Chapter 4

The next morning, Terry was up earlier, setting out bread, cheese and coffee for the men. Casino came in from watch and eyed her assessingly. "No hangover this morning, Babe?"

"No," she replied. "I don't generally get them. Why?"

"No reason," Casino shook his head.

Garrison looked up from his papers and gave the safecracker a warning look. Terry caught it and curled a lip at her brother. She picked up a cup of coffee and took it over to him.

"Will you quit!" she whispered sharply to Craig. "When I need your help I'll ask for it."

Actor stepped out of the second bedroom adjusting his Wehrmacht uniform. Terry poured him a cup and headed past him to get dressed. She held out the cup.

"Caffè, Caro?" she asked.

He absently accepted the cup. "Grazie, Cara."

Craig watched his sister disappear into the bedroom and his second pick up a chunk of bread while sipping the coffee. Sometimes he had the distinct feeling he had somehow missed something somewhere. Terry was teasing back and forth with Casino and he wasn't sure what the hell was going on with her and Actor now.

An hour later, they were parked in front of the Wehrmacht headquarters. Actor and Garrison had gone inside. Terry remained in the backseat of the car. She had kicked her high heeled shoes off and her legs were stretched out on the seat. Chief was behind the wheel, ever observant of what was going on in the area.

Casino and Goniff came up from the second car. Goniff climbed in the front. Casino opened the back door and looked at Terry's stocking feet on the seat. She folded her legs up and put her feet on the floor. Casino slid in.

"You gotta take up the whole seat?" he groused.

Terry crossed her ankles and dropped them across his knees. "Yeah," she replied defiantly.

They sat and waited. More and more time passed. Terry, Casino and Goniff were playing poker for points. Chief was still watching. It got to be noon and much of the staff left the building for lunch. Still Garrison and Actor did not appear. Chief was getting edgy and so was Terry.

"What's takin' 'em so long?" asked Chief.

"Aw, you know how longwinded Actor can be." Casino brushed it off.

"Yes, but Craig's with him," said Terry a bit worriedly. "It shouldn't take this long. Or they should have come out to go to lunch somewhere."

"Think I'll go take a look," said Chief. "You know where the office is?"

"Ground floor, back of the building, far corner," replied Terry.

Chief slipped out of the car and disappeared down a side street. Terry pulled her feet off Casino's knees and curled into a sitting position. She studied the building.

"'Ey, it's the Warden and Actor. They can take care o' themselves," said Goniff optimistically.

"Maybe . . ." Terry wasn't as sure.

It wasn't long before Chief climbed into the front seat behind the wheel. "Trouble. They're in the hall. There's a Kraut officer holding a gun on them."

"Now what are we gonna do?" asked Casino.

Terry started putting her shoes back on. "Chief, start the car up." Chief gave her a long look, but did her bidding. "You two go back to your car and get it started."

"And what do you have up your sleeve?" asked Casino sarcastically.

Terry smiled, "It's show time. Let's see how good a teacher Actor is."

Casino and Goniff exchanged glances.

"So you think you're gonna go in and rescue them?" said Casino derisively.

Terry turned on him, "Listen, Mister, that's my brother in there. We Garrison's don't go down without a fight. So unless you got a better idea, just shut your . . . your . . . pie hole and let me try."

Casino and Goniff watched Terry approach the guards at the entrance to the building. They could not hear the exchange, but Terry seemed to be arguing and ordering the guards in a highly indignant manner. Casino fingered the trigger guard on his gun.

"She ain't gonna get in," he said with certainty.

"Sure she is, Mate," said Goniff. "Look at her. I'd let her in."

And sure enough, the way was opened for the woman to haughtily storm her way up the steps into the building. Head high and anger most apparent, she rounded the corner into the hall. In an instant she took in the backs of Actor and Garrison and the German lieutenant holding the gun on them. She never hesitated and her German was flawless.

"Hans! Hans, what is the matter with you? We are late!" She stepped in front of Actor and glared up at him. "You promised me you would take me to lunch at noon and then shopping. It is now twenty after. I still need to find a dress for the Field Marshall's party!"

Actor took her shoulders. "Liebchen, I think you should wait in the car," he said pointedly.

"Wait? Wait?" she screeched. "I have been waiting for hours!"

Terry pulled away from Actor and faced her brother. "And you! You are supposed to see he is on time and everything is in order!" She hit Craig hard on the arm with her purse.

It took all of Garrison's concentration to maintain an unfazed countenance.

"Liebchen, go out to the car!" ordered Actor with real anger.

Terry turned and looked at the lieutenant with his gun as if seeing him for the first time. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Are you out of your mind? Do you know who this is? Imbecile!"

The man was startled as the incensed woman walked right up to him, knocked the gun hand away with her purse and slapped him sharply across the face. Actor and Garrison leapt forward to overpower the man. Craig cold cocked him with the butt of his pistol and the two men dragged him into a closet. Terry remained in the hall tapping her foot impatiently. The two men came out of the closet.

Still in German, she asked sarcastically, "Shall we go now, Liebchen?"

Actor grabbed her upper arm in a bruising grip. Through gritted teeth he replied, "Yes, Liebchen!"

The three walked out of the building and past the guards as though nothing was amiss except that the general was angry with his mistress. Craig opened the door and helped Terry into the backseat, followed by Actor. Garrison hurried into the front of the car and Chief pulled into the street, followed by the other vehicle with the rest of the men.

Casino in the other car shook his head. "I don't believe it. She did it."

"You ought to believe it, Mate," said Goniff. "She saved your bacon once already."

Terry leaned back in the seat, watching the scenery with apparent unconcern, and not looking at the man sitting stiffly beside her. A tiny smile came to her face as she felt Actor relax.

Once they were outside of the city, Garrison yelled back at his sister. "Terry, if you ever pull a stunt like that again . . .!"

Terry finally looked up at Actor innocently. "Too much?"

Actor glared at her, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Just right." But then he rounded on her, "I agree with the Lieutenant. If you ever do something like that again . . .!"

Terry smiled broadly and slipped her arm through his, snuggling up against him. "It's so nice to know you two care."

Actor pulled his hat off and leaned his head against the back of the seat. Looking skyward he muttered, "Dio nel cielo."

They made it to the next safe house without incident. Chief hid both vehicles, while Goniff took up the watch. The others went into the house. Terry took the dufflebag from Casino and disappeared into the bedroom.

Her voice came through the door. "So did you get anything worthwhile out of that?"

"Oh, yeah," said Craig loudly. "G-2 is going to be re-al happy with the information we're bringing back."

Actor sank into a chair, crossing the long legs, and unbuttoned the tunic and the collar of the shirt. Craig offered him a cigarette and lit both of theirs. The blond tossed his hat on the table beside Actor's and took off his tunic. He sank into another chair and crossed booted legs on top of the table. Casino was busy snooping into the sideboard.

Actor studied the young officer. "I assume you are planning on missing the sub tonight."

Craig nodded. "We'll catch the one tomorrow night. I want to find a less direct route for tomorrow, in case they are after us."

Casino straightened and pulled a bottle of wine out of the bottom of the sideboard. "Ha!" He pulled the cork out, sniffed the contents and took a swallow. "Not bad," he declared.

Terry came out of the spare room dressed in pants, boots, and shirt. She snatched the wine bottle out of Casino's hand and walked around the table, handing it to her brother. Bending down, she spoke in his ear, "You two have to have brass ones to have pulled off a con like that."

"It's what we do," replied Garrison. He frowned at his sister. "Not that I'm condoning what you did, but where did you find 'em to pull that little stunt of yours?"

"Oh, come on, Craig," said Terry. "Us kids have been covering each others' backsides from the time we could walk. You expected me to just sit there and twiddle my thumbs?"

"What you did was very dangerous," said Actor admonishingly.

"No more so than what you two were doing," shot back Terry.

Chief let himself in the door. Craig held the bottle out to him. The Indian took a long drink and gave the bottle back.

"So," said Terry to Casino and Chief. "Who won the bet and for how much?"

"What bet?" asked Chief.

"Come on, guys," she said in disbelief. "You'd bet on how long it takes a leaf to fall off a tree. You had to have a bet I wasn't going to be able to pull it off." She jerked a thumb at Casino. "I know he would bet against me."

Chief shrugged. "Well, to tell you the truth, we forgot to bet on it."

Terry stared at them and decided the man was telling the truth. "I don't believe you guys."

Casino looked at Actor. "So how did she do it?"

Terry looked at Actor, curious as to how he was going to report it.

Actor shrugged. "It was easy really. She just walked in, started yelling at me, hit the Warden with her purse, then walked up to the colonel and knocked his gun hand away and slapped him."

Casino looked at the Italian sourly. "Figures you wouldn't give us the true story."

Craig leaned his chair back on two legs and took a pull of wine out of the bottle before passing it to his sister. "I hate to tell you this Casino, but that's exactly what she did. Took ten years off my life."

Actor snorted, "It took ten years off my life and I have ten fewer to lose than you."

Terry took a swallow of wine and went to slide both arms around Actor's neck from behind, laying her cheek alongside his. In a perfect German accent she said, "Oh, but Liebchen…"

Actor plucked the bottle from her hand and growled, "Ter-e-sa!"

Terry backed up, but ran the fingers of her left hand up the back of his neck and into his hair. Maintaining the accent, she asked innocently, "Does this mean we don't get to go to the Field Marshall's party?"

Craig was trying hard to stifle a laugh. The other men were staring.

Actor swung around and Terry jumped back. "You are about to get your own little party if you don't stop it right now!" he threatened.

Craig burst out laughing and almost fell off his chair. Terry grinned wickedly. And the others laughed. Actor looked at them all indignantly. He rose from the chair.

"The things I have to put up with."

He turned to march off and Casino snatched the bottle away from him.

Garrison looked at his sister, shaking his head. "Will you quit teasing him?"

"No."