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

Author's note: tullyfan thought this was a good idea, so I ran with it.

Cookies

By Suzie2b

Spotters had reported German activity in an area they'd been chased out of several weeks earlier. There had also been reports that the Germans had started using a new radio frequency. Captain Boggs had sent the Rat Patrol out to take a look around and listen for German chatter.

##################

It had been a long, hot day. They'd found a German camp of maybe one hundred men early that afternoon. They hid a few miles away and set up camp. Moffitt and Tully took turns monitoring the radio frequency Captain Boggs had given them. Troy and Hitch took turns on watch.

Moffitt smiled as he walked over to the jeep where Tully sat with his back against the radio and his legs over the side. The sergeant patted Tully on one knee to get his attention. The private opened his eyes and slid the headphones off his ears as Moffitt asked, "Hear anything exciting?"

Tully pulled his legs in and sat up. "A few scout columns coming and going, that's about it. I did hear Captain Dietrich's name mentioned though. He's going to take over for the current commander for some reason. Supposedly he's going to be here tomorrow around noon."

"Really … I thought you said you didn't hear anything important."

Tully smiled. "No, you asked if I heard anything exciting."

Moffitt chuckled. "All right. Go get yourself some supper and let Troy know about Dietrich. I'll take over here."

Tully dished up a plate of warm food as he said, "I heard that Captain Dietrich is going to get here tomorrow."

Troy blew cigarette smoke from his mouth and asked, "Any particular time?"

"They're expecting him around noon."

#################

The next morning Troy explained the plan he had thought out while on watch. "We're going to try to take Dietrich before he gets to camp."

Moffitt asked, "For what reason?"

"I'm sure Captain Boggs would like to know why the Germans came back after they'd been chased out of the area. Who better to question about it?"

"Last night, just before the last scout column returned to camp, I heard some talk that Dietrich and his escorts will be coming from the west."

Troy nodded. "That would make sense. There's a German base about fifty miles over their lines."

The sergeants walked over to where Tully was monitoring the radio and Moffitt asked, "Anything new?"

Tully shook his head as he said, "Nothing. A lot of idle chitchat though."

"Oh, about what?"

Tully grinned. "Something about a party."

Troy smiled. "Wonder what they have to celebrate? Tully, go round up Hitch. We're going to head west to meet Dietrich's column."

Hitch and Tully drove due west until they were about two hours from the German camp. The dunes would work to the Rat Patrol's advantage to hide the jeeps and to make it easy to see the column coming without being seen.

It was about 10:30 when they spotted Dietrich and his people. Moffitt was watching through binoculars and said, "Here they come."

Troy took the glasses and asked, "Is Dietrich with them?"

Moffitt nodded. "Right up front. They obviously don't think the Allies know they're back out here."

Troy looked at the staff car that was leading two halftracks and easily found the captain in the passenger seat. "They sure don't look ready for a fight." He handed the binoculars to Hitch as he said, "Okay, let's shake it. Remember, we only want the captain."

Tully asked, "What about the rest of them?"

"If they don't put up too much of a fight, we'll leave 'em breathing."

They circled around and came up behind the small column. One of the three men in the back of the second halftrack turned and saw the jeeps coming at them fast. He yelled a warning and the 30 caliber machine gun was swung around to open fire.

The jeeps separated as Troy and Moffitt opened fire with the 50s. All three of the men in back of the halftrack went down. Tully accelerated hard, moving past the now unarmed halftrack to the next. There were four men in the back armed only with German issued rifles and when they found the large caliber weapon trained on them, they were quick to put their hands in the air.

Captain Dietrich knew there was no use in trying to fight when he was looking into the barrel of the 50 manned by Sergeant Troy. Dietrich held up one hand, signaling for his vehicles to stop. When everything came to a standstill, the captain pulled himself up to sit on the back of the seat and said, "Good morning, gentlemen."

Troy said, "Morning, captain."

Dietrich looked back at the men in the halftracks. "Is there something I can do for you, sergeant?"

"As a matter-of-fact there is. I'd like you to come with us."

"You want to take me prisoner? What about the rest of my men?"

Troy glanced at Moffitt holding the men in the first halftrack at bay and Tully holding a machine gun on the driver of the second. "If you come with us quietly and your men don't retaliate, they can go on to the camp."

Dietrich wasn't surprised that these Allies knew about the German camp he had been headed to. He started to slip out of the car as he said, "All right, sergeant. You do not seem to be giving me a choice."

Troy looked at Moffitt. "Tell them not to try and follow us if they want their captain to stay alive." Moffitt relayed the instructions, then Troy said, "Okay, captain, let's go."

Without giving his men a second look, Dietrich walked to the jeep and got in next to Hitch. Tully ran back to get behind the wheel of his jeep and they were off.

Troy had them stop behind a sand dune a few miles away. He grabbed binoculars to check on the Germans and smiled when he saw that they weren't trying to follow. They had resumed their course towards camp.

#################

Captain Dietrich made no attempt to escape or cause trouble as they drove on. When they reached a waterhole in a wadi, Hitch and Tully turned into it and concealed the jeeps among the scrub and date palms.

Troy hopped out of the back and said, "Hitch, tie the captain up, but make it comfortable."

"Right, sarge."

Hitch got out and reached into the back for a length of rope as Dietrich said, "Thank you, sergeant, for this act of trust."

Troy said, "Don't thank me yet, captain. You're still a prisoner of war."

Hitch tied the captain's hands in front of him—tight enough that he wouldn't be able to free himself, but not so tight to cause injury to his wrists. Then he took a machine gun from its fender holster and escorted Dietrich to a spot of shade. "Have a seat, sir."

The captain lowered himself down to sit on the sand. He looked up at Hitch, who was standing guard over him, and said, "I am a prisoner and yet you are showing me respect, private. Why?"

Hitch stated simply, "You may be a prisoner, captain, but you still outrank me."

After about an hour, Troy walked over with a canteen. He knelt and placed the water in Dietrich's hands. "Tell me something, captain. What's so important about that plot of land your friends are trying so hard to hang onto?"

Dietrich took a drink before he replied, "I honestly do not know. I came out here to relieve Captain Hess, who, I understand, has taken ill."

"Why don't I believe you? It's not like you to come all the way out here without knowing why."

"I was not happy about the secrecy either, but I was given an order by my superior officer. I can hardly tell him 'no' can I?"

Troy stood up as he said, "It doesn't really matter if you tell me or not, captain. Once I report that we have you, my superiors won't bother to have 'em run off. They'll have the camp destroyed and you'll be the only survivor."

Dietrich said, "And then I suppose you will take me to be questioned."

"You suppose right." And with that Troy walked away. When he caught up with Moffitt, he said, "He claims to have no idea what's going on other than he's here to relieve a Captain Hess."

Moffitt's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Captain Wolfgang Hess?"

Troy shrugged. "Dietrich didn't mention a first name. Why?"

"Back before I became a 'rat' I read a report about a campaign that Dietrich and Hess were involved in together in Ethiopia. I got the impression that they worked very well as a team."

"So you're thinking that Dietrich was sent here to help Hess with whatever this little German project is?"

Moffitt smiled slightly. "It could be just a coincidence, but if they worked well together once…"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, you could be right." He thought for a minute, then said, "By chance were there pictures attached to that report you read?"

"Yes, there were."

"Take Tully and go back to that camp. See if you can find out if Captain Hess is Dietrich's friend."

##################

Tully stopped the jeep behind a grouping of dunes. Together, he and Moffitt went to the top of one with binoculars. They laid side-by-side while the sergeant searched the camp for any sign of Captain Hess.

It took some time, but eventually the good captain made an appearance. He marched across camp purposefully, gesturing to several of his men, who quickly fell in to follow. When they got to the motor pool, two men climbed into the back of a halftrack, while the Captain Hess got in beside the driver.

Tully watched the Germans scurrying around and asked quietly, "What's goin' on, sarge?"

Moffitt continued to watch the goings on as he said, "I'm not sure. Captain Hess and a few of his men seem to be preparing to go for a ride."

"Do you think they're going to try to find Dietrich?"

"That would be foolish … especially with just the one halftrack."

Tully gave a shrug. "If I just found out you'd been kidnapped, I'd go after you no matter what."

Moffitt looked at his friend with a smile. "You would, would you?"

"I'd go by myself if I had to."

Moffitt raised the glasses to his eyes again and watched the halftrack leave. "Thank you, Tully. Let's just hope we're never in that situation." Then he began to back down the sand dune as he said, "Let's take a ride and see where they're going. We'll monitor their frequency. Maybe we'll get lucky."

They followed at a safe distance until the halftrack stopped in the middle of the open desert. A minute later what appeared to be a German scout column arrived on the scene. Watching with binoculars again, Moffitt could see Captain Hess and another officer meet halfway and begin to talk, with Hess gesturing wildly. "Looks like Captain Hess is a bit upset about something."

Then, as quickly as it had started, the conversation ended, Captain Hess returned to his halftrack, the driver turned it around, and headed back the way they'd come.

They watched the column leave and Tully said, "They're turning north. That'll take 'em to the area where we picked up Captain Dietrich."

Moffitt said, "Yes, it will. I think it's time Captain Hess joined our little party."

Tully drove with his foot to the floorboard to get far enough ahead so they could set up their trap.

When the halftrack rolled up on the scene, the Germans saw a jeep with thick black smoke billowing from under the hood … and a body. Captain Hess ordered the driver to stop alongside the apparently damaged vehicle. Then he had the two men in the back go to check on the body that was lying face down on the sand.

With Hess and the driver's attention on the other two, Moffitt crawled out from under the jeep. When he stood up next to the driver's window, he said, "Hände hoch."

The driver nearly jumped out of his skin. Captain Hess yelled a warning to his other two men and as they turned around, Tully rolled onto his back with a machine gun in his hands and told them not to move. "Nicht bewegen." He got quickly to his feet and just as quickly disarmed the two Germans.

##################

When Moffitt and Tully showed up, Troy was surprised to see their passenger. He went to the jeep and said, "I was beginning to think you two got lost."

Moffitt got out of the back with a smile and introduced their tied and gagged prisoner, "Sergeant Troy, meet Captain Hess."

The captain spewed a litany of garbled German around the gag. Troy smiled slightly and said, "Pleased to meet you too. Tully, take him over to sit with his friend."

The private guided Hess to where Captain Dietrich was and helped him to sit down, since his hands were tied behind his back. When Tully straightened up, Dietrich said, "You could at least remove the gag."

Tully said, "Sorry, sir, but he has a rather foul mouth. Really didn't think anyone would want to hear it."

Dietrich sighed and looked at Hess. "If he agrees to stay quiet, will you remove it?"

"Sure."

"Captain Hess, do you agree?" Hess nodded and Tully untied the gag as Dietrich asked, "May I give him some water?"

Tully said, "Go ahead."

While Dietrich held the canteen to Hess's lips, Hitch said, "What happened to the jeep? Looks like the engine blew up."

Tully looked at the black marks on Olive's hood and front fenders. "Used a smoke grenade to make it look like we hit a landmine. Made a mess, but it worked."

After a drink of water, Hess began to speak to Dietrich in German. Dietrich shook his head and said in English, "I am unharmed, but you may as well speak English, captain, Private Pettigrew and Sergeant Moffitt both speak German."

Hess looked at Dietrich with surprise. "You know these people by name?"

"These four men are known as the Rat Patrol. You met Sergeant Troy…" Dietrich indicated Hitch with his head. "He is Private Hitchcock."

The sergeants joined the others and Troy said, "Moffitt told me what happened. He thinks that since Captain Dietrich won't tell us what's going on, maybe you will."

Hess frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that, captain. Your little camp is set up right where it was just before the Allies got rid of you a few weeks back." Neither German offered an explanation and Troy continued, "Captain Dietrich claims to be here to relieve you because you're sick." He looked at Moffitt. "Healthiest sick person I've ever seen."

Dietrich looked at his counterpart suspiciously. "That's right … I was told you were ill and needed a replacement."

Hess sighed and looked away. "It was a ruse to get you out here."

Dietrich was genuinely surprised. "A ruse? I don't understand…"

Hess hesitated. He eyed each man, then finally said, "Tomorrow is our birthday."

"Our…"

Tully suddenly said, "That must be the party they were talking about on the radio."

Dietrich frowned at his friend. "I realize we have the same birthdate … but you got me out here for a party?"

Hess shrugged. "Well, it's not the only reason…"

Troy said, "Yeah, about that other reason. Why are you out here, Captain Hess?"

"You will get no information from me, sergeant."

##################

That evening Hitch put together a hot dinner. Moffitt covered Tully as food was delivered to the prisoners. Captain Hess's hands were retied in front of him the same way Captain Dietrich's was.

Hess took the plate and looked at the food. "What is this?"

Tully said, "Can said 'meat and vegetable hash'."

"Is it eatable?"

"It's best when it's hot."

Moffitt said, "Go get some dinner, Tully. I'll keep an eye on our guests."

The private went back to the fire and Moffitt moved a few feet away to watch the prisoners.

Hess watched Dietrich take a bite of the hash, then asked, "How is it?"

Dietrich chewed and swallowed. "You know, Wolfgang, they have given us a hot meal and water. That is more than many Germans would do if the roles were reversed. I suggest you eat and be grateful."

"You are angry at me, Hans."

"I appreciate the thought, Wolfgang … but look at the situation we are now in."

After the captains finished their meals, their hands were tied behind them and their ankles were also tied for the night. Before going out on watch Tully covered each with a blanket and they were left to sleep.

Moffitt joined Troy at the fire while Hitch cleaned up and stowed their gear. "What are we going to do? They obviously aren't going to tell us anything."

Troy tossed his spent cigarette into the fire. "Well, we have two choices. We take them both in for interrogation. Or … we let them go."

Moffitt gave these options some thought. "By the time they talk, if they talk at all, the Germans plans could well be carried out. As for letting them go…"

"I have a thought about that."

##################

The next morning Dietrich and Hess were untied and allowed to eat. Then they were tied up again and put into the jeeps before being blindfolded. Silently the Rat Patrol drove for a little over an hour.

When they stopped, the prisoners were led away from the jeeps and told to get down on their knees. Hess said, "If we are to be executed, I would prefer to have the blindfold removed."

Troy said, "We aren't going to shoot you, captain. We're going to let you both go."

Dietrich asked knowingly, "What are the conditions, sergeant?"

"Your camp is about a mile east of here." Troy knelt behind Dietrich and placed a folded knife in the captain's hand. "You should be able to get yourselves loose and walk the mile without a problem."

Tully retrieved a paper bag from his pack and handed Moffitt and Hitch one of the cookies Charley's Aunt Emily had sent. And Charley always made sure cookies for all four men were sent out with Tully. Troy joined them and took a cookie for himself. Then Tully folded the bag's opening closed and set it on the sand with a note and a canteen.

Troy saw Dietrich maneuver the knife around in his hands to open it. "All you have to do is get your people back into German territory. In twelve hours I'm going to inform our base of your location and they will send whatever they deem necessary to get rid of you if you're still in the area. This is all the warning you're going to get."

As the jeeps drove out into the desert, Dietrich was already cutting through the ropes on his wrists. When he was loose, the captain pulled the blindfold off and squinted as he looked around. The Rat Patrol was nowhere to be seen. Dietrich quickly cut Hess loose and got to his feet.

Hess pulled his blindfold off and quickly stood up. "Where are they?"

Dietrich said, "They are gone. What did you expect?"

Hess pointed at the paper bag. "They left a calling card." Dietrich walked over to pick up the paper bag as Hess warned, "Be careful! It could be a trap!"

Dietrich simply shook his head as he read the note aloud, "Happy Birthday." He looked in the bag and smiled when he saw four chocolate chip cookies.

Hess joined his friend. "What is it?"

Dietrich retrieved one of the cookies and offered it to Hess. The captain took it and gave it a sniff. "Hmmm … chocolate." He took a bite as Dietrich got one for himself.

Captain Dietrich chewed a bite of his cookie as he picked up the canteen. He checked the sun to make sure of their position and said, "We had better get going."

As they began there one mile walk, Hess said, "This Rat Patrol is an unusual lot."

"Yes, they are, but they are honorable and good at what they do."

Hess finished his cookie as they began to walk and gave Dietrich a friendly slap on the back. "Glückwünsche auf Ihrem Geburtstag, Hans."

Dietrich smiled. "And a happy birthday to you, Wolfgang."