50. Run From Death Epilogue
A follow up on the episode "Run from Death." How did they get an injured Garrison, four kids and a dog back to England?
Garrison leaned back, grimacing at the pain in his left shoulder from the bullet wound, to survey his men and their charges in the crowded boat that was taking them to the sub. He watched Actor, standing at the back of the boat, eyes turned toward shore. Garrison followed the man's gaze and saw Sister Therese lower her arm, turn and slowly walk up the hill toward the road. Actor watched her until she was out of sight.
He wondered what was going through the con man's mind. Actor had propositioned The Duchess with a relationship and partnership, which she had turned down. It seemed to amuse the man in the end. Craig had never seen the confidence man this absorbed in a woman before. The lieutenant had faith Actor would easily get over this too when the next 'skirt' entered his life.
The children were standing tightly together, leaning on each other for support. They were surrounded protectively by Garrison's men. The dog, Louie, was surprisingly calm for being in a rocking boat. An armed resistance man stood at the back of the boat, while he friend piloted the overloaded craft.
"Just a little farther, Lieutenant."
The voice of the Chief Petty Officer brought Garrison out of his reverie. "Thank you, Chief," he replied.
The boat pulled up alongside the submarine ten minutes later. The Petty Officer was the first out of the boat onto the walkway around the conning tower. Actor had moved forward and sent a communicating look at Garrison before following the sub officer. The hatch opened and a blond head appeared, whom Actor assumed was the XO.
"Sir," said the Petty Officer. "We seem to have a little problem." He glanced back at the boat. "They brought four kids . . . and a dog with them."
"Did you say a dog?" asked the XO in disbelief.
"Yes, a dog," said Actor.
"You can't bring a dog onboard a sub!" objected the blond man adamantly.
Actor put on his severe look. "The children will go nowhere without their dog. We have hauled these children and that dog across Europe. What would you do, throw the animal into the sea to drown? Would you like to explain that to these children? They lost their parents a week ago. Now you will make them lose their pet?" His eyes narrowed as he stared down the officer.
The man shook his head. "How do we explain this to the skipper?"
"I will take responsibility for that," said Actor firmly. "And Lt. Garrison is wounded."
The XO shook his head again. "Okay. We get Garrison down first. If you can get that animal aboard, it can come with us."
Actor smiled. "We will get the dog on." How, he wasn't sure, but they would accomplish it.
Garrison was strapped to the stretcher and, to his discomfort, lowered feet first down the hatch. Actor had stepped back into the boat and moved over to Casino. The safecracker seemed to be the one taking care of the dog.
"If we can get that mongrel into the sub, he can go with us," said Actor quietly in English, so the children could not understand what was being said. "Any ideas?"
Casino had been thinking about that very thing. "Say we tie its legs together. I'll lower it down to you. He's heavy, but I think we can manage it."
It was not as though the animal could climb down a ladder. Actor sighed and nodded. He put a smile on his face and addressed the oldest boy, Armand, in French, telling him what the plan was, omitting the alternative if they could not get Louie in the sub.
The boy was smart for 10 years of age. He had anticipated a problem. "If Louie does not go, we do not go," he said firmly in French.
Terrific, thought the con man. He turned to Casino. The safecracker had taken the end of the rope that was the leash and was hobbling the dog's front legs while Goniff and Chief hung on to the animal. The front legs satisfactorily restrained, Casino removed his belt and they tied the hind legs together.
The sub crewmen stepped back and watched. Actor muttered to himself in Italian at the indignity of it all. He descended to the first level of the hatch. Casino and Chief picked up the struggling dog and lowered its hind end down the ladder. Actor grasped it in a firm hug around the chest and found himself looking into the unfriendly eyes of the unhappy animal.
In French, he muttered, "Bite me and I will personally throw you into the sea." He heard Garrison's chuckle below him. He would never live this one down.
Casino started to descend and they realized there was not enough room for the two men to stand. "Now what?" asked the safecracker.
Actor sucked in a cheek as he thought. And yes, the damn dog was heavy. "Can you hold him by the back of the neck?" he asked.
Casino gave a snort. "Not for very long."
"Well, try," said Actor.
Casino wrapped his arm through the rungs of the ladder and reached down with his free arm to grasp a handful of scruff. The dog growled. "Bite me and I'll toss yuh into the ocean."
That brought another chuckle from Garrison.
Actor dropped to the floor of the deck. He reached up and grabbed the dog's hind legs just as Casino lost his grip. The animal came down heavily to land his backside on Actor's shoulder. The Italian quickly let the dog down on the deck.
Casino stayed on the middle landing and helped the children down the ladder as they were guided to him, one at a time. Actor helped them the last leg to the deck. Soon they had all four children around the dog. Armand untied the front legs and removed the belt from the back legs, handing the belt to Actor. Casino came down next, followed by Chief and Goniff. Casino said nothing, but took his belt from Actor and put it back on. The crewmembers who were topside came down and closed the hatches.
"The boat?" asked Garrison.
"On its way back with the resistance men, Lieutenant," said the Chief Petty Officer.
Another officer arrived and looked down at Garrison. "Get this man into sick bay." He did a double take at Louie, who was calm again after his ordeal. "What is that?"
"A canine," answered Actor sarcastically.
"A dog on a sub," muttered the doctor. "What next?"
"Perhaps you can sedate the animal when we disembark?" suggested the con man.
"I will try," assured the medical man, wondering how they had gotten the creature on board in the first place.
Garrison was carried on the stretcher to the sick bay, while the cons and the children led the dog to the holding area in the front of the conning tower. Actor would have normally gone with the lieutenant, but he felt he needed to keep an eye on the children and the others, so he went with them.
The dog was tied to one round metal table leg and the children seated on a bench along the bulkhead with Casino on one side and Goniff on the other. As the ship began to dive, Louie became agitated.
"En bas!" barked Actor.
The animal lay down.
"Very good," said Casino. "Maybe you should take care of him from now on."
"You are doing just fine," said Actor. "I would not want to deprive you of the responsibility."
Casino laughed at the elegant man's discomfort. "Hey, give me your deck of cards," he said to the con man.
Actor reached in his shirt pocket for the deck, at the same time saying, "I do not think it would be wise to teach them how to play poker."
Casino gave him a disgusted look. "I'm gonna show 'em how to play solitaire."
Maybe the oldest boy would pick it up, but Actor doubted the younger children would understand or be interested.
Goniff looked across at Actor. "Say, Actor. What's goin' to 'appen to them once we reach England?"
"Someone will pick them up and they will be put in a home until they can be adopted," said the con man. "They will probably find nice families. Their lives will be safer and more normal than with Sister Terese."
"You sure about that?" asked Goniff worriedly.
"Of course," assured Actor. "There are a great number of refugee children being adopted in England. And I believe some of the refugee children are being taken to America."
After the sub straightened out at its running depth, Actor glanced at Chief and made a motion he was going to visit Garrison. The Indian was seated by himself, arms crossed, and an scowl on his face. He couldn't play with his blade in front of the children and that was his pastime on the Channel crossings.
Actor went to the sick bay and stepped over the raised edge of the doorway into the small room. Garrison was laying, shirtless, on a gurney locked to the floor. He had a clean white bandage around his shoulder and chest. The doctor looked up from his desk at the tall man's entrance.
"He will have to spend some time in a hospital," said the doctor. "They may have done 'surgery' on him, but I can't vouch for the cleanliness of the procedure."
"I doubt they were interested in his health," said Actor. "Merely in keeping him alive long enough to get information from him."
Garrison tiredly looked at his second. "The kids settled?"
"Yes," said Actor. "Casino and Goniff are keeping them occupied."
A grin snuck its way onto Garrison's face. "What did you do with the dog?"
"Tied him to the table."
The doctor chuckled without looking at the tall man. He had heard about the circus of getting the dog into the sub and wished he could have seen that.
Actor ignored the sound of amusement. He looked down at the young officer. "Who are you supposed to debrief with?"
Garrison sobered. "Gen. Abrams at G-2"
Actor nodded. The general was a little easier to deal with than some of his peers. "With your permission, of course, I will debrief with him. I can write the report also."
Garrison gave a half smile. "You've done it before and quite well. If you want to tackle the general, I have no objections."
Actor nodded. "I will let you rest. I should probably get back to the children."
"The little ones or the big ones?" asked Craig.
"Both." Now the con man grinned.
Actor returned to the area they were staying in for the trip. He had just sat down on the bench when Jean, the youngest boy who had hugged him earlier in the barn, pushed against Henri, the middle boy. The youngster whispered something to the older boy which earned him a disgusted look. Henri, in turn, pushed against Goniff. The pickpocket moved down the bench, followed by Henri. Jean got out and walked unerringly over to stand in front of Actor.
In French, Jean said in a small voice, "Mr. Actor, I need to go to the bathroom."
Actor stared at him a moment.
"Wot's he want?" asked Goniff.
Chief grinned. He could figure it out. "Want me to take him?"
Actor shook his head. "No, I will do it." He stood and held his hand down. "Venez."
Jean curled his hand around three big fingers and walked with Actor out to the hallway. The three cons grinned at each other. For some reason, the little boy seemed to like the big Italian.
The con man stopped in front of the head and opened the door. He motioned the child to go in. There was not enough room for both of them and by now the boy should be able to go by himself. The door closed and Actor waited impatiently.
"Monsieur Actor?" came an upset voice, muffled by the door.
Actor sighed and carefully opened the door. The little one was standing with his shorts around his knees in obvious distress.
"What is the matter?" asked Actor as kindly as he could in French.
"It is too high. I cannot reach it."
Confused for just a second, Actor took in that the bottom of the urinal was indeed at the level of the boy's chest. Definitely too high. The Italian glanced around to see if anyone was watching. He squeezed into the head and shut the door behind him. Reaching down, he lifted the child up under the arms and held him up until he had finished. After setting Jean on his feet, Actor shimmied out of the head and waited in the walkway. The door opened and the child came out. He stopped and tilted his head back, almost losing the beret, to look up at the very tall man.
"Merci, Monsieur Actor," he said.
Actor smiled, placed a hand on the boy's back and ushered the child to walk in front of him as they returned to the others.
As they neared the English coast, the doctor came and administered a shot of a mild sedative to the large dog. After several minutes, Louie fell asleep. Garrison had been given a sedative also. The exiting of the sub was easier on both than the entering had been. The wounded officer was lifted out on a stretcher as he had been lowered into it. A rope tied around the dog's chest was used to lift him up with Actor and Casino helping steady him.
Garrison and Louie were placed in a military ambulance. The cons and the children were escorted to the back of a truck, after Actor had reassured the worried children their dog was being given the same treatment as the Lieutenant.
At the hospital, a case worker was waiting for them. While Garrison was being taken inside the hospital, the children and a very groggy dog were taken into the care of the worker. The cons watched as the children were led away.
Suddenly, Jean turned around and pulled his hand free from Armand's grasp. The little boy in the blue beret ran full tilt toward Actor. After a stunned moment the Italian sat on his heels and hugged the boy as he launched himself into the con man, skinny arms going around his neck in a tight hold.
The case worker turned back, Bettina clinging to her with the same ferocity as Jean did Actor. She walked back and stood looking down at the man and boy. Actor spoke softly to the boy in French and gently pulled the arms from around his neck. The woman reached a hand down and, in French, coaxed the boy to come with her and the other children.
"I will see that you are notified of what happens to the children," said the young woman quietly.
The Italian gave a short nod. As the children and the dog were led away, Actor rose to his feet. Goniff and Casino were strangely quiet. It was Chief who approached the con man.
"Come on, Dad, let's go find the Warden."
Actor gave him the expected dirty look at the word 'Dad'. It was enough to loosen the others' tongues.
"Now Chiefy," teased Goniff. "'E don't like kids."
"Naw," added Casino. "Just like he didn't like Wilhelm in Norway."
The con man put on his noncommittal expression and headed down the hall to the room Garrison had been put in. The remaining three grinned at each other.
Garrison had been placed in a two bed room alone. He hazarded a guess it was not as any concession to him, but more to keeping his men from bothering anyone else. He shifted in the bed, trying to get the shoulder in a more comfortable position. Actor walked in just then and pulled the pillow from the other bed deftly placing it to support the arm. The pain subsided to a dull ache. As the lieutenant was about to ask where the other men were, they walked in. After a cursory greeting, Craig found himself ignored while the cons tried to decide where in London they were going to stay. None of them had any desire to return to the mansion, probably under some kind of house arrest. Though it was a bit of a distance away, they settled on their usual suite at the Windsor, courtesy of their confidence man. And they had the Packard so the commute to and from the hospital was no problem.
A rap at the door got their attention when it was followed by General Abrams entering the room. He gave the cons a look that said he had not expected them to be anywhere else. Standing at the foot of the bed, the officer studied the Lieutenant.
"Are you up to debriefing?" he asked.
Actor stepped calmly beside him. "I believe it would be in the Lieutenant's best interest to allow him to rest after his ordeal. If the General has no objections, I would be delighted to do the debriefing."
Garrison nodded his acquiescence with that.
Abrams turned to look at the Italian who was the same height as he was. "All right, Mr. Borghese. There is a room down the hall we can use."
"Thank you, General," said Garrison.
"Quite all right, Lieutenant." He raised an eyebrow. "I find these conversations with Mr. Borghese . . . enlightening."
The subject of conversation smiled politely and followed the officer into the hall. Abrams led the way to an empty conference room. Both men took seats at the table and the general removed a pen and note pad from his inside jacket pocket.
Actor reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He tapped the end of one out and presented it to the general.
"Cigarette, Sir?" He grinned. "They are French."
Abrams eyed him and shook his head in amusement. He took the offered Gauloises Bleu, allowing Actor to light it for him. He waited until the man had lit his own before starting the debriefing. In fact, they both enjoyed the first long drag of strong tobacco smoke before beginning. Actor gave the officer a detailed account of the mission, sticking to facts, and offering the location of the German hospital.
"So this nun is working by herself?" asked Abrams. He would not have believed the story if it had been anyone other than Garrison's mob.
"She seems to be acquainted with the resistance, but is working alone from what we could get from her," said Actor. "She did state she still intends to take her vows."
"So where was the rest of her order?"
Actor shook his head. "The convent had been destroyed by bombing. And to be truthful, we had other things occupying our time than to explore her personal history."
Knowing the confidence man's reputation with the ladies, the general did not think the woman being a nun would stop him from finding out everything he could about her.
"You will take the men back to your base. I assume you will be in charge of them," said Abrams.
"No Sir. We intend to seek lodging in London until Lieutenant Garrison is released. This way we can keep a close eye on him," said Actor in a reasonable tone. "And it will cut down the petrol usage by not driving the two hours in each direction from the mansion."
Abrams had expected that. "All right, Mr. Borghese. Just remember, if any or all of you end up in jail, you will have to stay there until Garrison is able to bail you out. The Army will not do it."
Actor nodded. "Fully understood, General." He smiled. "Would you care for another cigarette?"