A Wolf by Any Other Name
Chapter 3
The air strip where they landed was on the outskirts of Cairo, and within sight of the pyramids. Terry was ecstatic. Her brother was not and whatever Actor felt about it remained hidden. The cases of rations were transferred to another plane and the group was taken to the officers' barracks and given their own temporary quarters.
None of the other three cons were interested in seeing pyramids or camels. Garrison had seen it all when he had been stationed in North Africa before. Camels were smelly and had nasty dispositions. One tour of the pyramids was enough, but he did arrange a car for Actor and Terry to use. Terry was smiling when they left to go to the car. Actor, behind her, fixed Garrison with a disgruntled stare on the way out. Craig gave an overly wide smile in return.
As Actor drove out off the base, Terry glanced at him. "Thank you for doing this," she said.
"You're welcome." She couldn't help it if she was enthusiastic about seeing something she would never see in Montana, or Europe for that matter. Plus, he had her alone now and could broach something that had been on his mind. "Tell me, cara, how are your finances doing? I know you bought half interest in the Blue Fox and you are sending money home, besides using your own money to buy food for us."
Terry answered while her eyes were trained on a camel caravan in the distance. "I'm doing well. The Brandonshire account is what I use for most everything to keep it within a reasonable amount. It doesn't get the interest that the London account does, so most everything I get goes into the London account."
"So about how much do you have in London?" he asked.
She gave him a rough amount, turning her attention back to him. "That's obscene. I'm used to dealing with large sums with the ranch business, but to have that much in a personal account is unbelievable."
Unbelievable? If she ever found out how much money he had in his Swiss, English and Grand Cayman accounts she would probably pass out. "I think it is time then for you to branch out."
"Branch out how?" she asked. "You have something else for me to invest in?"
"I am thinking, the next time we go to Switzerland, you must come with us. I will get you set up with an account at one of the banks I deal with."
Terry stared at him. "A Swiss account? You want to set me up with a Swiss account? One of the banks you deal with? How many accounts do you have there?"
Actor turned his head to give her a look out of the tops of his eyes.
"Never mind," she added quickly. "None of my business and I probably don't want to know."
"Three. They are numbered accounts and you don't want to know, nor am I going to tell you how much is in them."
"A Swiss account," mused Terry in wonder.
"To start with," said Actor. "It depends on how long this war lasts and how much of a take you get over the years. We may be able to set up a second one at some point." He glanced at her. "What about the jewels you get? Is Goniff fencing them for you?"
"Yes," Terry replied. "But I have a few pieces I like in a safe deposit box in Brandonshire and a couple in a safe place in the Mansion Goniff doesn't know about." The Limey was a likeable fellow, but, as Craig had told her, he would cheerfully sell his grandmother's gold teeth if he could get his hands on them.
Actor had to smile to himself. The young woman was still at a point somewhere in between being a ranch girl and a sophisticate.
GGG
It was early afternoon when Actor and Terry returned to the base. Garrison was still awake, but the other three men were sleeping on cots. The con man grinned at the Lieutenant behind the girl's back as they entered the quarters.
"Have fun?" Craig asked his sister.
"Yes, but it sure is hot," replied Terry.
"I'm going to take a nap," said Actor and left the two Garrisons together.
Terry moved closer to her brother. "You didn't tell me those darned camels stink."
"I thought I'd let you find that out for yourself."
"Got to ride one though," said Terry. She looked quizzically at him. "Just how many languages does that man speak?"
"He knows a little Arabic. One of the few languages he isn't fluent in," said Garrison. "Go take a nap. It's the only thing you can do here in the afternoon in this heat."
GGG
The dark of night found them trying not to show how nervous they were at the thought of a rough landing with nitro on board. The flight up was uneventful. They skimmed the waters close to Yugoslavia, then turned in over land between Venice and Trieste, banked southwest, and headed for the airstrip. The partisans had made the strip by hand and it was covered with lots of camouflage when not being used. Tonight, that had been moved away and, at the sound of the plane engines at the appropriate time, signal fires were lit.
Even Casino was gripping the arms of his seat as the rear wheels touched down, bounced up and hit crookedly on the second touch. Everyone gave a sigh of relief when the plane quit moving. They moved quickly out of the plane. Frazini's men were already removing boxes from the tail of the plane and putting them on carts and one rickety small truck.
The short cheerful man approached the group and shook Garrison's hand. He spotted the girl and spoke in machinegun rapid Italian whispers to her that she returned and they exchanged the kiss on each cheek that was Italian custom.
"Come," he said quietly. "I am afraid our accommodations are not comfortable, but we move on a daily basis."
"We're used to that," said Garrison.
They moved single-file through the woods for close to a mile before reaching the camp. Lean-tos and makeshift tents were scattered around a clearing. Emilio led them over to a table made of planks. Garrison watched the supplies being spirited into the woods. The truck had disappeared from the airstrip to parts unknown to Garrison.
"I am sorry for the poor quarters," apologized Frazini again. "Tomorrow we will move to a better camp. For tonight I am afraid you will have to sleep on the ground."
"We've done that more than once," assured Garrison.
Terry glanced around. Men were sleeping in the thrown together structures and in the open. Nobody made a move to approach them. That was a good thing. Garrison's group divided up and were given two lean-tos. The girl barely motioned with her head for Emilio to step aside and she joined him.
"I'm Teresa or Terry to this group," whispered Terry. "They don't know me by any other name and I would like to keep it that way. Can you get word passed to your people not to call me by my nickname?"
Frazini nodded. "I don't know if we can keep everyone from calling you by your name here. But we will try."
"Grazie mille," said the girl.
"Why did they send you with Garrison?" asked Emilio.
Terry shook her head. "Non capisco. I know the area, I know your people, and I know Il Lupo."
"For what good that is going to do you," said the Italian. "He has gone into hiding again."
"Austria?"
"I don't know. You know he rarely tells me where he is going."
"Well, maybe we won't need to go up into the Dolomiti."
Frazini saw Garrison watching them. "We will talk more in the morning," he said to the girl.
She nodded and turned away to go back to her group.
"What was that about?" asked Garrison in a low voice.
"My other business," said Terry firmly. "Nothing to concern you, Brother."
"Everything concerns me," he reminded her.
Terry shook her head and walked away. In another unusual move, she crawled into one of the lean-tos, climbed over Actor, and curled up with her back against his.
"Is something wrong?" murmured the con man.
"Not yet. And I want to keep it that way." She hitched a shoulder off a stone. "How did you get the private accommodations?"
"Chief went into the woods to watch."
"He'll probably stay there all night," remarked Terry. "I don't know what Craig will do. He can't stay awake for a week."
"He will figure something out," said Actor. "Go to sleep."
An hour later, Garrison climbed over both Actor and his sister and lay down beside Terry.
"I don't like not knowing about what you are mixed up in," he whispered to the girl.
"It goes both ways," she whispered back. "Go to sleep. You're keeping Actor awake."
"I do not wish to be in the middle of your family quarrel," murmured the con man grumpily. "Both of you go to sleep."
Terry barely choked down a laugh and Garrison shook his head.
The next morning found them taking down camp after a cold breakfast of bread. To keep her brother's curiosity at bay, Terry avoided Frazini and his men, staying instead by Casino and Goniff. Garrison and Actor stayed close to the partisan leader. The Italians split into smaller groups of five or six and scattered into the woods, each taking a different route.
"I wonder how far we gotta walk this time," grumbled Casino.
"About five miles," said Terry.
The safecracker and the pickpocket turned their heads to look at her.
"'Ow do you know?" asked Goniff.
"I've been working with them since you guys got Frazini away from the Jerries," she said.
"What? With Lt. Johnson?" Casino looked at her curiously.
"No," she replied, eyes scanning the woods around them. "I'm their Allied contact."
Casino chuckled. "Bet that don't make the Warden happy."
Terry made a sour face. "Why do you think I'm back here with you two?"
"Awww, and 'ere I thought it was 'cause you like us."
"I do like you, Goniff. And sometimes I even like Casino," she teased.
That got a snort from the safecracker.
Their voices were kept low as they walked along at a steady pace that slowed the steeper the slopes became. They moved through thick groves of chestnut trees. Terry explained why the bread had tasted 'funny' to Casino and Goniff. It was made with flour from ground chestnuts. The trees thinned out in spots and soon they were skirting around open areas of grasses.
"This is startin' to look familiar," grumbled the safecracker.
"I thought you guys were in the Apennines the last time?" whispered Terry.
"Yeah, but we came through this stuff when we was walkin' outta Yugoslavia."
"That was steeper, Mate," added Goniff.
"It's going to get steeper," warned Terry.
"So what is this place we're goin' to?" asked Casino.
Terry grinned. "I'd call it early shabby French chateau." At the frowns of the two men, she continued. "It must have belonged to some really rich guy as a massive hunting lodge, at least compared to the ones we've stayed in before. It was abandoned long enough ago that the trees have grown right up to it. If you don't know it's there, you don't see it."
"So how come Frazini don't stay there all the time?" asked Goniff.
Casino gave him a look of bare tolerance. "You know the drill. We don't stay in one place very long in case somebody does find it."
"It's in a good location," whispered Terry. "We'll probably use it as a base for part of the week."
They had hiked up into open grass and rocks and back down into trees and cliffs. Finally, they followed a trail that went around a stand of bushes flanked by tall trees and found themselves in front of a cross between a French chateau and a German, gingerbread house. It was two stories tall with rotten wooden balconies in front of French doors and looked as though no one had used it in many years. The house was backed up to a rocky escarpment that would, and did, hold great places to watch from. Bypassing the front of the house, Frazini led Garrison and Actor around to the back. Terry followed, leading the other two men. She had no idea where Chief was, but figured he wasn't far away; just watching.
A back door led them into a hallway with a kitchen on the left, large dining room on the right, and a huge open lounge that crossed the front of the house. Stairs led from the lounge to the second floor where presumably the bedrooms were. The furnishings were an eclectic mix of antique Italian and German carved chairs and sofas. Rooms that at one time held a library and an office opened off the lounge. Now they held boxes of supplies. It was definitely a step up from the hunting lodges Garrison and his men had frequented in the past and more like a mile up from the previous night's accommodations.
"Very nice," said Actor.
"And the Germans don't know it's here?" asked Craig, just to be certain.
Frazini smiled. "There was only one German who knew the house was here because it was his, but he will not be telling anyone. He has been dead for a long time." The short Italian turned to Casino, the group's demolitions expert. "The munitions are in a hut further into the woods. He motioned to the east.
"How many are coming here?" asked Terry.
Frazini looked at her. "There is your group, six of my men from the other groups, and four on watch."
That made sixteen mouths to feed. Terry glanced toward the way they had come in. "Kitchen still stocked?"
The Italian nodded. "Speck, cheese, some sausage, root vegetables . . ."
"Guess I'll go start lunch," said the girl resignedly. She headed down the hall.
"What about the ration boxes we brought?" asked Casino, hoping they had been dumped off a cliff somewhere.
"We try not to resort to eating them," said Frazini with a grimace. "We mainly use them for bargaining with farmers and charcoal makers." He turned to Garrison. "There are two large rooms upstairs with cots. My men will use one and you will have the other."
"What about uniforms?" asked Garrison.
The partisan leader smiled and looked between Garrison and the even taller confidence man. "We have made sure to get German and Italian uniforms that will fit you both."
Lunch was set up like a soup kitchen so the men could come and go as they needed to. There was a stockpot on the wood stove with a soup made of finely diced vegetables that had been sautéed first, just enough diced speck to give it a decent flavor, and spices for more flavor. There would be no sit down dinner. Terry would continue to add to the pot as needed to keep it full.
Garrison, Actor and Frazini had bowls of soup in the big room with the planning table. Maps were laid out and the confidence man pulled a small notepad and a pen from the inner pocket of his jacket.
"There are multiple targets within a five to twenty mile radius from here. We can stay here for three, maybe four, days before we have to move again,' said Frazini.
"What kind of targets are we looking at?" asked Garrison.
The Italian gave a shrug. "There were two main railroad tracks that carry troops, supplies, and prisoners. The Germans have stepped up their movement of prisoners to Germany for labor in their munitions factories and to build more war machines. There are two, umm," he reached for the English word. He looked at Actor. "Come si dice trespolo?"
"Trestle," translated Actor.
"Sì. And there is an ammunition supply post." He looked around with a frown. "Where is Tri-sa?" he asked.
He had covered his mistake well he thought. And indeed Garrison had not caught the slip. Actor, however, had and it gave him pause to wonder what the girl was called other than her given name.
"What do you need Terry for?" asked Garrison.
"She knows more about the ammunition post than I do. She blew it up the last time."
The two men stared at Frazini.
"Teresa blew up an ammunition dump?" asked Actor in disbelief.
The shorter Italian nodded. "Sì. She destroyed it, but the stupidi tedeschi rebuilt it in the same place. She can tell you how she did it."
The lieutenant and the con man exchanged looks.
"I will get her," said Actor.
The tall Italian went into the kitchen and stood looking at the girl at the stove with his thumbs hooked in his pockets and a deceptive smile on his face. "Teresa, Frazini would like your presence. He seems to think you can tell us how you blew up an ammunition dump. He would like to do it again."
Crap. Terry turned toward Actor with a smile that faded. The unamused expression on his face immediately killed the notion of a con. She had been afraid it would be impossible to sit meekly on the sidelines. Craig would eventually find out the details of what she had been doing. He wasn't going to be happy and obviously neither was Actor. She wiped her hands on a towel and pushed past the man and walked to the planning room.
"Grazie mille, Emilio," she said disgustedly.
"Why are you not in this," Frazini asked in Italian.
"Because I don't do the planning in their group and they did not know I was working with explosives here," she shot back in the same language.
"We know now," said Actor sarcastically in English.
Emilio cocked his head and gave a shrug. "Mi dispiace, Teresa." There, at least he had said her name correctly.
"Ummm," replied the girl in disgust. She walked around the table and crowded her brother out of the way so she could see the map. To Frazini she asked, "Did they rebuild it in the same place and the same way?"
"Yes, but they have increased the guards and electrified the perimeter."
"Naturalmente. Do you still have the map I made of the place?"
Frazini shook his head. "No. We burned it in case the German's found us."
"Paper?"
"Certo."
He went to a cabinet and came back with a pad of paper and a pencil. Terry set it on top of the map and quickly sketched in the layout of the place with notes on electric wire and security. Garrison and Actor exchanged glances over her back. They knew she was gaining ability and experience, but not to the extent that she obviously had now. She straightened and gave the drawing a once over.
"Casino!" she called.
"Yeah, Babe."
"Come here. I need your input."
None of the three at the table thought she needed any input. The safecracker wandered up and glanced at the hand-drawn map.
"So whacha got?"
"An ammo dump," said Garrison.
Casino grinned. "You want I should blow it up." It was more a statement than a question and it obviously pleased the man.
"Yes." Garrison was still not happy.
Their demolitions man picked up the drawing and studied it.
"Last time, the perimeter fence was not electric. I cut a hole in it while the guards were changing and set dynamite on timers by the gas cans, the underside of a tanker truck, and the back wall of the armory building."
Casino looked at her in surprise. "You did it?"
"Well, somebody had to," she shot back at him.
"How'd you get out?" he asked, still studying the layout.
"I had a little hidy-hole and I waited for hell to break loose and went back out the same way I came in. It don't think that's going to work this time."
"Yeah, we'll need another way in."
Actor smiled. "Perhaps they should have a surprise SS inspection of their security system since they have been blown up once already."
Garrison now grinned. "And of course our people wanted to show them how weak their set up is by knocking out the alarms, the lights and the electricity to the fence. Then you can get in the same way she did."
"Chief oughta like that," grinned Casino.
Terry turned to the safecracker. "Give Emilio a list of what you need and he'll get it for you."
"Too bad your brother ain't here," remarked the safecracker. "He's good with timers." He caught Terry's look of exasperation and refrained for checking the lieutenant's expression. "Then again, maybe not."
Garrison chose to ignore them both. He studied the big map with a contemplative expression. "Emilio, this is to the west. Is there anything we can target at the same time to the east and the south?"
"Oh, yes," said the man emphatically. "There are several train lines. One carries supplies and the other carries prisoners to Germany. We would like to take out all the lines."
Terry glanced at the safecracker and took in the wide grin on his face. "You can't be in three places at once, Casino."
"No," said Emilio quickly, "but he can teach my people how to blow up the tracks."
"Yeah, I can do that," agreed the cracksman.
Frazini continued, catching the man's enthusiasm. "In three days the German payroll is transported to Milano by truck. We would like to get that money."
Now Actor grinned. "We are becoming quite adept at high jacking."
"So where do you want me, Craig?" asked Terry.
"Nowhere," he replied strongly.
"It's a little late for that," said the girl. She grinned wickedly. "I do like blowing up train trestles. It's so much fun watching them come down in slow motion."
Garrison favored his demolitions expert with an accusing look. Casino shook his head.
"I didn't teach her that, Warden," he denied quickly.
"Scotland," said Terry.
Garrison shook his head. "Okay, let's get this planned out."