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

Author's note: The 761st Tank Battalion was an independent tank battalion of the United States Army during World War II. They were known as the "Black Panthers" after their unit's distinctive [Black Panther] insignia; their motto was "Come out fighting".

Apex Predators

By Suzie2b

The Rat Patrol had just finished a mission to capture the illustrious German General Herbert Griebel for interrogation by the Allies. They now were at a battalion encampment awaiting orders from Captain Boggs as to where the General was to be taken next.

The morning after their arrival, Hitch found Tully in the mess tent having breakfast. He sat down with his tray and said, "There's some new arrivals coming in."

Tully swallowed, then said, "Must be some heavy armor. I can feel it under my feet."

"Yeah, tanks."

Moffitt sat down next to Tully with his tray and a smile. "Good morning. I thought I'd find you two here."

Tully said, "Mornin', sarge. Where's Troy?"

"He should be along shortly. He went to see if there's been any word from Captain Boggs."

Hitch asked, "Isn't it a little too soon for that?"

Moffitt put salt and pepper on his eggs as he replied, "Troy wants to be rid of General Griebel as soon as possible. He's very high in the German ranks, you know, and his people will no doubt be looking for him."

"Did you see that armor coming in? Looks like someone's going to be doing some business with the Germans."

Before Moffitt could answer, Troy sat down next to Hitch and said, "According to Lt. Col. Harrison, they're part of the 761st Tank Battalion on a special assignment."

Tully asked, "Hear anything from base, sarge?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, we're being assigned to the 761st."

Hitch questioned, "What about Griebel?"

"Lt. Col. Harrison is making arrangements to have the general picked up and taken to Benghazi, which has the closest airfield from here. He's going to have Captain Boggs contacted to let him know what's going on."

Tully asked, "What're we gonna be doing?"

Troy picked up his fork and stabbed it into the eggs on his plate as he said, "I don't know yet. As soon as we hear that this mission's a go, we'll report to Captains Nelson and Conrad."

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

The medium tank company from the 761st consisted of seventeen M4 Sherman medium tanks and a single M4A3 105 mm assault gun with Captain Nelson in control. The light tank company had seventeen M3 and M5 Stuart tanks and was commanded by Captain Conrad. In addition, there was a platoon of four mortar-equipped halftracks with 30 caliber machine guns under the command of 1st Lt. Ericson.

It was early afternoon when Troy and Moffitt got the word to meet with Captains Nelson and Conrad. The sergeants met the captains in a tent set up for strategic planning. They stepped inside and saluted as Troy said, "Sergeants Troy and Moffitt reporting as ordered, sirs."

Captain Nelson was a tall, tanned, wiry man with a shiny bald head. On the other hand, Captain Conrad was a fair skinned redhead, with a more muscular frame.

Nelson said, "At ease, men."

Conrad turned and faced Troy and Moffitt. "I still don't like it, Dan. We've never needed an escort before."

"Lt. Col. Corry seems to think differently this time, Will. Let's just go with it and see what happens." Nelson turned his attention back to the sergeants and said, "Your unit has a reputation that puts you in the minority, Sergeant Troy."

"What reputation would that be, captain?"

"You're fair, but tough and expect nothing less than the best from your men. You listen to them—take their words under advisement. You're also known for your compassion for both sides."

Troy nodded, but kept silent, wondering where the conversation was going.

Conrad smiled slightly. "Let's just say that your exploits are well known."

Troy said, "We're all human at the end of the day, captain."

Moffitt added, "All four of us feel the same, sir."

Troy changed the subject and said, "I take it we're going to be your escorts."

Captain Nelson nodded. "Yes, our commander, Lt. Col. Corry, ordered it. When word came through that you and your men were here, he contacted Lt. Col. Harrison to make the arrangement."

Captain Conrad frowned as he said, "I still say we don't need an escort. We have maps and charts to get us where we need to be."

Moffitt ventured, "Excuse me for asking, captain, but have you and your men ever been in this part of the Sahara?"

"Our battalion is stationed in South Africa. High Command sent us up here on special assignment."

"Things are quite different out here. More barren, fewer landmarks … more Germans hiding in plain sight. You have to know what to look for."

Conrad said, "You seem to have done all right for yourselves."

Moffitt said, "I'm an Archeologist when I'm not fighting the war, captain. I've been all over North Africa. I know it well and know many Arab dialects, as well as German."

Troy smiled, "I've been here since shortly after the war came to North Africa, sir. I've had plenty of time to adapt and train my men."

Conrad started to say something, but was interrupted by Captain Nelson, who said, "Face it, Will, we know South Africa like the backs of our hands. But we've never been out of the Congo Basin. We're as green as any new recruit that comes out here."

"Where are we going, sir?"

Nelson stepped over to a table that had maps and charts spread on it. "Take a look…"

Nelson and Conrad explained the bare basics of their mission and where they were going. When they were done, Moffitt said, "Getting thirty-four tanks along with various other armored weapons across the desert will be impossible to do without being seen."

Conrad said, "Is there another way that won't add to our timetable?"

Troy said, "No, there isn't. It's just that there's nowhere to take cover with this large of a convoy." He pointed to an area on the map. "But, we can shorten the overall trip by going through here."

Nelson shook his head. "We can't take tanks through the mountains. They aren't made for that steep terrain."

Moffitt smiled. "A river once cut a canyon through those mountains. Of course it's dry now and we've used it many times. The elevation change is very minor."

The captains looked at each other, then Conrad said, "All right, we'll follow your lead."

Troy asked, "When do we leave, captain?"

"Immediately." Conrad gathered several maps off the table and handed them to Moffitt as he said, "These are copies for your use."

"We'll round up our other two men and meet you."

Nelson said, "We won't wait for you, sergeant. We're pulling out as soon as we're ready. You shouldn't have a problem catching up with us."

There was no mention of exactly the size and meaning of the mission was they were heading into. Troy and Moffitt chose not to question it yet.

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

It wasn't twenty minutes later when the jeeps sped by the line of tanks and halftracks to take the lead. Troy signaled Moffitt and Tully to scout ahead. Tully nodded and took off at high speed as Moffitt crawled into the back to man the 50 if it was needed.

The remainder of the day was spent on the move with no German contact. Two hours before sundown Troy got on the radio to tell Captains Nelson and Conrad to stop when they got to the waterhole up ahead.

When the jeeps returned from scouting the area one last time, Nelson questioned, "Why are we stopped here, Sergeant Troy? There's still plenty of light…"

"Sorry, sir." Troy pointed to the looming mountains about ten miles ahead and said, "The last thing you want to do is try to get through that canyon in the dark."

Moffitt added, "Captain, this waterhole is on the edge of Allied territory and should be a safe enough place to spend the night. Might I suggest that the captains have all water cans and canteens filled before dark? And it would be a good idea to make sure every vehicle is ready to move at a moment's notice … just in case the Germans do venture in."

"Tomorrow, once we're in the canyon, we won't be stopping until we're on the other side."

Captains Nelson and Conrad watched as Hitch and Tully gathered jerry cans and canteens to take to the well. Conrad said, "All right. You've made a good point." He yelled, "1st Lieutenant Ericson!"

A breathless young man appeared, "Yes, Captain Conrad?"

"Spread the word. We're bedding down here. Assign details to gather water and make sure everyone is gassed up. Then set up a watch rotaion."

"Yes sir, captain, on my way."

As the lieutenant hurried away, Troy said, "Now, if you'll excuse us, sirs, I have my own men to take care of."

Nelson gave a nod. "Of course, sergeant."

The two captains watched Troy and Moffitt walk towards the well to join Hitch and Tully. Nelson said, "I hate to admit it … but they're good."

Conrad agreed and said, "Yeah, they really seem to know what they're doing."

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

That night when Tully went to relieve Hitch on watch, he found his friend in the middle of a quiet argument with one of the tank troops. The soldier was saying, "We've heard all about you guys. How you've caused so much trouble for the Germans and Italians. But all I see are glorified escorts."

Hitch said calmly, "We were put together as a Long Range Desert Patrol. Escorting a bunch like you is nothing. We've been in and out of enemy camps and bases all over this desert."

"We don't need to go in anyplace to do damage. We hit 'em before they even know we're around."

Tully stopped next to Hitch as his friend said, "We're sent on missions that…"

Tully interrupted, "What's going on?"

"Oh, this guy thinks all we do is escort, as he put it, 'the real fighting men' to where the battles are." Hitch looked back at the other guy and said, "We get into battles and skirmishes darn near on a daily basis."

"I suppose he's entitled to his opinion, Hitch. After all, he's never seen us at work out here before."

"But…"

Tully said, "It's not worth comin' to blows over."

The guy spat out, "And that name … the 'Rat Patrol'. What's with that? We're part of the 'Black Panthers'. Our insignia is an apex predator and our motto is 'Come out Fighting'. What kinda motto do you guys have?"

"Don't have one that I know of. Never really thought we needed one."

Hitch added, "The Germans came up with 'Rat Patrol'. They've been calling us desert rats for a long time because we're always causing them grief."

The guy chuckled humorously and said, "Oh really? I thought it was because your sergeant looks like a rat … and the other one, that British sergeant, reminds me of a ferret."

Without warning Tully swung his fist around, hitting the guy in side of the face. He was out as he crumpled to the ground.

Hitch and Tully both stood there for a few seconds staring at the unconscious man. Then Hitch said, "You probably shouldn't have done that, Tully."

"Probably not."

"But he did have it coming."

Tully sighed and said, "You'd better go on to bed. I'll take care of him."

Hitch asked, "You sure?"

Tully nodded. "Yeah, go on. Get some sleep."

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

It was daylight. Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch were eating breakfast while they waited for Tully to come in from watch.

Captain Nelson stomped over to where Troy and Moffitt were going over their map as they ate. "Sergeant Troy, a word please."

Troy turned to face the captain and said, "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"

"I have a private that was found unconscious last night and is sporting one heck of a shiner." Troy's eyebrows went up as Nelson continued, "According to Private Hall it was your two men who attacked him without provocation."

Troy looked at Hitch and asked, "Do you have anything you want to tell us?"

Hitch said, "Well … it was the end of my watch last night. Tully showed up to relieve me while I was arguing with this guy. He insulted us, sarge."

"And for that you hit the guy?"

"No, it was what he said next that made Tully smack him."

Troy sighed. "What was said that made Tully hit him?"

Before Hitch could answer they heard a ruckus nearby but out of sight. Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Nelson ran off to find out what was going on.

What they found was Tully and another one of Captain Nelson's men having a brawl. The captain yelled, "Break it up!"

Hitch went in, grabbed Tully, and pulled him back a few feet. Another man grabbed the second guy and did the same.

Nelson demanded, "What in the sam hill is going on here?"

The captain's man said, "He's the one that beat up Brian last night, sir! I just wanted to settle the score!"

Hitch felt some of the tension leave Tully as he took a deep breath. He released his friend as Troy said, "What've you got to say, Tully?"

"I only hit the guy once, sarge."

"Why?"

Tully said, "He said that the reason we're called the Rat Patrol is because you look like a … umm … a rat." Before Troy could say anything, he added quickly, "And he said that Moffitt reminded him of a ferret."

Troy tried to hide the smile that wanted to make itself known. "And that's why you hit Private Hall?"

"I know I shouldn't have done it, sarge, but I just couldn't let that go."

The other man pulled free and said, "Brian told me you knocked him out and just left him there!"

Tully's frown deepened slightly. "That's not true at all. I didn't know where he was sleeping so I dragged him out of the way … I even found a blanket and covered him up."

Captain Nelson said, "All right, that enough!" He looked at Troy. "I'm willing to let this go on both sides as long as it doesn't happen again."

Troy nodded. "Yes, sir, I agree. Tully, go get some breakfast. Hitch, start packing up."

Moffitt followed the privates and said, "So, you were protecting the honor of your sergeants?"

Tully shrugged. "Something like that. Troy sure doesn't look like a rat. And you don't look like any ferret I've ever seen before."

Moffitt smiled. "Thank you, Tully."

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

It was midmorning when they reached the mountains. The canyon lay tall and narrow before them. Captains Nelson and Conrad met with Troy and Moffitt.

Conrad said, "We'll have to go single file. What if the enemy is waiting at the other end?"

Moffitt said, "We're going through first to check for that very thing, captain. When we know it's clear, we'll be back for you."

Nelson asked deliberately, "And if you don't come back?"

Troy growled, "Then you'd better be ready to run, sir. No matter what, do not enter that canyon until we get back. If you have to run, go east around the mountains."

And then the Rat Patrol disappeared into the canyon.

It had been probably a good half-hour when the shooting could be heard. The Rat Patrol's 50 caliber machine guns let go with burst after burst of the heavy slugs, the sound echoing through the canyon. The return fire had a different sound and Conrad said, "Sounds like they ran into some Germans."

And then it got quiet. Nelson called out, "Man the guns, but don't shoot unless you're sure it's the enemy!"

1st Lieutenant Ericson pulled his halftracks around to take up position at the front. His men stood at the ready. It seemed like a long time before they could hear the sound of engines. Every man tensed behind their guns.

When the Rat Patrol exited the canyon, there was a collective sigh of relief. The jeeps stopped and Troy said to the captains, "There was a German patrol taking a break at the other end. They weren't expecting us and they won't be giving us a problem. There's no time to waste, so let's get going."

Moffitt mentioned, "Let your men know not to use their heavy guns if the enemy suddenly appears. If even one shell hits the side of the canyon, it could be disastrous."

As the tanks headed out in single file, Troy and Hitch led the way with two of the four halftracks while Moffitt and Tully brought up the rear with the other two halftracks. They heard Captain Nelson on the radio warning all the men about the hazards of using anything heavier than the 30 caliber machine guns mounted on the halftracks.

They were maybe half-way through when Moffitt spotted a German patrol coming up from behind. He quickly radioed Troy as Tully turned the jeep around.

Hitch called to Troy in the back, "Should we go help?"

Troy hesitated as he heard the first shots echo off the steep walls. "No, let's pick up the pace! Moffitt and Tully have those halftracks to help them out if need be." He got on the radio and gave the order to speed up.

When Hitch finally drove out of the canyon, he quickly pulled to the side and turned the jeep around to face the entrance. First two halftracks sped past, then one after another, thirty-four tanks followed with one halftrack bringing up the rear. It felt like it was taking forever as all Troy and Hitch could do was listen to the gunfire and hope.

As soon as the last halftrack was out of the canyon, Hitch gunned the engine to go back in. Troy put a hand on the private's shoulder and said, "Hold it! Listen!" The gun battle was over. "We'll know in a minute who won."

Sure enough they soon heard engines, but they weren't from a German patrol. First a halftrack and then a jeep named Olive exited the canyon. Hitch turned Bertha around and followed them to where the tanks were idling.

As they got out of the jeeps, Captains Nelson and Conrad, along with 1st Lieutenant Ericson hurried over and Conrad asked, "Is everything all right? Everyone okay?"

Moffitt nodded. "For the most part. I believe there may be a couple of injuries in the halftrack."

Ericson said as he moved off, "I'll go check on them."

Troy asked, "Any of them get away?"

Moffitt shook his head. "It wasn't easy maneuvering in such tight quarters. However, with help from the 1st lieutenant's men we were able to decimate the entire patrol. No one will be warning anyone that we're out here."

Nelson looked around at the carnage the Rat Patrol had wrought before the convoy had even entered the canyon. Smoldering German hardware and dead bodies littered the area. "I must say, I'm more and more impressed by you and your men as time goes on, Sergeant Troy. I, for one, am glad you're with us."

As soon as Ericson reported that the injuries were minor and taken care of, the convoy was off again.

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

Five hours later they were at the coordinates marked on the map, a full eight hours ahead of schedule. Troy sent Hitch and Tully to the top of one hill to check things out. Two minutes later, Hitch was back and said, "You need to see this, sarge."

Troy and Moffitt followed the private to where Tully waited. What they saw amazed even the battle-hardened Sergeant Troy. Stretched across the desert floor were three German battalions, and in the center was a large, heavily fortified fort.

Captains Nelson and Conrad came up from behind Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully. Nelson said, "That is what we're here for. Our mission is to destroy it all."

Moffitt said, "There are thousands of men down there, sir. Look at the firepower they have … and that's just what we can see from here."

Conrad said, "High Command got wind of this 'gathering'. It's obvious the Germans are planning a major offensive. Our orders are to stop it before it starts."

Troy frowned. "With thirty-four tanks and four mortars? This is suicide."

"I admit there's more here now than what we were originally told about. But what choice do we have? Orders are orders."

The men of the Rat Patrol looked at one another. After they each gave a silent nod, Troy said, "I think it's time we join forces, captain."

Nelson said, "I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but this is our mission, sergeant. That won't be necessary."

Conrad said, "Wait a minute, Dan. He has a point … and let's face it, this is going to be a bigger operation than we expected. We're going to need all the help we can get."

The tent was erected. The folding table was set up. Charts and plans were spread out. The captains and sergeants went to work.

Up on the hill, Tully was standing watch in the late afternoon heat. He felt a presence behind him and a voice quietly inquired, "Hey, can we talk?"

Without turning around, Tully knew it was Private Hall. "What would you like to talk about?"

Hall stepped up next to Tully with a canteen and said, "I just wanted to apologize for the other night. I've seen you guys in action now and I know that I had no right to say what I did."

Tully looked at Hall and saw the purple/black bruise that surrounded his left eye. He took the canteen and swallowed a mouthful of water before he said, "Apology accepted. Sorry about the eye."

"Well, I have to admit I did deserve it."

Tully handed the canteen back. "You should probably go talk to Hitchcock too. He was part of it as well."

Hall nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that right now."

As he started to walk away, Tully said, "Thanks for the water."

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

That evening over a K-ration dinner, Troy and Moffitt explained their plan.

Troy said, "We're going into the battalions tonight to set explosives to blow as many of their weapons and vehicles as possible, along with any fuel and ammo we find.

Hitch asked between bites, "What about the base?"

"As soon as our charges start going off, Sergeants Nelson and Conrad will start bombarding the base."

Moffitt said, "There's no moon tonight so we shouldn't have too much trouble getting in and out."

Tully swallowed and said, "We don't have enough explosives with us for this kind of operation, sarge."

"Captain Conrad is having 1st Lieutenant Ericson take care of that for us. We should have plenty."

As the hours ticked by, Hitch and Tully worked with what they had in the jeeps, then began to stuff backpacks with explosives and timers as Ericson's men delivered their stuff.

At midnight the Rat Patrol headed out. Troy and Hitch took one battalion. Moffitt and Tully took the second. The plan was to meet and together set the explosives in the largest of the three encampments.

The men of the 761st Tank Battalion prepared to move in when the four Allies returned or at 0300 hours—whichever came first.

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

Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were immediately swallowed up by the inky darkness. They quickly settled behind a scrub bush, that in daylight wouldn't have offered any cover at all, near the battalions and Troy whispered, "Okay, everyone set?" There were nods all around. "Remember, we meet up in ninety minutes outside that third battalion."

Moffitt said quietly, "We'll be there. You two be careful."

"Right, you too."

And with that they separated.

Troy led Hitch around the perimeter of the camp until they found a way in between tents that weren't being watched at the moment.

Moffitt and Tully did pretty much the same thing as they hurried in past the tents full of sleeping German soldiers.

They went in, relying on the darkness to be their cover.

Explosives were planted in motor pools, among drums of fuel, in the ammo dumps … anywhere that could and would do the most damage.

Ninety minutes passed quickly and the four Allies met next to the wall of the fort as was planned. Then they again split into two groups and headed into the third encampment to finish their job.

When the last of the explosives were in place with their timers set to go off at the agreed upon hour, Moffitt and Tully hid their empty backpacks and started to head for the open desert. As they snuck by one guard, another unexpectedly came around the corner of a tent and clicked on a flashlight before Moffitt and Tully could dive for cover.

Troy and Hitch heard the commotion not too far away and knew their friends had been caught. It was always a possibility, and the Allies believed in "no man left behind". Troy and Hitch ducked down and waited. A minute later they saw Moffitt and Tully being escorted away. They followed carefully to where the prisoners were taken into a tent, the dull yellow light of a lantern came on, and they were left inside with two guards at the door.

Troy lit a match just long enough to check his watch. They were quickly running out of time.

Hitch put a hand on Troy's arm to get the sergeant's attention. When he turned, Troy saw that Hitch held one last explosive charge.

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

Captain Nelson paced while Captain Conrad leaned against a tank. Conrad said, "Time's getting short, Dan. Think they've been caught?"

Nelson replied, "Could be … but we'll still go ahead with the plan. We have no choice."

"Yeah, I know. There's a lot of area to cover in there. Maybe the setup took longer than we thought it would."

"Let's hope that's it. In a few minutes we're going to be moving into position."

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

Troy and Hitch moved to the back of the tent to wait for the distraction they knew was coming. Hitch held his knife at the ready. It wasn't too long before they heard it. Out in the cold, dark desert was the rumble and squeak as the heavy weaponry moved into position.

Then there were excited yells and officers shouting orders as the Germans rushed to see what was going on. They could hear the movements in the desert, and it sounded like they were being surrounded, but they couldn't see anything in the total darkness. Were they German? Italian? Allies?

Troy looked at Hitch and gave a nod. The private used his knife to make a slit in the tent's canvas. Troy stuck his head inside to see Moffitt and Tully smiling at him as he whispered, "Ready to go?"

Moffitt went out first, then Troy handed Tully the last charge with the timer ticking and said, "Set it on the table."

Tully nodded and did as he was told before he too slipped out the newly made backdoor.

Just after the Rat Patrol disappeared into the dark cover of the space between tents, one of the guards stuck his head in to check on the prisoners. He immediately saw the slit in the canvas and frowned as he got his comrade's attention. They both stepped inside and looked around before they both spotted the bomb on the table. The Germans had just enough time to look at each other before in went off.

Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were running for their lives as explosions began to go off around them. Moments later spotlights on the fort's walls came on, but it was too late, as the shelling began. There was so much confusion, no one appeared to notice the four Allies before they disappeared into the inky desert.

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

By the time the sun came up, the fort and its surrounding battalions were destroyed. A white flag was flown from the broken wall of the fort and a cheer went up from the Allies as the Germans surrendered.

As they moved in to round up the prisoners, Moffitt and Hitch tended to the shrapnel wounds Troy and Tully had sustained during their escape.

Captains Nelson and Conrad walked over to the jeeps. Nelson asked, "Anything serious?"

Moffitt said, "Not too, sir. Troy took a little shrapnel in the arm and Tully got hit in the shoulder."

Conrad said, "Good to hear it. We were sure you were still in there when everything started to go up."

Troy blew cigarette smoke as he said, "We were. Moffitt and Tully got caught. Hitch and I were able to get 'em out just as the bombs went off."

"That was a close call, sergeant."

"Doesn't get much closer, captain. What are you going to do with the prisoners?"

Nelson said, "They'll have to walk. We actually didn't plan on them giving up."

Troy said, "We can help you keep an eye on them, captain."

Moffitt offered, "If we get them as far as the waterhole we spent the night in, we can send for trucks to come pick them up."

"Conrad said, "Sounds like a good idea."

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

Finally at the waterhole, the exhausted prisoners were tied up and guards were set around them. Moffitt made the rounds to check on the wounded. Captain Nelson made the call for trucks. They would be there the next day.

Just after dark, Tully stood up after finishing his dinner. As he shifted his shoulder uncomfortably, Moffitt said, "Where are you off to?"

Tully sighed. "I'm going to take over watch so Hitch can come in for something to eat."

"No you aren't. You and Troy need to rest."

"But…"

Troy said, "He's right, Tully. In fact, I think we'll let the captains men take care of watch tonight. We all deserve to sleep."

Moffitt agreed. "I'll go fetch Hitch."

The sergeant walked off as Tully sat down next to Troy, who asked, "Feeling all right?"

Tully nodded. "A little sore, but I'm okay."

Troy pulled the med kit over onto his lap and got a dose of morphine out. "I'm going to give you this and then you can go get some sleep."

Tully thought about arguing, but really couldn't think of a reason to and just nodded. The thought of sleep suddenly sounded really good. After Troy gave him the shot, Tully said, "How 'bout you?"

Troy said, "I'll wait for Moffitt and Hitch to come back."

"Why? Don't you trust me to give you a shot?"

Troy was incredulous at the thought. "Of course I trust you."

Tully asked, "Then why wait for Moffitt and Hitch?"

"Well…" Troy thought and realized he didn't have an answer. He got a second morphine injection out and handed it to Tully as he said, "I have no idea. Let's get some rest."

When Moffitt and Hitch returned to their little camp next to the jeeps, they found both Troy and Tully rolled in their blankets near the fire fast asleep.

Moffitt and Hitch looked at each other and smiled. Hitch said quietly, "A black panther may be an apex predator, but no one ever wants to mess with a rat either."