part 3
"I had the strangest dream. I thought there was a flood and I couldn't get out of the water...Someone kept pushing me back every time I got out." Actor peered at the Warden, the side of his jaw was darken by a bruise. "Who hit you?"
"You did." Garrison's mouth quirked up in a smile as he remembered the desperate little struggle they'd had over that damned broken umbrella. "I guess I was the guy that was pulling you back into that flood, and you didn't like it much."
Actor sighed and closed his eyes. "This is foolish. You have to go on without me..."
"That's not how it works, Actor, and you know it." They'd had this argument last night too, even though the con man had probably forgotten it.
"I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to walk, even with your help." So much for being 'expendable', Actor thought. It hadn't taken too many jobs for them all to realize that was just a threat the Warden used. It might be true for the people who sent them on their missions, but it certaInly wasn't true for the man who led them.
Garrison reached up and massaged his jaw. "Then I'll throw you over my shoulder."
The con man laughed at that, "And get how far? Have you taken a look at yourself? We wouldn't make it a mile."
"We'll make it." He'd find some way, even if he had to drag the Italian along behind him... "Have you got any idea how much farther this place might be?"
Actor's face darkened in a frown and Garrison prompted him, "The house...? The summer house you told me about yesterday." and he held his breath and prayed it hadn't all been a dream brought on by the fever.
The older man shook his head. "I can't see the mountains from here... and even then I might not be able to tell." He watched Garrison push up onto his feet and reached a long arm around the back of his commander's neck as he stooped to help him to his feet. They moved carefully out onto the path and Actor squinted in the bright light. His heart lifted at what he saw and he prayed his memory wasn't playing tricks on him. "If I remember correctly it's only a mile or two further on..." Waving his hand towards the other side of the small valley they found themselves in he continued. "But we have to work our way up that side of the valley. There's an overlook at the top of the second ridge...we should be able to see the house from there."
g
It was more like four miles and it had taken them all day to reach the overlook.. The building was still there though, just as Actor had remembered it. The grounds around it overgrown, the garden behind it gone wild from neglect, but a large tree still arched over the entrance, and it glowed ocher in the afternoon light... Moving off the trail Garrison found a small clearing along the hillside, protected from view by dense brush and sheltered by overhanging stone. He settled Actor on the ground and over the other man's protest took off his tunic and wrapped it around him for warmth. The older man had suffered intermittent chills for most of the day and his own clothing was damp with perspiration now, not much protection from the evening frost. He made the climb down to the stream and brought up what little water he could. Their weapons had been taken, the only protection Garrison could provide the injured man was his scrupulous attention to wiping out the trail leading to his refuge. He jogged back along the trail and brushed out their tracks before starting down towards the house.
ggg
The fields surrounding the manor had been cultivated at one time. There were still vines, gone wild now, and fruit trees. The home itself had survived without much damage, but it appeared that no one had been there for years. Dirt caked the windows and dried leaves had blown in to lay in piles along the base of the walls and on the doorstep. He still took his time and circled the building several times, moving closer with each circuit, checking storage sheds and outbuildings as he went. Appearances could be deceiving, they'd used places like this themselves and left them looking like no one was inside. He found a metal strap and a short spike in the yard that lay along the back of the place and used them to lever a window up, deciding the old hinges on the door might squeak too loud and give him away to anyone who might be hiding inside. Garrison carefully eased the window open, stopping every few inches to listen. Propping it open he slipped inside and crouched down along the wall under the opening he let his eyes grow accustom to the dim light and listened to the sounds of the deserted building.
It was getting late, and growing colder by the minute but he didn't want to rush through his search. A place like this held hundreds of hiding places. If it was clear it would be a godsend, but he wouldn't risk bringing Actor down until he was certain. The window he'd chosen let him into what appeared to be some sort of pantry or kitchen storeroom and a quick check had netted him a serviceable store of weapons. Whoever had abandoned the house had left their supplies behind. He quickly sorted through the knives he found and picked up the ones that had the best balance. The weight of the knife in his hand steadied him as he moved out into the hall. There were barrels and boxes in the other storerooms on this ground floor level and he'd found a stairway that led down to a wine cellar. Everything appeared clear and the dust gave evidence that the place hadn't been used, but the supplies left behind gave him an uneasy feeling as he made his way up the stairs and into the main area of the house.
The first floor held formal rooms, parlors, a library and solarium, and a dinning hall, even a large room that could've been used for dancing. If this was the simplest of this woman's homes, he thought, the others must be something...All of the furniture had been covered in tarps. It looked deserted but there was still something disturbing about the house. The place was large enough to give back a slight unnerving echo as he made his way through it.
As he moved across the foyer he pulled back out of sight when he caught movement down the hall to his right. Pressing back he held his breath and listened before he started moving carefully along wall. Inch by inch he made his way around the room to the opening of the hallway, again he stood holding his breath so he could listen. He was sure he'd seen something down this way but in staining to listen he wasn't certain if he'd heard someone else's steps or the echoes of his own footfalls. He considered bolting, leaving the place and getting back to Actor but if someone was in the house... They might have seen him and he couldn't risk anyone knowing he was here. He hadn't heard any of the windows open, there hadn't been a creak from a rusted door hinge...so, if there was someone here, they were still inside with him. He took a deep breath, a quick look and settled the knife in his hand before slipping around the corner into the hall.
The hall had been empty before he stepped around the corner but now a figure stood at the other end silently challenging him. It was a split second before he recognized his own reflection threatening him, obscured by layers of dust and cobwebs. He took a few more seconds to settle his nerves before he moved past the old mirror and up to the next floor of the house.
The bedrooms were up here on the second level, another small library and a lounge that overlooked the main entrance. A quick survey showed them to be empty just like the rest of the place. It took a careful search but he finally located the access to the attic and made his way up to the landing, but it would have been foolish to attempt to search that space in the darkness and he had to content himself with several minutes of silence as he listened for any sign of a secret occupant.
Carefully making his way back to the ground floor window he'd used to enter he made his decision. It was going to freeze tonight, he could smell it. It was too late to find other shelter. Even though the place still made him uneasy they'd have to use it, at least for tonight. The light was already starting to fade as he made his way carefully across the gardens and found the path that led back to the trail where he'd left Actor.
g
Garrison moved quietly up the path, stopping every few yards to listen for any sign he'd been followed. He still couldn't shake the sense of unease that had settled on him as he made his way through the country house below. He made it around the first bend and jogged up to the next turn in the path. Settling in he took a few minutes to watch the house again before moving on to pick Actor up. When he got back to the clearing he found the Italian confidence man in an uneasy sleep that he couldn't rouse him from. The fever was worse, and the wound had started bleeding again. Regardless of how the house made him feel they'd have to use it, it was their only choice. He pulled Actor up so he was resting against the rocks that lined the hillside. Crouching down in front of him he drew the man's hands and arms across his shoulders and leaned forward to stand up. Stepping back he kept the con man on his feet as he turned and slipped a shoulder under him as he drew him across his back. 'At least it's all down hill this time,' he thought as he started off towards the house.
ggg
The room Garrison chose had a fireplace and a thick carpet on the floor. There was a small desk near the window, two comfortable chairs sat by the fireplace accompanied by a delicate antique table, a chaise in the corner completed the setting. He took cushions off the chairs and covered them with one of the tarps creating a bed close to the hearth. There was a supply of aged dry wood under the deep overhanging eaves along the back of the house, and the fire he built wasn't large, he didn't want to risk smoke rising from the chimney alerting anyone to their presence in the house. The rest of tarps that covered the furniture in the room made serviceable blankets. There was a working well out in the back, he'd found that when he was checking the house out, but the plumbing in the house worked, courtesy of some cistern or reservoir in the hills above them he thought, and the kitchen storeroom still held pans and dishes. There was soap and linens too. It wouldn't take long to have that wound cleaned out and wrapped up again and he set about getting it over with before Actor came around.
The supplies he'd taken from the medic in town had been enough to treat the wound in the confidence man's leg initially, but he'd gone days without that now and the injury showed obvious signs of infection. A search upstairs hadn't uncovered anything of use, unlike the lower floors upstairs was barren, the furniture was still in place and extra bedding still in the cabinets, but all of the personal supplies had been removed. Garrison peeled back the rough dressing they'd cobbled together on the trail and slit the fabric of the trouser. The inner bandage had been in place long enough to stick, it took longer than he'd planned to soak it off and Actor came to as he was scrubbing out the wound
g
"Merda! What are you doing back there?"
"It's only a little soap and warm water. And hold still, I'm almost done."
Grabbing the edge of the cushion he was resting on Actor did his best to comply. "I think you are paying me back for being so conscientious about all of the splinters you had."
Garrison laughed and looked up from his work. "And you only have this one hole in you.... It's a lot bigger, but it won't take as long to take care off. I didn't think you'd ever finish with me."
"Neither did I...." Actor took in a sharp breath as Garrison set back to work.
"How long has it been since you've been in this place?" He might as well keep the man talking, maybe it would take his mind of the discomfort.
"Oh, a good fifteen years, at least."
"Tell me more about the woman that lived here." The Warden moved the lamp closer, the wound was beginning to fester. He'd need to clean it back to raw flesh, open it so it could continue to drain, this was going to take some time.
"She was a lovely woman, a perfect lady, in every way. Or at least I thought so at first." and then he smiled as he remembered.
"She turn on you?"
"No." Actor laughed. "She just had a more interesting past than I imagined when I first met her."
g
aaa
g
They'd fallen into friendship easily and spent nearly two years together. All of her acquaintances assumed they were lovers and while, as he found out, she had lovers, and some of them much younger than she was, she never admitted him to her bed. She told him that having known his 'father' it would seem too much like incest to her and as free thinking as she was that was something she wouldn't tolerate. It almost made him regret using that fairy-tale to get to her. There were times when she looked at him in a certain way he was sure she knew that story had been a lie, but he couldn't bring himself to question her, he didn't want to risk being sent out of her presence.
"Have you ever been to Madrid, Carlo?"
"You know I've never been there... Outside of Paris and Rome I have only been where you have taken me Katia."
"Poor boy, your father never traveled with you, or sent you anywhere just for the experience?" She laughed at him over her book, they were settled in the sunshine near the fountain.
"Poor indeed." He smiled back at her. "He sent me to school instead and told me I could visit anywhere I wished,,, in books." He'd traveled, all over Europe as his father begged a placed with family while he professed to looked for work, but they fell far from the social circles she and his 'adopted' father moved in with confidence. It was easier to claim educated ignorance, that way, if he slipped when they were touring, he could always claim he'd read about the area and that's how he came by his sometimes arcane little facts.
"Then we must add practical experience to the knowledge you have gained from your books." Considering him over the pages a moment longer she rose and laid her book aside, moving off towards the house. "I think we go to Monte Carlo first. You are getting quite good at gaming but there you can study the masters as they work." Turning when she reached the entrance she continued pleasantly, "And I have a debt I need to collect there... If you are willing, I believe you may be able to help me do it."
g
aaa
g
The Warden had finished scrubbing out the wound
"Alright, hang on, this might sting a little."
Actor twisted around to look. "What in God's name are you doing now?"
"Just putting a compress on it. Might help with the infection"
It didn't just sting, it burned deep into the wound, but the feeling was already fading away and some of the pain seemed to be fading with it. "What have you found, what are you using on it?"
"Honey. There was a jar in the storeroom in the kitchen."
"I think you and Chief are spending far too much time with that woman down in the village."
"Come on Actor, just because you have a more scientific approach, doesn't mean these folk remedies don't work..."
"Oh I believe in them. After all that's where our medicine came from in the first place." And, the con man thought, it was the only type of treatment they could afford if any of them fell ill or were injured when he was a young man. "I just prefer sulfa powder, or that new drug, penicillin. I like to know why things work and I can't read a paper on the efficacy of honey in treating wounds."
Garrison laughed as he wrapped the compress in place. The honey might help keep the infection in check if they were lucky but he was wishing for a supply of sulfa powder himself. And aspirin for the fever, and regular bandages for the wound... and a doctor. As long as he was indulging in wishing for things a doctor would come in handy, along with a radio and a way out of here.
Pulling another cushion over and shoving it under the confidence artist hip to make him more comfortable Garrison spread the tarps back over him before getting to his feet. The jar of honey, along with some other staples were on the shelves, but no food. He turned and settled another small log on the fire.
"I'm going to scrounge the orchard and what's left of the garden and see if I can come up with something to eat." But he didn't get an answer, Actor was already asleep again.
ggg
"I can't b'lieve nobody's seen nothin of 'em." Goniff winced as he rubbed his arm. They'd just come back from the doctor and the last of the stitches were out and he didn't have to use the sling anymore if he was careful, but the muscle still burned and ached.
Casino took the last swallow from the glass he held and slammed it back on the table, shoving it away from him so he wouldn't give in to the desire to deaden his worry with booze. "Yeah, they shoulda been outta there by now, if Garrison was on top of his game."
"Take it easy, Casino. Looked like Actor was probably hurt, remember? The Warden's gotta deal with that and it's just takin' him a little longer to make contact is all. They'll get out." Chief was resting with his back against the window glass, for once tired of the view. He'd spent the morning staring out at the road that led in from the gates but no car traveled down it to bring the Italian con man and their commander back to them, the only traffic had been Rawlins and Goniff coming back from the doctor.
"Since when're you such an optimist?!" He wanted to believe too, he didn't want to think about what would happen if the two didn't make it back. He didn't want to think about what might be happening to them over there... if they weren't already dead.
Chief moved away from the window, pulled a chair out and took a seat across from the frustrated safecracker and smiled. "Since I hooked up with this crowd."
"That's right, mate, ain't nothin' to worry about." The pick pocket said with feigned conviction that ended up making him feel more confident. "We got outta tougher spots loads a times."
"Together! 'We' got out of 'em together..." Casino heaved a sigh, gave in and lifted the bottle off the table, pouring a measure in the glasses that set in front each of them. Picking his up he considered the amber liquor before taking a sip. "Jeeze! That's the hard part, ya know? Thinkin' about 'em bein' over there on their own. Needin' help and not gettin' it... 'cause we're stuck over here."
"Take it easy lads." Rawlins watched them from the door and wondered when they'd turned from a group of hoodlums into his 'lads'. Moving over to sit at the table with them he was surprised when Casino shoved the bottle towards him and turned to lift down another glass from the supply behind him.
"I 'ad another little visit with Colonel Reynolds while the doctors were seeing to Goniff." All eyes were on him, the glasses forgotten. "The men they 'ave in the area 'ave been working their way through the towns around there trying to find out what they could. And something like that," Gil hesitated, "Well, even if they'd been killed there would have to be a report..."
"But they still haven't found 'em..."
"No, not yet." Rawlins sipped his drink and leaned back in the chair. "Just you remember, they thought they 'ad something in the last place but it turned out to be nothing. The pair of them have probably moved on now. And I mean to hold the Colonel to his promise if he gets any word on them... It's just a matter of waiting now, I'm afraid."
ggg
Garrison was exhausted. For the last thirty six hours he'd kept watch over Actor, getting him to eat when he could, forcing water on him even when he didn't want it. He'd opened and drained the wound a number of times and the angry inflamed redness was finally starting to fade away. Short naps propped up against the door to the room were all the rest he'd allowed himself. Until Actor was in good enough shape to at least listen for threats to their refuge he couldn't afford more. But the injured confidence man was still caught up in feverish dreams that carried him far from their present situation. Sometimes he could follow him, making sense of his rambling, calling him back with questions, most of the time he could only listen.
When he caught his own mind wandering he'd get up and make a quick check of the grounds, but they were in the darkest part of the night and there was no moon. If he tried a little recon patrol now, he thought with a laugh, he'd probably break his neck out there in the dark and then where would they be. Craig made a quick check of the house and added wood to the fire instead, staring into the flames as they licked up around the gnarled wood, watching as the shredded bark curled into sparkling ribbons of red and gold and dropped away to ash....
g
....A sound he couldn't identify brought him awake with a start. The fire had gone out and the room had grown cold. Soft light seeped in around the curtains that covered the windows and a few tenacious birds murmured in the trees outside. Morning...
Morning?! Damn it!
Garrison turned and checked on Actor, he was resting quietly for a change, the fevers finally gone sometime during the night. The sound hadn't come from him. Straining his ears he thought he heard the crunch of gravel outside. Slipping over to the window he pulled the heavy drapery back and took a quick look..... He couldn't see anyone, but there was definitely someone out there, he could hear steps heading towards the back of the house.
Craig shot a cursory look around the room. There was no way he'd be able to get Actor out in time, and he cursed his decision to use the house instead of one of the out buildings. Stepping back to the con man he tried to rouse him but he was deeply asleep now that the fever was gone. Gathering the things he'd used himself he shoved them away out of sight beneath the table. Taking up the knife he'd found in the kitchen when he first entered the house he moved carefully out of the room.
Slipping into the darken kitchen he waited and listened. There were no voices only the sound of one set of steps approaching the door... He took a position against the wall as he heard metal grate in the lock. The door swung silently into the room despite rusted hinges and a figure moved through it past him and into the room a few paces, stooping to set something down on the floor, still indistinct in the dim light.
Garrison stepped out of the shadows and had come with in arms reach when there was a shout at his back. Whirling he had a split second to register the threat as the knife left his hand. Another shout and he turned, just in time to catch a flash of light before everything went black.
ggg
It was cold and silent and dark... gradually the soft sound of dripping water pushed the silence back. It was far off somewhere and had a hollow quality of a not-quite echo to it. The cold was seeping up into him from the hard stone he was laying on and he knew he had to move, to get up, but he couldn't connect the thought with action. He concentrated on getting his eyes open instead but it was hard, the lids heavy, unresponsive and the darkness stubbornly remained. He continued to lie there and as he considered the possibility of blindness other information penetrated.... A scurrying sound off to his right, the smell of mold and dust... He tried to twist onto his side and groaned at the deep ache in his neck and shoulder and the sharp pain in his wrists. Something held them secured behind him. Frowning he tried to move his legs, they were tied at the ankle. Relaxing back against the stone he made an attempt to collect the fragments of ideas that seemed to be floating in his head into one organized, complete thought....
Sit up. Alright, he thought... how?
Ignoring the protesting pain in his muscles he turned onto his side and curled up. Pulling his knees up to his chest he slipped his arms over his hips down behind his knees and rolled onto his back again. He pulled against the back of his legs until he finally managed to sit up but try as he might he could get his hands worked down over the stiff boots. He went limp and allowed gravity to pull him over onto his side again and slipped his hands back over his hips before rolling up to rest on his knees.
That hadn't worked out too well ... now what? Open your eyes. Yeah, that'd be easier.
When he tried it again and still couldn't see he was awake enough to feel the cloth against his face and his wits had settled enough to realize he was blindfolded. Tied up, blindfolded, and probably sitting in the basement of the house he'd brought Actor to.
Actor!
Garrison worked his way along the floor until his shoulder hit something solid, turning he pressed his face into the dampness of the stone wall and rubbed along it until the blindfold fell away. It was still too dark to really see, but there was less darkness on the other side of the room. He started the process of 'walking' that direction on already bruised knees. The texture on the floor grew more distinct and after what seemed like an hour he was sitting in the dim light coming in from under a door. Craig waited, listening and watching the light for any sign anyone was on the other side. No sounds reached him, no shadow broke the ribbon of light as he considered his next moved.
Get up...
He moved close up on the door and turned to sit on the cold ground with his back against it. He spent several more minutes resting there, listening and finally shoved at the floor with his feet, working his shoulders and 'walking' his way up to stand leaning against the door. Shifting to the side he groped behind him until he had the handle in his hands and breathed a prayer of thanks when it turned freely. Grasping the knob he twisted to the side and felt it open behind him. He rolled away from the door and leaned against the wall next to it working his fingers into the opening, clawing at the wood until he could push the door hard enough that it swung into the room.
He turned so his back rested against the frame of the door and let his eyes grow accustom to the increase in light, there was a small window high up on the wall to his left. Carefully edging his way around to rest against the other side of his wall he took stock of his new surroundings. One of the lower storerooms... The possibilities were endless, and as soon as the roaring in his ears quieted down, and the ground stopped moving, he'd find a way of exploiting them, but for now... Garrison's knees buckled and he slithered down into a heap at the base of the wall.
ggg
Garrison leaned against the wall next to the door. It had taken a long time to get back here. He could make out the soft sound of a woman's voice and strained to catch any hint of an answer that would tell him Actor was awake or there was another inside the room with them but only her voice floated out to him. As he reached the door he pulled it open a crack, checking to confirm she was alone in there with his injured second. Slipping through he silently made his way towards the woman. She remained with her back to him, concentrating on Actor. He'd been shifted off the floor and onto a chaise that had been pulled out of the corner to rest in front of the fire. The tarps had been replaced by soft blankets. She was on her knees next to him, a bowl of water on the floor beside her, a cloth in her hand. He was certain he knew who she was, just as he was certain she wasn't alone. She couldn't have trussed him up and hauled him down into the basement by herself. Because she wasn't alone he couldn't afford to take any chances. He couldn't let her alert whoever she had with her. But before he'd made it close enough to slip a hand over her mouth and grab her the soft click of the door opening caused him to whirl around to face the threat.
Raising his arm Garrison blocked the downward stroke that had been meant for his head and brought his fist up into the man's midsection, following with a blow to his jaw and another quick jab to his middle. The weight on his arm as his attacker collapsed pulled him off balance and they hit the floor together. He heard movement behind him but couldn't pull free fast enough. Before he could push up off his knees the insistent pressure of the barrel of a pistol quelled his action.
"Put your hands on your head and do not make another move."
He did as he was ordered. Lacing his fingers together over the top of his head he watched the man, face down on the floor in front of him, grab a handful of carpet and start to turned onto his back. Twisting around on his knees he tried to get a look at her.
"I told you not to move!"
And when he sighed and turned back to comply with her orders he met the stunning blow of the man's fist and was finished from behind by another blow from the pistol she held.
ggg
The sounds of a struggle brought him awake with a start. Actor frowned at the scene in the corner of the room as the fog from his recent fever shredded away into clarity. "Katia! No!"
They all had their backs to him, Actor levered up on his elbow and instinctively reached out, and even though he was too far away to hold her back the sound of his voice tempered the strength of the blow. The Warden was knocked to the ground and he was certain by the lack of resistance he offered he must be unconscious. The man that was with her stripped his belt off and was using it to secure Garrison's arms behind him as she stood guard over them. As soon as her companion's hands were free she gave the gun to him and turned back to Actor.
He stared up as she came towards him. The years had been kind to her, he thought, and the smile that lit her face when she met his eyes was the same. She stepped across and dropped to her knees next to him, reaching out to put the hair back off his forehead. The slight pressure of her hand on his shoulder was enough to push him back against the cushions.
"Carlo. How did you find your way back here?"
Actor watched as Garrison was dumped in the far corner of the room by Katia's companion and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to separate memory from feverish dream. He had to come up with an explanation that would satisfy her without giving them away. It had been many years since they'd been together. He had no interest in her ideology then and he had no idea where her loyalties would lie now. By the time he had gathered his strength and pulled together the beginnings of a story and opened his eyes the man had come to stand next to her. Actor focused on her face first and then the hand that rested on her shoulder. When she turned and glanced up he looked up as well, at the man that stood at her back, and the con that had been forming in his mind was lost.
"Beppe." The voice was rich, the smile broad and genuine, the emotion barely contained.
"Leonzio?" Actor struggled to sit up and found himself encircled by strong arms that supported and restrained him. He rested there a moment as emotion flooded through him before pushing back to gaze into the eyes of the man who held him.
"It's been a long time..."
"I didn't know where you'd gone. I thought you must be dead." he stammered.
"Leonzio is dead... To everyone but you." Changing his grip as he lowered him back down against the cushions the man frowned at the too pale face. "You are not strong enough now, but I promise you I will tell you everything. You must rest now piccolo fratello."
ggg
It was warm this time. The sound that led him back to his senses was the crackle of a small fire on the hearth, the smell of alcohol came next and then the sharp stinging pain as it was applied to the abrasions on his knees.
"It's a good thing you have a hard head." Actor leaned against the back of the chaise and watched as Katia carefully cleaned the scrapes Garrison had collected. He'd convinced her that it would be safer to leave his commander's hands tied until he was fully awake and understood they were no threat.
"mmm. I wish they'd find another target for a while. What hit me?"
"Which time?" The con artist's voice was full of relief and laced with humor.
Garrison heaved a sigh and opened his eyes. "Start with the kitchen." He studied the woman kneeling beside him a moment before letting his eyes search the rest of the room. "Where's the other guy?"
"He's getting something for us to eat from the kitchen." She said pleasantly and poured a little more alcohol on the pad she held over his right knee. "I'm afraid I was the one who hit you in the kitchen. I thought you were trying to kill Ilario... Carlo assures me that if you had wanted to do such a thing we would probably both be dead and the knife would not be buried in the frame surrounding the door." She looked up at him and smiled. "Forgive me?"
He shot a look across the room at Actor who only smiled back at him. "I take it this is the woman you told me about?"
"Katia. It is my pleasure to introduce you to a business associate of mine... Werner Hessmann."
"Herr Hessmann, if you promise not to try anything foolish I will untie your hands." As Garrison turned his back on the room to offer his hands to her she continued. "And then you must tell me just what type of business requires you to dress in German uniforms when you are not German soldiers."
Garrison heard the door swing open, the rattle of the items on a tray and the out of tempo sound of his steps as the man moved across the room behind them. When she pulled the strap loose he turned back, rubbing the blood back into his hands. He watched as Actor accepted a slab of bread layered with cheese and meat from the woman's companion and he waited for the con artist to start spinning the tale. His attention was drawn back to her when she reached out and pressed another cloth soaked in alcohol over the bruises and abrasions on his cheek and he drew in a sharp breath at the additional layer of pain and closed his eyes against the burning fumes.
"We had a little trouble and needed to get out of a town several miles from here. At the time it seemed it would be easier to travel in these clothes." The line was delivered smoothly with no sense of urgency.
"I see you still make light of the risks you take, Carlo." Katia pouted a frowned at Garrison in sympathy before turning back to look at Actor. "That wound in your leg tells me you have had more than just 'a little trouble'. I assume you need to get out of the country as well, no?"
Her companion stepped up behind her and she glanced up as he rested a hand on her shoulder. Reaching down he helped her to her feet, carefully lowering himself down to take her place. Garrison watched with an open mouthed frown as he finished cleaning the small injuries to his wrists, cut the bandage off his arm and wiped the days old scratch clean before he started on the job of wrapping everything up again in clean linen.
Actor shrugged. "That would probably be best. But I couldn't hope to presume upon you for such help."
"Why ever not?" She walked across the room to sit on the edge of the chaise. Taking his hand in hers she smiled. "It would be like old times."
"Uh..., Carlo?" Actor pulled his attention away from the woman next to him and glanced at his commander as he leaned in the corner and stared at the man in front of him.
"Oh! Forgive me! Werner, I would like you to meet my older brother, Leonzio."
ggg
Actor was the one he relied on the most and the one he knew the least about. There was nothing in the records about his family. Garrison was sure that those records, such as they were, even the name he used on them, were a complete fabrication. "You never said anything about having a brother."
"I haven't seen him in so long I wasn't sure I still had one." They were alone in the room, Katia was upstairs getting bedrooms ready for them, insisting the beds would be much more comfortable than sofas or pallets on the floor no matter the thickness of the carpet. His brother had gone out for another load of wood. The house had been empty for some time. The fireplaces upstairs would need to be kept burning several hours to take the chill off.
"How long has it been?"
Actor frowned, "I was just fifteen when he left home." He hadn't thought about the past for a long time and it was hard to believe the boy then had anything to do with the man he had become.
"You haven't heard from him in all this time?" Checking the job Katia had made of cleaning and bandaging Actor's leg Craig was impressed and wondered why a wealthy socialite would have the skills it took to deal with a bullet wound.
"No." The confidence man knew what Garrison was thinking... he didn't really know Leonzio. It had been more than half a lifetime ago since he'd last seen him. Until proven otherwise they couldn't trust him. But he had heard from him, hadn't he? He wrote letters to his mother for a time after he left, and she would read them out over their evening meal....
"He used to write to us. He's an artist. Or at least that's what he left us to become. He would write and tell us about the city he was in, the paintings he was struggling with and then the difficulty he had letting them go if someone wanted to buy them. Most of the time he would send sketches, sometimes only those, with no letter. Once he sent along a small piece from the paper when a gallery showed his works, they featured him along with several others." Actor smiled, amused at the brief flare of forgotten childhood jealousy. "My mother was very proud of him. She kept everything he sent in a box near her bed." But the smile faded as he remembered looking for the box when she asked to see the letters and pictures the last time. Searching the rooms his parents lived in he eventually found the box, but it was empty. "But the letters stopped close to a year before she died."
Seeing the shadow of distress glide across the aristocratic face Garrison changed the subject "So what kind of 'business' are we in together?" Pulling the blanket back over his second's legs the Warden settled on a chair a little closer to the fire.
Actor made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Antiques, art, information... it doesn't matter. I doubt that she will pursue the details." and he smiled at the Lieutenant's frown. "As I told you, she's led a very interesting life and she appreciates the value of discretion."
"What about your brother, won't he ask?"
He hadn't thought of that and it brought him up short. Actor was still getting used to the idea of having a living brother, and not factoring Leonzio into their current situation could put them at risk. "Antiques, then. I remember his first letters detailed accounts of his study of the masters and different genre. If you get into a discussion on art with him he might be able to trap you."
Garrison laughed, "I'm afraid antiques won't be much better. You'll have to be the expert, I'll just provide the money and muscle..." They could hear steps outside in the hall. There wouldn't be time to figure out the details but they'd worked together long enough to be able to improvise as they went along.
The pair entered together, Leonzio's arm around Katia's shoulders as if he had years of it comfortably resting there. "How is it you know one another?" Actor diverted any possible interest in them by starting the questioning.
"I heard about a wonderful new gallery that specialized in promoting young talent." Katia reached her hand up and rested it on Leonzio's neck, twining his hair around her fingers as his hand dropped to her waist. "You know how I enjoy finding new blood." Laughing as she twirled out of the arm that held her she came to sit next to Actor on the edge of the chaise. "Imagine my delight when I was introduced to a man almost as beautiful as you, Carlo."
Garrison had never seen Actor blush or be at a loss for words before and he let himself enjoy the spectacle a moment before taking up the slack in the conversation. "How long ago was that?"
She drew her brows down in a frown as she puzzled over the answer. "I would think it has been... five years now?" And she brightened as Ilario came and held his hand out to her. "It only took a few days for me to gather the courage to ask about his family and discover you were part of it."
"But by then, 'Carlo', you had disappeared off the face of the earth."
"As you had 'Ilario', when I tried to find you after Mama died."
Garrison watched them study one another. Actor smooth, controlled, sophisticated, skillfully keeping his emotions in check. Leonzio a little thinner, lighter in coloring. Rougher. He wore his hair longer and it fell in waves onto his collar. Emotion played freely across his bearded features, he hadn't spent years learning to shield it from the world. It didn't take any special skill to read the regret that lurked behind his pleasure at finding his younger brother, or hear the subtle edge of jealousy in his voice.
"...Carlo... told me this place would be deserted this time of year. And from the outside it doesn't look like anyone has been here for years." Garrison smiled as the two turned towards him. He watched Actor from the corner of his eye as his con man scrubbed at his eyes with his hand. "What brings you out here?"
"Ah, well, all you have to do is neglect the gardens and fail to wash the windows for a season or two... It doesn't take long for a house to appear abandoned.." She laughed, and lied smoothly. "And it is nothing illegal young man, I assure you. But occasionally someone in the current regime comes to believe I have interests that run counter to their own."
"Do you?" She met Garrison's considering gaze and held it.
"Katia? What's happened?" Actor looked up, alarmed, and caught at her hand pulling her back around to face him. "What have you done?"
"Nothing my dear... At least nothing that will ever be proved." She leaned into Leonzio's arm as he pulled her close to him.
"Then you've come here to... let the heat blow off." To her questioning glance Garrison tipped his head towards his con man and continued. "He also mentioned you had a...somewhat colorful past."
Leonzio gave his brother a long look before he turned a formal smile back on Garrison. "And is this why you have sought refuge here? To also... 'let the heat blow off'? Just what is this business you are in with my brother that leaves him wounded and in need of such a place!?"
"Leonzio...."
"I will speak with you in a moment Beppe." The sound of authority effectively stunned and silenced his younger brother as he turned his attention back on the partner.
"We deal in the acquisition of antiques for certain... select clients."
The feigned smile faded to a glower of concerned displeasure. "You mean you steal and then sell them for a profit!?"
"In business you always hope to sell at a profit." He said reasonably. Dressed as they were, and in their current condition, he could hardly spin a tale of honorable, conservative businessmen. "We approach the owners on behalf of potential buyers... If they choose to believe the price we offer is a form of theft..." Garrison shrugged. "Considering how they might be treated by those potential buyers they should be happy to pay for our services instead of complaining of the price they get for their property. Most of them realize that."
"And I'm sure you have a way to explain it to those who don't." Leonzio spat out with disgust.
Garrison smiled up and the man who towered over him. "I believe we should leave these things until we know each other better."
The older brother studied him a moment. "Perhaps you are right. If you will help me I think Beppe should be in a bed. It should be warm enough upstairs now." Releasing Katia he turned his back on Garrison and reached down to carefully help his brother to his feet.
"But you are injured yourself." Actor protested as he was drawn up. "It's comfortable enough here by the fire..."
"You belong in a bed, Beppe. And it will be quieter and far more comfortable upstairs." Raising a hand to put off further objection he continued. "Do not concern yourself. This is nothing, a knee twisted in a little early skiing. It will serve us."
Actor stood with his arm over his brother's shoulder. Garrison stepped to his side and pulled his other arm across the back of his neck and they started towards the door. As soon as they reached the stairs, and ignoring his protests, they lifted the big man off his feet and carried him to the second floor, depositing him on the bed in the room Katia opened for him.
g
Garrison counted himself lucky he wasn't tied up and thrown back in the basement again but he firmly refused the offer of the room down the hall, settling into the chair in the corner of the room instead. By the time Katia and the brother decided he wasn't kidding and left him there Actor was asleep. He sat massaging the bruises at the base of his neck and wondered how far they'd be able to trust his con man's family ties. Craig made a tour of the room and then pulled a chair across the floor and stretched out in it, leaning his head against the door. If anyone was coming in here they'd have to get over him first. Someone had started the clock that stood at the top of the stairs and he listened as it began striking the ten o'clock hour, but he never heard it finish.
ggg