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

A Crucible

By Suzie2b

Tully was working on the jeep's spark plugs and cables while Moffitt was on the radio with Troy explaining why they were going to be late getting to the rendezvous point. Suddenly, an armored German column came into view and they knew they were in trouble. This was more than a simple scouting patrol. A tank, two armored cars, and various halftracks with mortar launchers and machine guns – this column looked to be used for seek and destroy missions. And there was nowhere to hide.

Moffitt had just enough time to tell Troy where they were before a mortar shell hit the desert floor nearby, throwing up shrapnel and debris. Then another hit as they took cover next to the jeep, again missing them. It was as if the Germans weren't really trying to hit them as much as pin them down.

Tully started to climb into the jeep to man the 50, but Moffitt pulled him back down and shook his head. He knew their 50 caliber was no match against the heavy armor of the German patrol.

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When Troy and Hitch rolled up, they found Moffitt nursing a headache and trying to get the jeep running. Troy thought he looked like he was about to pass out and had him sit in the jeep. "Hitch, finish fixing the jeep. What happened, Moffitt? Where's Tully?"

Moffitt rubbed the back of his neck. "It was a heavily armored column. We didn't stand a chance against them. They took Tully with them, then knocked me out before they left."

"They just took him?"

Moffitt nodded slowly. "He didn't go easily, I assure you."

Troy's frown deepened as he handed Moffitt a canteen. "Why would they take Tully and leave you behind?"

Moffitt took a swallow of water, then said, "I've been thinking about that ever since I came to. I heard the commander of the column say that Tully would be a perfect subject for Dr. Huber."

"Who's Dr. Huber?"

"I only know him by name. I read a report that Dr. Huber was developing a device that could be implanted in a body and tracked. If such a device were implanted in a prisoner and he was released, or allowed to escape, without knowing it was inside him, he could be followed. Apparently the problem's been keeping the body from rejecting the device."

Troy said, "Any idea where this doctor might be?"

"Well, when I read about his latest experiments, he was reportedly in Berlin. But from what I was getting from what the commander was saying to his second in command, he must be here. Close enough for them to take Tully to him."

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When Tully started to wake up from a drugged sleep, he was careful to keep his eyes closed. He listened to his surroundings and eventually heard two quiet voices – a man and a woman. They were speaking in German.

Tully moved his arms slowly and carefully only to discover he was handcuffed to a bed when they clanked softly against the metal bedframe. He heard footsteps and a voice next to him said, "You may as well open your eyes, private. We know you are awake." Tully opened his eyes and blinked painfully at the bright overhead light. "I am Dr. Huber." He indicated the woman on the other side of the bed. "This is Nurse Keller. She does not speak English."

The doctor pressed on Tully's side and watched his reaction. Tully squeezed his eyes closed and gritted his teeth against the pain. When the hand was removed he panted, "What did you … do to me?"

Dr. Huber lied, "You were injured when you were brought in. I had to do a bit of surgery. You are young, strong, and healthy. You should heal just fine."

"I don't remember getting any injury."

"I am not surprised. I was told it occurred when you were struggling in the vehicle. You had to be knocked unconscious and you fell, causing minor internal bleeding."

Tully decided to believe that story for the time being. He did know that he'd been knocked out during the struggle. "Where's my partner?"

The doctor replied, "You were the only one brought to me. If your partner was captured with you, he was taken elsewhere." He looked at Nurse Keller and said, "Sedieren ihn." Dr. Huber looked down at Tully one last time. "You need to rest." Then he turned and walked away.

Nurse Keller took a prepared syringe from a pocket of her apron. As the liquid was injected, Tully faded into oblivion.

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After Hitch got the jeep going and Troy was sure that Moffitt was going to be all right, they decided to follow the tracks left by the armored column.

They followed them for nearly an hour before the shifting sand had obliterated them. Hitch pulled his jeep up next to the one Troy was driving with Moffitt beside him and asked, "What're we going to do now, sarge?"

Troy sighed. "Head back to base."

"What! We can't just leave Tully…"

Moffitt interrupted, "We aren't leaving Tully anywhere, Hitch. But we can't just wander around blindly hoping to find where he's been taken."

Troy said, "We'll check in with Captain Boggs and get the charts we need to figure this out, Hitch. Don't worry."

Back at base, Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch reported to the captain, who sent his aide for detailed charts of the area surrounding where Moffitt and Tully had been attacked.

After consulting the charts, Captain Boggs gave orders to send out spotter planes to search for any signs of that armored column.

Finally, Moffitt asked the question they'd all been avoiding. "Where's Charley?"

Boggs said, "Out on a mission. There's no point in her knowing about this before she gets back."

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Captain Dietrich was in his office going through some of the endless paperwork on his desk when a corporal brought him a report that said one of the Rat Patrol had been taken prisoner. The report stated that the American private had been taken to Colonel Lange's stronghold. Dietrich stared at the report, knowing that the infamous Dr. Huber was there working.

The captain had read about the doctor's past and present experiments. All of which caused loss of life to both prisoners of war and German volunteers. Dietrich despised what Huber was doing, but dared not voice his opinions. It was believed by many in the German High Command that what the doctor was doing was for the good of the Third Reich, if they were to win the war.

Captain Dietrich looked up at the corporal and said, "Habe meine Treiber bringen meine Personal Auto um. Ich werde zahlen Oberst Lange einen Besuch."

Several hours later, the captain's driver dropped him in front of the building where Colonel Lange's office was. Dietrich told the driver to go back to base and wait to be called when the captain was ready to leave.

When the colonel's aide announced that Captain Dietrich wished to speak to him, Lange was surprised, but had the captain ushered in.

As Dietrich sat in the offered chair, he said, "I received a report this morning that a member of the desert Rat Patrol was brought here as a prisoner, sir."

Colonel Lange picked up a report and grinned. "Ahh, yes. His identification says he is Private Tully Pettigrew. Hmm, an odd name I must say." He looked at the captain. "For what reason are you making this inquiry?"

"Was he the only one brought in, sir?"

"Yes, but according to this report there was another person with him … a sergeant. However, he was left behind."

Captain Dietrich frowned. "May I ask why he was left behind?"

Colonel Lange dropped the report on the desk and shrugged. "It was a request from Dr. Huber. He needed only one test subject and insisted any others be left behind. He is an odd sort, but I rather like him. However, if my men had known these two were part of the patrol you mentioned, they would have both been brought before me instead of the doctor. I know there is a bounty for their capture. I would have enjoyed interrogating them."

"I have been tasked with, and it is my duty, to continue my quest to capture the commandos that are costing our army so much in fuel and ammunition … among other things. I would like to take the private back to my base for questioning, sir, if it is possible."

"I understand your desire to rid us of these pests. However, Dr. Huber has already began his experiment. But, I will talk to the doctor and see if he will allow you your questions. For now, please feel free to ask my aide if you need anything while you are here."

Knowing that he was being dismissed, Captain Dietrich stood and saluted the colonel. "Thank you, sir."

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When Tully again opened his eyes, he quickly realized once more, his nightmare hadn't been a dream. He was still handcuffed to a bed and his side still hurt, even worse than previously. Tully had been given nothing for the growing pain and the only thing that gave him relief was the strong sedatives that Nurse Keller gave him after each visit from the doctor every four to six hours. And since he was awake, Tully knew the doctor would be along shortly.

Soon the door opened and Nurse Keller entered, but the doctor wasn't the one with her. Tully looked at him in surprise. "Captain Dietrich?"

The nurse helped Tully with a drink of water before the captain said, "Ich möchte die Frage der Gefangenen allein Bitte." Nurse Keller began to argue, but Dietrich cut her off, "Dieser Mann ist mit Handschellen gefesselt auf dem Bett. Es ist ja nicht so, dass er entkommen kann."

With a look of displeasure the nurse left the room.

Tully said, "To what do I owe this visit, sir?"

The captain moved close to the bed and said quietly, "I am here to rescue you, private."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Do you know why you are here?"

Tully looked at the captain suspiciously. "The doctor told me I was brought in injured and he had to operate to fix me up … but I don't think he did a very good job. Since I was knocked out before I got here, I could only take his word for it."

Captain Dietrich said, "I can guarantee that you did not come by your injury before you arrived here, private. Dr. Huber is a rather evil man who likes to experiment on the living to bring death to others."

Tully thought for moment, then said, "How would he be 'experimenting' on me?"

"He has implanted a tracking devise in you."

A look of horror crossed Tully's pale face as he tensed against the cuffs. "He did what?"

The Captain quickly put his hand over Tully's mouth. "Shh, we don't need anyone to come in to check on you." He removed his hand and continued, "Listen carefully. Now that I know where you are I am going to contact Sergeant Troy and arrange a meeting. I will be back for you as soon as I have that information."

"Why are you helping me, sir?"

"Because no one should be treated as a guinea pig, private. Not for these purposes anyway. I could just take you back to my base and have the devise removed, but Colonel Lange would only come after you and it would start all over again for you until you died of infection or execution. And it would be the beginning of problems for me. Hopefully this will soon be all over for both of us."

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There was a knock on Captain Boggs door and his aide, Corporal Green, stepped in with a note stating there was a Captain Dietrich on the radio demanding to speak with Sergeant Troy.

Boggs went to the radio that was in his office and tuned to the frequency given. Troy took the microphone and said, "This is Sergeant Troy, captain. Over."

Dietrich said, "Sergeant, I know what has happened to your Private Pettigrew. I am willing to bring him to you if you are willing to trust me. Over."

"Why should we trust you, captain?"

"It is a long story, sergeant. Suffice it to say that even if you are able to find where he is being held, you will never be able to get to him in time. I have map coordinates for a meeting place if you are willing to do this. Over."

Troy looked at Captain Boggs, then at Moffitt and Hitch. The captain said, "I'm going to leave this up to you, sergeant. Handle it as you see fit."

After a moment's thought, Troy said, "All right, captain. What are the coordinates?"

Dietrich said, "23.416203/25.662830. There are ruins there. I will meet you at 0430 hours tonight. You will need to bring a surgeon, but no one else other than your other two men. Do you understand, sergeant?"

"Yes, captain, I understand."

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It was nearly 12:30am when Captain Dietrich left the room he'd been provided with and out of the building. He slipped past the guards and entered the hospital through a back door. He walked quickly down one corridor and up another until he came to the room he had been in before.

The captain opened the door silently and peered inside before stepping into the dimly lit room. Nurse Keller was sleeping on a cot against one wall. He quietly opened cabinets until he found what he was looking for and filled a syringe. Nurse Keller barely let out a squeak when the injection was given and would sleep for many hours.

Dietrich found keys in the nurse's apron and proceeded to unlock the handcuffs on Tully. "Wake up, Private. Time is of the essence." He opened his eyes groggily. "When did she last sedate you?"

Tully blinked. "Not sure. Couple hours ago maybe."

The captain checked a cupboard and found Tully's clothes. He helped the private off the bed and steadied him as he helped him get dressed. Tully gritted his teeth with every movement and Dietrich said, "I'm sorry for the pain, but we cannot waste time."

Tully nodded. "I'm fine. Let's just get out of here."

With Captain Dietrich carrying a blanket and supporting much of Tully's weight, they made their way out of the building the way the captain had entered. He left Tully in a dark corner and whispered, "Don't move. I'll be right back."

He crossed the street and checked two staff cars that were conveniently parked nearby. Luckily the keys were in one of them and Dietrich drove back for Tully. However, by the time he returned, a guard had found the private and was ordering him to stand up, which wasn't an easy task for the sick young man at that moment.

Captain Dietrich pulled up, got out of the car, and said, "Was haben sie dort erhielt, Soldat?"

The guard started to reply without taking his eyes off his prisoner, "Ich habe ihn gefunden..."

The captain knocked him out with the butt of his luger. He hid the body before he grabbed Tully, pulled him up, and got him into the backseat of the car. Dietrich handed him the blanket and whispered, "Cover yourself and stay very quiet."

At the gate, Captain Dietrich told the guard there was an emergency back at his base and he needed to return there immediately.

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At 0415 hours, a jeep followed by an ambulance pulled up to the ruins at the coordinates Dietrich had given them. It was a moonless night, very dark and very quiet.

Moffitt got out of the ambulance he had driven with the surgeon on the passenger's side and looked around. "Don't see any sign of Dietrich yet."

Troy looked at his watch. "We're early. There's still fifteen minutes. Hitch, keep your eyes open. The captain will probably come from the south."

He got into the back of the jeep. "Right, sarge."

Troy sighed impatiently. "Moffitt, why don't you help the doctor get setup to take care of Tully. Don't use the lantern yet, though. The less light the better for the time being."

At 0426 hours, Hitch called, "I see lights coming this way!"

Sure enough, two dots of light could be seen and soon they could hear the engine of the staff car as it got closer.

When Captain Dietrich stopped the car, he looked out of the opened window and said, "Good morning, gentlemen. I have a delivery for you in the back." Troy yanked open the back door and found a half conscious Tully laying on the seat. "Unfortunately, the ride was a bit rough on him, since I didn't think it safe to use the main road."

Tully groaned as Troy and Moffitt eased him out. Troy asked, "How's it going, Tully?"

The private managed a wane smile. "It's goin', sarge."

They got him into the ambulance where the doctor was waiting. "Sergeant Moffitt, please light that lantern now." He glanced at the captain as he opened Tully's jacket. "What exactly is wrong with him?"

Captain Dietrich said, "A tracking device has been implanted. You need to remove it before you leave here or risk Colonel Lange following you."

The doctor removed the bandage and examined the wound. "How long ago was this done to him?"

"I am unsure." The captain looked at Troy. "How long has it been since his capture?"

The sergeant replied, "Almost three days."

The doctor gently probed the angry red area around the incision as Tully did his best to stay still and quiet. "There's infection … fever. His body is no doubt trying to reject the device. Sergeant Moffitt, can you administer the ether, please?"

As Moffitt placed the mask over Tully's nose and mouth, he smiled and said, "Nice to have you back, Tully."

He grabbed the sergeant's arm. "You're all right? I saw you go down…"

"They gave me a bit of a bump on the head, but I'm fine. Just relax now."

Moffitt carefully started to drip ether onto the mask, and he soon saw Tully's eyes close and felt his grip loosen on his arm.

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Later that morning, after Dr. Huber discovered his drugged nurse and missing test subject, Colonel Lange and his men rolled up to the ruins. There was no sign of anyone being there, but the persistent beeping of the monitor told them the tracking device was nearby.

The colonel sent his men to search the area and they soon found what they were looking for on the floor inside the ruins.

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At the hospital in Ras Tanura, Tully was healing under the doctors' care and Charley's supervision. After three days of nothing but IV fluids and antibiotics, the infection was clearing up nicely and his fever was going down steadily. He was started on a liquid diet on day four.

As Tully lay propped up with pillows, he slowly sipped the broth that Charley had brought him. "Never thought I'd enjoy drinking this stuff again. But it does taste good."

Charley tucked the blanket in around his legs and sat down next to him. She smiled. "John made it special just for you."

"Who's John?"

"Cookie finally told me his real name. John Alexander."

Tully smiled tiredly. "And he made me chicken broth?"

Charley nodded. "Yep. Out of real chicken, not the stuff the military puts in cans and calls chicken."

Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch walked in and Moffitt said with a smile, "You're beginning to look a bit more like your old self, Tully."

"Still tired most of time, but I am starting to feel better."

Hitch smiled at Charley and said, "Troy and Moffitt want to talk to Tully. Why don't you and I go for a walk?"

Charley stood up and looked down at her husband. "Think you can do without me for a little bit?"

Tully smiled. "No, but I'll do my best." They kissed and as she started to walk out with Hitch, he said, "Just remember, she's my wife and you have to bring her back."

Troy sat down on the chair Charley had vacated. "Thought you might want to know that our spotters found Colonel Lange's stronghold. There was an airstrike ordered. He's dead along with his second in command and most of his men. The heavy armor he was using was mostly destroyed, too."

"What about Dr. Huber?"

Moffitt said, "His body hasn't been found yet. So we can't be sure."

Tully took a sip of his broth. "That doctor was one sick character. Who thinks up stuff like implanting tracking devices in people?"

"Unfortunately, there are quite a few just like him in the world."

"Hey, what about Captain Dietrich? Did he get back to his base all right?"

Troy smiled. "As a matter of fact, Moffitt and I spoke to him yesterday."

Tully looked surprised. "You're kidding?"

"Nope. He called on the radio and we set up a meeting."

"What did he want?"

Troy said, "He wanted to let us know that he's grateful for the airstrike. Dietrich didn't seem to like Colonel Lange, Dr. Huber, or their way of doing things. He also asked about you."

Tully was amused. "Me?"

Moffitt smiled. "He seemed genuinely concerned about you. After all he went through to rescue you, he wanted to make sure you survived."

"Well, if that don't beat all. Who would've thought a German captain would care about what happened to an American private in the middle of a war? I am glad he didn't get caught though. He risked everything to save me."

Troy patted the private on the shoulder. "Well, don't get to worked up over it. I'm sure we'll all be back out there shooting at each other soon enough." Tully finished his broth and handed the mug to the sergeant, who could see him fighting to stay awake. "We'll get going know. Let you rest. We'll see you tomorrow."

Tully watched the sergeants walk away, then scooted down and laid his head back on the pillows. As he stared up at the ceiling, he thought about what could happen the next time he and Captain Dietrich saw each other. If they came face to face, would he be able to shoot the captain after he'd saved his life? Tully closed his eyes with a sigh. Time would tell.