch nodded with a smile.
Tully turned to Charley. "Want to walk?"
She took his hand. "Sure."
They didn't go far, but it gave Charley a chance to talk about her father when Tully asked how he was doing. "Dad's good. Looks tired, but then he's been going to a lot of strategy meetings lately. Late nights … sometimes all night. I think he's just waiting for the war to end so he can retire."
Tully nodded. "Well, he has been in the army for more than twenty years."
Charley sighed, "I don't remember him ever doing anything else."
##################
The end of the day found Hitch, Tully, and Charley hidden at a waterhole for the night. Charley heated up supper from the rations Hitch and Tully had brought and they settled down for the night.
It was nearly midnight and Hitch was on sentry duty when a shot rang out and narrowly missed his head before imbedding itself in the tree he'd been leaning against.
Tully was immediately up and moving. He grabbed Charley by the hand and they ran to the jeep for cover, where Tully told her, "Stay down!" He took the machine gun out of its holster, quickly located Hitch, and joined him behind the well. "How many?"
More bullets ricocheted off the stone well as Hitch replied, "I've seen two, but I'm sure there's more." He was angry at himself. "I can't believe I didn't see or hear them coming."
"They must've known we stopped here for the night. Probably followed us."
There was a sound behind them and both Hitch and Tully turned and fired at the two Germans that were trying to sneak up on them. However, as they killed those two, a half dozen more rushed in and surrounded them.
In broken English one of the Germans told Hitch and Tully to throw their weapons away. They did as they were told, knowing they didn't stand a chance if they fought, and slowly stood up. Then they heard Charley scream.
At gun point Hitch and Tully were taken to the jeep, where Charley was trying to fight off the German that was holding her around the waist and off the ground. Her arms were trapped at her sides, but she was flailing madly with her feet and kicked the soldier many times as she yelled, "Mich gehen lassen Du Sohn einer Hündin!" Another soldier tried to grab her legs and was kicked in the chin. "Serves you right! Let me go!"
The officer in charge said, "Sie ist nicht überall. Lassen Sie sie gehen."
Glad to be rid of her, the soldier let Charley go and pushed her away from him saying that she must be crazy. "Sie ist eine verrückte Frau!"
Charley turned and was seriously going to go after him when she was grabbed from behind. She tried to pull away, but stopped when she heard, "Charley, stop! It's Tully."
She stared at the German with contempt and spat, "Der Tag wird kommen ... nur abwarten und sehen!"
The soldier took a step back and eyed the small, angry female. He obviously had never encountered a woman like her before.
Tully loosened his grip and whispered, "Calm down. I think you've scared him enough."
Charley huffed, "You better believe it."
The officer in charge ordered his men to take the Americans to their halftracks. "Legen Sie in eines der Hälfte Spuren, sodass wir können loslegen."
They were marched a good half mile and loaded into one of two halftracks.
##################
Hitch, Tully, and Charley were taken to a German encampment hidden under camouflage netting some ten miles away. They were placed under guard in a small hut, obviously built for this very purpose.
Charley sighed as she sat down on one of the two cots. She didn't know if she wanted to cry or just be angry. She did know she felt exhausted.
Tully sat down next to her. "You all right? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No, I'm fine. Just tired I guess."
Hitch said, "I doubt we're going to be questioned tonight. Why don't you try to rest for a while?"
Tully stood up and Charley curled up on the cot. He took off his jacket and laid it over her.
##################
As the sun rose, the prisoners were awakened by a rattling sound as the door was unlocked. Hitch and Tully stood up as Charley swung her legs over the edge of the cot when the door opened.
Three guards walked in. Two stood on either side of the door as the third approached Charley. "Kommen Sie mit mir."
Tully put himself between Charley and the guard with Hitch beside him. He growled, "Don't even think about it."
The guard frowned and pointed at Charley. "Hauptmann Dietrich wollte mit ihr zu sprechen."
Hitch crossed his arms over his chest. "So this is Dietrich's camp?"
Tully stared at the guard. "It would appear so."
With his rifle the guard attempted to push Tully aside. When he didn't move, the guard pushed the weapon into Tully's ribs. Hitch stared hard at the German.
Charley stood up and went to Tully's side. "Stop! Werde ich mit euch gehen."
Tully glanced at her. "Charley…"
"No, Tully. I'll be all right." Charley looked at the guard. "Den Weg."
She walked ahead of him and he followed her out the door along with the other two guards.
Hitch saw the concerned look on his friend's face. "Charley will be okay, Tully. I don't think Dietrich will hurt her."
##################
The guard took Charley into the tent that Captain Dietrich was using as an office and stepped out to stand near the opening. The captain stood up as she entered. "Good morning, Miss Williams. I do hope you had a comfortable night." He nodded towards a chair. "Please, have a seat."
Charley noticed her satchel on the table with her pistol next to it as she sat down.
Dietrich sat down behind his makeshift desk and smiled. "You are not a nurse, are you, Miss Williams?" She remained silent. "You are, in fact, a courier … are you not?"
Charley looked him in the eye and said, "Williams, Charley. Volunteer. A-771188."
The captain chuckled. "So you are a volunteer. I am surprised that the Americans would allow a woman to be a courier out here."
"I didn't say I was a courier."
"We discovered who you really are after you nearly killed Colonel Franke in Khobar."
Charley glared at him as she said sarcastically, "Only 'nearly' killed him? I must be slipping. I usually do better than that."
Ignoring her comment, Dietrich put his hand on the satchel. "With the exception of a few personal items and the gun, I found no documents in your bag."
Charley eyed the bust of Hitler sitting on the corner of the table.
Dietrich stood up and walked around the table, picking up the bust as he went. "You obviously already dropped them off in Benghazi." He set the bust on a shelf on the other side of the tent. "I want to know what you delivered, Miss Williams."
Charley sighed. "I have no idea. The package was sealed and I wasn't told what was in it."
"I cannot bring myself to believe that." The captain returned to his chair. "Things will go much easier for you if you just give me the information I am asking for."
"I can't tell you what I don't know."
"Very well then. We will have to do this the hard way." Dietrich stood and called the guard in and told him, "Bringen Arzt Müller und die Droge."
Charley felt a sudden stab of fear. "Drug? What drug?"
##################
Sergeants Troy and Moffitt were finished with their meetings and were now in Captain Boggs' office.
The captain told them, "A jeep was found at a waterhole approximately half-way between Benghazi and here. The lieutenant in charge of the scout column thinks your men and Miss Williams were staying the night there and were captured by the Germans that have been in the area."
Troy asked, "Are they sure it's one of our jeeps, sir?"
Boggs nodded. "It was brought back here and the serial number matches. They also found two dead Germans buried close by."
Moffitt said worriedly, "We're done with our meetings, sir. Permission to go out and find Miss Williams and Privates Hitchcock and Pettigrew?"
"Permission granted, sergeant. I don't want to be the one to tell Colonel Williams that his daughter is missing again."
As Troy and Moffitt walked out of the headquarters building, they were met by Private Jensen. "Sergeant Troy … I heard about what happened."
"What exactly did you hear?"
"That Charley, Tully, and Hitch have gone missing."
Moffitt nodded. "I'm afraid it's true, Carl."
"You're going after them … right?"
Troy said, "Yeah, we're going after them."
Carl ran his fingers through his short hair. "Take me with you."
"I don't think so."
"Please, sarge. They're my friends and I want to help. I've already cleared it with Sergeant Davis."
As Troy eyed the big private, Moffitt said, "It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands on this one, Troy. It would be safer to take both jeeps."
Troy sighed. "Okay, Carl, you're in. But you do exactly what Moffitt and I tell you to do. Got it?"
Carl smiled. "Got it, sarge."
##################
Hours after Charley had been taken to Captain Dietrich, she was brought back on a stretcher. Hitch and Tully were held at bay by guards while she was moved to a cot. The two left with the stretcher and Dietrich walked in. "Good afternoon, gentlemen."
Tully demanded, "What did you do to her?"
The captain explained, "Miss Williams was not very forthcoming with the information I require." He looked down at her unconscious form. "She is a very strong willed young woman. Even with the use of Pentothal she told me nothing useful."
Hitch said angrily, "You drugged her?"
Dietrich nodded. "However, our doctor is not as familiar with the drug as he should be. He believes she's had a slight overdose and I have been assured that she will be fine as soon as she has had time to sleep it off. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable. You will be here for quite a while."
After the door closed behind the captain and the guards, Tully and Hitch rushed to Charley's side. Tully checked her over. "Her breathing's shallow and her pulse is slow."
Hitch noticed three needle marks in the crook of Charley's arm, just below where her sleeve had been rolled to. "I can't believe Dietrich did this."
Tully covered her with his jacket. "He must've found out that Charley's a courier and thinks she was carrying something important out of Benghazi."
"And when nothing was found on her … Dietrich must think she has it memorized."
Tully nodded. "Let's just hope that Troy and Moffitt are coming to get us outta here."
##################
With Troy and Moffitt in one jeep and Private Jensen following in the other, they drove out to the waterhole to start their search.
They found the graves the lieutenant had spoken of and it wasn't long before they discovered footprints in the sand. From there they followed them to where it was obvious that they were picked up by halftracks. Troy, Moffitt, and Jensen followed those tracks to their destination.
On a hill above the encampment they hid among the rocks and checked the area below. With binoculars Troy and Moffitt scanned for any signs of their missing people.
Troy said, "See that hut, Moffitt?"
He nodded. "Yes. Judging by the guards I'd bet there are two privates and a young lady in there."
Troy smiled slightly. "Let's find out." He turned to Jensen. "Moffitt and I will cause a diversion. You get to that hut and do whatever it takes to get them out. Understand?"
Carl nodded. "I got this, sarge."
##################
It was late in the day and still Charley lay unconscious. Tully sat on the floor, his back against the cot, holding her hand hoping for the slightest movement from her fingers.
Hitch stared out the barred opening that was the only window in their prison, trying desperately to think of a way out.
When the first grenade exploded inside a tent full of assorted explosive devises at the far side of the camp, it sent all the soldiers, with the exception of the two guards, running to find out what happened.
Tully joined Hitch at the window. "What's going on?"
There was a second explosion and they saw chunks of a halftrack fly through the air.
Hitch smiled. "I think Troy and Moffitt are here."
Then they heard a 50 caliber machine gun and knew without a doubt that their sergeants had arrived. There was a quick burst of machine gun fire outside their prison and the two guards fell to the ground dead. Hitch and Tully watched with surprise as Carl broke from his hiding place and ran for the hut. He quickly found a key and unlocked the door.
When he pushed open the door, Carl said, "Let's go! There's not much time!"
Tully picked Charley up in his arms and followed Carl and Hitch outside. Carl led them back the way he'd come. From the back of the jeep Troy saw them on the crest of the hill and let Moffitt know it was time to go.
By the time they met up, Tully was in the back of the jeep holding Charley, Hitch was getting in behind the wheel, and Carl was in the passenger seat. As Moffitt drove passed the second jeep, he and Troy saw that something was wrong with Charley, but there wasn't time to stop and check on her.
They got away without being followed. After nearly twenty miles, they stopped the jeeps.
Troy and Moffitt hurried to check on Charley as Troy asked, "What happened?"
Tully shifted her slightly and said, "Three shots of Pentothal. Captain Dietrich apparently found out that she's a courier and tried to get information out of her."
Moffitt checked her pulse. "Awfully slow."
"Her breathing is real shallow too."
Hitch added, "The captain told us she got an overdose of the drug."
Moffitt frowned. "We need to get her to a doctor as soon as possible."
Troy headed back to the jeep. "Okay, let's shake it!"
##################
It was touch and go, but Charley was going to recover. Tully sat next to her bed and held her hand through the night. No one dared try to get him to leave her side.
The next morning, Tully was dozing when he felt a slight pressure around his hand. He straightened in the chair and watched as Charley's fingers tightened again. "Charley, you need to wake up, sweetheart." No response. "Come on. Let me see those beautiful eyes."
Charley whispered groggily, "You really like my eyes?"
Tully kissed her lightly on the forehead when she opened them. "I love your eyes, Charley Williams."
##################
Tully stepped out into the sunlight and stretched. Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch walked up and asked how Charley was doing.
Tully grinned. "She's going to be fine. She's still sleeping it off, but the doctor says she'll be back to normal in a day or two."
Hitch breathed a sigh of relief. "She really had me scared for a while."
"You and me both."
Carl arrived and joined them. "How's Charley doing, Tully?"
"A lot better, Carl. She'll make a full recovery."
"Great to hear. I just wanted to stop by and check on her before I went to work."
Tully shook his hand. "I'll let her know you came by. And, Carl, thanks."
The big private blushed. "I like to take care of my friends, Tully. Don't forget that."
After Carl walked away, Troy said, "Moffitt and I gave all the details we had to Captain Boggs. He wants to see you and Hitch in his office at 1300 hours sharp. He said something about having told you two to stay out of trouble."
Hitch and Tully looked at each other and grinned. Hitch said, "Easier said than done, sarge."