Chapter 3 – Pursuit and Capture

The open-top staff car sped along the road, Garrison watched Chief as he worked his way up and down the gears, amazed at his scout's ability to drive the heavy vehicle as if it was a sports car. Chief was concentrating on getting the most of out the engine, it roared with a deep, powerful throbbing noise. The ride was almost exhilarating and, mixed with the adrenalin rush of the chase, Garrison found himself relishing the experience – apart from the gunfire!

Chief glanced at the huge grin on Garrison's face and gave him an incredulous one of his own. "You enjoyin' this? You're crazy Warden," he laughed and shook his head as he dropped down a gear and hurled the car round a sharp bend. He went back up the gearbox and put his foot down hard, the car surged forward down a straight stretch of road, his black hair whipping in the slipstream as the powerful engine responded.

Chief loved driving like this, it took him back to stealing cars when he was a young teenager, it wasn't any fun if you couldn't drive them really fast. That was how he'd learned the tricks of the trade, how to drift a car at speed round corners, do handbrake turns, weave his way through dense traffic or around obstacles to outrun any pursuit. He could drive backwards almost as fast as he could forwards, his services as a getaway driver had always been in great demand until he was caught and thrown in prison.

Goniff slid along the back seat trying to keep hold of his weapon, Garrison held on tight to his Schmeisser as he knelt round in his seat to look at the armoured cars pursuing them, they were still close but were struggling to keep up with Chief's furious driving. Garrison dropped back down and turned to see the road ahead. "Ferrari's got nothing on you Chief, you'd leave him in the dust!" Chief concentrated on the road ahead, he'd memorised the main roads and had at least three escape routes planned. A crossroads approached fast. His right palm was on the gearstick, fingers splayed out as he double de-clutched down the gear box, the engine growled as it gathered power. "Turnin' right," he shouted as he wrenched the steering wheel round with his left hand, the car screeched round in a cloud of dust and gravel.

Garrison and Goniff turned to the right and fired a spray of bullets at their pursuers, they both gave a satisfied smile as one truck veered off the road, taking a car with it and crashed into a tree. Chief went up a gear and floored the accelerator, he kept swerving across from one side of the road to the other, throwing up clouds of dust and dirt trying to make sure their pursuers didn't have a clear target to aim at, trusting Garrison and Goniff to cover him as he drove.

Goniff fell back in the seat. "Hey mate, keep the bloody car steady will yah!"

Chief watched in the rear-view mirror as one of the armoured cars got closer. "Hold on, doin' a one-eighty," he yelled as he pressed down the clutch and slammed on the handbrake, the rear wheels locked and the car started to slide to face back the way they'd come, he dropped down to a lower gear and jammed his foot on the accelerator, the car roared and sped back past the pursuing vehicle. Garrison and Goniff let loose with their submachine guns as they barrelled by, leaving the scene in a cloud of dust and confusion.

"Nice drivin' Chiefy!" shouted Goniff as he reloaded and continued watching the road behind them.

Chief looked ahead. "More comin' in, turnin' right, now!" Garrison and Goniff braced themselves as Chief drifted the heavy car round the corner, he intentionally oversteered, lost some traction but kept control as he drove it hard through the corner, it bumped over potholes and increased speed as he forced the engine up through the gears.

Garrison looked at Chief. "How's it looking, are we in the clear yet?" he shouted as they took a screeching turn down another road.

Chief threw him a worried look. "Uh uh, looks like they're closin' in on all sides, it's only a matter of time if I can't find us a way outta here. I'll slow down, you two jump out 'n hide, I'll lead 'em away 'n keep 'em busy while you escape."

Garrison checked his weapon as he vigorously shook his head. "No way Chief, we stay together, 'two or none' Atsilí, remember? Keep on doing what you're doing and we'll keep on doing what we're doing, right Goniff?"

Goniff cast a look behind at the pursuit. "Yeah mate, just let me know when you're gonna throw me around, ok?"

"Left turn," shouted Chief as he worked his way down the gear box and floored the accelerator again. The car surged forward with a throaty rumble as Chief pushed the engine to its limits, he watched the pursuing vehicles in the rear-view mirror as they disappeared behind in a cloud of dust. He powered the car round a bend onto a straight stretch of road and pushed it to its top speed.

There were cars and trucks appearing ahead and behind, Chief looked to his right and saw a narrow river a hundred yards away, running parallel to the road, he swerved off the road and headed towards it.

"What the hell you doin' Chief?" shouted Goniff.

Chief exchanged grins with Garrison. "Gonna see if this car can really fly Goniff!"

"Go for it Chief!" Garrison shouted.

"Hold on!" Chief dropped down a gear and floored the accelerator. The car leapt forward throwing up clods of mud and grass behind it, the riverbank rushed towards them and disappeared below and behind them, the dark water swirled and followed suit, the car landed with a bump, bounced a few times and carried on.

"Oh yeah! and you say I'm crazy? Great driving Chief!" Garrison turned round to see their pursuers pulling to a rapid halt on the far bank, he laughed as one car slid down into the water, its occupants scrambling out before they got swept downriver. Chief powered the car across the grass until they reached a road, he got his bearings and turned in the direction towards Roucamps to meet up with the others.

Garrison looked at Goniff. "Can you see anything? Have we lost them?"

Goniff turned to face him with a grin. "Think so Warden, nothin' behind us."

"Shit!" yelled Chief as he sped round a sharp bend and caught sight of three armoured trucks ahead of them, he saw flashes of light as the soldiers waiting for them opened fire with machine guns.

Chief had nowhere to go, he tried to swerve to the right to protect Garrison, bullets hit them along the left-hand side, there were loud bangs as the front and back tyres blew out. The car bucked and juddered as he fought to keep control but there was nothing he could do as they veered violently across the road. He tried to turn into the skid but they were going too fast, the car hit a stone road marker and somersaulted up into the air, Garrison fell to the floor inside and Goniff was catapulted out. Chief held on to the steering wheel with one hand and the side door with the other, waiting for the right moment before he leapt out. The car landed, somersaulted again and thick, grey smoke appeared from under the bonnet as the fuel line broke and diesel spurted onto the red hot engine.

Chief rolled on the ground and ran to the man closest to him, Goniff lay at the side of the road, he groaned, put his hand to the back of his head and tried to get up, he was dazed but otherwise seemed uninjured. Chief grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to help him up. "You ok Goniff?" Goniff nodded his head. "Yeah thanks mate, must've bumped me 'ead," he said as his legs gave way and he sank back down to the ground.

Chief looked around desperately searching for Garrison, he looked at the smoking wreck and his heart leapt in his chest as he realised he must still be in the car. "Warden!" Chief sprinted over, and looked inside, Garrison was lying unconscious, crumpled in the foot well.

There was a roar as the diesel ignited and flames started to leap out from under the bonnet, a blast of hot, fume-filled air passed overhead. Chief dragged the door open, desperately threw himself forward and grabbed Garrison under both arms, he cried out as he pulled the Warden free and hauled him out of the wreck, both men fell to the ground. Chief scrambled to his feet, hoisted Garrison over his shoulder and stumbled back towards Goniff, almost falling under the Warden's dead weight.

The car exploded.

Goniff watched helplessly as Chief was pushed forward by the force of the blast, he fought to keep his balance before staggering on to reach him, he sank slowly to his knees and gently lowered Garrison onto the ground. "Bloody hell Chief, thought the Warden was toast for sure," said Goniff as he reached up to help.

Chief wiped his face on his sleeve and glanced at the approaching vehicles and soldiers. "We ain't outta the fire yet Goniff," he gasped.

Goniff quickly checked the unconscious man. "I think his leg's broken, don't know how bad his other injuries are." He looked over at Chief, he'd drawn his gun and was starting to stand up, his gaze fixed on the new danger closing in on them. He stood over his two comrades as the armoured trucks pulled up and defiantly aimed his pistol at the soldiers as they leapt out and ran to surround them with their own weapons drawn and ready to fire.

Goniff looked around, he reached out and grabbed Chief's leg. "No, don't do it Chief, we need you alive if we're gonna get outta this!" Chief looked down into Goniff's pleading eyes, he had to protect them but realised doing this would only get him killed and they would still be taken prisoner, he reluctantly threw down his gun and held his hands out at his sides in surrender. A soldier walked up behind him and hit him in the back with his rifle butt, sending him sprawling in the dirt.

GG-GG-GG

Casino stopped on the road up Les Monts d'Aunay, they were near the top and were certain they weren't being pursued. Actor and Pierre Martin got out and ran over to the side of the road looking down over the countryside for any sign of the others. Casino looked in the glove box and found a pair of Zeiss binoculars, he grabbed them, ran to the top of the slope and started scanning the countryside far below, he had a fairly clear view of the chase as Chief zigzagged down the country roads, evading pursuit and getting closer and closer.

"There they are," he shouted as he indicated a cloud of dust thrown up by the speeding vehicles, Actor put his hand to his forehead and peered at the distant chase. They held their breaths as they saw the ambush, the flash of the machine guns being fired and Chief's desperate efforts to control the car. They watched as the car somersaulted in the air. "NO!" Casino yelled out as it exploded in a fiery ball of flame.

"Merda!" exclaimed Actor as he tried to make out what was happening.

Casino looked through his binoculars and watched as the cars and trucks sped down the road towards the wreck, he was trying as hard as he could to make out the distant figures. "I can see Chief, he's got the Warden, they're tryin' to get away." Casino breathed out a sigh of relief as he watched Chief drop to his knees and put Garrison down on the ground next to another figure sitting on the road. "There's Goniff, he looks like he's ok."

The vehicles stopped and several soldiers leapt out. The safe-cracker gasped as he saw Chief get up and stand over Goniff and Garrison, gun drawn ready to protect them. "Geronimo can't take all those soldiers on by himself, he's crazy, he's gonna get himself killed doin' that!" He felt a lot easier when he saw Chief throw down his gun and put up his hands. The soldiers surrounded the three men, clubbed Chief to the ground and dragged them away to a truck. The convoy drove off in the direction of Caen.

"Damn," exclaimed Casino, "whatta we gonna do now?"

Pierre Martin looked at them. "We must go on to the safe house in Roucamps, when we get there I will get a message to my brother and his men. I will tell them to watch the clinic and let us know if your friends are taken there."

Actor watched the disappearing convoy. "No, that will take hours, we must go back to Caen now, I have my gear back at the safe house there, we'll need it if we're going to rescue them."

"Stop wastin' time. Let's get goin'," shouted Casino as he strode back to the car.