part 4
"Yup." The Warden raised his glass in salute. "Pays to be a hero of the Fatherland."
"So what'd that guy do that was so 'heroic'?" he asked, settling himself on his back on the cool grass.
Garrison shrugged his shoulders. "Flew one hell of a lot of missions for them, for starters."
"Why'd he turn on 'em, then?"
"His wife got killed, six, eight months ago." The answer came quietly, after a pause.
Casino raised his hand to shade his eyes, and squinted up, watching the muscles work in the other man's jaw. "Bombing raid, or something? That don't sound like a reason to make a guy wanna switch sides."
The silence stretched between them until Casino wondered if the Warden had heard the question. "No. Gestapo took her."
"Shit! What for?" He sat up, turning towards the other man and then caught himself and adjusted his position so he couldn't be observed in conversation. "She a spy, or something?"
"'Something', Casino. She was a Jew."
"But how'd he keep... Why'd they keep him?" They'd all heard stories of what was happening to Germany's Jews, and the people who helped them. He couldn't believe a guy that was married to one could still be in a Kraut uniform. How he could wanna put one on in the first place.
Garrison's expression changed, became unreadable. "Gestapo questioned him. I guess he convinced them he didn't know, Casino."
"And he kept flyin' those missions..."
"Yeah." Condensation had formed on the outside of the glass in his hand. Garrison raised it, closed his eyes and rolled the glass back, and forth, across his forehead.
"How'd intelligence find out he wanted out?"
"He must've known, or suspected, someone who had contacts." The Warden set the glass back down on the table and met his stare.
Casino let out a low whistle, "That's takin' a pretty big chance."
"Yeah. They pulled him out when he left the hospital to go on leave, after his plane went down the last time out. Krauts ordered him back for this 'easy duty'."
"D'you get to talk to the guy?" Casino shoved himself up from the ground and stretched.
"No." Garrison sighed, and gazed off across the compound, watching as one of the techs walked from a hanger towards the building where he had his office. "Just read the files. Transcripts of the interviews they did with him, the records he provided. Stuff like that."
"If he was willing to work for us, why didn't they just send him in here? How come they tapped you? Didn't they trust the guy?"
"Wasn't a matter of trust. They couldn't send him back in, Casino." He looked up into the other mans eyes. "He killed himself."
"Damn." Casino looked away into the trees. "Shit. What a lousy war."
"Yeah." A breeze picked up and rustled through the leaves over head. There was a shout of laughter from the open area off to their right. An impromptu game of soccer had started as the first shift of workers ended their day.
"Well, you drink all a that stuff you're gonna?"
"Yeah, I guess I better get back. They should have the next batch of data just about ready to go."
"Come on then, 'Hero of the Fatherland'," Casino said reaching a hand down to help haul him to his feet. "Let's get you back in there."
***
"I believe we should try and get on base, just to check on them, and this is the kind of job they will hand over to local labor." They'd had their meal and Actor had just finished, getting up to take his plate over to the sink at the side of the room.
"Yeah. No self respectin' Kraut's gonna want to dig shit!" Goniff agreed in disgust, still picking morsels off the nearly empty platter and popping them into his mouth. "How come it couldn't be a nice delivery of bread or, laundry, or something?" he continued to grouse.
"Goniff, you are beginning to sound just like Casino." The con man crossed his arms on his chest as he rested a hip against the counter. "One of our new friends is a journeyman plumber and feels this job will probably take two or three days. That will give us a good chance to make contact with Casino, and we may be able to take away any information they have already been able to obtain."
"Ought to be perfect, man." Chief laughed quietly, cut another slice off the apple he'd picked up and took a bite. "I can't imagine anybody spending too much time searching the truck, or us, on the way out."
"Well you can't go." Goniff rounded on Actor. "What if we need you to go in as a bleedin' officer, or something! Wouldn't do for one of the guards to recognize you from a work crew, now, would it?"
"You are right, of course," Actor assumed a stunned tone, flattening his palm on his chest, "I hadn't thought of that, Goniff!"
"Yeah! Right!" The elegant Italian con man just managed to duck the apple Chief threw in his direction.
***
Casino stopped, and watched in amazement, as Goniff and Chief helped unload shovels and picks over by the sump that had been created when the plumbing lines busted. Soldier boy wasn't gonna be happy about this! He watched as they got started digging, and could just make out Goniff's face, as he wrinkled up his nose at the smell. He checked his watch, and cast a glance at the sun dropping in the west. "They ought to have about enough time to get down to their knees in it," he figured, as he headed around the side of the building and up the stairs to the office. He shook his head and wondered how in the hell he was going to communicate this one by throwing his hands around and screwing up his eye brows. He decided to take the easy way out.
When he got in the office, and Garrison looked up from his stack of papers, Casino crooked his finger and smiled. Garrison got up slowly, giving him a suspicious look, and let himself be led over to the window. He followed the finger Casino directed out towards the grounds usually used for the soccer field. The safecracker snorted in amusement as the Warden first stared out at the sight of men beginning to work the soggy ground, then rolled his eyes heavenward. He brought his hand up to scrub it back and forth along his jaw, and finally gripped his chin as he stood there contemplating the scene. As he turned back and looked at Casino, a slow smile spread across his face. He jerked his head towards the door and they started gathering their things preparing to wrap up the work day and return to their quarters.
The group of men watched as Hans wandered towards the activity on the soccer field. One of the techs called a warning from the door of the mess hall and shook his head when the odd fellow didn't respond. Surely the stench would overpower the man's curiosity soon. They watched as he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket, holding it over his mouth and nose as he drew closer to the men working in the pit. And they shouted with laughter as he turned back from the edge of the trench. Throwing the cloth down he broke into a run, heading back towards them. They beckoned and urged him on, slapping him on the back when he reached them, dragging him into the hall with them.
Goniff watched Casino's retreat. He picked up the cloth that had been dropped at the edge of the hole he was standing in and used it to wipe the smelly muck from his hands and face. He blew his nose into it for good measure and then jammed it into his pocket, tucking the hard lump he'd found knotted in the corner down deep.
***
Garrison had been growing concerned with their lack of contact with the others, with the toll the strain of being 'in character' so long, he thought was taking on Casino, and had contrived a errand for him to do off base. But now, after the act the others had pulled, he needed him to get out and find out what other schemes his men were hatching. So he called for his car, handed 'Hans' a list, slapped him on the back, and sent him on his way. When he turned back towards the research building he found Major Hoffmann there, waiting to assist him up the stairs. "Will he be alright on his own?" the man asked, as they started up the steps. "Surely one of my men should have gone with him into the town?"
"No, Georg, Hans will do quite well. Have you seen him with the other men? He makes himself understood," he stopped them on the top landing, catching his breath, "And I have given him a list to show in the shops. We stopped in the town on our way here. He knows where to go, and he must learn how to do this for me, for himself." Hoffmann pulled the door open and they stepped inside and headed back to his office.
***
Casino had driven back into the town and bought up all the stuff that had been on the list. It was working out pretty good. He'd just go into each store and show the person behind the counter the list he had, and wander around the place until everything was gathered together. Then he paid what he was shown on the bill, padded he was sure, and got outta there. If anybody tried to talk to him, he just tapped an ear and shook his head. After a while the locals left him alone.
When he finished up he stashed everything in the boot of the car, and headed to the caf� to get a drink, hoping that someone had been watching the base and knew he'd been allowed to leave. He grinned to himself, and hoped he wouldn't be meeting up with Goniff, or Chief, or if he was, that they'd have the good manners to stay down wind of him. The owner, recognizing him from the other day, had no trouble understanding him when he slapped his hand on the bar, and then curled it around an imaginary mug. He pulled a pint for him and showed him outside to the table, in the shade under the trees just outside the door.
He'd been sitting there long enough to down his beer when Actor wandered up and laid his hand on the back of one of the chairs at the table. "There seems to be only one table, may I sit down with you?" Keeping up the 'silent Hans' routine, Casino just gestured for the man to sit.
"You are very kind". Actor pulled the chair out and as he sat, and had his face turned away from view. "We're still in the same place."
Casino shoved his chair back and got up to leave. He reached out and dropped his money on the table. "Twenty minutes?" he heard, and nodded as he turned and walked back to the car.
***
"Were you followed?" Actor asked as he entered the room.
"Of course not! What d'you take me for, some kinda idiot?" Casino sneered, deciding to keep the doctors test results to himself.
Actor smiled at him as he took a seat at the table. "I see working inside hasn't done anything for your temper, Casino."
"Jeeze! I don't know how you guys do this stuff! I feel like I'm gonna jump outta my skin."
"Well, you must be doing OK, mate, they ain't caught you yet," Goniff decided, grinning.
"Oh, gee, thanks! That makes me feel a whole lot better. And, uh, Goniff?" holding one hand up to his nose, and waving the little cockney away with the other, "Could you, kinda, you know, go stand over there by the door, or something." Goniff let out a laugh and moved his chair even closer towards him.
Chief looked over at them from his usual station at the window. "How's it going in there? You guys getting the stuff the Warden's s'pose to be looking over?"
"Yeah! They got stacks of stuff for him to look at. All Covered with numbers. I got no idea what it's all about." He put his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand.
"It's test data on their new equipment, Casino. Statistical information proving how much better this new system is than the old version," Actor explained, as he lit his pipe.
"Sounds dead borin' to me." Goniff started fidgeting in his seat. "They show him the blue prints for the ruddy thing yet?"
Casino stifled a yawn, "That Hoffmann guy had 'em out, crowin' over 'em. Seems to be real proud of what they're cookin' up in there."
"Are you having any trouble getting the pictures?"
"Naw. It's workin' out great. We waltz over to the office in the morning, sit around drinkin' coffee." He leaned back in the chair and stretched. "Which Krauts know how to make, I might add! One of the techs brings in a stack of stuff. The Warden looks through it, sneaks a couple a shots, and we break for lunch. Piece a cake!"
Martin got up from the sofa and came to stand behind Actor. "How much longer do you think it will be, before the final testing?"
"Warden figures another day or two." Casino started pulling paper and film from his pockets, and placing it on the table, looking up at Actor. "I need more film."
"That's longer than we expected." The Frenchman sounded worried.
"I know." This time he couldn't stop the yawn. "But they were having some kinda trouble grindin' a lens, or something. They had to bring in a guy from some place called, Ziess? Somethin' like that. He's still working on the problem. I guess it's pretty touchy." Casino's eyes drooped.
"Anything with optics would be." Actor watched the other man's shoulders sag. The strain was telling on him. "What's this?" he asked, pulling a square of paper over, and opening it up, flattening it on the table with his hands.
"Aw, that's some stuff they're working on in one of the other buildings." Their questioning looks forced him to continue, "You know the Warden! Why leave it at something simple and just do the job we're s'pose to, when there might be other stuff around to swipe!" He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and laughed. "We been doin' a little sneaking around at night. Warden made that diagram. He thinks it's some kinda new rudder assembly, or something."
Goniff shook his head in amused recognition of their leaders enthusiasm, "How'r you and the Warden holdin' up, mate?"
"I can't wait to get outta there, and get back to England! And I don't know how the Warden's doin' it." He shoved himself back in the chair, and looked up. "They give him a full day's worth a stuff to do in that office. And with our extra night shift work he's not sleepin' very much. And when he does, he ends up havin' nightmares, or somethin'. And he doesn't eat hardly anything."
Actor didn't like the sound of that, his concern could be heard in his voice. "Nightmares? How bad?"
Casino shrugged a shoulder, "I don't know. He's down, maybe, and hour, and then he starts in mumblin', and kinda thrashin' around." He yawned again, "Guy drives me nuts! He's so into this gig, he even talks Kraut in his sleep."
"Blimey?" Goniff sat back, amazed. "What's he say?" Casino just stared at the pick pocket, and raised an eyebrow. Goniff ducked his head, as Chief and Actor laughed at him. "Oh, yeah."
"We need to come up with an angle to get you two off that base," Actor said, sobering.
"What do we need an angle for?" Casino asked through a half stifled yawn. "Tests done, project over, we leave."
"No, I doubt it would wrap up that quickly. Once the initial testing phase is over, the discussions, and debriefing, could go on for weeks," Actor explained.
"It's kinda' hard to make any kinda' plans. It's not like we can sit by the fire in the evenings and discuss it!" he snorted.
Chief had finally moved over to the table. "How are you handling that?"
"Oh, we walk. A lot! Every couple a hours, like the doctor ordered." He stood up, raised his arms over his head and stretched, yawned again, and then continued. "When we're walkin' towards the buildings, the Warden talks," he said pointing ahead, then pivoting, he faced the opposite direction. "When we turn around, and walk away from 'em, I do the talkin'. Most times I wish there was more walkin' away room!"
"Well, you look beat, man. You have enough time to sack out here for a while?" Chief asked. They all knew how much easier it was to trip up when you got too tired, and he could see the lines of fatigue in the other man's face.
"Yeah!" Casino looked between Goniff and Chief. "Man, you guys are ripe!" He walked over to the sofa and dropped down on it. "I don't gotta be back in there 'til 1700."
"Damn, Casino! They got you telling time like that in there?" Goniff joked, but he didn't get an answer. The safecracker was already asleep.
***
When he got back on base Casino had first gone to their quarters to check for the Warden and frowned when he didn't find him there. He brought the packages in from the car, dumped them on the table in the kitchen, and then headed out across the compound to the research building. The place was quiet. The working day over, the people that labored on the projects already either resting in their quarters, or in the mess tent at their evening meal. He watched as a guard stepped around the corner of the workshop that sat to the right of their building. When the man looked up and raised a hand in recognition, he smiled and waved back. "Crazy!" he thought as he started up the stairs.
When Casino reached the office door he could hear voices on the other side, and wasn't surprised to find Major Hoffmann sitting across the desk from Garrison when he walked in. He frowned at them when they looked up at him, and tapped his watch. Hoffmann laughed and turned back to Garrison, "Herr Oberst, I believe you have just received your orders!"
"It would appear so. Hans can be quite severe with me." He slid the chair back and leaned on the table to rise, wincing as he straightened up. Hoffmann rose quickly to his feet and reached out to steady him.
"We work you too hard, and I keep you here talking when your day is ended! You should take more rest." He stepped back as Casino came forward to take his place at Garrison's side, and followed them as they made their way out the door and down the hall. "I can arrange to have the information brought to you in your quarters."
"That won't be necessary, Major." He leaned heavily on Casino's arm, favoring his right leg. "The project is nearly complete, soon we will all be able to take our ease."
***
I happened so fast. All of the people that had worked on the bomb site project had gathered in the office to celebrate the success of the first trial bombing runs that had flown that day. They all came out together, and as they got about halfway down the stairs someone shoved between them, and he didn't feel Garrison's hand on his shoulder any longer. A split second later he heard one of the techs shout a warning, and he was knocked against the hand rail by something heavy falling past him, down the stairs. Fear knotted his stomach as he tuned to look. "Warden!" Casino pushed away from the rail, pulling people out of his path to reach him, sprawled on his back at the bottom of the stairs. His concern was so great in those first few moments, he didn't realize what he'd done. Then it hit him. "Shit!" he thought. "I've killed us!"
When he'd reached Garrison he'd been sure he was a goner. The man was laying with his left arm twisted behind his back, blood beginning to spread on the ground under his head, pale, motionless. He laid his fingers along the Warden's throat, in the angle under his jaw, and when he felt the beat there, he'd almost laughed out loud with relief. Others were shoving people back out of the way, and shouting for help. A couple of the techs had gone onto their knees next to the fallen man. One of them was taking a hard look at Casino, but he didn't notice, he was concentrating on Garrison.
The Warden took a ragged breath and seemed to be coming around. Casino watched the techs raise him and carefully move his arm so that they could lay him flat on the ground. Casino reached out and took his right hand and felt a weak grip. The Warden's eyes had fluttered open, but he didn't seem focused on anything. He was mumbling something, Casino couldn't make it out. "Damn it!" he wished he spoke the damn language! "Hans! Hans, sprachen Sie? Horten Sie ihn?" Then his eyes had dropped closed again. Casino heard a murmur run through the crowd that had pressed around them as he felt Garrison give him a quick, strong, grip, and then the hand he held went limp.
The doctor had run across from the medical offices and taken charge. He had quickly peeled Garrison's lids back and checked his eyes, pulled a handful of gauze from the bag he carried and placed it carefully under his head. He was working the buttons down the front of the man's shirt now, slipping his scope inside to listen to his chest. When the orderlies brought the stretcher up he supported Garrison's head as they carefully moved him onto the litter to take him back to the small first aid unit.
Casino was terrified, expecting the guards to come for him any second. Sure he would be hauled away to some lock up on the base, or just shoved out onto the run way and shot. He couldn't believe they were letting him stay with the Warden. He was beginning to hope that no one had heard him when he had shouted. When they reached the medical unit the doctor had tried to move him away from the Warden's side when they transferred him to the bed, but he wasn't having any part of it. He had Garrison by the arm and was gonna hold on. Christ! The guy was raving away in German again. "Aufenthalt mit mir! Horten Sie ihn?" he gasped out. "Er benannte zu mir, Er sprach. Ich weib dab ir." His voice was weak and his breath was labored.
***
They'd pulled out of the town. It was a mad house. German soldiers were tearing it apart, looking for him, and for the people who had managed to snatch him from them. Greta's small group had placed people inside, and around the building where he'd been held, and waited until he had been brought back up from the basement, to be taken back into the Colonel's office. They'd used their small store of smoke bombs, and explosives, to cause the confusion that allowed them to get in and pull him out. It wasn't without cost, though, she'd lost three of her own people, and they'd never be able to work out of that town again.Garrison heard murmured voices and the sound of footsteps as he fought his way up through layers of pain, and exhaustion, towards full awareness. She came and sat on the edge of the cot, "Can you sit up?" Craig struggled to raise his head and shoulders, but failed. He lay back and shook his head, and then felt her arms slip under his neck and back. She clasp him to her, and leaned back, pulling him up with her. Moving around behind him, she let him rest back against her side. He grimaced, pulled his arm firmly down against his ribs, and pressed shaking hands on the folded cloth that they'd used as a dressing for the wound across his belly. "Here." She offered him a cup filled with water, holding it while he drank. "Do you know the town to the south?" Not trusting his voice he nodded, taking another sip of the liquid. "Good!" I have a contact there. He will help get you to the coast." She cast a disgusted look at the two Americans, huddled together by the door. "These two you bring with you, my friend, have no honor." Garrison glanced at them and clenched his teeth against the pain.
"Where's Jeffries?"
"The only one with courage?" Greta offered the water again, and then helped him lay back, pulling a blanket up over him. "He's gone with Ottir, to find a truck for you. Sleep, I will watch for you, until they come back"
***
Looking up sharply, the phone pressed to his ear, Martin's man called out, "Something's happened! This is a call for an ambulance and doctor to take them south to the military hospital."
"Are you sure its them?" Martin asked, as he came to stand next to the man.
"Yes! They've used his name, 'Krueger'. It's them!" Frowning he looked up at the Resistance leader from his position crouched at the base of the pole that held the phone lines.
"I must tell the others." Martin turned and started back through the woods, towards the safe house. He called over his shoulder, "Keep listening! Come to us as soon as they get their response. We need to know how soon they will be coming for them, and how many people will be sent."
"They could be working a con to get outta there." Chief stared at Actor, hoping he was right.
"We have to intercept that team." Actor stared back at the dark, young Indian. "Martin, what route do you think they will take to get into the base?"
"There is only one road suitable for a large truck or ambulance, and," indicating the route on the map, "It runs along here." Looking up he said, "It won't matter where they are coming from, they'll have to go along here."
"Is there a good place to set up an ambush?" Goniff stepped up next to him and then leaned over the map spread out on the table.
Martin only considered a moment before he tapped his finger on the map. "Here! We have been all along the road in this area, looking for a place where we might stop a transport. We thought to have our plans made if they moved the test results from the base by truck."
"Excellent!" Actor looked at the men gathered around him. "How many men? How had you planned to do this?"
***
The doctor had moved a stool up near the bed and pulled Casino firmly away from Garrison and pushed him down on it. He kept his hands on his shoulders, holding him in place. Looking him in the eye, he smiled and said, loudly, "Wartezeit hier!" Then he turned back and started to work. They stripped Garrisons uniform off and cut away the bandages. The dressings on his chest and leg were turning dark with blood. The thought flashed through Casino's head that those wounds had busted open so many times they'd probably never heal up right. He watched as the doctor used his hands to gently examine Garrison's head, ribs and belly, and cringed when the Warden cried out in pain. New bruises were darkening on his forehead, shoulder, and along his left side. The medic grabbed his stethoscope and listen intently to his lungs and heart, all the while firing off orders.