A Wolf by Any Other Name
Chapter 9
They made it back to the partisan camp without mishap. They had been passed twice by trucks of German troops, but Garrison and Actor had removed the hats and tunics so all the Germans saw were a truck of Italians. The sun was setting, when they got back and grabbed some more of the unending soup the camp followers kept cooking.
Frazini was waiting for them. The plane was on the way to get them. It would arrive at their hidden airstrip in two hours. They would have to leave in another hour. He listened with approval to the story of destruction.
"What will you do now?" asked Garrison.
Frazini gave that vague Italian shrug. "We will leave after you do and go back to our previous camp."
Garrison looked at Il Lupo. Neither Terry, nor Actor, was close by to translate. "What about him?" Craig asked Emilio.
Emilio asked the partisan leader that question.
"I will meet my group at our other camp and probably go back to Austria again until this settles down," said the man around a bite of bread.
Frazini translated. Garrison held his hand out to the older man. "Tell him thank you," said Craig.
Il Lupo recognized the two words and gave a small smile and nod, reaching out to shake the American's hand firmly.
Terry was off at the edge of the camp, watching the three men interact. She was troubled, knowing it was doubtful she would return here. She could not leave things like this. Goodbyes were considered bad luck, but in this case she felt it was necessary. When the older Italian moved away toward the path to his other camp, she cut through the woods to intercept him. She could swear he had been expecting her.
Terry moved through the woods with Il Lupo until they were away from the others. She stopped and he turned back to her.
"Caro," she said quietly. "I know why we have the nicknames, but I would really like to know; what is your real name?"
He cocked his head and studied her a moment. He was not sure why, but it seemed important to the young woman. Besides, he now knew her real name.
"Marco," he said. "Marco Mancini."
The blood drained from Terry's face. It surprised and worried the man.
"Where were you born?" she asked quickly.
"A villa north and west of Roma." He studied her. "Why?"
"How old are you?"
"Forty-six."
Oh my God, thought Terry. He's the right age. "You have family?"
He shook his head. "My papa disowned me. After my mamma and sorella died of some kind of illness, he disowned my younger brother and banned him from the villa. The old bastardo died a long time ago. I tried to find my brother, but there was never any sign of him. I think he must be dead too."
Terry grabbed his hands and squeezed tightly. "Please, stay here. Wait for me. I will be right back. It is molto importante. Promise me you will wait."
The girl was speaking urgently. Marco did not know what was upsetting her, but he had a couple minutes left before he had to meet the others. "I will wait, cara. What is it?"
"Just wait. I'll be right back."
He watched the girl turn and sprint back the way they had come.
Terry barely slowed as she entered the camp. She stopped short and quickly scanned the camp. Actor was standing with Craig across the clearing. Both had seen her hurried entrance and were watching her with caution. She hurried across the clearing and grabbed Actor by the wrist. She spoke urgently in Italian.
"Come with me. You have to come. Now."
"No, Teresa. What is the matter? I am not going anywhere until you tell me what is wrong."
"It's not wrong," she said, tugging on his wrist.
"Terry?" asked her brother in English.
"Stay out of it, Craig. I need Actor for something. I need him to come now." She looked up half pleading, half insistent at the confidence man. "Come with me. Hurry."
Actor did not know what to make of the girl's odd behavior and resisted. "Not until you tell me what is going on."
She shook her head adamantly. "I can't tell you, I have to show you. Damn you, Actor, come with me!"
She had never sworn at him. His first instinct was to break away from her, even if it meant hurting her, but for her to speak to him like that further enforced the importance of whatever was upsetting her. He looked at an equally confused Garrison, who shrugged and nodded for him to go. So, Actor allowed the girl to pull him along. She was not about to release the strong grip on his wrist. He almost dug his heels in again when he saw she was taking the same path Il Lupo had gone down.
Terry kept a firm grasp on Actor's wrist as she yanked on him to get him to follow her into the woods.
"Teresa, whatever you are up to, I am not interested," he said angrily.
"Trust me, it is molto importante."
They moved farther into the darkness until they reached a small spot where the scant sunlight reached down. The older Italian was standing with crossed arms, clearly as unhappy as Actor. The two men came to stand face to face, tension pouring off them like molten lava.
Terry stood to the side of them and took a deep breath. "Vittorio Mancini. Marco Mancini."
Actor reacted in anger, though he kept his voice low. "Do not be ridiculous! Marco is dead. He was killed in 1916. What kind of game are you playing Teresa?"
The gray/green eyes that had also been glaring at the young woman, now turned in astonishment to the taller man he had only known as 'Actor.'
"Cucciolo?" Il Lupo asked in quiet wonder. "Mio fratello piccolo?"
Actor's eyes shot back to the other man's in shock at hearing the puppy nickname his brother had called him as a child. "Marco?" Now the color drained from his face. "But you are dead. Papa said you had been killed in Milano."
"Not true," assured Marco. "I was hurt, but I lived."
"But he even made a crypta for you."
"Sì, because I failed him. To him I was dead, as I assume you were when you left."
"Dio," breathed Actor in shock.
The two men stared at each other and suddenly they were in each other's arms, hugging and talking in fast Italian. Terry backed slowly away and faded into the woods. Though she loved one and almost loved the other, this was a time for them to be alone together and figure out what was happening. Taking up Chief's teaching, Terry started walking a spiral perimeter, making sure the area was safe from intruders, enemy and friendly.
The girl never found out what was said between the two brothers, but a bird call had her returning to the two. Actor took one last look at the older man and turned away, going back toward the camp. Terry looked at Marco and tried to smile. It was shaky at best. The man held his arms open and she moved in for a hug and one last kiss.
Garrison was concerned when his second returned alone. There was an open look of wonder and shock on his face.
"What happened?" asked Craig. "Are you all right?"
Actor nodded, but did not answer.
"Where's Terry?" Something odd was going on here, but Garrison did not know what. He looked up as the girl walked slowly back into the camp. "Never mind, there she is."
Actor turned and waited for the girl to come up to him. She looked up at him, eyes moist. It was almost his undoing too. He held his arms open and she now moved into his embrace.
"Thank you, cara," Actor whispered into her ear.
She hugged him hard and tilted her head back to look up at him. He bent his head and openly kissed her in front of her brother. Later, much later, Terry would wonder at the oddity of being hugged and kissed by both brothers.
GGGGG
Sgt/Major Rawlins was at the top of the stairs when the truck pulled up and discharged the group. All looked tired, but uninjured. That was just as well.
"I'm so glad you are back, Leftenant," said the man agitatedly. "I was afraid you wouldn't get here in time."
Now what, wondered Garrison tiredly. "What is it, Sgt/Major?"
"It's Miss Kit from the Blue Fox, Sir."
"Something happened to Kit?" asked Terry sharply.
"No, Miss Terry, but she's coming tomorrow and bringing a pig!"
Garrison counted to ten. He was too tired for this right now. A pig? What next?
"Wot am I supposed to do with a pig?" asked the non-com worriedly.
"Feed it the same stuff you been feedin' us," said Casino sarcastically.
Chief looked up. "Guess you're gonna hafta build it a pigpen."
Actor smiled. "Didn't I read somewhere that pigs like mud? You must be sure to dig up a large square of dirt for it and keep it watered."
Garrison shook his head. He knew his sister did not like taking care of pigs so she would not be getting a live pig.
"But, Leftenant?" The whine was almost on par with Goniff's.
"It's all right, Sgt/Major," said Terry. "It's from one of our pig clubs. I have a hind quarter coming."
That did not help the British man much. "I have to cut it up?" he whined.
Garrison started counting to ten again.
"No," said Terry patiently. "The butcher cuts it up and wraps it into chops and roasts. Just put it in the freezer in the mud room."
GGGGG
Life went on as before. When Terry reached the end of her patience, she disappeared for a week. The men would come down to the Fox on occasion to see her. It was there that Chief got her alone and broached something that had been bothering him.
"You took that shot, didn't you?" he asked quietly.
"What shot?" Terry feigned ignorance.
Chief was deterred. "Warden's good, but he ain't that good. He took down the Major. You took out that soldier that was about to shoot me."
"We told you who took the shot," said Terry. She tried to move away, but he blocked her.
"Ain't callin' you a liar, but I don't believe you."
Terry looked at him and sighed. "You're alive. That's what's important. Just give it a rest, Chief." She turned and walked away.
The trouble was Chief couldn't leave it alone. He told the others his theory that the girl had shot the soldier. This started an argument that repeated itself over and over. Terry refused to enter into the conversation to confirm or deny anything. Garrison stayed out of it too.
GGG
Terry settled in the chair with a book. She had been ignoring the conversation in the room, until she heard the same argument going on between Chief and Casino. She did not know what had started it again, but it was getting on her nerves.
"I told you I saw the flashes on the ridge," said Chief in aggravation.
"Yeah, so you said," scoffed Casino. "I just don't happen to buy it."
Terry laid her book down. Not saying a word, she got up and walked into Craig's office. Bypassing the desk and her working brother, she moved straight to the wall safe and opened it. Craig watched her remove some money and count out several bills, putting the rest back.
"I need to borrow," said Terry.
Craig's face took on an amused smile at the determination on his sister's face. He got up and followed her out. Terry moved to the gun cabinet and took out a rifle. She jacked a bullet into the chamber. The sound made the others look up. Terry walked over to the table where the safecracker sat, gun butt on her left hip, and slapped the money on the table next to the man.
"Willing to put your money where your big mouth is, Casino?" asked Terry with a dare in her voice. "Closed bet, double or nothing, one shot, Actor holds the bet and picks the target."
Terry and Casino locked eyes in a battle of wills. He looked down at the money, a little startled to see one hundred dollars. They usually only made ten dollar bets. Still not willing to back down, he accepted. Pulling a wad of bills out of his pocket, he placed two hundred dollars on top of her money.
Terry led the way outside. The men all followed. Garrison could not keep a smug grin off his face. The group came to a stop in the yard. Actor looked around, trying to find a target at approximately the distance that shot in Italy had been. He finally spotted a no trespassing sign on the perimeter fence.
"All right, how about that sign on the fence?"
"Which letter?" asked Terry.
Actor shot a startled look at her as did Casino.
"P," said Garrison. "We'll make it a little easier."
"I can't even see the ruddy 'P'," said Goniff.
"All right with you?" Terry asked Casino.
"Sure," said Casino with false confidence. "Easy money for me."
Craig held out binoculars to Casino, that he had thought to bring outside. "Take a look and make sure it's intact."
Casino was becoming increasingly unsure as he recognized the Warden's confidence. He took the binoculars and looked at the sign. "No holes."
The men backed out of the way as Terry brought the rifle up to bear on her shoulder. She tucked it in tight, sighting down the barrel. Satisfied, she took a couple slow deep breaths then let it all out and held her breath. She squeezed the trigger and fired. The sign jumped and fell off the fence.
"Blimey! She hit it," said Goniff surprised.
"Yeah, but did she hit the P?" asked Casino, still not willing to back down.
Chief was already sprinting to retrieve the sign. They could see the white toothed grin on his face when he ran back. Stopping in front of Casino, he held the sign up. There was a hole through the top part of the P.
"Bloody hell!" said Goniff
"Dio!" said Actor.
"Told yuh it was her," said Chief with satisfaction.
Craig laughed. Casino turned dumbstruck eyes on Terry.
"Finally," the woman said, "silence."
She took the money out of Actor's hand and, without another word, walked back into the house.
GGGGG
More than a month had passed with no word from Frazini. G-2 did deign to let Garrison know their week of destruction had the desired effect and Allied forces had hit the lower coast of Italy with fewer casualties than predicted thanks to the German and Italian armies moving their troops north.
Terry answered the knock at the door and took the sealed message from the corporal. She didn't look at it; just took it into Craig's office and handed it to him. Garrison looked at the name on the outside and shot a surprised glance up at his sister.
"It's for you," he said.
Terry gave him a puzzled look and took it from him. He watched her open it and start to read it. She went still and bit both lips, trying not to cry. Garrison stood up in alarm.
"What?" he asked.
"Get Actor and shut the door," she said, handing the note to him.
She walked to the window and leaned against the frame, back to him, shoulders bowed. Garrison quickly read the note. It was a wireless message from Frazini. As usual with unanticipated wireless messages, it was not good news. God, he hated this. Resolutely, he went to the door and looked at the con man sitting in his chair reading a newspaper.
"Actor," said Garrison.
The Italian looked up and a chill went through him at the masked expression on the lieutenant's face. Please, no, he thought, though somehow he was sure of what he was about to learn. He rose from his chair and walked to the office, not noticing the silence in the common room. The others knew something was wrong, but not what.
Garrison motioned him inside the office and shut the door behind them. Actor was looking at Terry's back. Craig held the message out to him.
Actor looked at it, not wanting to take it, but knowing it was inevitable. Slowly he opened the paper. It was short and succinct. "Il lupo dead. Hill fight with enemy. Sorry. Frazini." Actor carefully folded the note back up and took a breath to steady himself. He looked up to see Teresa looking at him from the window, eyes moist. He felt the burning behind his eyes and had to get away.
"Thank you, Warden," Actor said quietly. "If you don't mind, I would like to be alone for awhile."
Garrison nodded and stepped back as the tall man turned and walked out the door with dignity. He walked straight to the front door and went out. Garrison stepped into the doorway of his office. The others were looking at him in question.
"His brother was killed," said Craig in explanation.
"Damn," said Chief, watching the con man walk with bent head and rounded shoulders toward the gate to the back acres.
"Bloody damn war," said Goniff.
"Poor guy," said Casino. "Just gets his brother back and loses him again."
Garrison was surprised at that coming out of the safecracker, but then not too surprised.
GGG
Terry picked at the food on her plate, but could not eat it. The chair next to her was conspicuously empty. Actor had been gone for hours now. Thunder rumbled in the distance. He had said he wanted to be alone, but somebody should go get him before it started to rain. She pushed back her chair and rose, taking her plate and putting it in the refrigerator beside the covered one for the con man. She went back through the dining room, past the men. Craig did not stop her, but motioned for the Sgt/Major to hush as he was about to ask what was going on. At the door, she put on a jacket and took Actor's coat from the tree.
Outside, she walked across the open lawn and took the path into the woods. It was dark and cold. The wind was starting to come up and leaves rustled crisply. She could smell the rain coming. Turning down the path to the pond, she walked quietly.
He was there, sitting on the big rock, leaning on his forearms on his knees. Terry walked up behind him and draped the jacket over his shoulders. She sat down beside him, not touching. He turned his head to look at her. A slight residual redness and puffiness of his eyes spoke of the emotional time he was having.
"You loved him too, didn't you?" Actor asked.
Terry nodded. "In a way I did. There was a lot of him that was like you. When he wanted to, he could be kind, and gentle and caring, but he still had steel in his spine. Like you."
Actor did not know why, but he felt compelled to ask. "Did you sleep with him?"
Terry turned her head to look back at him. "Yes. In the same way I sleep with Casino and Goniff and Craig and sometimes you when we are on a mission. You know those mountains. The nights are frigid. I did not trust any of the others, but I trusted him. And sleeping on the open ground with a group of people all around you is not conducive to anything of an intimate nature."
"Would you have?" Actor cursed himself for asking that and looked away. "Never mind."
Terry ignored the last. "I don't think so. I spent three weeks in close quarters with him. I got to know him as much as he would let me. I was drawn to him, but not enough for that."
Actor nodded. "I'm sorry. I should not have asked that. It is none of my business."
"Yes it is."
The Italian's head turned to look at her.
"You know how important you are to me," she said. Terry frowned and laid a hand on his forearm. "Vittorio, did I make it worse for you?" she asked worriedly. "You had already lost him and had dealt with it. Then, all of a sudden, he's alive and you only get a few minutes with him. Now you've lost him again."
He looked at her and shook his head. "Teresa, you gave me the most wonderful gift! Even those few minutes with him were precious. I can never regret that. And I thank you for giving my brother back to me, even for so short a time."
Actor straightened and, after a moment, bent his head to place a light kiss on her lips. He pulled back just a couple inches. Terry's hand went up to cup his cheek and she leaned in to give him a deeper kiss in return. He turned into her and enfolded her in his arms, meeting her kiss with a quiet desperation. When they came up for air, she slipped her arm around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Cold wet drops of water began to fall on them through the trees.
"I think it's raining," observed Terry.
Thunder rumbled.
"I think we are going to get soaked before we get to the house," predicted Actor.
"I think you're right."
Terry released him and stood up, facing him. Actor stood and slipped his arms into the sleeves of the jacket. He remained still as the girl's hands clasp either side of his waist. He pulled her to him and held her.
"Thank you, cara," he whispered into her ear.
She squeezed him tightly in response and released him. He took her hand and they set off down the path back to the house. As soon as they emerged onto the lawn, the skies opened up and drenched them. They broke into a loping run, or rather Actor broke into a loping run. Terry broke into a full gallop to keep up with the con man's long legs.
