Allied HQ, February 17th 1944
Garrison stood to attention and watched the man in front of him prepare to deliver his message. He felt he knew what it would be, even before the man spoke.
"Switzerland. There's a double agent we need extracted. Your team will be doing it." He pushed a beige folder across the desk.
Major Johns didn't bother to look the Lieutenant in the eye. He simply gathered his remaining papers, thrust them into a highly polished leather briefcase and left the room.
The breath that Lieutenant Garrison had been holding onto was let out slowly and carefully. He glanced at the Allied Colonel lounged against the wall.
"I said you didn't have an option on this one."
Garrison gave a wry smile. "I had to try."
"You know that your men are expendable in the eyes of most of the Army."
"I thought they might give us a few more days at least."
Colonel Thompson shook his head. "There are bigger fish in the sea at the moment. If your group can't do it, someone else will get the job… and however good your boys are, they're back in jail and you lose your commission. That's the way life is."
"I thought we'd at least get a chance to wait on Casino."
"It'll be at least 2, maybe 3, weeks before he's fit enough for a mission like this, and you know it."
Anger flashed in Garrisons eyes, but he bit back his retort. He knew Thompson was right, and maybe even being optimistic. Casino's wounds might heal in two weeks, but mentally?
The Colonel saw Garrison give way. "I've pulled a few strings, Lieutenant. I think we might have a plan…."
G G G
It was well after midnight when Garrison returned to the Mansion, so no-one saw whether he was handcuffed to an attaché case or not.
He felt slightly guilty, but only a bit. His briefing had been over in less than an hour, enough time for his girlfriend, Jan, to get to London from her home in Oxford and check into the small hotel that had become their refuge, just around the corner from Allied HQ. By the time he headed home, he was feeling relaxed, happy and ready to face whatever the war had to throw at him. Jan would make her way home in the morning. It had been her decision to snatch what time they could together, even though she knew each mission might be the one that was fatal. A decision neither of them regretted.
Despite his late return, the Lieutenant made it out onto the running track the next morning alongside Chief and Diesel. Both scouts were in good shape at the moment so although they started out running alongside him Garrison couldn't stay with them for long. He had to accept it, he was bigger and quite a bit heavier than either of the two younger men.
He had to admit he was pleased that Diesel had rejoined the group after the debacle in Yugoslavia. For some reason the squabbling between Casino and Chief was always less when Diesel was there, even though it wasn't obvious why. His suspicion was that Casino was still a bit wary around the Mohawk after he'd put him on the ground and dislocated the safecracker's shoulder during their Italian job.
Rumour that a mission was on the cards had got around by the time Garrison headed to the library that doubled as the briefing room. The five cons were already waiting for him there, a pot of freshly brewed coffee steamed gently on a trivet and everyone had full cups.
"So where is it this time?" Actor was lounged comfortably on the best chair in the room, his boots propped on the Warden's desk, his favourite pipe in his hand.
"Switzerland. Zurich to be precise."
Both Actor and Goniff looked far more interested in the briefing than they had two minutes earlier, but for totally different reasons.
"There's an agent that we thought was feeding us valid intelligence. Seems like more was going the other way than was coming ours. We're to either bring him out or deal with him."
"Why don't OSS in Berne deal with it?" Actor knew that there had to be more to it than the Warden was letting on.
"He's got that look again... come out with it Warden... what is it this time? A few fancy watches for the top brass?"
"Something like that Casino. We have the skills, OSS don't... and they need to distance themselves from this one."
"So… when do we leave?" Chief had been gazing intently into his coffee cup. He looked up briefly as he spoke.
"As soon as our new man gets here."
"You're taking seven of us into Switzerland? That's a bit much isn't it?" Even Goniff looked surprised.
"Just the five, Goniff. Sorry Diesel… Casino… you're staying at home this time."
"Not Scotland again?" Not that he had any say in the matter, but Diesel would be happy if he never saw the place again. It was probably beautiful in summer, but he'd never been as cold and wet in his life as he'd been over the last two weeks. His gear was only just dried out.
Garrison shook his head. "You're being loaned to a British unit in return for them giving us one of their men. How does a raid on the submarine pens at La Rochelle sound?"
"Better than Scotland. When do I leave?"
"As soon as the other man arrives. His transport'll take you back with them. Don't worry about kit. They'll equip you when you get there. Just take your normal personal stuff."
"So, what did I do wrong?" Casino snapped.
"You didn't do anything wrong Casino," replied Garrison placatingly. "You're simply not fit." Ever volatile, Casino had been on a shorter fuse than ever since they'd retrieved him. Stress did that to people. He knew the safecracker was trying hard to cover up how he was feeling, but he wasn't convincing anyone.
"So, who is this man?" Actor asked steadily, trying to pull the meeting back on track before Casino blew up entirely.
"Dieter Radnich. Thompson said he's almost as good as you, Casino, when it comes to safes, pretty good with explosives too… and a natural German speaker. Born in Austria, been in the U.K. for the last 4 years."
"Is he another con?" Chief didn't really care one way or another.
"No and he's not Army either. They said he's Jewish and has a vendetta against the Germans. I'm assured though that he's cool and controlled. He won't give you any problems."
"Not like me you mean." Casino leapt to his feet, sending his chair flying and stormed out of the office.
Goniff picked up the chair thoughtfully and set it back on its feet. No one said anything for a while.
Eventually, Garrison took a deep breath and finished the briefing.
An hour or so later the Lieutenant went looking for Casino. He found him lying on his bed, curled on his side. The moccasins that were all he'd been able to bear on his bandaged feet were lying on the floor. Salt marks on his face gave testament to the fact that he'd been weeping.
Garrison pulled over a hard-backed wooden chair and sat astride it, resting his chin on its backrest. "What did the medics say yesterday?"
"Another week before the burns heal enough to walk far."
"And...?" Garrison waited expectantly.
Eventually Casino replied. "At least two weeks before another mission. Maybe longer."
"Well, you won't be kicking your heels whilst we're away. How does two weeks in Hampshire sound?"
Casino didn't reply, but Garrison knew he was listening, waiting for what would come next.
"There's an SOE training place down there. The guy who taught people about locks and safes had a bit of an accident, crashed his motorbike into a tree late one night. They need a stand-in."
"No way babe, I can't teach, they won't listen to a con like me..."
"Well, if you prefer the stockade?" Garrison started to stand, levering himself to his feet with the chair back.
He'd reached the door before a muffled voice reached him. "Whaddo I have to do?"
Garrison's face held a satisfied smile as he exited the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
The final piece in the jigsaw, the Austrian who would make up the numbers in Garrison's team, arrived mid-afternoon. Slim, blond-haired, not particularly tall at about 5'10" he could have passed for the perfect Aryan. If Thompson hadn't told him, the Lieutenant would have no idea of the man's heritage.
Having missed the morning briefing Garrison walked his new recruit through the mission plans in his office. So far as he could tell the man was everything the Colonel had said he would be. He seemed to know his job as far as the safecracking was concerned. Everything else would have to be taken for granted as there wasn't time to see him out on the range or the running track.
"You'd better meet the others. You know they're cons?"
"Yes, I had heard." The man's German accent was still quite prominent, but whilst it might be a problem in the Doves it wouldn't be a hindrance at all where they were going.
"Does that give you a problem?"
"No, I have heard they are very good at what they do."
They'd reached the door to the common room. A quick scan showed that Casino was still absent, for which Garrison was secretly quite pleased. The team looked up with interest from what they were doing. Actor reading in his usual armchair, Goniff playing solitaire, Chief staring intently at the chessboard.
"Actor, Chief, Goniff. This is Dieter, he'll be coming with us tonight."
G G G
Major Johns had made it sound so easy. 'Just pop over to Switzerland, old boy. Sort out the agent. Piece of cake, what?' Actually, that was unfair… on the British. Garrison had given Johns an upper-class English accent in his mind... but the man was American through and through.
Getting into the neutral country might have been a piece of cake before the borders were closed two years ago, but now the only scheduled flights were into Nazi held territories and the only rail links were from Germany and Italy, carrying steel, coal and other essential supplies for the German war machine. Even the people working for the British SIS and the American OSS were effectively marooned.
Switzerland might profess to be neutral, but to all intents and purposes it was a German puppet state.
Nevertheless, that was where they were going.
It would take five days and an excellent set of forged papers but SwissAir were still running a DC-2 from Zurich to Stuttgart, Deutch Luft Hansa a service from Lisbon to Germany and BOAC were still flying from Shannon in Ireland to Lisbon. With a lot of luck, they might make it.
It was a change for once to arrive dry, clean and dressed in suits with luggage in hand. They even had rooms in a nice hotel with their own bathrooms, though how Garrison would pay when they checked out was still under debate. Actor just smiled – he knew the OSS had a bank account set up for their use… it was just that the Lieutenant didn't want Goniff ordering room service.
Their contact came to the hotel mid-morning on the first day to talk through the mission plans. She wasn't what Garrison expected, being middle-aged and slightly plump without a trace of make-up. You would pass by her on the street and not remember her at all. She gave her name as Elsa. She didn't say, but the Lieutenant knew, she worked for the OSS out of Berne.
"The man you are interested in, Eric Keller, works for Baumann Diamenten. They mostly produce small jewels for industry and watches, but they also have a side-line in bespoke jewellery for high-end clients. Their pieces are very popular as gifts to mistresses."
Actor smiled. He was well aware of Baumann's reputation… this mission might be profitable in more ways than one.
"Diamonds aren't the only pie that Keller has his fingers in. For the last few months, he has been providing us with some very valuable intelligence – for a price. Recently we have become aware that Gestapo have information that they could only have acquired through one of our agents. If it's Keller that is the leak he needs to be neutralised, quietly and in a way that cannot be traced back to our people."
Elsa rummaged in her capacious handbag and came out holding a small suede bag and a sheet of paper. "Herr Keller is expecting to meet someone tomorrow who has a small number of uncut diamonds that he would like to dispose of."
Goniff instinctively reached for the bag, but Garrison snatched it from under the pickpocket's grasping hand. "Goniff, don't even think of it."
"Ah Warden, don't you trust me?"
The look on the Lieutenant's face said it all. He tipped the diamonds onto the table. There were five irregular shaped pebbles.
"Blimey, they're just lumps of rock." Goniff seemed astonished. "You've been conned mate."
Elsa gathered up the stones again and returned them to their bag before putting it safely into Garrison's hand. "These stones came from Namibia. We think they were smuggled out of the workings by the miners themselves then sold to a local agent. They turned up in Egypt about two months ago where a man called Gerhard Mueller was trying to sell them to the highest bidder."
"Keller heard about the stones," she continued, "it's part of his job keep an eye out for er… 'alternative'… sources and suggested to Mueller that he bring them to Switzerland for appraisal. Mueller agreed and was on his way here when one of our colleagues in Casablanca intercepted him."
"Where's Mueller now?" asked Garrison.
"Buried in the Casablanca cemetery." Elsa did not seem unduly concerned. "But it does give you a small problem. Do all of your men speak German?"
"Actor, myself and Dieter."
"The problem, Lieutenant, is that Herr Mueller gave Herr Keller a description of himself. Either of these two men," she said, pointing at Goniff and Dieter, "would meet the description, but I am afraid both yourself and Actor are too tall."
Elsa stood to leave. Another package emerged from the handbag and was handed over. "You may find this of value. I've given you instructions for its use."
Actor held his tongue until Elsa had left and he was able to take Garrison to one side. "You don't mean to let Dieter impersonate Mueller, do you? You barely know the man. How can you be sure he can manage a con like this?"
"I don't, but this is one job we can't give to Goniff and even you must accept you can't pretend to be 177cm. Let's go through this together and see what we have to do."
G G G
Not surprisingly, Keller refused to meet Mueller either at the Baumann headquarters or the man's hotel. They finally agreed to meet in two days' time at 14:00 at a jewellery shop, in the middle of the city. It was owned by his employers and had a workshop, he explained, where the raw diamonds could be examined properly.
G G G
Goniff and Chief were sent out that night to check out the Baumann workshop. It was where they designed and constructed the bespoke jewellery pieces and was separate from the main factory where they worked the industrial diamonds.
The workshop was a single-storied extension attached to the back of the shop. Considering the value of what was being worked in the building, security wasn't being taken seriously. There were bins and oil drums scattered around the yard and two drainpipes connected the gutters to the ground. Access to the roof would be simple for both men.
Goniff led the way, leaping nimbly onto a drum then shinning the pipe with ease. Chief followed more slowly, then waited, watching for trouble, whilst Goniff checked things out.
Goniff slid back across the rooftop. "There's a skylight over there that looks like it's right over the work area, but it's well armed."
"Nothin' you can't handle though."
"Me? I'm an expert mate. Don't you worry, it's sorted."
G G G
After breakfast the next morning, Actor walked into the jewellery shop, well dressed, head held high, dark hair neatly groomed - the epitome of a rich businessman. Inside was a single employee – a young woman, in a neat grey skirt suit. She looked up from the book she was reading when the draught from the open door told her she had a customer. Clearly it wasn't a busy day.
Actor quickly assessed the items that were on display – none were of any great value, presumably for security reasons. These were ordinary pieces – things that ordinary people could afford.
"I'm looking for something special for a friend's birthday, but nothing you have on show is what I'm looking for." Actor took a piece of paper from his pocket that had a detailed drawing of a bracelet studded with gems. "This was the type of thing I had in mind."
The woman looked at the drawing. "Our workshop could produce something like this for you. If you are interested, I could ask our chief designer to discuss it with you. Please, take a seat I'll just let him know, Herr…?"
'Keep him in the store', she thought. The sales commission from a bespoke piece like this would be a huge help with her next month's rent.
"Nerlinger, Count Nerlinger… That would be appreciated." Having made the correction, Actor took a seat and sat carefully on the plush blue chair that had been indicated and watched as the girl carefully locked the shop door then exited through a curtain that presumably hid the door into the workshop. She was back a few moments later.
"If you would like to come through to the workshop, Count?" She led the way.
G G G
With a Saturday afternoon and evening to kill, Garrison reluctantly let his men take some time out in the city. Chief, Goniff and Dieter wandered the streets together, looking in shop windows and just generally absorbing the atmosphere. It was clear there were shortages, but not the destruction the team had seen in so many towns in other parts of Europe.
Goniff drew Dieter to one side and said something quietly. With a small nod, the Austrian slipped inside the shop whilst the pickpocket kept Chief distracted. They walked on, just enjoying their freedom on a cold, crisp blue-sky day.
Actor had taken a short excursion himself. It had been a while since he'd been in the city and he wanted to check on a couple of small business ventures. They were in good shape - as was his business partner who ran the galleries on his behalf. She was only too happy to discuss matters in the comfort of her apartment.
Having shed his responsibilities temporarily, Craig also went for a stroll around the city. In his case he was looking for something specific - a small gift for Jan. He found it in a little shop on a back street that sold second-hand jewellery, a simple brooch made from gold filigree, decorated with tiny pearls and a central amethyst. He was smiling as he headed back to the hotel, his purchase tucked safely into his jacket pocket.
The team had been taking their meals in small cafés close to the hotel. Places they could eat where Goniff and Chief, with their lack of German, wouldn't stand out. That night was no different - except that this time, once the meal was over, having checked he wouldn't be overheard Goniff pushed a small, colourful bag across the table to Chief.
"There ya go, mate. Genuine Swiss chocolate and no nursies to nick it off yer this time. Happy birthday."
Surprised and touched, Chief gave one of his rare smiles and raised his wine glass in a toast to the men around him.
G G G
The next afternoon, armed with the knowledge from Actor's reconnaissance of the jewellery shop, Dieter, Garrison and Actor made their way to the front of the building whilst Goniff and Chief slipped round the back and up onto the flat roof. The Lieutenant and his conman hung back whilst Dieter approached the shop. Being a Sunday, it had a closed sign on the door and the window displays were empty. Clearly Keller was taking no chances of his meeting being overheard.
As expected, Keller took 'Mueller' through to his office in the workshop to examine the stones. The greed in his eyes was clear – two of the raw diamonds were excellent prospects for producing large carat diamonds when cut – and he had no intentions of handing them over to his employer.
How was he going to relieve the man of the diamonds, thought Keller. He had a pistol in his desk drawer, but the noise of the gunshot might be heard by a passer-by and then there was the matter of a body to dispose of and any spillages to be cleaned up.
"So, now we come down to the matter of money." 'Mueller' sat nonchalantly in a chair facing Keller. He looked relaxed and comfortable with the situation. It wasn't how he felt. "I presume payment will be in gold? Paper currency is so volatile at the moment."
"I was thinking of offering part in gold but part in something far more valuable to the right people."
Dieter made himself look intrigued. "Like what?"
"Information."
"And what makes you think I might be interested in information?"
"I have it on good authority that illegal diamonds aren't the only thing you trade in, Herr Mueller."
"So, just hypothetically, if I were interested in this er… alternative currency… you are offering, I would need proof of its value. Would you have a sample I could view now?"
They had him. Dieter just knew it instinctively. He waited quietly, watching whilst Keller decided his next move. In the end, the man nodded and standing, moved to the large walk-in vault. Unlocking the door and stepping inside he quickly extracted a document, relocked the unit and brought the paper to the desk for 'Mueller' to peruse.
It was dynamite.
Thoughtfully, Dieter rubbed the back of his neck as he considered the proposal.
G G G
Up on the roof, Goniff carefully completed neutralising the alarm and removing the catch on the skylight then motioned Chief to come closer. They could see inside clearly. Leaving Chief on the roof, Goniff slipped down to join Garrison and Actor.
Five minutes after Dieter had entered the building, Goniff unlocked the front door and the three slipped silently inside – and waited.
G G G
On the roof, Chief watched as Dieter and Keller entered the workshop and settled at one of the desks to begin their negotiations. He watched the changing expressions on their man's face. He was good, the Indian could tell. He could understand why Actor was feeling put out.
Chief couldn't quite lip read enough of what Dieter was saying to be sure, but he thought it looked like he was asking the Swiss man for a sample of something. Keller hesitated then moved out of Chief's line of sight. When he returned into view the man had some paper in his hand which he handed over to 'Mueller', who scanned it briefly, his face impassive. Slowly, Dieter rubbed the back of his neck. That was it, the signal that had been agreed in their final briefing. Whatever Keller had handed over had been all the proof Dieter needed. The man was selling Allied secrets. Chief gently raised the skylight a little, took sight on the back of Keller's neck and shot the dart from the gun Elsa had given them. It hit its target cleanly.
Keller spun round, his hand clutching at the missile embedded in his flesh. He looked up at the skylight. It was slightly ajar, but there was no one in sight.
As Keller had turned, Dieter had shouted. He made it sound like he was shouting a warning. It was what Garrison had been waiting for. The Lieutenant and Actor rushed into the room, followed a little way behind by Goniff.
With four to one, Keller was easily subdued. He was starting to feel a little breathless too.
"Tie him up, but not too tight. We don't want him bruised," Garrison reminded Actor and Goniff. "This has to look like natural causes."
Actor nodded, slightly annoyed that Garrison had felt the need to remind them.
"OK, let's see what else he had for sale. Radnich..." The Lieutenant waved the safecracker towards the vault.
Dieter might not have had quite Casino's skill with the big safe, but he was pretty good nevertheless. Inside was a veritable treasure trove of jewellery and, tucked at the back, documents. He stood back. His job was done, now it was up to the Allied officer to take what he wanted. The Lieutenant took the papers then turned and walked away to examine them, missing Goniff slipping surreptitiously into the vault.
Dieter had seen it though and he'd also seen the pickpocket pass something sparkly to the tall Italian conman. Actor and the Austrian locked gazes momentarily, then Dieter dropped his eyes and walked away. He might disapprove but he wasn't about to squeal on the team.
It took over an hour for Keller's lungs to give up the battle to breathe and his heart to stop. The curare had finally done its job. Actor cleaned away any traces of the poison and together they propped Keller at his desk with a piece of jewellery in his hand and an eyeglass on the table in front of him. He simply looked as if he'd fallen asleep at his desk.
With the skylight reinstated, the four men slipped out of the shop and into the now dark street. Actor and Garrison walked briskly away leaving Goniff to lock the shop door and stroll more slowly alongside Dieter, heading towards the hotel.
Chief was sitting waiting, toying with his knife. He looked at Garrison, who nodded.
"Good job," the Lieutenant acknowledged.
"Wouldn't give up my blade for it, but that was a nice bit of kit the broad gave us." Elsa's dart gun was lying on the floor at his feet. "We takin' it with us?"
Garrison shook his head. "Don't worry, it'll be collected when we're gone." He walked to the phone, took a piece of paper from his pocket and asked Reception to connect him to the number written on it. The phone rang a few times then was picked up. "Target neutralised. Evidence destroyed." He replaced the phone in its cradle then went to the bathroom where he carefully burnt the papers and flushed them down the pan.
"What about the stones?" Actor asked curiously.
Garrison smiled. "They'll be in the mail before we leave."
"Let's get something to eat. We're not going anywhere tonight."
"I'll drink to that." Goniff was reaching for his coat almost before Craig stopped speaking.
Getting back to England was the reverse of their outbound journey. The trip had been mostly incident free, just a small scare off Portugal when they'd been buzzed by a German bomber, but it hadn't opened fire, despite the BOAC livery the plane was displaying.
From Shannon they were back undercover - relying on a final, low level trip under the radar, courtesy of the RAF, into Bristol.
Everyone went their separate ways from the airport. A car and driver were waiting to collect Dieter, who disappeared with scarcely a backward glance. A large car would take Actor, Chief and Goniff back to the Mansion. Garrison would fly on to London.
Chief stared out at the passing countryside, glad to be back in England. He should have enjoyed this trip. It had been a quiet one for him, compared to most. Goniff had had a bit of fun breaking into the jewellery store and he knew for a fact that the cockney would have a couple of trinkets stowed away. It was a shame that Actor had taken such a dislike to Dieter. He'd quite liked the man. He was easy to work with, went about his job quietly with none of Casino's attitude. Shame they couldn't keep him.
Still, it was bad what had happened to the safecracker in Yugoslavia. It was no surprise the man had been stood down for this mission. Would two weeks be enough time to recover? They'd find out soon enough.
Actor's thoughts were travelling on similar lines. He'd been disappointed that the Warden hadn't needed him on the debriefing. A night in London would have done very nicely - and given him a chance to fence the pendant he'd pocketed from the safe. He'd thought Dieter might say something, but in the end the man had just turned away. Would Casino be ready to come back? He had to admit he'd missed the irascible New Yorker. He glanced at Goniff who'd fallen asleep almost as soon as the car started moving, worn out from the adrenaline followed by bouts of airsickness.
G G G
Not surprisingly the Sergeant-Major was waiting on the steps to welcome them back.
"There's a laundry basket in the hallway, stick all your stuff in there. It'll get sorted whilst you're away. There's fresh kit on your beds and Molly's just putting the finishing touches to your dinners. Transport's coming for you at 9.
"What, we're going out again tonight? We've only just got back." Goniff couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What about the rest?"
"The Lieutenant's on his way back now. He phoned about an hour ago and told me to get you lot turned around. Diesel's on his way too and Casino should be on the next train."
Chief dropped his bag on the floor. "I'll get him," he said resignedly, picking up the keys to Garrison's jeep from the rack in the hallway.
Will watched the tracker head out. He seemed subdued but he couldn't tell what it was. Maybe he'd just been hoping he'd get a bit of time with Amber. Three missions back-to-back like this was a bit much, even for seasoned veterans like this group. For once, he was happy he was too old for active service. He headed back to the Warden's rooms to finish putting together everything the men would need.
Casino's train was late and by the time it pulled in Chief was getting decidedly cold. He was also hungry. He watched Casino as he made his way out of the station, kitbag over his shoulder. The safecracker stopped briefly to put something in the post box, then saw the waiting jeep and changed direction. The man looked a lot better than he had when Chief'd last seen him two weeks ago. There was no sign of a limp and once he got closer it looked like the haunted expression was pretty much gone as well although it looked like he'd lost a bit more weight - and after Yugoslavia he was already down on what he should have been.
"What kept you?"
Casino didn't answer, he just threw the bag on the back seats and climbed into the passenger seat. "When did you get back?"
"Couple'a hours ago. We're off out again tonight. Just waiting on the Warden getting back from HQ."
"Jeez. Who do they think we are?" Casino leant back and closed his eyes.
Chief snorted and the started the engine. Yep, Casino was back.