by Arnie
It all took place in North Africa, early in 1943. Lieutenant Garrison had recently been wounded during a sortie in which he'd managed to capture a famous German War Correspondent. Herr Dorfman was subsequently rescued by the Germans, but Lieutenant Garrison was unaware of all that as he recovered from his head wound in a military hospital.
"Yes, Lieutenant, you can go. Just try to avoid any more concussions for the time being." The doctor smiled at the young officer. So many young men came into the hospital and were sent back home with limbs missing or permanent debilitating injuries. It was pleasant, in an odd kind of way, to be sending someone back out in one piece.
"I'll try. Thanks, Doc." Garrison grinned. He might be on light duties for a while, and returning to war was never easy, but his blood was up and he was longing to get back into the thick of it. He felt as though he'd come through a trial by fire. It had been his first major test, and he'd survived - now he was ready to face it all again.
His superiors, however, weren't quite as ready to send him back to fighting, and the young lieutenant found himself detailed to help escort some civilian personnel away from an approaching German line.
Garrison looked around as the Jeep he was in finally sped down the right street. With typical military inefficiency, his driver, Corporal Hartman, was new to this town and, since he was reading from a map and half the tiny streets they'd passed lacked any kind of street sign, finding their way had been a challenge to say the least of it. The heat was oppressive, although the breeze in their faces prevented them from feeling the worst of it. It wasn't until the Jeep stopped that the full force of the breathless atmosphere hit Garrison.
"Is it always this bad?" he asked.
Hartman shook his head in reply, and looked up at the sky warily, his eyes screwed up against the brightness. "I'd say we're in for a sandstorm, sir."
Garrison glanced around. He'd witnessed one sandstorm during his time at the front and, although he'd found it to be only just bearable, more experienced men had commented on the mildness of that particular storm. "I'll try and make it quick," he commented before heading into the building.
The corridor he entered was filled with people. Some were rushing back and forth, precious files clasped to their chests as they raced to put them into Jeeps or trucks to be moved to a safer installation, while some others, mostly in uniform, were standing talking, ignoring the dizzying chaos around them.
"We didn't expect the Krauts to get this far North," one officer commented, stepping aside so Garrison could get past.
"They're driven by a madman. I don't think turning back is an option for them, even in a sandstorm," another replied wryly, his British accent and uniform and extra-large moustache marking him out as different among the American soldiers.
"Excuse me, please!"
Garrison hurriedly moved to one side as a young lad, carrying a large boxful of files staggered towards the doorway. "Here, let me help," he offered instinctively, but another soldier waved him off.
"It's all right, sir, I'll take it."
The boy stopped, catching his breath as he smiled his thanks at the two soldiers, before rushing back to fetch another load.
Garrison shook his head. It looked like everyone had been caught off guard by the Krauts' sudden swing towards this town. He guessed the German officials had somehow learned of this installation and were hoping to gain something by capturing the town and any scientists who were left behind: hence the rush to get everyone and everything moved before the storm hit. He reached the desk a minute later, and his murmured enquiry for Doctor Havilland was met with a brief, "First floor, third door on the right."
Once upstairs, the third door on the right was easily found and Garrison knocked before going in. The lady inside, her white coat, name tag and armful of files proclaiming her status as a scientist, raised her eyebrows at his appearance. "Lieutenant Garrison?"
"Doctor Havilland?"
"You're late!" she snapped, shoving the files into the box and turning back to face him.
"I'm sorry, my driver was unsure of the way."
She ignored his apology and waved her hand toward the box on her desk. "I've destroyed the rest of my records but these have to go with us. Will you take them down, please, while I fetch Tallulah?"
"Sure." Garrison picked up the box easily, then turned. "Who's Tallulah?" His orders had been to collect Doctor Janice Havilland and her unmentioned project. There had been no mention of any assistant who'd be going with them.
"Tallulah's a very necessary part of my project. Please hurry!" Her glance towards the window showed that she was aware of the approaching storm and wished to be gone before it reached them.
Back at the Jeep, Garrison left the box of files to Hartman and headed back towards the stairs. He was no less eager than Doctor Havilland to be on their way. He was halfway up the stairs when he heard the clack of a lady's shoes and heard Doctor Havilland's voice talking soothingly to the unknown Tallulah. Looking up he stared in stunned silence at the sight of the scientist holding hands with a small chimpanzee.
Doctor Havilland's eyes met his and she half smiled. "She knows there's something wrong."
"This is your project?" Garrison asked, his astonishment showing in his face and his voice.
The smile disappeared and he was aware he'd made another blunder. "This is Tallulah."
Once outside, Hartman managed to deepen the bad impression Doctor Havilland had of Garrison by exclaiming loudly, "We're escorting a monkey?" when the scientist and her project appeared.
The woman's expression became even more glacial as she stepped into the Jeep, Tallulah clinging to her hand. "Actually, she's a chimpanzee." Her eyes suggested that Hartman was further down the primate family tree than Tallulah but she refrained from commenting, merely moving the box of files to the floor and helping Tallulah onto the seat.
Garrison watched as Tallulah huddled into Doctor Havilland's side. "Is she all right?" he asked.
"She'll be fine," the scientist replied, sliding an arm around the chimpanzee. "She just hates change."
"Okay." Garrison nudged the still stunned Hartman. "Let's get going."
~o0o~
Hartman may have been stunned but his driving skills weren't affected, and very soon they were at the edge of the town. But once there, he stopped and Garrison didn't need to ask why. The storm that everyone had been so anxious to outrun was right ahead of them.
"We'll have to get out of this!" Hartman yelled to Garrison over the howling of the storm.
Garrison nodded. "We'll have to abandon the Jeep - and hope the Germans don't get here before we can leave."
Everywhere he looked, he could see that the inhabitants had made ready to withstand the storm. Every shutter and door was closed, except one.
Garrison frowned at the Egyptian beckoning them in. Most of the people here were aware that the German line was advancing, and many of them had been angry that the Allied forces were pulling out leaving them defenceless - so why would one of them offer them shelter?
"Lieutenant!"
He glanced back at the concerned scientist behind him, noting the terror on the chimpanzee's face. For an animal used only to the calm protective kindness Doctor Havilland provided, this howling frenzied mass of sand was a horrific sight.
"I have to get Tallulah out of this storm!"
Garrison didn't need telling twice, but he was loathe to accept the Egyptian at face value. Finally he decided that any port in a storm would do, for now. As he helped Doctor Havilland out of the Jeep and pushed her and Tallulah towards the open door, his gaze met Hartman's and he could tell that the corporal was also uneasy.
"Stay with the doctor. I'll stash the Jeep in another street and come back. And watch yourself."
Hartman nodded as he heaved the box of files out of the Jeep and made to follow the doctor and her companion. "Same to you, sir," he murmured, then was gone.
Driving off, Garrison's face was grim. If this was light duty, give him honest shelling and fire fight any day. At least you knew where you were and who you were supposed to be watching out for.
~o0o~
Doctor Havilland peered out of the crack in the shutters. "I think the storm's over." She turned, a look of relief on her face. "We can go now, can't we?"
Craig moved towards the door and eased it open an inch or two. The air was dry and gritty. It would be unpleasant to travel in but they could manage.
Their host, Akhmet, smiled. "Now you will go to safety, yes?"
"I hope so," Garrison murmured, his distrust of the man remaining. He opened the door wider and glanced up and down the street. He could hear the rumble of heavy trucks, Allied trucks he guessed, moving out of the town. It was time to be going. "I'll fetch the Jeep. Doctor Havilland, be ready to leave as soon as I get back. Hartman," the glance he gave the corporal was filled with meaning, "I'll be as quick as I can be."
"Yes, sir." Hartman didn't need Garrison to voice his unease. He too distrusted their genial host who appeared to want only to help them. The door shut behind the lieutenant and Hartman smiled falsely at Akhmet. "Guess we wouldn't have done too well in the storm. Thanks, buddy."
Akhmet returned his smile. "You will take some food with you to help you on your journey. I will fetch it."
Refusing any offer of help, Akhmet swore it was his pleasure to help the brave American forces before retiring into the kitchen. Hartman stood by the table and watched carefully as the man pottered back and forth, but Akhmet's every action was the epitome of innocence and Hartman guessed he'd been mistaken in assuming the worst.
The sound of the Jeep announced Garrison's return, and Hartman turned towards the door instinctively. That two second distraction was all Akhmet needed and he took it. Hartman froze as he felt the cold nose of a gun press between his shoulder blades, and he cursed himself for not being more careful.
"Don't move." Akhmet's voice was cold now, totally unlike the gracious host of a few minutes past.
His hand slipped forward and relieved Hartman of his service pistol, and his gaze, filled with hatred, turned towards the woman. "If you try anything, I'll kill the monkey first," he told her. His eyes slid over her. "Maybe I'll get to keep you for a while though," he smirked.
The Jeep stopped and Akhmet's smirk turned into a smile. The German forces should be pleased with him for this - two soldiers and a scientist. He could only imagine the rewards.
Garrison stepped out of the Jeep and paused. Something felt wrong. He'd expected the door to be open a crack as Hartman checked to be sure it wasn't a Jeep full of German soldiers, but the door was shut and the shutters were too. His eyes narrowed. If Akhmet was up to something, he was ready.
Bending quickly he pretended to fix his shoelace before straightening and moving towards the door, a large pebble from the road clutched in his hand. It wasn't much, but a stone had taken down Goliath, and all he needed was a distraction.
Opening the door he slid quickly into the room and shut the door behind him. Akhmet was mostly hidden behind Hartman and that told Garrison that his instincts were right.
"Ready to go?" he asked, innocently.
An unpleasant smile crossed Akhmet's face. "I'm afraid not. Your friends have decided to stay and welcome the Germans." He shoved Hartman forward so he could cover the three of them. "All we have to do is wait."
Garrison waited until Hartman was out of the way and he had a clear field. His hand swung up and the stone flew straight towards Akhmet's face, with Garrison charging down the small room right behind it.
Akhmet barely had time to react. He jerked back, but not in time to prevent the pebble from hitting him, and while it didn't do any damage in itself, the solid weight of Garrison cannoning into him guaranteed that his day took a turn for the worse. He managed to fire the gun but his aim was wild and before he could collect himself to fire again, Garrison was on him and he was fighting for his life.
Doctor Havilland shrank back, horrified, as the room descended into chaos. Tallulah was screaming with terror; Hartman was sliding down the wall, a stunned look on his face and a bloodstain spreading across his shoulder, while Garrison and Akhmet were struggling for possession of the gun.
Hastily, the scientist looked for a vase or anything she could use as a weapon against the Egyptian as the two men swung around the room, each intent on killing the other. The gun flew from Akhmet's hands and she reached to grab it but before she could there was a hideous crack that made her cringe, and Akhmet's body went limp.
Garrison stared down into the dead man's face, the man he had killed, his stomach churning. He'd killed before - in battle. This was more personal and it was the first time he'd extinguished someone's life with his own hands. He let the body drop to the ground and took a shaky breath. He'd had no choice, he knew that, and his responsibility was to his driver, the scientist and her chimpanzee. A movement grabbed his attention and he turned his head to see Doctor Havilland hurry towards Hartman.
It was all he needed to bring him out of his reverie. He could struggle with his conscience later; for now, Hartman needed his help. Grabbing some cloths, he followed the scientist to where the corporal lay sprawled upon the ground.
For Hartman, it had only been an instant between him being hit with the bullet, and hearing Doctor Havilland's voice. Shock was clouding his mind and he wasn't sure who had won in the battle between Garrison and Akhmet, or even what had happened. He could hear the doctor shouting at him, willing him to hang on. But the world crashed around him and he was gone.
As his head lolled to one side, Doctor Havilland stared up at Garrison, fearing the worst. Thrusting the cloths into her hand with a hurried injunction to stop the bleeding, Garrison checked for Hartman's pulse and was relieved to feel it beating beneath his fingers.
"He'll be all right, but we need to get the bullet out."
She stared at him in shock. This was no place to perform surgery. She was on the verge of saying so when Garrison forestalled her.
"If we leave it in, it'll infect the wound. Better to get it out now before he wakes up." Glancing at her face, Garrison realised that he'd be better off sparing her the sight of him digging a knife into Hartman's shoulder. "Go to the kitchen and boil some water. We'll need to wash the wound afterwards. And hurry! We don't have long."
Nodding silently, she pushed herself to her feet and rushed towards the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, Garrison pulled his army knife out of his pocket and quickly sterilised the blade with his lighter. Leaving it to cool for a second, he pulled Hartman's jacket and shirt to one side and peered at the wound. He didn't think that much, if any, of the material had been dragged inside by the bullet, so if they were lucky...if Hartman was lucky, washing and binding the wound would do until they reached the Allied lines.
Noises from the kitchen told him that Doctor Havilland was fully occupied, so it seemed like there was no time like the present. As gently as possible he slid his knife into the wound and probed around. The bullet didn't take much finding, and Garrison began to work it loose with as little fuss as possible. A groan told him that Hartman was beginning to regain consciousness and would probably prefer to wake up without any foreign bodies (bullets, knives, fingers) within his shoulder, so the lieutenant hurriedly pulled at the bullet. It came free with a slight sucking noise followed by a small gush of blood which Garrison hoped would help to clean the wound.
He was rewarded with the sight of Hartman's eyelids flickering open and by the time Doctor Havilland returned from the kitchen, the man was awake. Leaving Garrison to see to cleaning the wound, Doctor Havilland turned her attention to Tallulah. The chimpanzee's screams of terror had been replaced with quiet whimpering once Akhmet was dead, and the scientist was soon able to shush even those murmured sounds.
"Guess I won't be drivin' anywhere soon," Hartman commented in a breathy voice, his face pale with shock.
Garrison gave a half smile. "I can drive the Jeep all right. You can sit in the passenger seat and give me directions."
Hartman smiled slightly. "Whaddya know, an officer who can drive himself."
"Don't let it get out. It's a military secret."
~o0o~
As soon as Hartman was able to stand on his feet, albeit with Garrison's help, they moved out into the road and made for the Jeep. Garrison would have preferred to let the corporal rest for a short while but, with the Germans advancing with every minute, time was of the essence and they had to leave now.
Once Tallulah was settled in the back seat, with the box of files beside her, Doctor Havilland went to help Garrison with Hartman, and within a few minutes they were all in the Jeep and ready to go.
Garrison turned the key in the ignition and waited for the engine to start, but nothing happened. Exchanging a puzzled glance with Hartman, he tried it again, but the result was the same.
"What's wrong?"
The lieutenant glanced over his shoulder at Doctor Havilland as he answered her. "The engine isn't working." Getting out, he moved around to the front of the Jeep and opened the hood. The reason why the engine wasn't working was obvious - someone had stolen the battery.
Looking around, Garrison couldn't see anyone but he guessed they were being watched; it seemed as though Akhmet wasn't the only Egyptian to be angry with the retreating forces. He shut the hood quietly and helped Hartman out of the Jeep while motioning with his head towards the house.
Doctor Havilland felt bewildered but she followed his lead, and kept silent until they were inside and away from prying eyes.
"I suppose finding the battery would be rather impossible," she commented, once Garrison had told them about the engine and its missing part.
"Definitely. I'd say the aim is to delay us until the Germans arrive." Garrison peered out of the window. The road was still quiet and empty and he didn't like it at all.
"Then what can we do?" Janice Havilland looked around at her companions. There was no way they could melt into the background. Even if they could have found disguises Hartman was obviously wounded and Tallulah was obviously a chimpanzee.
"We can't stay here," Garrison told her. "Unless we're willing to surrender to the Germans when they arrive."
The woman shook her head. She was a scientist, not a fool. She was well aware of the Germans and their methods of extracting information.
Garrison glanced at the box of files sitting on Akhmet's table. "We have to travel light," was all he said.
Janice sighed, but agreed. She picked up her box of precious files and, with a determined look on her face, she set to work burning them.
Leaving her to it, Garrison went into the kitchen. There was a back door leading to a small yard busy with flies. Glancing at the outhouse where the noisiest buzzing was coming from, Garrison guessed that Akhmet wasn't good at housework, however, more important than Akhmet's household abilities was the fact that there was a gate in the yard and it wasn't locked.
Ten minutes later the four of them left. Doctor Havilland was carrying a small bundle of food and well-filled canteens while leading Tallulah by the hand, while Garrison was helping Hartman and carrying a bundle of his own. Leading them down the yard and into the maze of narrow alleyways, Garrison planned to get them thoroughly lost. He had a plan, a small one - he just needed to keep them out of the Germans clutches long enough to implement it.
As soon as they were away from the house, Garrison found a tiny alleyway with no windows overlooking it and opened his bundle of clothing to reveal enough clothes for the three humans. It was true that none of Akhmet's clothing was particularly nice, or particularly clean, but it would do for now. Dirt from the ground helped disguise their pale skin, and once they had Akhmet's clothes on over their own, they wouldn't stand out in a crowd. Tallulah was persuaded to allow herself to be bundled up in a blanket, and with no inch of fur showing, Garrison hoped that she looked 'sack-like' enough to not draw any attention. Doctor Havilland gathered her project up in her arms and nodded at Garrison. She could carry Tallulah for as long as it took.
Leaving the alleyway, Garrison glanced around. He couldn't see anyone watching them, and anyone waiting for three Americans and a chimpanzee to emerge from there would be waiting a long time.
It was two hours later before Garrison allowed them to sit down and rest in the quiet back alley he'd found. Hartman's breathing was heavy and, under his coating of dirt, his face was white. Doctor Havilland refused to admit to aching arms but set Tallulah down with a sigh of relief.
Opening the bundle of food and water he'd been carrying to save the woman the added burden, Garrison passed out the canteens of water before moving to look at the corporal's shoulder. As he'd expected the wound had bled again, and he knew that Hartman wouldn't be able to walk much further. He washed the shoulder clean with some water then bound it up again, his mind working with plans and schemes to get them to safety. He didn't like the one plan he had, but so far no other ideas had presented themselves.
"What do we do now?" Her throat was dry from the sandy air, and her voice betrayed that but, from the tone in her voice, Janice wasn't giving up yet.
"We wait." Garrison took a swig of the water and washed it around his mouth, revelling in the wetness of it.
Hartman smiled. "That's it?" He sounded tired, but like Janice he wasn't ready to give up just yet.
Garrison nodded, a half smile on his face but a determined look in his eyes. "For now."
Seeing that there was no more to be got out of him, Hartman turned his attention to the scientist and her project. Curiosity had been nibbling at him for a while and he'd welcomed the distraction from his aching shoulder, but he figured that he might as well ask now while he could. If they were captured he might never find out the answer. "Tell me something, Doctor Havilland." His eyes lingered on the chimpanzee sitting in her lap. "How does your project involve Tallulah?"
She smiled. The first genuine smile they'd seen from her. "Tallulah is my project. I'm part of a project that involves teaching animals how to do various things. In Tallulah's case, she's an expert safecracker."
"You're kidding!"
Garrison sat up, interested. "She can crack safes?"
Doctor Havilland nodded. "Not all of them - yet. But she can open ones she's seen before."
Hartman frowned. "I don't see why the Army would be funding a project like that. I mean...opening safes. What good is that?"
"Think about it, Corporal. There are times when a man can't get into an office to open a safe. If that safe contains important information that the Allies would like to see, what can they do? And, as I said, it's part of a project involved in teaching animals. Not all the animals involved are chimpanzees. And Tallulah is the only chimpanzee being taught to open safes."
"But what else can animals do?"
"Animals who can swim can carry limpet mines to attach to enemy submarines. Animals who can climb can reach places men can't - maybe help to attack the enemy that way. You'd be amazed at the things animals can do." Janice smiled down at Tallulah. "Sometimes it's easy to forget that they're not human."
Hartman smiled. He knew what she meant. Idly, he let his mind drift back to when he was a boy and had a dog - he and Buster went everywhere together. In his memory there were no rainy days, and no dusty Egyptian towns with advancing German forces. He sighed and rested his head against the rough wall, closing his eyes against the hot sun. The sun on his face felt just like old times. He didn't even realise as his thoughts slipped into dreams and he fell asleep.
~o0o~
It wasn't until the sun was nearly set that Garrison made his move. Leaving the scientist and his injured driver with explicit instructions to stay where they were and wait for his return, he slipped away into the encroaching shadows. If he didn't return, they would be forced to surrender to the Germans, so failure in his mission was not an option.
He easily found his way back to the military installation where he'd first met Doctor Havilland. As he'd suspected, the Germans had simply set up shop there. After all, a military installation is a military installation, and using what the enemy had left - after the place had been thoroughly checked for booby traps, of course - saved time and made sense. If naught else, the locals would know where to find their current masters.
Lurking in the shadows, Garrison waited for his chance. All he needed was for one officer to step away from the safety of the building.
His chance came sooner than he'd hoped. Not long after he'd taken up his position in the darkness, a young leutnant strolled down the front steps and headed off along the streets, obviously intending to sample whatever delights the locale could provide. Leaving his shadowy corner behind, Garrison slipped silently along the streets after him, a stern determination fuelling his actions.
Five minutes later, a tall good-looking officer strode confidently towards the military compound. Inspecting the vehicles available, he settled upon an armoured car that was parked near to the exit. Making his way to the hood, he was about to pop it open in order to hotwire the engine, when the sight of a young mechanic stopped him in his tracks.
With a casual arrogance, he summoned the man to his side and demanded the keys for the vehicle. Hiding his astonishment when his ploy worked, Garrison accepted the offered keys, and dismissed the young man, and a few minutes later he was driving down the street, with only the sweat on his forehead showing the strain.
~o0o~
The German major smiled to himself as he left the local bar. These Egyptians might think that, by offering all they had, they could please their masters, but he and all the Germans now occupying the town were far too aware of the welcome the Egyptians had offered their enemy. He had allowed the bar owner to think that he was pleased with the wine and the women, but come the morning, the bar owner would be in for a shock. The wine had been stale and the women unlovely. A second visit to this hovel would be necessary to impress upon the stupid peasant how unhappy the major had been with his hospitality.
Pausing only to conceal the sneer that threatened to show itself, the major gazed around. Perhaps he should have taken a driver and car after all. Now that it was dark he was not entirely sure of the way back, not that he would admit such a thing to the lowly locals who would soon be crushed beneath the heels of the mighty Fatherland.
A sound caught his attention and he turned his head to examine the approaching armoured car. Raising his arm, he waited until the driver had pulled to an obedient stop and took his place in the passenger seat. This leutnant could drive him back to the compound before continuing on his way.
~o0o~
"Corporal! Corporal Hartman!"
Hartman groaned as a hand shook him, the owner of the hand insistent that he return to consciousness immediately if not sooner.
"Corporal!"
The hissed word got his attention and his eyes slowly opened to darkness.
"I can hear a car heading this way. I think we need to move!"
Doctor Havilland. He recognised the voice now. He nodded, biting down the nausea that rolled through him, before dragging himself to his feet. Accepting the support of her arm, he shuffled with her along the alleyway, trusting that she knew where she was going, even if he didn't.
The sound of the engine died away and the night became quiet again. Straining his ears to listen, he heard cautious footsteps and his breath caught in his throat. Tensing, he wondered if he could create enough of a diversion for Doctor Havilland to escape whoever was approaching them, or whether it would be better for them to surrender. How far could she get while burdened with Tallulah anyway? Fortunately for them both, the quiet voice they heard proved that there was no need to run just yet.
"Hartman, Doctor Havilland!" The urgency was obvious in spite of the quiet volume.
"Here, sir."
The pair of them, with Tallulah, shuffled back towards the mouth of the alleyway where Garrison was waiting. The shadows hid their movements from any prying eyes, and Garrison remained silent as he herded them towards the armoured car he'd stolen. Once there, he helped Doctor Havilland and the chimpanzee in, then, gathering a second stolen uniform in his arms, he turned back to Hartman.
"Do you speak German at all?"
"A few basic phrases, sir."
"It'll have to do. If we get stopped, let me do the talking."
Five minutes later and they were back on the road. To the casual observer it was obvious that the arrogant major and his leutnant had caught a fleeing Allied scientist with, of all things, a chimpanzee, and were escorting the white-faced woman back for interrogation, but only a keen observer would have noticed how stiffly the major held himself, or how the anxious scientist was, in fact, directing which way the leutnant should drive.
With Doctor Havilland's help, Garrison was soon able to find a quiet back road out of the city. It was probable that the main roads would be blockaded by the Germans but, even with their military efficiency, they hadn't yet had time to cordon off the entire city.
The cold night air of the desert greeted them, and Garrison was thankful it was still dark. Driving during the day in the desert was unpleasant at the best of times, and they only had a limited supply of water. Finding the Allied lines was not only wise, it was imperative.
Trusting to his sense of direction, Garrison circled the city and headed back to the base camp where he'd received his orders. If the camp was still there, the soldiers would be able to identify him and they would, therefore, be less likely to shoot him on sight.
~o0o~
When they reached the camp, it was obvious that even this outpost was pulling up sticks and moving on their way - probably drawing back to a safer location until the threat from the nearby occupying force had been assessed and neutralised. Even with the hustle and bustle of an orderly retreat, Garrison was not surprised when the armoured car was halted and he and his passengers surrounded by the business end of several guns.
"Put your hands up, Kraut!"
Garrison smiled. He'd never been so pleased to hear a hostile American accent in his life. Raising his hands obediently, he hurried to identify himself. "My name's Lieutenant Garrison, I'm an American. Major Stackhouse can confirm that. The German major is a British corporal, Hartman, and the lady in the back is Doctor Janice Havilland, also American."
There was a pause then the hostile voice demanded, "So why are you dressed as a German?"
Garrison grinned. "That is a long story."
~o0o~
"So you're saying that this...."
"Garrison, sir."
"Ah yes, Garrison." The American general accepted the reminder and appeared to think on it for a few seconds. "So he managed to escape from the city with his driver, the scientist and her project with no problems?"
The major nodded. "He improvised, sir."
The general's eyebrows rose sharply. Improvisation was not really encouraged in the army - it was easier if soldiers didn't think for themselves. "I see."
"Yes, sir. And although Doctor Havilland's notes were destroyed, neither Doctor Havilland nor Tallulah came to any harm. And while Corporal Hartman was injured during the fight with the local, Lt. Garrison still managed to get him out too."
The fingers tapped on the desk as the general considered the success of Garrison's improvised plan. Long minutes passed, then the general spoke again. "Have him report to my office first thing in the morning. And arrange to have his transfer papers in order. America first, then he'll be stationed in England."
"Yes, General Freemont."
Left alone, the general picked up the folder in front of him and flicked it open to re-read the proposed idea outlined within it. "Using criminals in an intelligence team. Whatever next." The folder was closed and dropped onto the desk as the general reached for the lieutenant's file. "I hope you're up to it, Garrison."
~finis~
