Missing Friends

Lieutenant Craig Garrison leant back against the wall glancing around as he held his hand over his bleeding shoulder. He was sure that the bullet had gone right through but the pain was intense and he was certain that the bone had either been broken or at least chipped.

He tossed a frantic look back in the direction that he had come from. The Gorillas had been on a relatively simple mission, break into a German general's wall safe, in his own residence, steal some plans and get out. The safe was of pre-war design and one that Casino had broken into many times before. The local resistance had told them that the General and his wife had been recalled to Germany for a weekend meeting with Hitler himself and the house would be empty except for a skeleton staff, who all showed sympathy with the resistance and had in fact agreed to help the team gain entry to the premises.

It had been a trap. A wonderfully well planned and executed trap. What had happened to the other members of his team, Garrison didn't know. He'd seen Actor leap forward to break Goniff's fall as he tumbled down from the first floor window. The small pick- pocket had recovered swiftly after the first surprise of being caught and Garrison had seen them both scurry off, diving over the high wall that surrounded the house and hopefully into the safety of the many side streets that twisted and turned away from the property. Of Casino's fate he had no idea, nor that of Chief, the handsome American Indian, who had been watching from the getaway car further down the road. With growing concern he could only guess at the present circumstances of his men.

He himself had made it back over the high wall under a flurry of bullets and was unfortunate enough to catch one as he did so. He now stood frantically trying to catch his breath after having run for over a mile from the house and hopefully lost the soldiers that had swarmed from the house on his tail.

He realised with a start that he had been standing idle for too long and could now hear the sound of the soldiers as they began to comb the town looking for them. He cast another look down at his arm and realised with a ripple shock that he was leaving a pool of blood by his feet. Swearing, he wondered if he had left a trail for the Germans to follow. Knowing that he would have to stop the bleeding, he frantically looked around for somewhere to hide. He would need time and isolation to remove his jacket, rip up his shirt and bandage the wound. He knew that if he tried to do it now he would be caught for sure.

Pushing himself away from the wall, he felt the world tilt and his knees tremble as they nearly betrayed him but he fought against the feeling of light-headedness and, pulling himself upright, he began to move along the street. He stumbled along, his stolen uniform luckily giving the impression of a German solider who had drunk too much.

He had only travelled a few streets further on when the sound of pursuit increased and he knew that he would not be able to stay out of their clutches unless he found a safe hiding place. With that thought in mind he began inspecting the front doors of the closed shops as he passed, looking for a lock that he felt he would be able to pick. As he did so he tried them to see if one was loose, hoping that maybe he could force the lock. He knew that with only one hand it was a next to impossible task but he was becoming desperate.

He slipped into the front entrance of a distinguished looking clothes shop and began to fumble in his jacket pocket trying to get the set of skeletons keys that he always carried there. He cursed when they slipped from his shaking hand and jingled loudly on the wet ground and he bent down without thinking to retrieve them. The world darkened and he reeled against the window of the shop. His injured arm impacted hard and he whimpered an inarticulate cry and would have slumped to the ground if a pair of strong arms hadn't chosen that moment to slide about him and support his weight.

He glanced sideways at his rescuer and felt a smile split his face as he looked straight into the dark, concerned eyes of his expert car thief, Chief. "Warden?" the man said his name like a question, asking in that one word what was wrong.

"Bullet right through the shoulder," he gasped, closing his eyes and breathing harshly as he used the few seconds to gain his stability.

Chief frowned. Gently he positioned the Warden, helping him lean up against the window, then holding him steady with one hand he reached down and retrieved the skeleton keys with the other. Glancing back towards the noise of the Germans, he frowned and began to fumble with the lock. Soon the door swung open and grasping the near fainting man, he all but hauled Garrison inside. Half carrying the lieutenant, he made his way to the back of the shop where the large spacious changing rooms were situated and carefully sat him down on a large plush chair. Checking to make sure that Garrison was conscious enough to ensure that he would remain upright, Chief then slid back out to close the front door and make sure that the area looked undisturbed an any prying eyes that might glance in its direction.

Once satisfied that he had done as good a job as he could, he made his way back to Garrison's side. Several tense minutes passed before handheld lights appeared long the street. He ducked back behind the curtain pulling it closely shut when the flash light shone into the shop and he heard the shouts of the Germans as they called to each other after checking the doors of each premises.

As the shouts began to fade away he turned his attention to the Warden. Garrison was still sitting slumped in the chair but even with the lack of light, Chief could see that his face was very pale and a sheen of sweat covered his features. His breathing was harsh, gasping and each breath brought a small grimace of pain as he jostled his injured arm, which was being held tight across his chest.

"Here, Warden," the Indian said, moving to crouch down in front of him. "Let me have a look." The next several minutes was taken up as he carefully removed the heavy uniform jacket and bloodied shirt. Once that was done Chief was able to examine the wound more closely. It was very messy and Garrison was right, the bullet had gone right through but at an angle and the Indian was sure that it had damaged the collar bone on its way through.

After checking that it was safe to do so, Chief slipped out into the main part of the shop and began to rifle though the stack of clothes looking for something to use as a bandage. He came across some very fine cotton shirts that he could rip up and a drawer of thick cotton scarves that he could use as padding.

Another quick search of the premises revealed a small kitchen and bathroom out back but unfortunately no exit. Sighing against the bad luck that had dogged them since the start of the evening, he heated water in the small bowl that he had found in the sink and moving back to Garrison he began to carefully clean the wound as best he could.

By the time he was finished he could see that Garrison was shaking with pain and fatigue but the man never uttered a word while his arm was pulled about except to hiss on occasions. Finally the Indian sat back and swiping a stray lock of hair from his eyes he asked, "How does that feel?" As he spoke he inspected the tightly bandaged arm and shoulder, resisting the urge to reach out and re-adjust the sling again, knowing that any movement hurt his friend.

Garrison looked down at the bandage and sling and forced a smile to his lips. "Feels better.... thanks," he answered, his tone weak.

Chief worried at his bottom lip as he took in the slightly breathless tone and reaching out he rested his hand lightly on Garrison's forehead and felt the heightened temperature of his friend, who made no effort to pull away from the questing fingers. Chief's main concern was the amount of junk and dirt that had been taken into the wound by the bullet when it passed through the army uniform and how much had been left in the wound to fester into an infection, which, judging from Garrison's complexion and rapid heartbeat, was well on its way.

"We have to... find the... others," Garrison mumbled as he tried to stand. He made it half way up before he tilted over and Chief had to make a grab for him to prevent him from tumbling to the ground.

"Just stay still for a moment and gather your strength," Chief snapped, knowing that the run from the general's house had not done the injured man any favours. "I saw Actor and Goniff. They made it across the bridge and were heading towards the house where we stayed last night." He purposefully kept his tone light as he added, "If I know Actor he's more than likely in some resistance member's warm home, drinking all their wine and causing the old man to lock up his daughters." He went on to explain his own presence beside Garrison, "I followed you but you were too fast and I lost you a few streets back... you can't half run for an injured man, Warden."

Garrison pushed his joking words aside and asked in deadly seriousness, "Any sign of Casino?"

Chief looked everywhere but at the man sitting dejectedly in front of him. "No..." he finally said, "but I did see an officer type come out of the house and call back about five or six men from the search parties that were being sent out, directing them into the house, so I would guess that they have him."

Garrison closed his eyes at Chief's words and then slowly nodded in agreement as he said, "I never heard any shots from inside the house, so I guess they were waiting for him... Us." Then he added, "Goniff was his lookout inside the house so he might have a better idea of what actually happened." He remembered seeing the smaller man dive out of the window just before the trap was sprung on those waiting in the garden. "He must have been close enough to the window to escape."

"And," Chief concluded following Garrison's own train of thought, "the Germans inside the house must have believed that they had enough people outside to round him up." He let out a heartfelt sigh of frustration. "How the hell could they have known we were coming?"

Garrison blinked owlishly as he considered the events that had led up to the trap being sprung, then commented his tone hushed as the words sunk in, "they must have a spy in the resistance cell... or the Germans planned it from the start and fed false information to the resistance to begin with."

"This is a mess." Chief said in total disgust as he turned and looked back out into the shop area. The sound of pursuit had died down now and the night was not so dark, heralding the break of another day. If they were going to move it had to be now. They could not risk being cornered in the shop nor caught out in the open streets once daylight arrived. "Come on, Warden..." he said reaching out to assist the man to his feet. "We've got to move."

"We need... to find Actor and Goniff." Garrison said as he allowed Chief to help him up. He stood swaying for a few moments before he regained his balance, then gently but firmly pushed the other man's support away. "We will need to head towards Jacques' place." It was the small town house where they had stayed the day before and the only location that all five men knew as a safe haven.

"What if Casino told the Jerrys about it?" Chief asked, although even as he did so, he knew that there was a better chance of the traitor inside the resistance betraying them than Casino, so he was not surprised when Garrison strongly denied his words.

Before they left the shop, Chief did a quick search and found a couple of thick, well made coats, one of which he securely wrapped about his friend. As they left the shop, Chief was very careful to make sure that the way was clear. They had to travel at Garrison's slower speed but even so they were still making good time as the crossed the sleeping town.

Just as the pre-dawn light began to crawl across the sky, they entered the neighbourhood of the safe house where they had stayed the night before. The area was quiet, the curfew still in effect until 6am.

Suddenly Chief sensed another presence and was therefore not surprised when two figures stepped out from the shadows of a nearby alleyway. They both held their arms out to showed that they were not holding weapons.

"Garrison?" One of the men asked, as he stepped to the fore. Chief noted that he spoke in almost perfect English, with little accent.

"Who wants to know?" the Indian demanded, sliding carefully in front of Garrison so he would be better able to protect him. Unnoticed by either man, he slipped his knife into his hand, hidden from view but ready to be use if the answer was not to his liking.

The man before them paused slightly giving the swaying, injured man a closer inspection then offered, "It is not safe to go to Jacques' house... they came for him... just after you left."

"How do we know that you're not with them?" Chief barked out the question, concerned that Garrison was not partaking in the conversation, to the Indian it showed just how sick he really was.

"If I were a German, I would not be waiting out here in the cold, I would be in the warm at Jacques' house waiting for you." The man stated clearly and the Indian had to admit that he had a point.

He opened his mouth to question further but was diverted when he felt Garrison sway behind him. Chief span about just in time to catch the man as he slumped to the ground.

The other two men started forward, the talker saying, "He's been injured?"

"Yes," Chief agreed as he followed Garrison down under his weight. Even through the thick coat that he had put on the man he could feel the fever burning. "Bullet clean through the shoulder."

"Come with us, we can get you a doctor to look at him," the Maquis member said. Chief only hesitated a moment then nodded his agreement. The man who had been silent throughout the conversation stepped forward and helped the Indian raise the unconscious man and between them they carried him as they followed the other.

The talker lived up to his name, as he quickly explained how the resistance safe-house had been raided soon after Garrison and his team had left. This had alerted the rest of the members of the small group who had immediately disbanded and gone to other members, known only to each other. They were now being hidden and would be moved from the town once it was safe to do so. Once the alert had gone up, the Maquis had also arranged a sweep of the town for the members of Garrison's team who had escaped. One of the early sweeps had picked up Actor and Goniff and they were now waiting at the house where they were being taken.

When Chief asked if there had been any news on their fifth member, the man had fallen silent then slowly shook his head as he offered, apology thick within his tone. "I'm sorry my friend but he was taken... they have him at Gestapo headquarters in the main square. One of our people is a cleaner there but he does not start work until six-thirty, so hopefully we should know more news after he gets off at twelve."

The journey was short and soon they were being directed into another house, this one was tall and looked imposing. Chief noted with some surprise that they were in a posher area than before and not too far from the General's house. Once they were inside he was directed down into the cellar.

As he moved down the stone steps he saw Actor and Goniff leap up to greet him. Their words died on their lips when they saw the unconsciousness form of Garrison. "What happened?" Actor demanded, moving up and taking the Warden from the silent resistance man who gave up his burden gratefully.

"Got shot... it went right though," Chief answered, then offered above his usual one word sentences, "and he lost a lot of blood... I think it's infected," he added for good measure.

Soon they had Garrison settled on the small bed that sat in one corner of the room and Actor, speaking in rapid French, demanded that a doctor be sent for at once. The leader of the two men who had found Chief and Garrison nodded his head and said, "My name is Simon and I will see to it that a doctor is sent for, just a soon as the curfew is lifted... It is too dangerous for him to travel at this time of the morning." Receiving a nod he offered instead, "In the meantime, I will arrange for some clean bandages, hot water and whatever else is in the house that we can use to be brought down to you, so that you can give it a better clean.... Yes?" "Thank you," Actor said gratefully before turning back to the two men who hovered over the Warden. Chief, with Goniff's help, had already removed the large coat that Garrison wore. With a frown the conman wondered where Chief had got such an expensive item of clothing. "What happened?" he asked as he came to stand over them, resisting the urge to push them out of the way and tend to the injured man himself.

Carefully, not leaving out a detail Chief explained what had happened since they had been parted. While he was speaking Simon returned with the promised items and they were able to clean out the weeping wound and re-bandage it.

Garrison regained consciousness during this time and asked a few questions of his own. His words were slurred and all present could see that he was annoyed with himself at his display of weakness. He had been shot before and not reacted this badly. He brushed aside Actor's comment about the loss of blood and demanded in a rasping tone, to know what had happened to the conman and the little thief after they had escaped the general's house.

Slowly, the handsome conman told him about how they had been heading back towards Jacques' house when they had been approached by the same two men who had stopped Chief and Garrison. They had been informed that they were members of the Maquis and that the safe house was no longer safe. At first Actor had been very distrustful of them but following a logic very similar to Chief's own, he had quickly realised that if they were Germans they were caught anyway. So they had agreed to go along with them. They had been brought to this house and been waiting ever since.

Garrison listened intently and then finally when Actor had finished he asked the question that had been burning at his soul since the mission had gone wrong the night before, "Casino? Any news on him?"

None of his men replied at first and, sudden fear colouring his tone, he demanded, "What? What's happened?"

Actor looked at Chief, then explained that the safe cracker had been definitely been caught the night before and was now a guest of the local Gestapo. Actor, seeing the look that crossed Garrison's face as this news and witnessing the way he attempted to raise from the bed, gently but firmly pushed him back as he hurried on to explain about the cleaner who was expected to report in after his shift had finished at twelve noon. Garrison seemed to settle back after that news and accepted Actor's advice to get as much rest as he could, so that he would be able to move at a short notice if he had to.

The injured man slipped into an uneasy sleep. Actor watched him for several moments before looking back towards the Indian as he silently made his way up the steps to stand at the top of the stairs, his body tuned into the world outside as he kept a silent vigil, content to know that the other two men would watch Garrison.

***

The men in the cellar had no way to tell the passing of time from the pre-dawn to the light of the day, as there were no windows. Both Actor and Goniff cast constant glances at their watches and wondered how long it would be before the doctor arrived. Garrison had slipped from restless sleep into a fevered dream of tossing and turning which kept Actor occupied as he kept tried to placate the fevered man and continued to replace the blanket over him as he tossed it aside as he fought some unseen enemy. During this period he mentioned Casino and the other threw knowing looks at each other, the Warden was fearful for their missing companion and was still worrying about him, even in his sleep.

A woman had appeared shortly after their arrival to bring them a very basic but filling breakfast, which was wolfed down by the hungry men and the coffee was gratefully received.

A short time later the door opened again and Simon had returned with a fairly young man, "This is Doctor Bodson. Sorry for the delay but he's been held over at a confinement across the town for most of the night."

"Twins," the doctor offered by way of an apology, before he gently but firmly moved Actor aside and began to work on his patient. After assessing the damage done to Garrison's shoulder he asked for more hot water, that was instantly brought when Simon shouted up the stairs for it.

The man worked efficiently, continually checking on the conscious state of his patient as he worked and soon the arm was again tightly bandaged but this time it had been subjected to a hefty dose of antiseptic powder and had been wrapped securely to Garrison's side, held immobile by a large bandage that was wrapped about his upper chest. As he prepared an injection he asked, "Is this man allergic to penicillin?"

"No." Actor answered with confidence. After all, he had seen the Garrison's file and he had an excellent memory. Not to mentioned having witnessed him injured before and knew that he had taken the medicine in the past to recover from other bouts of infection.

"Good," the doctor replied with a slight smile as he pushed the injection home. "This should settle him down a bit and I will leave you some tablets that he will need to take." The man began to gather his bits together and placed them back in his bag, "He's lost a fair amount of blood and needs to rest for a least the next few days... I also understand from Simon that he has already arranged your safe passage back to England. Once there, I would strongly advise that you get him into a hospital for a more detailed check.... He may need a transfusion."

Actor threw Simon a look of surprise before turning to accept the doctor's offered hand, just before the man began to retrace his steps up towards the main part of the house. He casually waved aside the conman's words of thanks and said warmly, "I will call again, if you're still here tonight... another injection would not go amiss."

When the doctor had gone, Actor checked the cover that lay over Garrison while he gathered his thoughts, then turning he asked Simon who had remained, "You have our escape route planned?"

The man didn't smile but offered instead, "We have made arrangements for a submarine that was coming to pick up another agent to also meet with you and," he shrugged turning a knowing glance on their injured companion, "it seemed an ideal solution to your present problem."

Actor held up his hand to prevent the others from commenting as he continued, his tone solid as a rock, "We still have a man missing."

Simon drew his lips together in anger before he said tightly, "You cannot help your man... the Gestapo headquarters here are in a very strong building and to break your man out would take an army." It was stated as a matter of fact.

"When do we have to leave here to keep our meeting with the submarine?" Actor asked, shooting a look back at the unconscious man and while he did seem to be sleeping more restfully since the injection, Actor knew that once Garrison found out about Casino and the fact that he was still alive, there was no way he would leave until he had exhausted every effort to free him. Simon took a slow step backwards, as he saw the looks the other three men gave each other. "You have to be at the cove by five tomorrow morning. But you will not stand a chance of getting your friend out," he insisted again hotly.

"Nevertheless we have to try," Actor stated with a strong conviction and his words were echoed by the other two men.

"We cannot allow that..." Simon shot back his eyes glassy with bitter anger as he spat out, "we have already lost a Maquis cell this morning." Seeing the confused look that crossed the others faces he replied shortly, "Jacques and his people... those that did not escape in time," he paused as he closed his eyes remembering, "they were shot this morning just after seven... in the town square... to remind others of their folly." He spat out his face twisting in sudden rage. "It is too dangerous... more of our people might die."

Actor closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he felt the man's pain but he opened them again and stated firmly, "Our friend will die if you don't help us."

Simon looked at the three men who stood before him, then at the unconscious commander who lead them. He had heard incredible, daring tales of these men and their exploits, had heard that they were allegedly criminals but the determination and courage they had shown to date during this bitter war, belied those rumours and their resolution to rescue their friend demonstrated an honour that no criminal would ever display. "Alright" he finally conceded, "I will speak to Claude... he's the cleaner. He goes back at eight this evening, for the night cleaning shift.... I will see if he can get two of you on it."

Actor nodded his head in acceptance and offered his heart felt thanks but ended by saying, "Just get us into the building. We will do the rest... and I promise you that we will exact payment for the lives of those people you lost this morning."

"They were very brave people." Simon answered, his voice subdued as he remembered the six people, his friends who had been shot that morning. Then lifting his head, his mentally shook himself as he continued in a stronger tone, "They died for their freedom and that of France... they will not be forgotten."

A heavy silence fell over the cellar for several minutes as each man remembered the gentle Maquis member who had been called Jacques. They had only meet him the day before and he had been a basic man, who didn't really understand the German people's need to conquer and rule, he only knew that the killing that was taking place was wrong and if he could give him home to the gorillas for a few hours, then it was his duty to do so. Actor sighed deeply and wondered how many more decent people had to die before this war was finally over. "Casino," Garrison cried out breaking the spell, as the other rushed to prevent him from rising from the bed but he was fighting a nightmare and refused to be stopped as he struggled to break free. After a few brief moments he slumped back on the bed still mumbling under his breath. Actor noted with concern the splash of red that was slowly beginning to show through the once pristine white bandage but he knew there was nothing further they could do, except keep the man as quite as possible.

Garrison's actions had broken the atmosphere and Simon hastily mumbled his goodbyes and fled upstairs, assuring the men trapped blow that he would make the arrangements for that night and if possible would assist them in freeing their captured comrade.

***

The rest of the day passed incredibly slowly, each minute seemed to take an hour and each hour a year. The woman who had brought them breakfast appeared about 12.30 with lunch. Like the breakfast it was very basic but filling. She was followed a short time later by Simon who in turn was accompanied by another much larger man, he was also much older and nearly bald. He was introduced as Claude, the cleaner.

He had a grim tale to tell, of how he had heard some snatched conversation from a couple of soldiers who were sniggering about the prisoner who was being held down below in the basement of the German headquarters. Apparently, the man's questioning had been postponed until another Gestapo officer could be brought in from a neighbouring city. It was known that the man was just a cold blooded murderer who like to torture his victims to death.

This news was greeted with a silence, which lasted until Actor turned the conversation back on to a workable escape plan. Claude, instead of being hesitant about the attempt seemed to be wholeheartedly behind it. His brother-in-law and a friend had agreed to go sick for that evening's shift, which would allow for Actor and Chief to turn up in their place. Claude insisted with a sneer that while the security was tight, the Germans had such faith in their own immunity that they believed that as long as the cleaners had a valid pass they were acceptable, especially as they had had a influx of new soldiers just a few weeks before and many of the cleaners faces were still unfamiliar to the soldiers who made little or no effort to remember the people who passed them almost daily.

Claude did show some concern for Chief's obvious Indian appearance but Actor assured them that he could soon use make-up to lighten his friend's appearance and give him the look of a Corsican. Chief pulled such a face at this news that Goniff had burst into laughter and soon the whole room was roaring with mirth at the unfortunate Indian's expression.

It was to this sound that drew Garrison from his slumber and he lay for a few moments trying to gather his thoughts. His last clear memory had been trying to break into a shop and now here he lay, in a bed with the others of his team near him. "Actor," he croaked. It was not very loud but it caught the men's attention and they moved from the table to stand about him. "Water?" he asked, then coughed. It was swiftly supplied and with Chief's help he was able to sip at the cool liquid. "What's happening?" he finally asked, once he was settled firmly back on the pillow. His face stilled showed the signs of fever and his eyes were bright as they settled on Actor, waiting for a reply to his question.

Actor began to explain the events of the morning and finished with their tentative plans to get Casino out of the clutches of the Gestapo. He lightly brushed over the plan, making it sound more foolproof than it actually was, as he didn't want the injured man to worry. Once he had finished, Garrison lay quite for several seconds before he asked, "What time do we need to leave here to met the submarine?" He looked at Simon while he spoke and the French man answered in confidence.

"By ten at the latest."

"Ten," Garrison confirmed, a frown marring his face. Knowing that Actor and the others would not like his suggestion, he ploughed on nevertheless, "then it would be best if we go with you when you break Casino out." Forestalling any comments he continued, his tone one of reason, "Then we can go straight on to the rendezvous point... otherwise you're going to lose value time coming back here for Goniff and me."

Both Actor and Chief started to protest but Garrison cut them off ,almost snarling the words as he stated firmly, "It's a done deal, gentlemen... either we all go... or none."

While the three members of his group knew that he would never actually endanger Casino, or his chance of escaping, they were all aware that once he'd made his mind up he was not going to be diverted easily and would only worry himself into a fret and fever if they fought him on the issue. Finally, Actor nodded his agreement. "Alright." He added for good measure his own tone as firm as Garrison's as he stated, "But you will remain in the truck at all times and Goniff will stay with you to make sure that you do."

Garrison, knowing that he had won the first argument, was not prepared to chance losing a second, so he tiredly nodded his head and asked, "Any news on Casino's condition?"

Claude took it on himself to answer, moving forward slightly so that he injured man didn't have to stretch himself to see him. "He was very vocal this morning..." he said with a slight smile. "He could be heard shouting and cursing the Germans through most of the house."

Garrison frowned at the other's words and worried, "He shouldn't antagonise them."

"Oh no," Claude hastily offered seeing the frown that now marred the handsome man's face, "They have orders not to hurt him... it was quite a joy to see the Germans squirming in their boots at some of the things he called them and they were not able to do a thing about it.." He smiled as he finished, "it made me glad that I had learned English just so that I could hear him.." He paused then added slightly wistfully, "but I do wish that I'd also learned Italian, because judging from a couple of the Gestapo officers' reactions, he knew some very good curses that he used."

"Well if Casino's cursing in Italian he can't be that badly hurt," Actor said with more cheer then he actually felt as he quietly motioned for the others to back away. "Simon," he continued seeing that even the small amount of effort it took to talk on Garrison's part had drained the man, "do you think we can get some soup down here... the doctor did say that the Lieutenant needed to gain his strength back and had to drink plenty of fluids."

"I'm fine," Garrison growled firmly, bristling under the looks his three men were giving him.

"You lost a lot of blood last night and you are still as pale as a ghost... so for once you're going to follow orders." Actor spoke in a tone that would allow for no argument. Garrison was just starting to realise that he had used up his small reserve of strength, so he conceded gracefully and thanked the other two Frenchmen as they left the cellar each with their appointed task, Claude to arrange for Actor and Chief to join his cleaning group for that night and Simon in search of some food for Garrison and the items of clothing and makeup that Actor had asked for.

***

The afternoon passed slowly. Garrison half-heartedly ate the food that was brought with Goniff's help and talked for a little while before accepting one of the tablets that the doctor had left before falling back asleep.

Actor meanwhile, spent most of his afternoon persuading Chief that to wear makeup was alright and that he had done it once before when he had dressed as a woman to save the lives of the new born babies. The Indian had spoken few words but frowned constantly during most of the discussion and Actor had only had to threaten Goniff twice with bodily harm, for his unhelpful comments on the subject as he spoon fed the Lieutenant.

Finally the hour for their departure arrived and Simon returned with some appropriate clothes and the dreaded make up that Actor had requested. He had remained and watched with intense interest as the conman skilfully applied first a base foundation and then a lighter dust covering, which toned up the colouring of the other man considerably.

Chief meanwhile kept moving and shifting under the other's administration and finally let out an audible sigh of relief when Actor stepped back and finally admitted that he was satisfied with the result. Actor hoped that Casino would appreciate the effort they were all going to to gain him his freedom.

At the appointed time Claude appeared and they carefully loaded the now awake and advice offering Garrison into the back of the truck. The doctor had accompanied Claude and had carefully checked the injured man's wound, muttering under his breath when he spied the fresh blood that stained the bandage. He re-bandaged the wound and then proceeded to give him another shot of penicillin. Seeing Garrison fretting over the others as they got ready to leave, he quietly and carefully filled another syringe and pushed it home while the other man still spoke. Within seconds Garrison's voice trailed off causing both Actor and Chief to spin about, concerned by their Warden's suddenly lack of comments, which admittedly they had only half been listening to. The Doctor just shrugged innocently at their raised eyebrows and confused look and offered, "He was starting to fret himself into another fever. This way he gets some much needed rest and you get to accomplish your mission without worrying about him worrying.... No?"

"Yes." Actor laughed before he offered a heart felt thank you. Then turning to the others, he checked Chief's appearance one more time, seemed satisfied with what he saw, and indicated that they were ready to leave.

***

The building that housed the Gestapo was large and imposing and as Simon had said, impossible for anyone to attack and succeed unless they had a tank but they easily gained access as they followed closely behind Claude into the building. The two soldiers on guard duty at the door barely gave their passes a glance as they waved them on into the building. The small Frenchman seemed to be on speaking terms with most of the soldiers and offered his words in a sort of pigeon German that the soldiers seemed to find as amusing as his mispronounced words. He just smiled along with them and nodded his head in a very subservient manner which also seemed to impress the younger soldiers.

Once in the main hallway, Claude pointed to a large door near the end of the corridor and whispered, "That leads down to the cellars where your friend is being kept... we have no reason to go down there... but there are always two guards on duty in the office opposite, so if you could get their uniforms..." he let his words hang. They had already tentatively discussed the plan in the cellar and now it seemed a good one to go with.

The soldiers offered very little resistance, as all they saw were three cleaners enter the room, one of whom they knew. Before they realised their mistake, it was too late. The uniforms were not an exact fit but Actor hoped that there would be a weak light in the cellar and the need to be in and out of the building quickly would be to their advantage as it would allow them to move with more confidence than having time to worry about their action would give them.

They parted from Claude before they left the room and he gave them both a heart felt handshake as they attempted to thank him. He just smiled broadly and motioned for them to go ahead of him, as they moved towards the cellar door opposite and he departed upstairs to continue with his cleaning.

As Actor surmised the cellar was darker than the hallway they had just left, with only a few dim bulbs throwing out light. As they descended the steps, they could immediately tell where Casino was, both from his loud swearing and the two guards who were stationed right outside his door.

Moving as one, Actor and Chief advanced on the guards. Actor speaking loudly in a perfect German accent as he heatedly disagreed with something that Chief had supposedly said. As they moved up to casually stand besides the two guards, he turned and asked their opinion, then looked confused for a moment, when one of them answered. It was the opening that Chief was waiting for, because while that guard was distracted by Actor's question, he stumbled forward, against the other guard and slipped his knife in between his ribs, the man died instantly as the thin weapon pierced his heart.

As he slumped forward, Actor exclaimed loudly and when the remaining guard turned to see what was happening he used his own knife to end his life. Quickly searching the downed men, they found the keys to Casino's prison and dragged the bodies out of view after them they opened the door and entered the cell.

Casino was waiting just inside door, his stance one of defence which turned into an expression of slight confusion when he saw Chief but then a wide smile broke across his face as he yelled, "Lord... Chief... you look as if you've seen a ghost and turned as white as a sheet."

"Why don't you just yell 'HELP' and get the whole German army down here," Actor growled as he hurriedly pushed past the Indian who was fuming at the other's words. He noted swiftly that Casino seemed none the worse for his short stay in the hands of the Gestapo, apart from a few bruises. "Now help me with this guard and get his clothes on... they look like they might fit..." Turning he ordered Chief, "you go and keep watch by the door to the hallway... if anyone comes let us know."

Luck was with them and no-one else approached the cellar. Within minutes Casino had changed clothes with the dead soldier and they both arranged the man in the cells only bed, so that it looked like Casino was asleep in his bunk.

"Now let's get out of here," Actor said moving out of the cell and after locking the door he threw the keys back into the room through the small grid opening in the door. "What about the plans?" Casino asked as he followed the others, his attention still fixed on fiddling with his uniform, which really was too tight for him.

"What plans?" Actor asked coming to an abrupt stop, so abrupt that the other man walked into his back.

"The ones we came for..." Casino explained rubbing his nose which he had hit when Actor had stopped. Seeing the look this earned him he sighed deeply and went on to explain as if to a stupid child, "When I was brought in I saw that general that Garrison showed us a picture of. He was laughing - couldn't understand what he was saying but I did see him hand over some papers to another guy, who put them into a safe... in the room opposite the door that lead down here."

"Do you think you could open the safe.... If you had to?" Actor asked, a gleam entering his eyes as he remembered that he had promised to avenge the death of Jacques and his Maquis cell.

"If it's a safe I can open it," retorted Casino sharply, his indignation that Actor had to ask clearly sounding in his voice.

"Come on then.... I will see just how long it takes you," Actor insisted, taking the lead as they walked up the stairs. After checking that they way was clear they swiftly slipped across the hall and he and Chief spent the next several minutes watching as Casino did what he was so good at doing. Once the safe was open, Actor moved forward and began to pull out the papers that lay inside. As he read them a large smile spread across his face.

"This is going to hurt the Germans once we get it home..." he explained seeing the looks his smiled had earned him from the other two men, "this one," he held up several sheets of paper, "tells of a new factory that they are building and this," he held up another, "is a very detailed plan of the defences and routes that they use to move supplies around this area."

Casino smiled and offered warmly and in some anticipation, "Boy... the Warden is going to give as a least two weeks off for this."

The other two men exchanged knowing looks and Casino stopped dead in the act of resealing the safe as he demanded, his tone clearly showing concern as he asked, "The Warden's alright, isn't he?"

"Yes," Actor hastened to reassure before he added, "but he was injured and lost quite a lot of blood."

"Hell," Casino retorted relaxing slightly and returning to relocking the safe. "That man is always getting injured and losing blood, I reckon we ought to start carrying a few extra pints with us on missions," he said as he finished up and replaced the picture that had hidden the safe from view.

"Ready?" Actor asked as he tucked the stolen papers inside his uniform jacket. Receiving nods from his companions he motioned for Chief to check the hallway before they carefully left the room.

Getting out of the building was incredibly easy. Actor did the intense discussion act again and the other two men who accompanied him, just nodded from time to time as if they were in agreement with him and the strolled pass the two guards in the main entrance and out of the courtyard without a backwards glance.

***

The truck was where they had left it and Garrison was still soundly asleep. Goniff had sweated himself into a panic at their delay but joined in the smiles and back slapping when they finally climbed into the back of the truck.

Their spirits were high as they joked and planned the leave they had been promised, as the vehicle trundled towards the coast and their escape back to English shores. Casino filled them in on what his day had been like and even commented that the Germans had fed him twice while he had been their guest.

The trip home was a secure one and meeting the submarine had not been a problem. Getting the unconscious Garrison on board had been one but they crew had swiftly over come that obstacle and once on board, Garrison had been whisked to sickbay. The others had attempted to follow but the doctor had informed them in no uncertain tones that they were not welcome and to come back later, so after having eaten a hearty breakfast, courtesy of the boat's cook, they had slowly made their way down to join the lieutenant, who was now awake and was eager to hear how the rescue mission had gone. He greeted Casino warmly before he demanded to know what exactly had happened the night before. The safe cracker had taken a seat near the bed and explained in great details how he had just got the safe open when the lights had flared on and soldiers had spilled into the room. He had not stood a chance, having been surrounded immediately. He had seen Goniff's escape back through the window with total shock. "I thought that the little limey had fallen out of the window for a moment there," he said casting his friend an apologetic look.

By the time Casino had finished, all four men could see that Garrison was struggling to keep his eyes open and that the talking was tiring their injured companion, so they started to wind the conversation down. Just as they rose to leave, Actor suddenly remembered the papers that they had stolen and without saying a word, he pulled them out of his jacket pocket and offered them to Garrison. He accepted them but then cast a confused look at Actor who, after giving the others a quick glance, said with a smile, "It's just some light reading we thought you might enjoy while you're in hospital, Warden."

On that note they all departed, smiling as they heard the doctor start to fuss about the injured man, who ignored him as he slowly fought to single-handedly get the papers open, then a cry went up from Garrison as he realised what he was holding.

The four men looked at each other, their expressions happy before they burst out laughing. While the mission had not been the total success they had hoped - the death of the six Maquis members had ensured that - they were happy that they had at least achieved a slight dent in the great German war machine.

"Actor." Garrison's voice filtered down the corridor towards them. "Actor... get me the captain and this damn doctor away from me..." and this was closely followed by, "If you bring that needle anywhere near me... before I've spoken to your captain, I'm going to show you a whole new method of giving it...." the threat heavy hung in the air and the listening gorillas burst out into another bout of laugher.

THE END

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