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

Quite a Team

By Suzie2b

The Rat Patrol had been sent into the foothills of the Ahaggar Mountains to do recon after a detached squad of Australian troops hadn't reported in for nearly two weeks.

They arrived at the coordinates where the troops had last reported from and began their search. Towards the end of the day they'd located the remnants of a camp hidden among the boulders. Tents were still set up, though sagging, with cots and blankets inside. Supplies and equipment were scattered everywhere. But there was no sign of the Australian soldiers.

Hitch looked around warily. "Maybe they were ambushed."

Moffitt nodded. "Could be."

Tully came out of one of the tents. "It's more likely they abandoned the camp. I haven't seen any weapons or ammo, but they left everything else behind. There's even a working radio inside."

"What do you think, Troy?"

He looked at his fellow sergeant. "The area's been wiped clean of any footprints or tire tracks. There's no way to really know what happened here … or if anyone got away."

Something caught Tully's eye and he went to investigate. There was a mark on one of the boulders, then he found several more. "Sarge, look at this." When the others joined him, he pointed out the marks and said, "These were made by bullets. Someone was shooting into the camp."

Hitch spotted several more. "Snipers?"

Tully nodded. "Looks like it."

Moffitt said, "That would explain the camp being abandoned."

Troy sighed. "Well, it's too late to do much more today. Let's find someplace to make camp a few miles from here."

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The next day they started their search in earnest. High command wanted to know what happened to those troops and who was responsible. By noon they had climbed higher into the hills looking for any sign that might give them an explanation as to what happened.

Troy called a halt among some boulders and trees to check the map. "Hitch, you and Tully go high and keep your eyes open."

A few minutes later Hitch spotted the sun reflecting off something about a mile away. Binoculars revealed what looked like a mound of dirt and a makeshift wooden cross. "Hey, sarge, you need to see this!"

When they drove up onto the site, they stopped at the only cover available close to the grave—a small grove of maybe five trees.

As Troy got out of the jeep, he said, "All right, everyone keep your eyes open. This could be a trap. I'll go take a look. The rest of you stay put and cover me."

Troy quickly and cautiously walked out to the grave with his pistol drawn. Hanging off the cross were dog tags. As he took them in his hand and lifted them free, a shot rang out and hit the dirt near his feet.

Hitch and Tully immediately laid down cover fire with the 50 calibers as Troy ran back to the jeeps.

Tully grabbed the binoculars and searched the area he thought the shot had come from. Seconds later a body fell out of a tree about a half-mile away. "Looks like we got us a sniper."

Upon checking the body, they discovered he was an Italian soldier.

Troy looked at the dog tags in his hand. "Okay, let's get out of here before his friends show up."

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Later that day Troy and Moffitt checked the names on the dog tags against the names on the list they'd been given. All fifteen matched.

Moffitt said, "They all couldn't have been buried there. The grave wasn't big enough."

Troy nodded. "I'd be surprised if even one body was buried there. It was set up to lure us in so that sniper in the tree could pick us off."

"Do you think the Australians are still alive?"

"No way to know until we find something or someone that can tell us one way or the other."

Hitch and Tully were on watch. Both on the same rock, facing opposite directions. A shot rang out and Tully was hit in the head, knocking his helmet off, and went down hard, but remained conscious. Hitch jumped off the rock as a second round hit where he'd been standing. A third bullet tore through Tully's side as he slid to the ground next to Hitch. Troy and Moffitt took cover next to the jeep as machine gun fire erupted.

Tully scanned the area around them and finally spotted one of those who were shooting. He'd dropped his gun when he went down and reached for Hitch's. "I see someone above us behind those rocks." He waited until the head popped up again and fired.

Troy spotted the second shooter and managed to take him out with machine gun fire of his own. Then there was silence. Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch cautiously stood up and Troy said, "We'd better get moving. That gunfire could've been heard for miles."

Hitch looked down at Tully, who was still sitting on the ground. "You okay, Tully?" The private moved his hand away from his side and looked at the blood. Hitch knelt as he called, "Sarge! Tully's been hit!"

Troy and Moffitt rushed to his side and Moffitt asked, "How bad?"

Hitch opened his shirt and Tully grimaced as he said, "Not bad."

Hitch shook his head. "Bullet went through his right side below the ribs." He looked up at the sergeants. "That first shot hit him in the head."

Troy stood and said, "Moffitt, do what you can so he can travel. Hitch, cover me, but stay low. I'm going to see who was doing the shooting."

Moffitt quickly retrieved a med kit and got Tully bandaged. "It's a messy wound, but not terribly serious." He looked at his patient as Tully put his head back against the rock. "How's your head?"

Tully squinted at him. "Actually, it hurts more than my side does."

"Do you want morphine?"

Not wanting the drug to dull his senses at this critical time, Tully replied, "Nah … we need to get movin'. I'll be okay … for a while anyway."

Troy returned and helped Moffitt get Tully up. "It appears there were just the two of them. By the uniforms both were Italian."

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They stopped when they came across an old shack tucked up against a grove of trees. They got Tully inside and as comfortable as possible. Troy looked at Hitch and said, "Get the jeeps out of sight. We'll keep watch from inside."

Moffitt helped Tully out of his shirt and removed the temporary bandage that was now soaked with blood. "Now that we're stopped we can get the bleeding under control." After a few minutes of pressure, he examined the wounds and said, "Looks like I'm going to have to practice my sewing skills on you, Tully."

"Sarge?"

"Yes, Tully?"

Tully gritted his teeth. "Can I have some morphine now?"

Moffitt looked at the private's pale, sweaty face. He knew what it took for Tully to admit he needed the drug. "Of course. I'll take care of that right now."

Within an hour Moffitt had Tully cleaned up, stitched, and bandaged. With a little help Tully got his shirt back on and was resting on a blanket against one wall. Moffitt settled a blanket over him, then joined Troy at the window. "Do you think they know we're here?"

Troy shook his head. "Haven't seen a sign of anyone … yet. But I'm sure they'll find us eventually. How's Tully?"

"Resting at the moment. The wound is shallow, but he lost more blood than I'd like. He still has a headache. The morphine is helping."

"Okay, we're going to stay here tonight. We'll head out in the morning and get him to a doctor."

Hitch looked at a potbelly stove across the room and said, "It's going to get cold tonight. Can we risk making a fire?"

Troy looked at Tully as he thought for a moment, then said, "Not a good idea. The smell of the smoke will lead the Italians right to us."

Hours later, Hitch spent his time moving silently from one window to the other, keeping watch while Troy and Moffitt got some sleep. He had just settled against a window frame when he heard a shuffling sound and a soft groan. Hitch turned to see Tully sitting up pulling a blanket around his shoulders before he leaned against the wall. He smiled slightly as he grabbed a canteen and knelt next to his friend. Hitch whispered, "How's it going, Tully?"

Tully took the offered canteen. "It's goin'." He took a drink and handed it back. "Anything moving out there?"

"Nothing that I've seen."

"Troy and Moffitt come up with a plan yet?"

Hitch capped the canteen and set it on the floor. "As soon as it's light, we're going to get out of here and get you to a doctor."

Tully shifted with a grimace. "But we haven't finished the mission."

"You needing a doctor is more important. We can come back and finish the mission."

Hitch stood and went back to the window. Tully knew he was right. He wasn't doing the team any good wounded. He laid back down and was soon asleep again.

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At first light, Moffitt woke Tully and helped him sit up. "We need to get moving. Do you need anything for pain?"

Tully sighed. "Just some aspirin."

Moffitt shook two tablets out of the bottle and handed them to Tully. As he swallowed them with water, they heard something thump on the roof and begin to roll. Troy and Hitch were keeping watch at the windows when the object fell to the ground in front of Hitch. He threw himself down and shouted, "Grenade!"

The explosion blew the entire window frame and part of the wall in, sending glass and splinters in every direction as bullets ricocheted off the shack's front wall and door. Hitch scrambled across the room to where Troy had ducked down. "You all right, Hitch?"

The private nodded as he looked at a few bloody cuts on his left arm. "I'm okay."

Moffitt and Tully joined them and Tully asked, "Where are the jeeps?"

"Around back. How are we gonna get to them?"

Troy said, "Tully, can you drive?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sarge, I'm good."

"Okay, Hitch and I will lay down cover fire while you and Moffitt get to the jeep." Troy looked at Moffitt. "Make them keep their heads down with the 50. That'll be our signal to follow."

On the count of three Troy and Hitch blanketed the area in front of the house with machine gun fire and Moffitt and Tully went out the door.

As they rounded the corner, bullets ricocheted off the house. Tully grabbed a grenade off his belt, pulled the pin, and threw it into the trees. When it exploded they heard several screams. Moffitt jumped into the back of the jeep and fired up the 50 caliber while Tully got in and started the engine. They heard another grenade explode and Troy and Hitch ran around to get into their jeep.

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They didn't stop until they were out of the foothills and back among the desert dunes. They took a break at the first waterhole they came to.

Tully was hurting bad by then and collapsed to his knees when he got out of the jeep. Moffitt hurried around and caught him under the arm to help him up.

Troy grabbed Tully's other arm and said, "Hitch, keep a look out."

Troy and Moffitt got Tully into the shade so Moffitt could check his wounds. He gave the private a dose of morphine before he removed the bandages. Relieved that the stitches had held and there had been only a small amount of blood seepage, Moffitt smiled as he said, "You're lucky, Tully. I won't have to replace any stitches. We'll let the doctor take care of that."

Tully managed a small smile. "Yeah, lucky me."

While Moffitt took care of Tully and then went out to check the minor cuts on Hitch's arm, Troy got on the radio to headquarters. By the time he had finished, Moffitt had a map spread on the hood of the jeep. Troy stood next to him and Moffitt asked, "What does Captain Boggs want us to do?"

Troy sighed. "He wants us to get Tully to a doctor. Since the only Italian troops we saw were the ones we killed, I couldn't give him much idea of how many there are. He's going to send troops and heavy armor in to clear the area."

"What about the Australians?"

"Well, if they're alive, they've been taken to Libya as prisoners. We'll probably never know for sure though." Troy looked at the map. "Find a field hospital yet?"

Moffitt smiled and put his finger on the map. "There's one a little more than eighty kilometers from here. With the morphine in his system Tully shouldn't have too much trouble getting there." He looked up and noticed Troy staring at Hitch on watch and Tully resting in the shade. "We were lucky, weren't we? Things could've gone very bad for all of us."

Troy let out a sigh. "Yeah, we were lucky. But there's a lot of skill keeping us alive too." He smiled at Moffitt. "We're quite a team."