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

Cease-Fire

By Suzie2b

Troy and Moffitt were in Captain Boggs' office getting the details of their latest mission. At the end of the meeting, the captain said, "Now, there's been word about a cease-fire."

Troy said, "We haven't heard about it, sir."

"It came through last night. Major Gleason is trying to get verification now. He's ordered the news to be kept under wraps until we know one way or the other."

"Yes, captain. We'll keep quiet until we hear otherwise."

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Troy and Moffitt walked to the motor pool, where they would meet Hitch and Tully. Along the way they noticed the people they passed were a little more animated then usual that early in the morning—even smiling.

When Troy and Moffitt reached the jeeps they found Hitch and Tully talking and laughing about something. Troy asked, "What are you two so happy about this morning?"

Hitch replied, "Haven't you heard? There's been a cease-fire called."

Moffitt smiled. "So much for keeping it under wraps. The entire base must know by now."

Tully said, "We heard about it in the mess hall during breakfast. Everyone's real excited."

Troy gave the privates a warning look. "Well, Captain Boggs says it hasn't be verified yet, so keep your excitement to yourselves. And keep your mouths shut about it when we meet up with the guys from Lt. Colonel Heritage's battalion."

Hitch and Tully tried to wipe the smiles off their faces as Hitch asked, "Where are they?"

Moffitt said, "The battalion is located about 160 kilometers from Abadan."

Troy added, "We're meeting a small convoy and taking them to that supply cache we found fifty miles east of Saran Wadi."

Tully asked, "You mean that German supply cache?"

"That's the one."

Hitch asked, "Why doesn't the battalion get supplies from our side?"

Troy said, "Because we're a little short on trucks after that string of attacks on our convoys last month. What trucks we do have are spread thin and out getting supplies to other camps and bases."

Moffitt added, "Lt. Colonel Heritage's battalion is on the list for supplies, but they can't wait at this point. So we're going to help them out a bit."

Tully said, "But we haven't been back to that cache since we came across it last month. What if the Germans have moved everything out of there?"

Moffitt replied, "From the amount of supplies we watched them offload into that cave I'd be willing to say the Germans plan on keeping it open for business as long as possible. Plus it's the closest."

Troy nodded. "Jeeps ready?"

Hitch said, "Ready to go, sarge."

"Then let's shake it. If we're lucky, we'll meet up with that convoy before dark."

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The jeeps rolled into the camp the convoy had set up for the night. Troy grabbed the first private he saw and asked, "Where can I find Sergeant Rivera?"

The young man pointed to a man walking towards them. "Right there."

Rivera put out his hand as he stopped in front of Troy. "Sergeant Troy?"

Troy shook the hand as he nodded. "You must be Sergeant Rivera."

"Yes. We're awfully glad you're here to give us a hand."

"Happy to do it." Troy introduced his men. "This is Sergeant Moffitt." He pointed to his privates, who were just starting to get things out of the jeeps to make a hot meal. "Privates Hitchcock and Pettigrew."

Rivera said, "We're in dire straits back at our battalion. I was told you know where there's a cache of supplies."

Moffitt nodded. "It's a little over eighty kilometers east of Saran Wadi."

"Saran Wadi?" Rivera frowned. "That would mean it's a German supply cache."

"Afraid so. It's the closest cache we can get you to."

Rivera sighed. "Well, Lt. Colonel Heritage gave me orders to follow you. I take it we'll be on our way first thing in the morning?"

Troy said, "Yeah, as soon as it's light enough."

"Right then. Looks like your men are making dinner, so I'll leave you to it."

After Rivera walked away, Moffitt said, "Nice enough chap."

One of Sergeant Rivera's men wandered over to where Tully was emptying several cans of chicken and vegetables into a pot. "Hi, I'm Larry … Larry Scott."

Tully glanced at the private with a smile. "Tully Pettigrew."

"Have you heard the news?"

"What news would that be?"

Larry said, "The armistice. We'll be going home soon."

Tully set the last empty can aside and said, "Yeah, I heard something about it. But it hadn't been confirmed yet when we left base. Might be smart to keep it to yourself for now."

"Everybody knows about it. Our battalion got the word last night."

"I'm sure Lt. Colonel Heritage is working on that verification too."

Larry sighed and followed Tully to where Hitch was waiting by their little stove. "It's gotta be for real … it's just gotta be."

Tully set the pot on the stove after Hitch took a match out of his friend's shirt pocket to light the burner. Tully said, "You hungry, Larry?"

"Nah, we already ate. If you guys hear anything, let me know okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

Larry turned as he said, "See you later."

Hitch grabbed a wooden spoon to stir their dinner. "What was that about?"

Tully replied, "That battalion got word about the cease-fire last night too."

Troy and Moffitt joined his privates and Troy said, "I saw you talking to that private, Tully. What's the scuttlebutt?"

"Lt. Colonel Heritage's battalion heard about the cease-fire last night just like back at Ras Tanura, sarge."

Moffitt said, "News travels fast."

Troy asked, "Did he happen to say where the news came from?"

Tully shook his head. "I didn't ask. You want coffee tonight, sarge?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Hitch said, "I'll get it started." He looked at Moffitt. "Water's hot for tea, if you want some."

Moffitt smiled. "Thank you, Hitch."

After they ate their dinner of chicken and vegetables and what the army passes off as biscuits, Troy sent Hitch out on watch while Tully cleaned up and stowed what they didn't need.

When Hitch came back from his stint on watch, he told Troy, "Everyone's talking about the cease-fire like it's already started. They're all distracted on watch and the guys that aren't on watch are too worked up to rest."

Troy nodded. "We're going to have to be extra careful tomorrow. I don't want the Germans catching us taking their supplies."

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The next morning, with coffee in hand, Troy went to have a talk with Rivera. When Troy found him, he was perusing a map. "Sergeant Rivera."

He looked up with a smile. "Good morning, Sergeant Troy. Are we ready to set out?"

"Not for another hour or so. I just sent two of my men out to scout around. I'd like to have a talk with you."

Rivera said, "Of course. What's on your mind?"

Troy picked his words carefully. "My men and I noticed something about your men last night."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Could be. I know there's a rumor of an armistice making the rounds. Last I heard it hasn't been confirmed."

Rivera said, "Yes, we got that information before we came to meet you. I have warned my men not to get too excited about it. This rumor has been around before and, of course, proved false."

Troy nodded. "My concern is your men are excited and they're distracted because of it. We're going to be in German territory an hour after leaving here and I need to know that everyone's paying attention out there."

"I understand. I'll have a talk with them and again explain the situation, and your concerns. I'm sure there won't be a problem."

"Good." Troy looked at the map that the other sergeant was holding. "Now, let's discuss the route Moffitt and I have mapped out."

Moffitt and Tully returned and reported that there was no activity along the planned route. Moffitt said, "It was clear all the way to the German lines."

Troy said, "Okay. Hitch, go tell Sergeant Rivera we're ready to get going."

"Right, sarge."

A minute later, Hitch returned to the jeeps and they heard Rivera yelling, "Mount up! We're moving out!"

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When they reached the German lines Troy called for a halt. Tully pulled to a stop next to Hitch's jeep and Troy said, "Moffitt, you and Tully head out and scout around. Be back in thirty minutes."

Moffitt gave a nod. "Let's go, Tully."

As the jeep drove off, Troy had Hitch go back to the lead truck and Sergeant Rivera. He hopped out of the back and looked at his driver as he said, "Keep your eyes open."

Hitch started to move into the back to the jeep. "Right, sarge."

Rivera got out of the truck and asked, "Anything wrong, Troy?"

"No, not yet anyway. We're about to cross into official enemy held territory. I sent Moffitt and Pettigrew out to scout around. They'll be back in about a half-hour."

Rivera looked around at the bare, open desert and questioned, "Why didn't we stop where there's cover?"

Troy said, "The Germans haven't been patrolling this section for nearly a week. We should be okay. If we do get some company, the four trucks shouldn't attract much attention."

"Why wouldn't the Germans be interested in us?"

"Not a big enough convoy to bother crossing lines for. They'll just keep an eye on us to see what we do."

Rivera asked, "But what happens when we cross over?"

Troy replied simply, "We won't as long as they're watching us. If we can't outwait 'em, then we'll backtrack and cross over somewhere else." He looked at the other sergeant. "But I doubt we'll see anyone."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's my job to be sure. Have your men check their trucks over. I don't want to stop until we get to the supply cache."

Rivera nodded and turned to start giving orders.

A while later Hitch called, "Hey, sarge! Moffitt and Tully are coming!"

Troy looked at his watch and smiled. Twenty-eight minutes. He met his men when Tully stopped next to the other jeep. "See anything?"

Moffitt said, "There was a convoy heading northwest, but we shouldn't run into them."

"Okay, let's get going. I want to be at the cache and hidden had Saran Wadi before the end of the day."

"Is it a good idea to spend the night at the wadi?"

Troy said, "We'll never make it back to our lines before dark. That wadi will be our best bet for cover. If we head out at first light, we'll be over our lines and on our way to their battalion by midmorning."

The empty trucks moved along the desert at a good pace. Troy and Hitch led the way while Moffitt and Tully broke off on occasion to scout ahead. They got to Saran Wadi just after noon and kept going.

After another ninety minutes, Troy and Moffitt climbed to the top of a low hill to check to see if the coast was clear. At first glance there was nothing to see but rocky hills. However, just below was a cave hidden by stunted trees and scrub.

Troy scanned the desert with binoculars. "I don't see anything. How 'bout you?"

Moffitt looked around with his own binoculars and said, "Nothing. Looks clear."

Troy turned and signaled Hitch and Tully to lead the trucks in. Then he again looked at Moffitt and said, "Stay here and keep an eye on things. We should be out of here in an hour or so."

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As Troy made his way down to join the convoy, he saw Hitch and Tully carefully going in to make sure the cave was safe. They came out as the sergeant joined Rivera. Hitch said, "All clear, sarge."

Troy said, "Okay, Rivera, get what you need and don't take your time. I want to be out of here in an hour."

"Won't everything in there be marked in German?"

"Yeah." Troy looked up at Moffitt on the hill.

Tully said, "I'll go in with them, sarge. My German's getting better."

Troy gave him a smile. "Get going then. Hitch, check the jeeps over."

An hour and fifteen minutes later, Troy looked at his watch. Then went into the large supply cache to find Tully and Rivera. He looked around and finally heard their voices. When Troy got to them, he asked what the hold-up was.

Rivera glanced at the list on his clipboard and said, "We're done. Got everything on the list and then some."

Tully said, "Sorry it took so long. I had trouble reading a few of the labels and had to open the crates to confirm what was in 'em."

Troy smiled. "That's okay, Tully. You did good."

Moffitt's voice suddenly echoed off the cave walls as he called, "Troy! Where are you?"

"Back here with Tully and Rivera!"

Moffitt came into view and said, "There's a convoy headed this way. We need to get out of here."

Troy said, "Right. Let's shake it."

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

They managed to get away without being spotted and headed for Saran Wadi. As Troy had expected, it took a little longer to get there with the now heavier trucks. Two hours after leaving the supply cache they were at their destination and under cover.

Troy got out of the jeep and said, "Tully, take two of Rivera's men and go up on watch."

Tully took one of the machine guns and headed out, grabbing Privates Larry Scott and Henry Bailey along the way.

After about an hour on watch, Larry wandered over to Tully and said, "Pretty boring out here."

Tully didn't look at the other man. "Boring is a good thing out here."

"Maybe nothing's goin' on because of the cease-fire. Maybe it's been confirmed."

"Wishful thinking."

Larry sighed wistfully, kicking at the sand. "I just wanna go home."

Tully spared a glance and said, "We all want that. It'll happen. Maybe not this time, but eventually. Until then we need to stay alive, so why don't you get back on watch."

Time passed. Tully, Larry, and Henry were replaced by Hitch with Privates Louis Morgan and Allen Cooper.

It was just after dark and the men were putting together their dinners when Hitch showed up and said, "Someone's coming, sarge. We can see lights."

Fires were quickly doused with sand and lanterns went dark as everyone armed themselves and took cover. A few minutes passed before they heard the engines and Tully whispered to Moffitt, "Someone's got engine trouble."

Then a small German patrol drove into the wadi. Their headlights lit the trucks. The Allies heard nervous voices and guns being primed. Then another voice called, "Halt!" A door opened and slammed shut. "Wer bist du?" There was no answer and the question was repeated in English. "Who are you?"

Troy slowly stepped out into the light. "Sergeant Troy."

"These are your people?"

"Yes."

"I am Captain Arnold. What are you doing here?"

Troy said, "Just spending the night, sir. We'll be out of here in the morning."

"I see." Arnold hesitated, then asked, "You have heard about the cease-fire?"

"Yes."

"Do you know if it has been verified?"

Troy replied, "No, we haven't heard anything one way or the other."

Arnold nodded. "I see. May I make a suggestion, sergeant?"

"What do you suggest, captain?"

"Our own armistice. My men and I have had a bad day. One of our halftracks broke down and still is not running properly. We were unable to return to our base before dark. We are very tired and have few supplies with us, as we were not planning to be out here for the night."

Troy gave it some thought. "How many of you are there?"

Arnold said, "Ten total."

With Rivera and his men they were twelve in total. Troy finally said, "All right, captain. We'll call a truce."

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The evening began without trouble. Food was shared, as was time on watch.

Tully worked on the truck that had broken down and still wasn't running right. His new "friend" Jozef was patient with Tully's German and gently corrected him as they spoke quietly.

Hitch and some of Sergeant Rivera's men discovered that several of the captain's men spoke pretty good English and were talking about what their homes and families were like.

Troy, Moffitt, Rivera, and Arnold sat comfortably around a fire. The captain said, "It would be nice if this talk of an armistice were true. Do you think there might be a chance?"

Moffitt smiled. "There's always a chance, captain."

Arnold nodded, then said, "I am very curious, sergeant. What are you and your men doing out here?"

Troy smiled slightly. "Just transferring some supplies, sir."

The captain returned the smile. "I see."

A squabble broke out by one of the trucks and the sergeants and captain ran to see what was going on. Rivera asked his man, "What's going on here, private?"

"I caught him looking in the trucks, sarge."

The German private said, "Gestohlenen deutschen Lieferungen, Kapitän!"

Captain Arnold told the young man that if a cease-fire was actually in place, it would not matter whose supplies were in the trucks. He then instructed the private to find a bedroll and get some sleep.

Of course Moffitt understood the conversation and said, "Perhaps it would be a good idea for everyone not on watch to get some sleep."

The captain agreed and told the private to pass the word. Then Rivera did the same.

As Arnold and the sergeants strolled back to the fire, the captain said, "A transfer of supplies, Sergeant Troy?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, at least you did not lie to me."

The rest of the night passed without incident. In the morning the Germans were grateful for the coffee, tea, and breakfast that was offered by the Allies.

Hitch and Tully stood next to the halftrack that had been worked on and watched Jozef push the starter. They cheered when the engine turned over and it purred like a kitten.

Before going their separate ways, Captain Arnold asked, "Would you like an escort to your lines, sergeant?"

Troy smiled. "No thank you, captain. We'll be fine from here."

"Then I will say good-bye and good luck."

"The same to you, Captain Arnold."

After the two jeeps and four trucks disappear out of the wadi, one of the captain's men hurried up to him to tell him he was being called on the radio.

Arnold put on the headset and listened to the news from his base. Then he nodded and said into the microphone, "Vielen Dank für die Information."

When he put the headset down his man asked if everything was all right.

Captain Arnold turned to him told him that the cease-fire was nothing more than a rumor. The private looked crestfallen. The captain told him to go pass the word of the news and they would be leaving in ten minutes.

The private asked quietly if they were going after the Allies and Arnold simply replied, "Nein."

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Troy pushed the drivers to get back to Allied territory as fast as possible. There was no way to know if Captain Arnold would report their whereabouts or not. No one would breathe easy until they were behind their lines.

Hours passed and the convoy finally was well into Allied territory. At the waterhole they came to they stopped for a break to cool the engines.

Ten minutes later, Hitch and Tully were taking care of the jeeps when they heard the radio come to life. Tully called, "Hey, sarge, incoming message."

Moffitt went to the radio. "This is Apple Red. Over."

The message was from Captain Boggs. The radio operator said, "The rumor about the cease-fire is false. There is no cease-fire. Over."

Moffitt sighed. "Message received and understood. Out." He set the mic down and turned to Hitch and Tully. He saw their sad expression and said, "We knew this was a possibility. I know it's a disappointment, but now we can get back to the business at hand without further distraction. I'll go tell Troy and Rivera."

After Moffitt walked away, Hitch said, "I knew it was probably just a rumor … but a part of me wanted it to be true."

Tully nodded. "Yeah. In the back of my mind I kept hoping it would be real." He sighed and said, "I guess we'd better get back to work."

Moffitt found Troy and Rivera together. He said, "We just got a message from Captain Boggs. The word came through. The armistice was just a rumor."

Rivera said, "We were all hoping … but I suppose this just isn't the time."

"I admit I did have high hopes in spite of the probable reality of the rumor."

Troy sighed. "Yeah … I guess it's back to business as usual."

Rivera asked, "What about Captain Arnold?"

"What about him?"

"He knows we have German supplies. Won't he come after us?"

Moffitt smiled. "I sincerely doubt it. He'll go back to his base and report to his commander about our truce and that if there really had been a cease-fire, what difference would it make if we had German supplies." He shrugged and said, "It is the truth after all."

Rivera wondered, "Should we tell Lt. Colonel Heritage about our little truce last night?"

Troy said, "It'll be in our report. If nothing else, the story will make good reading."

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The rest of the day was quiet and the men were somewhat solemn after getting the news that there was no cease-fire. They stopped and made camp at the same place where the Rat Patrol had met up with the convoy.

By the next morning everyone appeared back into their mindset about getting the assignment done. Lt. Colonel Heritage's battalion was waiting for the supplies they were carrying, which would hold them over until an American convoy could get to them in another two weeks or so.

They arrived at the battalion not too long after midday amidst cheers. Three trucks were driven to the main supply tent, the fourth went to the mess tent to offload the food.

Hitch and Tully took the jeeps to the motor pool while Troy, Moffitt, and Rivera reported to Lt. Colonel Heritage.

The Lt. Colonel was glad to see them. "Good to see that you made it back. From the sound of things out there your mission was successful?"

Rivera nodded. "Yes, sir. We should have plenty of supplies to last us several weeks."

"Good job! Did you run into any trouble?"

Troy said, "No, sir. Everything will be in the report I'll get to you tomorrow morning."

Heritage said, "Fair enough, Sergeant Troy. Have my aide get you a tent assignment. You and your men can shower and have a good night's sleep. Our cook has been saving up ingredients for meatloaf for when you all got back. I, for one, have been looking forward to it."

Moffitt smiled. "It'll be nice to have something other than the usual rations, sir."

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After a shower, shave, and a set of clean clothes, Moffitt walked into the tent he would share with his three comrades to find Tully putting on his boots. The private smiled up at the sergeant and asked, "Feel better, sarge?"

Moffitt put his shaving kit in his pack as he said, "Very satisfying, Tully. How about you?"

"Always feels good to be clean."

"Where's Troy and Hitch?"

Tully stood up. "They'll meet us in the mess tent. I hear there's mashed potatoes and gravy to go along with the meatloaf."

They started out of the tent as Moffitt asked, "I've never understood why it's called meat 'loaf'."

Tully shrugged. "I asked my mom that question once. She said it was just because of the shape. Mom baked it in a loaf pan. Meatloaf, potatoes and gravy, and green beans from the garden was a cheap, filling meal during the depression."

"I had never experienced meatloaf until I was assigned to Ras Tanura. It's something I've gotten used to."

"Not a fan of it, huh?"

Moffitt said, "It's different every time I have it. Like it's made with different meat every time."

Tully grinned. "Well, that's why it's called 'meat' loaf and not steakloaf or lambloaf or chickenloaf or…"

Moffitt laughed as they walked into the mess tent. "All right, Tully, cease-fire. I get the idea."