Change of Ways

by The Ravenwolf

Set directly after the the events of the Rat Patrol's final episode, the story follows Dietrich's path into an unsteady future, joining his ways with the Rats and even less expected individuals. Reunions with former friends and foes included. (CHAPTER 1-14 revised!)

32. For the strength of the pack is the wolf

Being confronted with Waldheim and the crimes of the SS officer and his brutal right hand man Metzlich has stirred countless horrible memories in Hans Dietrich. During the daytime he has regained enough control to not be overpowered by his flashbacks, but in the night his subconscious lies open for the attack through these resurfacing memories. The German finds himself being first interrogated in the arrogant officer's black staff car without water or any treatment for his shoulder wound. His mind blends his current pain with his memorised one, all too reminiscent of the torturous experience. Next he is dragged along the car chained to its side mirror to be put on display like a Roman General has done with his enslaved prisoners of war at a triumphant march through Rome. As pain, humiliation and stubborn pride force him onward, the scene gradually shifts to the mangled corpses of the Jewish prisoners of von Stolberg's unit who have suffered a similar fate, before the ruthless German Major's men have abandoned them in the desert to be torn apart by jackals.

The scene changes to his former office where Obersturmbannführer Waldheim is residing behind Dietrich's own desk like the High Inquisitor himself, questioning an unrepentant heretic. Feeling more and more that his trial has always been about not sharing the Nazi's beliefs and his lack of faith in Berlin's orders and intentions, he repeats his justifications as in reality, pointing out honor and decency, as well as military needs and Rommel's orders. As Waldheim again gloats over the message of Lisel Wolf's death, the German Hauptmann scowls and glares at him, when Metzlich's strike takes him by surprise, even though he remembers the scene quite vividly. Taunting the brutal SS officer, Hans repeats his name, rank and serial number, when he finds himself grabbed by the shoulder and shaken. Gradually he registers someone out of his dream grabbing his shoulder and shaking him. A different set of memories, being dragged out of bed only to be almost drowned in a bucket during SS interrogation resurfaces and he fights back on instinct, when the acute pain in his shoulder forces a groan from him, limiting his powers for defence greatly.

Jack Moffit has stirred in his sleep and started looking around what has awoken him beyond the familiar snoring competition between Tully and Troy. Captain Dietrich appears to speak in his sleep. Curiosity gets the better of the Brit and he sneaks closer to hear what this is about. It takes the Cambridge scholar no longer than a second to realise that the young officer speaks in his native tongue. His words are a justification of his decisions to agree to truces and spare Allied soldiers providing them with medical care instead of having them executed without a trial, as whoever he provides his explanation to seems to demand. After ending his brief speech, the German officer scowls, then flinches as if he has been struck, before he continues muttering his name, followed by his former Wehrmacht rank and serial number. At this point, Jack decides that waking him is the best idea and shakes the younger man's uninjured shoulder lightly, speaking: "Hauptmann Dietrich. Captain."

Hans Dietrich awakes with a start and immediately grabs his perceived attacker's arm with his left hand, groaning in pain as he also moves his right. Only the Captain's injured shoulder saves Jack Moffit from a strike with his fist, the Brit realises. "Moffit", the German finally mutters in recognition and lets go of the other's arm. "What are you doing?" "Saving you from your trip down memory lane, it appears, Captain. You spoke in your sleep", the Brit explains. The German looks slightly embarrassed and he sounds honestly apologetic. "I'm sorry to have woken you up, Sergeant." Moffit smiles wryly. By now he is equally convinced by Troy's argument that Dietrich is a good man. What would it make him to treat a good man badly? "I should apologise for having woken you up, Captain. But your words seriously worried me. Apparently Troy's sentimentality is catching after all and we both don't seem immune." Dietrich looks stunned for a few moments, then answers with a wry smile of his own: "Once everyone is affected already, there's no risk of further spreading at least. Even the boy has caught the nicknames and stories by now." Realizing his own mistake, he adds immediately: "Forgive me for bringing this up, Doctor. I know that it's a sensitive topic for you." The British scholar smiles wryly, but with some honest sympathy. "You're a more considerate man than the rest of them put together, Captain. But I've come to realise that in spite of letting the boy call you brother, you hold more of the role of the responsible parent which is why he frequently compares you to his parents, not his siblings." The young German officer bears a bitter smile at that assessment. "Troy told me almost the same yesterday." Moffit looks him in the eyes which hold residues of pain, physical and emotional, before he continues: "I've come to terms with having been bull-headed especially as a teenager and still being it to a certain degree which is probably the reason why I get along with Troy and the Yankees well enough. But mostly I really don't want to harm the boy which I would by constantly letting my resentment get the better of me." Dietrich looks baffled and thoughtful, still meeting his eyes. "We all make our concessions for the boy's wellbeing by now. Thank you, Sergeant." "You're quite welcome, Captain", the Brit replies.

The German officer notices that in spite of the statement he has considered a clear final for their interaction, Moffit has not removed his hand from the Captain's shoulder, as he squeezes the younger man's shoulder in a more gentle manner than Sam Troy. When Moffit continues to speak quietly, it takes the young German officer by surprise though what he wants to add: "You know, Captain. I've come to realise that an intelligent company and witty yet educated interlocutor is what I've really missed. Working with you is fairly different than working with Troy, but I wanted to let you know that I truly appreciate your rational, scientifically based approach. And it has been delightful chatting and exchanging ideas with you." By standards of Jack Moffit this has been his epic monologue of Shakespearen style. Although he can talk for hours on end about intellectual content, talking about personal emotions is typically not his forte.

"You will be able to enjoy this company more often rather soon, Sergeant Moffit, as Captain Brown has suggested that we scout the oases with German forts together under the guise of Arabs", the Captain explains dryly. "Does he want to get you killed?", Jack asks incredulously. "Any German in the area must know your face considering how much you have been around with your convoys, Captain." Dietrich smiles with irony. "Finally someone who understands me. I've asked him the same question. But we actually have an option, since Troy and I have found and confiscated a whole disguise kit including hair dye, false beards and the like, along with uniforms and forged documents." Moffit's eyes twinkle with curiosity and delight at the perspective of lifting their espionage missions to a new level. "It will be my pleasure to accompany you then, Captain."

The German officer nods and wants to reply, when a series of excited yelps interrupts him. Fritz has already placed his front paws on the field bed and is wagging his tail to express his joy of seeing his master awake. The German Captain scowls and with his clear command voice tells him: "Nein, Fritz. Wage es nicht!" Jack Moffit smiles, as his master tells him 'don't you dare!' and the dog indeed seems to hesitate, until he finally licks Dietrich over the tip of his nose which is just as far as the mutt can reach without jumping onto the bed. The Captain's glare finally drives the little dog away from his cot. "Troy's a bad influence, even for Fritz", the German mutters sarcastically and quietly enough for only Moffit to hear. "And now even Ari has picked up on his nickname nonsense." "That's Troy's speciality, being a bad influence", the Brit tells him with amusement.

With a groan Hans Dietrich tries to sit up which mainly works because Jack helps him along guiding his good shoulder. "Your shoulder appears to be worse than before", the British Sergeant comments, unable to fully keep his concern out of his voice. "I suspect that I landed on it, when I was unconscious, as the bullet to the head knocked me out immediately", the Captain replies seriously. "It is already better than it has been before. I can at least partially move the arm." "Troy will be trying to coddle you, as long as he feels concerned", the British Sergeant tells him with a grin and sees that he has hit the nail on the head given how unnerved the German officer looks. "He's worse than a lioness protecting its cubs." "That's quite the accurate comparison, Captain. He will also behave exactly like that toward anyone threatening his team from the outside", Moffit comments dryly.

"What are you two conspiring on?", Sam Troy barks, as he sleepily sits up on his cot. "Nothing", Dietrich and Moffit answer in unison with such identical tones of mock innocence that the American Sergeant laughs heartily. "Sure. You look and sound like Davey, when I caught him with his hand in the cookie jar." As both share fairly similar expressions of indignation, Troy continues grinning like the Cheshire Cat. His loud voice has woken up the rest of the tent by now with only Jakob Silberblatt stubbornly putting up resistance to being woken and getting up, as he draws the blanket serving as his pillow over his head. Ari, startled and scared by the less familiar loud voice has jumped from his bed, darted to the German Captain faster than any of them would have expected and huddles to him, efficiently blocking him from participating in the discussion with Troy, while Jack Moffit continues as the Captain's secundant in this verbal duel to defend both their honor and dignity. "Comparing us to your unruly brother stealing cookies is a true blow to the Captain's and my sensitivities, Troy. If you were able to give satisfaction, we would demand this now. But Major von Stolberg has already recognized that this cannot be asked of you", Jack informs him in his driest tone laced with dark humor, knowing that this alone already serves to unnerve the American Sergeant.

"*Sergeant Troy didn't mean to scare you, Ari*", Hans Dietrich tells the boy nestling to his chest with a calm and reassuring tone. The child sniffs and holds onto his protector whose steady normal sounding heartbeat serves to calm him better than the reassurances the young German keeps telling him. "Okay", he finally mutters the word his new friend Mark uses all the time. In spite of his misgivings and unquenchable greed for anything edible, Fritz has a good sense for one of his humans being in distress. With a soft whine, the little dog places its snout on Ari's knee and looks at him adorably with big puppy eyes that immediately infatuate the boy. Reminding himself that this ability to cheer up people has been his main reason for keeping the stray Troy and his lot have dumped with him, Dietrich scratches the dog behind the ears and commends him. "Gut gemacht, Fritz! Du bist ein braver Hund." Assured that the scared child is well taken care of, the Captain angles for his boots and gets up after gently squeezing the boy's shoulder.

Tully is yawning, when Hitch whispers to him: "He can really be nice, when he speaks with the boy." Nervously, he checks that the German officer has not heard him. "Cap can be okay with others too", Tully replies without bothering to be particularly quiet. Hitch quickly looks at the Captain and his activity, but sees to his relief that the young officer is crouching next to his friend's cot and trying to make him get up. They are obviously speaking in German from their intonation, but in spite of his lessons with Moffit Hitch cannot understand a single word, although some expressions sound like a strange blend between English and the German phrases he has learned from the Doc. After half a minute, the Lieutenant finally gives in, sits up on his bed and then starts rummaging for his clothes in his suitcase lying open underneath the bed.

Suddenly, the young officer howls with pain and each of the battle ready soldiers in the tent tenses into a fighting stance immediately, while Gottschlich storms in with the gun in his hand looking for the reason for the commotion with worry like everyone else. "Scorpion", Tully exclaims and only a second later his throwing knife pierces the nasty insect which has clambered out of Silberblatt's suitcase. "Your affinity for chaos is going to be the death of you, Jakob! Didn't I tell you to check before putting your hand somewhere you can't see?", Dietrich scolds him with concern laced into his words in spite of the stern tone and expression, as he holds up his friend's quickly swelling hand. "You said 'check your shoes, Jakob', you never said anything about the suitcase", Silberblatt argues with a pale face. His German friend is pinching his nose in indignation and sighs wearily. Jakob plus the Rats manage to cost him his last nerves already within the first half hour after getting up which is trending to become their new record. "Pettigrew, please see Lieutenant Silberblatt to sickbay for treatment immediately." "Sure, Cap", Tully acknowledges, retrieves his knife with the stabbed scorpion and waves for Jakob Silberblatt to follow him, as the young man stares at the squashed insect with a mixture of disgust and horror.

Hitch looks at Corporal Gottschlich triumphantly, as he argues: "Didn't I warn you of these nasty scorpions, Gotty? They're everywhere and really deadly poisonous buggers! They can kill you, if they swarm you by the dozen." "Hitchcock, please stay within the range of facts as opposed to fiction. You're scaring Ari even more than Corporal Gottschlich", the German Captain interrupts him with a scowl and his hand placed on the scared child's shoulder who hides his face in his shirt again. "Sorry, Cap", Mark answers sheepishly and the young officer again sighs wearily, as he evaluates giving up insisting on proper rank titles for the sake of his already wracked nerves. After all, he should be the expert for lost fights against the Rats and knowing when any further invested energy is just a further loss.

"Any nightly reports, while you've been watching Sherwood Forest for the Sheriff's henchmen?", Dietrich asks instead and Hitch as well as Riku Gottschlich gape at him. Although Moffit has explained the code messages and notion of privacy on the previous evening, when the German Captain has first used the reference with Troy, hearing him openly address them in the style of Robin Hood is baffling and hilarious for Hitch but rather disconcerting for Riku Gottschlich. "No sign of the Sheriff and his henchmen, no report from your unlucky friend either, Robin", Troy is the first to answer. As all of them stare at the young Corporal expectantly, he starts stammering: "N..No s..sign of t..trouble except f..for what ha..happened in the morning, Cap... Ro...Robin?" Finally seeing somebody who is obviously less comfortable with the concept than he himself has been is a slight relief and somewhat amusing for the German officer. "Thank you, Will Stutely. You can leave the forest for the morning." Gotty just nods, unsure how best to answer. Calling the German Captain by a first name, even if it is just a cover and not his own, feels more than strange, as does the whole choice of wording.

By the time Dietrich turns around to give orders to the rest of the Merry Men, Hitch is rolling on the ground playing with Fritz. "I told you adopting every stray is a habit that might backfire, Captain", Moffit comments dryly, as he sees the German's unnerved expression, while Troy chuckles in amusement. "You're of course right, Sergeant Moffit. But Fritz knows better how to behave when and who'd adopt Hitchcock, if I'd drop him on someone's doorstep?" Sam Troy barks a hearty laugh and even Jack Moffit looks amused at Hitch's crestfallen look. "You wouldn't really kick me out, Captain?" Dietrich raises his eyebrows. "If you want to apply the heart wrenching look, begging for mercy, food or whatever else, you will require a lot more lessons from Fritz, Private. And I truly appreciate your application of the proper rank title", the German officer cannot keep himself from commenting sarcastically. As if understanding the joke, Fritz has jumped to his feet and run toward the Captain at the sound of his name, nestling against his shin with the much better version of the puppy eyes look. "You can hardly deny that Fritz will always beat you in this regard", Dietrich argues with an ironic smile, as he bends down to scratch the little dog behind the ears.

"You're just pulling my leg", Hitch realizes. "Which works surprisingly well considering that you have been in the habit of distrusting me and everything I say", the German Captain argues dryly with an ironic smile. "Leave him be, Captain! He's had enough", Troy argues for the young Private. "Behave yourself in such a way that you finally leave a good impression, Hitchcock!", Dietrich admonishes him sternly. Hitch nods enthusiastically. "I'll prove to you I can behave better than Fritz, Captain!" Moffit groans dramatically. "Now the dog is the measure for good behaviour." "Weren't you the one arguing that this is a circus?", the German counters. "That was Boggs actually", Troy comments with a grin. "And it's really more enjoyable this way than it was before." Dietrich stares at him incredulously. "Have you lost your mind, Sergeant? Your commanding officer is a German defector, the camp contains almost more prisoners and wounded than active soldiers and everybody distrusts everybody else to the point of denouncing their fellow soldiers for ridiculous small offences like staying on the toilet for too long. This cannot seriously be an improvement compared to any reality."

"You're not a bad CO", Troy counters, "but the rest is pretty bad. You're right, Captain." "And it will get worse, because our job during the evacuation is to watch everyone and everything to prohibit sabotage, gentlemen", Hans Dietrich adds sternly. "Sounds delightful", Moffit comments sarcastically. "Almost as delightful as British weather or cooking", comes the sarcastic reply. "Touche, Captain", Jack concedes, but adds dryly: "We should get washed and showered now, unless the dog is responsible for our washing now as well." Fritz, who is licking Ari's face, making the boy grin with delight again, is not aware of the glares that two Americans and one German direct at the Brit.

"Ari, Fritz!" Both jump to their feet at the Captain's command tone. With a spare set of clothes for himself and the boy, as well as shaving utensils the German leads their way toward the officer's facilities after ordering Fritz to stay in the tent. Dietrich regrets the time they have lost over their arguments and Jakob's senseless accident, as the facilities are more crowded than he would prefer them. Lieutenant Baker shoots the German officer a resentful glare full of distrust, while Lieutenant Carlos comes over with a jovial smile to greet them both. Ari presses against his protector looking frightened, but replies with a shy "Hello", when he is greeted. The American eyes the younger German Captain with some concern, as he sees the bandage around the man's head reminding of how close he has come to being shot by their own side only two days ago. That the lean officer still struggles with his main arm is also disconcerting, although he is too proud to ask for help when he can still shrug out of his shirt. By now at least the younger man is wearing American dog tags along with his German 'Erkennungsmarke', which remains an unmistakable reminder of the officer's defection as opposed to serving in this army from early on.

The boy tries to stay close to his protector at all times, but is kept out when he actually undresses fully to take his shower. Unfamiliar with the concept of wasting water to get the whole body wet outside of a bathhouse, Ari chooses only to wash his face and hands, while he waits for his older brother. Meanwhile the curious child is enjoying the luxury of having water for splashing and a whole different set of games to play than he could have had in the desert town. Carlos stays to keep an eye on the kid who reminds him of his own son at about the same age. The way he sees the native boy interact with the young Captain is unbelievably trusting, almost as if they were family although they look nothing alike and the German has not even been in North Africa long enough to possibly be the boy's father.

As soon as the young officer returns to shave and wash his face, the youngster nestles to the tall man who lets his injured arm rest on the child's shoulder only moving it to tousle his hair, when the kid starts telling him a story of an orphan stranded with a pack of wolves and compares it to himself and being stranded with the group of soldiers under Dietrich's command and the young Captain he obviously considers his personal hero and compares to the leader of the pack. The whole comparison appears strange from Carlos' perspective, but the German seems already familiar with the notion, as he manages to shave beside it only murmuring soft comments to the child who smiles at him adoringly, as they are both speaking some parts in English some in the guttural Arabic of the natives and some words in a totally different sounding language. One thing is for sure, a man who treats a foreign dark skinned child with so much love and care is a good guy to the core. Of this the Lieutenant is more assured than ever.

Their colleague Winters' death has been a true shock and the attack of one of their nurses on the Major, the General and their guards is such an unspeakable act of treason that it has shaken the whole camp and along with it Carlos to the very core. Knowing who one can still trust is the true challenge, as more and more men start accusing and denouncing each other, openly eyeing their comrades and former friends with distrust. The Hispanic Lieutenant is just as desperate for this to end and finding those he can really trust as everybody else. He almost envies the child for his unshakable faith and trust in the young officer who has gone out of his way to protect the kid. But to a certain degree he can agree that the Captain or rather both their Captains are absolutely trustworthy.

Dietrich looks up with as much surprise as Carlos, when a bulky figure approaches him and booms with a loud bellow: "Captain Dietrich! I heard you put me in charge of the motor pool. You can rest assured that I'll not let any sabotage happen to our vehicles and gasoline." Lieutenant Griffiths salutes even to both of their surprise. "Thank you, Lieutenant", the German officer replies smoothly, placing his right arm around Ari's shoulder who shivers with fear, obviously scared of the loud man. "My pleasure, Captain. And it'll be even more so if one of these bastards tries something, for then I can teach him a lesson he'll never forget." "Try not to kill anybody, unless it becomes unavoidable, Lieutenant Griffiths. A life is easily taken but impossible to restore and we have all lost too many lives of men under our command and among our comrades, friends or family." Carlos is absolutely startled by the reflective and serious reminder that even makes Griffiths stop and think, although the man has been seething with anger and thirst for revenge since his friend Winters' death. "I ... I won't kill anyone, if I can avoid it. I swear it, Captain", Griffiths finally pledges, holding his left arm up as if swearing an oath, while putting his right over his heart. Dietrich looks content, as he nods with a solemn expression. "Thank you Lieutenant. That's all I can ask of you given our situation." Griffiths takes off, muttering under his breath about kraut spies and murdering Jerries who will remember his lesson. Although the German officer frowns at the words he can easily pick up, he does not openly admonish Griffiths, realizing that none of the derogatories is directed against him, while any discussion would only antagonize the already volatile man.

"Do you have any advice for me as well, Sir?", Carlos finally overcomes his hesitation born from distrust against those who might be their attackers, traitors or just manipulated by the Nazi infiltrators, as he decides to put his trust in the young officer. "Don't antagonize the prisoners, don't act brutally and try to hear their officers out before taking punitive measures. Both Lieutenants, Haberfeld and Marcello, want to see their men reaching a POW camp alive rather than dying needlessly in this desert after already having surrendered." Carlos nods thoughtfully, then replies somewhat unsure: "I don't speak German or Italian, Captain." Dietrich smiles wryly. "Both know some English. But if you find yourself in need of an interpreter, call me anytime, Lieutenant, as I want to see my former men make it out of this war alive as well." A haunted look passes over the young officer's face and Carlos gulps, as he remembers just who he is speaking with right now, the former CO of the German tank unit who has surrendered his men to save their lives. "Additionally, the last thing we need is a prisoner uprising. I wanted you specifically for this task, because you think, before acting rashly driven by emotion. I seriously hope that you still do so in spite of our situation", the Captain argues calmly and the American officer stares at him briefly in astonishment, as such praise and faith is unexpected from the German. Carlos feels a strange obligation to honor these honest words spoken in as much concern about the wellbeing of the Axis troops as the Allied units Dietrich has agreed to support for reasons Carlos neither knows in full detail beyond his arrest and death sentence nor understands in its full extent, as the man obviously is loyal to the bone, yet has taken too many risks for his new side to be considered a manipulative infiltrator himself which his bandaged head and the black bruise on his shoulder clearly remind of.

After exchanging salutes for which the German Captain only uses his left arm, Carlos turns to planning his task with less apprehension than he has felt before, while Captain Dietrich leads Ari back to their tent which Corporal Gottschlich guards from outside, saluting to him. As they enter they find that Pettigrew keeps a similar guard on the inside, but walks out, as the younger soldier calls him. Sam Troy is already awaiting them with a grin that does not bode well for the German who immediately scowls warily, before raising his eyebrows in a silent question. "You've got fan mail", the American Sergeant announces, taking the younger officer completely by surprise. "What are you talking about, Troy?", Hans Dietrich inquires with too much incredulity audible in his voice to sound annoyed or angry. Still grinning, the American Sergeant hands him four folded pieces of paper. "Some folks caught up with us on the way to the showers and wanted me to give you these." With disbelief obvious from his expression, the German officer takes the papers and unfolds the first one.

His eyes widen slightly in astonishment, before the wry smile settles on his lips. "What is it, Captain?", Troy inquires curiously. "An application letter. Private Max Yanking argues that he has a few months of experience as a desert scout and feels motivated by the team spirit of our unit", Dietrich explains dryly. "His friend denouncing him as a potential conspirator, when he was out for a smoke, has made him wish to apply immediately." With an ironic expression, he hands Troy the handwritten letter which has a few smears on it, as if written on paper which has been wrapped around some food before. The American Sergeant frowns at the words which contain some spelling errors even he can detect. He does not want to imagine what Moffit would do to it though.

Dietrich meanwhile has started to read the next letter. "This one can be taken more seriously", the German Captain assesses in a serious tone. "Another American Private, John Ridley, wants to apply for our unit. He claims to be a trained explosives expert and experienced with sabotage missions. As his CO, Lieutenant Winters was killed, he feels the need to apply to a new unit and wishes to join ours based on its reputation. He provides some of his background and experience. Do you know the man, Sergeant?" Troy shakes his head. "I'm not hanging out with the guys from other units so much when I'm in camp. My days off I rather spent with more pleasant company. I can tell you stories about some of the nurses, but not about old Volcano's soldiers." The German Captain sighs wearily. "Tully and Hitch might know more, as they hang out with the guys from camp often for games and stuff." The German officer nods and looks thoughtful. "I might do just that. Thank you, Troy."

As the young officer continues reading the next letter which is even placed in a proper covert, Moffit returns with Hitch from the showers, as they have taken turns to always have a part of the team at the tent. "Sergeant Moffit. It appears you have become a role model. A British Private applies for our unit arguing that he feels inspired by the inclusive character of a unit with men from different nationalities serving in it. Brian Francis argues that he has been a tailor at one of London's theatres. Such a man could indeed be useful for adapting disguises for our purposes, as we will have to do soon." Troy scowls, but Moffit looks delighted. "An interesting proposition. You have received the first written applications then, Captain." Dietrich looks thoughtful and bemused. "I have. My intention to deter men to actually go through with such applications has worked as well as intended, but not to the degree of deterring everyone. Troy, show him the first letter. You will enjoy this one, Doctor." Both the German Captain and the American Sergeant savour Jack's expression, as it shifts from incredulity to disgust and finally outrage. "These Yankee illiterates should be prohibited from violating the English language, grammar and orthography in such an outrageous manner!", the Cambridge scholar laments. Seeing the other two exchange bemused looks, he glares at both. "You knew exactly how I would react." "You are rather predictable in that way", Dietrich argues dryly. "Jack Moffit, defender of tea and English grammar", Troy comments with a grin.

Hitch, who has started peeking into the letter from next to Moffit, is almost toppling over with laughter. "I suppose we don't want him, although he might still make Tully look like a scholar the way he's writing." "Pettigrew's more intelligent than you give him credit for", the German Captain admonishes to all their surprise. "That's true", Jack agrees. "But you're not the person I would have expected to bring forth this argument." Hitch indeed looks stunned, while Troy bears a knowing smile. "Tully and our dear Captain hold a lot of respect for each other." "Whatcha talkin' behind my back, Sarge?", the American Private asks, as he enters. "We started with application letters. All I did was argue that you are more intelligent than some of your friends give you credit for", Dietrich explains smoothly, hoping to end the discussion before it begins to escalate. Tully stares at the German slightly incredulous, even forgetting to bite on his matchstick, while Hitch puts an arm around his shoulder and mutters with a grin: "You got a knight in shining armour now, Princess." The German Captain glares at him and snaps: "Hitchcock, you're currently failing to even reach Fritz' standards of tolerable behaviour!" "Sorry, Cap", the young Private replies automatically. In spite of everything, the German officer is indeed a fair enough guy and Hitch is not even questioning to express his familiarity. That Dietrich sighs wearily does not bother him, as the German is never content or happy with their behaviour anyways.

"Can we have breakfast, Hans?", Ari pipes in after he has occupied himself playing with Fritz until now. Troy and Hitch smile fondly at the child. "The kid's better than you at tracking these things, Captain", Troy comments with amusement. "Why don't you spare me these comments, Sergeant?", comes the weary reply. "I still hope that if I annoy you enough, you'll start remembering this on your own." Troy smiles and puts his hand on the lean German's shoulder who scowls at him in annoyance. "Why don't you invest your efforts into more deserving targets? Your own brother is in a situation where he might actually appreciate it more." The words are spoken without malice, but actual sympathy. "Didn't I tell you yesterday that Davey appreciates the nurses' attention far more than mine?", Sam Troy tries to joke to hide his own worries and mixed feelings regarding his brother. "Have you ever taken what I appreciate into consideration, Sergeant?", the German Captain inquires sarcastically. "You're too stubborn for your own good, Dietrich. If I'd considered that, you'd already be off duty for being underweight. Worrying about everyone but yourself is an unhealthy habit, Captain." Well aware that the statement holds too much truth to be comfortable with or start arguing without loss of face, Dietrich mutters under his breath: "Elender Klugscheißer." "New lessons?", Troy inquires bemusedly. "I won't translate this for you", the German growls. "I can translate it for you however, Troy", Moffit comments with amusement. "This might become one of your favourite German terms, as it means 'Bloody smartass'. You can't imagine how often I've heard this term when I went to school in Germany." "Actually, I can", the Captain deadpans, torn between being annoyed and amused. Troy smiles, as he declares: "Off to breakfast, boys. Let's shake it!"

Ari and Fritz are the first to enthusiastically jump to their feet and run toward the tent entrance. "Looks like Fritz is beating you in every regard today, Hitch", Troy teases the young Private, while he follows the unruly duo out of the tent without taking his hand off the tall German officer's shoulder whom he keeps next to him in this way. "Would you mind releasing me, Sergeant? You're giving me the impression of arresting me or acting as my guard", Dietrich complains with annoyance. Troy immediately lets go of him. "Sorry, Captain. Old habits die hard", the American Sergeant explains with a wry smile. "You're telling me?", the younger man counters sarcastically, as he absentmindedly rubs his slightly aching right shoulder. Then, he takes out the last piece of folded paper, expecting another application letter from one of the soldiers. What he reads however, makes the Captain stop short within a split second. Moffit, who has been walking behind the German, jumps to the side to avoid running into him, but cannot fully avoid a collision. That the German officer not only does not scowl or scold him, but also has paled slightly, tips even the last of them off that something is terribly wrong. "Who gave you this paper, Sergeant?", Dietrich inquires so harshly that Sam Troy scowls at him with worry written on his face. "Dunno. Some lean Aussie or Brit I think. What's going on, Captain?"

"Find that man now, Troy! Take Pettigrew and Gottschlich with you to cover more ground, since you all saw him. That man is likely an infiltrator. I need to speak with Boggs and warn him immediately. Hitchcock, Moffit, take care of Ari!", the German Captain relays his orders and takes off running toward the office tent without waiting for their reactions. "Damn. That looks bad", Hitch mutters. "You bet", Troy answers, looking absolutely annoyed to be left in the dark. "We might consider this promotion to Lieutenant after all, old man, to be taken along to the officers' business", Moffit comments dryly. "Don't come up with such reasonable arguments, Jack! You and Hitch have your breakfast and look after the boy. It's better, if Dietrich knows where to find some of us." Ari has not noticed the troubles yet, as he has run ahead with Fritz toward the canteen tent without a worry in the world. Turning to the remaining two soldiers, Troy declares: "We'd better start looking for that guy. Gotty you come with me in case he means trouble! Tully, you follow the Captain and watch his back! I'll have a heart-to-heart with him about just running off alone, that stubborn Jerry smartass! What was the German word again?" "Klugscheißer", Moffit provides helpfully with an ironic smile, while he is inwardly annoyed that his injury keeps him from taking a more active role like Troy or even Dietrich have. Maybe he should consider becoming Lieutenant after all, but not at the cost of leaving his unit behind.

Hans Dietrich takes off toward the American unit's office where Captain Boggs has intended to coordinate the evacuation from early on together with First Lieutenant Adams. The message composed specifically for him reads: "Hauptmann Hans Dietrich, ich habe Ihren verachtenswerten Verrat beobachtet und in welch niederträchtiger Weise Sie einen ehrbaren Offizier der Wehrmacht nicht nur den Amerikanern ausgeliefert, sondern auch noch an die dreckigen Wüstenräuber verkauft haben. Ich werde dafür sorgen, dass die Amerikaner anstatt der Wehrmacht Sie hinrichten, wie es einem Verräter Ihres Kalibers gebührt. Verabschieden Sie sich von Ihren amerikanischen Kollegen. Heil Hitler!" The words leave an even worse feeling than his memories of the SS men he has met during his Wehrmacht career, as this seems to be personal for the infiltrator, accusing him not only of treason but also threatening to assure that the former Hauptmann will be executed for treason against his new allies. Reaching the tent with the guard at the front and another at the rear still on active duty causes some relief for Hans Dietrich. "Watch out for possible attackers or attempts of assault!", he shouts a warning at the soldier who stares at the German officer with a paper in his hand and the other placed on his gun holster in slight disbelief. Then, the American remembers his duty and who he is dealing with and with a sloppy salute affirms the order.

When Dietrich enters however, he stops short and takes a bated breath in between gritted teeth. "Private, come here at once!", the German orders sharply, as he puts the sheet of paper into his shirt pocket to get his hands free. Crouching next to his American colleague, James Boggs, the younger Captain checks the motionless man's pulse at the neck, when he hears the soldier behind him gasp in shock and horror. "Captain Boggs is still alive. Get him outside now!", Hans Dietrich commands sharply in a tone not tolerating questions or resistance that the American Private immediately obeys. Dietrich meanwhile walks over to the second figure on the floor to check the American soldier for life signs and is relieved to feel a strong pulse as well. When the German tries to grab the huddled man under the shoulder to drag him toward the tent entrance, the Private from Carter's unit rolls over, quite conscious and active and strikes at the surprised German officer with a syringe. If not for the thick jacket worn above the shirt for protection against the cold temperatures of the November morning in the North Saharan desert, the needle would have plunged deeply into the young officer's abdomen. With the odd angle of the attack the needle gets partially stuck in the fabric of his tunic, bending the delicate metal too much to get any larger quantity into his blood flow immediately.

Dietrich meanwhile does not hesitate to draw his gun with the left, knowing that without being able to properly use his right arm, he will be at a disadvantage in a melee fight and should definitely avoid this. "Private. Help me immediately. This man is an infiltrator!", he shouts at the same time. The prone position on the ground puts the traitorous Private at a disadvantage that he tries to correct by ramming the broken syringe deeper into the German Captain's lower body, before he starts to wrestle the gun from the young officer who fights to keep from toppling over with pain or losing his weapon which would likely get him killed.

Two shots ring out and both men collapse to the ground. Dietrich feels his head swimming from the drugs and the pain, when he recognizes the shout "Captain" and a more familiar voice close to him. "Hey, Cap. Hold on! You'll be alright." A hot pain follows the statement, as Tully Pettigrew draws the syringe from the German officer's abdomen who hisses with pain, clenching his jaws tightly and pressing his hand on the injury. "The infiltrator?", Captain Dietrich grinds out. "Dead as a doornail", Tully assures him. "What the heck's going on, Cap?", Tully uncharacteristically asks with a tinge of worry in his tone. "Help me up and out of here. I'll give you an answer, when Captain Boggs is back on his feet again." Tully nods in acceptance, chewing on his matchstick, as he helps the German back to his own feet. When he notices Dietrich swaying noticeably the American Private keeps his hold on the young officer's left arm to steady him.

"Get Captain Boggs to sickbay immediately!", Dietrich orders sternly. "You'd better go as well. You're not really steady on your feet, Cap", Tully argues, biting on his matchstick, as he has to support more of the German officer's weight the more the man loses his control over his drugged body. "Hey, Sarge", Tully exclaims and draws the taller Captain's attention to the American Sergeant approaching them. "What the heck's going on, Captain?", Troy inquires, then notices the German's tunic front showing a small blood stain. "I let you out of my sight for a few minutes and you almost get yourself killed. What were you thinking just running off like that without a guard or anything?" When the only response comes in the form of some slurred words indistinguishable whether they are English or German and Troy realizes that Tully is the main reason why the Captain has not collapsed yet, he steps closer to lightly slap the man to call him back to consciousness without harming him.

"Troy, stop that!", comes the clearly understandable reprimand that feels like a relief for both Troy and Tully who notices that the German officer is bearing more of his own weight again. Even as underfed as he is, the young Captain is still a tall man with some lean muscle on his body and not completely negligible in weight. "Good to have you back, Captain", Sam Troy comments with a grin, as he helps Tully take him along to the sickbay. Gotty has been smart enough to focus on helping the soldier on guard to carry Boggs to the field hospital. While they make their way to the sickbay, Troy tries to get some information out of the German, but Dietrich deflects the inquiry, asking instead: "Have you found the man, Troy? He might be an actual conspirator or someone the Private tried to frame for his deeds." "We turned around, when we heard the shots. You're really one of the most unlucky guys in this whole desert. Whenever something bad's happening, you're right in the middle. Doesn't even matter which side you're on", Troy assesses. "Fortuna has always been on everyone else's side rather than mine", Dietrich agrees wholeheartedly, as he concentrates on remaining on his feet and not showing his pain of the broken off syringe needle tip boring into his abdominal muscles with every movement.

By the time they reach the sickbay, his two supporters carry the brunt of the Captain's weight. "I feared that much, when I saw Captain Boggs", Doctor Andrews declares instead of a greeting. "Your man Gottschlich also warned me. What happened?" "He read a message written on a paper passed to me by a soldier. We thought it would be an application like others before, but suddenly the Captain orders me to find and basically arrest the man who gave it to me and runs off without further explanation to warn Boggs about something", Troy growls with annoyance to not know more than this. Tully adds: "When I came to Boggs' office tent, the guard dragged the Captain unconscious outside and I heard Cap's cry for help." Dietrich who has partially recovered during their explanation, when Andrews has let him rest on a cot in sickbay, adds with a worrisomely slurred tone: "A Private from Carter's unit, Ryan James I think, lay on the ground, curled up like Boggs, as if attacked and left unconscious. I checked the Captain first, then on the enlisted man, when he attacked me with the syringe he already had in hand and rammed it into my abdomen." All three stare at the German officer, but Andrews immediately ushers him to lie down which causes the Captain's pain to show on his face and in an escaping groan.

Unlike Tully before, the American Doctor opens the young officer's tunic and shirt to expose his injury, revealing a red swollen area where the syringe has originally plunged into the German's abdomen and then been moved and rammed deeper. Rather little blood is oozing from the wound, but it looks ugly and painful. "A... part of ... the needle ...is still inside", Dietrich grinds out between gasps of pain, whenever Andrews tries poking a different part of the wound area to check the reaction. Sam Troy is kneeling at his side now and has taken the German Captain's hand when he has noticed that the lean young man is desperately clutching the sheets at every spike of pain. The American Sergeant intends to help his declared friend to get through the ordeal with some strong support of his own, putting his other hand on his left shoulder to keep him lying down. "Hold on, Captain! You're not alone", Sergeant Sam Troy assures him and waits for the younger man to finally pass out which would save him from the torment. But the German's strong constitution keeps the young officer awake during the longest part of the painful procedure of removing the broken needle tip which they must perform without anesthetics and painkillers to not interfere with the unknown substance of the spy's syringe.

When Dietrich's eyes finally roll back in his head and he lies limp, Troy exclaims with worry: "Is he okay?" The younger Swiss nurse operating with Andrews quickly checks the Captain's pulse at the neck and answers in her accented English: "Hauptmann Dietrich is just passed out from the pain and the anaesthetic given to him. He will be fine, Sergeant Troy." Sighing with relief, Sam Troy leans back and rather reluctantly lets the unconscious German's hand go to place it on the sheet next to his side. That the lean Captain still looks like he has not gained much substance is worrying him, as Sam can feel the bones distinctly underneath sinewy muscles in the younger man's shoulder. However, Troy reminds himself that Dietrich has hardly had anything but a stressful life in the past days to truly recover from his ordeals, before the next one would catch up with him.

A few minutes later, Doctor Andrews with skilled assistance through the Swiss nurse Regula has sewn up the wound and finished bandaging the German Captain's lean torso. Furthermore, the duo has taken the time to change the bandage around his head wound as well as check on his injured shoulder, applying a lotion massaged into the muscles to help with the mobility and reduce the pain locally. By the time they are finished, the German officer starts stirring again. "You're a goddamned idiot, Captain!", Troy scolds the younger man who still blinks owlishly as he tries to regain a coherent sequence of memories tipping him off to what is currently going on. Although the American Sergeant's words are harsh and insolent, the Captain recognizes that his tone speaks of concern and relief more than anything else. Troy also is not finished ranting: "Taking off on your own without backup. Swear to me that you'll never do that again! I don't care if you take me or someone else along, but don't risk your life like that anymore!"

The American's tone sounds worried and concerned enough to cause more guilt than anger in Hans Dietrich who concedes, seeing that Troy really has a point: "Agreed, Sergeant. I swear to you that I will take at least one of the Merry Men with me for backup." Troy squeezes the younger man's left shoulder gently, as he observes the German Captain's painfilled expression. "Good that we agree on this, Captain Locksley. Should I help you up and get into your shirt again?" Gritting his teeth in annoyance over his own weakness induced by his injuries and worsened by his systematic long term malnourishment, the proud young officer finally nods in agreement. Accepting help from a friend is after all easier than being forced to accept it from an enemy. That the notion crosses his mind for the first time without second guessing his own or the American's motives makes Hans Dietrich stop short to evaluate his perspective. But he has found for the first time that not only does he not regret agreeing to Troy's proposal just to keep him out of his hair, but also is valuing the concept of such a friendship himself.

Seeing the younger man stare ahead with a slightly glazed gaze makes Sam Troy worry however. Shaking the other's shoulder lightly, he asks with worry: "Are you alright, Captain?" The German Captain blinks, as he is drawn out of his reverie, but answers quickly: "Yes, Sergeant." Opening his mouth as if he would like to add something, the younger officer thinks better of it and switches topics instead. "How is Captain Boggs?", Dietrich inquires with honest concern, as the American Sergeant helps him to sit up and move his aching right arm into the sleeve of his own blood stained shirt. Troy answers with a shrug: "Fine. He's not been injured and..." "Woken up, while you were focused on your Captain here, Sergeant. Unlike you, Captain Dietrich, I have been too surprised to put up much resistance against the Private who served as my guard. This possibly saved me from being injured similarly to you", Boggs himself surprises them by interrupting Troy's answer. "I would like to receive an answer to the question of how you knew something was happening." The American Sergeant nods in agreement. "Me too, Captain." Boggs looks truly baffled that even Troy does not know what is going on.

Dietrich sighs wearily and starts to rummage in his shirt pocket to retrieve the folded paper that he hands to Boggs, while Troy sneaks a peek over the shorter Captain's shoulder. "That's German", Boggs concludes after having tried to read the text without much success, but recognizes the term 'Heil Hitler' in the end, the characteristic Nazi greeting. Dietrich nods with a grim expression. "It literally means: 'Captain Dietrich, I have observed your despicable treason and in which vile way you have not only handed an honorable Wehrmacht officer to the Americans, but also sold him to the filthy desert raiders. I will assure that the Americans instead of the Wehrmacht will execute you, as a traitor of your calibre deserves. Say goodbye to your American colleague.'" Even the translation has made him pale slightly again, while Boggs, Troy and Pettigrew stare at the German Captain in shock. No wonder he has taken off without wasting much time, Troy considers, as he observes the still distraught younger man.

Boggs beats his Sergeant to putting a hand on the lean young officer's shoulder, as he speaks in a rather reassuring tone: "You're not under suspicion or at risk of being executed for treason, Captain Dietrich. I honestly thank you for your worry and concern, as I have heard that you have been the one to check on me without hesitation." The surprised expression and the shred of doubt remaining in the German defector's brown eyes are slightly painful for James Boggs, as the attitude of not trusting his new side to actually stand by him and cover his back still puts his younger colleague at a distance, even more than his German heritage, as Dietrich is not only fluent in English with hardly an accent audible, but also skilled at adapting to the behaviour and conventions of the U.S. army as opposed to the German one. In spite of his honesty and loyalty however, he cannot really trust his former enemies to view and treat him without prejudice, while recent events including the letter have shown that his wariness is not unfounded.

"Troy. It is really important that you find the man who handed you the message", Dietrich, unaware of Boggs' assessment, turns to the Sergeant who nods grimly at the serious words. "I get it, Captain. Either he's a German spy and Private James was manipulated or the Private was the spy and as you said used either a conspirator or tried to frame someone." "As you think it was an Aussie or Brit, the latter might be plausible, Sergeant, but they could also try and trick us through switching uniforms", the German argues with a serious expression. "I'll do my best. You can count on me, Captain Locksley", Troy assures him. "I sent Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet and the kid to the campfire for breakfast. You'd better get some yourself, before getting involved in securing ... Sherwood Forest." The German officer narrows his eyes, obviously disliking to be ordered around by a soldier of lower rank, but finally nods in agreement. "Take Will Stutely and Mutch the Miller's son with you for the search, Little John! Report to me in an hour! If we haven't found the Sheriff's man until then, we have to adapt our strategy." Troy affirms the order, as do the two other soldiers, while Boggs who has observed the dialogue with growing incredulity adds: "You'll accompany me to breakfast then, Captain Dietrich. We need to discuss how to proceed and report to the General." Dietrich grimaces as if he has accidentally bitten on a lemon, but nods in agreement, before a mischievous smile settles on his face and he adds: "Let's shake it then!" Troy looks totally baffled for all of two seconds, then pats the young German's shoulder with an honest and fond smile. "Welcome to being a real Rat, Captain!"

James Boggs is starting to question who is influencing whom in this whole unit, as the German Captain appears as much the one adopting and learning the Rats' behaviour as the other way round. Pettigrew wearing a uniform shirt almost properly buttoned and following orders with the compliance of a role model soldier is still one of Dietrich's greatest achievements regarding influencing the Rats toward a better behaviour according to Boggs' validation. Unfortunately, especially interactions with the American General they all treat with wariness and dislike seem to stir the German officer's more rebellious tendencies which he definitely shares with the rest of the Rats. In comparison, his new Corporal, the half-Japanese, appears to be almost the tamest and most well-behaved of them all. The poor kid has no idea what he has gotten himself into, Boggs assesses.

As soon as they are out of the sickbay and Troy has taken off with his two men, Boggs intends to state his curiosity on the strange interaction he has just observed. "What is the usage of references to Robin Hood and his merry men for, Captain Dietrich?" The German Captain looks around carefully, whether he can identify any eavesdroppers nearby, before replying in a low voice to be only heard by the American officer next to him: "A code language for communication of critical actions, reports and orders without being understood by casual eavesdroppers. Sergeant Moffit suggested it and it has proven easy to implement and efficient up until now." Boggs stares at the younger man in wonder. Applying such a scheme would never have occurred to him and he is not sure if he would have let himself be persuaded to try it out by Sergeant Moffit. The German Captain's ability and willingness to try new options and learn from his allies as well as his enemies is an actual strength of his. "I see", the American Captain finally mutters.

"Don't worry, Captain Boggs. They will not force you to participate, as you are not considered part of their inner circle", Dietrich adds with a smirk. "They are your men of your unit", Boggs counters. "Wouldn't including yourself be appropriate?" "My former worst enemies turned allies who have decided to annoy me with these schemes and nicknames for days already and then persuaded me to actively pick this up as message encoding. That's what they are. Believe me, the irony of the situation is not lost on me", the German officer comments with dark humor. "Thank you for the insight, Captain Dietrich", Boggs comments with some humor, although he is aware of the seriousness of what his younger colleague has commented on rather lightly as a side topic. The Rats have indeed been his worst enemies and turned into his trusted allies and the other way around as well, considering that the stubborn and wary Sergeant Troy sometimes treats the young German Captain more like his friend than his CO and an enemy officer he has crossed blades with countless times in the past year. To actually take command of this particular unit must have cost the German Captain quite dearly. "You're an adaptable man and an honorable soldier. I can only admire your steadfastness of standing by what is right rather than what is easy, simple or ordered", James Boggs adds as an afterthought. "Maybe you shouldn't", Dietrich replies with a serious tone, "It has come at a high price." The American Captain shudders slightly, remembering the current and already healed injuries the German officer bears as marks of the physical price he has paid. What losing everything and everyone means in addition to constantly being threatened by execution should he be caught by his former army or distrusted as a potential traitor by his current one is a totally different matter.

Both Captains appear slightly unsteady when they make their way through the camp. Boggs is astounded to observe first hand that three Australians and even two of the American soldiers stop to address them, or rather Dietrich and himself only out of courtesy on second thought, to ask about his injuries and wish him well. The German accepts this politely, not appearing particularly astounded, and only glares at one of the Aussies who reaches out to pat him on the shoulder which does not deter the man. "What did you do to get the respect of the enlisted men beyond the American, Australian and British officers who got to know you pretty well?" Dietrich raises his eyebrows bearing an expression of ironic amusement, as he answers with a matching tone of dry humor: "Like any good circus artist through magical tricks and acrobatics." Boggs smiles at the younger officer's dry statement. The German Captain has a good sense of humor. His acrobatic stunt of jumping into the snake pit is infamous in camp by now, but Boggs wonders if the younger man refers to his deductive skills of investigation as magical tricks, but does not ask.

"It looks like you have too few men for security, Captain Dietrich", Boggs assesses with worry. "That's true, but unfortunately hard to correct, as I don't want to include anyone I cannot trust, especially after this letter and what has happened", Hans Dietrich replies with a similar tone of concern. "You're barely in a state where you count as being on active duty, as your injuries hinder you quite a bit." The German officer glares at the American Captain for rubbing his nose in this. "This doesn't mean that your abilities as an organiser and coordinator are diminished", Boggs tries to appease the younger officer's wounded pride. Provoking the proud German Captain to lash out is the last thing he wants right now. "I will do my duty as demanded", Dietrich snarls with righteous indignation. That the American Captain dares accuse him of not living up to what is ordered of him galls him to no end.

When they enter the canteen tent, Boggs has the intention to directly report to the General, but Dietrich heads toward the table where the rest of the Rats are seated, Moffit and Hitchcock, with Lieutenant Silberblatt and the boy Ari who jumps to his feet as soon as he sees the German Captain enter and runs toward him with a squeal of joy. Knowing that the child's habit of hugging him around the waist will be terrible for his fresh sutures, Hans crouches down which also feels painful for the injury, but is less dangerous. Ari does not notice the hidden agenda and simply hugs his beloved brother around the neck with joy to see him again, as the boy presses his face into the young man's left shoulder. "Hans", Ari mutters, "please don't leave!"

Dietrich gulps down the lump forming in his throat. "Ari, I have to help Captain Boggs. But I promise you that you can see me all the time to know that I'm alright, at least for now." Ari nestles to the young officer's chest listening to his heartbeats, when he finally agrees: "Okay. But will you come afterwards, Hans?" "You can have him back afterwards to have breakfast together. I promise you that, Ari", Boggs interferes in one of his gentlest tones Dietrich has ever heard of him. The boy regards the American officer with a strange mixture of fear and hope. "Okay", Ari finally agrees with slight doubt remaining in his tone. "You add 'Sir', when speaking with an officer", Moffit from behind them admonishes in his best Cambridge lecturer tone. "Sir?", Ari adds with enough doubt in his voice to make it sound like a question. Boggs smiles in a rather understanding manner, before he adds: "We need to go, Captain Dietrich!"

Dietrich nods and puts his arm around Ari's shoulder. "Please promise me that you will behave yourself, Ari! Don't cause any trouble for Mark Hitchcock or Jack Moffit or your brother Jakob!" "I promise, Hans", Ari swears to him with clear resolve. "You're a good boy, Ari", the German Captain tells him, tousling his hair affectionately, before he gets up to follow James Boggs. The German Captain is turning away quickly before Ari can see the small blood stain on his jacket he has covered with his hand held in front of it. Jakob Silberblatt helps his friend by steering Ari back to their bench, shouting: "Mazel tov, Hans!" At Boggs' questioning expression, Dietrich translates: "He wishes us good luck. In Yiddish." The American Captain has stopped being surprised by the younger man's language skills and ability to translate things he would only have expected Jack Moffit, the Cambridge scholar, to be able to translate for him.

"Thank you, Captain Boggs", the younger officer then voices his gratitude a few seconds later, as soon as they have taken some steps away which take them out of earshot. "You didn't have to interfere." Boggs regards the German Captain with a wry smile. "Unlike you I have a son of my own and am intimately familiar with the worries and fears of a child at that age. Ari here has lost his whole family. He constantly fears to lose you which is natural. Couldn't you at least adopt a less hazardous behaviour for the sake of this child, Captain Dietrich, even if you hardly care whether you survive or not for your own sake?"

Dietrich is surprised by the rather emotionally presented reprimand, while he is torn between feeling guilty as charged and angry at the American Captain's insolence to openly accuse him like that. "I'm not Sergeant Troy", the German Captain snarls with indignation. "My risks are always well-calculated and never unnecessarily taken!" "Like jumping into a snake pit with collapsing sand walls?", Boggs counters sternly. "I had no other light weight man available and I refuse on principle to let the men the responsibility for whose lives I carry die without any aid or have them risk their lives, if I can avoid it!", the lean young officer argues with fervour. "I see why the Rats adore you, as do surprisingly many men in this camp", James Boggs concedes, as he starts to understand the situation better. The German Captain is an intelligent man and has been well aware of his risk at all times, simply balancing his own body weight against that of the far more muscular and heavy commando soldiers, deciding on the lowest risk for all men available. His treatment in sickbay has reminded the American Captain of the younger officer's lean stature, the stiff uniform jacket along with his tall frame hides rather well most of the time.

Hans Dietrich still frowns at him and has subconsciously taken a defensive combat stance, even though the younger man has not reached for his weapon. James Boggs has understood by now that the young German Captain is neither violent nor aggressive by nature which helps him keep a rather level head in many situations, unless his wounded pride is getting the better of him. "Would you take over the part of providing explanations, Captain Dietrich?", Boggs focuses his and his colleague's thoughts on their task at hand, as he hands him back the folded paper the young German Captain has previously given to him as evidence. Dietrich nods thoughtfully and takes the paper. "I will do that, Sir", the tall officer adds the last term with hesitation, dropping his voice to add more silently: "I have to apologise for my tone, Captain Boggs." One of the German officer's qualities is his ability to reflect his behaviour and act rationally in spite of his words or actions driven by pride, distrust or anger rather than reason. "Given the circumstances, you can hardly be held guilty for being as much on edge as the rest of us", Boggs replies graciously. "I appreciate your apology though, as well as your honest and open manner of interacting with me. I notice how much more guarded you treat General Atkins, although we are both your superior officers and former enemies."

Dietrich frowns and meets his eyes with a steady gaze. "We both know our duty and rank well enough to not act inappropriately towards our superior." Boggs nods. "Of course. I'm rather surprised by your openness towards me though than your distanced respect for the General." Dietrich's expression is cryptic and unreadable, as he replies in a carefully controlled manner: "We are in a situation where we have to choose wisely who can still be trusted without losing the last reliable support." Boggs knows that he will not receive a more open declaration of trust from the wary German Captain, but he does not require one either, as the young officer is nothing if not honorable to the core. If not for his self-destructive and rebellious tendencies, possibly initiated by the loss of everything and everyone he has cared about, Dietrich would be an excellent role model officer. As it is, he still is good at his job, but not always acting in the way a superior officer would wish him to. On second thought, Boggs has to admit that an unrelenting stubbornness to not follow orders beyond his code of honor is exactly what has cost the young Captain not only his career in the German army, but also almost his life.

When they approach the General, surrounded by three bodyguards by now, both Captains adopt neutral expressions, as they stand at attention side by side. Most of the soldiers and officers in the tent stare at them with curiosity, while Atkins narrows his eyes, as he observes the blood staining the younger officer's uniform. "There has been another attack and death. Haven't you been in charge of security to prohibit such acts of violence, Captain Dietrich?", he addresses the tall German harshly. "I have acted as soon as I have been aware of the threat, Sir! A unit with only three soldiers able to perform their active duty is rather challenged to keep up with providing security for a camp of this size, Sir", Dietrich reports with a matter-of-factual tone. "What has happened? I expect a detailed report, Captain", Atkins inquires, twirling his moustache, as he observes the young officer intently. The German Captain provides a detailed report as demanded of him and a translation of the note he hands over as evidence.

"So this is directed against you personally?", the American General asks sternly. "According to the note, it is. On the one hand it makes sense for a loyal German agent to wish to kill a traitor such as myself, on the other hand this might be a ruse to distract us from other targets, General", the younger Captain explains. "That is true", Atkins admits. "You said that you lack the manpower to properly keep order. Why don't you assign more men for the task, Captain?" The American General looks from one Captain to the other. "Because I cannot have any man on the task who I don't trust, as little as you would take just any soldier as your bodyguard who you cannot trust with your life, Sir. And the number of people who are beyond suspicion in this matter is limited", Dietrich argues. General Atkins has tensed at the comparison and looks from one of his bodyguards to the other with a suspicious gaze. "You are correct, Captain", the older officer growls. "Assure that we can evacuate the camp safely, Captain Dietrich! Provide the man with the resources he requires, Captain Boggs!" Both Captains salute, Dietrich with his left only.

"How do you intend to continue with the coordination after your security has been breached, Captain Boggs?" Boggs has straightened and provides a series of explanations and plans he intends to implement. Dietrich listens intently, but observes their surroundings warily trying to discern potential eavesdroppers beyond the officers sitting close enough to be able to listen which includes only Captain Brown and First Lieutenant Adams, as the rest sit at a farther distance for security reasons. A British soldier seated at the end of the enlisted men's table closest to them, lowers his eyes quickly, when he notices the German Captain scowl, as Dietrich becomes aware of the observation. The Australian Captain Brown notices the German's expression changing and where his gaze is directed, looking more closely at the man at the table. "Does that fellow appear fishy to you?", he whispers to Adams sitting opposite of him. The First Lieutenant looks up, then scowls. "He's reaching for something under the table", he hisses back, when the German Captain's harsh command addressing the General's bodyguards resounds: "Arrest that man! Watch out for weapons!" Although surprised, they move quickly, when the soldier jumps to his feet drawing a gun. The only fired shot strikes a hole into the tent's roof without harming anyone, before the man is disarmed and pinned on the floor merely seconds later.

Dietrich crouches before him. "Erfüllen Sie Berlins und des Führers Befehle?", he snarls in German whether the man is fulfilling Berlin's and Hitler's orders. The hatred he sees igniting in the pinned down soldier's eyes is enough of an answer for him to know that he is understood. But the man provides an even clearer response by spitting in his direction without even getting close to hitting his uniform. "Thank you for answering my question so clearly. We seem to have our infiltrator after all", the German Captain sneers with cold derision. "Du dreckiger Verräter wirst auch noch gerichtet werden!", the German agent snarls with hatred that the traitor will face his final judgement in the end. "Lieutenant Johnson", Dietrich stands up to address the British officer. "Is this one of your men or has he acquired one of their uniforms for causing a distraction?" Johnson steps forward with visible apprehension, as he studies the man's face carefully. "I don't know this man. He is not from our unit", he finally assesses. "Thank you, Lieutenant", Dietrich replies curtly.

Sam Troy who storms into the tent almost a minute after the shot has been fired shouts: "That's the guy who gave me the paper, Captain!" "Thank you, Sergeant", the German officer replies smoothly, before turning to Atkins to provide his report: "It looks like this investigation is coming to an end, General. This is the author of the note and coordinator behind the attack this morning." Atkins looks slightly shaken, but a devious expression settles on his face, as he answers: "You do understand your job after all, Captain. Bring the man to the interrogation tent! Keep him handcuffed and under constant guard of four men!" One of his bodyguards and another three soldiers from the table obey the order immediately, while the other two remain to protect the General. "Captain Dietrich. I want you to report for the interrogation directly after breakfast!" The German officer salutes sharply with his left. "I can also go there right now, Sir." Atkins observes the lean young man intently. "I don't want to have to take you off duty, because you lose more weight, Captain. Have your breakfast, then report to me along with your men!" "Yes, General", the German Captain replies calmly, before turning to join his men and look after Ari.

Although Sam Troy approaches the German, he does not beat Ari in reaching the young officer, when the boy wiggles out of Jakob Silberblatt's grasp on his shoulder and runs toward his 'brother'. The tall officer is squatting down to avoid being injured by the boy's impetuous behaviour. "Hans!", Ari cries out, "I was so worried. I thought he kills you like Eema and Abba." Tears drench the German Captain's uniform when the child cries into the fabric. "I'm fine, Ari. You don't have to worry", Hans Dietrich reassures him to keep him from lapsing into a panic attack again, repeating the statement several times in English and their mix of Arabic and Hebrew, until Ari calms down enough to listen to reason again. "We go back to the others", the German Captain tells him gently. "For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack", Ari repeats the part of the poem encoding the law of the jungle that he likes the most, since Hitch has taught him the words in the last hour to distract him. Dietrich scowls and wonders what this is supposed to be about, but lets the child cling to the words as if they were a prayer, repeating them all over again.

Sam Troy has finally reached the duo after making his way through the canteen tent from the very back end and observing the interaction. When Ari finally lets go of Dietrich, Troy can haul the young officer to his feet, as the lean German still looks affected by his injuries, wincing at the movements. "Hello, Sam", Ari greets him with a shy smile. "Hi, kid. Let's get you back to the others", Troy replies with a smile. Although looking slightly unsure, as the boy struggles to understand the far more pronounced American accent, Ari grabs his brother's outstretched hand immediately and follows at his side obediently. As they start moving through the tables, Hans Dietrich still observes the ranks of American, Australian and British enlisted men warily, wondering whether they have finally caught the last infiltrator and conspirator. When somebody claps his hands at the nearby table, the German officer tenses immediately and turns to locate the source which quickly becomes impossible, as more men repeat the action. As the sound starts to rise, Ari huddles closer to his protector, completely unfamiliar with the concept of expressing appreciation in such a way.

Jakob Silberblatt comes to help them putting his one hand reassuringly on Ari's shoulder and the other on his friend's. "Are you insane, Hans, to just put your life on the line like you did?", the young Jewish Lieutenant inquires incredulously. Gottschlich and Pettigrew have provided fast efficient reports. "I'm quite sane still, unless Troy tries his best to drive me towards insanity. I simply had no other option, but act quickly to save Captain Boggs' life where I expected several guards available at the tent for my assistance. Also, the three soldiers I sent out to find the spy were the only ones knowing his face." Silberblatt looks sceptical and worried, but finally nods in acceptance. As Jakob directs Ari back to the bench, the German whispers quietly to Sam Troy: "I was focused on Ari. What did Atkins say to make them applaud?" For a brief moment, the American Sergeant stares at the young officer in disbelief, then a grin spreads on his lips, as he whispers: "They're not clapping for Atkins' orders, Captain. They clap for the guy who saved their camp from the Nazi infiltrator." Dietrich warily scans the soldiers' faces with a scowl, as many still look in his direction instead of the officer's table for which they are applauding. The Americans' distrust of a German defector will likely fade as slowly as his own wariness of his former enemies. Noticing the young officer's tense stance and doubtful look shifting his gaze between the soldiers and the officer's table, Sam adds: "Not those guys. They're clapping for you. For such a smart man, you can be quite an idiot sometimes, Captain." The German Captain glares at him with offense and wounded pride. "Mind your words, Sergeant! I'm still your commanding officer."

Turning toward an American soldier on a neighbouring table, the young officer inquires: "What's this all about? Why're you applauding, Private?" "They arrested that Jerry infiltrator, Sir. We applaud for our Captain, Sir", the young soldier provides his explanation, looking a bit sheepish. When Dietrich straightens to look at Boggs at the officer's table who gazes with a similar confused expression over the enlisted men, a second American soldier adds: "For you, Sir." The German Captain tenses and eyes them doubtfully. "I told you so, Captain", Sam Troy tells him loudly, placing his hand on the tall officer's left shoulder. "I'm a German defector", the younger man mutters incredulously. "You're one of us and almost got killed twice in as many days. The head bandage and blood on your tunic are rather obvious, Captain. Anyone who thinks you're behind this is a true idiot." The two soldiers who have spoken to them nod affirmatively, adding: "Yes, Sir."

Still wary of their motives for applauding, the German Captain sits down next to Ari and Jakob, without letting his true feelings appear too openly on his face, while Troy sits down next to him. Ari is happy with leaning into Hans' side to listen to his heartbeat and feel his reassuring presence. "What's going on there, Captain?", Sam Troy demands to know. "We are all called to report before the General after breakfast, gentlemen, to receive our further orders. This will include participating in the interrogation of the German infiltrator for me. Any of you not on light duty because of recent injuries will be sent to secure the evacuation process, as intended. How is your arm, Private Hitchcock?" Hitch stares at the German Captain incredulously, before smiling widely. "Much better, Cap. Thanks. You want me back on duty?" Dietrich sighs wearily. "What I want is irrelevant, Hitchcock. Likely, you will be required to help out, as Sergeant Moffit is impassable, and the unit has too few men to perform its duty as it is. But this is only an option, if you are able to properly hold and handle a weapon." "I can do that, Cap, honestly", Hitch assures him quickly. "You'd better not dare lie to me, Private", the German Captain admonishes sternly. "I wouldn't. I swear it, Captain", Hitch argues with a desperate tone.

"You and Pettigrew can provide me with a different service as well. Do you know a Private John Ridley from First Lieutenant Winters' unit, Hitchcock?" Both Hitch and Tully look astounded to be asked directly by the German officer, while Troy smiles knowingly. "He's a strict no-nonsense guy and somehow really strange", Hitch starts out cautiously. "What do you mean by strange?", Dietrich inquires with raised eyebrows. The Rats are not the reference for normal behaviour after all. "He's a loner, not really talking or hanging out with folks", Hitch explains. "Sometimes he joins our Poker rounds. Lost against Tully quite often." The German officer shifts his gaze to Pettigrew who chews his matchstick and looks thoughtful. "He did. And at some point told me, he'd build me a homemade bomb, if I lower his debts. We settled for some bottles of snake oil instead." The Captain pinches his nose, as this is far more and the wrong type of detail than he would ever have liked to learn about the soldier. "Is the man trustworthy to have him join our unit and handle his probation with security or do you consider it possible that he could have been manipulated?", Dietrich finally inquires directly what interests him. Tully shrugs. Hitch elaborates: "I honestly don't know, Cap. But I really don't trust the guy. I trusted you more, when you were still with the Jerries, 'cause I knew who I was dealing with. But Ridley... noone knows what's going on in his head." The German Captain nods thoughtfully. "Thank you, gentlemen. This was insightful. As I have learned that you two are the ones most familiar with the soldiers of this unit, who would you trust enough to help us out with camp security today?"

"You're asking us, Cap?", Hitch says out loud what Tully is wondering as well. "For obvious reasons, I am not familiar enough with the men of Captain Boggs' unit on a personal or professional level to evaluate their character. Thus, I require the evaluation of someone who I can rely on. As your Sergeant is not spending time with the Privates of other units, he recommended asking you", the German officer argues calmly. Hitch smiles widely at him, truly honoured by the German Captain's trust. "Whatever we can do for you, Cap." The young officer is gritting his teeth slightly, as the rank title abbreviation is unnerving him more the more often it happens in a row. "Earnestly consider who, especially from First Lieutenant Winters' unit, can be considered to be trustworthy to support us, Privates", Dietrich replies. "We really need any reliable support we can get, but nobody who you have the slightest bit of doubt about."

To all their surprise, Tully provides a sloppy salute, while Hitch is still caught up thinking. "There's Aaron Humphrey and Jimmy Walker, Cap." The German officer raises his eyebrows in a silent question which Hitch grasps as his chance to elaborate: "Jimmy's a nice guy from Texas, but pretty tough as well. He told me, he's gone hog hunting since he was a boy and learned proper shooting there when he was six." The German Captain nods in acknowledgement, as Hitch continues: "We chatted about all kinds of stuff over some Poker games. His Dad owns a Ranch south of Dallas, he's been out in the saddle from early on. He'll blow some spy's head off, before helping them with sneaky tricks." The German Captain finally nods. "Let's have a look at him. What about the other man?"

Hitch explains briefly: "The other guy, Aaron's also a Texas boy, but more... thoughtful and educated. He's from a rich petroleum family, his Dad owns a factory down in the South. He went to College and switched to the army corps on campus when the war started. He's an engineer I think or at least studied engineering at Texas A&M. Aaron's a smart guy. You might like him, Cap." Dietrich is smiling wryly. "Is this supposed to mean that I might not like the other man, Hitchcock?" Hitch squirms under his gaze, but Tully quite directly says: "You won't, Cap. But Jimmy can be a great help for today." The German officer nods in acknowledgement, as Pettigrew has gained his respect when it comes to acting thoughtfully. "Are any of the two around?", the Captain asks the two Privates who immediately stand up to get a better overview. "There's Jimmy", Tully announces and walks over to the soldier to fetch him, while Hitch darts off to a table at the other end of the canteen.

Tully brings a tall and beefy dark blond soldier over to their table who stands as tall as Moffit, but surpasses both the Brit and the German put together regarding pure muscle mass. "Howdy", the soldier greets them, then recognizes Dietrich's officer's uniform and salutes sharply which the German returns with his left. "Good morning, Sir. Private Walker reporting." "Private, you have previously served in First Lieutenant Winters' unit", Dietrich addresses him. "Are you familiar with the threat of German infiltrators who have caused the death of your commanding officer?" The young man's face distorts into a mask of hatred. "Damn shame what those kraut bastards did. You just got one of those guys arrested, Sir. If I can help, I'd gladly do so, Captain." Dietrich regards him thoughtfully, mustering his self-control to not show any outward reaction at the derogatories which are obviously not directed against him personally.

"Do you understand any German so that you could recognize words spoken or written by the infiltrators, Private?" The Texan grins widely in a way that is all too reminiscent of Sam Troy, as he draws a gun which makes the German Captain reach for his own gun holster on instinct. But he controls his urge to defend himself and listens to the soldier instead. "I got myself two interpreters from Italy and Germany, a Beretta and a Luger, Sir." Hans Dietrich observes him with an inscrutable expression, trying to hide his surprise and incredulity. That kind of attitude is so utterly American for him, fulfilling any prejudices his countrymen might hold against them that it is actually stunning, as none of the Yankees so far has personified the gunslinger stories to such an extent. "Thank you for the insight, Private Walker. Sergeant Troy here will summon you, if Captain Boggs and I decide to put you onto this task." Walker salutes sharply with his left. "Sir, yes, Sir!" After Dietrich's salute in return the Private returns to his place at the table where he starts chattering with his friends immediately.

"Did he just try to sell me his guns as his interpreters, Sergeant?", the Captain asks with audible incredulity. "I believe he did", Troy answers grinning from ear to ear. "He was not trying to be funny", the German officer mutters, shaking his head in slight disbelief. "Not intentionally", Jack Moffit adds with a grin of his own. "Although I have to admit Captain that this was the best show of an American Cowboy I've experienced so far." "It's surreal, isn't it?", Dietrich asks the Brit with a wry smile. "Definitely not something that would ever happen to you in Great Britain, Captain", the Englishman replies coolly. The German turns to Tully, as he explains with dry humor: "I see why Hitchcock suggested him, as he would be hard to manipulate into spywork. I doubt that he will be a character for getting along with beyond today's security though, as you have quite adequately assessed, Private Pettigrew." Troy smiles at the officer's cautiously formulated dismissal of having a Texan gunslinger with them on the long run. Tully knows him well enough by now to be able to predict his reaction.

Hitch brings the other Texan along who is shorter than Dietrich by an inch or two. "Good morning, Captain. Howdy, folks!", the dark-haired soldier in his late twenties greets them and salutes properly. "Corporal Aaron Humphreys reporting." Dietrich returns the soldier's salute. "Corporal. I have been told that you are a college graduate in engineering. Why don't you serve in a engineering position as an officer?" Humphreys eyes the German with curiosity. "Sir, I've joined the army to fight for my country, not hide behind a degree to dodge out of proper service with a gun in my hand." The German officer nods in acceptance of the honest answer. "You are familiar with the events that have led to the death of your CO, First Lieutenant Winters, and that German infiltrators are behind it?" The young man nods. "Of course, Captain. You have only just had one of them be arrested, Sir. It was hard to miss, even from the other end of the tent." Dietrich smiles briefly at the obvious humor. "Do you speak or understand any German, Corporal?" "I can detect a hint of an accent when you speak sometimes, but definitely not most of the time, Captain. Otherwise I have no knowledge of German myself. I only speak some Spanish required to talk with our Mexican workers." Dietrich nods in acknowledgement.

"Which field of engineering are you specialised on, Corporal Humphreys?", the German officer inquires. "Chemical engineering. My family owns and manages a petroleum based factory and sales company, Sir", comes the prompt answer. "I see. This makes you familiar with the construction of explosives and drugs, I assume, Corporal", Dietrich replies coolly. Once the Texan nods in acknowledgement, the young Captain continues: "Sergeant Troy will inform you shortly, whether we will recruit you for helping with camp security." "Will this spare me a written application, should I wish to join your unit afterwards, Captain Dietrich?" The German officer looks baffled for a few moments, before replying dryly: "That will depend on your performance and the impression you leave with me, Corporal." "It will be my pleasure to work with you and your men, Captain!", Corporal Humphreys states, before saluting again sharply, while Dietrich returns the salute with his left.

"He looks and sounds pretty acceptable, Captain", Sam Troy assesses. "Definitely the more civilized cowboy", Moffit agrees. "Don't you dare look down on honest hard-working folks, Jack!", Troy admonishes, feeling the sting as having grown up and worked as a rancher himself for the longest part of his life. "An expert for chemical enginieering is an invaluable asset", Dietrich asserts with cool logic. "If the man proves to have a personality that is acceptable for our unit, I would be highly interested to hire a soldier of his qualification. I expect reports in this regard from all of you, gentlemen." All of the Rats including Gottschlich salute at the clear order.

Troy then thoughtfully brings breakfast for the German Captain along who speaks with Jakob Silberblatt and Jack Moffit in the meantime regarding the focus of their investigation of the confiscated documents. The rest of their breakfast passes uneventfully for which all of them are grateful, most of all Hans Dietrich.