THE TRAITOR
Another oh so simple job
Well that's what it should have been.
All they had to do was find a traitor, I mean how hard was that, especially when they that person didn't know any one was looking for them.
The job had been relatively simple. just give each of the suspects the same job to do for them, but with one slightly different piece of information for each of them and see where the Krauts ended up.
Three different locations. Three different times.
It was as Casino had pointed out, A piece of cake.
Just set themselves up as targets and get Chief to watch their backs just as he always did , in case anything did go wrong
It had worked beautifully.
They had the name of the traitor, all they had too do now was get back to the resistance.
If it hadn't been for the road block, and the guard telling Casino to lift the barricade , a command which he had not understood they would have been home free.
He wasn't sure who had fired the first shot but , all hell had broken loose.
They had split up, tried to take them from both sides, but that had just caused more chaos.
Then the grenade had landed and Chief had pushed him out of the way just as it exploded , and then the blackness.
He dimly remembered being turned over luckily by guards that were too tired to care whether he was dead or alive.
They had been ordered back to the lorry, to chase the others, at least that meant some of them had escaped.
He was thrown back down to the ground, and then they were both left alone by the roadside, to be picked up later.
As the man said
Where were dead men going to run too?
….
Craig drove like a man possessed, desperately trying to lose the Krauts that were following them.
Casino and Goniff were firing out of the back of the truck, not that they were having much luck hitting anything the way he was driving.
Suddenly the first car swerved off the road as a lucky shot took out the driver. The car behind tried to avoid the flames as it crashed , but to no avail, and as the two men watched the road became
blocked , hopefully for long enough for them to get away.
Casino worked his way to the front of the truck.
`Think we lost them Warden,` he said `Lots of explosions back there, don't think anything got through`.
Craig kept going , slowing the pace only a little.
`Got a way to go to the safe house`, he said` We'll decide what to do when we get there`.
You think there's any chance that they're still alive? He asked.
Craig concentrated on the road ahead and ignored Casino's question. In truth he was to afraid to even think about the answer.
The grenade had seemed to be a direct hit, he had seen them both being thrown through the air, and he hadn't seen either of them moving as he had driven away.
Left them.
If they were dead it was his fault.
He should have found some way to get back to them, not just leave them on the side if the road.
He took the turn too sharply and realised that he had to keep his concentration on his driving or they would all end up dead.
Once he got them too the safe house, then and only then could he make a plan to find them and get them home.
It had taken them an hour to get to there , having dumped the truck down one of the ravines they had passed on their way there.
`So what we going to do about Actor and Chief then ? Asked Casino gruffly.
Craig didn't answer.
`We go to do something Warden, we can't just leave them`, said Goniff.
`We can't do anything until we find the resistance and inform them who their traitor is, too many people will die it they don't get that information`, said Craig.
`Never mind them what about the two we left behind, what if they're still alive, they could be on their way Gestapo Headquarters for all we know, we can't just leave them`, Yelled Casino.
`There are just two of them Casino, if we don't get the traitor stopped , we could lose far more that that to the Gestapo, we could lose the whole of the resistance in this sector, and as much as I want
to go back for them , there really is nothing we can do until we find out where they are. This time they have to wait and the resistance has to come first, or we won't have anyone to help us find
them`, he said
`You're just going to leave them? Asked Goniff in disbelief.
`Right now Goniff we don't have any other choice`.
`Well you might not want to go and look for them but I'm sure as hell not going to sit here while some Kraut beats them up for fun`, Casino shouted angrily.
`You really think that's what I want Casino? Craig yelled back. `The mission comes first, that's the rule and they know that as well as you do,
and right now the resistance is more important then they are , I don't like it any better than you do , but that's how it's going to be , unless you think that you can somehow get to them without
running into any Krauts, and getting yourself into as much trouble as they're in`.
Casino thumped the table in frustration
There was a pause before Goniff said
`Warden's right Mate`.
Casino hit the wall with his clenched fist, this time in anger.
`Look Casino, let's get the information to the resistance and then we'll look for them, I don't have any intention of leaving until I know what's happened to them`, he said.
`Well I don't like it, but I suppose there ain't any choice`, Casino said quietly.
Craig put his hand on Casino's shoulder.
`I don't like it either Casino, but we will find them , I promise`. He said.
He only hoped that they would both still be alive when he did.
…..
Actor dropped Chief against the tree as carefully as he could and then slid down next to unsuccessfully to ignore the pain in his shoulder.
,He had managed to get them to a small clump of trees and bushes away from the road at least , hopefully it would provide some cover for them for a few minutes until he got his breath back, and
then they would head for the woods that he could see further across the field. Chief was unconscious again, which worried Actor more than he cared to admit. Chief had been thrown to the ground
hard after he had pushed him out of the way and had hit his head. Actor suspected that it was a concussion , and could only hope that it wasn't too severe, but knew that he needed to get Chief to
the safe house as soon as he could. Right now he was the one that needed to rest, he was exhausted, and the last stumble had caused his wound to start bleeding again. He had half carried half
dragged Chief for what seemed like several hours , but in fact could not have been more than one or two, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep going, he was so tired. He tried as best
he could to stop the bleeding , but it was obvious that there was something stuck in there, and this made it more difficult , he dared not try to pull it out in case the bleeding worsened, he at least
needed to stay conscious. Chief needed him. He was there only hope of getting out of the mess they were in. He arranged the bushes around them to give them a small amount of cover , should
anyone still be looking for them. It wasn't much, and he had no doubt that Chief could have done a much better job, but it was the best he could do for now. As much as he didn't like to admit it he
needed help, and quickly, but for now he would just sit for a moment to get his breath back , just a moment , that's all he needed, then he would get help. He pulled some of the branches around him ,
Chief looked peaceful enough, yes just for a moment he would rest. They still had a few hours of daylight left to get to the woods , he would just take a few minutes to gather his strength and then he
would continue, and with that thought he slid into unconsciousness.
…
Craig skirted the woods watching for any sign that they were being followed. It was almost evening and they would soon have to stop and find somewhere to camp for the night , he could not risk
them going round in circles in the darkness. He wished Chief had been with them, at least then they would have been able to travel longer. Thinking of him just made him wonder just what had
happened to both the men that he had come to think of as friends. He hoped that they had somehow manage to get away, but reason told him that it was very unlikely that they had been able to
survive the explosion. He brought his thoughts back to the present. Time later for worry. Right now he had to concentrate on finding the resistance, and that was proving to be a lot more difficult than
he had imagined.
He told the other two to get some sleep, knowing that he might just as well keep watch as the much needed sleep would not be forthcoming , that it would be overshadowed by the concern he felt for
Actor and Chief. He let his mind wander just for a moment and was surprised that they had got as near to the camp as they had before he had sensed them. Damn he wished again that Chief were
here. He would never have let them get this close without sounding the alarm. They were surrounded before he had time to alert the others , and he knew that he had just betrayed his men with his
lack of attention, that despite telling them that they could rely on him , he could just have cost all of them their lives.