The Femme Fatale Raid
By desertpat51
Members of the Rat Patrol, Sergeants Sam Troy and Jack Moffitt, followed by Privates Mark (Hitch) Hitchcock and Tully Pettigrew, enter Captain Boggs' office. He's sitting at his desk and stands as the four enter. Troy salutes for the group and Boggs returns it. There is a tension in the air and the Rats feel it, even though none of them considers themselves psychic.
Boggs slides a picture across the desk of a very nice looking twenty-something woman, with medium length brown hair and steel blue eyes, "This is Marta Brandt. She is with the German nursing corps but according to G2 she has also been working with Abwehr." That gets the Rat's attention. Boggs says, "Now, under Admiral Canaris, there is to be no killings by Abwehr agents, only intelligence gathering. However, it seems that Fraulein Brandt has gone rogue. Apparently she has some, as yet, unknown score to settle with the Wehrmacht. Five of their soldiers have turned up dead over the past couple of months. They've been found, in hotels, face down on beds… with their shirts off… as if something else was intended… but with knife wounds in their backs." Moffitt frowns, "Sounds as though we have a femme fatale out there." Boggs nods, "Now, G2 says both the Wehrmacht and Abwehr are after this woman. We want to get to her first. If she's privy to intelligence from Abwehr and she's angry enough at the Germans, maybe she could be persuaded to talk to us."
Boggs continues, "German forces have recently occupied Al Binsur, but we've got a contact there. He just let us know that Brandt arrived there a few days ago." He hands Troy a piece of paper, "Here's his name, address and recognition code. He'll point you in the right direction. Your mission, find Marta Brandt and bring her out, before the Jerrys get to her." Troy salutes for the group, "Don't worry, Captain. We'll get her." Boggs casually returns the salute and the four Rats exit the office.
It's night and the Rats pull up behind some rocks and under a tree near the outskirts of town. They throw the camo covers over the Jeeps, as added concealment, and hope they won't be discovered before their task is completed. Magazines are slapped into their Thompson machine guns and the four make their way down the alley that leads to their contact's residence.
They meet with their contact who takes them, via back alleys, to a café. The man leaves after pointing out a woman inside, sitting at a table, with a large bag on the seat next to her. But, what is unexpected, she is having drinks with Captain Hans Dietrich. Troy looks at the others, "You think he's about to become number six?" Moffitt nods, "Could be. He is Wehrmacht." Troy asks, "Wouldn't he know about her?" Moffitt thinks, "Maybe. Maybe not. The military might want to keep this quiet." Tully notes all the people, "We can't grab her here; too public." Troy says, "Well, if she does things like before, they'll end up at a hotel." But Hitch asks, "And then what? Dietrich isn't just going to sit there and let us take her. Do we take them both?" Troy says, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
They watch for a while and, as predicted, Marta and Dietrich leave the café, walk a few blocks and enter a hotel. The Rats follow them and watch from a darkened alley across the street. The couple checks in and Dietrich pays the hotel clerk who takes the money as if it's contaminated. They head upstairs.
Moffitt enters, without his Thompson, and approaches the counter. He taps coins on the surface to get the clerk's attention. The clerk approaches, sees the coins and smiles, "You must do better than that, my friend, if you want information on those two." He motions towards the stairs. Moffitt smiles.
From outside, the other Rats watch as Moffitt haggles with the clerk and finally comes to an agreement. He discreetly motions for them to come in. The clerk turns his back as they quietly walk by.
Upstairs, in an adequate room, illuminated by a single overhead light bulb, Dietrich takes off his cap and Sam Brown belt with pistol and puts them on the table near a curtained window. Marta puts her bag on a chair next to the bed. She kicks off her shoes, smiles up at the Captain and unbuttons his tunic…
In the hall outside, the Rats move quietly and wait in front of the room door. They hear Dietrich speaking softly, "Ahhh. Das ist wundervoll." Eyebrows raise as the Rats glance at each other.
Just then the clerk arrives with the beverage that Dietrich had ordered when he and Marta checked in. He moves by the rats, and knocks on the door, "Zimmerservice." Dietrich calls from inside, "Eingeben."
The Rats stay in the shadows of the darkened hall and watch as the clerk enters. Dietrich is sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless with his booted feet on the floor. Marta, barefoot but otherwise still dressed, is on her knees directly behind the Captain giving him a shoulder message. Troy and the others exchange glances. The clerk keeps his eyes averted as he walks to the other side of the room and puts the wine bottle and two glasses on the table. He briefly nods to the couple and hurriedly exits the room.
The clerk has purposely left the door slightly ajar. As the Captain stands to close it, the Rats burst in. Seeing who it is, Dietrich freezes. His gun is out of reach and Troy, Moffitt and Hitch already have him covered with their Thompsons. Tully closes the door behind them, then adds his gun to theirs.
Marta watches as Troy now address Dietrich, "Sorry for the intrusion, Captain. We don't want you. We want your lady friend." Dietrich motions to Marta who steps onto the floor. He takes a step back and moves in front of her as if to protect her. Marta looks terrified, "Hans. Was wollen Sie? Wer sind Sie?" Dietrich relaxes a bit, shushes Marta, and picks up his shirt, which is on the bed with his tunic. As he puts it on, he casually asks, "Why do you want her? She's just a nurse."
But Troy shakes his head, "She's not just a nurse, Captain. She's also a member of Abwehr." Dietrich frowns, "Abwehr?" Marta watches the interaction from behind Dietrich as he buttons his shirt and tucks it in. She still appears to be unknowing of the conversation and unsure of the situation, "Hans?" He looks at her, then back at the Rats.
Troy glances at Marta as he talks, "She disappeared a couple of months ago, and ever since then Wehrmacht soldiers have been turning up dead… with knife wounds in their backs." Tully now moves to the chair near the bed, and roots around in Marta's bag. They watch as he pulls out a long knife. He holds it up for all to see, "Looks like you were going to be next, Captain."
But without warning, Marta steps forward, kicks Tully in the groin, comes down hard on his wrist and grabs the knife. Dietrich turns toward her and she plunges the knife into his gut… once… twice. He staggers back a couple of feet, falls onto the edge of the bed, rolls off and hits the floor, grabbing his midsection. Tully, now somewhat recovered, grabs her arm but she spins around and slashes across his arm. He backs off. Troy, Moffitt and Hitch now move in, encircling Marta. She moves quickly, slashing and lashing out, one to the next, to the next, "You! You are all murderers!" The outburst catches all five men off guard, especially since she is now speaking English. She's frustrated that she can't get to more of them, "I will kill you all!" She slashes again, and anger permeates her voice, "Murderers!"
With a look at Moffitt, Troy makes a move in toward Marta and she turns her attention to him, slashing the knife purposefully. As he jumps back, Moffitt moves in fast from behind. He grabs her around the waist and by her right wrist, the hand that is wielding the knife. He pulls her backwards, throwing her off balance and into a tight embrace. Hitch moves in, and pries the knife from Marta's grasp.
Marta is furious, and struggles, "No! I hate you… Let me go!" Moffitt holds on tightly to her slight but strong frame, "Not likely." She's almost in tears but does not allow herself to succumb. She's breathing hard and struggles again against Moffitt's hold. Troy looks at Marta, then to his men, "Hitch, help Tully, and check on the Captain." While they bind Tully's wound and attend to Dietrich, Troy approaches Marta. Still in Moffitt's grip, he takes her by the shoulders, and tries to calm her. But she is stubborn and looks away. Troy asks, "Miss… Miss. Why do you hate us? Why did you call us murderers?"
She hesitates, but is still angry. Breathing hard, she again tries to break free of Moffitt's grasp. Troy signals to Moffitt who releases her, but they watch her carefully. She takes two steps away from the enemy, glances over at Hans as Tully and Hitch are working on him, but remains silent. Troy asks again, "Why did you call us murderers?" She crosses her arms and holds on to herself tightly. She chokes back tears but refuses to let them fall, "You killed my brother… you are all responsible." Troy hesitates, "Your brother? Miss… Look. It's war. We've killed lots of Germans. Germans have killed lots of our guys. But why are you killing Germans? Why did you try to kill Captain Dietrich?"
She's still silent. Moffitt calmly asks, "You said we killed your brother. How did your brother die?" She looks at them all, "Albert worked at the Bizerte docks. He was killed when Allied planes dropped their bombs… four months and twelve days ago. Those planes were supposed to be detected by a radar station… and stopped by German artillery. But he…" pointing at Dietrich… "The intelligence from Abwehr said that he dropped his gun, that he allowed you to just waltz into the radar complex. He allowed you to destroy the one thing that could have saved my brother."
They all remember the mission. Troy explains, "Miss, our orders were to destroy that radar station. Our bombers had to get through, to destroy the munitions, the tanks, and…" He sighs, "That stuff would have been used on our guys. Miss. I'm sorry your brother died, but… It's war. We had our orders."
Moffitt adds, "You must know something else. By the time Troy walked into that radar complex, the bombs to destroy it were already in position. Troy did carry one of those bombs as insurance. And if the Captain had fired, yes he would have killed Troy. But he would have also killed himself and his men. Since the bombs were already placed, we…" motioning to Hitch and Tully… "We would have set the rest of those bombs off. So, you see, the radar station would have been destroyed whether the Captain had dropped his gun and let us in, or not. He was trying to save his men, and we were trying to save ours."
Moffitt leads Marta to a chair by the table, where she sits and thinks about what he has said. He watches her as he picks up the Captain's cap and Sam Brown belt with pistol, and puts them on the bed.
Meanwhile, Troy kneels down next to Dietrich and asks Tully and Hitch, "How is he?" But Dietrich looks up at him, "Not good." He takes a labored breath, almost smiles, "If you were planning on… taking me back to your base…" He shakes his head. Troy now sees that the Captain's blood is beginning to soak the towel that is pressed against the wounds. He looks at the Privates who nod a confirmation. Troy sits back on his heels then looks at his men, "Tully, you and I will take the lady back to the Jeeps. Moffitt, you and Hitch take Dietrich to the base hospital. Make sure you don't get caught… Come on. Shake it."
Tully has already ripped a strip from his shirt to tie around the knife wound on his arm. Since this shirt is already ruined, he rips two more strips and motions for Marta to stand and turn around. But now she realizes that she is going to be tied, and turns on the charm, "Please. Couldn't you just leave me here?" But Troy grabs her wrists and holds her hands firmly behind her back as Tully ties them. Troy says, "Sorry, Miss. But we have our orders." Tully takes the second strip and gags her.
A while later, in a darkened alley, Moffitt and Hitch have Dietrich in a two-man chair carry. The Captain is still conscious with his tunic on but not buttoned, and his cap and Sam Brown belt on his lap. Several meters ahead, a group of German soldiers pass by on the main street. The Rats halt with backs pressed against the wall. Interestingly, Dietrich makes no attempt to alert the soldiers. After the men go by, he says, "The hospital… on that street ahead… down the block… on the left." Moffitt looks at Hitch, "Check it out." They put the Captain down and Moffitt stays with him as Hitch moves to the end of the alley.
Dietrich is obviously in pain, "Why are you doing this? You could have left me at the hotel." Moffitt smiles, "Why didn't you alert those soldiers to our presence?" Neither man answers. Just then Hitch returns, "Doc. It's all clear." They pick Dietrich up, carry him down the alley, take one more look, then stay close to the buildings and head down the street. A few lights are on in the first floor of the two-story building serving as the German hospital. There are three steps up to a landing. The double doors are solid wood on the bottom with glass panels on the upper halves.
Moffitt and Hitch check the street again, move up the steps and approach the doors. Dietrich says, "Put me down here. Knock… They'll find me." Moffitt looks at him, "Are you sure?" He nods. They set him down with his back against the door. He says, "Leave… Complete your mission." Hitch asks, "You want us to get away?" He nods again, "I want that woman… as far away from me as possible. Perhaps an Allied POW camp?" He smiles through the pain, "Alright now… Shake it." Hitch's jaw drops, but Moffitt almost smiles, "Jawohl, Herr Hauptmann." Wincing, Dietrich smiles.
Hitch looks at Dietrich as he regains his composure, then checks up and down the street again. He nods and Moffitt pounds on the door. Immediately, an orderly and two nurses emerge from side rooms. Seeing the medical personnel coming, Moffitt puts a hand on Dietrich's shoulder. They exchange nods. Then he and Hitch move quickly to the other side of the street. The Germans hurry down the corridor to the main door. As they open it, a German Captain almost falls in and groans. They call for help. The wounded man and his belongings are taken inside.
Moffitt and Hitch have waited across the street in a dark alley just long enough to make sure the Captain is found. Then they make their way back to the Jeeps.
A while later, Tully is sitting in the passenger seat of his Jeep, with his bandaged arm. Marta is still tied and in the other passenger seat. Troy is standing with his hands on his hips, "He said what? I don't believe it!" Hitch and Moffitt smile, and Hitch says, "Hey Sarge. Who was there? You or us?" Troy shakes his head, "Alright… Sha…" But he stops himself and says, "Let's get out of here." They all laugh. Moffitt slides into the driver's seat next to Tully. Hitch gets into his seat next to Marta. And Troy climbs in the back, sits on the supply box and straddles Marta. Engines start and they disappear into the night.
The next day, Captain Hans Dietrich awakens in a hospital bed with a pain in his gut. He groans. A nurse smiles down at him and takes his pulse, "How do you feel?" But he asks, "How long? How bad?" She smiles and says, "You were left on our doorstep last night, Captain. You lost a lot of blood. It was close. But you are going to be alright. I'll get the Doctor." He nods.
A few minutes later, a German Doctor enters in a white coat, "Captain Dietrich? How are we feeling today?" Dietrich attempts a smile at the use of we, then says, "I'm alive." The Doctor nods, "Yes, you are. Captain, there are two officers here. They seem most eager to speak with you. Do you think you might answer a few questions?" Dietrich knew this would be coming and nods, "I'll try."
The Doctor goes to the door and signals. Two Germans, a Major and a Lieutenant, enter. The Doctor says, "Please, gentlemen, be brief." The Major nods and the Doctor leaves. The Lieutenant brings out a note pad and the Major begins, "Captain Dietrich, do you know who attacked you?" He contemplates a lie, "It was dark." But then he thinks better of it, "A woman… Marta. I didn't know her last name. She approached me in a café. We had a drink." He hesitates, "We went to a hotel." He shakes his head, "And then she tried to kill me." The two questioners share a glance. The Major says, "You are extremely lucky, Captain Dietrich. Five others have encountered this woman, and died." The Major thinks a moment then asks, "How did you get from the hotel to the hospital? The staff said they found you outside on the steps last night." Dietrich closes his eyes, "I remember being carried." The Major asks, "Do you know who carried you?" But Dietrich looks as if he is tiring. The Doctor enters and notes his condition, "Gentlemen, I must insist. Captain Dietrich must rest now." The Major wants more, but nods to the Doctor, "Very well. We will talk again, Captain… once you are feeling better." Dietrich nods.
Kilometers away, across that unseen line in the sand, the Rats are in an office, in a building. They are listening to Captain Boggs who is shaking his head, "She refused to answer any questions. She appears to be very well trained." Troy thinks, "Captain, it has been over two months. What information she might have is probably already out of date." Boggs nods, "That may be true… Or maybe we should try truth serum." Moffitt interrupts, "Captain, if I may. I should like to try something first."
A while later, Moffitt carries a tray with a tea pot, two cups and milk. He enters a building, walks down a long hallway with doors on either side. He approaches a guard at the far end who nods and unlocks a door. Inside, Marta sits at a table looking out a window, with bars on the outside, of course. Otherwise, it is a comfortable room with a bed, a wardrobe, and an attached bathroom.
She turns to see Moffitt enter, but he stops, "May I come in?" She turns away, "Do I have a choice?" Moffitt does not advance and holds out the tray, "Yes... But I thought we might share a spot of tea." She glances at him, "Tea. Is it drugged?" He smiles, "No. It's just tea." She looks away, "I was already interrogated this morning. I am not going to answer any questions." His impish grin appears, "That's alright. I wasn't going to ask you any. I just thought we could share some tea… and I could tell you a story." She looks at him, "A story?" She thinks a moment then finally nods for him to approach.
He walks to the table, sets the tray down and pours the tea and milk. He sits on the other chair and takes a sip. She still hasn't tasted her tea. He says, "It turns out that you and I have something in common." She doesn't look at him but, after smelling it, finally tries the tea. He continues, "You see, I had a brother, too." He sighs, "He was so young. He had his whole life ahead of him." He takes a deep breath, "He was killed, during an air raid, when German planes bombed England." He hesitates then takes another breath, "I found out about it during a mission." Thinking back, he shakes his head, "All I wanted to do was kill every German I saw." He shakes his head again, "I wasn't thinking straight. I… I could have gotten my entire team killed." They both take a sip from their cups. She finally asks, "How do you live with the pain?" Moffitt looks at her, then down at his tea…