Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.

How Could They Just Disappear?

By Suzie2b

Sergeants Troy and Moffitt were sitting in Captain Boggs' office getting the details of their next mission. A two truck convoy loaded with influenza vaccine and aid supplies had been ambushed on their way to the village of Batna. The three Red Cross workers and one doctor had reportedly been captured while their military escorts had been executed.

Troy said, "Batna is only twenty or so miles behind enemy lines, captain. We aren't aware of any German installations in that area."

Captain Boggs went to the map hanging on a wall. He pointed to a spot and said, "This is where the ambush occurred." He pointed to another spot. "This is the closest installation we know of from where it happened."

Moffitt's brow furrowed. "But, captain, that's at least a hundred miles from where the Red Cross workers were captured. Surely there must be someplace closer."

"I agree, but our spotter planes haven't seen anything that looks like those Red Cross trucks. If there is an encampment it may be camouflaged or hidden well enough that we're not seeing it … and that's why I'm sending you out to find it."

Troy nodded. "Who among the aid workers was in charge?"

Boggs returned to his desk and shuffled through the paperwork. "Doctor and Mrs. Corbyn. The doctor is donating his services to help his wife and her team with the vaccinations."

"All right, sir. We'll do our best to find and bring them home."

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After joining Hitch and Tully in the motor pool, where they had been checking and stocking the jeeps, the Rat Patrol was on their way.

They stopped when they got to the site of the ambush. Checking the map Captain Boggs had supplied, Moffitt said, "This is where it happened." He looked at the spot on the map where the German installation was located. "I just don't see how they could've gotten through that much open desert without being spotted."

Troy sighed. "But where else could they go? There's no place out here that's any closer."

Tully looked at the hills in the distance. "Remember when you sent Hitch and me to check out those hills a couple months back?" Troy nodded. "We didn't find any German activity then, but there are caves all through that area."

Hitch nodded. "Yeah. What if the Germans have set themselves up in those caves? They'd be well out of sight and there's a couple that are big enough to hide the trucks in."

Moffitt said, "They've got a point, Troy. The German patrol that ambushed the convoy could have been a recon outfit. They could be using the caves to wait for a pick up."

Troy stared at the hills. "Makes sense. Let's find out."

Tully added, "But we'll have to go around and come in from behind. They'll see anything coming at 'em from this side."

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It was dark by the time they reached their destination. They hid the jeeps and hiked up into the hills, where Hitch and Tully led them to the best vantage point.

Moffitt said in a low voice, "You can just see light coming from deep inside that cave there. You'd never see it from the desert floor."

Tully whispered, "That one there goes pretty far back. Hitch and I walked probably a good mile before we came out on the other side."

Troy said, "So there's another way in."

Hitch replied, "Yeah, but it's a much smaller opening. It was a squeeze for me and Tully to get through."

"Okay, let's move in a little closer and check things out."

They carefully and quietly made their way towards the caves. The first was small and their flashlights proved it to be empty. The second was much larger and held the Red Cross trucks and several other vehicles.

Hitch and Tully followed Troy and Moffitt, keeping an eye out for sentries. However, it was a moonless night and hard to see anything more than vague silhouettes in the darkness.

As the two sergeants went into the cave to check the trucks, Tully saw a shadow move just before a flashlight came on. The German sentry immediately recognized Hitch and Tully as Americans and got off a shot as Tully pushed Hitch out of the way.

Troy and Moffitt heard the shot and ducked down out of sight. They got a glimpse of Tully as he fell to the ground. There was a lot of shouting then as more soldiers arrived on the scene. Hitch helped Tully up and supported most of his weight as they were taken away.

It was hard, but Troy and Moffitt stayed where they were and waited for things to quiet down.

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Hitch and Tully were taken into the cave where they'd seen the light coming from before. A German captain told his men to put them with the other prisoner. A simple cage made of wood and wire had been erected against one wall. The door was opened and Hitch took Tully inside.

Hitch lowered Tully to the ground and opened his bloodied shirt. He found one bullet wound low in Tully's right shoulder.

A woman who looked to be in her mid-fifties moved from a corner to help. She looked at the wound as she said in a quiet voice, "My name is Jane Corbyn." She put Hitch's palm over the wound. "Push down. The pressure will stop the bleeding." She looked at him. "What's your name?"

Hitch said, "I'm Mark. This is Tully. Isn't your husband a doctor?"

Mrs. Corbyn looked very sad as she tried to keep her tears at bay. "He was. They killed him yesterday as I watched."

"I'm sorry. Where are your other two aid workers?"

"They were taken out of here the day before yesterday … and never returned."

Tully groaned and tried to pull away from Hitch's hand. Hitch held him firmly and said, "Easy, Tully. We have to stop the bleeding."

"Feels like you're … pushin' on the bullet."

Mrs. Corbyn stood up and went to the door. "Please, captain, can you bring some medical supplies? This young man needs help."

The German captain stared at the woman, who stared back unwaveringly, then told one of his men, "Um eine medizinische Ausrüstung."

Assuming he was sending for a medical kit, she said, "Thank you, captain."

"Do not thank me yet, Frau Corbyn. I did not say I would let him or his friend live."

"I cannot believe that you would bother to take them prisoner if you intended to execute them. What would be the point?"

The captain turned his back to her and didn't answer. The medical kit was brought in and the captain said, "Entfernen Sie alle Drogen, das Skalpell und die Naht."

Mrs. Corbyn watched as the morphine, aspirin, sulfa, scalpel, and suture kit were removed from the bag before it was given to her. She said indignantly, "You can't be serious!"

The captain did not turn around when he said, "I am very serious, Frau Corbyn. Take the kit as it is, or not at all."

She took it and returned to Hitch and Tully. As she got down on her knees next to them, she said, "That man is insufferable!" She sighed. "All right, let's see what they left us with."

There was alcohol, a small retractor, small forceps, gauze, and bandage material.

Hitch moved his hand off Tully's wound and said, "The bleeding's stopped."

Mrs. Corbyn said, "I was a nurse before I joined the Red Cross full time. I can take the bullet out if you want, but…"

"But what?"

"Bad lighting, risk of infection … not to mention the pain."

"What if we leave it in until we get him to a hospital?"

Mrs. Corbyn shrugged. "It depends on whether or not we can keep the bleeding under control … and how close the bullet is to the lung. If it starts moving…"

Tully grimaced and said, "I've been through this before. I know what to expect. Just take it out."

Hitch nodded. Mrs. Corbyn prepared the retractor and forceps with alcohol.

Tully gritted his teeth and refused to cry out. He wasn't going to give the Germans any kind a satisfaction. Hitch held him to keep him from moving around too much as Tully pushed his heels against the rock floor and clung to Hitch's shirt with his left hand.

Mrs. Corbyn worked as quickly as she could and let out a sigh of relief when she finally felt the forceps touch the bullet. She extracted it and pressed gauze over the wound to stop the bleeding again.

Tully went limp and panted, "Feels … better … already."

The captain was standing outside their prison and said, "You are very skilled, Frau Corbyn."

"No thanks to you, captain."

He didn't turn as he said, "Um die Verwundeten."

Three of his men went in. One made Mrs. Corbyn and Hitch back away at gun point. The other two hauled Tully to his feet. He gritted his teeth, but didn't make a sound as they pulled on his injured arm.

Hitch started to take a step forward, but was stopped. "Where are you taking him?"

The captain replied, "It is time to have a little chat."

Mrs. Corbyn and Hitch could only watch as Tully was taken to the other side of the cave. They could see but not hear the captain say something and Tully shook his head. The captain then drew out his pistol and apparently repeated his question. Tully again shook his head and without hesitation the captain shot him through the left leg.

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Troy and Moffitt were making their way into the cave when they heard a shot and Tully's yell echo off the walls. Then they heard Hitch's angry voice. They looked at each other worriedly, but continued on. Soon they came to a bend and peered around it into the German camp. The first thing they saw was the captain, who had his back to them, and Tully on the ground holding his left leg. Then Troy spotted Hitch and pointed him out to Moffitt.

They went back outside. Moffitt said, "They must think that Tully and Hitch were working alone. They obviously have no idea that the guards out here have been incapacitated."

Troy nodded. "Yeah and I only saw one of the aid workers with Hitch. I counted ten soldiers and a captain. We need a way to draw the Germans out so we can get our people out of there."

After a moment's thought, Moffitt said, "I think I've got an idea, Troy. Let's go."

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Hitch grabbed wire in both hands as his friend went down. He yelled angrily, "No! He's a prisoner of war!"

The captain looked at Hitch, but said nothing. He turned back to Tully and said something Hitch couldn't hear. Tully shook his head. The captain was getting angry as he paced around Tully and demanded answers. Tully stared silently at the captain before saying something that obviously wasn't what the captain wanted to hear. Another shot rang out and another bullet went through Tully's left leg. This time he slipped into unconsciousness.

Then an explosion rocked the cavern. Bits of dirt and gravel showered down from the ceiling. The captain yelled at his men, "Finden Sie heraus, was passiert ist!"

All but two of the men ran to find out what was going on.

Outside, Troy and Moffitt waited at the cave's entrance, out of sight. They heard the Germans running towards them and as they exited the cave, Troy and Moffitt fired. None had a chance.

Troy and Moffitt cautiously went in and stayed low and close to the walls on either side. As they approached the bend again, a bullet ricocheted off the wall above Troy's head and another near Moffitt. Machine gun fire echoed deafeningly as the two Germans were cut down.

Slowly and carefully, Troy and Moffitt made their way around the bend and faced the captain, who had his pistol trained on Tully and said, "That is close enough. If you do not want to get this man killed you will drop your weapons."

Troy and Moffitt lowered their guns, but didn't drop them. "Your men are all dead, captain. We blew up the trucks and supplies. There's nothing left. If you kill my man, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. Then what would be accomplished?"

The captain looked down at Tully as he regained consciousness, then looked at Troy and Moffitt again. He knew it was over and dropped his gun. Tully grabbed it and, though he was a bit shaky, managed to hold it in his left hand as he pointed it at the captain.

Troy knelt next to Tully. "How're you doing?"

Tully didn't take his eyes off the captain. "I'm good. Go get Mrs. Corbyn and Hitch."

Moffitt went to the prison and located a key hanging from a nail in a nearby support beam. He unlocked the door and asked, "Are you two all right?"

Hitch nodded as he ushered Mrs. Corbyn out. "We're fine. Let's just get outta here."

"Go give Troy a hand with Tully and the captain."

Hitch hurried to his friends.

Moffitt looked at Mrs. Corbyn. "Are you sure you're all right?"

She sighed. "Yes, sergeant, I am physically unharmed. I'm afraid, though, that mentally and emotionally I will need some time to heal."

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Outside the sun was just starting to come up. Smoke billowed from the cave that had held the Red Cross trucks.

Mrs. Corbyn took a deep breath of the cool air as she and Troy walked towards the jeeps. "I suppose you didn't have a choice in blowing up the vaccine."

Troy smiled. "We didn't."

"Well, I suppose more vaccine can be sent."

"I mean … we didn't blow up the vaccine or the supplies."

As the jeeps came into sight, Mrs. Corbyn saw the boxes stacked neatly next between the two vehicles. "Oh my goodness. Thank you."

Moffitt and Hitch deposited Tully in the passenger seat of the jeep. Hitch was wrapping Tully's leg when Troy said, "Moffitt, take Tully and Mrs. Corbyn and go back to base. Send a truck to come pick up these supplies. Hitch and I will wait here."

Mrs. Corbyn said, "I would prefer to wait here, sergeant. If you don't mind. This was my project and I'd like to see it through as far as I can."

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Mrs. Corbyn sent word of what happened to the United States before going home to mourn the loss of her husband and fellow aid workers. Another team of Red Cross workers would take over the vaccinations.

The captain became a prisoner of war and was sent for interrogation.

Tully went through several hours of surgery, but he would recover. His shoulder wound was thoroughly cleaned. The two bullets went through his leg just above the knee, barely an inch apart, but managed to miss both bone and artery.

Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch were gathered around Tully's bunk not too long after surgery. His leg and shoulder were bandaged, a bottle of plasma dripped into his arm. He was barely awake from the anesthesia when he looked at them.

Troy asked, "How's it going?"

Tully sighed. "It's goin'."

"Good. Now go to sleep."

Tully's eyes slid shut and Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch left to get some rest of their own.