Chasing the Prize

By: AliasCWN

The Rat Patrol pulled into the wadi and shut down their engines. Sam Troy jumped from his jeep and hurried over to the second jeep.

"How is he?"

Tully Pettigrew looked up from where he was helping Jack Moffitt climb out of the back.

"Don't know Sarge. Haven't had time to look yet."

"I'm fine Troy. I just need to sit still for a minute. Tully can clean it and wrap me up and I'll be good to go." Moffitt assured him.

Tully helped him into the passenger's seat. He let out a soft groan as Tully picked up his arm.

"Doesn't look real bad Sarge." Tully slipped his finger into the hole in Moffitt's sleeve and ripped it bigger. Blood oozed from a deep groove in the upper arm. "Bullet just grazed him. He's lost some blood but the bleeding's almost stopped."

"Okay Tully. Clean it up and get it bandaged."

Tully nodded as Hitch handed him a medical kit from under the seat.

"Hitch!"

Mark Hitchcock looked over at his sergeant expectantly.

"Take the jeep and circle back. Make sure we lost that column. Stay outta sight just in case."

"Right Sarge." Hitchcock climbed back into the driver's seat and drove off to complete his task.

Troy headed for a high point to keep watch until Hitch returned and Moffitt was ready to travel.

Tully cleaned the wound and dusted it with sulfa powder. He carefully wrapped it in bandages and checked to make sure the bleeding had stopped. He handed Moffitt a canteen along with a sulfa tablet before he packed the med kit.

"You need any morphine?"

"No thanks Tully. Save it."

"Okay, let me know if you change your mind."

Tully tucked the medical kit under the seat and took the canteen from Moffitt. He took a few sips before recapping it.

"I'm going to take Sarge a drink. Be right back."

Moffitt nodded and leaned back in the seat with a sigh. He closed his eyes and tried to relax his knotted muscles.

Troy glanced down as he heard Tully climbing the slope behind him.

"Everything okay?"

"Sure Sarge. Doc is resting 'till Hitch gets back. I kinda figured he'd be back by now."

"I haven't heard any shooting. They won't catch Hitch without a fight. His jeep can outrun any of their vehicles."

"Hey. Here." Tully suddenly remembered his reason for climbing to Troy. He handed him the canteen. "Thought you might want a drink."

Troy nodded his thanks and swallowed the warm liquid. He put the canteen in the sand between them and turned back to scan the desert. Neither man spoke as they watched anxiously for the first glimpse of the other jeep.

Tully and Troy half ran half slid down the slippery slope.

Moffitt awoke from his light doze and straightened in the seat.

"Hitch finally back?"

Troy gave a curt shake of his head, his face grim.

"He should have been back by now. We're going to go look for him."

"You think he's in trouble." It was more a statement than a question. Moffitt pulled his feet into the jeep as Tully jumped into the driver's seat.

"I don't know." Troy admitted. "We didn't hear any shooting." The sound would have carried for a great distance in the clear desert air. Still, Troy couldn't shake the feeling that the younger man was in trouble. Troy climbed into the back of Tully's jeep holding the base of the 50 caliber for support.

Tully followed the tracks left earlier by the other jeep. There wasn't much wind so he had no trouble seeing the trail. They made a big circle keeping to the low areas and found where Hitch had crossed the tracks of the column and followed them for a short time. Then the jeep tracks broke away and headed back toward the wadi. By this time Hitch had been gone almost three hours and the wind was picking up, starting to cover the tracks. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they rounded a hill and spotted the jeep.

Tully pulled up next to Hitch's jeep and the three began calling his name. Tully climbed out to check the jeep. The hood was up but there was no sign of Hitch.

Troy stayed on the gun as Moffitt began to study the signs in the sand.

"The fuel line's clogged. Looks like Hitch was trying to clear it." Tully called.

"Can you get it running?"

"Sure thing Sarge, Hitch was almost done. Only take a minute." Tully blew the sand out of the line and reattached the hose. He went around and tried the starter before he slammed the hood. The engine fired and ran smoothly. "All ready Sarge!" He called as he pulled the strap tight across the hood.

Both men turned to watch as Moffitt made his way back to the jeeps. He was carrying a kepi in his hands.

"Arabs Troy. Looks like they caught Hitch with his head under the hood. They went off in that direction." He pointed in the general direction that the German column had gone.

"Hitch?"

"It looks like he put up a fight but they took him with them. I found his tracks. They're pulling him behind their horses."

Troy and Tully exchanged looks. If Hitch was hurt he would not be able to keep up with the horses. In which case the Arabs would probably drag him to death. They were not known for their compassion.

"Find any blood?"

Moffitt shook his head.

The others let out a breath of relief. Maybe he wasn't hurt too bad. Maybe they could still get there in time.

"What do you think they want with Hitch?" Tully ask, concern foremost in his mind.

"Probably a target of opportunity. Found him alone with a broken down jeep and decided to get all the loot they could." He indicated the abandoned jeep. "They took the guns and anything else of value."

"But what about Hitch?" Tully persisted.

"Hitch." Moffitt sighed. "They're probably going to sell him."

"Slave traders." Troy spat in disgust. Ever since he had been captured by slave traders he really detested them.

"Perhaps." Moffitt answered. "There's a real market for blond haired blue eyed foreigners. They will keep him alive and untouched if that is the case."

"And if it's not?" Troy ask angrily.

"Well. If their goal is to sell him to the Germans for the bounty on our heads," Moffitt hesitated, " they wouldn't need to keep him unharmed, or even alive. The price is the same either way."

Tully turned a worried face to Troy.

"Let's shake it. They've got a good head start on us." Troy jumped into the driver's seat of his jeep and set a dangerous pace across the desert with Tully right behind.

"Do you see him?" Tully called anxiously to Troy.

Troy was on the top of the ridge watching the Arabs they had been tracking.

"Yeah Tully, he's there. He looks a bit worse for wear but he's still on his feet."

"The sun will be setting soon. They will be looking for a place to camp for the night. There's an oasis about four miles from here." Moffitt had a map spread on the hood of his jeep and was calculating their current position.

Troy used his binoculars to study his driver. The young soldier was weaving on his feet. His face was flushed and red from the searing heat. As Troy watched, he stumbled and fell to his knees but pulled himself back to his feet using the rope around his wrists for support. Head down, he just kept putting one foot in front of the other in an apparent daze. The Arabs didn't slow or make any effort to ease up on their prisoner.

"I hope he can make it another four miles." Troy muttered under his breath. There was no reason to worry the other ' rats' when there was nothing they could do right now. He slid backwards until he could rise and run back to the jeeps. They made a fast run around the horsemen and made for the oasis.

"What do you think Moffitt?"

The two sargeants were studying the layout of the oasis. It was small, even by desert standards.

"If they camp here there is no way to get close without them seeing us. They may kill Hitch rather than let us rescue him."

Troy considered the problem. They could hide the jeeps and move in on foot but there was a risk of discovery before they could get close enough. Coming in fast would still leave Hitch vulnerable. He was about to ask Moffitt for suggestions when he remembered an old Arab trick the Brit had taught them.

"Let's get Tully. I have an idea."

The Arabs rode into the oasis and set up their camp. The horses were watered and tethered on one side of the water hole. They erected their tents on the other side. The prisoner had slumped to the ground as soon as they stopped. They had to slap him several times before he responded. He climbed unsteadily to is feet and they dragged him to a nearby tree . Pushing him down with his back against the tree, they untied his hands and pulled his arms behind him on either side of the trunk. They lashed his wrists tightly and left him sagging from the ropes in exhaustion.

Tully drove the jeep slowly around the hill to avoid early detection. He was glad they kept the engines in good repair because now they purred quietly. The Arabs were talking and laughing around the campfire as they shared a meal. With a little luck they would never hear the jeep until the attack began.

Sam Troy cleared the 50 caliber machine gun , the signal to Tully to begin. Tully hit the gas and the little jeep shot forward.

The 50 caliber started raining death around the fire. The Arabs were caught flat-footed and took a moment to react. Even as they reached for weapons Tully was swinging around for a second pass. Troy kept his fire away from the tents, afraid of hitting Hitch. He could barely make out the still form against the tree.

The Arabs were falling like flies in front of Troy's barrage. The few who survived began to think of retreat. One of them dove to the ground and crawled quickly past the tents to their captive. Finding cover behind the tree, he pulled a knife and held it to the American's throat. A hand reached out from behind him and grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling his head back. He instinctively thrust his own knife hand behind him. He died before he could make contact with his attacker.

Jack Moffitt consciously kept his breathing shallow and light as he heard the Arabs ride into the oasis. He lay perfectly still under the blanket that covered the shallow hole he had dug. Troy and Tully had carefully covered the blanket with sand before they had gone to hide the extra jeep. They waited in the first jeep as he huddled in his hole just inside the rim of the oasis. He listened as the men set up their camp. He heard them bring their prisoner to a tree near his hiding place. They laughed about their good fortune and debated where best to sell their prize. Moffitt smiled to himself as he waited, if he had anything to say about it, that debate would be unnecessary. When the jeep made it's attack run he crawled from his hole and crept toward Hitch.

Once Hitch was free Moffitt pulled him toward the hole he had just left. Rolling him into the hole, the British sergeant ducked behind a tree to provide protection if needed.

Tully and Troy chased the final Arabs out into the desert before jumping from their jeep and making sure the oasis was clear. Only then did they call to Moffitt.

When Mark Hitchcock finally opened his eyes his friends were waiting. Tully supported his head to give him a few sips of water. Moffitt carefully cleaned his sunburned face and the cuts and scrapes he had acquired.

Sam Troy watched him, searching for reassurance that they had come through yet another tough situation with no casualties.

Hitch smiled despite his dry,cracked lips and whispered, "I'm fine Sarge." He saw Troy smile before he fell asleep to the quiet movements of his friends around him.