Practice makes Perfect
Chapter 1
"Gather round." Lieutenant Garrison, somewhat patiently, waited for his men to get seated around the table. They were not being obstinate, just lacking in enthusiasm. But then that was normal.
He placed the first photograph on the table and all eyes took it in. This is Malbork Castle, south east of Gdansk, Poland. He watched Actor for any spark of recognition but saw nothing. He was a con man so that was not a guarantee that he had not been there at some point in his travels. From what he had learned it was unlikely since the Italian seemed to prefer the warmer climes.
"We'll be part of a larger operation. The RAF with be bombing the harbor. While that is going on we'll be dropped inland as close as possible to our target, the castle. British Commandos will then attack the shipyards and in the ensuing chaos we enter the castle."
"What is our target?"
"Once we're inside, we locate the safe and remove everything."
"We get to keep it?" asked Goniff hopefully.
"No."
"Come on, Warden," whined Casino. "Just a little off the top. So there wasn't as much dough as they thought. What's the harm?"
"Yeah, Warden. We've been good. We deserve something?" added Goniff.
"No," and he gave them the look, the serious 'don't argue' look. They knew that look and said no more.
"To get a feel for this, a practice session has been set up." He dropped a second photograph on the table. "We are to fly to Scotland, parachute in and make our way to the Castle at Dalkeith." He stopped to eye each man to stress the importance of this next bit.
"The Castle is the base of the Third Flanders Rifle Brigade, part of the First Polish Armoured Division. They are our Allies."
"So, no killing the guards."
"That's right, Casino. You will have guns but all ammo will be blanks."
"What about theirs?" asked Casino suspiciously.
"Theirs will be blanks too. They have been told of this exercise but not when." He waited a beat for any more comments before continuing. "On the real mission secrecy will be key so this will also be a test of your covert abilities. The phrase to remember is 'Jestes martwy'."
"You stish what?" asked Goniff.
"You are dead, in Polish," supplied Actor.
"Jestes martwy," he repeated. "I want you all practicing saying that. Don't forget it."
"They're in England, can't they learn it in English?" asked the Englishman looking for the easy way out.
"They have been instructed but when a knife appears against his throat, can you guarantee that he'll remember it?" The serious looks on their faces told him that his point was taken.
"If you capture anyone you tell him, Jestes martwy, and he is to sit down and remain there. The same goes for you too. If you're caught, you sit down and stay there until the mission is over."
"So we storm the place with blanks. Hey, Actor? How do you say, Bang bang, you're dead?"
"Bang bang, jestes martwy." That elicited a chuckle from the three men.
"This is serious," said the Officer. "No screw ups. I don't want anyone killed or injured on this. You got that?" and he looked around the table. The smiles faded.
"You know the safest way is to never mind this practice, sneaking around in the dark with blanks. Just send us in on the real thing and get it over with. We know what we're doing." Casino did not mince words.
"Aw, where's the fun in that? Let them catch you and then sit it out. Will they bring me a cup a tea?"
Garrison took a deep breath and released it quietly. "If anyone gets 'killed' on this practice they will be sitting it out in the stockade. Understood?"
That put a damper on their spirits. "Come on, Warden. I was just 'aving a spot of fun."
"Zmarly might be easier for them to remember," offered Actor.
"What's that mean?"
"Dead."
The night flight went smoothly and they dropped on schedule. Once on the ground they met up and set out. With only a half moon in a partly cloudy sky Garrison waited then looked around to get his bearings. Finally he indicated and they set off. The ground was fairly flat fields, the stone walls were easily scaled and there was no traffic on the roads so it took just over half an hour to close on their destination. Their final obstacle was a river. In day light they might have risked a foot crossing but at night there were too many hidden dangers. The alternative was to risk using the bridge. They approached cautiously.
After a moment of silence Chief spoke. "There's two of'em. Sounds like one on either side at the other end. They might be together, it's hard to tell with the stone walls.".
Garrison tried to figure out the best approach. They would have to cross the bridge without being spotted. Their best chance was when the moon was obscured by clouds so they waited, and waited. A good sized cloud was coming but it began to thin. They were going to run out of time.
In desperation they decided they could not wait. Choosing the darkest shadowed side Garrison and Chief crawled slowly along the the edge against the stone wall. It was an anxious time, they had to get across before the cloud moved off but slow enough that they did not attract attention. Finally Chief, who had gone first, reached the end of the wall. He listened until he had the guard's position pinpointed then flicked a stone back over the wall. There was a moment's silence before there was a small disturbance in the brush on the far bank though the two shadows on the bridge had not moved. Actor and Casino were now periodically lobbing small stones and debris over the river and into the brush along the bank.
From his position at the end of the wall Chief heard the guard shift to keep an eye on what he thought was someone or something coming up the bank. Silently he rose and slipped around the corner. The first guard was neutralized. The sound of a scuffle brought the second guard to his friend's aide and he too was sitting it out. At the call of a night bird the other three men trotted across the bridge.
Seeing the guards sitting by the road side Casino pulled out a short rope and began tying up the first guard inspite of his protest that, "I'm dead you don't have to do this."
"Can't have you coming back to life can we? This castle probably has enough ghosts. Don't need any more." He tied the second man and they were on their way.
"That was unnecessary," said Actor.
"Yeah, I know, but I always wanted to do that."
The men had approached from the rear of the building, using the wooded area for cover. Once Chief signaled the all clear, Casino approached a suitable window, pulled his glass cutter out and made the opening before reaching inside to unlock it. He went in first. One by one the men made the dash from the tree line to the open window and climbed inside. Goniff and Garrison were now safely inside with Casino. Chief waved Actor to go but he had refused, urging the Indian to make the run. He went. That was his first mistake.
By the time Actor had heard the guard coming, it was too late. He had been seen so he put up his hands in surrender. The Guard said the words, "You're dead," and indicated the ground with his rifle; he wanted him to sit as he had been instructed. Actor was not about to ruin the clothes he was wearing even if they had been borrowed. With his height and build it was hard to get clothes that fit. These particular trousers were even comfortable and though not of the best material, they were at least well made. He tried to explain in English but the rifle muzzle began to rise. Had this particular rifle been loaded with blanks? Did he want to take the chance? He tried Italian but the muzzle continued to rise until it was pointed at his heart. He was about to sit when he noticed a shadow appear behind the guard's shoulder.
"You're dead," was whispered in the guard's ear. He jerked in surprise and then switched the rifle to one hand, shrugged and watching his 'prisoner' as he sat down. Actor joined him. They would wait until the invaders returned.
Inside, the men had heard their team mate's capture. Chief had missed the guard. The guard had not missed Actor.
Unsure if they had been seen they flattened against the wall and waited but nothing happened, all the guard had seen was Actor as he headed for the window. The rest were safe. Garrison had peered around the frame then slipped out through the window. He returned moments later. He had 'killed' the guard who had 'killed' Actor before he could raise the alarm. They were still safe.
Silently Chief, having the best night vision, led them to the room where their target was located. Garrison remained at the door while the others entered. From his position out in the hall it would be up to Garrison to take care of anyone who came looking. Casino waited until the door was closed then turned on the small flashlight. They had been told which room to look in but he now had to locate the safe. A quick look around showed a large room set up as an office with a desk and two chairs at one end. Off to the side closer to the window was a large overstuffed chair and a lamp like the one Actor favoured back at their base. At the other end was a drop leaf table. Along the wall by the door was a sideboard with several books piled at one end. The window was covered with the heavy blackout curtain so he turned on the desk lamp. This illuminated the desk but the reflected light was enough to show the men the room. Casino checked the wall behind the desk and located the safe. Chief went to the window but was surprised when he slid the curtain back a crack. The window had been covered with a board. Why? Was it broken? This was the back of the house. He should have noticed a broken window. He had missed it just like he missed the guard. He must have been around the side of the building because he had not been there when the rest of them had climbed in. Would Actor be mad at him for getting him 'killed'? And now he had missed a broken window. He silently cursed himself for his failure to protect his friends.
Goniff stood inside the door to listen. Chief knew he should go and replace Goniff, his hearing was better but he had made two mistakes already and his self confidence had dropped. He would stay where he was supposed to. He turned to watch the safecracker. He never made a mess of things. Sure, he shot his mouth off and irritated the Warden but he didn't get anyone killed. It was a slow process opening a safe but Casino was good.
There was a smell in the room. He had smelled it before. What was it and where was it coming from? He inhaled slowly as he turned. Another and... The board on the window. He moved in closer and inhaled. What was ...He thought he knew.
"Hey, Casino" he said softly, not wanting to alert the rightful occupants of the building but also not wanting to interrupt the safecracker. He moved over closer and said, "There's… "His tone took on an urgency that caused Casino to pause. "I smell plastic explosives. It's on the board over there and it's here on the safe."
"What?" he whispered as he froze with a frown on his face.
"Plastic explosive. Here. The safe's booby trapped. We gotta get outta here."
A quick calculation and the safecracker said, "That doesn't make sense. This was planned."
"Just wait; I'll get the Warden." The Guardian would redeem himself. He slipped out of the room and found his Hearth at the end of the hall. The two returned to the room.
"Chief says the safe booby trapped?" asked a worried Garrison.
"That doesn't make sense," answered Casino. "They knew we were coming. More likely whoever closed the safe last had it on their hands and that's what the Indian's smelling. Besides, it's probably another test. It'll be triggered by the handle turning or the door opening so what we do is tie a curtain tie around the handle, hide behind the furniture and pull it open. If there's nothing then we grab the stuff and go. If it does blow then we're still safe and we get the stuff.
"All right, go ahead." After making sure Goniff was aware of the change in the procedure he turned to head back to the hall as Casino went back to work.
This time it was Casino who made the mistake. The safe was triggered to blow but it was the last tumbler to fall that set off the blast. Casino had been working the safe dial so when the door flew open it hit him full in the face. He dropped like he had been pole axed. Goniff had been by the door to the hall, planning to slip out just before the safe was opened, so he was far enough away that he was caught only by the peripheral blast that threw him up against the door handle knocking the wind out of him. Garrison had turned to go but was still too close. The shockwave threw him across the room where he hit the chair breaking it and then slammed into the table. He slid to the floor unconscious. Chief had moved back to the window, an old habit, where he was farthest from the direction of the blast and thus not in the direct path of the blast.
From outside where the two 'dead' men sat, the sound of the blast, above and to the right was muffled but from experience Actor knew it was an explosion. They had set off enough to know the sound. His immediate action was to stand up. There were two possible scenarios. First and preferred was that Casino had had to blow the safe. The problem with that was that they had not brought any explosives with them and that this was supposed to be a covert practice mission. That left only one other possibility. Something had gone wrong.
From the guard's expression he had heard the explosion too. Seeing as this was a private residence on loan to the British Army, this could not be a common occurrence. Unfortunately for Actor the soldier was seasoned enough not to panic which would have allowed him to flee in the confusion. Instead he brought his weapon to bear on his 'enemy' and kept it there even as the two men had stood up.
As Garrison's second and as a member of this team he was going to go to their aid. "We have to help," fell on deaf ears but that did not stop him. Actor was a natural athlete which had allowed him to become proficient in such sports as fencing and skiing and ball room dancing. Now with the Army's training he was also very good at hand-to-hand combat. He initiated a move knowing the trained soldier would respond in one of two ways. He would let him go or he would try to stop him. His steady nerves favored the later so Actor was ready when the rifle butt began its move.
In one smooth move the soldier was on the ground with Actor leaning over him. The final part of this move was a punch to the gut but this was one of the Allies so in a show of gentlemanly sportsmanship he extended his hand to assist him up. It was too dark to see his face but obviously he was not going to trust him. The soldier refused the gesture and stood on his own. He then picked up his weapon and the two men set off at a run.
Goniff couldn't breathe and he struggled to get air into his lungs. Gradually the pain eased enough that he could cough but that brought fresh pain. He was lying on his back on the floor, at least he thought it was the floor. It was too dark to see anything. The last thing he remembered was waiting for …
Where was he? There was something about the smell. It smelled like … dust and broken …
The safe! It must have blown up.
Casino! He had to find him! Was he hurt?
Trying to sit up without using your stomach muscles is very difficult but the Englishman managed it by rolling over and pushing himself up but not before bumping his head against the wall. Having found it he decided to use it. As he rested against it he took his matches from his pocket and lit one.
The room was a mess and the air was thick with dust. The lamp from the desk was on the floor, the shade was gone. The two chairs were lying on their backs. Something moved over by the safe. Was it Casino? He called his name as he pushed himself to his feet. As he rounded the desk he saw Chief kneeling beside…
Oh God, the blood! He almost turned away but managed to swallow and steel himself. That was what was left of Casino's face. That time he did look away as his stomach threatened. No! He had to do something. Chief was taking off his shirt.
He shook out the match when he felt the familiar warmth on his fingers and fumbled to strike another.
"Is he dead?" It came out a whisper but instead of answering, Chief just kept trying to wipe the blood off his face. He had to be alive. Goniff knelt down as well and looked. As Chief cleaned his face Goniff could see that his nose was bleeding badly as was his lip. Fortunately the Englishman had experience with stopping nosebleeds so he knew what to do.
"'Ere, let's get 'im sitting up," he said as he blew out the match before it burned his fingers. Working in the dark he dragged the injured man up and twisted him around to lean on the wall. Head down or back, he couldn't remember. If he tipped his head back then the blood would stop running down his face but then it would run down his throat but he was unconscious and he would choke. Down it was. He struck another match.
The blood was dripping onto his lap. He had to stop it. He reached in and pinched his nostrils closed.
"There's been times I wish I could do this to his mouth." He had expected at least a chuckle but Chief was silent. At least the dripping had stopped. How long was he going to have to do this? Was anyone going to come in here and help? They were dead anyway. Blimey, he didn't mean to say that, not that he had said it out loud but he had thought it. Was Casino alive?
"Did you check his pulse?" He looked at the Indian but other than a quick glance back at him he remained staring at Casino.
"See if you can find a candle before I burn my bloody fingers off." He waited but Chief was a statue for all the response he got. "Well then, 'old 'is nose at least," he said testily. He could feel the flame nearing his fingers.
"Bloody 'ell," and he waved the match out plunging them into darkness again. As fast as he could he struck another. "'Old 'is nose for bloody sakes," and he nudged Chief's arm hard and gestured. That got his attention and finally he positioned his hand to take over. Freed of that task, Goniff stood up to look around. Candle, candle, there had to be a candle here somewhere. If there was one on the sideboard it was gone down the back. He needed something. There was an ash… "Warden," he cried out when he saw the body sprawled across the room. He darted in his direction then remembered and darted back to grab the ashtray he had spotted. At Garrison's side he dropped the still burning match in the dish and checked their leader. He was unconscious too but not bloody that he could see.
"Warden? Are you all right, Warden?" He looked over to the Guardian. He would be worried. Although he coughed he did not seem to have heard him speak. Maybe that was good. If he had then he would have come running leaving Casino's nose to bleed.
Actor had flown to the front door. The sentries had tried to stop him but a word from the soldier at his heels had gained them entrance. The lights had been turned on throughout the halls illuminating the other soldiers running up the stairs. They followed. While the others searched Actor went directly for the room they had targeted and threw open the door spilling light into the room. The smell of dust and explosives was enough to confirm his worst fear.
He felt to the right for a switch but the light came on; one of the soldiers had hit the switch on the other wall. The room was in shambles but the only thing that mattered was the voice that called out to him.
"It's the Warden. 'E's 'urt." An instant later the Italian was at his side checking on their fallen leader.
The Lieutenant lay on his back slightly twisted with his head turned to the side. Actor checked his pulse and was relieved that though a little weak, it was steady. Carefully he began checking for injuries.
"Casino's 'urt too. Chief's with'im."
Actor was very concerned. Garrison was just recovering from a blow to the head and now it looked like it had happened again. This was not good. As he felt his head his hand came away wet. Blood. He was bleeding from his ear. "Mio Dio," he muttered under his breath.
"Get a Doctor!" he yelled. There was the sound of movement by the door.