Chapter 1 – A Hard Decision

Garrison put down the phone and sighed, this was going to be difficult. He opened the door to his office and saw his team standing outside, they'd heard the phone and were waiting for an update.

"We've got a mission, but I've told Major Richards we can't all do it."

"What!" Casino pushed his way into the office with his good arm and turned to confront his leader. "No way any of us can do anythin' babe, we're outta the game for at least another couple weeks. Don't the brass know that?"

Actor limped in and leaned on the black ebony cane Garrison had let him borrow. "Casino's right, none of us are fit to go behind enemy lines."

Garrison ignored the outburst. "I've got to go, it's a quick in and out job." He picked up a sheet of paper and looked at the thief. "Goniff, how are you feeling? You over your concussion yet?"

The blond thief grinned. "Vision's still blurry sometimes Warden but that's a good thing where lookin' at Casino's concerned. Yeah I'm good, the doc passed me fit."

"Alright, you're coming." Garrison looked at the two invalids. "Casino, Actor you two are definitely out of this, go get some rest."

Actor drew himself up to his full height. "Warden, I may have a leg injury and Casino has a broken arm but if you have to carry out a mission surely there's something we can do?"

Garrison shook his head. "Sorry Actor, I need fit men for this trip and you two are still out of commission until the doc says otherwise."

Casino fixed the Warden with a belligerent look. "So what about Geronimo here, he's got a cut in him as wide as the Grand Canyon 'n you're sayin' he's fit for duty?"

"That's right, Chief's fit for duty." Garrison knew that, short of knocking him out, tying him up and throwing him in a cell, there was no way he could stop Chief from going with him and even that might not work on his determined brother.

Chief turned and glared at the safe-cracker. "Yeah, I'm fit, got a pass from the base doc to say so. You got a problem with that?"

Casino wilted under the intense look he got from the team's scout, he knew better than to argue with Chief when his mind was made up, he turned to the Lieutenant. "Warden, this ain't right. What about you? You got a hole in your shoulder I could drive a tank through, you can't tell me you got passed as fit for duty."

Actor nodded his head. "How'd you manage that?"

Garrison gave the safe-cracker and conman a stern look. "Don't argue, you two aren't going. I've got my orders and I've said I can do it..." He paused and gave a half smile. "...I'm the only one that can do it. Now get out of here and make the most of your downtime, I'm sure it won't last long."

Garrison, Goniff and Chief waited for the door to slam behind Casino as he made his last, loud protest. Goniff looked at the two men standing side by side. "Alright, tell me, how'd you two get pronounced fit? I reckon I could beat the pair o' you in a fair fight."

Chief shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Garrison. "Threatened the doc with my blade, again. What about you Warden?"

Garrison looked embarrassed as he glanced at his scout. "I threatened him with you, again."

Goniff shook his head and laughed. "You two are as bad as each other." He frowned as the seriousness of the situation dawned on him. "It's gotta be serious if you two hafta do this, there's really no-one else available Warden?"

Garrison shook his head. "No Goniff, I'm the only one who can get us in and out and your expertise will make what we've got to do a hell of a lot easier."

The thief blew out a breath. "Jeez, the situation's gotta be bad if you're sayin' that. Alright Warden count me in, what's the mission?"

Garrison rolled out a map on the table. "We're going to Hamburg, again. An American reconnaissance team, Captain Lucas and his flight crew, are hiding there, they were shot down while they were taking aerial photographs of a new German facility. They managed to evade capture but can't get out, it's our job to make sure they get back."

Goniff took out his cigarettes and tossed the pack to Garrison. "Bloody hell Warden, last time we was there it was a mess, we almost got blown up 'n I dislocated me shoulder on that mission. It's in the middle of Germany, why don't they just give up now 'n save us the trouble of carryin' out an impossible job?"

Chief took a matchstick. "We got out didn't we? So can they."

Goniff snorted. "Yeah, but we had you 'n the Warden."

Garrison looked over. "So will they in a few hours, get your gear Goniff."

GG-GG-GG

Drummond sat in a staff car outside the mansion as Garrison, Goniff and Chief walked out carrying their mission bags. "Everyone's waiting, you ready?"

Garrison nodded as he climbed in the front passenger seat. "Let's get going Drum."

Goniff got worried as the big, bearded commando drove the jeep into Colchester. "Hey mate, there's no sub pens or runways here, what you up to?"

Chief scanned the area as they neared the River Colne and the Red Dragon pub, he recognised a familiar outline and smiled. "Hey Warden, you got the Sea Dragon back!"

Goniff pushed Chief aside and looked out at the three-engined flying boat moored up on the river bank. "Oh Warden, I love yah, door to door service, no waitin', no boats, no sea-sickness."

Garrison grinned. "That's why I said I was the only one who could get us in and out, no-one else in Special Ops can fly her. I figured the Krauts wouldn't shoot down one of their own aircraft. Besides this is a combined op, we're taking in Navajo 4, dropping them off to do a job of their own and then bringing them back."

Chief looked over and saw four young men waiting for them to arrive, he got out of the car and extended a hand. "De Vere, Eaton, Mason, Ward, how you doin'?"

The four Navajos smiled as their unofficial leader greeted them by name, Eaton shook Chief's hand. "Just fine Boss, glad to get this high-class lift with you. Heard you stole it from the Krauts."

Chief smiled. "Not me, I just found it, the Warden flew it 'n I looked out the window 'til we got to England." He turned to Garrison. "You remember Navajo 4 Warden?"

Garrison grinned. "Sure do." He looked at a short, dark-haired man. "Aren't you the one Casino said would make a good safe-cracker?"

Mason looked uncomfortable and shrugged. "I've got even better since then. Casino's come over and given us extra lessons, he reckons we could take Fort Knox!"

Garrison looked up to the heavens. "Oh God, no! I'll end up in Leavenworth right next to you for giving him permission to train you."

Mason laughed. "Don't worry Lieutenant, we'll keep our attentions on the Krauts, don't want the Boss here reminding us of where our duty lies."

Chief regarded the men with a stern eye. "Better believe it, there'll be extra combat lessons for anyone that forgets to follow orders 'n you don't want that."

Garrison watched his scout talking easily to the soldiers, he understood why the Navajos regarded Chief as their unofficial commander, he was one of them and lead by example and inspiration. It made him want to be an even better commander for his own men, something West Point hadn't taught and something he'd never considered when he had 'normal' soldiers under him, it was another effect that his team of exceptional cons had had on him. He climbed into the fuselage and waved for everyone to follow, he rolled his injured shoulder and gestured to the seat next to him. "Chief sit here, I'll need your help getting this bird in the air."

Chief sat in the co-pilot's seat, put his hands on the yoke and looked at the instruments. "Tell me what to do."

Garrison started up the three engines and looked back at the men behind him. "You ready?" They nodded. He looked through the side window at Drummond standing by the mooring ropes. "Cast us off Drum." He waited as the ropes were untied and pulled into the plane. The hatch closed. "Alright Chief, let's get out of here."

Garrison eased the flying boat out into the middle of the river. "Just like last time, pull back when I say."

A crowd of over two hundred people had gathered to see the Sea Dragon, many of them remembered it from its previous visit, they watched as the flying boat revved up its three engines and surged down the river, it threw up clouds of spray as it headed into the wind and started to rise up into the air. Garrison grinned as he banked the plane out over the countryside and headed towards the North Sea. "Next stop Hamburg, get your gear on." The Navajos delved into their mission bags, took out their uniforms and started to get changed."

Garrison stood up and looked at Chief. "Keep this bird up and flying while I get changed." He walked back and joined Goniff.

Chief looked out at the horizon and gripped the yoke harder. "You can't be serious Warden!"

Garrison smiled, turned back and placed a reassuring hand on Chief's shoulder. "Just keep it level, you can do it Atsilí, I'll be back in a couple minutes."

Chief breathed in deeply. "You sure you wanna let me do this?"

Garrison looked ahead. "Nothing out there but sky, just take it easy."

Goniff looked around. "So, why've we got the Navajos taggin' along with us Warden?"

Garrison started to change uniform. "They're going to carry out their own mission while we carry out ours and then rendezvous back at the Dragon. This plane was designed to take passengers, the Krauts won't question what we're up to when we land. I'll tell the guards we're taking officers to a meeting, the Navajos will take uniforms to Captain Lucas and his team and go off on their mission. We'll pick up Lucas and his men when we've finished ours and everyone'll come back with us, piece of cake."

Goniff smiled uncertainly. "If it's a piece 'o cake what do you need me for Warden?"

Garrison gave his thief an artful look. "You, me and Chief are raiding the local SS headquarters - get in, get what we can and get out."

Goniff shook his head and laughed. "Three jobs on one mission, we're goin' for the record! I should've guessed you'd pull somethin' like that! You never said anythin' about that at the mansion."

Garrison sighed. "Didn't want a fight with Actor and Casino, it was a hard decision to make but they would've insisted on coming with us, whether they were fit or not."

The blonde thief pulled out his cigarettes and offered one. "Warden, you're one crazy Lieutenant! I wish I'd said I still had that concussion."

Garrison shrugged into his jacket, took the cigarette and gave the thief a knowing smile. "No you don't, you'd be a part of this no matter what."

Goniff held up his hands. "You got me Warden. How long 'til we get there?"

Garrison glanced over his shoulder at his co-pilot. "As long as Chief keeps this thing in the air, four or five hours."

Chief shouted over his shoulder. "I heard that Warden, get back up here quick or you'll regret it!"