The Madonna of the Atlas

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Non, je ne regrette rien. Rating: K Time: Season five and elsewhen.

The French watched as column after column of Rif soldiers rode out onto the plains below them. Castle estimated there were perhaps seven thousand of them. The one saving grace that Castle could see was that they had no artillery with them. The Rif had taken artillery from the Spanish Army in their part of Morocco and had learned how to use it. However, the soldiers all appeared to be well armed and he could see a good number of machine guns below them.

"This is the only water for an army that size for many kilometers. They'll either have to take us or die of thirst. They'll prefer a quick death from a bullet to a slow one from thirst. But we can't kill them all and I'm afraid they can kill all of us."

"What do we do?" Jobert asked.

Castle shrugged. "We do a Camerone. Fight until we're dead."

He turned to Beckett who just smiled and shook her head. "Don't bother even asking about it, Castle. I could perhaps scramble up the mountain and get away. But what chance would a lone woman have, or even one with a small escort, with only the food, water and ammunition we could carry? If I'm to die, I'll die here with all of you."

To everyone's surprise a lone horseman came riding up the hill carrying a large white flag. Castle sent two men to blindfold him and bring him the rest of the way so that he wouldn't see their numbers or where their weapons were sited. He was led into the cave and had his blindfold taken off.

He smiled at Castle and spoke in excellent French. "Really, Captain Castle. There was no need to be so cautious. We know you have a slightly reinforced cavalry squadron here. One mountain gun of 65 millimeters and two Hotchkiss machine guns, and the usual Chauchats and rifles. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hadj Abdel Cheddi and I serve the Republic of the Rif. I have come to offer you life."

Castle smiled. "As you can see, we all have life."

"But for how long? We are many thousands and you are a bit over one hundred. We need the water in this cave for our horses and men. We don't need to kill you and you don't need to die. Especially someone as lovely and as talented as Miss Beckett. It would be a shame if such a promising literary career should be so abruptly terminated."

Castle nodded. "Indeed, a shame. But, I fear I must decline your generous offer. We are here to fight and fight we will."

"Exactly the answer I expected, although I had hoped for another. It's a shame you and your men won't get the fight you deserve, there being so few of you and so many of us. However, I will give you until dawn tomorrow to give me your final answer. Until then." He held out his hand and Castle shook it.

"Do you think he was serious?" Beckett asked after the emissary had left.

"Even if he was, it makes no difference. Bring seven thousand Rif soldiers up here and one of them is bound to start shooting. Then it's all over. Secondly, it's our job to fight them. We can't do anything else."

When night fell, Castle sent his Berber scouts down the hill to make sure the Rif weren't planning on sneaking up on them at night. He halfway wished that they'd keep on going so that someone would survive. He was not particularly surprised when all of them returned just before first light.

"Captain Castle, "Tariq reported, "they haven't gone any way up the hill, but they have massed machine guns and riflemen at the base of the hill and put up their own parapets. They'll start coming at us at dawn."

Tariq was correct. The machine guns below them opened up at dawn and Rif riflemen began to move up the hill, trying to find what cover there was, which wasn't much. Although the Rif were losing men, so were the French. By ones and twos they were either killed or too badly wounded to continue the fight.

Castle put his arm around Kate. "You could go into the cave. We don't know how far back it goes."

She shook her head. "Not far enough, I think."

Castle leaned down and kissed her, meeting her tongue as she opened her mouth and caressing it.

"What was that for?" She asked, but with a smile.

"If I am to die today, I don't want to die without kissing you." Then he kissed her again.

"And that?"

"If you are to die today, I didn't want you to die without kissing me."

Both grabbed their rifles and headed for the parapet. Castle hadn't gotten off a single shot when he felt a searing pain in his side. "Not again. Not the same place."

Kate put down her rifle at once and began to cut away his jacket.

"Not much point in trying to patch me up, Beckett. The Rif will be here soon."

"I'm not going to…." The rest of what she said was drowned out in a mighty series of roars.

"What the hell was that?" Castle asked. As if in answer, six two-engine bombers flew over their position, gently turned and headed back for the Rif, dropping more bombs.

"Jobert? What the hell was that?"

"The Air Force, Captain. Six of them. Five have left, but one is circling above us. I would imagine he's using his radio to tell everyone where the Rif are." Jobert suddenly looked up. "Six more bombers, sir." That was followed with another series of mighty roars.

Chernoff came walking up. "The Rif are leaving in a hurry sir. While the bombers were after the men, I saw fighter craft attacking their horse herd. If they lose their horses, without water, well, a lot of them will be finished."

"I don't believe it. You did get shot in exactly the same place. Nothing but another gouge in your chest." Beckett interrupted.

"I believe it." Castle muttered.

It was another two hours before the first French troops arrived. It was a mechanized group mobile consisting of Panhard armored cars, Citroen-Kegresse halftracks, Renault FT 17 tanks and truck borne infantry.

The commander, a chef de batallion named Langlade, was a member of the Chasseurs d' Afrique, and looked every inch the dashing light cavalry leader. He offered a sliver flask of very good brandy all around and tried not to be too surprised when Kate Beckett took a very large swig.

"You did a very good job holding them up, Captain. The Air Force is still shooting them up, especially their horse herd. We should catch quite a lot of the devils. More troops are about an hour behind us. They'll see to it that you and your men are taken care of. Now, I must be going."

Castle was carried down the mountain by his troops and eventually put on a stretcher carried by a camel that was headed back north. From the camel he was transferred to a truck and then to a train, eventually ending in a hospital in Algiers. After he had been there two days, he was more than ready to leave. It seemed that the hospital was more than willing to see him go.

There was some commotion at the entrance to the ward, and then Castle saw Kate Beckett headed for him, followed by a nurse carrying a large parcel. Kate was dressed in a very expensive looking dove grey suit that showed off her figure nicely without showing too much. Her hair, straight for the brief time he had known her, was a mass of chestnut curls. Also, she had makeup on. Not much, just enough to highlight her natural beauty.

"You must be on your way to a party." He said.

"We're on our way to a party. The Governor-General wants to see you."

"The Governor-General? Of Algeria?" He asked, not at all sure why such an august personage would want to see him.

"What other Governors-General are there in Algeria? Now, we need to get you into your dress uniform." The nurse handed Kate the large package she had been holding. Kate then pulled down the covers of Castle's bed.

He pulled them back up. "All I'm wearing is one of those idiotic hospital gowns with no back."

"Castle, Marie and I have seen more naked men in hospitals than we could ever count."

Marie, presumably the nurses name, a stocky blonde, nodded in agreement and pulled the covers off. Kate pulled the hospital gown off and opened the package.

"That's not my dress uniform." He protested.

"It is now. Your other one was a disgrace. I had to have a new one made up. Lift your legs up. Now."

Castle was quickly dressed by the two women with little help from him. When they were done, Kate sniffed him. "At least they bathed you regularly." Then she ran a hand over his cheek. "But they obviously didn't shave you. Come, we must go to the barber."

They walked out of the hospital to find a cab waiting. Kate gave the driver an address that Castle had never heard of. It turned out not to be a barber's, but a beauty salon. He was the only man in the place. Castle was quickly shaved, had his hair cut and pomaded, and was given a manicure. When the beauticians were done, Kate examined him closely, thought for a moment and then had him doused with cologne. Then it was back in the taxi.

"One hundred francs if you get us to the Palace of the Governor-General in ten minutes." The cabbie smiled and hit the accelerator. What followed were ten minutes that compared unfavorably to some cavalry charges Castle had been in. He was positive he was going to die on two occasions, but both times, the cabbie cheated death while driving with one hand and making rude gestures to others on the road with his other hand. With a minute so spare, the cab screeched to a halt at the Palace. Kate tipped the driver an extra hundred francs.

"Why does the Governor-General want to see me?" Castle demanded.

"He wants to see both of us. And your troop leaders."

"And why…."

"Because you found one of the great treasures of the early Christian era. It's tremendous news all over."

By this time Kate had dragged him into a large ante-room. There he found Sous-Lieutenant Jobert, looking confused.

Adjutant Chernoff was standing with a pretty young blonde that Castle took to be his wife. They both were talking easily with a tall, balding cavalry general. Castle guessed that he must be General Gerard, the young lady's father, and Chernoff's father-in-law.

Lastly was Sergent-Chef Smith, looking very uncomfortable in his dress uniform. The uniform seemed new and excellently tailored.

Kate whispered in Castle's ear. "Smith didn't even own a dress uniform, so I had to buy him one as well. We could hardly have him coming here in muddy boots and patched clothing."

An aide noticed the two newcomers and whispered in General Gerard's ear. The general headed straight for Rick and Kate with a smile on his face.

"Captain Castle. I see your lady has gotten you here with several minutes to spare. Excellent. And Miss Beckett, may I say you look delightful?"

"Thank you, General. I'm quite pleased to be here."

There was a brief knock on the door to the ante-room.

"Ah," said the general, "the Governor-General is ready."