It's a Safe Bet
Chapter 9
Two ambulances were waiting nearby as the converted bomber pulled around and stopped on the hardstand. A blond civilian was the first man out of the plane. He stood by watching as the two stretchers with his men were unloaded and slid into the back of the ambulances. The woman had climbed out with two other men and watched the procedure also. She jumped into the nearest jeep and waited for a slighter blond man to climb into the back. Her face wore a frown and her concentration was trained on the two ambulances. At a sharp word from the woman, the driver of the jeep sent it speeding in pursuit of the ambulances. A second jeep, bearing the blond man and younger, darker man, followed.
The ambulances backed up almost to the door of the base hospital. The back doors were opened and the medics unloaded the injured men. First one and then the other jeep pulled up beside the ambulances. The four civilians got out and strode into the hospital behind the medics.
As usual for Archbury Air Force Base's hospital it was a scene of controlled chaos. Nurses and orderlies scurried around in and out of rooms and into the nurse's station. The short, stocky major in green scrubs walked up to the first stretcher. Doc Kaiser examined Actor briefly before turning to the nurse.
"Get this one into a room. Start an IV. He needs fluids and penicillin. Then I want to see that wound."
As the stretcher was taken down the hall, nurse in tow, Kaiser turned to the next stretcher. He eased Casino's arm carefully out of the sling and examined the splint and the hand. The major beckoned another nurse over.
"I want x-rays of that wrist and then put him in the room with the other one. Start an IV on him too."
Casino was carried down a connecting hall toward the x-ray department. Garrison, Chief and Goniff had come to stand close by. Finally, the surgeon's attention turned to the only woman of the group.
"I know. You're staying."
Terry gave a firm nod.
Kaiser sighed. "I can't give you a cot. I have to double up your men. We don't have room. We're full of casualties."
Terry nodded again. "If I can get a chair I will be fine. And I can take care of them here, except for medicines. I'll free up some of your nurses."
"Fine." Kaiser strode off.
Garrison touched his sister's shoulder. "I'm going to phone Major Schaeffer. I may have to leave you here." He turned to the other two men. "You can come with me if you want."
Goniff shook his head. "I think I'll take me a seat on this bench and wait until they bring Casino back."
Chief shrugged. "I'll wait with Goniff."
"I'll go down to the room," said Terry. "I want to know what Doc has to say."
"Try not to annoy him," said Garrison.
"Who, Kaiser or Actor?" grinned the girl.
"Both of them."
Garrison went around the corner to the phone on the wall to make his call. He waited, leaning against the wall in fatigue, as the call was routed through the G-2 building in Brandonshire.
"Major Schaeffer's office." The voice was professional, but still told of a smile.
"Meg, this is Lt. Garrison. I need to speak with the Major."
"Right away, Lieutenant," she said. "Hold on, please."
A moment later, the call was transferred into the major's office. The irritating voice of the British major came on.
"Lt. Garrison, you are late. You missed your rendezvous."
"Yes, Sir," said Garrison, trying to maintain his military bearing. "There were complications. The information was divided between two locations in Italy. We were able to obtain both sets of documents."
"And where might I ask are you?" Schaeffer asked in his haughtily sarcastic voice.
"Archbury Air Force Base hospital," replied Craig. "I have two wounded men."
That information was brushed off. "How soon can you get here, Lieutenant?"
"When my men have been seen to, Sir." Garrison's tone was bordering on insubordination.
"I want you here in an hour, Lieutenant."
"Sir, I am going to see to my men first and then I will get transportation to G-2," said Craig firmly. "Unless of course, the major would like to send a car for me." That would extend the time Garrison had to find out what Kaiser's verdict was.
Schaeffer knew he was being manipulated, but Garrison had really not overstepped his bounds. It did not improve the Major's attitude.
"I will send a car in an hour, Garrison. If that time frame changes, you will notify me at once."
"Of course, Sir. Thank you, Sir."
He resisted the urge to slam the receiver down. Garrison was not sure whom he disliked more, the British Major Schaeffer or the American Colonel Yates. Yates won out. He was vicious, while Schaeffer was merely annoying . . . as hell. Craig went back to the bench and sat beside Chief. He pulled a cigarette out and lit it, taking a long drag on it and holding the smoke in his lungs for a few seconds before slowly exhaling.
"Take it the Major ain't too happy," said Chief.
"Never is, is he?" observed Garrison.
"Seems bloody impossible Meg's 'is daughter," said Goniff. "They're nothing alike."
"Probably took after her mother," said Garrison in a rare moment of comradery.
The three men sat on the bench. All were beyond tired. This had been a lousy mission. The two cons hoped whatever was in those papers was worth what they had gone through. After a bit, Goniff got up and went to the cafeteria, returning with three cups of coffee. He handed one to the lieutenant and Chief and sat back down, sipping on his.
Major Kaiser came out of a room and walked down to them. He addressed Garrison.
"I'll come back to the room to talk to you after I have seen the x-rays of the other man's wrist."
"Thank you, Sir," said Garrison.
Garrison watched the doctor go behind the nurse's station. The major looked just as exhausted as he and his men were. Garrison did not think they had ever been here when the place wasn't hopping with wounded; some times worse than others.
Casino was brought back on the stretcher and taken down to the room Actor was in. The three men rose and followed slowly. It would take a minute to get the safecracker settled into a bed.
The door opened and Kaiser stopped short at sight of the room filled with people. The girl was sitting on a chair between the two beds. Lieutenant Garrison and his two other men were standing tightly in the small space at the end of the beds. With a frown, the doctor squeezed in between the wall and the bed of Casino.
"You are Casino?" he asked.
"Yeah," replied Casino warily.
"You are the safecracker?"
"That's right. Why?"
"And you are right handed?"
"Yeah. Why?" he asked a little more belligerently to cover his worry at the doctor's questions.
GGG
Kaiser ignored the somewhat surly attitude. "The x-rays show some displacement of the bones in your wrist. You need to go to surgery to have the wrist manipulated into alignment or you will have a difficult time in your line of work." The last was said with a touch of wryness.
"How soon?" asked Garrison.
Kaiser shook his head. "The sooner the better, but I have no OR nurses right now. As I said, we are full of casualties."
Terry stood up. "Can I talk to you outside?" she asked. At his resigned look she added, "Please."
Kaiser motioned her to follow him. Garrison stepped into Goniff to give her room to get past him, and tried to follow. A raised hand from his sister stopped him. She followed the doctor into the hall. Kaiser crossed his arms and looked at her, expecting more trouble.
"Look," said Terry. "I know we don't get along, but if you are willing, I would like to volunteer my services as your surgical nurse. That is if you aren't too tired to do this now. I am a fully licensed OR nurse."
Kaiser watched her, contemplating her words. "Feel up to doing both patients?"
Terry's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Actor too?"
"Yes," said Kaiser. "I want to open more of that wound up and clean it out under anesthesia."
Terry nodded. "I'm game." She was surprised he had accepted her offer.
Doc turned around until he spotted a nurse and called to her. "Find some scrubs that will fit this woman and find me an anesthetist who isn't asleep on his feet."
"Right away, Doctor," said the nurse, hurrying off to do his bidding.
Terry stepped back into the room. She looked between the two men in the beds. "You're both going to surgery. Casino first and then Actor."
"Me?" asked Actor fuzzily.
"You too," said Terry. "He's going to try to correct the mess I made of your arm."
"You did not . . ."
"Can it, Actor. We'll discuss it later."
Garrison turned his sister around. "I thought he didn't have any nurses?"
"He does now," replied Terry.
Garrison knew the antagonism between the woman and the air force surgeon. "He agreed to it?"
"Without a fight," said Terry, still somewhat surprised.
Craig searched her face. "You haven't had much, if any, sleep. Can you do this?"
A cocky smile graced the girl's face. "No problem."
"You're goin' to surgery with me?" asked Casino, not sure he could believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah," said Terry turning to him. "Got a problem with that?"
"Not a bit, Babe," the safecracker grinned at her.
"Teresa . . ."
"I didn't ask you, Actor," cut in Terry with a smile to temper her words.
A nurse entered the room with scrubs over her arm. She held them out to Terry. The girl accepted them and followed the nurse out to find a place to change. When she returned, she was wearing the green scrub suit, covered by a long sleeved green coat that hung to mid-calf.
"This feels strange after all these years," said Terry.
Garrison eyed her with concern. "You sure you can do this . . . after all these years?"
Terry eyed him back narrowly. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to question your medical personnel in front of the patient?" She smiled confidently. "Of course I can."
They waited for another twenty minutes before orderlies came with a gurney. The men and Terry stepped outside until Casino was brought out.
Chief stepped up to the gurney. "Have a nice sleep," he said with a grin.
Casino snorted. "Only way a guy can get any rest around here."
"I wouldn't go an' pinch the nurse, if I was you, Mate," added Goniff.
Casino looked up at Terry. "Naw, I know all about her right hook."
The orderlies took the gurney down the hall toward the surgery doors, Terry following behind. With shared looks of tired resignation, the three men went back into the room with Actor. Not long after, a nurse came to the door and told Garrison there was a corporal to drive him to Brandonshire. Garrison thanked her. He looked at Chief and Goniff.
"You can stay or come with me," he said.
Goniff winked at Actor. "I think I might just go with you, Warden," he said. "Just to make sure you don't get into any trouble."
Garrison gave him a wry look, knowing it wasn't himself Goniff was going to keep an eye on. He looked at Chief.
"I think I'll stay here," said the Indian.
Garrison exchanged a look of support with Actor. The Italian nodded. With a jerk of his head, Craig motioned Goniff to go out. When they had gone, Chief took a seat in the chair next to Actor. The knife came out and he began polishing the blade on his pants leg.
"You are going to scare the nurses," said Actor.
"I'll hide it if one comes in."
GGG
It was more than an hour later when both men returned to their room. Casino was fully awake, but Actor was still groggy. Chief had moved the chair out of the way when the gurneys were brought in one at a time and now sat on it in the corner of the room at Actor's feet. The door opened to admit Terry, basin and wet cloth in hand. She smiled at Chief and Casino. As she went between the two beds, Chief got up and put the chair back in place behind her.
"Thanks," she said, glancing to see him go back to the corner and sit on his heels. She had seen him sit that way before for hours so she said nothing about it. She set the basin and cloth on the bed beside the con man.
"How are you?" Terry asked Casino.
"I'm okay," replied the safecracker. "So how'd I do?"
"Just fine," smiled the girl. "It shouldn't give you any trouble."
"Good. I'm hungry. Can't a guy get some food around here?"
"Not for a little bit yet," said the girl. "I want your stomach to have time to settle after the anesthesia."
She checked the cast that was in a sling, resting against Casino's chest. Satisfied, she straightened and turned to Chief.
"You can go get something to eat if you want," she said.
Chief nodded. "You want me to bring you anything?"
"More coffee, I guess," said Terry with a grimace. "I'll eat later with Casino. Besides, the smell of food will make him worse." She nodded toward Actor. "You know he's going to come up puking."
Chief chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Terrific," said Casino. "Got another room I can go to?"
"Nope," said Terry. "You'll just have to put up with it."
After Chief had left the room, Casino cast a glance at the still sleeping confidence man and then back to the girl sitting on the chair next to him. "Thanks, Babe," he said quietly.
Terry rubbed his left arm, "Anytime. Just not anytime too soon."
A gulping sound came from the next bed. Terry turned quickly and grasped Actor's arm as he tried to sit up. He made it to a sitting position. Terry got the basin in front of him just in time. Mostly it was dry heaves; if anything, worse than if his stomach had anything in it.
Casino watched the girl rub the back of the Italian's neck. "Funny, he don't handle anesthesia too good."
"No, he doesn't," agreed Terry.
"I don't find it funny," said the con man grumpily between gasps.
"No, I don't imagine you do, caro," said Terry soothingly.
His stomach seemed to have settled down for the moment. The girl helped him lay down again and gave him the wet cloth to wipe his face. He closed his eyes and held the cloth out for Terry to take. Satisfied he was okay for a minute, she took the basin and the cloth out to clean them.
When she returned, Casino patted the bed beside him. She set the basin and cloth within close reach and sat on the edge of the safecracker's bed.
"How's the hand?" Terry asked.
"Better. I can move my thumb and it only hurts a little." He demonstrated.
"Well, don't be doing that until that cast dries or you're going to screw it up," admonished Terry.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Casino. "Twenty-four hours." He looked up at her with a grin. "So how soon can we go home?"
"Not until tomorrow morning," said Terry. "Doc wants to observe you overnight with that concussion. And he wants another couple doses of antibiotic in Actor before he releases you two."
Casino gave her a calculating look. "And I'll just bet you'll be the one stuck watchin' us all night."
"I would say that's a safe bet," said Actor without opening his eyes.
Terry smiled. "What? You two think you're up to chasing the nurses? You want me to go back to the Mansion?"
"I never said that," grinned Casino. "Did you, Actor?"
"Not that I recall," the Italian replied. It did not look like he was going to get any more sleep with the safecracker talking. He opened his eyes and turned his head to see the girl. "What did the Major do to my arm?"
Terry shifted her bottom over to his bed now. "Is it feeling better?"
"A little," admitted the con man. "How bad is it?"
"Not as bad as it could have been," replied Terry. "He opened it up, cleaned it out good, put a little drain in one place and stitched up to the drain."
"That will leave a scar," lamented Actor.
"Yes," agreed Terry. "He did the best he could with it. You won't lose any function of your arm or hand though."
Casino didn't know that had been a possibility. He had his head turned, watching Actor.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he said in his usual cocky manner. "Yuh usually wear long sleeves. And the dames like war wounds. Makes you look brave."
"That may be for the women you date," said Actor. "Some have not liked the scars. They are imperfections." That was not something the arrogant man would normally have admitted.
"Well, nobody's perfect, Actor. Not even you. If you're so worried about it, just turn out the lights when yuh get laid."
"I do not 'get laid'," objected the confidence man indignantly. "I make love. I doubt you understand that concept."
"Hey, I'm trying to help. If you're gonna be a jerk about it. . ."
"Gentlemen, please!" objected Terry. "Do you have to have this conversation in front of me?"
"Sorry, Babe," apologized Casino insincerely. "Beautiful just can't stand if somebody doesn't think he's perfect."
"Casino . . ." growled Actor warningly.
"Enough! Both of you!" ordered the girl.
One good thing about the two of them arguing; it kept Actor from heaving. Terry returned to her chair. It was going to be a long night.
The door opened and Chief walked in. He handed a cup of coffee to Terry and took in the glares that were being exchanged by the men in the two beds. He must have missed something. Just as well. At least if those two were fighting, Casino would not be on his back.
GGGGG
They were all back at the Mansion the next day. The antibiotics had done Actor a lot of good. His arm was down to an ache that was mostly relieved by the sling. He was up in his chair with his pipe and a good book he had to have laying on his lap to read.
It was late evening, the others having gone to their rooms to catch up on the sleep they had missed for the past week. Garrison was in his office, door open, finishing the typed report for G-2. Actor had finished the book he was reading and gone into the library to get a new one for the morning. So it was, Terry went into her brother's office, thinking they had some privacy. Actor was just returning when he saw the back of her disappear into the office. Something about the tension in her body made him stay and listen.
Garrison looked up and was warned by the stony expression on the girl's face. "There a problem?"
"Was it worth it, Craig?" she said steadily. "Was it worth almost getting them killed?"
"Intelligence thinks it was."
"Intelligence doesn't give a damn about them," said the girl with barely subdued anger. "We're all expendable to them. Kill a con on a mission, who cares? Cons are easy to replace. We have prisons full of them." She paused and said in a quieter voice, "I thought better of you. Guess I was wrong. You're the same as you were before. All military, just like Dad. "
Garrison sat back and watched her silently. He remembered having a similar conversation in Italy with his men when they were trying to get Gen. Kaltenbrunner out. It would do no good to argue with Terry. He refused to go on the defensive with her. Besides, he sometimes thought, as now, that she might be right. He wasn't going to tell her they weren't just cons to him. They were men and as close to friends as he could allow them to be.
Terry shook her head. "I'm going to bed."
Garrison went back to his task and effectively shut her out. Actor picked up his book and moved back by the library door. He was looking at the open book as though engrossed in the content. He looked up as Terry came out. She stopped short and stared at him.
"Good night, Teresa," Actor smiled.
"'Night." She frowned as though wondering if he had heard anything.
The con man placed his book on his side table and picked up his pipe, going to the fireplace and tapping the spent tobacco into it. When he looked up, the girl was gone. Actor went silently past Garrison's door and up the stairs to his room.
Craig had just sat down on his bed when there was a faint tap at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened and Actor slipped inside, closing the door silently behind him. He walked up to the officer and smiled, pulling a bottle of Courvoisier from his sling. The Warden had a bottle of very good brandy in his room, but this was better.
"May we join you?" asked the con man indicating himself and his bottle.
"Please do," said Garrison with a crooked grin.
While Actor pulled a chair around and got the top off the bottle, Craig went to his armoire and retrieved two glasses.
"It has been a while since we were able to have a little private session, Warden," said the con man. "I hope you are not too tired for one tonight."
"I'm tired," admitted Garrison, "but not that tired."
He held the glasses out while Actor poured two healthy portions of the strong liquor into them. The Italian set the bottle on the table and accepted a glass from Garrison as the lieutenant took a seat on his bed. They touched rims in a toast and both took a swallow of the fine cognac. Garrison relaxed a bit.
"Warden," said Actor. "I must confess."
Garrison raised an eyebrow. "You? Confess?"
Actor shrugged. "Only behind closed doors."
Garrison chuckled. "Confess what?"
"I am afraid I am guilty of listening to your conversation with Teresa."
Garrison looked at him, wondering what was coming next. They both took another swallow of their drinks.
"You realize that in a relatively short period of time, Teresa has almost been killed twice?" Actor poured more cognac into their glasses.
Garrison nodded slowly. "We run into that almost every mission."
"Ah, but she doesn't. She is afraid. Not a bad thing. You know her better than we do. How does she normally act when she is afraid?" Actor took another drink.
"Terry has never been afraid of anything."
Actor shook his head. "Come now, Warden. Every one of us has been afraid at some point. And more than once."
Garrison thought about some instances on the ranch as they were growing up. "She gets angry."
"As she is now." Actor could see the thoughts churning in the young officer's mind. "And, for whatever reason, you know she has adopted us. And all of us are grateful that she has. She seems to be defending us."
"Well, that she is good at," said Craig with a smile.
"Give her time," advised Actor. "She will come to terms with everything."
"I suppose."
Actor figured that was enough of the personal conversation.
"So, what next? I see the good major did not give us another mission."
"No," said Garrison. "I have to go to London tomorrow for a meeting with Major Richards and Col. Hammond about the information we obtained."
"So they are finding it valuable?"
"Very much so," said Garrison.
"Good," said Actor amicably. "Then I will leave you to get some rest."
Both men tossed down the last of their drinks. Actor capped the bottle and tucked it back into his sling. He rose and nodded.
"Thank you, Warden. I find these little talks very enjoyable."
Garrison watched the door close silently behind the tall man. He pondered on their "little talk" and realized it had been more of a counseling session. But, even at that, he had enjoyed it too. With a wry smile and a shake of his head, Craig set about getting ready for bed. Yes, tomorrow would be a long day.
