83. Could, Should, Will, Maybe
Chapter 2
Actor's inscrutable mask closed over his face. He stepped up to the table and picked up the paper with his name on it. Unfolding it, he scanned it quickly and went back over it again slowly. She had known he would not take her with them. How, he did not know, unless it was simply they were that close. The girl had done well. She had written down the address of Miller's shop, the directions he had taken, what roads they were on, and the time she had turned back in Germany. There was a description of the car and the license plate. She had also noted two of the men had left the shop first and it had been a bit before Miller had come out, wearing different clothes than he had worn entering the shop.
"All right, Gentlemen," said Actor. "Let us go visit this photography shop."
GGG
Casino went for a walk and returned with a car that obviously did not belong to them. The men quickly loaded their kits in the trunk and, with Chief behind the wheel, drove away. Actor gave him directions to get to Miller's shop. They drove slowly past and went around the block to the alley that went behind it. It was a Sunday, so it was quiet. Almost too quiet.
Chief parked behind the shop next door to Miller's. The four got out and scanned the area. Nothing was moving and there were no sounds. Goniff headed for the window of Miller's shop with the intent of opening it as Terry had.
Suddenly Chief froze and held his arm out toward Actor. "I smell blood. A lot of it," said the man with the keen senses.
They all looked around. There was a garbage dumpster on the other side of the shop. Chief's brows furled as he slowly made his way toward it, knife open in his hand. He had noticed some liquid on the ground. The liquid turned out to be congealed blood and as he had said, there was a lot of it. The Indian lifted his left hand and flicked his fingers urging the others to come.
"Blimey," whispered Goniff fighting down bile in the back of his throat.
"There's gotta be a body in there," said Casino in a low voice.
Chief went around to the far side and Actor took the near end. They lifted the lid and silently pushed it back. The con man's eyebrows rose and dropped. Chief stared down at the figure of a man on it's side in the trash. There was even more blood.
"Actor," hissed the scout. "Look at his arms. His hands are gone."
The Italian had already noticed that. "I would imagine they are in there with him somewhere."
Chief put his shiv back in its harness, grabbed the front edge of the bin and heaved himself up to hang over the side edge. He grabbed a handful of shirt and yanked the upper part of the man onto his back. The vacant eyes were wide open. "I'd say he was still alive when it was done."
"Is that the safecracker?" asked the con man.
"Yup," said Chief. "That's Jerry M."
Casino moved up beside Actor, careful not to step in the blood. He looked down into the bin. "Jeez," he breathed out. "I knew he took too long with that safe. Musta really pissed Miller off to get that done to him."
Goniff was having none of it. "So what do we do now?" he asked queasily.
Actor and Chief carefully closed the lid on the grizzly sight. The three men looked to the Italian for the plan.
"I would suggest we get out of here quickly, before someone comes along with trash," said the con man.
The four men got back into the car, and Chief backed it out into the street. He pulled over to the curb.
"Where am I goin'" he asked Actor.
"Germany," was the reply.
"Aw, come on, Actor," objected Casino predictably. "Sister didn't know where they were goin'. How do you expect us to find 'em?"
Actor gave a grin. "As someone once told me, we will have a lot of help . . . from the Germans this time."
"The Krauts?" burst out Goniff, happy they were away from the sight he had not seen. "'Ow are you going to get the Krauts to help us?"
"Just like this, Goniff," said the con man.
GGG
The large sedan pulled up to the checkpoint between Switzerland and Germany on the road Terry had returned on. The tall severe appearing man in the back seat with the SS Colonel's uniform on flashed some papers and the car was allowed through.
"Hey, Beautiful," remarked the Leutnant in the back seat with the general, 'that was a good idea to bring uniforms along. Saved trying to find some to heist."
"It pays to have contingent plans," said Actor, accepting his due.
"So where am I goin', Actor?" asked Chief who was the wheelman.
"We will stay on this road until we reach Heidelberg," instructed the confidence man.
Casino, sitting next to him, had looked at the map Actor had been studying. "Why are we goin' there?"
"Because it is an SS stronghold," replied the con man.
Casino gave him a dubious look, and Goniff in the front seat turned around to look at the Italian too.
Casino persisted. "So why do we want to go there? You want to visit with the SS?"
"Very much so," said Actor, folding the map and slipping it into the inside pocket of his jacket. "We are in pursuit of three men who have been spying in England for the Reich but have also been trading secrets to the British. Their leader is, in essence, a double agent. They were being followed by one of our people, they caught on and ambushed the man. We do not know what the destination is. So we need help in setting up roadblocks. We don't know if he is going to Nuremberg, but most likely Berlin."
"Well, if he ain't pissed off now," said Casino, "this'll do it."
Goniff shook his head. "Actor, you've been hanging around with the Warden too long, wot with these crazy plans."
And that is how the Cockney pickpocket found himself in the uniform of a German corporal, standing beside the door in a general's office in Heidelberg, watching the stiff straight backs of Colonel Meisner and his aide, Leutnant Schmidt. The good colonel was appealing to General Klein's loyalty to the SS to give him aid in his mission.
It was a good thing Casino did not find out until later, the audacity of the Italian con man in gaining assistance in their endeavor. If he spoke more German and been able to understand what was being said, he would have been hard-pressed not to change his firm military expression at what was coming out of Actor's mouth.
"General Klein, this double agent is being handled by the Abwehr." The name of that military branch was spoken with a recognizable tone of disgust. "The Abwehr recruited Leutnant Becker to follow this Miller, or whatever he calls himself now, and it ended up in Becker's murder. I think you might understand why the SS should be the ones to apprehend this double agent instead of the Abwehr."
The older SS general had even more prejudice against the Abwehr than Actor was purporting to have. Klein gave a slow nod. "And am I correct is deducing this Becker was one of your men?"
"Yes, Herr General," admitted Actor.
The general sat at his desk and frowned but seemed to be thinking this over. Finally, he looked up at the colonel. "I assume you wish me to set up roadblocks to catch this man." It was more of a statement than a question.
Actor sucked in a cheek. "I would prefer he not be detained," said the con man. "I would like to know which route he is taking and which direction he is headed. To Nuremberg or Berlin." Now Actor really sucked it up. "Sir, I would like to be the one to get this man, but I would also like to know who his informant is with the information we understand Miller is divulging to the British."
General Klein tented his hands atop his desk and looked up at the tall colonel. "Yes, I see your point. And I understand your sentiment. I will have roadblocks set up on all possible routes with orders not to detain this Miller and his men. And to report here when they come across him."
Actor took it a step further by unbuttoning his tunic and pulling out a folder. "If the General would allow me. I have photographs of Frank Miller and his men."
Klein motioned him forward with a beckoning of his fingers. Actor lay the open folder on the desk, facing the general.
"These were taken in Basel, Switzerland, where Miller has a shop as a cover for his activities," said Actor smoothly, perhaps or perhaps not lying. "This top one is Miller. The man's left arm is impaired from a previous run-in with American forces. He is German but seems to go by the English version of his name. The reason is unknown."
The general studied it and flipped it aside to look at the next one.
"This is Gerald Mulligan, safecracker and demolitions. He is dead," said Actor dispassionately. "We found his body in a trash bin behind the shop. He was missing his hands and appearances gave the impression that was done before he died. Our intelligence believes Miller did the deed himself."
That garnered raised eyebrows from the general. Actor reached down and turned that photo over and aside. "This is Pierre Gagnon, a confidence man from Paris." He waited while the general studied this picture too. When it was flipped over, Actor continued. "Adelbert Wagner, killer for hire. He was released from a prison sentence for being too enthusiastic in his interrogation methods. He was Wehrmacht."
"Do you know what information these men are bringing back from England?" queried Klein.
Actor shook is head. "No, Herr General, however it was important enough to put together this team. I imagine only the Abwehr, and Berlin, know what his mission was."
The general sat back in his chair with a frown and contemplated the information he had just received. Finally, he looked up at Actor and his features became less harsh.
"Do you need someplace for yourself and your men to stay, Colonel?" he asked.
Actor smiled. "We have obtained accommodations already, Herr General. Someplace quiet where we may get some needed rest before beginning this business again in the morning. Is seven o'clock too early to return here?"
"That will be fine," replied the older man. "We will hopefully have news by then."
Actor smiled. "With the General's permission, we will leave now and return in the morning. Thank you for your assistance."
Klein nodded.
Actor took a step back and flashed an arm out stiffly. "Heil Hitler," he said.
The general briefly lifted his hand from the desk in a return salute that was more in line with the ones Actor usually gave.
The con man turned and strode toward the door. Goniff held it open, and Casino followed behind Actor. Nothing was said until they got into the car.
Without a word, Chief pulled out into the dark street and drove away.
"Now what?" asked Casino.
"Now we find someplace to stay until early morning," said Actor. Chief turned a corner and the con man looked at the back of his head. "Do have a destination in mind, Chief?"
He could not see the grin on the Indian's face. "Been here before, Actor. Know where the resistance lives, if you can get in without a password."
Actor was confident he could pull that off. He had also been here before with the group.
GGGGG
The sun was up, and the father and son were taking coffee in the Lieutenant's office. The front door opened without a knock. Craig and Will both looked up sharply. The young woman stepped inside and paused, staring back at them. Her clothes were rumpled, and she looked exhausted.
"Craig, what are you doing here?" she asked, closing the door behind her. She never got an answer.
"What the hell did you do to your hair?" she got in a loud retort from her father.
"I was seen by Miller, up close," she replied quietly. "I had to change my appearance, so I peroxided it."
Craig ignored that as trivial. "Did the guys come back with you?"
Terry shook her head.
"Then what are you doing here?" demanded Craig, knowing wild horses could not get her to leave if she didn't want to.
The girl gave a short little snort of laughter. "I was 'persuaded' to stay out of it. Those guys are getting a little too protective of both of us. I asked where you were, and Actor informed me they left before you could get out of the stockade for the same reason they wanted me out of this."
Will had quieted down. "Just what are they doing?"
Terry hesitated before answering. "I believe they are planning on – eliminating – Miller. That's why they don't want either one of us involved."
The two younger Garrisons exchanged disconcerted looks.
"Have you had breakfast?" asked Terry automatically.
"Yes," replied Will.
Craig knew the look on the girl's face. "Have you had breakfast?"
"Yes," she replied. Terry frowned, thinking. "Um, day before yesterday."
"Have you eaten anything since then?" asked her brother quietly.
The frown was repeated. "Coffee. Lots of coffee."
"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" Craig was concerned.
Terry shook her head. "No. I just want to sleep right now. Plane ride was rough." She started up the stairs.
Will Garrison could still move fast when he was of a mind to. He stepped outside the door. "Terry, I want to know what is going on. What happened? What were you doing?"
"Not now, Dad," said the girl, trudging up the stairs step by step.
Terry . . .," Will started again.
The girl stopped and turned sharp eyes at her father. "No."
GGG
Craig went up to his room around 2200. He had enough of trying to keep his father occupied and keep him from waking up the woman. He glanced at the closed door to Terry's bedroom. Reaching his room, Garrison closed the door behind him and got as far as sitting on the bed before he stopped. Actor had taken command away from him. Any other time he would have been after the con man's blood. But this wasn't like any other time. None of them liked it when they were told if they couldn't get someone out, they were to assassinate that person. The only one they might have had no qualms about was Col. Pryor. Now they were setting out to kill Frank Miller.
The door to the bedroom opened silently and a cotton nightgown clad Terry came in and closed the door silently behind herself. She turned and looked at her brother, a three-quarters full bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand. Craig nodded and got up to get two glasses from his armoire. Terry had set the bottle on his night table and turned the desk chair around, facing the bed, before she sat down.
Craig sat on the edge of the bed and poured two fingers of Jack in each of two glasses. He handed one to the woman. They touched rims and both took a strong drink.
"Are you okay?" asked Garrison, knowing she wasn't.
Terry shook her head slowly and gazed into the liquor in her glass. "I don't know. I just don't know what to do. I did things . . ." She stopped.
"What kind of things?" prompted Craig.
"Things they do. Things I shouldn't even know how to do . . ." Her voice trailed off.
"Start at the beginning and tell me everything," said Garrison.
Terry looked up at him. "I staked out Miller's photography shop, for days. I kept moving around from one café to the next. Alleys. I decided one day it was getting too chancy, so I headed for the train station. Ended up walking past the shop. Miller was there. He was pulling the drapes in the window and looked right at me. I kept on going. That's when I decided to dye my hair. Except I couldn't dye my hair, so I threw peroxide on it. Changed the color a little."
"More like a lot," remarked her brother.
She shrugged and took another healthy slug of liquor. "I was in touch with Major Richards. He had to have proof before he could turn the guys loose. So I waited one evening until I knew Miller was long gone and went into the alley. I jimmied the window, checked for wires, let myself in and made sure no light could be seen. I went through his desk and then the darkroom. I found the files in the darkroom, under some stuff on a shelf. Pictures, dossiers, of his new group, and you and the guys. I took pictures of everything. Gave the camera to my SOE contact and went to my apartment to wait for the guys to show up."
You have an apartment in Basel?" asked Craig in astonishment.
"It's an SOE safehouse. In the beginning I was taking the train back and forth to Zurich and staying with Kat." She looked up in anguish. "Craig, what the hell am I doing? It's not that I attempted it. I did it. No backup. I would have killed to have Goniff or Casino with me to do the B and E. I've never done it alone before. Then I tailed Miller and a couple of his men into France and Germany. What's scaring me is that I did do it. I pulled it off on my own. What am I doing, Craig? What am I turning into? Why? I let the guys teach me. I thought it was a lark. This isn't a lark now."
Garrison knew what she was worried about. He had wondered the same about himself at times. "Terry, we're fighting a war, the best way we know how. Yes, we're learning skills we have no business knowing. And we are good at it. We're saving lives, Terry." She shook her head and Craig took it further. "Actor's said it to me more than once. He's not worried about us. He said we are missing that little bit of larceny in our hearts that could turn us. He is very sure, if we survive this war, that I will go back to Washington. You will go back to the ranch. And unless he comes up with something else, he will go back to what he was doing before Alcatraz."
Terry looked at him and gave a short quiet snort of laughter. "Before Alcatraz was San Quentin, and before that was Attica."
"And before that was the world," added Garrison.
"I don't think he speaks Chinese."
"I don't think he does either, but if he does, it wouldn't surprise me."
The siblings studied each other.
"Keep learning from them, Baby," said Craig. "We're in this and we aren't backing out now. I feel better knowing you are trained by them, than if you were going in blind."
"I guess," agreed Terry reluctantly.
Again the bedroom door opened without a knock and General Garrison filled the frame. "Were you going to invite me?" he asked sardonically.
"Sorry, Sir," said Craig. "We were just having a drink."
Will turned toward his daughter. "Now are you going to tell me what was going on over there?"
Terry rose and walked up to the man. She held out her glass and he automatically took it.
"Not now, Dad," she said. "I'm going back to bed. In the morning, I'll tell you in the morning. When it's daylight."
She flicked her hand to get him to move. So surprised by the gesture from his daughter, he stepped aside and allowed her to pass.