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Chief paralleled the path, working his way down until he had a clear view of the valley beyond. He spent several minutes watching before turning back the way he'd come. Crouching down he sighted along the trail to study the prints the most recent user had left there. The path wandered from side to side, and there were places where a footprint scuffed when he didn't pick his foot up high enough to clear a small hump or avoid a rock. The man was tired. His quarry was moving slowly too, it didn't take him long to catch up.

"Need help with that?"

Actor stopped on the trail and rolled his shoulders to release some of the muscle tension that had built up under the straps of the load he was carrying. He turned as his younger teammate approached. "Now I understand why the estate guards complain so bitterly about their 'sixty-pound' trips around the obstacle course."

"Want me to take some of it?" Chief didn't have to wait long for the con man to shrug out of a set of cords and hand over the bag that was perched on top of the pack that carried the radio.

"Here, you may take the provisions."

Chief hefted the bag in his hand and looked up. "Seems kinda heavy."

Actor smiled down at him as they got underway. "I waited until Goniff had already boarded the boat and cast off before I packed it. How is Garrison?"

"Worryin' about you takin' so long. That's why I come out this far." They walked along in silence for a few minutes. "Think he must be cookin' something up." When Actor turned to look at him, he shrugged. "Got that look in his eye."

The two men shared a concerned smile. "I was afraid of that."

Chief handed back the satchel of supplies and split away as they approached the house. When Actor reached the step the door opened, Casino just rolled his eyes as they passed. The small fire was still burning inside, and the furniture had been moved. A chair sat on either side of the hearth now. Garrison was half-way between them, his hand on the mantle for support.

"Well?"

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"There was no indication of increased activity on the river or off shore, Goniff should be fine."

Actor deposited the bag on the table and then slipped out of the shoulder straps to set the heavy radio next to it. His jacket came off next and he unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and lifted the fabric off his skin to allow it to cool and dry. He pulled the chairs back over to the table and then partially unpacked the radio to lure Garrison over to it so he would sit down. The con man eyed the bandages that encircled the Warden's chest. Before he left, he'd cleaned the wound and applied pressure over a new dressing to try and control the bleeding. The bleeding had slowed by the time he and Goniff had to leave, but, with the Lieutenant's increased activity, the gauze was stained now.

Garrison carefully settled himself on a chair in front of the radio. "How'd you con them out of this?"

"I didn't have to. The contact was a man named Guillaume Abreo, he indicated that you knew one another…"

The Warden nodded and smiled. "We do. He's a good man."

"Then I believe we can thank your previous encounter with him for his generosity, both for the radio and the food and medical supplies he sent."

Actor unpacked the satchel, selecting two glass jars which he placed in the pot of water that had been left on the hearth. Someone, probably Chief, had been adding water to the pot while he was off delivering Goniff to their contact, and keeping a low fire under it so the water was steaming. He added a few pieces of dry wood to bring up the heat. On his way back to the table he stopped behind the Warden and lifted the torn shirt off his shoulders and eased him out of it so he could get a better look at the bandages. Garrison was engrossed in the radio. As the others had done, he decided to simply add another layer to the dressing for now.

By the time he'd finished his duties as a medic the jars were rattling in the pot of now boiling water. Exploring the area around the fire the aristocratic Italian searched through the supplies that had been left by previous occupants. He found a mismatched array of cups and bowls that he sat on the table, along with a selection of various sized spoons. Using a towel he lifted the jars, one at a time, out of the pot, drying them before he sat them on the table near the radio. He cracked the lid on the first jar, releasing an enticing aroma of stewed meat and vegetables. A portion was placed in three of the bowls and the jar was capped and placed back in the hot water. The second jar smelled nearly as good when it was opened; the broth it held was poured out into three of the cups. That jar was returned to the simmering pot to rattle quietly with the first.

Actor stepped to the door, rather than alert someone who might be searching for them with his poor attempt at whistling like a bird, he just stood waiting a moment or two. Chief appeared on the step and after a quiet conference disappeared again.

Garrison looked up from the radio when his second pushed a bowl in front of him and then took a seat at the table. "I'm not…

"It makes no difference if you are, or you are not… you must eat to regain your strength."

The door opened again admitting the remaining two members of the team. Ignoring the food for a moment Chief used Casino's shoulder to climb up on top of the far end of the table. Reaching up he shoved a wooden hatch aside, allowing a shaft of sunlight to illuminate the simple meal below. Grabbing the edge of the opening he pulled himself up onto the roof. Casino spotted the jars warming on the hearth, he retrieved them from the water and dried them off with the towel Actor left on the mantel. When Chief was set Casino tightened the lids before he tossed each jar up through the opening to the waiting scout. A twirling spoon went up through the hatch before the safe cracker sat down to his meal.

Casino answered before Actor could ask. "You can see the trail in both directions from up on the roof, and you know his ears; Junior'll still be able to hear the Warden when he lays out his crazy new plan." The explosives expert ignored the glare he was getting from their leader and fantasized about the attractive young woman who worked with the underground as he savored his first taste of stew. "Jeeze, she can cook too…"

Actor ate slowly, pacing the Warden as he made his way through the food that had been set in front of him. When Casino opened his mouth to complain about the plan, even though it had yet to be laid out, he stared him into silence until the last spoonful of stew had been scraped from the bowls. Used dishes were collected and the jars Chief tossed down to them were slipped into the pot of steaming water to soak.

Casino shoved back from the table, stretched his legs out and slouched down in the chair. Chief squatted down on the roof near the opening but continued to scan the area around the shack. Actor turned, rested a hip against the counter and crossed his arms. "Is it safe to assume we will not be going straight to another safe location to radio for a pick-up back to England."