The Zeus Raid Part 3

by SassyScot

Takes place immediately following The Zeus Raid Part 2. The mission within a mission concludes

2. Background Info

Disclaimer: I do not own the Rat Patrol and receive no payment for this story. Many thanks to those who have positively reviewed my previous attempts. You inspire me and I am so grateful. Thank you to tallsunshine12 for her patience and help in TRYING to teach me to post separate chapters. In spite of everything, my technological ineptitude couldn't get it to work so I'm publishing it as one very long chapter. Sorry for the inconvenience. Perhaps one day I will learn.

The Zeus Raid Part 3

Chapter 1

The Rat Patrol was summoned to the office of Major Lawrence, the Benghazi base commander. They had just completed a mission photographing secret plans from Dietrich's base and delivered them to the Major for development. Their success was largely due to the distraction provided by Hitch's childhood friend, Isla MacKenzie, nicknamed Zu-Zu, a USO performer who volunteered to help them. They were just awaiting orders to return to their home base or take on a new assignment.

They entered the office and saluted the Major. They were somewhat surprised to see Isla was present as well.

"Have a seat, gentlemen," the major said, and the Rats sat on the chairs indicated.

"We are grateful for your securing the plans for us. The Germans are planning a large offensive and we've already taken steps to thwart their efforts," Major Lawrence informed them. "Captain Boggs wants you to return to your base as soon as possible," he glanced at Isla who was sitting quietly.

"Due to Miss MacKenzie's assistance with our mission, her USO group left without her, bringing in a temporary replacement. We are responsible for her protection until arrangements can be made for her to rejoin her group. You will escort her back to your base."

"Begging your pardon, sir," Troy spoke, "wouldn't it be safer for her to travel with a convoy instead of going across the desert in our jeeps?"

"This comes from General Gleason, himself. You are to provide transportation and protection for her and return to your base," the major explained with the implication that things were out of his hands, and he didn't fully understand why she wasn't going with a convoy either. "Gather whatever supplies you need and good luck. It was delightful meeting you, Miss MacKenzie and we are grateful for your help," he shook hands with Isla and dismissed the men.

"I'm sorry to be a bother," Isla said as they exited the building. "I can tell you guys aren't happy with this situation."

"We're just worried for your safety," Moffitt explained. "We have to pass through German occupied territory in order to get home. There is always the chance we may have to engage the enemy."

"It really would be much safer for you to return with a convoy or be flown to wherever you can catch up with the USO," Hitch remarked, trying to understand what was going on.

"Once again, I am in your hands and apologize for upsetting your normal routine," she replied sincerely.

"It's not your fault, Isla," Tully drawled. "Who can ever figure out why officers make the decisions they do."

"Tully, Hitch, get the jeeps ready and supplied. We'll leave first thing in the morning," Troy said.

"Excuse me, Sam," Isla asked, "but what do I do about my costume trunks? They won't fit in the jeeps."

"Hitch, after you finish with the jeeps, check, and see what arrangements need to be made," Troy answered.

"Sure thing, Sarge," Hitch replied and then turned to Isla, "I know how you travel; you can only take one small suitcase. We don't have room for anything else."

"How about a small suitcase and my train case, if I hold it on my lap," she negotiated, and Hitch couldn't help but grin.

"There's only room for one small case in the jeep," he said.

Dinner in the mess hall was like all meals with Isla in the mess hall. Soldiers were constantly approaching to speak with her, complimenting her performance in last evening's show or just trying to talk with a pretty woman for a few minutes. She was pleasant and friendly with them all, but it annoyed the heck out of Hitch and the others. They didn't enjoy having their meal constantly interrupted, or their conversations with Isla.

All four men were trying to understand the general's insistence that Isla accompany them across the desert. It just made sense that it was safer in a convoy, under the protection of the Red Cross, with them providing escort to help in case of trouble. Troy was particularly disturbed by this turn of events. He had a bad feeling that something was being kept from him and he didn't like not knowing the full story.

Early the following morning, Troy and Moffitt joined Hitch and Tully in the motor pool where the jeeps were stocked and ready. Hitch was fastening gaiters around Isla's pants legs and desert boots while giving her final instructions.

"Keep that helmet on your head and if any one of us tells you to 'get down,' then you hit the floor of the jeep with your head down. Understand?" His voice was sterner than usual, betraying his concern for this mission.

"Completely," she agreed. Noticing the charm bracelet on her wrist, he added, "If you're going to wear that, make sure you keep it tucked into your sleeve, so it doesn't reflect the sunlight.

She did so and took her place in Bertha's passenger seat. While she covered her hair and face with scarves and donned the combat helmet and goggles, the guys were looking at the map Moffitt had spread across Olive's hood, checking the route he outlined with his finger.

"This way should help keep us away from most of the German installations but there's always the chance of meeting a convoy or column," his voice carried the worry they were all feeling about keeping a civilian safe. Not just any civilian but Isla, someone Hitch had known all his life and a new friend to them all. Tully was working overtime on his matchstick and Hitch was vigorously chomping his gum.

"Did you get everything squared away with her trunks?' Troy asked his driver.

"Yeah, Sarge, they're going to ship them out in a few days on their next convoy. I don't understand why she isn't going with them," the private was not pleased.

"I don't get it either," Troy agreed, "but the sooner we start, the sooner we finish. Let's shake it." They took their places and set out.

A few hours later they stopped at an oasis for the jeeps to cool down and be serviced. As they did whenever the opportunity arose, they refilled their water supply.

"You doing okay?" Troy asked as he handed Isla a canteen.

"Tickety-boo," she said taking a drink before stretching her back and rolling her shoulders. "Can't say this is the smoothest ride I've ever had. How about letting me drive a bit?" she grinned.

"No way," Troy returned her grin and drank some water.

"Still worried?" she asked.

"I'll be worried until we have you safely back to base," he responded. "It's just the way I am."

"Jeeps are ready to go, Sarge," Hitch reported and helped Isla back into the passenger seat.

The next several hours were uneventful as the jeeps skimmed across the sand. For once, Troy liked uneventful. He couldn't quiet the feeling he had about being kept out of the loop for some reason. Why were the higher ups risking Isla's life in this way?

"Sarge?" Hitch called, slowly the jeep. "I caught a glimmer of something and there's dust at ten o'clock." Troy raised the binoculars to his eyes and looked in the direction Hitch mentioned.

"What is it, Troy?" Moffitt asked as Tully pulled the second jeep next to the first.

"German patrol," Troy responded. "We need to keep from being seen."

"We can duck behind those dunes," Moffitt pointed, "and keep out of sight." He nodded to Tully who steered the jeep to follow Doc's instructions. They managed to get away without the German's knowledge.

Mid-afternoon, they pulled into the cover of a wadi to again service the jeeps and grab a quick, cold lunch of K-rations before heading on their way. Troy was becoming more worried at the absence of Germans and kept a vigilant lookout.

At dusk, they found protection in another wadi and Hitch prepared a hot meal while Tully kept watch. Troy and Moffitt were in deep discussion as they drank their respective coffee and tea. They were still debating the order to take Isla with them. Her offer to help Hitch with dinner was declined so she spread a blanket on the sand and began doing stretching exercises. The two sergeants absently watched her as they talked, and Tully had to remind himself to watch for the enemy instead of her movements. "How is it possible to get into those positions," he wondered. Hitch was focused on dinner preparation and seemed oblivious.

Soon she was resting one hand on the cooled hood of the jeep as she did leg swings, hip rolls, plies, etc. She dropped down into the splits and stretched her body, so it was flat on her outstretched leg and her hands were grasping a foot, then reversed sides.

"Ouch," Moffitt commented and for the first time she noticed she had an audience.

"Not at all," she said, still in the splits and bringing her torso to the center where she stretched forward, touching her nose to the ground. "With the way you guys get tossed about in those jeeps, you should stretch your muscles, so you don't end up with chronic back and shoulder pain."

"Dinner's ready," Hitch handed plates of food to Isla and Troy, then Moffitt and himself. "I'm keeping Tully's hot and will take it to him in a few minutes."

Isla watched Moffitt and Troy dig in before taking a tentative bite.

"This is actually good, Mark," she was impressed.

"Thanks," Hitch was pleased. "A friend in another unit taught me and gave me some recipes using what we have available."

"Were we ever thankful that he did," Troy teased. "Before that, his cooking was pretty miserable. If you could just teach him to bake, we'd be set."

"I don't think you'd have the ingredients readily available," Isla laughed.

"Your baking hasn't always been so great," Hitch joined in the teasing. "Seems to me I can recall a pie made with salt instead of sugar and a few cakes that didn't rise."

"Don't forget the biscuits you used for target practice," she added. "But I've improved."

"That's for certain," Moffitt agreed. "Those scones and the peach pie were excellent."

"You should try her Christmas fruitcake. It's so full of brandy it'll make you tipsy," Hitch continued.

"I hope to someday have the opportunity," Moffitt agreed. Hitch took Tully his meal and kept watch while the Kentuckian ate before cleaning up from the meal. Using a tarp, he created a lean-to so Isla could have a private place to wash, and heated water for her to use. She pulled her train case from the back of Tully's jeep and went towards the prepared area.

"Wait a minute," Hitch said, looking at the small suitcase in his jeep. "I thought I told you just one case."

"That's what I did," she smiled at him, "one case in your jeep and one in Tully's." She went behind the tarp to clean up as he shook his head, grinned, and muttered loud enough for her to hear,

"You're so high maintenance."

When finished, she returned the train case to Tully's jeep and pulled a sweater from the case in Bertha.

"It's amazing how cold it gets at night after being so abysmally hot during the day,' she said pulling the sweater over her head and putting her jacket back on. She tied a scarf around her neck and put on a pair of white gloves.

"I'm sorry we won't be able to have a fire tonight," Troy said. "We don't want to risk alerting any Germans in the area."

"Do you think they're out there?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Don't know," Troy was honest. "It's always a chance."

"And I'm a liability," she commented.

"Let's just say, with you along, as with any civilian, we're more cautious," Moffitt joined in.

"Will it keep you from doing your job?" she questioned.

"If we run into an attack, there's not a whole lot of choice," Troy explained. "We'll have to engage. We just won't go looking for a fight."

"So, my presence is putting you in danger, or at least, at risk," she said.

"With any luck, we won't run into any Germans," Moffitt tried to be cheerful, but they all knew that wasn't likely. Hitch relieved Tully on watch and the lanky private got his blankets from the jeep and was soon asleep. The others followed suit, with Isla sleeping in the lean-to.

Chapter 2

The sun was just beginning to rise when they set off again. Twice they spotted patrols in the distance and managed to avoid being seen. Troy liked to say his team made their own luck, but in this case, he knew their luck was going to run out at some point. He just didn't know when, so he was even more vigilant than usual.

The answer came that afternoon as they came over the rise of a dune and into the path of an oncoming German convoy. Hitch grabbed Isla's arm, yelled, "Get down," and roughly pushed her to the jeep floor where she tucked into a ball with her head down. Both privates pulled the dust covers from the .50's while the sergeants took their places behind the guns.

Before the startled Germans could react, the two jeeps were already in position, their guns blazing at the oncoming vehicles. The first targets were the two front halftracks where soldiers were scrambling to aim the machine gun at the fast-moving jeeps and get their personal rifles into action. They didn't stand a chance as the .50's took out the crews on their first pass and disabled the vehicles with well-directed grenades.

They peppered the supply trucks with shells as they made their way to two more halftracks bringing up the rear. A patrol car in the middle was quickly disposed of by Troy as they joined the other jeep in taking out the remaining halftracks. These crews were prepared, and the jeeps dodged the gunfire as Hitch and Tully expertly wove between the larger, slower vehicles. Several bullets pinged off Bertha and one pierced the back of the seat recently vacated by Isla.

Both sergeants took out the halftrack drivers and were quickly dispatching the German crews. One soldier pulled the dead driver away in one of the vehicles while another manned the machine gun. Hitch jerked on his steering wheel to turn around for another run. He hit a rock beneath the sand that sent him flying from the jeep with Troy just managing to hang on. Hitch landed hard with the wind knocked out of him. He was struggling to stand and breathe, as Troy started to climb over the seat to drive.

Before he could accomplish this, Isla had sprung up from the floor, hopped into the driver's seat and had the jeep turned around.

"Stay with the gun," she yelled at Troy as she drove back towards the convoy. Together, Troy and Moffitt had taken out the second halftrack and Tully turned Olive to where Hitch was recovering his senses. Jumping into the passenger seat, Hitch grabbed a machine gun, and they began a new pass against the trucks.

Isla picked up speed and drove alongside the supply trucks with Troy's gun spewing ammunition. Two of the trucks they hit were carrying fuel and the loud explosions sent flames and shrapnel high into the air. Moffitt took out two other trucks by scoring hits into their engines.

"Pull up," Troy yelled at Isla who brought the jeep to a halt at a safe distance. Hitch jumped from Olive and took his normal place in Bertha as Isla vacated the seat and returned to the floor as the private once again yelled, "Get down, and stay there."

The jeeps began another run at the few remaining trucks, blowing up the remaining fuel supply sparking a shower of shrapnel before Troy ordered them to head back on course.

"Can I come up now?" Isla asked raising her head a bit.

"NO!" shouted both Troy and Hitch.

"Stay there until we say so," Hitch added.

They drove for almost an hour before finding a safe place in a rocky formation. Tully grabbed a machine gun and went to keep watch.

"Is it safe to come out, now? Isla asked quietly.

"Yeah," Hitch said as he lifted the hoods of both jeeps to help cool the engines. She climbed out of the jeep and calmly addressed Troy,

"Are we safe? Are there any Germans nearby to hear us?" she was almost eerily calm.

"We're safe," Troy was concerned at her demeanor.

"Good, thank you," she wandered a short distance from the jeep, unstrapping the combat helmet and pulling it off. She stopped and screamed at the top of her voice. Taking the helmet in both hands, she kicked it as far as she could and shrieked again. Hitch hurried to her side.

"It's okay, Zu-Zu," he said soothingly. "It's just the adrenaline,"

"THIS is what you do?" she interrupted angrily, her slight Scottish accent becoming more pronounced. "THIS is your normal routine?" She was shouting and her breathing came in great heaves.

"Zu-Zu," Hitch began but stopped cold as she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. The three other Rats watched in stunned silence as the gum flew from his mouth and the kepi was knocked from his head. Her handprint was visible on his cheek.

"Isla," he began again, reaching out to take her arm.

"NO!" she shouted and pulled away. "I am so angry with you; I just want to scream!" And she did. Several times. Trembling with emotion, with too much adrenaline in her system, she dropped to her knees in the sand. Hitch did the same in front of her. She struggled to regain her composure and finally looked him in the eye,

"You could have told me," she said quietly. "You've never had to hide anything from me, and you don't need to start now. As long as you tell me the truth, I can handle it. You don't have to treat me so disrespectfully."

"I'm sorry, Zu-Zu," Hitch said sincerely. "I messed up big time."

"Yes, you did," she agreed.

"I won't do it again and when we get back to base, I'll tell you everything you want to know," he was contrite. "Am I forgiven?"

"Somewhat," she replied honestly. "You know it takes me a while. I have to think everything through." He nodded and helped her to her feet.

"Come on, I'll make you a cup of tea. I'm sure Moffitt will share some of his stash." He picked up her helmet and followed.

"Uh, Isla," he stopped, and she turned to face him. "Are you okay?"

"Why do you ask," she was confused by his manner.

"Well," he answered, "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but you've got a good-sized piece of shrapnel in your ass."

"What?" she put her hand behind her and felt the metal sticking out of her slacks. "I don't feel any pain."

"It's the adrenaline still," Mark explained. "Come on, Doc will take care of it."

"Uh, Mark?" her voice was funny. "I think he needs to take care of you, too," she indicated his upper right arm and shoulder where several small pieces of shrapnel were embedded. He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

"This isn't my first time," he remarked, and they went to join the others.

Chapter 3

Following the shock of seeing Isla slap Hitch, Troy had been hastily smoking a cigarette and ranting to Moffitt about her stunt in driving the jeep.

"How could I have allowed her to do it?" he was stunned at his reaction.

"Troy, we were in the middle of a battle and Hitch had been thrown from the jeep. You should be glad she jumped into action as she did. Her quick thinking helped us finish off that convoy," Moffitt was trying to rationalize with his friend.

"She could have been killed," Troy was angry. "I don't understand why I just didn't take the wheel, pick up Hitch and get out of there."

"Perhaps because you've been so worried about keeping her safe, your reaction time wasn't what it usually is," Moffitt suggested.

"That doesn't excuse the fact that I let a civilian risk her life when it wasn't necessary," Troy was fuming but keeping his voice so only Moffitt could hear.

"Now you're talking like Hitch when she was first assigned to our mission," Moffitt was rummaging in the back of his jeep. Pulling out a half-empty bottle of bourbon, he handed it to Troy. "Take a drink, old man. From everything we've witnessed with Isla, she is an extremely strong-willed and capable young woman who has a good understanding of her own abilities."

Troy took a swallow of the bourbon and buried the stub of his cigarette in the sand.

"But I'm responsible for her safety," Troy began.

"Take another sip," Moffitt suggested. "It's over. We're all okay and we're safely away from the Germans." He put the bottle back in the jeep as Troy struggled with his emotions.

"But. . .," Troy began, not ready to give up his anger, but Moffitt interrupted.

"No buts, Troy. She helped us out in a tough situation. Get a handle on yourself, they're coming back," he said.

"Uh guys," Hitch said as they approached. "We've got a little problem." He turned his right shoulder so they could see the shrapnel. Moffitt came close to inspect the young man's wound, saying,

"This isn't so bad. Have a seat in the jeep and I'll take care of it."

"It can wait, there's something more," Hitch said and turned Isla around so they could see the embedded shrapnel.

"Oh my," Moffitt winced, "that's going to be a bit of a sticky wicket."

"Just my luck to travel all this way only to make an ass of myself," Isla tried to defuse the tension.

"What a shame it hit your best ASSet," Hitch grinned.

"Is it very painful?" Moffitt asked. "Forgive me, but it needs to come out. Are you comfortable with me doing it or would prefer Hitch?" It was obvious the situation was making Moffitt nervous.

"I'm not really feeling the pain," she replied. "Mark said it was due to the adrenaline still in my system. I believe I would prefer your ASSistance than Mark's. That would be too uncomfortable. A girl needs some secrets, after all."

"I'll set up an area where you can have some privacy," Hitch said and got a tarp from the jeep. He set up a lean-to as he had done the night before, spread a blanket on the ground and covered both jeeps with the nets. Troy started a fire and put water on to boil, then went to tell Tully what was happening. Moffitt got the med kits from the jeeps.

"Pardon me, Isla, but I need to see how we can get to this," he said as he examined the protruding hunk of metal. "Do you think you can get your slacks off or do I need to cut them? He was almost blushing.

"I'll try to take them off, so you can better ASSess the situation," she was still trying to make light of the matter. She removed her gaiters and boots.

"I put an ASSortment of towels on the blanket for you to use to cover your ASSets," Hitch was enjoying the wordplay and Isla mirrored his grin. Troy returned to the camp and Hitch brought him up to date on the situation. Troy had Hitch remove his shirt and began to clean and remove the shrapnel. He didn't quite have Moffitt's gentle touch, but Mark was too concerned about Isla to make any fuss.

Inside the makeshift tent, she removed her belt and unbuttoned her slacks. Moving carefully, she tried lowering her pants, but the fabric kept getting caught on the metal fragment.

"You're going to have to cut them," she called to Moffit and lay down on her stomach. He entered beneath the tarp with the medical supplies and knelt beside her.

"Would you like anything for the pain?" he asked. "I can put some procaine directly around the wound to deaden the sensation or I can give you a shot of morphine."

"I ASSent to your using the procaine, but I don't think I'll need the morphine," she joked.

"Right-o," he said, and she could hear the nervousness in his voice. Using a knife, he slit her pants leg to her waist, revealing peach silk underwear trimmed in lace.

"Mark," would you hold my hand?" she slipped her hand beneath the tarp.

"Sure, if it will ASSuage, your fears," he replied and both he and Troy shifted positions so Mark could take her hand while Troy continued dressing Mark's wound.

"Are you ASSuming I can't handle this on my own?" she asked playfully.

"Not at all, Zu's," Hitch replied, "Just ASSerting my concern.

"I think that's enough of that," Moffitt said as he completely cut away her slacks.

"Sorry, Doc, didn't mean to ASSault your senses," Hitch commented.

"Quiet, Mark, he needs to ASSemble his thoughts," she replied. "Sorry, Jack, we'll stop now."

"Good, because I need to ASSimilate how best to proceed," Moffitt got the last word then grew quiet.

"What is it?" Isla grew more serious, sensing something was wrong.

"Are your. . .um, your. . .," Moffitt stammered.

"My what, Jack?" she asked.

"Your undergarment," his discomfort was great. "Is it silk by any chance?"

"Panties, Jack, they're called tap panties, and yes, they are silk. Why?" she responded.

"The heat from the shrapnel has melted the silk into the wound. I'm going to remove the metal and clean the area as much as I can. Then I'll bandage it and we'll take you to the hospital as soon as possible. Are you ready for me to start?" Moffitt explained.

"Tickity-boo, Jack," she squeezed Mark's hand.

Chapter 4

As Moffitt dowsed the area with alcohol, she tensed and with a deep breath, forced herself to relax. Suddenly they heard her begin singing softly.

"This is how she distracts herself," Mark explained, "Usually with Christmas carols.

"Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel.

Okay, Mark, the next part is yours," she called and as if on cue, Mark sang:

"Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou knowst it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?" Isla took over and sang:

"Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain." She stopped and Mark sang the next part:

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither." Isla again began to sing the narration:

"Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude winds wild lament
And the bitter weather.

Okay, Jack or Sam, we need a peasant to sing the next part," she encouraged them. Troy was amazed when Moffitt took up the song:

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer." Moffitt ended his lines and Mark joined in:

"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly". Mark stopped and Isla sang the song through to the end.

"In his masters step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing."

Moffitt had the shrapnel out and was cleaning the wound as thoroughly as possible. "Where the silk has melted seems to have somewhat cauterized the bleeding," he reported.

"The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown," Isla began.

"Oh, I say," Moffitt said, "I like this one. This is going to sting a bit. He applied more alcohol, and she hissed as she sang,

Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown. She continued to sing quietly as he applied a good deal of sulfa and bandaged the wound with gauze pads. He gave her an injection of penicillin and cleared away the medical supplies.

"That should do it for now," Moffitt announced, covering the injured area with a towel. "I think you're going to need a few stitches once they clear away the melted fabric. Can I get you something to wear?"

"Just bring my case from the jeep," she said, and Mark brought it to her before exiting the lean-to with Moffitt. She emerged a few minutes later.

"Let me ASSist, you," Hitch said, and he aided her with putting on her socks, boots, and gaiters. While he was doing so, Troy and Moffitt stood away from the jeeps and talked. Troy lit a cigarette and Moffitt said,

"I say, old man, could I have one of those?" Troy gave his friend a cigarette and lit it for him. Moffitt took a long drag and blew it out slowly. "Definitely not a cigar but it will do for now," he said as his hand holding the cigarette trembled a bit.

"Are you alright, Moffitt?" Troy asked.

"I will be," he stated. "That was quite different from patching up you chaps," he again inhaled deeply. Troy went to the jeep and brought back the bourbon.

"Here, I think you need this." Moffitt nodded his consent and took a drink.

"I must admit," the Englishman said after a second swallow, "It was quite lovely." Troy laughed and commented,

"Look at us, we've only known her a couple of weeks, and she's already driven the three of us to smoke and drink." Moffit smiled and replied,

"I guess she has her own way of spreading alarm and despondency."

Hitch relieved Tully on watch and the Kentuckian took care of their usual chores. He serviced the jeeps and prepared dinner.

Tully took a plate to Hitch then returned to the camp and sat around the fire with the two sergeants and Isla as they ate.

"How's the pain?" Moffitt asked.

"Not too bad," Isla answered. "I think some ASSpirin would help."

"I thought you might need something, so I kept these handy." He shook out two aspirin tablets for her. "If it gets too bad, we have morphine."

"I think this will be fine," she said.

"So why Christmas carols?" Troy asked.

"They're the first things that come to mind. I find it takes my mind off whatever it is I'm trying to avoid thinking about," she explained.

"It brought back memories for me," Moffitt admitted. "At Christmas, family and friends gathered for dinner and after the plum pudding, we would sing carols together around the piano. Then my father would read The Gift of the Magi before we'd head to the late church service."

"That sounds lovely, Jack," Isla said. "What about you, Sam?"

"Christmas was always a time to get together with family and friends. We'd have a big meal, usually a turkey my dad would shoot with traditional Greek foods like moussaka and papoutsakia with baklava and

koulourakia, Greek butter cookies my mom would bake. My dad would read A Visit From Saint Nicholas before we'd go to midnight Mass."

"Sounds amazing, Sam. How about you, Tully?" she asked.

"Christmas Eve, the house would be swarming with family," Tully shared. "All my cousins would be there, and we'd go exploring in the attic, and the hay lofts, trying to find any Christmas presents that might be hidden there. We'd decorate the tree and eat as if there was no tomorrow. There was so much food prepared by my mom and all my aunts. The highlight was always my Grandma's Red Velvet cake and my Mom's Jam Cake. It just wasn't Christmas without them. We'd exchange small gifts, and my granddad would read the Christmas story from the Bible. Then we'd hitch up the wagons and snuggle in the straw as we all went to church."

"I've never made a jam cake. I'll have to get your mom's recipe," she said.

"How about you, Isla?" Troy asked.

"On the morning of Christmas Eve, my parents, brother, and I would go to downtown Manhattan to look at the window displays and decorations. Family arrived mid-afternoon and like all of you, the day revolved around a large dinner with way too much food. Granny Mac would bring out her fruitcake she had been soaking in brandy since Thanksgiving and lots of cookies and candies we'd been baking for days. My dad would read, A Christmas Carol aloud and I think that was my favorite part. I love that story. Then we'd exchange gifts and go to church where I usually played the harp before and during the service. Bagpipes aren't usually considered a Christmas instrument."

"How did you come to play the pipes," Moffitt was intrigued.

"Oh, everyone in my family plays the pipes, as decreed by Granny Mac," she laughed. "Isn't it interesting though, that we all come from different places and backgrounds, but our Christmas celebrations have so much in common."

Tully stood to take care of KP duties and declined Isla's offer of help. Moffitt gave Isla an injection of penicillin and, with Hitch still on watch," they headed to sleep.

Chapter 5

As the sun was just beginning to rise, Troy and Hitch were savoring their strong, black coffee while Moffitt, Tully and Isla enjoyed their tea. Hitch was busy making breakfast.

"So, Jack, last night, you told us about your family Christmas celebrations. What was your favorite Christmas gift when you were a child? Isla asked while they waited on breakfast.

"Hm," Jack thought about it for a moment and then said, "It was probably when I was twelve years old, and my parents gave me a fancy fountain pen with a leather-bound journal that made me feel so grown up along with a pair of desert boots. That's when I realized my dad had decided I was old enough to accompany him on his next expedition to Africa. I was over the moon."

"Sounds like an important milestone in your life," Isla agreed. "How about you, Sam?"

"I was seven years old, and my parents gave me the most beautiful Appaloosa pony I'd ever seen. I named her Dot, cause it looked like she was covered in polka-dots. I loved that horse. We had a lot of adventures together roaming about the countryside," Troy sounded wistful.

"I'll bet she was stunning," Isla smiled. "And you, Tully?"

"I got my first real rifle when I was nine. My pappy showed me how to shoot and soon we were off hunting together. Those were some of my favorite times: hunting and fishing with my Pa," Tully spoke fondly.

"I'm sure you're looking forward to sharing those times together when you get home," Isla said, and Tully nodded, took a plate offered by Hitch and returned to keep watch.

"So, Mark, why don't your share your favorite childhood Christmas present?"

Hitch had dished up breakfast and they began to eat. "I was eight years old when I got my first Erector sets. I thought they were the greatest things ever. My parents had to make me stop playing with them so I would open my other gifts. I began building all sorts of stuff: a drawbridge that worked, a Ferris wheel, a running car. It was great fun and my parents added to my materials every birthday and Christmas for several years. I still have a lot of my creations displayed in my bedroom back home," Hitch was smiling as he remembered good times.

"They had good reason to keep adding to those Erector sets," Isla teased. "You'd developed a penchant for taking things apart and putting them back together, sometimes with leftover pieces. You started with the toaster, worked your way through most of the small kitchen appliances then moved on to the washing machine and vacuum cleaner."

"I think it was when I started on my Father's car that they redirected my interests to the Erector sets," Hitch grinned and they laughed.

"What about you, Isla?" Moffitt asked.

"Oh, that's easy. When I was twelve, my parents gave me a Scottish Terrier puppy. Her name is Lorna Doone, and I miss her so much," Isla answered.

They finished eating and Troy ordered them to break camp. Moffit quickly redressed Isla's wound, applying more sulfa powder. He gave her a shot of penicillin to help combat any infection and helped her into the jeep.

Even though they were in Allied territory, Troy continued to keep a close watch for the enemy. He could hear Isla and Hitch chatting but tuned out their conversation to concentrate on the surrounding area. They were going to make a quick trip to a nearby Allied fuel cache to fill their jerry cans, then make for the base.

Hitch realized Isla had grown quiet. He quickly glanced at her and noticed she was dabbing her forehead and neck with her hankie. Her eyes were closed, and she was rolling her shoulders and stretching her back muscles.

"You okay?' he asked.

"Headache," she replied.

"The med kit is under your seat if you'd like to take some aspirin," he suggested, and she nodded. She reached for the kit and took out two aspirin. Taking a sip of water from a canteen she swallowed them and leaned her head back. After a few minutes Hitch noticed she was rubbing her back against the seat and squirmed to get into a better position.

"Is your wound hurting," Hitch was becoming concerned.

"A little," she said softly. "It's not too bad."

"You should let Moffitt give you some morphine," Hitch said.

"That seems like overkill," she commented. "I'll be okay."

"We're almost to the cache," Hitch told her and increased the jeep's speed. Twenty minutes later, he and Tully were refilling the jerry cans and topping off the gas tank. They took time to cool the engines and refilled the radiators with water. Troy was keeping watch and Hitch asked Moffitt to take a look at Isla.

She was stretching her legs near the jeeps and kept rubbing her hands along her arms. Moffitt could tell something wasn't right as she rubbed her legs as well.

"Hitch said you had a headache," Moffitt spoke, "It looks like something else is going on. How's the wound?

"It's not bad," she said, and he could tell she was trying to mask what she was feeling. She scratched her arm, and he stepped closer.

"Excuse me, Isla," he said and took her arm. He unbuttoned the cuff of her blouse and pushed up her sleeve, revealing a number of red, splotchy hives on her arms. He did the same to her other sleeve and made the same discovery.

"I believe you're having an allergic reaction to something," he said, examining her neck. "You seem to be covered in hives."

She unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse and looked down at her chest which was covered with the rash. Removing a gaiter, she pulled up a pants leg, and found the same outbreak.

"I'm not aware of being allergic to anything," she said.

"Are you having any trouble swallowing?" Moffitt asked, concerned she might go into anaphylactic shock and be unable to breathe.

"No," she answered. "What do you think it could be?"

"You have no food allergies? Or fabrics?" Moffitt continued.

"None that I know. I've been eating this food for several weeks now with no problems," she was trying to figure out what could be causing the hives. "I've worn all these clothes before."

"Have you ever had a reaction to sulfa or penicillin?" Moffitt had an idea.

"I've never needed either," she informed him.

"It could be the antibiotics," Moffitt suggested, "but which one?" The jeeps were ready, and Tully replaced Troy on watch. Moffitt brought their leader up to date on the situation.

"Tully has some of that aloe salve his mom sends for sunburn. That might help," Hitch suggested and, with permission, got it out of Tully's bag. She applied it to her arms, legs, chest, and neck with Hitch doing her back. The aloe helped with the itching.

"Let me know if you have trouble breathing or swallowing," Moffitt instructed.

"I'm okay. Let's get going. I've held you up enough," she took her place in the jeep. They continued on their way, increasing their speed. Hitch kept a close eye on his friend.

As the hours crawled by, he could tell she was growing more uncomfortable. He heard her quietly singing to herself and knew she was trying to distract herself from the itching.

They stopped mid-afternoon to refuel and cool the jeeps. Her hives were worse, and she reapplied the aloe. She refused the K-rations, saying she wasn't hungry, and sat on a nearby rock with her eyes closed. Troy took a seat beside her.

"I owe you an apology, Sam," she said.

"For what?" Sam was confused.

"For my behavior during the attack," she opened her eyes and looked at him. "I don't know or really understand why I behaved like I did. When I saw Mark fly out of the jeep, I just reacted and grabbed the wheel. I could see in an instant he was out of harm's way and knew you needed to take out those trucks. I have no explanation and I am so sorry that I barked at you to stay with the gun. I've never done anything like that before."

"To tell the truth, I didn't think anything about it when it happened, but I was sure angry afterward," Troy confessed. "Angry at myself, not you. I couldn't believe I let you do it. I should have told you to stay put and broken off the attack. I've been trying to understand my behavior as well."

"My actions are going to cause a problem for you with Captain Boggs, aren't they?" she was concerned.

"Probably," he agreed. "It won't be the first time I've been dressed down by an officer and I'm sure it won't be the last." He gave her a small smile. "Don't worry. I can take it." He called the others and they continued on their way, reaching the base just as the sun was setting.

"Drop me at headquarters," Troy said to Hitch, "then get Isla to the hospital." Hitch stopped the jeep as Troy had said and was surprised when Isla got out as well. She took her train case from Tully's jeep and announced,

"I need to see Captain Boggs as well." She led the way with Moffitt and Troy following.

"Should we come, too?" Hitch was curious about what was going on.

"Maybe you should," Moffitt answered, and the two privates joined the others. They entered the Captain's office and she set her train case on his desk. They were surprised when Captain Boogs smiled broadly and came out from behind his desk. Taking Isla's hands, he said in a much-relieved voice,

"Well done, Miss MacKenzie. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you made it back safely."

"I was well taken care of," she assured him. "We had a small incident when we ran into a convoy, and I will never forgive you if you place any blame on Sergeant Troy. My actions were entirely my own and absolutely not his fault," she flashed her million-dollar smile. Troy started to protest but Boggs gave him a look that made him reconsider speaking.

"I'm looking forward to that report," the captain returned to his chair.

"Here's the information from General Montgomery," she said, removing her charm bracelet and handing it to Boggs. The Rats were stunned when the captain removed a round locket charm from the bracelet, slid it open and extracted a tightly wound roll of microfilm. She opened her train case and removed the swan headpiece she wore while dancing and said, "These are copies of the photos taken from Dietrich's safe." She pried the center paste stone from its setting and removed another roll of microfilm.

"Thank you, Miss MacKenzie," Captain Boggs said. "We really couldn't have done it without you. I told you Troy that it was a mission within a mission."

"That's why you wanted her to travel back with us instead of with of a convoy," Troy could feel his anger rising over not being told the entire story.

"If you'd like to sit, I'll tell you the whole story," Boggs said returning the headpiece and bracelet back to Isla.

"If you please, sir," Moffitt spoke up. "Miss MacKenzie suffered a shrapnel wound during the skirmish she mentioned and is having an allergic reaction, I believe, to the antibiotics. She should go straight to the hospital."

"Of course," Captain Boggs said immediately, his face revealing his concern.

"Hitch, take Isla to the hospital and then you two," he indicated Tully, take the jeeps to the motor pool. "Moffitt and I will stay and hear what Captain Boggs has to say." Recognizing the tone of Troy's voice, they hurried to carry out his orders.

Chapter 6

Isla was dropped at the hospital with her cases. She was taken for examination while the privates took care of the jeeps. They returned to wait for news about her condition and were soon joined by Troy and Moffitt. An hour later, the doctor came out to speak with them.

"We got the finer shrapnel fragments removed, the wound cleaned thoroughly, and took eight stitches. Tests proved she is allergic to sulpha drugs, but I believe the higher adrenaline level in her system probably helped keep her throat from closing. We're giving her fluids and epinephrine to deal with the hives and itching. The nurses are getting her settled in a bed in the isolation room to give her privacy from the men. They will give her something to make her sleep through the night, so I suggest you get some rest and come back in the morning."

"Thanks, Doc," Troy said, and they headed to the mess hall for dinner, then to the showers and much needed sleep.

Hitch awoke early the next day, dressed, and made his way to the hospital. He found her still sleeping and noticed she was dressed in a white, daintily printed sleeveless cotton gown trimmed with lace and ribbons. A matching lightweight robe lay at the foot of the bed. He sat in a chair next to her and saw her hands were swathed in gauze bandages. He began reading aloud from a book of Robert Frost's poetry she always carried in her train case. He stopped when he heard her take a deep breath and took her hand in his. She slowly opened her eyes and saw him smiling down at her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm still trying to ASScertain," she joked, and he gave her hand a squeeze. "What's with the bandages?" she asked confused.

"It's so you don't scratch your hives," he brushed some strands of hair from her face. She looked at her hands and with a gleam in her eye she commented,

"It's not quite as fun as puppets." Her remark made him grin and they both remembered a time in their childhood when they had measles together. They had entertained one another with puppets their mothers had put on their hands to stop them from scratching.

"Maybe we could add some buttons for eyes and yarn for hair," he suggested, and she laughed.

"So, are you going to chew me out for keeping the microfilm secret from you?" she asked.

"Nope," he shook his head. "We all understand that you were confined to secrecy. We've all been there at one time or another during this war. It doesn't mean we aren't mad with the higher ups but actually, we're very proud of what you did."

"Thanks, Tadpole, It was really hard not telling you. I'm sorry for slapping you." she answered.

"I deserved it," he said.

"No, you didn't," she replied. "No one deserves being hit, not even you," she smiled. "I am so sorry for my actions." A nurse entered the room with a breakfast tray and was surprised to see Hitch.

"This room is off-limits to all male personnel with the exception of the doctors," she said sternly. "How did you even get in here?" She tried to shoo Hitch away. "I know your reputation Private, and you are not going to wield your charms with this patient."

"Indeed, he will not," Isla spoke up. "It's all right nurse, Private Hitchcock and his unit are allowed to visit with me. Captain Boggs has ordered them as my protection squad.

"Are you sure, Miss MacKenzie?" the nurse was concerned. "I know this private and while he is very polite and beguiling, he still has quite a reputation with women, some of it rather unsavory." Isla bit her lip to keep from laughing and with a twinkle in her eye she answered,

"I will be on my guard, nurse. Thank you for the warning, but I don't believe I'm in any danger." The nurse placed the breakfast tray in front of her and said,

"Well, if you're sure and Captain Boggs is aware. Just call out if you need anything and we'll be checking on you frequently," she shot Hitch a warning look as she left. The two friends laughed when the nurse was out of hearing.

"Is she one of your conquests?" Isla asked, awkwardly trying to hold the spoon in order to eat her oatmeal.

"No, I think she was mad I dated one of her friends but never made a move on her," Hitch replied. "Can I help you with that?"

"Probably," she said as the oatmeal slipped off the spoon, back into the bowl. He took the spoon and fed her a few bites. "So, how's your ass?" he asked nonchalantly, and she laughed out loud, covering her mouth to keep from spewing oatmeal.

"Still attached, I believe," she responded.

"That's good, It is your best ASSet, after all." He held the mug of tea for her to drink.

"So, you always say," she answered.

"Not just me," Hitch fed her another spoonful. "I overheard Moffitt tell Troy it was quite lovely." Isla looked at him in disbelief, her face turning pink.

"It's true," he said innocently with a wicked grin on his face.

"Oh dear, Lord," she commented, "as if it wasn't embarrassing enough without that."

They were interrupted by a soft knock on the open doorframe.

"Excuse me, Miss Isla, they said I couldn't come in, but I heard you were hurt and baked these for you." Cookie held out a basket of muffins that Hitch took and brought to her.

"Oh, Cookie," she exclaimed, placing both hands over her heart. "That was so kind of you. Thank you very much. I will indeed enjoy them immensely."

"There's some butter and jam in there as well." Cookie was pleased she was pleased, and his face shone from her appreciation. "I put some dates and ginger in them," he said, and she murmured her approval. He left to return to the kitchen and Hitch quickly prepared muffins for both of them.

"Who says you get any?" Isla teased.

"I'm the one with the hands," Hitch reminded her. "and you don't want to spill jam all over your gown." She gave him a look and they enjoyed the muffins together.

"Would you please get my photo album from my suitcase?" she asked when they were finished. He pulled out a small, leather-bound book, about three inches thick and handed it to her. She opened it and they enjoyed sharing memories of their times together growing up.

"May we come in?" Troy asked as the three other Rats stood in the doorway.

"Of course," she invited them in, and they gathered around.

"You look like you're feeling better," Moffitt commented, and she blushed a little as she replied,

"Thanks to all of you, getting me back here as quickly as you did. Help yourself to the muffins, a gift from Cookie." They did as she asked and were soon savoring the fresh baked goods.

"What's this?" Tully took the photo album from Hitch's hands.

"Memories, Tully, fond memories," she answered and allowed them to view her photos. They saw pictures of her family and Hitch's; her Scottie Lorna, early dance recitals, playing the harp with Hitch on the piano and her in full Scottish dress playing the bagpipes. There were lots of pictures of Hitch and Isla growing up: frolicking in the snow; ice skating on a frozen pond; archery practice; dressed for Halloween; toasting s'mores over a campfire; in Scouting uniforms; fishing; both with braces on their teeth; riding The Cyclone at Coney Island; on horseback; in formal dress for a party; dancing together; lounging against a sports car with Hitch wearing a Cornell sweater and ending with a picture of Mark in his uniform and her dressed in a Rockette's costume.

"Looks like a great life," Troy commented.

"It is," she answered, putting the album on the bedside table. "So, was Captain Boggs very angry with you?" she asked Troy.

"A bit," Troy replied with a smile, "I think it was the threat of you not ever forgiving him that made him go easy on me. Sorry we have to leave you like this but we're heading out in thirty minutes. Hitch, Tully, are the jeeps ready?"

"We did everything last night," Hitch replied. "Take care, Zu's, we'll see you when we get back in a few days."

"You guys be careful," she called as they departed, and said a quick prayer for their safe return.

Shortly after a nurse came into the room carrying a tray with supplies and a blood pressure sphygmomanometer. She was followed by an aide who took the remains of Isla's breakfast tray and left, closing the door behind her.

"Good morning, Miss MacKenzie," she said, setting the supplies on the bedside table, "I'm Lieutenant Ashton, but you can call me, Rose," she shook down a thermometer.

"With pleasure, Rose, if you will call me Isla," Zu-Zu replied as the nurse placed a thermometer under the patient's tongue. She began taking her pulse and continued,

"I hope you slept well." Isla nodded and Rose continued the examination by taking Isla's blood pressure, listening to her heart, and recording everything on her chart. "You're running a very low fever, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. Any trouble breathing or swallowing?"

"No," Isla responded.

"Good, I'm going to disconnect the IV and check your wound," Rose said as she began removing the tubing and needle. "Sorry about the room décor. I think you're the first female patient we've had in here." Blackout curtains had been hung over the windows facing the ward so Isla would have some privacy.

"I'm sorry to be such a bother," Isla said, "I seem to be creating all sorts of problems."

"Don't you dare apologize," Rose insisted. "From what I hear, you were very brave and just between us, we think it's wonderful, having a woman do what you did."

"We?" Isla asked.

"The other nurses and female staff. To us, and everyone else who knows the story, you're a hero."

"I don't know about that," Isla protested. "It was quite an honor to be able to help."

"That's how we all feel about working here. It's our part of the war effort to care for those who are ill or wounded. Would you please roll over on your stomach so I can change the dressing on your wound." Isla did as requested.

"To me, that makes all of you heroes," she replied. "It was just a case of being in the right place at the right time for me. Or maybe, it was the wrong place at the wrong time, I'm not sure," Isla laughed.

"Well, if you were an enlisted man, they'd be pinning a Purple Heart on you and giving you a Commendation of Meritorious Service," Rose said firmly.

"That's not necessary. I didn't do it for recognition. I just reacted and did what I thought needed to be done," Isla was sincere.

"Just as we do," Rose agreed.

"And where would all these men be, without your contribution. I hope they at least thank you for your service," Isla felt the nurses were overlooked.

"Most do. Your friends are always grateful, perhaps not always cooperative, but they're always grateful," Rose finished redressing the wound and began putting calamine lotion on the hives along Isla's back and legs.

"I'm glad to hear that," Isla responded.

"So, you and Private Hitchcock are just friends?" Rose asked.

"Yes, all our lives," Isla confirmed.

"But he's so good-looking with those blue eyes and that smile? Most of the girls around here are like putty in his hands." Rose was skeptical.

"I know," Isla agreed. "It's been that way since he was twelve and had a growth spurt, but we've always been just friends." Rose indicated for her to turn on her back and continued applying calamine to her arms, shoulders, neck, and chest.

"That's hard for us to understand. He's dated many of the women on base or tried to. They think he's quite the catch," Rose prepared a syringe of epinephrine.

"But he's a slippery fish," Isla commented. "He's not interested in settling down or committing to just one girl. He's busy playing the field. I hope he hasn't hurt anyone?"

"A few have wanted more than what he was offering, but to my knowledge he's always been open and forthright with his intentions. Some just don't want to accept that. They think they're the one to change his mind. I can't blame him if they get hurt. They did it to themselves. To be quite honest, most of the women here aren't looking for a long-lasting relationship either. They're just looking for a little relief from the pressures of the job. He's particularly good at providing relief," Rose smiled as if she knew what she was talking about.

"I see," Isla was interested. This was an area in which she had no knowledge or experience. "So, he's not breaking hearts or simply using women for his own purposes or gratification?"

"As I said, the only ones hurt are the ones who can't accept his boundaries. If anything, his purpose usually matches up with and is eagerly accepted by the women he sees. He doesn't force any girl to do something she doesn't want to and avoids those who aren't sure. He's really rather sweet and respectful. He's a good distraction." Rose gave Isla the injection.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Isla replied.

"Now, if you think you can keep from scratching those hives, I'll remove the gauze from your hands." Rose added.

"That would be great. They really don't itch that much with the epinephrine and the calamine lotion," Isla assured her.

"There's a private bathroom right through that door for your use only," Rose said, gathering her equipment. "We'll keep checking on you although, some may want to just stop in and talk with you. It's nice to have someone new. We really enjoyed your performance with the USO, and the patients were so grateful when you sang for them. Is there anything I can get you?"

"How long will I be here? I feel like I'm taking you away from those who need you more. I could just as easily stay in my room and check-in with you several times a day." Isla suggested.

"Captain Boggs has given orders for you to stay here while you recover. He was pretty upset when you were wounded," Rose explained. "I'll see you later," she smiled and left the room with her tray. "Remember, the only men allowed in here are the doctors, your Rat Pack, Captain Boggs and up."

"Sure thing," Isla returned the smile. "Thanks for your care."

A short while later, two nurses entered the room to find the bed empty. "Miss MacKenzie?" one called, thinking she was in the bathroom. At that moment, two legs came into view from the opposite side of the bed, straight up in the air with the feet beating together quickly at the ankles.

"I'm down here," came her voice and she got to her feet. "Sorry, I was just stretching and loosening up. I've been having some muscle spasms from not exercising properly for several days," She picked up the two towels she had placed on the floor, hung them on a rod in the bathroom and climbed back into the bed. "I've been careful with the stitches. If I feel anything start to pull, I stop. Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all," they laughed. "We just came by to see if you wanted any company."

"Of course, please come in," she said. They introduced themselves as Jane and Susan, and pulled up two chairs so they could chat.

"If I'm not being too personal, have either of you had a relationship with Private Hitchcock?" Isla was hesitant to ask.

"I wouldn't call what we had a relationship," Jane replied. "It was just a good time." Susan nodded and added, "A very good time."

"Forgive me," Isla blushed slightly. "I've always known about his hound dog ways, I've just never really spoken to any of his …," her voice broke off as she struggled for a word.

"Why don't we say willing partners?" Jane suggested.

"Thank you," Isla was relieved.

"We just wanted to get to know you better and find out what it's like being such good friends with a guy," Susan continued.

"And to say how much we appreciated your entertaining the patients," Jane finished.

"Well, I'm very glad to meet you," Isla said sincerely. "I promise, Mark and I are just very good friends. We've grown up together, he's like a brother to me."

"I really enjoyed watching you dance. I took tap lessons until I went off to nursing school," Jane said. "It was so much fun, and I miss it."

"And I loved doing ballet, but I haven't had on a pair of pointe shoes for years," Susan added.

"It's a shame you can't keep it up while you're here," Isla said. "I find it relaxes me and brings me such joy. You could also use your talent to help entertain your patients, if you ever had any free time and felt up to it."

"Could you imagine that?" Susan laughed. "It sounds like the plot of a bad Hollywood movie where they put on a show in the barn, to raise money for the mortgage."

"Why?" Isla asked. "I'm sure there are lots of folks on base that have talent—dancers, singers, musicians. You could create all sorts of entertainments to boost morale and give yourselves an opportunity to share your talents with others. It's a shame to let all that talent, skill, and training just go to waste."

"Wouldn't that be something?" Jane was thoughtful.

"It's sure something to think about," Susan agreed. "Well, we've got to get back to work. We'll stop by again," they returned the chairs against the wall and prepared to leave.

"Come by anytime," Isla invited. "I'm not going anywhere."

Throughout the day, more nurses stopped by to meet her, as well as some of the female office staff. The walls of the room were soon covered with notes and handmade cards from the wounded and base personnel, thanking her for her performances and her involvement with the recent mission. She was overwhelmed by the sentiments expressed, especially those who said they had never seen a ballet before and had enjoyed her dancing very much. Several bouquets of desert flowers were dropped off by men who had picked them especially for her, and Captain Boggs paid a visit to make sure she was doing well.

Off duty nurses and female personnel were in and out of her room all the time. They were intrigued when she arranged her hair in a French braid, and she taught them the technique. They found a new partner for bridge, pinochle, and canasta, and lamented not having mahjong tiles. They found a willing listener when they needed to talk who provided support and encouragement. Due to the large number of visitors, they brought in more chairs, a coffee urn, and cookies for everyone to share.

Occasionally a young woman would find Isla alone and release the anger she harbored against Hitch for leading her on and breaking her heart. She listened to their pain, comforted them as they cried and then gently spoke harsh reality to them in such a sympathetic way they left with a better understanding of relationships and their own self-worth.

She discovered that her Rat Pack was greatly admired and lusted after by most of the women on the base. They were all so handsome and sexy in different ways; so exciting and masculine; and so very good at what they did. Isla was comforted by knowing her "guys" were well cared for when they were wounded. She wanted to find some way for the base to show their appreciation for the sacrifices and dedication these women exhibited each and every day.

Chapter 7

By the third day, she had planted enough seeds about their pulling together an entertainment for the base, that her idea was beginning to sprout. Now she was in her element and began taking notes about who could do what and sent them forth to find other base personnel who had any sort of musical or performing talent. They brought her a clipboard with pad and pen so she could work on organizational plans.

She was busy with this when she heard something going on in the ward. She got out of bed, put on her robe, and walked to the door of her room. She could see the wounded men in their beds all staring towards a group of nurses and hospital personnel gathered at the ward desk. Rose saw her and came to speak with her.

"What's happened?" Isla was concerned.

"Susan was attacked last night returning to her quarters," Rose was extremely upset.

"What?" Isla was shocked.

"Her roommate reported that she hadn't returned all night, so they went looking for her. They found her in an alley this morning. She had been severely beaten and clubbed over the head. She's regained consciousness and they're stitching her up but she's pretty hysterical," Rose's voice was tremulous.

"Do they know who did this?" Isla was deeply disturbed.

"No," Rose replied. "They're hoping she might remember something but at this point, we're just thankful she wasn't sexually assaulted or killed."

"Thank God," Isla felt relieved. "Is there anything I can do? Will you want to put her in the room with me? I could help care for her."

"We're not sure of much right now," Rose said. "I'll let you know what happens." Isla nodded and thanked her.

Her daily visitors increased but the tone was different. Now they needed to talk about Susan, their worries for her recovery and whether or not this was an isolated incident. The plans for the show were forgotten.

It was during this solemnity the Rat Patrol returned. Hitch came to visit with her after dropping off Bertha for servicing. Troy and Moffit were with Captain Boggs and Tully wanted to fix something on Olive that he felt was beyond the skill of the motor pool mechanics.

"Hey Zu's," he knocked at her open door. "Are you alright? What's going on? You could cut the tension around here with a knife." She invited him in, and he took a chair by her bedside while she told him about Susan's attack.

"That's terrible," Hitch was stunned by the news. "Do you know what steps they're taking to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

"Not yet. I think Captain Boggs is still trying to figure out what happened. They're hoping Susan can give them a description of her attacker but she's pretty heavily sedated right now," Isla explained.

"It just doesn't make sense to me," Hitch was angry. "Why would anyone do such a thing. Susan's such a nice person. She's taken care of me before when I was injured."

"From what I hear, you took care of her as well," Isla had a mischievous grin on her face."

"What?" Hitch was uneasy at the implication. "Did she say something about that?"

"Of course," Isla relied, "Don't you know women share everything with one another and compare notes?" Hitch looked at her warily.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked apprehensively.

"Am I? I understand you're very good at what you do," Isla teased innocently. Hitch blushed a deep shade of red and looked away.

"You're kidding, I know you're kidding," he seemed trying to convince himself. "Looks like you have a lot of admirers," he changed the subject and read some of the cards and notes hanging on the wall.

"Whatever you say, Tadpole," she smiled to herself. "Yes, everyone has been so kind, and I've really enjoyed getting to know the nurses and other female personnel. We were organizing a bit of entertainment for the base before the attack last night."

"I hope this is a solitary case, and you'll have a chance to present the show," Hitch was glad the topic had changed. "How's your wound and the hives."

"My wound is itchy where the skin is knitting back together and my hives are clearing away very nicely," she informed him. "I'm hoping to get out of here as soon as they remove the stitches. Captain Boggs seems overly protective by keeping me here. I'd much rather be back in my room."

"Do you need anything?" Hitch asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she said, pulling a small scrap of paper from her clipboard. "I didn't want to bother the nurses, they're so busy, but I would like some things from my room, since you were so stingy about my luggage. You can take my suitcase back, empty it onto the bed and use it to bring back what I need."

"Okay, give me the list," he said and quickly scanned the items. "Wait, you want me to bring you what?" he was shocked by something she had written.

"Yes, I do," she insisted. "You'll find a box in the top dresser drawer with my lingerie and handkerchiefs."

"Zu-Zu, I'm not comfortable with this. Wouldn't you rather have a woman do this."

"Not especially. They're very busy and concerned about Susan. Shall we consider some of the things I've done for you in the past? I think you can handle this for me," she was firm.

"Aw, Zu's," he whined.

"Mark, you are a commando trained member of the U.S. Army assigned to the LRDG in its most proficient unit known as the Rat Patrol. You are the recipient of a Silver Star and a host of other medals. I think you're man enough to bring me what I need. Or perhaps I should ask Sergeant Moffitt to assist me," she continued.

"You wouldn't dare," his eyes grew wide, and his face began to pinken.

"Well, not before I tell him why I call you Tadpole," she said matter-of-factly. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Alright, you win," he said reluctantly. "As usual," he muttered under his breath and left to carry out her instructions. He had just returned with the suitcase, and she was about to make a snarky comment about him not dying while carrying out her request when a private arrived saying Hitch was wanted in Captain Boggs' office.

Chapter 8

"Sit down," Captain Boggs was brusque as the four Rats gathered in their commander's office. "There's been another attack. Colonel Quint's secretary, Judy, was found beaten and unconscious behind the women's quarters. She's been taken to the hospital. So, now we know this was not an isolated attack. I've posted MPs at the entrances of the women's barracks and ordered all female personnel be escorted by a guard whenever they leave their assigned duties."

"Any clues yet on who the attacker might be?" Troy asked.

"None yet. Both women are unconscious and have yet to be questioned. We need to quickly deal with this situation. We can't have our nurses and female staff in more danger than they already face or be afraid to walk around the base."

"Whoever it is, sir," Moffit spoke, "seems to be rather brazen. He's carried out two attacks within a short time frame, one in broad daylight."

"And we don't know if there is any connection between the two attacks," Hitch piped up. "Do Susan and Judy have anything in common?"

"That's why I want you to take charge of the investigation. Find out what you can and what can be done to better protect our personnel." Boggs said.

"I would suggest that in addition to guarding the women's quarters, you include the hospital and headquarters since that's where most of them work," Troy said as they prepared to leave.

"Consider it done," Boggs said, yelling for his assistant.

The four men went to have lunch at the mess hall and discuss how to proceed with their orders. As they were eating, Troy asked, "What do we know about these two women?"

"Susan was one of my nurses in the hospital, last time I was shot" Tully said and the other three nodded in agreement.

"We've all met Judy when we were called to the colonel's office," Moffitt was thinking aloud. "I believe I may have danced with her once at Remy's."

"So, what do they have in common?" Troy drank his coffee.

"You mean, besides me?" Hitch asked quietly.

"What do you, mean, you?" Troy's voice was gravelly.

"Well," Hitch awkwardly explained, "I mean I've gone out with both of them."

"By gone out with, should we conclude you were intimate with?" Moffitt queried.

"Yeah," Hitch could feel his cheeks beginning to burn.

"Dag gone it, Hitch," Troy looked at his private with steely eyes, "It's not enough you're a bullet magnet, but now we've got to keep an eye on all your personal peccadilloes?"

"Now hold on, Sarge," Tully interrupted, "You know Hitch wasn't involved in these attacks and we were off base when Nurse Susan was attacked."

"I know he didn't attack them. I just hope no one else finds out they have a connection and tries to make something out of it," Troy drained his mug. "Let's go check at the hospital to see if either one is awake."

They found both women had been placed in an empty 4-bed ward on the second floor. Susan was still sedated but Judy was awake and sitting up in bed. Her face was a mass of bruises, and her nose was broken. They could see deep contusions on her right arm where the attacker had roughly held her and similar marks around her throat where she had been strangled. Her left arm was in a sling. A large bump at her right temple gave evidence of where she was struck with a blunt object. Her eyes were black and swollen and she jumped a bit when Moffit knocked on the door frame.

Moffitt was selected to interview the victims since he appeared more compassionate and gentle. They didn't want to overwhelm the women with four men questioning them.

"Judy?" Moffitt said softly. "May I speak with you?" She nodded and he sat in a chair next to the bed.

"I am so sorry this happened," he began, and she closed her eyes while taking some deep breaths. "Captain Boggs has asked us to investigate your attack and the one on Nurse Susan." She opened her eyes and looked at him, nodding her head again.

"Is there anything you can remember or tell me about what happened?" Moffitt kindly asked. She took another deep breath and spoke quietly, unable to meet his eyes.

"It was so fast," she haltingly began. "I was heading to an early lunch in the mess hall and stopped by my room for a book a friend had asked to borrow. After leaving, I heard someone call my name. It sounded like it was behind a truck that was parked close by."

"A man's voice?" Moffitt spoke.

"Yes. He said, 'Judy, could you help me with this?' and I went to see what he needed. Something hit me in the head, and I was dazed. He grabbed me by the arms and dragged me behind the truck."

"Could you see his face?" Moffitt asked.

"No," she was growing anxious, "He had something over his head, like a woman's stocking."

"Try to breathe," Moffitt soothed. "Take your time." She focused on her breathing for a few moments and continued. "He hit me in the face, over and over again and kept saying, "You're no good. None of you are," she paused and shuddered. "'You lead men on and then throw us away.' I felt my nose break." A tear rolled down her cheek and her breathing grew ragged. "He twisted my arm behind my back, and I felt my shoulder pop out of place. He put his hands around my throat, and I tried to remain conscious, but my head was still swimming from the first blow. I fought back but I couldn't reach him with my arms. That's all I can remember until I woke up here in the hospital." Tears were freely flowing down her face, and she looked at the sergeant. "I'm sorry."

"Please, Judy, don't apologize. None of this was your fault," Moffitt gave her his handkerchief to dry her eyes. "Could you tell his height or weight? Eye or hair color?"

"He was tall and had broad shoulders, kind of square shaped and solid, if that makes any sense. I couldn't see his eyes well enough, but I think he had dark hair. "

"Anything you can remember about how he was dressed? Any tattoos or other markings?" he prompted. She returned his handkerchief and concentrated on remembering.

"He was in uniform. A private or maybe a corporal. I don't remember any tattoos," she was becoming agitated.

"Thank you, Judy," Moffitt said, flashing his comforting smile. "We're going to find this guy."

"How?" she asked desperately. "There's hundreds of men on this base, all dressed in uniform. How can you say you're going to find him?"

"Because we aren't going to stop until we do," Moffitt assured her. "Thanks again. I'll leave you to rest. If you remember anything, just let us know." He smiled again and she bravely nodded again.

The others had been listening outside the door, so Moffitt didn't need to fill them in on the conversation. They were all angry about the situation and agreed with Moffitt they weren't going to stop until they found the man.

They walked the perimeter of the hospital and noticed the guards placed by Captain Boggs. Hitch was glad to see a guard in front of the door leading to the hall next to the isolation room where Isla was staying. Inside there were guards in all hallways and stairwells. They checked the women's quarters to make sure guards were posted where needed. They were about to grab a cup of coffee/tea at the mess hall when a private arrived to let them know Nurse Susan was awake.

They hurried back to the hospital and made their way to the second story room. Susan was awake but extremely frightened and agitated. The head nurse, Rose, was with her, trying to keep her calm. Judy was sitting in the hall with a nurse so Susan could be privately questioned. Again, Moffitt entered alone.

"Nurse Susan?" he slowly approached her bed. She turned to Rose for support and started to shout, "Keep away from me!" He quickly returned to the hall while Rose soothed her anxious friend.

"He's not the one who attacked you, Susan. Captain Boggs has asked him to find the one who did," she explained.

"I can't do this," Susan cried painfully through gritted teeth.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but we can't find the man responsible if we don't have any information. What happened to you and Judy was reprehensible and we don't want anyone else to be hurt. I'm going to give you an injection to help calm you. If you still can't speak with Sergeant Moffitt, you don't have to," Rose explained. Susan nodded slightly and Rose gave her an injection. In a few minutes she was more relaxed.

"Are you ready?" Rose asked.

"I'll try," Susan murmured. Slowly Moffitt reentered the room and walked to the bed. Like Judy, Susan's face was a mass of bruises. Her face was swollen, and her broken jaw was wired shut. Bruises were noticeable on her arms, but her neck was clear. A gauze pad covered the stitches near her hairline over her right eye.

"I'm Sergeant Moffitt," he said, taking a seat next to the bed. "I've been asked to find the identity of your attacker. Colonel Quint and Captain Boggs are both quite concerned about you." She nodded and looked away.

"Can you tell me what happened?" his voice and expression both betrayed his compassion. It was several minutes before she could speak through clenched teeth.

"My shift had ended, and I was returning to my quarters. I cut down the alley, like we all do," she had to stop.

"Take whatever time you need."

"A man grabbed me by the arm. I couldn't make out his face. I think he wore a stocking over his head." She paused again and her face screwed up as she remembered. "He grabbed the neck of my blouse and ripped it open. I started to scream. That's when he began beating my face. I felt a sudden pain in my jaw and saw stars. I tried to kick him, but he hit me even harder. I think I remember a club of some kind. After that I blacked out.

"Did he say anything?" Moffitt quietly asked.

"Yes," she said timidly. "He said, 'I'll show you. You can't treat me like this.' I didn't understand what he was talking about. I don't think I'd ever met him. Then he called me all sorts of names."

"Can you tell me how he was built or what he was wearing?"

"He was tall and stocky. His arms and fists were big. He may have had dark hair but I'm not sure. He was in uniform but I'm not sure of his rank," she was reaching her limit.

"You've been very brave, Nurse Susan. "We're going to do everything possible to find this guy," Moffitt assured her as he stood. He was walking to the door when she called to him,

"Sergeant, please don't let him do this to anyone else."

"We'll do our best, I promise," he said.

Moffitt joined his fellow Rats in the hallway where they had listened to the conversation. They were even angrier than before. Heading to the mess hall, they grabbed some dinner and found a table where they could talk.

"So," Troy said, starting the conversation. "What have we learned?"

"He's tall, stocky and may have dark hair," Tully said. Looking around the room, they noticed how many soldiers fit that description.

"He's in uniform, perhaps a private or corporal," Hitch said and again they took note of the number of men who could be described as such.

"He seems to have some sort of resentment towards women," Moffitt chimed in. "I believe he's been hurt so wants to hurt them."

"But what set him off," Troy questioned. "Maybe a recent breakup with someone he was dating or someone who turned him down for a date?"

"Or perhaps what you chaps call a 'Dear John' letter?" Moffitt sipped his tea, deep in thought.

"He's gutsy," Hitch added. "He attacked Susan in a dark alley but grabbed Judy in broad daylight, close to the women's barracks."

"He distorts his face by wearing a stocking so they can't identify him," Tully added.

"Did he pick them out for the attacks or were they just random victims? Susan is a nurse and Judy is a secretary. They don't work together." Troy wondered and they couldn't answer.

"Susan is military, and Judy is a civilian," Moffitt pointed out.

"Susan is blonde, and Judy is brunette. They have similar body types," Hitch was thinking aloud.

"This is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Tully commented.

"I hope the extra guards prevent any further attacks," Hitch said. Of the four, he seemed the most visibly upset, perhaps because of his previous relationships with the two women.

"Maybe we need to be on the lookout for a guy with bruised knuckles," Tully suggested.

"Who carries a ladies' stocking in his pocket," Hitch continued sarcastically, "and possibly a bludgeon of some kind."

"The bruised knuckles might be a good place to start looking," Troy suggested. "It's better than nothing."

Chapter 9

After dinner they decided to visit Isla. They filled her in on what had happened.

"Has this ever happened before?" she was concerned.

"Not like this," Troy assured her. "Occasionally we get a guy who has trouble respecting the chain of command when dealing with female officers or who thinks he's irresistible to women and doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'no,' but they're soon set straight."

"I imagine the women on base are feeling rather vulnerable," Isla remarked.

"There's definitely an air of tension," Moffitt responded. "All of the female personnel have had self-defense training, but I don't know how effective it's been."

"It's one thing to know self-defense and another when you're being attacked," Isla said. "Mark used to surprise me like he was an attacker so I would be better prepared."

"Yeah. I got thumped pretty good several times. Her favorite move was to flip me over her shoulder but at least she stopped short of stomping me in the chest," Mark replied.

"You also gave me this," she pulled a chain from beneath her gown, revealing a whistle. "In the city, I wear this whenever I'm walking alone, especially after dark. I thought it might be best to wear it now. You might want to give one to all the female personnel as a precaution."

"That's a good idea," Moffitt agreed. "I'll check supply. If you don't mind my saying so, Isla, it looks as though your hives are clearing up nicely."

"Yes, they are," she replied. "I'm already forgetting where some of them were."

"Maybe we should have connected the dots and seen what kind of picture we could make," Tully drawled and then seem shocked at what he said. "Did I say that out loud?" he asked and his face pinkened at the implication of drawing on her body. "That just popped into my head, and I guess my tongue didn't get the message that it was inappropriate," he stammered. "I'll go to supply for you, Doc, and check on those whistles," he left quickly to hide his embarrassment. Hitch laughed at his friend's uneasiness.

"Well, that was surprising," Isla didn't know whether to be offended or amused. "I take it that's rather out of character for Tully."

"Still waters run deep," Moffitt was amused. Troy was right, Isla was definitely a disturbing factor among their group.

"Any idea when your stitches will come out?" Hitch asked.

"Hopefully in just a few more days. I'm getting rather bored with just lying around here unable to do as I please. I can feel myself losing muscle tone from not working out every day. It's maddening. Now, with these attacks, I feel like I have to be on guard all the time."

"You're pretty safe here," Troy tried to assure her. "There are guards posted all over the building and around the perimeter. There's a guard right outside the door over there," he indicated the door at the end of the short hallway outside her room.

"I'd feel safer in my guest room at headquarters," she remarked.

"Headquarters is probably the safest place on base," Moffitt agreed.

"Well, if you guys will excuse me," Hitch announced, "but I'm meeting a date at Remy's."

"Really?" Isla smiled. "Do I know her?"

"Yes, you do. I'm having a drink and a dance with Beverly and playing the Boogie Woogie Stomp for her," Hitch explained.

"Oh, I wish I could see that," Isla was disappointed. Seeing the expressions on Troy and Moffitt's faces, she said, "Go ahead, you two and tell me all about it later." They said goodnight and followed Hitch to Remy's.

The bar was lively with lots of off duty personnel gathered to drink and dance. Tully soon joined them, saying he had gotten every whistle on the base to hand out. Hitch swung Beverly around the dance floor then took his place at the piano. He wasn't allowed to quit after he played for Beverly; people kept shouting for more. He had just finished a ragtime piece when the door opened, and a battered woman entered and collapsed.

The four Rats immediately cleared everyone away and were joined by a doctor and Beverly who sent someone for an ambulance.

"It's Cathy," someone said, "she's a nurse." The word quickly spread around the room. Tully and Hitch covered crowd control and sent as many as possible back to the barracks, making sure the women were escorted by soldiers they knew or in groups. The injured nurse was loaded into the ambulance when it arrived and taken to the hospital. The Rats followed close behind.

Captain Boggs joined them as they waited for news and Tully gave the whistles to Jane to distribute to the nursing staff.

"Sir," Hitch addressed the captain. "Earlier, we were speaking with Isla, Miss MacKenzie," he corrected himself. "She expressed concern for her safety with being isolated in the hospital and believes she would be safer if she was back in the guest room at headquarters."

"I think she's right," Boggs agreed. "You and Private Pettigrew go move her back." The two men hurried to carry out the captain's order and soon Isla was back in her original quarters.

"Lock this door after we leave," Hitch said, "and don't open it for anyone you don't know."

"But what if it turns out, I know the attacker," she pointed out.

"You know what I mean," Hitch was emphatic. He suddenly found himself worrying for her safety.

The two men returned to the hospital and found Moffitt and Troy questioning Cathy, with the captain standing nearby. Unlike the first two witnesses, Cathy was mad and had no trouble answering questions while the doctor took some stitches near her hairline over her right ear.

"I'd like to get my hands on him again," she was saying. "If he hadn't hit me over the head with a club, he might be the one here with stitches." Her face was deeply bruised and her right eye blackened but not as badly as Susan and Judy.

"What happened?" Moffitt asked.

"I was on my way to Remy's for a drink and to hear Private Hitchcock play. Beverly told me about it," she began. "I was walking with Corporal Wyatt, but he got to talking to someone else, so I told him, I'd go on ahead. I was just turning the corner by the laundry when this guy slammed a fist into my jaw. He pulled me behind the building, but I couldn't see his face. He had a stocking over his head, who does that?" she paused as the doctor finished the stitches. Moffitt nodded and she continued,

"He tore the sleeve on my blouse which ticked me off cause it's new. I grabbed his arm and flipped him to the ground. I was going to kick him, but he grabbed my foot and tripped me. I got away but he grabbed me by the hair. I scratched his neck and he cursed at me. He kept saying, 'You're not worth it, I'll show you.' He hit me a few more times and I was able to kick him between his legs. He doubled over and I grabbed the stocking over his head. I managed to put a good-sized hole in it and that's when he clubbed me and limped away." Beverly gave her an injection.

"So, you didn't get a look at his face?" asked Moffitt and she shook her head.

"Could you tell us anything you noticed about him?" Moffitt questioned.

"He was about Tully's height and kind of thickset. Broad shoulders. His hair was dark brown or black. His left knuckles were skinned and bruised. He led with his left," she responded.

"Are you sure you scratched him?"

"Got him good," Cathy held up her right hand where they could see blood and skin fragments under her nails. "Right about here," she indicated a spot on her neck.

"I'm going to take a sample and see if we can get a blood type," Beverly said. "That might help us narrow it down." The nurse scraped the tissue and blood from beneath Cathy's nails.

"Sounds like you held your own with him," Troy commented.

"I have five brothers," she replied with a small, painful grin, "It's called survival." They thanked her for her help and went outside to discuss what they had learned with Captain Boogs.

"Cathy is a military nurse, not a civilian," Tully pointed out.

"She has black hair. So far he's attacked a blonde and a brunette, so all he needs now is a redhead," Hitch was thinking out loud, then realized Isla fell into that category. "You don't think he'd try to get to Isla, do you?"

"It would be foolish for him to try, given that she's a special guest of Captain Boggs and safely tucked away in headquarters. Lots of guards." Troy tried to ease Hitch's mind.

"He seems to be a lefty with dark hair," Moffitt added to the description. "It's going to be hard for him to hide those scratch marks."

So, we're looking for a tall, stocky, left-handed guy with dark hair, bruised knuckles, and a scratched neck," Troy said.

"Who has a lot of anger directed at women." Moffitt remarked. "Piece of cake."

"I'm counting on you guys to put an end to all of this. Just let me know what you need and keep me informed," the captain said returning to headquarters. The Rats returned to their room for some much-needed rest.

In the morning, Hitch went to escort Isla to breakfast. She had been released from the hospital with instructions to stop by each morning and evening for them to check on her progress. She was glad to be out and about and having breakfast in the crowded Mess Hall. She brought a pillow to sit upon. There seemed to be MPs everywhere and she noticed the whistles hanging around the necks of the female personnel.

After reporting to the hospital, she asked Hitch, "Are you ready to come clean about what you guys do on your missions and tell me the truth about all the times you've been injured?"

"Sure," he replied. "Let's go sit beneath the trees by the motor pool. Lots of people around and Tully's probably working on the jeeps." Sure enough, Tully had his head beneath Olive's hood, and they greeted him as Hitch took a blanket from Bertha.

"Sarge has me looking around the motor pool for anyone meeting the description of the attacker," Tully explained. "We found out his blood type is 0+ so that's going to narrow the field a little. Moffitt is searching through personnel files to see what he can find, and Troy is checking with all the guards to see if they've spotted anything. He wants you to keep an eye on Isla. I think he's a bit more concerned about her being a redhead than he let on."

Hitch nodded and was soon sitting on the blanket with Isla, sharing some of the patrol's exploits. Once Tully looked up and saw Hitch shirtless, showing her his scars and explaining his wounds. Another time, he was rolling up his pants' leg to reveal where he was shot trying to rescue a dog. Tully admired the way she could listen and be concerned, but not act shocked or appalled. She really was special, and he was beginning to better understand how she and Hitch were good friends. He agreed with Troy that Hitch was a fool but continued to wonder if Isla would agree to go out with him if he got up enough courage to ask. He didn't think he could do so without an okay from Hitch.

Perhaps it was because he was daydreaming about Isla that Tully wasn't paying much attention to a corporal who was working on a nearby truck. He was watching the two friends talk with more attention paid to Isla. His hands were buried inside the engine and in spite of the heat, his shirt was completely buttoned.

After lunch, Hitch and Isla took a long walk about the base. Hitch said he would be back in a few hours to take her to the hospital for her check-in. and then to dinner before escorting her back to her room. He reminded her to keep her door locked and went to find Troy.

Isla spent the afternoon doing her stretching exercises, writing letters, and reading. Occasionally, the MP outside the guest room would knock and check to make sure she was safe, without opening the door. She was thinking it was about time for Hitch to return when someone rapped on her door.

"It's me, Zu-Zu," came a familiar voice and she heard a muffled sound.

"Mark?" she said, unlocking the door. She was immediately thrown backward into the wall as the door was violently thrown open. She hit her head and slid to the floor. Before the door closed she caught a glimpse of Mark lying unconscious in the hallway. She heard the bolt slide into place.

She was aware of a man pulling her to her feet by her hair. His face was shrouded in a stocking. She reached for her whistle, but he roughly yanked the chain from around her neck and tossed it across the room.

"You won't be needing that," he said, slapping her across the face. She tried to scream but he clamped his large hand across her mouth and hit her again. "Uh, uh," he said, "No one else is going to join this party."

She bit his hand and tried to squirm away. She brought her foot down hard on his instep, but his army boots offered protection and the move was ineffective. He hit her hard across the face and she staggered beneath the force of the blow.

"You're not going to get away with hurting that guy the way you hurt me," he said as she struggled to clear her head. She didn't understand what he was saying. "You're like all women. No good. Lead us on and then drop us," he grabbed her blouse to lift her from the floor and she kicked him hard between his legs. She heard the fabric tear as he cried out and doubled over while dropping his grip. She writhed away but he managed to grab her ankle. She brought back her other leg and kicked him in the face. She heard a crunching sound, and he automatically clutched his bloody nose. He let go and she stood, stumbling to her bed.

He came up behind her and pinned her arms to her side while covering her mouth. She bit his hand again; this time drawing blood and he belted her across the face. She landed on the bed and drew both her well-muscled legs up, kicking him in the chest causing him to totter backwards. Reaching beside the bed, she grabbed a baseball bat and swept his kneecap, causing him to fall and cry out in pain. He reached to stop her, but she swung the bat, hitting his temple, and he dropped unconscious to the floor. Panting heavily, she picked up the whistle and staggered to the door. She threw back the bolt, opened the door and blew the whistle as hard as she could. She made her way back to where her attacker lay, bat in hand, to make sure he didn't get up again.

Hitch was lurching to his feet when he heard the whistle and struggled to clear his head. Troy, Moffitt, and Tully had been in Captain Boggs' office. The four men came running, pistols drawn, at the sound of the whistle along with a number of MPs and office personnel. They stepped over an unconscious guard in the stairwell and entered the room moments after Hitch stumbled inside.

He stood next to Isla's side. Her breathing came in great gulps, and she was still holding the bat. Noticing her torn blouse, he quickly removed his jacket and put it on her. He took the bat and handed it to Tully.

"Is it over?" she managed to squeak out.

"It sure is, Zu's," Hitch was concerned for her injuries but so proud of her actions.

"Good," she whispered and passed out.

Chapter 10

Isla tried to open her eyes. They were cold and something was covering them. The same was true of her face.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," came a well-known voice.

"Doubtful," she spoke quietly. "I'm probably a black and blue mess,"

"And swollen," he said honestly. "Cookie insisted you have ice to bring down the swelling. Just lie still. I'm going to let the nurse know you're awake," he left the room.

He returned a few minutes later with Beverly who removed the ice packs.

"How are you doing, Slugger?" she asked with a smile.

Isla tried to return the smile but only succeeded in a smirk. She could tell her bottom lip was twice its normal size and she could feel dried blood with her tongue.

"How bad is it?" Isla asked.

"You definitely won the fight, and those bruises are a badge of honor," Beverly was cheerful. "You're rather puffy and black and blue, but nothing's broken and you should be fine once the swelling goes down. You've a few contusions on other parts of your body and a small abrasion where he ripped the chain from your neck. Believe me, he looks much worse."

"Do you have a mirror?" Isla was concerned.

"Wouldn't you rather wait till some of the swelling is down?" Beverly suggested.

"No, I need to see, otherwise I'll be imagining my eyeball is hanging from its socket," Isla remarked. Beverly took a compact from her pocket and gave it to Isla who took a deep breath before looking at her reflection.

"Perhaps I should change my name to Quasimodo? Maybe dark veils will become fashionable," she remarked, upset by her reflection.

"Not on your life," Mark interrupted. "I've told you before, Zu-Zu, there is never a time when you are not absolutely beautiful." She looked at him skeptically. "I'm serious, Zu's, Beverly's right. You earned every one of those bruises."

At that moment, Captain Boggs and the other Rats entered the room. They inwardly recoiled at the sight of her injuries but outwardly showed their respect and gratitude.

"Miss MacKenzie, I am so sorry this happened to you," Captain Boggs was beside himself with concern. "However, I cannot adequately express my gratitude for your courage and skill in taking down the attacker. You continue to amaze me with your talents."

"Is he in custody? Why was he hurting women?" she asked.

"He's in the stockade, recovering from the beating you gave him," Troy spoke up. "His name is Corporal Max Bascomb and he's not going to hurt anyone else for a long time."

"He received a 'Dear John' letter from his girlfriend back home. He felt she had made a fool of him, and he took it out on any woman he could find. He was in the motor pool while you and Hitch were talking this afternoon and decided you were stringing Hitch along," Moffit added.

"He knocked out the guard at the back door and the one standing outside your room. He knew you were expecting Mark to take you to dinner, so he waited until Hitch knocked on your door and called out before knocking him over the head," Troy continued.

"You did good, Zu-Zu," Hitch said proudly.

"Where did you get the baseball bat?" asked Tully.

"I always travel with my Louisville Slugger, just in case of situations like this," she managed a half-hearted smile. "Sweep the kneecap and aim for the head."

"I taught her that," Hitch said simply.

"I never thought I'd need it," she confessed. "Thanks, Tadpole."

"She needs to rest, so I'm going to ask all of you to leave now," Beverly said, holding up a syringe." The men said goodnight, congratulated her again and shuffled out of the room.

"Private Hitchcock is right," she said giving Isla the injection to help her sleep. "You did good. I'm going to put more ice on your face, and I'll check on you throughout the night." Isla nodded her thanks and closed her eyes. "Oh, your bat is under your pillows, in case you need it again," Beverly said, replacing the ice packs. She could see Isla trying to smile.

The next day, Isla insisted upon being moved to the ward with the other victims of Corporal Bascomb's violence.

"There's no sense in me being here creating additional work for the nurses," she insisted to Captain Boggs. "Besides, we share a bond over this mess and should recuperate together." Boggs found himself unable to deny her request, so she was moved to the other room. She put a hospital-issue robe over her feminine gown and robe set so she wouldn't cause a stir as she exited through the men's ward. It didn't matter, as she walked through the men's ward to get to her new room, the men all applauded and yelled their congratulations for taking down the attacker.

Once in her new room, the other women asked for a blow-by-blow description of how she had turned the tables on Bascomb. They were joined by many of the staff crowding inside or standing in the doorway. The three other victims listened attentively with Cathy nodding her head as Isla told the story. Judy and Susan both seemed more relaxed now their attacker was not only behind bars but injured as well.

Within a short time, the four women had forged new friendships and they were quite entertained by the Rat Patrol stopping by to check on Isla.

Hitch was visiting and was about to leave when she said,

"Oh, Tadpole, I found this with my things," she pulled a khaki jacket from her bedside table. Am I remembering correctly? Did you put your jacket around me after I was attacked?"

"Yeah, he had practically ripped off your blouse," Hitch explained somewhat embarrassed.

"I am grateful for your preserving my modesty," she answered sincerely. "Thankfully it wasn't in such a public place this time."

"Oh Zu's," he protested as his face turned pink, "I'd almost wiped that from my mind."

"Well now, I've got to hear about this," Cathy said.

"So do we," Jane joined in.

"It was one of our first formal dances. I thought I was so grown up and looking glamorous in this beautiful, strapless gown from Paris. We were taking a break, sitting in chairs in a small alcove, having a cup of punch. The band began playing again, and Mark stood in front of me, holding out his hand for me to take. Not realizing, he was standing on the hem of my dress, I stood up and my dress came down almost to my waist.

"Oh no!" the three women shrieked with laughter.

"He had his jacket off so quick and around me before I even realized what had happened. Fortunately, since he was standing in front of me, no one else saw what had happened."

"Thanks for reminding me," Hitch pretended to be offended and Isla joined in the laughter.

"How can you just be friends with that?" Cathy asked after Hitch departed. "He is positively beautiful."

Isla sighed and once again explained how they were just lifelong friends. She had pulled a manicure kit and nail polish from her train case.

"Oh," Susan exclaimed, "That's a pretty shade." Isla noticed their interest and said,

"Would you like some, I have a few different colors," she retrieved the bottles from her case and revealed several shades of pink and red.

"I don't wear color often because of my dancing but with my face looking like it does, I thought having pretty nails might make me feel less grotesque," she said.

"Nurses can't wear polish on duty for sanitary reasons," Cathy said, and Judy added, "I can't wear it when in uniform."

"Well, you're not on duty now and you're definitely out of uniform, so I think you should indulge. Would you like a manicure?" Isla offered and they were quick to agree. She went from bedside to bedside doing their nails and getting to know them better.

"Gosh, that's swell," Cathy said admiring her deep pink nails. "We're all jealous of your gowns," she admitted, and the others nodded. "It's hard to feel feminine around here. Almost everything is khaki or olive."

"That's rather dull," she commented. "Maybe I should change into the hospital issued pajamas. I don't want you to think I'm showing off or anything," Isla was concerned.

"Oh no, honey," Judy spoke in her southern drawl. "We love seeing what you wear. It brightens our day knowing there are still pretty things in this world."

"Your perfume is divine," Susan said. "My favorite was always Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden."

"I loved wearing Shalimar when I went out on dates," Judy answered.

"Mine is Yardley's Violets," Cathy said dreamily. "Now I just smell like harsh soap, disinfectant and sweat."

"Doesn't supply or the canteen carry anything other than basics? Or the Arab marketplaces?" Isla asked as she finished Judy's nails.

"Not really," Susan remarked. "Occasionally we might find some jewelry or a scarf in the marketplace, perhaps a spicy or flowery scent, and that lifts our spirits but it's nothing like having real perfume or scented soap or lotion or anything frilly."

"Well, that settles it," Isla announced. "You need pedicures as well," and she proceeded to do just that.

Soon, the room became a haven for the off-duty female staff to drop in and chat, have their nails done or try out a new hairstyle. Secrets were shared; advice flowed; and men were evaluated. Games of canasta and pinochle were intense. Isla was pleased to hear that Rose's assessment of Mark's relationships with women was accurate and how many admired the four men of the Rat Patrol. The plans for the show were revived and she was kept busy working out details.

After two days, Isla's stitches came out and she was released, returning to her guest room at headquarters. Susan, Cathy, and Judy were released for light duty and returned to the women's barracks. Their bruises were fading and broken bones healing with their spirits strengthened and renewed.

Tully accompanied Isla to her room, carrying her luggage.

"Where's Mark?" she asked.

"He grabbed Doc and they set off for the marketplace. Troy joined them. I'm not sure what Hitch is up to but all of us take Doc with us to translate and help us bargain with the tradesmen," Tully explained.

"Sounds like fun," she agreed. "I'd like to shop at the marketplace before I leave."

"Yes ma'am, I'm sure that could be arranged," Tully answered, then hesitated before continuing. "I owe you an apology, Isla."

"Whatever for?" she was confused.

"Bascomb was working on a truck near me, that day in the motor pool. I was so busy watching you and Hitch talking that I wasn't paying any attention. If I hadn't been so preoccupied, I might have noticed him watching the two of you and figured out he was up to no good," Tully confessed.

"Why were you watching us?" she was curious.

"I've just never seen a friendship like the two of you share. Hitch is like my brother, and we know one another pretty well, but it's nothing like what the two of you have. I think I'd like to have a friend like you."

"You are a very good friend, Tully, and I don't want you to waste another moment thinking you are somehow responsible for not recognizing Bascomb. It's over and no more women will be hurt. Not another thought or word about blaming yourself, understood?" she answered.

"Yes ma'am," he said placing her luggage in her room. She kissed him on the cheek and said,

"I mean it. Not another thought," she insisted.

"Yes ma'am," he smiled.

"Now, since I'm not allowed to walk through the base without a guard, would you accompany me? I have several people I need to see about the show we're planning," she asked.

"Be glad to," Tully said. The rest of the day they visited personnel all over the base as Isla wheedled, persuaded, cajoled, and flattered them into participating in the upcoming production. Her final visit was a private conversation with Captain Boggs in his office, after which Tully was ordered to take her to the communications room where she sent two telegrams. They made their way to the mess hall where they were joined by Hitch, Moffitt, and Troy.

While they were eating, a private approached with written messages for Hitch and Moffitt. Hitch quickly read the note and looked over at Moffitt who smiled back at him.

"I'm scheduled to take my final exams in four days," Hitch announced. "Moffit is going to serve as proctor."

"That's great," Isla said. "Guess you'll be cramming for the next few days."

"He won't have time," Troy said. "We're leaving in the morning for at least a two-day recon mission."

"Not a problem, Sarge," Hitch replied. "I think I'm pretty solid on everything."

"Just come back safely. I need you to play the piano for several people in the show," Isla teased.

"It's so nice to be needed," Hitch grinned.

Chapter 11

While the Rats were away, Isla went to work. She soon had a roster of performers, set builders, and backstage crew busy preparing for the show. She was elated to find her costume trunks had been delivered. While sitting on the warehouse stage making lists on her clipboard, she was approached by a tall, handsome, British lieutenant who introduced himself as Lt. Matthew Sommersby.

"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" she asked with a smile.

"I just arrived with the convoy that brought your trunks," he explained. "I heard what happened," he indicated her still-bruised face. "I'm sorry you were injured and hope you're recovering well."

"I am, thank you for your concern," she replied. "The bruises are steadily fading, they're now a lovely shade of purple and green."

"I'm going to be here about two weeks before I head to Algiers. I came to see if I could help with the show," he said. "I saw your performance in Benghazi and was quite taken with your ballet solos. I haven't done any dancing in years, but I do have some experience in partnering. I'm not up to any solo work, but I think I can manage some lifts and pirouettes." Her eyes grew wide as he spoke. "I don't have the proper shoes with me, and I won't appear in front of my men wearing tights, but I thought we might be able to come up with something to show off your talent a little more. My guys had never seen a ballet before, and they were amazed at the beauty of your dancing."

"Oh, Lieutenant, you are indeed an answer to my prayers," she was thrilled at the thought of performing a pas de deux.

"Then you'll have to call me Matt," he smiled back at her.

"Matt, would it be possible to meet with me tomorrow morning at 9:00?"

"Actually, Captain Boggs has implicitly ordered me to do whatever you need," he admitted.

"Excellent," she answered. "Be warmed up and ready to go. Wear something comfortable and I'll speak with my costumers about creating an outfit for you."

"Yes ma'am," he responded and left her to her work.

The following morning, the two of them began working on choreography to the Nutcracker grand pas de deux. They both wanted to make it a showcase for dramatic lifts that would captivate the audience. During a break, the tailor who Isla had recruited as head costumer took Matt's measurements and she casually asked him what size ballet shoe he wore.

"What?" he laughed, "are you going to magically find ballet shoes in the desert?"

"Matt," she said confidently. "Don't ever underestimate what I can do when I set my mind to it. Let's try it again." They rehearsed until noon when they separated to clean up and meet again in the mess hall. Heads turned as Isla walked in with the lieutenant. They were so used to seeing her with Hitch and the other Rats, they were surprised to see her with the dark haired, brown-eyed, broad-shouldered, officer. He was unknown to them, and they wondered where he was from. Most wondered if his obvious interest in Isla would test the "so-called" friendship between her and Hitch.

After lunch, Matt dropped her at headquarters. When she entered the communications room, the operator said, "We're working on getting your call through right now, Miss MacKenzie. It shouldn't be much longer."

"Thanks," she said, reviewing a long list on her clipboard.

Rehearsals continued with much of her time working with Matt on their pas de deux. They were getting to know one another and enjoyed each other's company. The gossip mill was spinning all sorts of craziness when they were spotted at the movies together or having a drink at Remy's.

They were having lunch in the mess hall when the Rats came in, a half-day later than anticipated. They immediately sat down next to her, and she introduced them to Lt. Sommersby. She explained they were dancing together in the show and lookers-on were disappointed that Hitch actually seemed quite happy with the situation. Maybe they were just friends after all.

The next day, Hitch and Moffitt reported to headquarters where a room had been set aside for the examinations from Cornell. Moffitt settled in with a book while keeping an eye on Hitch's progress. They took a short break after each exam was completed and sealed in the return envelope with Moffitt's signed affidavit. By noon they were finished and joined the other two members of their patrol in the mess hall.

"How'd it go?" Troy asked.

"Pretty good, I think," Hitch replied. "Glad it's over."

"Your talents are needed in the performance area after lunch," Troy said, and Hitch nodded while taking a long, deep drink of coffee.

"How about you guys?" Hitch asked. "Has Isla wheedled any hidden talents out of you or roped you into helping backstage?"

"She's got Tully making some props and running errands, but Moffitt and I have meetings with Boggs." Troy answered.

"I'm surprised," Hitch remarked. "She's really good at organizing events and getting everyone involved."

"We've just managed to keep out of her way doing 'sergeant's stuff,'" Moffitt commented, sipping his tea.

They left the mess hall with the two younger Rats heading to the rehearsal area and the two sergeants reporting to headquarters.

"The day after tomorrow, we're expecting a parachute drop of supplies a few miles from the base. I want your team to accompany the trucks just in case it draws the attention of German planes. We don't anticipate any problems, but we don't want to take any unnecessary risks." The captain explained.

"May I ask why the supplies are being dropped and not brought in by convoy?"

"The plane is coming from the United States via Edinburgh then here. It's a commercial plane, not military."

"Are there any passengers?" asked Moffit.

"No, just supplies," Boggs was terse.

"Can we know what kind of supplies? Troy was curious. Boggs seemed to be hiding something.

"Just supplies and we'll leave it at that," Boggs ended their questions. He spread a map on his desk and showed them the coordinates. They were about to leave when Boggs made a final statement.

"Troy," he cleared his throat. "Miss MacKenzie will be accompanying you to the drop site. Let her drive on occasion." Troy and Moffitt glanced at one another, saluted, and left the office.

"I don't like the sound of this," Troy confessed to his second-in-command. "You know I hate when they don't tell us everything."

"I agree," Moffit answered. "I just hide it better. With Isla involved, I'll make sure the bottle of bourbon is tucked into the jeep," he smiled.

"I'll carry an extra pack of cigarettes," Troy managed to smile back.

Chapter 12

Two days later, a convoy of trucks with 20 soldiers left the base with the two jeeps as escort. Tully and Moffitt led the way with Isla driving Bertha in Olive's tracks. Along the way Hitch asked her about Sommersby and whether she was interested in the Englishman. She replied the Lieutenant was very nice, interesting, had a great accent, was a good kisser, and fun to be with. She was enjoying their time together, especially the dancing, but knew he was leaving in a week.

"So, he isn't it?" Mark asked.

"No, but he's a good distraction," she replied.

An hour later they reached the rendezvous point, waiting for the plane to arrive.

"So, Isla, can I ask what the cargo is?" Tully inquired.

"Surprises, my friend, lots of surprises," she answered mysteriously.

"Well, the last surprise we had was you, so I guess that's okay," he remarked.

"You'll know more once we return to base. In fact, I'll need the four of you to help me set up everything. That is, if you're willing to help," she smiled at them, and they knew they were committed.

"I think you know we will help however needed," Moffitt sighed.

"As long as it doesn't involve performing on stage," Troy growled softly.

"With the exception of Mark, I would not ask you to do so," she replied. Hitch removed his glasses and cleaned them with his shirttail. "Well, I'm glad to see you've stopped that disgusting habit with your glasses," she remarked.

"What?" Hitch was momentarily confused then grinned, "Oh yeah, I stopped that really quick after I arrived here. Too sandy." She laughed and explained to the three confused faces staring at her.

"He had a bad habit of licking his glasses before cleaning them," she shuddered in mock disgust.

The whine of a plane was heard in the distance. The .50's were locked and loaded in anticipation, and all soldiers took positions with machine guns at the ready. Tully had Betty, his faithful bazooka, prepared for action as the plane appeared. Hitch was watching through the binoculars.

"It's not German," he called to Troy, "And it's not one of ours. Seems to be commercial, like Boggs said. A cargo bay is opening."

"That's it," Isla said. "I've flown on it several times." Hitch gave her a puzzled look and returned to watching the plane. Several large pallets emerged from the cargo bay and slowly fell to the desert floor by parachute. When all had landed, the convoy moved in, and the soldiers began loading crates into the trucks. A private brought a manilla envelope to Isla.

"This is for you, ma'am." he said, "it was taped to one of the crates." The Rats noticed that her name was indeed written in large letters on the envelope.

"These crates say, 'keep frozen,'" one of the men called to the corporal overseeing the truck loading. "There's several of them and they're heavy.

"These say, 'fresh produce,'" another shouted. They were instructed to put the food items together into two trucks.

Isla was reading a letter that came with the cargo manifest in the envelope and was smiling to herself.

"What did you do?" Hitch asked suspiciously, interrupting her reading. She put the letter in her pocket and replied,

"Just something I put my mind to," she answered innocently and went to help the corporal direct the loading.

When they returned to the base, the food trucks went straight to the kitchen and the other trucks unpacked their cargo in the warehouse next to the one with the stage. When everything was in place, Isla turned to her Rat Pack for assistance and Tully began opening the crates with a crowbar and hammer. She soon had them sorting items and explained what she was doing. Once again they were amazed at what she had planned.

"How did you manage this?" Hitch was curious. "This is incredible and had to cost a fortune."

"It was readily donated," she replied. "Captain Boggs gave me permission to make a call to friends in the States; they gathered everything I requested and flew it here." She sounded like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What friends?" Hitch asked opening a crate labeled 'Performance.' "It kind of reminds me of your Granny Mac, your mom and my Mother when they get an idea into their heads."

"Well, they did raise and educate me in their ways," she was pulling out boxes of tap shoes and simple costumes. "YES!" she exclaimed as she found a pair of men's ballet shoes and checked them off her list.

"Seriously, Zu-Zu, how did you do all of this? What about rationing?" Hitch wanted a direct answer.

"Can't you guess who I called?" she questioned.

"Isla, this smaller crate has your name on it," Tully announced.

"That will go to my room when we finish here," she replied. Taking Hitch aside so they could speak privately she explained.

"I sent a telegram to my parents and yours to expect a call at a certain time so they would all be together. As a bonus, Granny Mac was there as well. I told them about the show and how I wanted to do something for the female staff and gave them a list of everything I needed. While they gathered everything, your Father arranged for frozen turkeys, fresh fruit, and vegetables, and one of his corporate planes to fly it all here. He set it up through his friends and contacts in the State Department. Don't worry, no one knows a thing about their involvement except for Captain Boggs. No one will know these items came from your family and mine."

Hitch thought about it for several moments before speaking, "Well, Father never could deny you anything. Guess I have a long letter to write," he grinned and went back to removing items from the crates.

"Now," she explained when everything was unpacked and sorted, "We have 24 nurses and 8 female office staff on base for whom we're going to put together a gift basket to present at the end of the show. It's a way for the guys on base to thank them for everything they do."

"This is very generous of you, Isla," Moffitt said.

"No, it's a gift from the guys on base," she insisted. "Now, I don't want to hear any squeamish talk about handling a lady's nightgown or stockings. You are all big, strong men and I have every confidence you can handle the pressure. I'm also certain it won't be the first time you've handled such things."

"She sounds just like her Granny Mac," Hitch murmured under his breath to the others.

"Thank you, Mark, I take that as a compliment," she remarked and continued with her instructions. "First we're going to set out the baskets and place one of each of these items next to it. Then I'll show you how to arrange the items in the baskets. I don't want things tossed in all willy-nilly. They need to be placed artistically and remember, not a word to anyone about them."

They did as instructed and soon 32 baskets were all lined up, ready to be wrapped in tulle, and tied with a bow. Each basket contained a pretty batiste nightgown, a frilly slip, two pair of stockings, perfume, scented soap, lotion, a manicure set, nail polish & remover, lipstick, a book, a game or cards, and a silky scarf. They laughed at the final gift that was too large for the basket.

She had written a thank you note to each woman and made a few adjustments to what perfume went in what basket with the correct gown size. When finished, the baskets were covered with a lightweight tarp until needed. Later, a work crew would come and remove the empty crates, pallets, and packaging materials.

"Drinks are on me, guys," she announced. "Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for thinking of and arranging all this," Troy said, impressed with what she had accomplished. They delivered the performance items to the stage and the small crate to Isla's room before getting cleaned up and heading to the mess hall for dinner, followed by drinks at Remy's.

When the men awoke the next morning, they found they couldn't open the door to their room. From the sounds coming from up and down the hallway, others were having a similar problem. Tully and Hitch were about to scamper out the window to see what was going on when a voice just outside their door said, "Hang on, we'll have you out in a jiffy." A few minutes later the door was opened by two MPs. "Seems we have some practical jokers who tied all the doorknobs together so no one could open their door," they glared at Hitch and Tully.

"It wasn't us," Hitch protested, "We were here all night."

"We wouldn't be dumb enough to pull this on our sergeants," Tully added. The MPs weren't convinced until Troy and Moffit vouched for their presence in the room all night.

When Hitch arrived at the stage hall, the cast was gathering for rehearsal. As he took his place at the piano, he grinned at Isla and gave her a thumbs up and she giggled in return. She presented tap shoes and simple costumes of matching skirts and blouses to the dancers who thought they would be dancing in their utility shoes and uniforms. Three male dancers also received tap shoes and Matt was stunned when she pulled out the male ballet shoes.

"I think you really are the genie from Aladdin's lamp," he commented with a kiss.

Those performers not receiving special shoes or costumes, and the backstage crew were gifted with books, a deck of cards, a small basket of scarce toiletries, a bag of Hershey's miniature chocolates and a tin of Granny Mac's homemade chocolate chip cookies.

The singers and comedians rehearsed while the dancers warmed up. Hitch was on hand to accompany several of them. Then the dancers ran through their numbers and Hitch got to see the pas de deux with Matt and Isla. It was breathtaking with dramatic leaps, lifts, and spins. At the end of practice, she came over to the piano and handed Hitch a brown paper bag.

"I thought you might wear these to Remy's tonight," she suggested. Opening the bag, he pulled out a pair of comfortably worn Bass Weejun penny loafers. He inspected them and then realized,

"These are mine."

"I know. I had your Mother get them from your closet. I told her you couldn't properly swing dance without them. Boots are so clunky," she explained.

"You are truly amazing," Hitch said with admiration. "I look forward to dancing with you tonight."

When Isla had casually mentioned that Hitch was a good dancer, she wasn't kidding. Or maybe it was because they had practiced so much together growing up. The crowd came to a standstill when they took the floor and space was made as they moved about the area. Several times he flipped Isla over his shoulder, through his legs, around his torso, and high in the air. More than once they glimpsed the dance shorts she wore beneath her dress. There were several gasps when he grabbed her by one hand and one ankle and swung her in a circle, her face inches from the floor. After the applause finished, they were immediately asked by others for a dance, and were kept busy for the next hour.

Chapter 13

The evening of the show arrived. After an outstanding turkey dinner with all the trimmings, all off-duty personnel gathered in the makeshift performance hall. For ninety minutes they were entertained by friends, comrades in arms, and staff members. Nurses and female staff performed several tap dances, vocal solos, and ensembles. Others played the flute, piano and violin.

Isla sang I Want to be Loved by You, Lili Marlene (in English) and La Vie En Rose. Dressed in a black and red Spanish inspired ballet dress with three flounces, and a red flower behind one ear, she combined three of Kitri's solos from the ballet, Don Quixote: the Act One Castanet Variation; the Fan Variation from Act Three and the thirty-two fouettés. The audience was clapping along in rhythm as she whipped around with each fouetté, and she received a standing ovation when finished.

Several servicemen tap-danced, performed comedy routines, sang solos, and played instruments. A sergeant got everyone singing along to well-known George M. Cohan songs while Hitch played the piano.

The stage darkened and a spotlight lit upon Isla in a pink tutu with crystal beading and Lt. Sommersby dressed in a nutcracker inspired military costume of black slacks and red jacket with gold braid. The audience was enraptured by the duet and several times gasped when Matt lifted Isla above his head or deftly twirled her and she ended on his shoulder. Several times he held her in position above his head, traveled around the stage, and she plunged down into a fish dive. The pirouettes and lifts were captivating and the applause thunderous when they finished.

A trio of nurses sang the Andrews Sisters' Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree while Isla changed into a yellow utility dress with a brightly colored scarf around her neck. Matt was waiting for her attired in his uniform.

"I didn't want to tell you before, but I'm leaving earlier than expected. I'm with the convoy heading out in the morning. I wanted to say goodbye and thank you for the opportunity to dance with you." He pulled her closed for a kiss before they joined the cast onstage.

The show ended with all performers onstage singing a parody of The Caissons Go Rolling Along, with words changed to describe life on their base. Verses lampooning the commanding officers, the mess hall, the doctors, the motor pool and even the Rat Patrol had everyone laughing and quickly joining in the chorus.

The lights came on as the performers took their bows and Isla went to the microphone asking the audience to stay seated. She thanked everyone who made the show possible and hoped it would be the first of many. She then turned her attention to the nurses and the female office staff, asking all of them to join her onstage.

They were obviously surprised but came and stood together. Isla spoke of their dedication and commitment to the soldiers in their care and the daily tasks they performed to help keep the base running smoothly. She thanked them profusely and the men applauded enthusiastically. Then a line of men came onstage carrying the gift baskets, presenting them to the stunned women. They were followed by another group of men who bestowed a Louisville Slugger bat to each of them, which caused everyone to laugh. Most of the women had tears in their eyes and mouthed their thanks before leaving the stage.

Isla was startled when Captain Boggs took center stage and called her to stand with him.

"We are extremely grateful to Miss MacKenzie for arranging this evening's entertainment as well as the delicious dinner." He was forced to stop due to the wild applause and whistling. When he could proceed he continued, "In addition, we owe her a debt of gratitude for her assistance with a desert military mission during which she was wounded." More applause and cheering. Isla blushed remembering the nature and location of her wound.

"She also helped secure the safety of this base from violent attacks on our female staff, while she herself was under attack." The applause again interrupted and increased in volume. "Recently," Captain Boggs continued, "The War Department has authorized that civilians wounded during engagement with an enemy are eligible to receive the Purple Heart. On behalf of the War Department and the United States Army, it is my deep pleasure and privilege to present this Purple Heart to Miss Isla MacKenzie." He drew a small box from his pocket, removed the medal and pinned it to the collar of her dress. A photographer took an official photo.

For the first time ever, she was at a loss for words, and she stood positively stunned by this turn of events. At the piano, Hitch was astounded and clapping like crazy. The audience was on its feet, as well as the performers backstage and the applause continued for several minutes. Tully, Troy, and Moffitt were as proud as Hitch.

Captain Boggs kissed her cheek which brought more whoops from the men. Tears were flowing down her face and finally, when it grew quiet, she haltingly managed to express her gratitude and how proud she was in this moment. The Captain dismissed the crowd and Hitch came running to congratulate her. He held her close, swung her around and whispered how proud he was of her. He was soon replaced by the cast members expressing their best wishes and compliments. Finally, Troy, Moffitt and Tully reached her side and shared their delight for her recognition. She was still finding it difficult to speak.

With Hitch clearing the way, she made her way to her dressing area, where she removed her stage make-up and got her purse. She couldn't believe the reflection of her mirror showing the Purple Heart against the yellow background of her dress.

With the help of the Rats and several others, they delivered the gift baskets and baseball bats to all the women on duty who had watched the dress rehearsal since they had to miss the show. She was so overwhelmed, she didn't want to be in a crowded place, so the Rats grabbed some beers and sat in their usual place by the motor pool. Since she hadn't eaten dinner because of the performance, Cookie had kept a meal warm for her. Hitch brought it to her, and she ate while they talked.

She kept insisting she didn't deserve such an honor and they ASSured her she did, explaining how they wouldn't have completed the engagement with the German convoy if she hadn't taken the wheel. At last, she stopped arguing and they walked her back to her quarters to get some rest.

Chapter 14

After breakfast, the Rats helped Isla pack her costume trunks and clear away her belongings from her dressing area, moving it all to her room.

"This is probably the best time to give you these," she said. "I had my sources send these for you to enjoy." She revealed a small, portable, wind-up, phonograph with several records, including two of hers that were soon to be released, and a camera with film and flashbulbs. "I wanted you to have something to remember me by and encourage you to take photographs to record this time of your lives."

"Isla, you didn't need to do this," Troy began.

"It's really too generous," Moffitt protested.

"There's no way we aren't going to remember you," added Tully. Hitch just grinned and chewed his gum.

"But I wanted to do it," she said. "I owe you so much."

"You don't owe us anything, Isla." Troy spoke.

"Then think of it as a token of my friendship. I shall be very hurt if you don't accept my gifts," she insisted, and they surrendered. She promised to meet them in the mess hall in thirty minutes, so they took the phonograph and camera to their quarters.

"Isla and I were planning to visit the marketplace after lunch," Hitch said. "We were hoping you'd come with us, especially Moffitt to interpret." They all realized they had some shopping to do and agreed to accompany them.

Isla had her tray and was seated at a table when they arrived at the mess hall. They went through the service line and joined her.

"I have news," she sounded downhearted, and they paused while waiting for her to finish. "They've arranged my transportation to rejoin my troupe in Italy. I leave the day after tomorrow." The news saddened them. They had gotten used to having her around.

"We'll be sorry to see you go," Troy said sincerely.

"You have been a welcome addition for all of us," Moffitt agreed.

"Are you sure you won't marry me and bake me pies every day?" Tully asked. This caused her to smile and after their meal they walked to the Arab marketplace.

She enjoyed herself perusing table linens, scarves, jewelry, vases, and much more. She was so absorbed in seeing everything, she didn't notice they each slipped away for a few minutes before returning to the group. They carried her purchases along with their own and Moffitt was indispensable in bargaining. Tully and Troy drew her attention to a potter throwing a pot while Hitch slipped away with Moffitt. They stopped at a small café to sample the fried Sphynz bread, cheese, and dates before returning to base.

The evening was spent drinking, dancing, and talking at Remy's. They wanted to spend as much time together before she had to leave and prayed they wouldn't be sent on a mission until after she departed. As much as the Rats enjoyed dancing with Isla, they enjoyed watching her partner with Hitch more. They really danced well together and seemed so young and carefree. It was a refreshing change from the dangers they continually faced.

Troy would occasionally remark that Hitch was a fool and the others agreed. She was by far, the most fascinating woman they had ever known and wished they had met under different circumstances. Somehow it wasn't fair her close friendship with Hitch seemed a stumbling block to them getting closer with her. They wondered what would happen when one of them settled down and married. Would their spouse be accepting of their friendship or insist they sever the bond they shared? They hoped they never had to witness such a catastrophe.

When Remy closed the bar, Hitch walked Isla back to her room.

"I hate to see you go, Zu's," he said.

"I'm going to miss you too," she replied, taking his hand as they walked.

"Who would have thought what all would happen when you showed up with the USO?" Hitch remarked. "It's been quite a journey."

"It has," she agreed. "I'm overwhelmed by it all, especially the Purple Heart for making an ass of myself." He smiled and led her to a low wall where they could sit.

"Would you do something if I asked," he queried.

"Of course, Tadpole, anything for you," she was sincere.

"I've been keeping a journal of everything that's happened since I enlisted, including the Rat Patrol missions. Would you take them with you when you leave? I can't mail them home because they contain too much information and the censors would confiscate them, but I want to make sure they aren't lost."

"Of course, I will," she insisted. "Do you want me to mail them to your house when I get back to England or should I just hold on to them until you come home?"

"I leave that to your judgment. Whatever you think is best," he replied.

"Am I allowed to read them or would you rather I not?" she was curious. He paused and took a deep breath before answering her.

"You can read them if you'd like. I'm just afraid you might think less of me if you read about what I've done since I've been here," he admitted.

"Oh Mark," she stroked his cheek. "I could never think less of you."

"I hope not," he smiled, and they proceeded on their way to her room.

"Will you assist me in the morning?" she asked. "I'm going to sing at the hospital again. I promised I would before I left."

"Sure thing," he said as they parted at the Headquarters door.

After breakfast the next day, Hitch gave her his journals and she again sang for the hospital patients. Hitch was in charge of changing her accompaniment recordings and enjoyed watching her interact with the wounded soldiers. When she finished, the staff surprised her with a party in her honor. They even managed a cake, and the men sang, For She's a Jolly Good Fellow. She spent time saying goodbye to all the friends she had made, and the female office staff left their desks long enough to join them. They thanked her again for the gifts and arranging the show. They told her they had formed an entertainment committee and planned to do future productions, including plays.

Hitch escorted her to Captain Boggs' office where she presented the captain with a bottle of aged bourbon and expressed her gratitude for all his help. He in turn gave her the charm that was made to carry the microfilm for her bracelet.

"It has been a tremendous pleasure having you with us, Miss MacKenzie," he took her hands in his. "I must confess you are the only Purple Heart recipient I have kissed and, with your permission, I'm going to do it again," he kissed her cheek. She returned the kiss and thanked him for the charm.

"I will treasure it as a reminder of my time in North Africa," she assured him.

Before leaving headquarters, they stopped at the photography lab where she picked up pictures they had developed and copied for her. She dropped them in her room and picked up a package for their next stop at the kitchen. She thanked Cookie for everything, and the package revealed an assortment of spices for his use, and a large wooden spoon with his actual name burned into the handle. He was so grateful and effusive in his appreciation.

"I have the picnic hamper prepared for you when you are ready," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Thank you, Cookie, we'll take it now," she kissed his cheek and Hitch carried the large hamper.

"I thought we would share a final picnic," she said to her friend, and they gathered the other Rats to join them in their favorite spot.

"It's not going to be the same without you, Isla," Troy admitted, biting into a turkey sandwich.

"No one to give you gray hairs or cause you so much worry," she joked.

"It has truly been our pleasure to meet and get acquainted with you," Moffitt agreed.

"I hope you have recovered from removing the shrapnel from my derriere," she answered.

"It's a memory I shall cherish always," he smiled.

"So," Tully asked pensively, "Are you ever going to tell us why you call him, Tadpole?" Hitch stopped in mid-bite.

"I think I've figured it out," Troy announced with a gleam in his eye and Hitch looked at him suspiciously.

"I told you, Tully, Mark has to tell you," she confirmed. "Perhaps he would be more willing to do so if you gave me your word to never tease him about it?"

"What do you think you know?" Hitch warily looked at Troy.

"Unlike them, I've seen your service file and all that is contained therein," Troy remarked. Hitch thought a moment and then realized what information Troy knew that the others didn't. He sighed and considered whether to confess or not. Tully could tell Hitch was weakening and curiosity got the better of him.

"I promise I will not tease him if he reveals the secret," Tully crossed his heart.

"And you will remember that I am the only one allowed to call him by that nickname?" Isla insisted. Tully thought about it and finally relented.

"I promise," Tully agreed reluctantly, and they all turned to Hitch who was still struggling about whether or not to tell all. He took a deep breath and blew it out. Taking a sip of his Coca-Cola, he took another deep breath before explaining,

"We gave each other the nicknames when we were kids. Sort of a secret pact kind of thing. I call her Zu-Zu because of her middle name, Susanna," he paused. "She came up with Tadpole from my middle name." Here Troy whispered an "I knew it!" under his breath.

"Which is?" Moffitt prompted and Tully was waiting expectantly.

"Thaddeus," Hitch reluctantly confessed. "It was my grandfather's middle name and my Father's. The other three Rats smiled.

"And that's an end to it," Isla said decisively.

"These past several weeks have been full of surprises," Troy admitted. "Most of them arranged by you for us and base personnel."

"We have some surprises, too," Moffitt joined in. "We've been assigned to escort your convoy to the airfield, and we've arranged a private dinner for you tonight at Remy's to show our appreciation for having you as a new friend. It won't be steak, but it will be better than the mess hall."

"And we won't take no for an answer," Tully finished.

"How I am going to miss all of you," she confessed. "I look forward to it. Now, who wants some pie?" she said pulling a freshly baked peach pie from the hamper with a broad grin on her mostly healed face.

"How did you do that?" Hitch was impressed. "I've been with you since breakfast."

"Oh, my boy, I was up long before you," she teased and sliced the pies. "So, do I get to drive the jeep today?" They laughed and Troy agreed. "And would it be possible to fire the gun?" she coaxed. Troy shook his head and smiling he softly growled, "We'll see." The other three shook their heads at their leader, knowing he would allow her to do so.

They were right. Shortly after lunch, she drove Bertha into the desert a few miles from the base. Troy instructed her on how to fire the gun and she was amazed at its power and kick. She eventually managed to hit a branch from a date palm and thought it was marvelous fun. Then she raced against both Tully and Hitch driving Olive and managed to win occasionally.

They returned to base to get cleaned up and the Rats had some details to finalize before the party. She asked all of them to call for her thirty minutes before the party.

Chapter 15

They arrived promptly on time, once more dressed in clean and crisply pressed uniforms. She was wearing a navy blue, short-sleeved dress with small white polka dots and low-heeled navy pumps. The charm bracelet tinkled at her wrist with the newly added gift from Captain Boggs.

She invited them into her room and to sit down. "I'd offer you a drink, but I'm certain we'll do enough of that at Remy's," she joked. "I have a few remembrances for each of you, and I thought I'd give them to you now so you can drop them in your room before the party. She handed an obvious bottle wrapped in brown paper to Troy.

"For incidents when someone else drives you to drink," she smiled mischievously. Unwrapping the paper, he found a bottle of twelve-year-old Macallan Scotch.

"Wow," Troy was impressed. "I don't think I'll be sharing this with anyone, but when I do drink it, I'll think of you."

"I doubt if Troy or Hitch will want any, so this should keep you stocked for a while." She handed a box to Moffitt who discovered a large assortment of teas.

"Oh, I say," Moffitt was pleased. "Assam, Earl Grey, Ceylon, Oolong, Jasmine, this is quite wonderful. Thank you, Isla. Unlike Troy, I will quite willingly share."

"Sometimes Tully, you are too quiet. It was rather difficult to come up with something you would enjoy. Then I overheard a conversation you had with Mark, and I was determined to get this for you," she indicated a crate about 3 ft x 4ft x 1 ½ ft tall. The lid had been removed and whatever was inside was thickly wrapped in excelsior. He dug through the packing material and discovered a case of his favorite Ale 8 soda only bottled in Winchester, Kentucky.

"This is great," Tully was pleased. "I've been wishing the guys could have a taste, so they'd understand why I'm always raving about it. Thank you."

"And this box is for you," she handed a package to Hitch with an evil grin on her face. Noticing the look, he became apprehensive.

"Do I want to open this in front of others?" he asked.

"I don't see why not. It's something you need and might want to share," she was innocence itself. He opened the box and hastily closed it again, his face turning redder than the other Rats had ever seen. He glanced at her momentarily, then hung his head, shaking it slowly back and forth.

"What is it?" Tully asked and Hitch was too embarrassed to speak.

"Well now we're all curious," Troy was enjoying his driver's discomfort. "Show us your gift." Hitch couldn't make eye contact with any of them and shook his head.

"Do I have to make it an order?" Troy asked and Hitch mumbled,

"Oh, please don't Sarge." He looked at Isla again and whispered, "you just thought the red hands were bad. I will get you for this." He opened the box, revealing packages of condoms. Inside the cover was an Army training flyer saying, Don't forget: Put one on before you put it in. They burst out laughing with Tully pretending to count the contents.

"This should hold you till Christmas," he commented, and they laughed all the more.

"There's something else at the bottom of the box. They were frozen and well packaged to keep them from breaking," Isla informed him, and he carefully pulled out a tin that was still cold to the touch.

"I don't think it's lobster rolls," he kidded as he pried open the lid. His face color was returning to normal. Inside were New York City's famous "Black and White" cookies. There was likewise a tin of actual ground coffee and a number of spices to use when it was his turn to cook. "Okay, I guess you're forgiven," he remarked. "Thanks Zu's."

"I also have these for you and hope you will use the camera to add more," she gave them each a small photo album containing copies of some of the pictures taken of their time together.

They walked to Remy's, stopping long enough at their quarters to stow their gifts.

Remy's was crowded when they arrived, awaiting the guest of honor. They spent over an hour dancing together, sharing some beers, and allowing others to wish her well. Then they retreated to the back room where they had originally met. Colonel Quint had sent several bottles of wine with a thank you note to Isla.

"We couldn't manage steaks, but a little bird told us you have a fondness for pasta," Troy began.

"It was more like a little fish," Tully teased, and Hitch rolled his eyes and huffed disgustedly.

"And thanks to your generous gift of the fresh produce, Cookie came up with some dishes for your farewell dinner," Troy finished with a warning look to Tully to leave Hitch alone—at least for now. Remy and his waiters appeared with trays of food, placing them in front of the special guests.

"Oh my," Isla was obviously pleased. "Your little bird was quite correct. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the leftover turkey for turkey tetrazzini, and Cookie has even added spinach to his recipe." There were roasted carrots and stuffed eggplant as well.

"It has been a delightful experience getting to know you, Isla and we will miss you terribly," Moffit spoke, "for many reasons, not the least of which is the improvement of our typical menu.

They spent the meal talking and laughing together. When the remains of the apple cake were cleared away and they were enjoying glasses of wine, Moffit excused himself returning with a hand-woven tote bag with handles obviously purchased in the marketplace.

"You have been so generous with us," Moffit began, "and we wanted you to have something to remember us by." He removed a very small, beaded, drawstring bag and gave it to her. "This is from all of us, for your bracelet."

She opened the bag and tipped the contents into her hand. She was amazed and made eye contact with each of them asking, "How did you do this? It's so little, the perfect size for my bracelet." In her hand she held a tiny glass bottle with a sealed, cork stopper bearing a jump ring. Inside it contained sand from the desert.

"We went to a jeweler in the marketplace last week and Moffitt drew what we wanted," Troy explained. "We remembered what you said about having a bottle with sand during our first picnic."

"It's perfect," she commented, and they could tell she was pleased. "Thank you."

"And this is from me," Moffitt pulled a soft brown-paper wrapped package from the bag. She unwrapped the paper to reveal a multi-colored hip scarf with imitation coins like those worn by belly dancers and two pair of finger cymbals.

"It's lovely, Jack," she said holding it up to admire, "Thank you."

"I know you like scarves and figured you could use this to hide the scar on your ASSets or wear as an ASScot," he answered with a smirk and a gleam in his eyes.

That got a laugh, and she tied it in place around her hips. "I'll have to add belly dancing to my repertoire," she said, playing the cymbals.

"My turn," Tully said and pulled a sturdy box from the bag. She opened it and removed a lot of excelsior. The object was wrapped in several layers of paper and anticipation grew as she removed each sheet. Finally, a small, pottery vase came into view.

"Oh Tully, it's beautiful," she breathed as she examined the painted design. "Is that the Pied Piper leading four rats?" She was astonished.

"Only it's a girl piper and instead of a flute she's playing bagpipes," Tully explained.

"Did you design this," she had tears in her eyes.

"Hitch draws better than me, so I told him what I wanted, and he drew it for me," Tully said somewhat bashfully. "I had it made in the marketplace."

"You're all going to make me cry and I refuse to do so," she was moved by his thoughtfulness. "Thank you."

"Now mine," Troy handed her a package. She unwrapped the paper to disclose a hand carved, wooden trinket box.

"Oh, Sam," she said admiringly, and her eyes were swimming as she examined the top design. Among the carved flowers in each corner was a small rat. "This is exquisite. Thank you. You all are making this even harder to say goodbye."

"Not so fast, Zu's," Hitch said, pulling a box from his pocket. "I've got something for you too, but I don't know if I should give it to you after your parting gift to me."

"I thought I was forgiven?" she remarked.

"Yeah, you are," Hitch admitted and gave her the box. She opened it to reveal a heart-shaped pendant, made of two types of metal, about an inch and a half wide on a silver chain. The metal had been polished to a shine, but it wasn't especially attractive. She smiled at him somewhat confused.

"I had it made in the marketplace. I thought I could have it plated in silver or gold, but I wasn't sure which you would prefer, or you could wear it on your bracelet." Hitch explained. "It's made from pieces of the shrapnel from your wound and my shoulder." It was too much. She took a deep breath and lost the battle of keeping her tears in check.

"Oh Tadpole," she cried clutching the pendant tightly. "This is the nicest gift you've ever given me. I will treasure it."

"You are such a sentimentalist," he jokingly scoffed, and she choked on a laugh. "Here, let me put it on you," he fastened the clasp around her neck.

"I prefer keeping it the way it is for now," she struggled to compose herself. "Thank you."

They continued to talk and share stories for another hour before Hitch helped Isla into her jacket and walked her back to her room. He held her hand and carried the bag with her gifts. They found a secluded spot and spent another hour in conversation with their heads together before he said goodnight at her door.

The following morning, her trunks and luggage were loaded into a truck, and they gathered for their final breakfast in the mess hall. They were quiet as they ate, thinking about how much they would miss each other's company. The guys knew it was going to be hard for her to say goodbye to Hitch and they weren't sure of how he was going to react.

It took an hour and a half to reach the airfield. Her gear was loaded into the plane, and they gathered to say goodbye. She gave Troy, Moffitt, and Tully a quick kiss on the lips, telling them how thrilled she was to meet and get to know them and thanked them again for her gifts. She held up her bracelet so they could see the bottle of sand already attached. They reciprocated with kissing her cheek, expressing gratitude for everything she had done and stating how much they would miss her. She promised to write, and they did the same. They took a step back so she and Hitch could have a little privacy for their goodbyes.

"Write when you can," she said, brushing the hair from his forehead.

"You, too," he answered. "It was great having this time together. I wish you all the best with the rest of your tour."

"You be safe and look after your friends. You're always in my prayers," she reminded him, and he nodded. She touched her necklace. "I'll wear it every day and think of you," she promised.

"I don't think I'll be thinking of you when wearing your gift to me," he confessed and she laughed. They hugged one another, kissing each other on both cheeks.

"Take care, Zu-Zu," he nodded his head and flashed his best smile.

"Take care, Tadpole," she smiled and turned towards the plane. She walked several steps and stopped as though making up her mind. She turned around and looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. She walked back to where he was standing and stroked his cheek. Moving closer she took his face in her hands and gave him a long kiss on the lips.

When they parted, she looked at him, shrugged, screwed up her face somewhat perplexed, with raised eyebrows and said, "Hm?" She turned and walked to the plane without turning back. They stayed until the plane was in the air. The three Rats were watching their youngest member who hadn't yet moved.

"Is he okay?" Moffitt whispered to Tully.

"Looks a bit like a fish the way he's gaping," Tully whispered back.

After a few minutes, Hitch turned to face his teammates who were staring back at him concerned.

"What?" he asked then walked to the jeep and slid into the driver's seat.

The three men glanced at one another and shook their heads.

"Still a fool," Troy remarked with a slight smile. "Let's shake it," he called, and they took off across the dunes to their next mission.

Background info: In 1942, the War Department announced the Purple Heart could be awarded to non-military personnel wounded in a conflict with an enemy. Some of the first of these recipients were nurses serving in hospitals during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

A train case was basically a smaller rectangular case for cosmetics and toiletries, often with compartments and partitions for better organization. It was usually the smallest case in a set of matched luggage and got its name because it was frequently used by women traveling by train.

Utility dress was a fashion style of the 1940's during strict cloth rationing and restrictions. They were usually square-shouldered, slim skirted and about knee length. Turn back cuffs and large lapels were eliminated to save fabric. Buttons were limited to three per garment.