Part 2
"It's merely the other side of the same coin. He's still trying to escape his pain, but instead of turning away from it he's trying to deaden it with alcohol."
"Wouldn't be the first one to give that a go, now would he?" Goniff cut in.
He'd had his troubles with the bottle after the war was over and they were doin' those bloody 'six months.' He'd never been no stranger to drinkin' and he'd been in his cups more than a time or two but he just seemed to go from openin' a bottle and pourin' a drink to openin' the damn thing and crawlin' down inside it. Actor said it was the trauma from some of the work they did that put him over the edge. But it wasn't just the stuff they seen on those jobs that came to haunt him, it was every bad thing that had ever happened to him came back to him raised up in front of him and threatened to push him under and keep him there. The happy, positive bloke that he'd put on for the others all through the war deserted him somehow, and he knew if it hadn't a been for the fellas standin' by him..., he knew he'd a drown in that bottle. And if it hadn't a been for the Warden sluggin' it out with the Army and blowin' their claims that his drinkin' proved his 'poor character' and 'voided the conditions of his parole' instead a bein' a sign a all the stress he lived with... a fair amount bein' heaped on him by them...If it hadn't a been for him gettin' him the help he needed, the help they gave every regular soldier, Goniff knew he'd be laid out in a graveyard in some prison somewhere.
"And I'm afraid it makes it imperative that we find him. Even though the Warden never showed signs of drunkenness when he imbibed alcohol with us, taken in a large enough amounts it can be very dangerous, even fatal. And even a person who isn't affected by it by becoming drunk can have their inhibitions blunted."
Goniff frowned from Actor to Casino. "In'ibitions?"
"The brakes.... The things in your head that tell ya not to do stuff." Casino didn't feel any better now than before the long explanation started.
"Did I hear you say that Chief was on his way here?"
"Uh...Yeah!" Goniff slammed the door on the memories of some of the stuff he'd gotten up to, some a the awful plans he made when he was whiskeyed up. "Said nothing could keep him from it."
"When will he arrive? Do either of you have any idea how long it will take him to make the drive?" Actor wanted to be on the move. Even though it wasn't logical, even though they had no clear direction.
"He ain't drivin'" Goniff checked his watch. "An' he should be here in a couple a more hours." To their puzzled stares he explained. "He said he'd ask the boss for the company plane, said he'd nick it if he didn't get permission. But he radioed back right as I was leavin', he got the OK and was callin' from the plane. Said he was already on the way..."
"The plane!" It had come out of three mouths simultaneously. Garrison owned a plane he used it to it get around the country when he took his own trips... Hell! He'd used it to get to Europe when the brass needed him over there and there wasn't any time to waste. He loved flying it. As soon as he could manage it he got trained in it and as soon as they were available for private purchase he'd found a way to buy one. Buy it, hell! All of them figured the government goons had arranged that one, just so he could be available.
"You didn't ask about the plane?"
"I forgot all about the damn thing!"
'Well it'd be on base wouldn't it? They'd a known if he took off in it."
"It's a brand new assignment. I'd wager they don't know about it yet. He probably hasn't had time to move it from the last base."
"You'r only gettin' even money on that bet from me. The damned chaplain out there didn't even sound like he knew the Warden's right name!" Damn Army! What was wrong with an outfit that kept you hopin' from one assignment to the next, one place to the next. Never leavin' a guy in one place long enough to make connections, pick up a few friends. The Warden had been a trouble shooter for them for years. All around the European hot spots, which made some sense given his background. But even when he and Kathy got married and he told the brass he wanted to stay home for a while they'd sent him from base to base rootin' out trouble and gettin' things all straightened out. Sometimes the assignment only lasted three months, hardly enough time to unpack the boxes. Not the best way to make lifelong friends. When he reached the phone in the hall he dialed the number from memory. "Lemme speak to Captain Edmunds. Yeah! I'll wait!"
"Control your temper Casino. There's no need to irritate the man."
"Pour me another cup a coffee will ya? And stop talkin' like my Ma."
"Your mother is a very intelligent person and you would do well to follow her advice." Actor hooked the three empty cups onto a long finger and carried the coffee carafe in to the hall where the phone was. Handing the cups around he carefully filled each one, tipping the last drop into his own cup. He shouldered his way into the kitchen to place the carafe in the sink but found he was handing it over to Valerie.
She'd greeted him when he'd first arrived, come back into the hall when Goniff came in but then she'd withdrawn. He'd assumed she'd gone up to bed, or to be with the boys upstairs. It didn't really surprise him that she would be waiting through the night for word. She was one of the most caring individuals he'd ever met, easily seeing through Casino's brusque manner, accepting his continued friendship with them without question, blending into the large family she'd married into... Actor gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back out into the hall. A pity he couldn't seem to find a woman of her qualities.
His latest marriage was in trouble. Again. With all his insight, with all his training in psychology he just couldn't seem to get it right. And even though the others hadn't said anything yet, they knew. Charlotte never accompanied him when he came to one of the gatherings, preferring the company of her own friends. She never went with him when he was called on to travel out of town to lecture, or consult... unless it was somewhere fashionable... and still working for the military that was a rare occasion indeed.
"Hey! You guys out there know about Garrison's plane? ... Didn't think so. Can you find out if he brought it out there with him? A guy'd have to register somethin' like that with the base right? OK. Thanks. I'll call ya back." Casino laid his hand on the cradle and broke the connection, a second later he was dialing another number. "Ma! Ma, gimme the number to the last base the Warden and Kathy were on." Snapping his fingers he got a pen from Actor who'd just come back from the kitchen and a piece of paper from Goniff. The number was here in the house somewhere, probably in the drawer right under the phone, but it was always faster to call Ma. "Thanks! What? ... No. Listen, I'll call ya later ... Yeah they're both here. .... Yeah, maybe we got somethin'. ... Sure, I'll tell 'em ... Ma! I gotta hang up! .... I love you too, now will ya get off the phone?!"
Casino looked at the scribbled number and re wrote it so that it was legible. Then he wiped at the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve and handed the slip of paper to their resident shrink and one time con artist. "You better do this, I'll just piss 'em off! Ma sends her love and says before we do anything crazy we're 'spose to call her."
"Here" Goniff nudged him on the arm. "Looks like you could use a little a this." When Casino offered up his cup he poured a good measure of brandy in it. Always paid to know where the important stuff was around a house, he thought, as he dosed Actor's cup and then his own. After all the work they done with him at that hospital he could still have a tipple. They said he'd faced all a his demons and had 'em all under control... but just to be on the safe side he never opened a bottle unless one a these blokes was around somewhere.
"Hello? Yes. May I speak to someone in the base commander's office please? ... Of course. Please tell them Dr. Giuseppe Dimetri is on the line for him. ... What's that? .... Oh you are very kind to say so." Covering the mouthpiece he explained to the two staring at him. "I don't know why you look so surprised. She's read one of my books."
"Didn't take any brains to figure that out. I just can't get used to that name! It doesn't fit."
"Yeah. I even had a hard time callin' that brother a his by his right name when he come over for the wedding." And then it hit him. They'd almost been jokin' around. Blimey! What kinda friends were they, anyway?
Actor looked at them as he waited, he knew from the stricken look that passed from one to the other what they were thinking. "Then you can imagine my difficulty in thinking of you two as Rodney and David...or Chief as anything other than Chief. Or the Warden as Craig. My name doesn't even sound right in my own ears for that matter. I think just between us, it would be much better to continue to use the old names. But I need you to promise me that you'll correct me when I get the formal names wrong in public, I'm still getting used to them."
"What d'ya mean? Ours?"
"No. My own!" They smiled in spite of themselves and the tension lifted a bit. Their fear and concern shrank back a little, to a more manageable size. They'd done the same when they worked together during the war. Humor was a weapon, a shield against the danger around them. Casino had raised sarcasm to a fine art, just as Goniff had perfected the pratfall. Chief, Chief on the other hand knew just when to start an argument, usually with Casino, a rather dramatic way of letting off steam since it usually led to a bit of a brawl, but always effective.
Actor turned from his contemplation back to the phone when it came alive in his hand. "Colonel Metcalf, is it? I'm honored, sir. I thought I would be speaking with one of your assistants. ... If you don't mind I would like to get right to the point. I am calling in regards to Lieutenant Colonel Garrison. ... No he is not a patient, but he is a very dear friend of mine and I would like some information. ... Nothing classified or confidential I assure you. ... Yes, any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Craig's wife has just recently died... Yes it was a shock. He made contact by phone yesterday but we have been unable to reach him again. ... No, I realize he is no longer assigned there, but I am calling to see if you can give me any information on his plane. ... Yes, thank you I'll be happy to stay on the line." Cupping his hand over the mouthpiece he satisfied the growing curiosity of his two former teammates. "It was registered with them because he sometimes landed on the airfield there, but he didn't have a hanger assignment."
"Jeeze! We're back where we started. It could be anywhere."
"That ain't so. Them big planes, they have to have a big runway to land and take off of. He couldn't keep it just anywheres."
"His isn't a big commercial job, ya dope! It's less than half that size, so it could use a smaller field."
"Be quiet, both of you! I'm sorry could you repeat that?" Actor glared at them as he flattened the slip of paper out and began to write. "Yes there was a lot of static in the background. ... Colonel Metcalf you have been very kind. I'm certain this information will be just what we need. ... Yes. I'll be sure he gets your message."
"Well?"
"Just a moment." He put up a hand to stop their questions and turned back to dial another number on the phone. Casino was going to have a rather large long distance bill this month he thought as he read off the registration number to the clerk that answered the phone. "Can you tell me if a flight plan has been filed for that plane, please. .... It has! May I ask the destination, and when the aircraft left? ... I see. Thank you very much."
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It was hard to believe they'd been at it all night. But birds were beginning to sing outside the window and the neighborhood was beginning to come alive. They all heard the 'whump' of the morning paper landing on the step and the milkman rattling the rack as he changed the empties out for the stuff Val needed for the kids. They could follow his progress down the block by the dogs barking. But when a car door slammed out in front and light sure steps headed for the house they'd all come to their feet. A quiet tap on the door and the knob turned. There'd never be a lock to keep this visitor out, he was just another one of the family.
"Didn't expect to be the last one to arrive. I thought that'd be you, Actor. We flew right into a head wind all the way in. Sorry I'm late."
"We? Did Johanna finally pack up that kid and come with you?" Casino helped him shrug out of the heavy leather jacket he wore and caught him up in a bear hug after he'd been greeted by Actor and Goniff.
"Nah! Didn't think this was the kinda trip to bring 'em on. I flew out with another one of the engineers. They're gonna take the plane back soon as they get a little sleep. You guys have any more information on what's going on?" Chief followed them as they trooped into the kitchen. Life revolved around the kitchen in Casino's house and he could smell the pungent aroma of Valerie's coffee wafting down the hall.
They settled into their chairs around the table, Chief leaning against the wall, staring out at the sun as it fired rainbows off the dew that had collected on the plants in the backyard. Some things never changed. All they needed now was for the Warden to march in and tell 'em they had a mission. Or Sergeant Major Rawlins to show up to haul 'em out for target practice. But Rawlins had died a couple a years after the war ended when his kidney's failed and now the Warden was missing.
"So?" The youngest member of the group took a sip of coffee and waited for the briefing.
gggg
"You sure that's where he'd go?"
"What other solution is there? The reports confirm that it was the Warden who filed the flight plan. The plane took off, right when he told them it would, and landed according to his plan. He hasn't filed another so he must be there."
"You'r forgettin' who he's worked for. Those guys don't always need a flight plan. Not for some a the places he's been." He didn't care what kind of argument Actor was using. If the spooks wanted the Warden for a job they wouldn't care who'd just died. If a guy was right for the job he got the nod and that was it. Just like Reynolds, ... just like the war.
"Well there's no one we can ask whose answer any of you would believe."
"That means we gotta go look for ourselfs. How'd you 'spect us to do that, then?"
Actor checked his watch. "Simple. We wait another two hours for her agency to open and I will put a call in to my travel agent."
"Simpler." Chief set his cup on the table as he moved towards the door and out into the hall where he could use the phone. "I call the company and see if the corporate plane is ready to go yet."
"Get this guy!" Casino nudged Goniff as they followed him to the phone. "Pays to be in tight with the boss."
"Pays to be the boss's grandbaby's daddy." The little man quipped. "You know I think we must be in the wrong line a work, Casino. This one here's goin' to lectures all over, and that one's got a 'corporate plane' waitin' for him to snap his fingers. What d'you 'spose we're doin' wrong, eh?"
"Us? Nothin'! How many kids you got Goniff?"
"Four."
"How many I got?"
"Three."
"See. We got what counts... these guys just don't know it." And his heart nearly stopped again as he thought about what Garrison had lost. A wife and a kid... Everything that made livin' worth it in one blow.
"S'all arranged. The pilot'll file a plan and we can lift off in two hours. Better get some rest if you can't sleep on a plane. We won't be over there for about sixteen hours after we take off."
g
Actor had been back, using the airport just outside London and then a hop over to see his brother, first in Switzerland, then in Italy when they moved home. But the other three hadn't been back. All they had were their memories and to them it looked and felt like they'd just been there yesterday. London on a three day pass. Into the village for dinner or a picture show, or to the Doves for a drink... whether they had permission or not. It was late, most of the shops closed, but not the little local. Noise spilled out of it as people talked and laughed, played darts and sang songs. And light. ... Light streamed out of the windows instead of being trapped behind heavy blackout curtains... Actor pushed the door open and led them down the stairs into the smoky interior.
The main room hadn't changed. The stairs still led down to the bar, the dart board still hung on the wall. Men were ranged around the room sitting at tables or standing at the bar talking. And the barman hadn't changed. When he saw the group make their way down the stairs he wiped his hands on a bar towel and stepped out into the room to greet them. They weren't' the first to return. The economy in the states was booming and many of the American servicemen had made their way back, many bringing family along to share their memories.
"Well lads, welcome back! Will it be your usual then, or have your tastes gotten richer than my home brewed bitters?"
ggg
"The pints he put away the other night you'd've thought he was on a real toot. When he took to the hard stuff I was sure we'd be carrying him out on a shutter, or calling the local Bobby to haul him away when the fight started. But he never turned a hair and walked out of here straight as a lance. You'd a thought he'd been drinkin' tea all night." The barman looked around the table at them, wounded pride still evident in his eyes. "One a the regulars accused me a fillin' the kegs with water! I had to stand the bar a round just to prove him wrong."
"Do you know where he was staying?" Unlike many the pub didn't let its rooms out to paying customers. The place had always been too full of family for that and it seemed that situation had not changed.
"Looked like he'd been sleepin' rough. Lots a fellas do these days. Work's still hard to come by for some and they'd rather spend their money on a pint or two and a good meal. Same with the younger Yanks, the ones that come back on their own. Seems they'd rather roll themselves in one a them sleepin' bags than part with a pound to buy a night in a decent bed." He thought the one who had been this lot's commander during the war had more class than that but he didn't really know him. The officer hadn't spent as much time in the pub as the others. "And he was only in the once."
Chief prowled the interior while Actor and the others questioned the barman, disappearing down the stairs into the close where they used to spend their time playing cards after hours. Signaling Casino from the top of the stairs he turned and walked back down the steps, he didn't wait, he knew he would be followed by the other three.
Unlike the main floor the room below stairs had changed. The back wall that had been damaged during a bombing in the last desperate year of the war had been removed and in its place was a new wall, filled with windows that, in the darkness, reflected the interior making it seem larger than it was. The owner had taken advantage of the crater outside his walls, there was a set of doors that led out onto an outdoor patio that had been laid using the ruined stone. An old juke box sat in the corner and there was a group of men gathered around a pool table.
Casino listened to the sharp snap as a tip hit the cue ball. "He was already here. When he called me, he was already sittin' right here!"
Goniff wandered around the room letting his fingers trail over the backs of the chairs they'd spent time in when they used to come and do a little gambling. Actor was the last to come down into the room, ducking to get past the beams that were still too low. "What'd we do now, then, wait and see if he comes back 'ere?"
Actor looked around the room, he had his own memories of this place, of the time they spent in the pub and in the town. "No. I believe we should canvas the town and see if he's taken a room here. This is still a small community, someone must have seen him."
"You might try the old manor house." The barman suggested from the stairs. "The family that owns it opened it as a country house inn right after they got it back from the Army. Lots of the old places are opened up now, ... it's the only way to keep them."
g
"Forgive me. I know it's late but we were hoping a friend of ours has taken lodgings with you."
She eyed the group standing on the stones of the entry. It was late, far later than the hours posted for receiving guests but the smile that greeted her was charming and hopeful and from the looks of the car parked at the bottom of the stairs and the cut of his clothes the one wearing it had money to spend. Surely the family that owned the property wouldn't mind if she bent the rules just this once.
"We only have one guest at this time. A young gentleman who's rented the old gardener's cottage out past the back of the main garden. He came in yesterday, but I'm afraid he didn't mention meeting anyone here... In fact he seemed quite intent on having a bit of privacy. Surely he isn't the man you're looking for."
"Yes, but you see that's very like him! He certainly enjoys his privacy as you say, in fact he may even have taken the accommodations under a name other than his own." And to the woman's skeptically raised eyebrow Actor explained. "I'm afraid my friends and I are trying to arrange a bit of a surprise for him. We were able to get away early, but he didn't expect we'd be arriving until early next week." Garrison was here, Actor was sure of it, even taking the property under an assumed name as he'd suspected to maintain his isolation. The owners who opened their estates to the public and the people who worked for them still had the old world reverence for their guest's privacy and comfort. Actor watched as suspicion settled on the woman's face and quickly came up with a way to counter it before she settled so firmly into the role of guardian that they'd never get past her. "This is to be something of a reunion for us. I'm sure you've noticed the damage to the statues that line the back patio? I'm afraid we are the ones who are responsible for that." And he pushed on as recognition kindled in her eyes. "The firing range was set up out there and we were a bit cavalier in our attitude about the damage we did, especially in the beginning."
"So you're the ones! I should have recognized you from the Sergeant Major's tales." And after a moment of severe consideration she finally broke out in smiles. "He used to come back of a Sunday and tell us some of the things you lot got up to, especially when we were having the repair work done. You don't mean to tell me that's the group commander I've let the cottage to? Lieutenant Garrison, wasn't it?" She swung the door wide and stepped back admitting them to the main hall as her business sensibility took hold. "Why if he'd told me who he was I would have arranged room here in the main house. The family is away over on the continent and won't be back until the end of the season. If you're to have a reunion there's barely enough room for you all in the cottage... And the kitchen out there won't be up to making any kind of a banquet." There had been many reunions since the end of the war and her mind was already turning on the provisions she might be called upon to provide.
"I'm sure taking the gardener's cottage was an impulsive decision. I doubt that he even knew the property could be rented." Actor smiled as he continued to charm the woman. "We had planned to meet at the Doves. When we found he was not registered in town and the owner told us you had opened the house to guests we were sure this is where he would be."
The group moved with the assurance of familiarity and were soon standing in the library. Chief had already opened the doors and was heading out across the broad steps towards the darkness of the back garden, the others trailing after him once the housekeeper arrived. Actor was still acting as rear guard. "We have accommodations in the town so if the cottage isn't suitable for all of us it won't be any problem, I assure you."
"Well, ... I suppose you know best. I'll just ring the cottage and let him know you're here, shall I?"
But before the woman could lay her hand to the phone Actor stopped her with a persuasive improvisation. "As I said he won't be expecting us and, .... You see it will be his birthday tomorrow and we were never able to surprise him before."
At that she melted into a conspiratorial smile. "Oh I see what you're up to. All right, then, off you go to your little surprise party. There's a phone in the cottage that rings here in the house so if you find you need anything don't hesitate to let me know. I'll be up for another hour or so and there are supplies enough in the kitchen here. I'd be happy to do up some cakes and sandwiches for you."
Actor maintained his smiling friendly fa�ade as he took leave of the housekeeper. As soon as they confronted Garrison he'd have to come back up to the house and tell this woman what the situation really was. In her urge to be of service they risked her arriving at the cottage with an array of finger sandwiches and small cakes to mark the festive occasion he'd created for her just as once, in a past that no longer seemed so far away, a man had contributed a burial plot and mourners in honor of a fallen brother they fabricated for him.