part 2
Casino fought his impulse to go to Goniff and Chief. There were only just the two of them and by the looks of it they couldn't've got themselves out here... He laid a restraining hand on the con artist's arm "I wouldn't move very fast if I was you."
Turning back to face him Actor pulled his arm out of the other man's grasp and demanded "Why? What are you talking about?"
The safecracker motioned with his chin and said quietly. "Take a look over in the corner." He hesitated a moment then held his arms away from his body and dropped his pistol on the floor.
The late afternoon sunlight that spotted the room through the torn curtains glinted off the barrel of a weapon. They could just make out the Lieutenant watching them from the shadows.
Actor started forward into the room again only to be held back, "I think I better go first Herr Major..." Shrugging out of the heavy overcoat he let it drop to the floor, "Unless you really want a hole in that nice uniform a yours?"
Casino let his eyes travel along the smear of blood until it disappeared into the shadows. They were gonna be in big trouble if the Lieutenant didn't get around to recognizing them pretty damn fast. He took a deep breath and stepped around the con man and started across the room, calling out with more confidence than he really had, "Come on, babe, shootin' us for bein' late's a little over the top, don't ya think?"
He moved carefully, he still couldn't see the Warden's face but the barrel of the pistol dropped a fraction of an inch. When he reached him he was able to lift it out of his hand and jam it down in his belt as Garrison peered up at him through glassy eyes. Casino took another deep breath as the Warden struggled to get to his feet and enjoyed the fact that he was still alive. Reaching out he caught the Lieutenant before he could stumble and fall face first on the floor.
"Take it easy Warden. We got it covered now." Casino tried to ease the him back down on the floor and was surprised to have a fight on his hands as their commander struggled to get past him, back to the middle of the room where Actor was checking on Goniff and Chief. "Jeeze, settle down, will ya." But when he felt the pistol being pulled out of his belt Casino grabbed a wad of jacket in each hand and shook Garrison until he heard his teeth rattle. "Come on Freddy! Knock it off!"
The Warden's head snapped up at that and the look he turned on his safecracker was almost in focus. He rested a hand on the man's shoulder and gave him a split second's warning, "I think I need to sit down," before his knees buckled and he sank back down onto the floor.
Casino kept hold of him and swung him around so he could lay out flat. "You back in the real world, Lieutenant? You gonna lay there nice and quiet so I can go over there and help Actor?" When he got a nod for his answer he twisted around to help with the other two. Jeeze! This was just great! Three of 'em busted up at once. Their 'perfect job' had sure turned into a nightmare. He shot a quick glance behind him, he still didn't trust the look in the Warden's eyes.
"Actor, you wanna take that damn jacket off before he goes nuts again and kills both of us?!"
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"What d'you think?"
Actor rocked back on his heels. "I'm amazed he got them out of there on his own." The small first aid pouch the con man carried hadn't come close to meeting their needs. They'd used the pile of towels and linens Garrison had collected and even scrounged the house for more. Other than soap and water there wasn't anything else of use to be found. "But none of them are in any shape to travel."
All three men had wounds from the debris caused by the bombing. Goniff's was the largest, running from one side of his abdomen to the other. The laceration was shallow but without anything better than the binding they'd created to secure it, every time the little cockney moved it opened up and started to bleed again. Chief had been hit from behind, a chunk of concrete when the gas main blew the con man reasoned, that had left him with a concussion and a stone fragment in the back of his shoulder, that according to Goniff, the Warden had managed to take out. Though the young man responded when Actor spoke to him, he still hadn't managed to wake fully. Garrison had dozens of small wounds, most of them to his legs, the worst a chip of stone that had buried itself in the bone just below his left knee. Try as he might Actor couldn't prise it free, there wasn't enough projecting up to get a hold of and the con artist was reluctant to go after it with a knife, he didn't want to risk snapping it off. All he could do was carefully wash and wrap it against further damage.
They'd blown the first rendezvous with the sub, and unless they got some help there was no way they'd make the second meet, and there were only the two. Casino leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. They'd waited for the contact to come out and check on the place, figuring with all the trouble in town he'd know they'd need help, but nobody came. The guy probably bought it in that damn bombing raid.
"Those idiots've gotta start coordinatin' the jobs over here, or I'm gonna refuse to come on these little capers."
Actor laughed in spite of his worry. "I'm sure Colonel Reynolds will understand and agree with your decision completely."
The burly explosives expert opened his eyes and frowned. "I'm gonna kill him." He'd lost track of how many times he'd made that threat, but this time he meant it. "If that guy knew what was gonna go down, and sent us over here anyway, I'm gonna kill him."
"Reynolds didn't know, Casino. He'd have told me."
"And you'd've told us, right Warden?" Casino looked across the room at Garrison. They couldn't persuade him to stay down, he was propped up in the corner convinced he was in good enough shape to keep watch over the other two while they went out to try and make contact with the underground.
"Quiet, both of you!" Actor shoved up onto his feet and took a position behind the door. They could all hear rapid light steps heading towards the house. The Warden's gun was already in his hand as Casino took cover and aimed at the door.
g
It was silent, no one breathed, no one moved. The wind rattled the branches that leaned over and rested on the roof of the farmhouse. They could hear the soft sound of fine gravel hitting the north wall as the gusts pushed it around the yard. The board in front of the door gave a slight squeak, the knob started to move and the door slowly swung into the room.
Casino tensed and then clambered to his feet as Actor closed the door and pulled the young woman into a hug. "Lady, you could get your head blown off pullin' a stunt like that." Motioning with his pistol he shot Actor an irritated look. "I guess this is the dame from the party?"
"Camille, what happened? Where's your father?" Garrison called to her from the corner as he tried to get to his feet.
She stepped across the room and sank to the floor next to him. "The bombers, they hit the shop where he was waiting." They shared a long look and he pulled her into his arms a moment before she pushed away, ran the back of her hand across her eyes and continued. "I'm sorry, I couldn't get here sooner. The Germans have patrols out, someone reported seeing people in the street outside the headquarters building. They already have road blocks set up. They are searching for you, you must leave now or they will find you here."
The farm seemed remote enough but it wasn't far from the town and if they'd finished there and were making a systematic search of the surrounding countryside now it was well within the circle Garrison would throw around the town if he were in charge.
The Warden motioned Casino to him with a wave of his hand. "Get me up." The tone of his voice left no doubt that it was an order and not a request. When he was on his feet he tried to take a step on his own and had to grab hold of his safecracker to keep from falling. Camille slipped under his arm to support him and he shoved the east coast thief away.
"Help Actor with the others" Turning to the girl he asked. "How'd you get out here?"
"Along the path that leads up from the village."
"Can we get out that way?"
"No." She shook her head as she looked over at the others. "It's too rough, you would never make it."
"How wide is it? Would a postal van make it?"
"Not all the way, but yes!" The vehicle the village post master used was small but sturdy and powerful enough to climb the steep winding roads that ringed the town. "It runs past here, over the hills and into the next small valley. There's a place where it comes close to the road, if you can make it that far you may be out of the area the Germans will search."
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"Verdammen Sie es! What's taking him so long?"
Actor watched as the Warden struggled along, he'd found a stout stick laying in the weeds outside the farmhouse and insisted on using it, leaving the others free to deal with Goniff and Chief. He wasn't going far in either direction, but he was definitely pacing off his irritation and concern.
"It hasn't been that long." The con man finished adding another layer to Goniff's dressing and slid out of the van. "He'll be here."
Garrison turned on his second. "I never should've let him go!" They'd gotten out, as far as he could tell they were outside the cordon the Germans had thrown around the town, but Casino insisted he could shove the car over the side of the road somewhere and keep the search parties busy enough with that they'd have a clear run to the coast...get the pressure completely off of them, and he'd fallen for it.
When the Warden pulled the map from his belt pack Camille had quickly located the farm and traced the path along behind it, indicating its winding course back into town and the track it took through the hills above the house. It swung close to the road in two places, the closest was where they stopped and let Casino off. He swore it wasn't far to the ditch where the car was hidden. He promised he'd dump the vehicle and meet them, run all the way if he had to, to get there...
"Where in the hell is he?!"
Actor watched as the Lieutenant started to pace again. This just wouldn't do. Stepping into his path he blocked his progress and reached out and took the stick away from him and tossed it into the bushes. Slipping under the Warden's arm he forced him to the back of the van. It wasn't hard, the wounds in his legs had opened up as soon as he'd gotten on his feet back in the farmhouse. Garrison should have passed out before this but he was too stubborn to give in to a minor thing like blood loss and he was too worried about Casino and the rest of them. The big man propped his commander against the back of the van and climbed inside. Turning he hooked his hands under Garrison's arms, ignoring his protests, and hauled him up onto the floor, pulling him back where he could lean against one of the mail sacks.
Climbing down he tossed a pistol in the Warden's lap and leveled a steady gaze at their hard headed leader. "Don't even think about getting out of there." Dusting his hands on his pants he turned and stalked up the trail in search of their missing member.
Garrison sat frowning after his second a moment before starting to shove himself back towards the opening.
"Hey Warden, lookit this." Goniff grinned at him, and patted a groggy Chief on the hand.
"Thank God!"
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"Alright! So I'm not gonna win any races. I got here didn't I?"
The little color the Lieutenant had left disappeared at that. Actor thought Casino should be glad he'd managed to take that stick away from the Warden.
"Of all the idiotic..." But he couldn't finish, he'd started shaking too badly.
Casino stretched up and pulled a couple of empty sacks off a hook on the side wall of the van and wrapped them around Garrison's shoulders. He couldn't see what all the fuss was about, he'd only been gone twenty minutes more than he figured... And the dodge worked, that's why he was late, he'd stayed to make sure. He found himself a nice steep little cliff and the car had gone over with a bang. The explosion and fire drew the Krauts in like a magnet. If there was one left within a five mile radius that wasn't standin' on the road enjoyin the bonfire and makin' bets as to how many saboteurs had just gone up in smoke it was 'cause he was deaf and blind and wouldn't cause them any trouble anyway.
"Don't make me do it." Garrison mumbled.
"What's that Warden?" The guy'd stopped shakin so hard, but he was white as a sheet and startin' to sweat. Casino pulled him off the mail sack and tugged him around where he could lay him out flat.
Garrison was fighting a losing battle to keep his eyes open and his words were a little bit slurred. "Don't make me write that letter to your folks."
That brought him up short and it took a minute before he could answer. "Not a chance Warden... Not this time."
But by then Garrison was out of it and didn't hear him, he wouldn't have been able to hear one a those damn bombs if it'd landed right next to 'em on the road. Casino laid another couple a sacks across the Warden's legs and then twisted around to rest his back against the side of the van. He balanced the automatic rifle across his knees, he was the only one in the back capable of handling a weapon.
Actor slammed the doors to the van closed and walked around to the cab, the vehicle rocked as he climbed up behind the wheel and started off along the road. It wasn't very far, if they were lucky they'd be enjoying the hospitality of another underground group in less than three hours. Camille sent word ahead and the next group was on the watch for them. Two hours out he finally started to relax. Just short of three hours out he was facing a German road block.
He watched as the soldiers surrounded the van, checked in the mirror and prayed that they wouldn't open the back doors. Stepping out of the cab he turned his most bemused smile on the young man in front of him, but before he could open his mouth he had a rifle pointed at the center of his chest.
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The German sergeant studied him for several moments and as he moved forward he lowered the muzzle of his rifle. There were other weapons trained on him, Actor still didn't move a muscle. He tried for a look of confused confidence. He had no papers, if they were to get out of this it would be solely on his ability to bluff. The soldier stepped up and checked the inside of the cab before turning back to given him another appraising stare.
The sergeant pursed his lips and started his inspection with the boots, fine ones they were too. His gaze traveled up the long legs clothed in pants that were just a touch too large and a few inches too short, over the white shirt with the sleeves rolled back from the wrist and rested on the aristocratic face. He wondered why a postman would be wearing a German officer's boots and pants and considered waiting for the explanation, feeling it might prove very entertaining... especially in light of the report they'd intercepted regarding a certain empty staff car found burning in a ravine, but there was no time for enjoyment, he had a job to do.
"You do know stealing mail's a federal crime? I'm afraid it'll shoot your chances at that parole all to hell." Benson grinned up at the man who was running his hands over his face with irritated relief. He knew all about these guys, even knew which one this was he had in front of him. Wait'll he got back and told the guys he'd put one over on Garrison's con man extraordinaire. "You got Lieutenant Garrison with you?"
Actor dropped his hands down by his sides and stared at the young man a moment. Now that he wasn't blinded by the German uniform he recognized him. He'd seen him around the headquarters building when they'd gone in for meetings with Reynolds. The young man was a member of one of the regular Army commando units. "Yes, he's in the back. But he's been injured, along with two more of our group. And for God's sake don't let anyone open the doors before I let Casino know everything is all right!"
Benson called his men to him with a whistle as Actor walked around to the back of the vehicle. The con artist's legs felt like rubber and he was having second thoughts about warning Benson away from opening those doors. Slapping the palm of his hand on the side of the van he called to the men inside.
"Casino! Our escort is here." Twisting the handle on the doors he pulled them open and caught the rifle that was tossed out of the back. Stepping back he motioned Benson's group towards him as Casino clambered down out of the van.
The safecracker brought his hand up to shade his face and squinted around him, waiting for his eyes to adjust. He grinned at the young man that stepped up next to Actor and stuck out his hand. "Hey Charlie! How'd you manage to draw the short straw?" and to Actor's questioning look he explained. "Charlie here's one a my poker pigeons... uh, students. Gettin' real good too, I only took him for forty bucks the last time."
"That's only because you cheat! And I just happened to be in the area when the call came through to the underground Casino." Benson took a step back and saluted. "Gentlemen you are now in the custody of the Third Reich" the young man smiled. "All the way to the sub."
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The ride back across the channel was smooth as glass. If they hadn't had three guys wrapped in bandages he might a called it 'perfect'. Casino shook his head and took another pull of strong coffee. At least the Navy got the real thing and knew how to make up a decent cup a Joe. From the jolt he got off the first swallow they must have loads of the stuff on board, he'd gone from dead tired to wired in about half a cup. He glanced up as Actor settled in at the table, reached across to the pot on the hot plate and poured a mug for him, topping up his own while he was at it.
"What's the doc say? How'r they doin?"
Actor leaned back as he wrapped his hands around the steaming mug of coffee, he had no intentions of drinking it, he didn't want anything to interfere with the long night's sleep he was looking forward to, but the cup was warm and soothing in his hand. "Well, the doctor has cleaned everyone up and improved a great deal on our improvised bandages. He says Chief has a simple concussion, and assures me that he's been drifting in and out of consciousness due to blood loss from the injury to his shoulder. The wounds both Goniff and Chief have are clean enough that with a little debridement," to the safecracker's questioning look he raised a hand and made snipping motions with his fingers, smiling at the way Casino cringed. "He feels they will be able to be stitched. They won't be able to do the same for the Warden, but he did manager to get that piece of stone out of his leg."
Casino nodded as he took another swallow of coffee. "He hates gettin' the needle, I'm surprised he went for it."
"He didn't. He just grabbed onto the sides of the cot and told the doctor to get to work."
"What?!" Casino puzzled over that one for a while. He didn't like the way the stuff made him feel either, and he hated the throwin' up that sometimes went with goin' out, but he didn't think he could just sit there while some joker carved on him... "Hey you don't think he's turnin' into one a them masochists, do ya?"
Actor laughed , "Some times I wonder..." and finally gave in to the enticing aroma of the coffee. "No, he said he didn't want to take the chance, at least not until after the debriefing with Reynolds."
"That's right." Casino yawned. "He's carryin' those plans around in his head..." It took a second for the penny to drop. "What d'ya mean 'take the chance'?"
"Come Casino, you know as well as I do that any time the doctors put you to sleep there's a chance, even if it is a slight one in this case, of not waking up. Besides I believe he's worried. Once he does go out he'll probably sleep for a week, I know I could."
"Amen to that, and I think I'll just go and get a little head start." But his plans went out the window when the whistled signal announced their imminent arrival in port.
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They caused a stir in the medical unit when they rolled in, Garrison refusing any and all treatment until after his meeting with Reynolds. Even setting them on Casino to keep the doctors from concentrating on him until the Colonel got there.
Casino growled his displeasure as the orderly offered to escort him to an exam room. He had a headache, sure., but he wasn't about to put up with any poking and prodding just to take the heat off the Warden. He'd opened his mouth to tell him just that when Colonel Reynolds rolled in. Watching the short conference in the hall he slipped away from the orderly and headed for the door they were all piling through, calling over his shoulder as he went.
"Catch ya later, babe. Very important meeting right now, they can't do it without me." He had more motivation that just stayin' away from the doctors as he pushed the door open... he wanted to make damn sure Reynolds hadn't known about that raid.
Reynolds was on the tail end of the crowd and well within the irritated cons reach.
"Wait just a minute......I got somethin' I wanna talk to you about!'
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"Casino there was no way for us to get word to you. The storm was too severe over the primary target and the group turned to the secondary one..."
"So you didn't know nothin' about it." Casino continued to stare at the Colonel a moment before releasing the wad of uniform sleeve he held in his tightly clenched fist.
"Not until after it happened." The Colonel smoothed his uniform into order, waving his aide back. Reynolds had learned over the months he'd worked with this group that this man's objections were usually well founded but he had a rather brusque way of stating them.
"I wouldn't have sent you in there without warning... I'm afraid you'll just have to believe that."
"Right." Casino turned away in disgust and shoved the door to the treatment room open. Slouching against the wall he eyed Reynolds as he came through. Sure, the safecracker believed that one..., just like he still believed in Santa Claus.
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"Lieutenant I can understand your desire to complete your debriefing as quickly as possible but further delay in starting treatment could impact your ability to recover." The doctor was standing firm. They'd managed to get x-rays while they argued during Garrison's delaying maneuver and there was still debris in some of the wounds. "Look I have the report from the medical officer on the sub. He pried that stone fragment out of your leg all right, but there are more, and some of them show every sign of infection. It's not good enough to just take the damn thing out, Lieutenant. I've got to get in there and clean up the bone. If you get an infection started there, you stand a good chance of losing your leg!"
But Garrison could be just as stubborn. "And I can understand your concerns doctor. But I don't want to go under until after I've finished with Colonel Reynolds and that's the end of it. I doubt even Army doctors have the right to treat someone against they're will!"
Reynolds had been standing by watching the argument. Stepping forward he cleared his throat and said quietly. "Actually Lieutenant Garrison you are considered government property, therefore I could order you to submit to treatment and you would have to obey or risk disciplinary action." Cutting through the Lieutenant's shock and the doctor's triumph he continued. "However I happen to be in complete agreement with you." Turning his full attention on the frustrated doctor he suggested. "I'm sorry Doctor Samuels, we've too much riding on this. Surely there's a way to start treatment without rendering Garrison, here, unconscious?
Samuels ran a hand through his hair and ended up rubbing the back of his neck. "All right. I supposed we can do it with a spinal. But it's not my first choice, it doesn't always work... And I need all non essentials out of here."
"And I'm afraid, besides yourself, we'll need all personnel without a security clearance cleared from the room." Reynolds stared the doctor down... he could be stubborn too.
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It took a long time. Reynolds had clerks shuttling in and out with maps and paperwork on what they knew of the Germans troop movements and build ups over on the continent. It was hard to tell who was who, everyone had to get into medical gowns and masks to keep things clean. Casino was kept busy checking up on Goniff and Chief and running reports in for the Warden while Actor's medical knowledge and skills strained as he tried to assist Samuels under the doctor's direction. And Samuels had been right, the spinal hadn't worked, at least not all the way. It had definitely taken the edge off and allowed Garrison to hold still while they worked, but occasionally the doctor'd hit a spot that was still sensitive and his reporting would stop abruptly while he waited for the pain to die back to a more manageable level.
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They met up in the hallway that led to the room Chief and Goniff were in. Casino leaned against the wall and waited for Actor to reach him.
"What's a matter, I'm not fast enough for him?"
Actor laughed and shook his head as he stripped off the gown he'd worn in the treatment room. "No. The doctor's finished. They'll be moving him in with the others as soon as they've finished bandaging his legs."
"He finally let them put him out?"
"He didn't have to. As soon as he put the finishing touches on that report and confirmed with Colonel Reynolds that he'd given him everything he passed out on his own." Actor reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I think the doctor was very relieved." The con man shuddered, it had been nerve wracking to listen to Garrison calmly making his report as the doctor cut into his legs.
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After the Warden was settled in the staff turned two of the beds in the room over to them so they could try and get a little sleep. They'd shouldn't have bothered, ten minutes after the lights went out Chief sat bolt up right and had to be convinced they were in England, not somewhere over on the continent being hunted by Germans. Twenty minutes after arguing the young man out of taking up a position to protect the group Goniff turned in his sleep and pulled a few stitches loose. They didn't take him out of the room to repair the damage, just set up the trays and brought in the bright lights and did it right there. By then there was so much noise in the hall outside the door Actor and Casino rolled off their beds in unison to go find out what the commotion was all about.
"Glad you guys are already up. I was just about to come and get you." One of the orderlies called to them as he passed in the hallway. "I'm afraid you're being evicted, we've got a load of casualties coming in and it looks like we're going to need every bed we got... and then some."
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Once they'd been identified as able-bodied and willing they'd both been press ganged into helping, strip beds, lift patients, haul supplies, anything to lend a hand. By the time there was a break in the action and they could hit the cafeteria for some food and coffee it was mid morning.
"What'n the hell's goin' on?!" Casino shoved along the bench as a weary doctor settled next to him at the table. Actor took one look at the man and pushed away from the table and headed back to the chow line.
The doctor yawned and took a long pull on his coffee before he answered. "There's been some action in Italy. Afraid it hasn't all gone our way." He yawned again and smiled his gratitude up at Actor as he set a plate of food in front of him. "This is just the beginning. The place will be full up before the end of the day."
He hadn't been kidding, by late afternoon the place was a mad house and the nursing staff and doctors were busy evaluating patients for possible discharge or transfer to make room for the influx of wounded. Chief was one of those they felt would do alright if he was turned over to someone with a little experience and he was packed up and bundled into the jeep Rawlins brought out from the estate when they called him. Instructions were given to Actor on how to look after him and when to bring him back and they all gratefully headed back for their own beds. At seven the next morning the phone rang, ending a full night's sleep that had only seemed like a few moments. Rawlins was on the intercom.
"Sorry lads, the doctor's just been on the phone. We've got to go in and get Goniff now or he says he'll have to be sharing a bed with the Lieutenant."
Casino stayed at the mansion with Chief reasoning that Goniff might need more than just the sympathy he'd be able to give him on the trip back from the hospital. On the ride in Actor didn't realize he was foretelling the future when he turned to Rawlins.
"We might as well just bring the Warden back too, he'll be demanding the doctors release him."