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

After The Moment of Truce Raid

By Suzie2b

Returning from a raid and still far behind enemy lines, the Rat Patrol was unaware that they were about to cross paths with Hauptman Dietrich and an Arab leader in the pay of the German army, who were on a special mission. Seeking to enlist the fanatic desert chieftain Faisal in the German cause.

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Captain Dietrich had the driver of his staff car stop so he could have a look around. The Arab leader seated next to him asked, "Worried, captain?"

Dietrich looked out at the desert landscape and replied, "I'm always worried when I don't know where my enemy is, Abu Hassan."

"You find him. I'll take care of him even though he is my countryman."

Captain Dietrich gave Hassan a sideways look of distaste.

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Troy had Hitch pulled to a stop and Tully rolled up next to him. Troy was sitting in the back, looking over Hitch's shoulder as he said, "I think we can make it to the supply catch. Maybe."

Hitch said, "We're sitting on empty now, sarge."

Tully looked at his own gas gauge with a doubtful look as Troy said, "All right, let's shake it."

As Tully started his jeep and drove off, a shot ricocheted off the 50 caliber next to Troy's head. The top of the sand dune they'd been driving next to came alive with Arabs and their rifles.

Troy directed Hitch and Tully to head for some ruins for cover. When they got there the two privates grabbed a 50 and carried it to the shelter as Troy and Moffitt laid down cover fire. Then Hitch and Tully returned to the jeeps for ammunition and water.

However, when Faisal and his army started shooting at the Rat Patrol he had also ordered his men to open fire at Captain Dietrich and his men. They too intended to use the ruins as cover. Suddenly, Troy and Moffitt found themselves staring across the ruined building at their sworn enemy.

Without a word or threat between them and the Germans, Troy shouted to his men, "Get in outta the rain!"

They took cover against the broken walls. Dietrich and his men did the same, leaving only a doorway between the allies and the Germans.

After a short but intense skirmish, Faisal and his men fell back over the dune to regroup. Troy and Dietrich stood and faced each other. For the time being they were trapped together, fighting a common enemy. A truce was called.

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The battle raged sporadically throughout the day. At one point Abu Hassan made a foolish and futile attempt to make contact with Faisal. He ended up dead just yards from the doorway he'd exited.

Tully, who was manning the 50, took a grazing shot to the arm. Troy and Moffitt went to his aid and after Troy torn open the sleeve of his shirt, Tully said, "Bad shot. He shoulda killed me."

Troy reached for the first aid kit on his belt and said soberly, "Yeah, maybe he will next time."

When night fell Troy offered to trade food and water for some of Captain Dietrich's gasoline. When the captain refused Moffitt suggested that escaping, even under the cover of darkness, probably wasn't a good idea. Apparently, Arab's have a tendency to bury themselves in the sand and shoot at anything that moves or makes a sound.

Hitch then made the suggestion that they could build a firewall with some of the captain's fuel supply. Dietrich then admitted there were some explosives in the truck. After a bit of posturing and making threats, Troy and Dietrich went out together to lay their trap.

The sun was just coming up when they returned after setting up their little surprise. As Troy and Dietrich attached the wires to the detonator, Faisal and his army appeared at the top of the dune. They were a rather opposing sight.

As Troy and Dietrich rushed to finish hooking up the explosives, Faisal and his men started down the dune yelling their war cries.

Finally ready, Troy had the detonator wire poised over the lead and waited for Dietrich's signal.

The explosion was impressive.

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Unwilling to trade further heavy losses for the lives of the seven men, Faisal withdrew with heavy casualties. Leaving the desert battlefield to the Rat Patrol and the Germans.

As the shooting stopped and everyone watched what was left of Faisal's forces disappear over the dune, Troy stood to face Dietrich. "Our Truce is over, captain."

Dietrich said, "Three of us. Four of you. One man wounded. The odds are almost equal, sergeant. I pull out."

"All right. One by one."

Without turning the captain told Hans in German to go.

After a moment, Troy said, "Hitch, help Tully out."

Silently, the two privates took the 50 and headed for the jeeps.

Dietrich then told Heine, again in German, to go.

Troy never took his eyes off the captain. "Moffitt."

The sergeant picked up a jerry can of gasoline and started for the jeeps. Troy gave a nod to Dietrich and as they both began to back away, Troy picked up a second can of fuel.

With gas in both jeeps, they were quickly on their way as Captain Dietrich and his men limped off in a staff car that had a blown tire that flopped awkwardly as it turned.

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Later in the day, the Rat Patrol pulled up to the supply catch they were originally headed for. Exhausted, the four men got out of the jeeps. Troy looked at Hitch and Tully and said, "Okay, make sure the gas tanks and jerry cans are full. Moffitt and I will start restocking the jeeps. Everyone keep your eyes open."

A half hour later, they had everything they needed and prepared to head out to a safe place to spend the night. Tully held his injured arm as he walked to the jeep and said to Moffitt, "Would you mind taking over the driving, sarge?"

Moffitt looked at the private with concern. "Of course not, Tully. Is your arm bothering you?"

"Yeah, some."

"Would you like me to take a look at it?"

Tully sighed. He didn't want to hold things up. "Nah. It can wait."

Troy walked up and asked, "Everything okay here?"

Moffitt smiled. "Yes. I'm going to do the driving for the rest of the day. Tully's arm is hurting him."

Troy looked at the pained expression on the private's face. "All right. We've got a couple of hours driving to do. You going to make it?"

Tully nodded. "No problem, sarge."

Once they were stopped for the night, Troy watched his wounded private get slowly out of the jeep and said, "Moffitt, you take care of Tully. Hitch, start fixing us something to eat. I'll be on watch."

Moffitt grabbed a med kit and went around to where Tully leaned on the jeep. "How're you doing?"

Tully frowned. "Feel a little dizzy."

"I'm not surprised. Let's get you down so I can take a look." Moffitt got a canteen before he knelt next to the private. "Here, drink some water. I'm surprised any of us are still on our feet." Moffitt removed the field dressing from Tully's arm. The wound was ragged, swollen, and red. "I should've taken a look at this earlier."

"Is it that bad?"

Moffitt smiled slightly. "No, not really. There wasn't time to properly clean it when it happened. Hopefully, we've caught it before any infection has set in."

Tully leaned his head back against the side of the jeep. "Sarge, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, Tully."

"We aren't at war with the native people of North Africa, are we?"

Moffitt replied, "No. It's not their war at all."

Tully closed his eyes. "If it's not their war, why does that Faisal character want to kill us so bad?"

As he started to clean the wound, Moffitt thought about it before he said, "I suppose it's simply because he and his people don't want us here … or the Germans for that matter. Both sides of this war have done considerable damage to North Africa. Faisal is a fanatic. He and his people believe they must fight to rid their country of all of us infidels and the atrocities that come with our war."

"But a lot of the tribes out here are or have been at war with each other."

"It's not the same in their eyes. They fight with honor, whereas the rest of us fight with guns and bombs."

Tully gave a sigh. "Do you think that Hassan fella could've turned Faisal to the German side?"

Moffitt started to wrap a proper bandage around Tully's arm. "Possibly. If Abu Hassan had been able to talk to Faisal, I'm sure he would have made whatever promises necessary to win Faisal over."

Tully opened his eyes and looked at the sergeant. "Promises that wouldn't be kept."

"Chances are that's what would've happened."

"Do we do that, sarge? Do the Americans … the allies make promises that they don't intend to keep?"

Moffitt looked at the seriousness in Tully's eyes. "I'm sure it has and does happen."

Tully said, "That just isn't right. If you're gonna make promises to win people over, you have to keep 'em."

"I agree, but unfortunately, neither you nor I are in charge."

"Well, I'll tell ya … if I were in charge, there wouldn't be a dang war."

Moffitt smiled a little. "There is an upside, of sorts, to all this."

Tully looked at the sergeant curiously. "What's that?"

"If it weren't for this 'dang' war, the four of us would never have met and become friends. You and Charley would never have found each other and gotten married. We have to make our own light in this kind of darkness."

Tully smiled. "That is true. My father said once, 'You can't be a beacon if your light don't shine.'"

Moffitt helped Tully to his feet. "Smart man."

They stood there in the waning light looking at Hitch putting together some kind of meal and Troy pacing around just beyond as he watched the desert. Beacons … every one of them.