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

Author's note: The poem used in this story is called "A Hero's Welcome" by Robert Longley

No One Saw It All

By Suzie2b

The Rat Patrol was escorting an important supply convoy through enemy lines to an Allied battalion in desperate need of, not only food, but of guns and ammunition as well.

It was just after midnight and Hitch arrived to relieve Tully on watch. Hitch yawned and asked quietly, "Anything exciting going on?"

Tully sighed. "It's been pretty quiet. I haven't…"

A sound interrupted him. Tully and Hitch looked at each other and Hitch questioned, "What was that?"

Tully shook his head. "I don't know. I did a circuit around camp about ten minutes ago and there was nothing to see."

They heard it again and Hitch said, "Let's check it out."

The privates followed the sounds to one of the convoy's trucks. They split up and moved down either side to the back. Hitch and Tully stepped into the open to see two men scuffling in the dark with one man straddling the other with his hands around his throat. Hitch and Tully looked at each other, then moved to break up the fight. However, the man on top pulled a large knife from a belt sheath.

By the time Hitch and Tully could take the few steps to stop it, the man had stabbed the other three times in the chest.

Hitch and Tully lunged for the man with the knife. Tully pulled him off the body of the other and Hitch wrested the blade from his hand, then landed a hard right cross to the guy's face. When he went limp, Tully let him fall to the ground.

Hitch knelt next to the stabbed man and felt for a pulse. He shook his head and said, "He's dead."

Tully said, "I'll go get Troy and Moffitt." He looked down at the unconscious soldier. "Keep an eye on him."

A few minutes later the two sergeants arrived on the scene. Troy looked at the now conscious man and the dead body, then looked at Hitch. "What happened?"

Hitch said, "I was just going to start my watch when Tully and I heard a noise. We found these two fighting. Before we could break it up…" He pointed at the private sitting on the ground. "He'd stabbed this guy three times."

Moffitt knelt next to the body to check the wounds. "What kind of knife was it?"

Hitch held out the confiscated knife with its seven inch blade. "This Mark 2. He pulled from a sheath on his belt."

As Captain Garcia and Tully arrived, Moffitt said, "The blade probably pierced his heart. He didn't have a chance."

The captain surveyed the scene and asked, "Is he dead?"

"Yes, sir, he is."

Garcia looked at his other man. "What happened here, Private Nelson?"

At first he didn't answer, but then Nelson said, "I was on watch, sir. I heard a noise and found Pete in the back of this truck. He was stealing guns and stashing them over in those bushes." Tully took a flashlight out of a pocket and went to the bushes indicated to check. "We got into a fight when I confronted him. I don't remember stabbing him, but I guess I did."

Tully returned to the group and said, "There's guns there, sir. There's ammo too. It was all covered with a blanket."

Troy said, "He was probably leaving them here for someone else to pick up."

Moffitt added, "My guess is they're for some of the Arabs in the area. The Germans and Italians wouldn't be so trusting to prepay anyone for weapons. Especially the Allies."

Garcia questioned, "Prepay?"

"How else would the private get paid, sir? It would be problematic for him to try to return here for what payment might or might not be left for him. The Arab's aren't known for being trustworthy."

By this time several of captain's men who were on watch showed up to see what was going on. Garcia said, "All right. Cover Private Williams' body for now. We'll bury him before we leave in the morning." He looked at his other man still sitting on the ground. "Escort Private Nelson back to his bedroll and keep an eye on him. Get those guns and ammo back into the truck."

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

Just after sunrise Private Peter Williams was laid to rest. The men of the convoy along with the Rat Patrol gathered around the unmarked grave as Captain Garcia took out his small bible. But instead of reading from it he took a well-worn piece of paper from between its pages. He was holding Williams' dog tags as he carefully unfolded the sheet and began to read:

"Time to come home young soldier; Your tour of duty through; You've given as much as anyone; Could be expected to do

"Just a few steps further; The smoke will start to clear; Others here will guide you; You have no need of fear

"You have not failed your brothers; You clearly gave it all; And through your selfless actions; Others will hear the call

"So take your place of honor; Among those who have gone before; And know you will be remembered; For now and evermore"

After that, everyone walked silently to their trucks to prepare to get under way.

Captain Garcia went to the jeeps with his copy of the map to confirm their route for the day. After showing him the route, Moffitt said, "That was a very nice eulogy, captain."

Garcia said a bit sadly, "I don't know why, but I've carried that poem with me for as long as I've been in the army." He sighed. "It stayed in my bible until I became a captain. That's when I swore to read it at every burial I'm forced to preside over. I've had to read it more times then I want to think about during this war."

"Some would argue that Private Williams didn't deserve the sentiment of the poem, sir. What he was doing is a court-martial offence."

"And how do you feel about it, sergeant?"

Moffitt replied, "Every man has a reason for what they do or say, sir. I didn't know the private and we'll never know why he took to profiteering, so I can't judge him."

Garcia smiled slightly. "Good answer."

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

The day was long and hot, but just before dusk the convoy arrived at the battalion. Everyone was exhausted as they parked the trucks and slid out of their seats.

The battalion's second in command Captain Phillips met Captain Garcia. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it until tomorrow. Any problems?"

Garcia nodded. "I lost one of my men."

"Oh? You ran into the enemy then."

"No, he died at the hands of another of my men. Supposedly there was some gunrunning involved."

Phillips said, "I'm sorry to hear that. I guess you'd better report the incident to Lt. Col. Taylor."

Garcia nodded. "The sooner the better."

"Did any of your men see what happened?"

"It was the middle of the night. Everyone was either on watch or sleeping. No one reported seeing a thing."

Phillips called Troy over and asked, "We're any of your men involved with this stabbing incident, sergeant?"

Troy said, "Privates Hitchcock and Pettigrew saw what happened, sir."

"I'll let the Lt. Col. know. He may want to speak to them."

"Yes, sir. I'll let my men know."

Hitch and Tully did discuss what they saw with Lt. Col. Taylor, but nothing more was needed from them so the team started back to Ras Tanura with the empty trucks the next day.

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

Weeks passed and the incident was mostly forgotten as the Rat Patrol went back on patrol. However, while they were out on a recon mission a radio message came through. Moffitt decoded it and read it with a frown.

Troy went over to the jeep and asked, "What came through?"

Moffitt replied, "A message from headquarters. Major Gleason wants us to return ASAP."

"What about this mission?"

"We're to drop it for now."

Troy sighed. "Okay, let's pack up and get going. It's going to take a couple of days to get there."

Moffitt gave a nod. "Right. I'll send a response to let them know the message was received and we're on our way."

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

As soon as they arrived at headquarters, the four man team went to Major Gleason's office. They saluted and Troy said, "Reporting as ordered, sir."

Gleason said, "This concerns what happened when you were escorting those supplies to Lt. Col. Taylor's outfit."

"The stabbing, sir?"

"Exactly. I was given a full report on the incident and as per regulations sent it on to the Judge Advocate General's office for review. They sent a Preliminary Hearing Officer to assess the situation and decide what, if any, action should be taken."

Moffitt asked, "Do they have reason to believe the incident was more than profiteering gone wrong? At the time it appeared to be a case of self-defense."

Gleason said, "The PHO questioned Private Nelson and found some discrepancies in the story he told Captain Garcia on the night it happened and what he told the PHO when questioned."

Troy said, "What's this got to do with us?"

"Privates Pettigrew and Hitchcock were the only witnesses to the stabbing."

Hitch said, "Begging your pardon, major, but Tully and I showed up after the fight had already started. We don't know any more about the cause than anyone else who wasn't there."

Gleason said, "Be that as it may, Lieutenant Stewart wants to hear from you about what you saw."

"Yes, sir."

"Now that you're here I'll set up the meeting for tomorrow at 1000 hours. The conference room will be made available."

Troy asked, "Can Sergeant Moffitt and I be present, sir?"

Gleason replied, "I don't see why not."

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

The next morning at 10:00 Troy and his men went to the conference room in headquarters. An aide answered the knock on the door, then turned and said, "They're here lieutenant."

A disembodied voice said, "I'll talk to Hitchcock first."

The aide opened the door wider so Hitch could come in with Troy and Moffitt following. Lieutenant Stewart sat at the far end of the table and looked up from his paperwork as the three men entered. When the door was closed he said, "Have a seat gentlemen." Troy and Moffitt sat side by side in chairs against one wall. The aide pulled the only other chair at the table out to indicate Hitch was to sit there. Stewart looked at the sergeants and said, "Major Gleason told me you both are to be allowed to be here during this Probable Cause Hearing. I have no problem with it as long as remain quiet."

Troy said, "Understood, sir."

Stewart put his full attention on Hitch and said, "Please state your name, rank, and serial number for the record."

Hitch said, "Private Mark T. Hitchcock. 14836285."

"What are your regular duties, private?"

"I'm part of the Long Range Desert Patrol, sir."

Stewart was making notes as he asked, "Isn't it true that you and your unit were traveling with a convoy when Private Nelson allegedly killed Private Williams?"

Hitch said, "Yes, sir."

"Why?"

"We were acting as escorts, sir."

Stewart questioned, "As a Long Range Desert Patrol, wouldn't you have better things to do then playing escort?"

Hitch replied, "The convoy was going through enemy territory with some important supplies, lieutenant. Captain Boggs wanted to make sure they got to their destination in one piece."

"I see. Now, on the night in question, what were you doing up wandering around at midnight?"

"I wasn't 'wandering around', sir. I was going to relieve Private Pettigrew on watch."

Stewart said, "Tell me what led up to you and Private Pettigrew coming across Privates Nelson and Williams."

Hitch rubbed his palms on his knees as he said, "Well, like I said, I was relieving Pettigrew on watch. I had asked him how things went and he said things had been quiet. Then we heard a noise and decided to investigate. We followed the sounds to one of the trucks near where we we'd been standing and that's where we discovered Nelson and Williams fighting."

"Explain what you saw."

"They were on the ground. Nelson was on top of Williams with his hands around his throat. Pettigrew and I moved to separate the two when Nelson pulled a knife and stabbed Williams."

Stewart looked at the report in front of him. "He was in fact stabbed three times in the chest, with one hitting the heart. He was able to do that with the two of you just a few feet away?"

Hitch said, "It happened very fast, sir. If we could've stopped it, we would have."

Stewart gave Hitch a long look, as if deciding if the private was telling the truth. Then he asked, "What happened next?"

"Pettigrew and I got Nelson off Williams and I managed to get the knife away from him."

"Did you hit Private Nelson?"

Hitch nodded. "Yes, sir. He continued to struggle even though he was restrained by Private Pettigrew and I felt it was the best thing to do at the time."

Stewart said, "Can you tell me what kind of knife was used?"

"It was a standard issue Mark 2. About twelve inches long with a seven inch blade. Like most soldiers, Nelson had it in a belt sheath."

"Do you remember what Private Nelson said when he was asked what happened?"

Hitch thought for a few moments, then replied, "He said he'd been on watch and heard something. He found Williams in the back of one of the trucks and he told us Williams was stealing guns and they were hidden in some bushes."

Stewart still scribbled notes as he said, "And you naturally checked the bushes."

"No, sir. Pettigrew did that and told us there were guns and ammo covered with a blanket. Nelson said he and Williams got into a fight after he confronted him."

"And Private Nelson didn't remember stabbing Private Williams?"

Hitch nodded. "That's what he said, lieutenant."

Stewart asked, "There was no further problems?"

"No, sir. We got to Lt. Col. Taylor's battalion without anything else happening."

"All right, Private Hitchcock, that's all the questions I have for now. You're dismissed."

The aide opened the door and Hitch walked out, then he looked at Tully and said, "You can come in now."

Tully went inside and Stewart looked at him and said, "Have a seat, private." Tully sat down in the chair Hitch had just vacated. "Please state you name, rank, and serial number for the record."

"Tully Pettigrew. Private. Number 15752351."

"What are your normal duties, private?"

"I'm a driver with the Long Range Desert Patrol, sir."

Stewart asked, "Isn't it true that you and your unit were traveling with a convoy when Private Nelson allegedly killed Private Williams?"

Tully gave a nod. "Yes, sir."

"Why were you with the convoy?"

"It was escort duty, sir. Captain Boggs wanted the supplies the convoy was carrying to get where they were going safe and sound."

Stewart shifted in his chair, then said, "On the night in question, what were you doing at, oh say midnight?"

Tully replied, "I was getting ready to get off watch so I could get some sleep."

"And who would be relieving you?"

"Private Hitchcock, sir."

Stewart said, "So you two were together when, as the report states, 'you heard a sound'?"

Tully gave a nod. "Yes, sir."

"Explain to me what happened."

"Hitchcock and I decided to take a look for what made the sounds we heard. We found Nelson and Williams fighting at the back of one of the trucks. We moved in to break it up, but Nelson pulled a knife and stabbed Williams three times in the chest."

Stewart questioned, "You must have been very close to Privates Nelson and Williams at that time and you couldn't stop it before Williams was stabbed multiple times?"

Tully said, "We moved as quick as we could, sir."

"Can you tell me what kind of knife was used?"

"It was a Mark 2, sir, with a seven inch blade."

Stewart asked, "Can you tell me what explanation Private Nelson gave for what had happened?"

Tully said, "He said he'd been on watch. He heard some kind of noise and went to check it out. He found Williams in the back of one of the trucks. Nelson told us Williams was stealing guns."

"And how did he know that?"

"He said the guns were in the bushes."

Stewart asked, "And you checked to see if they were there?"

Tully said, "Yes I did, sir. There were guns and ammo in those bushes covered up with a blanket."

"Did Private Nelson say how the fight broke out?"

"Not exactly. He just said that when he confronted Williams about gunrunning, the fight started."

Stewart asked, "Do you think Private Nelson knew he'd killed Williams?"

Tully replied, "He said he didn't remember the stabbing, sir."

"Were there any other problems on your way to Lt. Col. Taylor's battalion?"

"No, lieutenant. Didn't see anything of the Germans at all."

Stewart said, "All right, Private Pettigrew. If I have any other questions, I'll send for you. You're dismissed." He looked at Troy and Moffitt. "Since you're here I have a few questions for the two for you."

Tully went out into the hallway to wait with Hitch.

When the door was closed, Stewart said, "Do you have any reason to doubt what either private stated here?"

Troy immediately said, "We trust them with our lives, lieutenant. They wouldn't lie about something this serious."

Stewart looked at Moffitt, who said, "They are good and reliable men, sir. I feel the same way and Sergeant Troy."

Stewart asked, "What's your take on Private Nelson's explanation?"

Moffitt said, "He was quite shaken, sir. I don't have a reason to disbelieve what he told us."

"Did Private Nelson mention how he knew where the guns were hidden?"

Troy shook his head. "No, sir. Really didn't think to ask that. Has he given you a reason?"

Stewart said, "He told me that he found them before confronting Private Williams. However, according to the report, Nelson told Captain Garcia that he'd actually watched Williams hiding the guns."

Moffitt said, "Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, lieutenant."

Troy asked, "Will you be needing Hitchcock and Pettigrew anymore, sir?"

Stewart sighed. "Unsure at this time, sergeant. It would be best if they kept themselves available until I'm done."

"I'll talk to Captain Boggs. He might be willing to put us on day patrols."

"That would be fine."

Troy gave a nod. "Thank you, sir." And with that Troy and Moffitt left the office to join Hitch and Tully who were waiting in the hall. Troy said to the privates, "You two go take care of the jeeps while I talk to Captain Boggs. I'll let you know what the captain wants us to do during all this."

Tully nodded and Hitch said, "Right, sarge."

Troy turned to Moffitt. "Want to come with me?"

Moffitt smiled slightly. "I have nothing else more pressing to do at the moment."

"Let's go."

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

A week passed. Captain Boggs did give the Rat Patrol daily patrols so they would be close if Lieutenant Stewart needed to talk to Hitch or Tully.

They were taking a break in the cover of a waterhole one day when Tully asked, "I wonder how Lieutenant Stewart is doin' with the case?"

Moffitt said, "There's been no word, but I did see the lieutenant yesterday not long after we returned to base. So apparently he's still working on it."

Hitch asked, "Do you think he has to question everyone that was in that convoy?"

"Probably not all of them. I would think he would talk to those men who were closest with Nelson and Williams."

Tully said, "Yeah, there were several guys I talked to that said they had just transferred to that unit."

Hitch said, "Last I heard Nelson was confined to his quarters until charges are filed."

Troy said, "You better make that 'when'. For all anyone knows Nelson could be telling the truth and killed Williams in self-defense."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But what about the discrepancies in his story?"

"Lieutenant Stewart told Moffitt and me that Nelson changed his story about how he knew where the guns were hidden. I don't know why it makes a difference, but I guess that's why I'm not a lawyer."

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

A few days later, as they drove onto the base at the end of the day, they noticed that a fair amount of MPs were on the streets. They parked the jeeps in the motor pool and Troy asked one of the mechanics if something had happened.

The mechanic said, "Word's gotten around that a private has disappeared, sarge. I guess Captain Boggs has the MPs looking for him."

Leaving the mechanic to get back to work, Troy said to his men, "Let's report in to Boggs and find out if this is true."

When they got to Captain Boggs' office, the captain's aide Corporal Green told them, "I can tell you it's true. Private Nelson has been confined to quarters since he returned with that convoy. When two guards went in to take him to talk to Lieutenant Stewart, they discovered he'd gone out the window."

"Can we talk to the captain?"

"I'll find out." The corporal knocked on the door and stepped inside. He said, "Troy and his men are here. They'd like to talk to you, captain."

Boggs nodded. "Let them in."

Green opened the door. "You can come in."

The four man team went in and the corporal left, closing the door behind him. Lieutenant Stewart was there as well.

Captain Boggs asked, "You've heard?"

Troy replied, "Yes, sir. Is there anything we can do to help find Nelson?"

Stewart said, "The MPs have been looking for him pretty much all day with no luck."

Moffitt asked, "Is there any idea of when the private left his quarters?"

Boggs said, "It had to be sometime after bed check. The guards looked in on him at 10:00 last night and said he was in bed asleep. When they went to take him in for further questioning, they found him missing."

Troy said, "That means he's got a big head start. He might've left the base, sir. Has there been any report of a missing vehicle?"

"Nothing like that has come across my desk. Go check with the motor pool and find out who's checked out vehicles to go off base."

Back at the motor pool Troy and Moffitt looked over the vehicle checkout list. There had been two jeeps taken out that day. One had since been returned, but the other had not. The driver, Corporal Allen, was going to Pattani.

Troy put the clipboard aside as he said, "Pattani is only a couple of hours from here. He should've gotten there hours ago."

Moffitt nodded. "Shall we go find out?"

"Yeah." Troy turned to the privates and said, "Hitch, you and Tully get the jeeps ready. Moffitt and I will let Captain Boggs know about our suspicions."

An hour later Troy and Moffitt returned to the motor pool as Hitch and Tully were filling the jeeps gas tanks. Troy said, "We checked with Pattani and Corporal Allen never made it there."

Hitch asked, "So are we going to try to find him?"

"We've got a few hours of daylight left. Let's take the most direct route to Pattani and see what we can find."

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

They drove for just over an hour, taking the most logical route Corporal Allen should've used. Moffitt suddenly held up one hand to indicate they were to stop.

Hitch made U-turn and pulled up alongside the other jeep. Troy asked, "See something?"

Moffitt replied, "We've been following intermittent tracks this whole way so far." Troy agreed with a nod. "If Private Nelson was with Corporal Allen, he would've forced the corporal to turn well before Pattani."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we locate the closest airfield. My guess is that Nelson will be looking for a way out of North Africa."

Troy nodded thoughtfully, then said, "The closest airfield would be the one over near Ombi Oasis."

Tully mentioned, "That airfield only caters to fighters and smaller cargo planes. Nothing that's setup to carry extra people."

Hitch said, "He could stowaway on a cargo plane."

Moffitt said, "We've all seen the inside of them. There's nowhere to hide."

Troy said, "Let's go there anyway. We can ask around to see if anyone has seen someone matching Nelson's description."

They got to the airfield just before sunset. Troy and Hitch went to talk to the commander while Moffitt and Tully went to have a look around and ask questions.

When they met up a while later, the news wasn't good. No one had seen two men in a jeep. The only thing that had come in was a supply convoy and it hadn't been from Ras Tanura.

Then Moffitt said, "However, someone did mention that there's a group in Labto, which on the coast of Angola. It's said this group is helping AWOL soldiers from both sides escape the war via ships."

Troy asked, "What group are we talking about?"

"Apparently they call themselves 'Espadas Amarelas'. I don't speak Portuguese and neither did the young man who gave us the information so I can't tell you what it means."

Tully added, "Actually, we can't be sure if it's anything other than a rumor."

Troy sighed. "Well, it's too late to do anything else today. I'll contact Captain Boggs and see if they want us continue looking in the morning."

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

Bright and early the next day the Rat Patrol was on their way again. Boggs wanted them to head towards Angola in hopes of heading Corporal Allen and Private Nelson off. The captain also stated he would look into the fact or fiction of the "Espadas Amarelas".

About two hours into their trip they came across a "bump" in the otherwise smooth sand of the desert. Suspicion had Troy calling for a halt. He got out of the jeep with his men following as the sergeant walked over to the "bump".

Moffitt stared at the mound of sand as he asked, "What do you think?"

Troy replied, "I think it doesn't belong here."

"You're thinking someone is buried here."

"That would be my guess. Hitch, Tully, get the shovels."

It wasn't too long before the privates uncovered a set of legs that were attached to feet covered with American army issue boots. Hitch and Tully looked at each other, then moved to the other end of the grave and carefully began to dig.

Troy and Moffitt watched the privates as they stood at the jeeps. When they moved to begin digging again, Moffitt said, "They've found something."

Troy dropped his half-finished cigarette and pushed it into the sand with the toe of his boot. Without a word he levered himself away from the jeep he was leaning on. "Let's take a look." The sergeants walked over and Troy asked, "Find something?"

Tully was just beginning to brush sand away from a face with his hands as Hitch said, "It's a body, sarge. From the looks of what he's wearing he's with the Allies."

Tully finished uncovering the soldier's head and shoulders. He found a set of dog tags and removed them. He looked at the tags as he stood up and said, "It's Corporal Allen."

Troy took the dog tags and said, "I want to know how he died."

Troy paced and Moffitt stood watching as the privates continued their task.

When Hitch and Tully had the corporal completely uncovered, they checked him over for any wounds. Seeing nothing, they rolled the body over and found two bullet holes in Corporal Allen's back.

Hitch noted the empty holster on the corporal's hip. "His sidearm is missing."

Troy stared at the body for several seconds, his eyes dark with anger, before he growled, "Cover him up."

Hitch and Tully settled the corporal onto his back again and went to work.

Moffitt followed Troy back to the jeeps. "Can we be sure Nelson did this?"

Troy said, "Who else could it be? If it were any of the natives in the area, they wouldn't have buried him. If it was the Germans, both Allen and Nelson would be dead."

"So, it would be safe to assume that Private Nelson is indeed heading for the coast of Angola."

"All we can do is hope we can get him before he manages to leave the country."

They drove until it got dark, then stopped for some food and rest.

When Hitch went out to relieve Moffitt on watch, he asked, "With all that's happened do you think Nelson is innocent of Williams' death?"

Moffitt said, "Troy and I were discussing that earlier. We agreed that Private Nelson more than likely murdered Private Williams to keep him quiet."

"Then chances are Nelson was the gunrunner, not Williams."

"That's right."

Hitch asked, "Do you think we can catch him?"

Moffitt replied, "Personally, I doubt it. However, we can't lose anything by trying. Perhaps we'll get lucky."

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

They were up before dawn and before daylight they'd eaten breakfast and Hitch and Tully had readied the jeeps.

Moffitt showed the privates the route he and Troy had decided on, then they set off in a southwesterly direction.

They managed to keep to the hills to hopefully stay out of sight of any German patrols that might be in the area. It was late in the day when the Rat Patrol crossed into Angola and after midnight when they reached the outskirts of the coastal town of Labto.

The town was little more than a fishing village and didn't have a military presence, so the Allies would have to be careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. They were preparing to cover the jeeps before leaving them next to one of the native broad trunked quiver trees when the radio came to life. Hitch copied the message and decoded it before handing it to Troy.

Moffitt asked, "Is it from Captain Boggs?"

Troy nodded as he read through the short note. Then he said, "He can find no information on anyone smuggling soldiers out of Africa."

Tully asked, "If Nelson's found out that his escape route doesn't exist, do you think he'll stick around?"

"Where would he go? If nothing else, he's wanted for desertion. Once the word gets out, eventually someone will catch up to him."

Moffitt said, "It's possible Nelson doesn't know that the Espades Amarelas aren't real or perhaps he hasn't heard of them at all."

They quickly covered the jeeps and began the mile or so walk into Labto.

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

The town was quiet. The cluster of homes and business that were on the edge of the beach were dark.

Troy said quietly, "We'll find a place to hide and wait for daylight."

They quickly found an outbuilding where nets and other fishing gear was stored. It didn't smell good, but it was a place to keep out of sight for the rest of the night.

Troy awoke to the sounds of a bustling town getting ready to cast-off their boats into the sea for a day of fishing. He found Tully squatting next to the partially open door. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Troy joined him and asked, "Anything going on?"

Tully replied, "Just the fishermen headin' out."

They could see part of the beach between two buildings and watched what activity they could see until two men appeared to be running in their direction. Troy and Tully quickly woke Moffitt and Hitch, then they all hid behind a pile of nets and buoys.

The men entered the outbuilding and began to gather several nets that had been hung on one wall as they spoke in Portuguese. One went over to where the Allies were hiding, but stopped short of being able to see them when he picked up a coil of rope. The two left and quickly headed back to the beach.

When the coast was clear, the Allies stepped out into the open and Troy said, "We'd better get started."

Moffitt asked, "How do you want to do this?"

"We'll split up. This isn't a big place, so it shouldn't take too long to search for some sign of Nelson. We'll meet back here in two hours."

They split up and headed out in four different directions.

Two hours later they began to show up back at the outbuilding. Moffitt was first, then Troy.

Moffitt said, "I hope you had better luck than I did."

Troy shook his head. "I didn't find anything."

"It doesn't help that so few people only speak Portuguese."

Hitch showed up a few minutes later. "I found the jeep with an empty gas tank, but no sign of Nelson."

Tully showed up a minute later and Troy asked, "Any luck?"

Tully said, "I think I found where Nelson's been sleepin'."

Moffitt noticed a brown paper wrapped package his friend was carrying. "What's that?"

"Breakfast." Tully opened the package to reveal pastries. "The woman in the pastry shop called them koeksisters. They're real good. I got plenty for all of us."

As Moffitt and Hitch each took a couple of the sweet pastries, Troy asked, "Did you find Nelson's hiding place before or after the bakery?"

Tully offered some to Troy as he said, "After. The woman behind the counter spoke pretty good English. While she was putting together my order I asked if she'd seen any other Americans in the last day or two. She told me a guy dressed like me was in her shop yesterday and picked up a loaf of bread. She pointed me in the direction he went when he left the shop. I wandered around and came across an old rundown outbuilding. It was empty except for a couple of army issue blankets on the floor, a partially eaten loaf of bread, a flashlight, and a half empty box of .45 caliber bullets."

Troy swallowed a bite of pastry, then said, "I want to see this place."

"Okay. Come on."

They finished the pastries as they walked. Just before getting to their destination, Tully wadded up the paper and tossed it onto a rubbish pile. He led his friends between two buildings and to the dilapidated outbuilding that Tully had found.

Troy drew his pistol and peeked inside. No one was there, but they did find the items that Tully had mentioned. The sergeant said, "I doubt he would just leave these things and not come back. Hitch found the jeep, so he's got to be around here somewhere."

Moffitt said, "We could just wait for him to come back here."

"Yeah, Hitch and I will stay here. I want you and Tully to check the beach and dock."

"What for?"

Troy replied, "If he does think he's waiting for a ship that'll take him away, that's where he's going to wait."

Moffitt nodded. "Right, let's go, Tully."

After Moffitt and Tully were out of sight, Troy and Hitch went inside the building and hid at the far end behind a part of the roof that had come down.

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Moffitt and Tully wandered the beach, keeping an eye out for Nelson as they walked towards the dock. The buoys that some of the fishing boats had been tied up to at night bobbed in the water as if waiting for their owners to return. They could see the docks where no boats had been left behind that morning. A small group of children ran passed them and splashed into the surf of the Atlantic Ocean with happy screams and laughter.

As the two Allies got closer to the dock, Tully saw movement and said, "There's someone there."

Sure enough, there was a person standing at the end of the dock overlooking the water. With the glare of the sun, they couldn't make anything out other than it was human. The person suddenly turned and began the short walk towards the steps that would take him to the beach.

Moffitt and Tully stopped and watched as the person moved down the steps. Moffitt said, "I'd swear he's wearing an army uniform."

Tully nodded. "Yeah, just like lady at the pastry shop said."

"I don't think he's noticed us. Let's follow him and see where he goes."

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

Troy and Hitch hadn't moved and were waiting as patiently as they could. After forty-five minutes, they heard what sounded like someone coming. They tensed, ready for anything.

Moments later they saw Nelson walk in. Troy stepped out of hiding with his pistol and said, "Hold it right there, private."

Hitch stood up next to the sergeant and pointed his machine gun at Nelson.

The private recognized the two, but seemed surprised and asked, "What do you want?"

Troy replied, "We were sent to find you and get you back to Ras Tanura."

Nelson shook his head. "No, I'm not going back. I was promised a ride out of here."

"We'll give you that ride out of here, Nelson. But there's no ship coming."

Nelson took a step back and pulled a pistol out of his belt. Troy and Hitch had just enough time to duck as Nelson fired off several shots.

Moffitt and Tully heard the shots as they walked between buildings and quickened their pace. Nelson ran by just as they reached the other end. Moffitt and Tully saw what was going on and Tully took off after him ahead of Troy and Hitch.

When they got to where Moffitt still stood, Troy stopped and Hitch kept going.

Moffitt said, "We saw him at the dock and followed him back here."

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Tully was finally able to catch up with Nelson and tackled him. The pistol was knocked out of his hand when they hit the ground. They rolled around throwing punches until Hitch got there to help. Nelson was on top of Tully, about to punch him in the face when Hitch grabbed the upraised fist and twisted the arm until Nelson fell to one side, crying out in pain.

But Nelson wasn't ready to quit. As soon as Hitch let go, he was on his feet ready to go at it again. Hitch just raised his machine gun and said, "Are you really that stupid."

Tully, who was on his feet again, grabbed Nelson by the arm from behind, spun him around, and landed a punch across his face. Nelson went limp and Tully let him fall.

Troy and Moffitt arrived just in time to see Nelson go down. Troy said, "Let's get him back to the jeeps so we can tie him up."

Hitch asked, "Are we really taking him back with us? We're days away from Ras Tanura."

"No, we'll take him to the nearest Allied base and explain the situation to the commander there. If Lieutenant Stewart wants him, he can arrange secure transport."

As soon as Nelson regained consciousness they started to leave with their prisoner.

Moffitt happened to look out at water and said, "Look at that." They all turned to see a ship dropping anchor out beyond the shallower harbor. "Do you think…"

Nelson said, "That's the ride I bought and paid for. I was so close."

Troy looked at Moffitt and said, "We'll never know for sure. It could be that Boggs' sources were wrong."

Nelson tried to pull away, but Hitch and Tully kept a firm grip on him as he pleaded, "Please! Just let me go! You can tell them you couldn't find me and no one will know the difference!"

Moffitt looked the prisoner in the eye and sternly said, "But we'd know."

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The Rat Patrol took Private Nelson to the nearest Allied base, which belonged to the Australians. The prisoner was locked up and the situation explained to the commanding officer. Lt. Col. Walker was more than happy to take charge of the prisoner and agreed to contact Lieutenant Stewart at Ras Tanura for further instruction.

The four men of the Rat Patrol were given quarters and stayed the night so they could shower, eat something, and get some rest. Troy sent a message to Captain Boggs to let him know that Nelson had been captured and Lt. Col. Walker's people would be contacting Lieutenant Stewart within the next twenty-four hours.

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

Private Nelson was returned to Ras Tanura under guard and locked in the stockade. He finally admitted to the PHO that he killed Private Williams to keep him from telling Captain Garcia about his weapons selling. He also admitted to Corporal Allen's death.

Weeks later Troy and Moffitt came from a meeting with Captain Boggs and met Hitch and Tully in the mess hall.

Hitch asked, "Do we have an assignment, sarge?"

Troy nodded as he sat down. "Yeah, we have an assignment. We also got word that Private Nelson's trial is a go."

Moffitt said, "They're prosecuting him on two counts of murder, the profiteering of weapons, desertion, and insubordination, among other charges."

Tully said, "He's goin' away for a long time."

Troy said, "There's a good chance he'll get life in Leavenworth."

Hitch said, "There's not much of a life in any prison. The army will give him a dishonorable discharge to boot."

Troy smiled slightly as he said, "The next time you two run amok and cause issues for your superiors, I hope you'll remember what the consequences could be."

Tully said, "We'd never do anything that bad, sarge!"

"I'm just giving you fair warning. I don't want to have to take your car keys away."

Hitch smiled. "Yes, Dad."