by Saler
He remembered turning the antique desk around so that the big window with its views across the park would be behind him � he was sure he wouldn�t need any extra distractions on this particular job. How much of an understatement that had been! He blushed to remember his naivety.
He�d thought he had everything organised, but that only lasted until �his� convicts were delivered in the back of a barred truck and turned everything on its proverbial ear. Their arrival was imprinted on his memory forever: Wheeler had been first out, jumping over the tailgate, trying to impress on everyone that he was the leader of the group, but only succeeding in illustrating how much of a misfit he really was. Casino came next; standing at the rear of the truck, waiting for the tailgate to be lowered, he looked around suspiciously, then jumped down and brushed the guards aside: Goniff was right behind him, springing lightly down and side-stepping the guards with a deferential smile. Then Chief, descending with swift, panther-like agility, the look in his black eyes daring any of the guards to lay a hand on him, and, last to emerge, Actor, climbing carefully down from the truck and viewing the accommodations with his superior air, as if he were arriving at the Ritz in a limousine. Garrison remembered standing on the steps that led down to the courtyard wondering just what he had let himself in for.
In the course of their preliminary training, the officer had come to know their personal traits well: Wheeler, a blustering bully who thought he could manipulate any situation to his own advantage; Casino, innately belligerent, always ready for a fight, and determined to be nobody�s patsy; Goniff, with his ingratiating manner, trying to be liked by everyone, and any time anything went missing, he was the most likely culprit; Chief, quiet and watchful, always watchful, not trusting anything or anybody; and Actor - quite different from anyone Garrison had ever come into contact with; the suave, urbane manner never slipped as he tackled the training course with amused resignation.
Throughout their training, these traits had held true, until he was ready to wash his hands of the whole assignment and risk the consequences. However, the Brass had been immovable � the assignment stood, at least until the first mission had been completed. Depending on the outcome, they would perhaps review their options.
After a rocky start, the mission had succeeded, although they�d lost Wheeler. By the end, though, Garrison could see the beginnings of a team, and decided to stick with it. He hadn�t replaced Wheeler � Chief was a skilled driver and mechanic, and Garrison had never understood how a square peg like Wheeler came to be chosen in the first place.
They�d all come a long way since then. Against the odds, and despite some close calls, the rest of them had survived the war. One day, when it was no longer covered by the Official Secrets Act, he might write down the true facts of their missions, instead of the �official� versions in his reports. It�d make a good book � if anyone would ever believe it wasn�t a work of fiction.
He hadn�t expected a cake walk, but nothing in his experience could have prepared him for the things that four cons on the loose could get up to, especially when they thought they could get away with it! He�d known from the start that he couldn�t afford to let them get the upper hand in even the smallest matter, and sometimes it had developed into a pure battle of wits or wills. Luckily, he was a quick learner, and he�d managed to stay ahead of most of their escapades.
They had worked well together - the men came to understand each other�s weaknesses and could be counted on to back each other up when necessary, and on a mission they functioned as a well-oiled unit, although he remembered many occasions when he�d had to stand up to the Brass on their behalf when some high-ranking officer underestimated his Gorillas� competence and abilities, unable to see beyond their prison records. With a few notable exceptions, mainly during the early part of their association, his faith had been justified. They�d been a good team, one of the best secret weapons the Allied forces had at their disposal, and the men had repaid his faith in them a hundredfold. As time went by, he�d allowed a bit of leeway � like pretending he didn�t know about the bars on the Rec Room window � but he�d still kept them on a short leash when necessary.
Working with them had certainly opened his eyes to a whole new way of looking at things, and a side of life that he had never even suspected existed. It was the beginning of an education that would change his life.
He�d sometimes wondered about his easy assimilation into the nefarious group, worrying if, maybe, he had a latent streak of larceny somewhere. Since this assignment had begun, he�d organised undercover operations that involved the whole gamut of crimes, from impersonation to bank robbery (sometimes even beyond that), and enjoyed almost every challenge. In the early days, when he�d had time to think about it (which wasn�t often), it disquieted him, but, as the months passed, he�d developed a grudging respect for the four undisciplined men in his command. He even got used to being called �The Warden�. He might not admit it, but he knew that he had been changed by his association with his motley crew. He no longer took people or things at face value, and sometimes found himself looking for ulterior motives where none existed. He also looked at his fellow man with new understanding � realising that circumstances played a vital role in a man's destiny.
~~~~
After the official end of the war, the Army had kept them busy cleaning up in the detritus of the Nazi regime; following up leads on traitors and double agents, tracking looted artefacts, and so forth. There had been plenty of work requiring their special talents in the aftermath of peace. As far as they were concerned, the fighting might be over but, as Casino was heard to remark more than once, the cleanup went on forever. Then, almost before they realised it, the �and six months� had finally passed and they were free men.
Two days ago, with the men having fulfilled their end of the bargain, the Government had lived up to its promise and, as their former commander, Garrison was proud and happy to be the one to hand the over the pieces of paper confirming their paroles.
Just before the cons had been returned to the States, they had had a pleasant surprise. Their �employers� had handed over the balance of the pay that had been accumulating since they signed on with Garrison; something they hadn�t been expecting. It had been the lieutenant�s doing, although they did not realise it: After the first mission, when it had been decided to continue the experiment, he�d explained, patiently, to the Brass that, after the war, it would not be wise to set these men loose on an unsuspecting country with no money in their pockets. No one in his right mind could expect them to stay out of trouble without a bankroll, and, for once, the Brass had listened and agreed to pay them an amount equal to an ordinary private�s rate of pay. The four had been paid an allowance, enough to keep them in necessities, during their time at the Estate, but the majority of their pay had been kept back, �just in case�, to be handed over when (and, it must be admitted, �if�) they completed their contracts. Even Casino was speechless at this turn of events.
The men he had seen off on the transport plane were quite different from the ones who had arrived at the Mansion that spring morning back in 1943, and he felt quite proud that he had had some part in their transformation. They had promised him that they would make every effort to lead honest lives and he believed them, but he also knew the obstacles that life on the outside was bound to throw up at them.
There hadn�t been much time to dwell on their futures in the past three years, but, during the past six months, and especially since they�d shipped out, he found himself wondering how they�d cope.
Garrison thought how the cons (he really would have to stop thinking of them that way now that they were free men) had each changed and grown over the years he�d know them.
On the surface, Actor appeared the least changed, but underneath the sophisticated veneer, the officer could detect a concern for his fellow man that had been missing before. Learning to work as part of a team after being a loner all his life had brought out unsuspected natural leadership qualities in the Italian � which had been a real bonus on more than one occasion. Garrison hoped he would find the opportunity to put these to good use in the future.
Casino had changed from a surly, disagreeable man, looking for any excuse for a fight, to a much more relaxed individual who took justifiable pride in his work. Even though he still liked to argue, these days it was usually just because he figured it was expected of him, and it was often accompanied by an amused expression. Garrison knew the former safecracker had the capacity to make a successful life for himself � if he could forego his old connections.
Even Goniff had acquired a measure of self-confidence; no longer the clown so needing of approval from his fellows. He had become much more mature in his outlook, and, if he could curb his sticky fingers, Garrison was sure he would do well.
And Chief. The biggest surprise of all. No longer the withdrawn, mistrustful loner � he had grown and matured, and, eventually, learned to keep his volcanic temper under control. Now proud of his heritage and able to look the world in the eye, he had come of age in many ways. Although Garrison had no idea of the young man�s plans, he had no worries about how he would fare in the outside world, providing he was given half a chance.
The four had invited him to join them at The Doves the night before they were due to leave, and, for once, he had been happy for the excuse to leave his paperwork and take the evening off.
It had started off being a quiet drink, but soon escalated into a noisy celebration as they reminisced and rehashed the old missions, and, by the end of the evening, it was a seriously intoxicated group that made its way back to the Mansion for the last time.
The next day, it was a sorry bunch who, bleary-eyed, dragged themselves down to the kitchen to drink copious amounts of black coffee around the long scrubbed table, but no one expressed any regrets. There was a little desultory conversation, but mostly they were quietly introspective - no one wanting to be the one who made the first move to leave. Then, suddenly, it was time, and, with a final flurry of farewells, they were gone.
Life was going to be much quieter without them around.
They�d parted with promises to keep in touch, and a tenuous plan for a reunion in 5 years� time, but he realised that such appointments were rarely kept, even without the distractions that these particular men were likely to face in their new life. And, if things went well for them, they might not want to be reminded of their previous lives.
Garrison shivered, suddenly chilled.
As for himself, the newly-promoted captain was being shipped back to the States, where the Brass had decided he would head up a new training project. He didn�t have much in the way of details, but he was sure that, after the last three years, he could confidently handle just about anything they could throw at him.
His promotion had not been altogether unexpected � with his experience, it was hardly likely they could keep him as a lieutenant now. He knew there were those who�d guessed, wrongly, that it was some kind of punishment for past misdemeanours, but let them think that � HE knew the reason, and that was all that mattered. He�d long ago stopped worrying about �other people� and what they thought. Three years nurse-maiding a bunch of cons would do that to a person.
He�d packed his spare uniforms and his few personal possessions into one suitcase, and his official papers into the familiar briefcase. There was nothing else he needed to take with him. He�d have no further need of the wardrobe of �disguises� he�d been issued with at the start of the assignment, so he�d left everything hanging in the large closet in his quarters, to be collected by whomever was responsible for keeping track of such things.
With difficulty, he dragged his wandering thoughts back to the present.
The room he had used for his office looked much bigger now that all the filing cabinets, the safe and the rest of the �official� furniture had been packed up and removed by the Army. The polished desk was cleared of the files and other detritus of his everyday life, and, apart from the briefcase on the chair and his hat on the rack by the door; nothing remained to show that he had ever inhabited this space.
He rose from the chair and walked across the room to take one last look out of the window over the rolling parkland of the estate. In the distance, he could see the sentry at the main gate. Idly, he wondered how much longer they would need to keep up the security. Turning his head to the left he could see the copse of trees where the cons had been fond of hanging out � playing cards under the trees, even though they knew Casino would win nine times out of ten. It was a break from the boredom of life between missions when they were, at least theoretically, confined to the grounds of the Estate and he, better than anyone, knew how much they earned what little time they got off duty. Belatedly, he wondered if he should have arranged to get the bars on the Rec Room window fixed before he left�
BZZZZZZZZ!!!!!
The insistent sound of the intercom interrupted his reverie. He walked over to the wall and thumbed the button; �Garrison.�
�Your driver�s �ere for you, Captain Garrison,� came the unmistakeable accent of the sergeant major.
�Thank you,� Garrison replied, �I�ll be right down.�
He flicked off the switch and turned to cast one last look around the room, then, picking up his briefcase and taking his hat from its peg, he left the room for the last time, closing the door firmly behind him.
~~oOo~~
Actor�s first destination after being officially �released� had been a tailor�s shop in the garment district of New York. He was never comfortable if he didn�t feel properly dressed, and some of the clothes he�d had to wear over the last few years didn�t bear thinking about, so a visit to his favourite tailor to be measured for a new suit was first on his list of priorities.
The tailor commented that he�d lost weight since his last fitting, admittedly some years ago, and the Italian realised that it was true � his years with Garrison had honed his already trim figure to a new tautness, and he recognised that he felt better for it. Looking in the mirror as Manny, the tailor, fussed around making minuscule alterations, he noticed that the planes of his face had become more pronounced and, without any false modesty, considered the change an improvement. In his line of work � He stopped himself. He no longer had a �line of work�.
Going straight might be more challenging than he�d imagined.
~~~~
A few days later, a well-dressed man stepped down from his taxi outside the main entrance to Grand Central Terminal. He tipped the cabbie generously and entered the building. Carrying just one small leather valise and a matching briefcase with an impressive, if illegible, monogram, he strolled into the main concourse where he paused, letting the sea of humanity flow around him as he absorbed the atmosphere. The dissonance of American accents surrounded him, jarring on his ears after the time spent listening to the gentler cadence of British voices. He felt a stranger, but, at the same time, quite at home. He smiled as he took it all in.
His Continental background made him appreciate the Beaux-Arts style architecture of Grand Central; it reminded him of the Paris Opera, and the huge space, with its extravagant use of marble and high, decorated ceiling, recalled the renaissance cathedrals of Europe. It was unfortunate that the blackout paint on the big windows had not yet been removed, he mused; last time he had been here, sunlight had streamed in through those windows, making abstract patterns on the marble floor as the crowds ebbed and flowed, but now the only light came from the electric lights suspended on long cords from the high ceiling. No doubt they would restore it to its former glory some time in the future.
As he gazed up at the beautiful blue-green ceiling, with its decoration of gold stars and signs of the zodiac, he remembered that he�d once read somewhere that the design was actually backwards, the story going that the view from the floor of the concourse was how the heavens would supposedly appear if viewed from outside the celestial sphere. He didn�t believe this for a minute - he recognised a con job when he heard one. He guessed the designer had erred and didn�t want to own up to his mistake. Still, it made an interesting conversation point.
He moved across to the Omega board, checking his watch against the train schedules. Within the hour, there were trains leaving for Chicago, Miami, and Salt Lake City, where it was necessary to change trains to travel to California and the west coast. He sat on a bench by the clock to considered the available options,
A little later, having come to a decision, he strode through Grand Central Concourse toward the train that was going to take him to his new life.
~~~~
The tall Italian easily lifted his suitcase onto the rack above his seat, and then settled down to wait for the first leg of his trip to begin.
Without even trying, he had charmed the pretty blonde in the ticket office into giving him a window seat that was reserved for someone else and, as he settled into the comfortable plush upholstery, he thought back to the less salubrious modes of transport he had suffered over the past few years. Thank Heavens that was now behind him and he could look forward to a relaxing journey to his final destination.
After his recent history as one of Garrison�s team, he felt strange to be travelling alone and not on a mission for the Army, and, although he knew he would no doubt get over the feeling, right now he missed their company.
Until he joined Garrison�s group, Actor had not known anyone he would describe as a �friend�. Oh, he had had acquaintances, and people he befriended as a means to an end during a con, but never had he allowed himself, or indeed had the chance, to become close to anyone as he had to these four men. It had given a new dimension to what had essentially been a self-centred and solitary existence, and he was beginning to realise that it might be difficult to go back to his old life, even if he wanted to. He wondered how the others were faring with their plans.
Goniff, he knew, would be staying in New York with his Mum. Casino had said something about seeing if any of his brothers would be interested in opening a mechanic business; he had even offered Chief a job, but the Indian had turned him down with a curiously regretful smile. Chief, as usual, had not been very forthcoming with his plans. Actor got the impression that he wasn�t sure himself, and suspected he might have had no clear idea of what he wanted to do. He hoped that Chief would find whatever it was that he was always looking for, sooner rather than later.
For himself, he wasn�t really sure what he would do. He was heading south on a hunch � far away from his old haunts. There were too many people who knew him in New York or California, and Chicago, with its Mob connotations and rough reputation, did not attract him at all. To have any chance of honouring the promise he had made to Garrison, he felt it would be better to avoid the temptations he knew would abound in such places. At least, he told himself, he would give it a good try and, although he had no idea what or how, he was confident that something would turn up � it always did.
One of his reasons for choosing the train to Florida was that he remembered reading about the weather in Miami being similar to the French Riviera, and that it had had the beginnings of a burgeoning tourist industry before the war. In fact, some were beginning to call it the �American Riviera� and, that being the case, things could be expected to pick up in the foreseeable future, and any hotel with a desire to attract the �right� clientele would be grateful for his particular talents.
~~~~
The others, particularly Goniff had talked of taking a souvenir from the Mansion, something to remind them of their time there, but he had disagreed. His was not the kind of life that encouraged personal baggage. It did not pay to get too attached to material possessions and, besides, they could usually be traced far too easily. However, when he left the Mansion for the last time, a search of his belongings would have revealed a slim volume of Shakespeare with an antique tooled leather binding.
His reminiscences were interrupted by the arrival of the occupant of the aisle seat � a petite brunette struggling with too much baggage.
She attempted to place her vanity case on the rack, dropping her purse in the process. Actor leapt to his feet to help this damsel in distress, his smile automatically in place. The smile changed subtly and grew in wattage, touching his eyes now, as she thanked him with a torrent of Italian.
�Ah, signorina,� he began, settling her into his window seat. He handed her the purse that she�d dropped, before turning his attention to stowing her packages and then seating himself next to her. By the time they had travelled out of the city limits, he had learnt that her name was Giulietta and she was from Rome where her parents owned a restaurant. She was on her way to Miami to stay with her aunt and uncle, where they ran a small resort hotel. She told him that her brother, Donato, had been planning to come to the States to help them with the hotel, but he had been killed in North Africa, so she had come instead - Mamma had convinced her Poppa that she would have a better future in the USA. So, here she was.
As they travelled south, Giulietta gazed excitedly through the window, studying the constantly changing scenery, while Actor took the opportunity to study her. While she wasn�t beautiful in the classic sense, and did not have the sophistication of many of his lady friends, she was certainly not to be dismissed as �plain�. Her dark eyes were full of laughter, and her black, curly hair, worn unfashionably short, gave her a gamine charm. Her enthusiasm for everything was infectious, and he found himself caught up in her joy at seeing her new country. She was the perfect antidote for his war-weary state of mind.
By the time they arrived at their destination, he found himself wondering if she mightn�t be just what he needed in his life. Even without the attraction of her uncle�s business, he knew Giulietta was something special. He felt a need to take care of her, a feeling he hadn�t known since Therese Donet. He couldn�t understand it. She certainly wasn�t helpless, as she�d travelled halfway around the world on her own, but the feeling was undeniable and he couldn�t ignore it.
No one could ever accuse him of being superstitious but, occasionally, something happened that defied rational explanation. A smile came to his lips as his fingers closed around the slim leather-bound volume of Romeo and Juliet in his jacket pocket.
~~oOo~~
Casino walked slowly down the street, wondering if he was doing the right thing.
It seemed an age since he�d been in the city he knew best. There had been that couple of days spent here with Garrison and the others when they were looking for Keeler, but that didn�t really count. They�d been in and out so fast he hadn�t had time to catch up with his family, apart from Uncle Joe, and that had only been in the line of duty.
Since he�d arrived back in the States a week ago he�d been staying at his Mom�s place. All his brothers and sisters had been dropping by to visit and introduce him to the nieces and nephews who�d grown so much that he hardly recognised them, as well as a few he�d never met before.
He�d sounded out his brothers about an idea he�d been considering for a while - to start a mechanic shop, but they weren�t keen. They all had good jobs and weren�t willing to risk their security on an untried plan. He couldn�t help thinking that they didn�t quite believe it was legit. Not that he blamed them; they�d known him far too long, and he�d have to prove himself before they�d rethink their opinion of him. Maybe he could change Chief�s mind about joining him in the business� But, who knew where he was by now? Probably halfway across the country. Oh well, if he was anything, he was adaptable. He was sure something would come his way before too long.
On Saturday night, his family threw a huge welcome home party, and it was as if they�d invited the whole neighbourhood. In some ways, it was almost like he�d never been away. But he had been away. He�d been places and seen things, even done things, beyond anything these people could imagine: Things he�d never forget, however much he tried. He was no longer the same brash con who�d signed on with Garrison, looking for the main chance and thinking only of himself. The war had changed him � made him aware of other people with bigger problems than his own. He knew he looked at the world through different eyes these days and when he looked at the guys who�d been his buddies in the old days what he saw was a bunch of two-bit hoods: Punks who�d never amount to anything outside the narrow confines of the neighbourhood. Petty crooks, whose only aspiration was to be a bigger fish in the little pond that comprised the local Mob, with no idea of the larger world outside: He saw himself, a few years ago.
He�d tried to explain this to a couple of them, but they�d looked at him like he was crazy so he�d dropped it. His mother understood, though. Mom always did. She let him know that she was proud of what he�d achieved, even if she didn�t say it out loud.
When he�d woken up the next morning he�d taken his coffee and cigarettes up onto the roof and done some serious thinking.
~~~~
A few days before the end of the �and six months� part of the deal, Garrison had called him into the office at the Mansion. Casino was surprised to find Major Richards waiting for him.
�Sit down, Casino,� the major invited, and Casino had warily taken the chair across the desk from the officers. Since that mission where they�d saved his bacon, Richards� attitude toward the cons had mellowed. He�d even backed Garrison against the Brass on their behalf on a couple of occasions, but, all the same, Casino hadn�t exactly expected to find him sitting in Garrison�s swivel chair, and viewed him circumspectly.
�Have you given any thought to what you�ll do once you leave here, Casino? When your contract with the Army is up?� he�d asked.
Casino had to admit that, apart from an unexplored possibility of going into business with one of his brothers, he had no ideas. One thing he was sure about � he wasn�t going back to his old life on the wrong side of the law, spending the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.
�Have you ever considered joining the Army?� Richards asked him with a quiet smile, leaning back in the chair and steepling his fingers.
Before Casino could respond, Garrison pointed out to him �The Army needs people to train the new recruits. You�d make a great instructor, Casino, and, you know, with your skills and experience, they�d probably fast track your application.�
Casino stared back in disbelief. �Me? In the Army?� he snorted. �You�re jokin�, right?�
�We�re quite serious,� Major Richards assured him.
�Casino,� Garrison continued, �you�re very talented. You have many skills that you�d be hard put to find a legal outlet for in civilian life: Skills that can easily get you into trouble, as you already know. Such skills would, however, be invaluable in military training, especially where espionage is involved. This would be an opportunity to use your talents for legitimate purposes � even improve on them � and also pass on your knowledge and experience to others.�
�And you think I could do that?�
�I know you can,� Garrison declared.
�Because of your experience with Lt Garrison�s team, you�d start as a sergeant,� Major Richards interrupted, �with the appropriate rate of pay, of course, and with opportunities for promotion once you complete basic training.�
For once, Casino was lost for words. If he was honest with himself, he�d been wondering what he�d do after the War. He knew he couldn�t go back to his old life, but he didn�t really know anything else, so he hadn�t come to any kind of conclusion. But this was right out of left field. It was so not him. The idea was totally confounding, not to say �impossible�. He looked at the two officers as if they�d lost their tiny minds.
�No doubt, you�d like some time to consider it?� Major Richards was saying.
�Er, yeah,� he�d managed to stammer. �Can I go now?�
�Of course,� Richards agreed. �Take your time, think it over.�
�Come and see me in a couple of days, Casino,� Garrison had suggested, getting to his feet. �You�ll probably have thought of a dozen questions by then.�
�Yeah, sure, War� er, Lieutenant.� He paused, with his hand on the door, �Would it be here or in the States?�
�You�d be in the States at first, at one of the training facilities,� Major Richards explained, �but chances are you might be moved around later, depending on where your talents are required.�
�OK, thanks.� With that, Casino closed the door and walked back to the dorm in a daze.
In the hectic rush of the next few days, he hadn�t had time to give the matter another thought, and told the Warden as much when the officer stopped by to see him the day before he and his fellow cons were due to leave the Mansion. �But, anyway, I really don�t think it�s for me,� he�d admitted.
Garrison did not pursue the matter, but handed Casino a slim brown envelope with the crest of the US Army on the top left-hand corner. �This is a personal introduction from Major Richards to a Major Dalton, an old friend of his in the Army Recruiting Office in New York,� he said. �Just in case you change your mind,� he added as he left the room.
Casino had thanked Garrison and stuffed the letter into his carryall, and not given it a second thought until today.
~~~~
Now, as he arrived at his destination, he hoped he had made the right decision. He paused outside the tall brownstone building and took the envelope from his pocket one last time, thinking that this had to be one of the most daunting things he had ever done in his life. Even scarier than facing Hitler�s army. Then he squared his shoulders, straightened his jacket and climbed the steps to his future.
On the second floor he paused outside the appropriate door, and, taking a deep breath, opened it slowly. Seeing the room unoccupied he entered, closing the door quietly behind him and standing nervously until the woman bustled in from another room. It was too late to back out now.
She suddenly realised there was someone else in the room and stopped short, dropping the newspaper she was carrying in her surprise. Silently, she looked him up and down.
�What�s the matter, Ma? Don�t you think your favourite son looks great in his new uniform?� Casino asked his mother, as she stood there speechless.
Recovering from her shock, she walked around him, silently, checking him from every angle, then her tiny frame grabbed his bulky figure in a bear hug.
�I�m proud of you, son,� she said, with a tear in her eye. �So proud.�