Casino flipped the towel he'd been using to dry his hands over his shoulder and turned to look back as he stepped onto the gravel in front of the shack. The scout was still keeping watch from the roof so he called up to him, "Which way'd he go?"

Chief lifted his chin indicating the path that led to the water. "Might wanna give him a minute though," he advised as the safe cracker started off.

Casino stopped and turned to look back again; brows furrowed. "How come?"

The young man gave a slight shrug. "Cause it sounds like he's probably out there throwin' up."

The safe cracker snorted and started off again, but his pace was slower. Considering how important it was to him, he thought, might as well give the guy some more time to collect his dignity.

Actor heard footsteps headed towards him and pushed back away from the tree. He wiped his face with his handkerchief and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he ordered his clothing. Parting the bramble, he stepped back onto the path and turned to face the man making his way towards him. "Is there a problem?"

Casino waved away the other man's concern with a raised hand and then considered the Italian conman for a few moments. His mouth was held just a little too tight, and his skin was ashen, highlighting the heavy beard that seemed to grow in overnight. There was a sheen of sweat starting up across his upper lip. And though he'd given it a shot, he wasn't standing as tall and straight as he usually did. Probably favoring sore muscles from tossing his cookies in the bushes, he thought. Not really a good look for him. A few months back he would have needled him about it, now he just asked. "You ever do anything like that before?"

The group's second tilted his head to the side as he thought. "I have not. I have read about it, of course, and I'd seen it done in surgery years ago when I was a student."

"Well," he dropped his gaze down and studied the ground at his feet for a few seconds before looking up again. "Glad it was you had to do it, and not me." When the conman started back towards the house he stepped into his path and asked another question to give him a little more time to get himself settled again. "How come you didn't do it like they do in the movies? You know, just lay a hot iron or the flat a that knife right down on the wound?"

Actor gave a wan smile, "Because that would make the wound even worse than it already is." And leave a terrible scar, he thought, something the Lieutenant never seemed to be too concerned about.

They turned and walked back up the path. Casino stifled a shudder. He was sure the memory of Actor laying the red-hot edge of the knife across that wound over and over again, and the smell of the Warden's flesh as it seared, was probably going to be with him for the rest of his life. And he wasn't the one who had to do it… or the one who had to sit through it.

"Think it'll work?"

The Italian shook his head and gave a slight shrug. "It would have a greater chance of success if the Warden would consent to resting here overnight."

"Jeeze! That's not gonna happen."

"I know…" His words trailed away as he stopped short of the steps that led up to the door and pursed his lips.

Casino knew that look. He snapped his fingers to get Chief's attention and within moments the scout had dropped off the roof and joined them. "So?"

g

They'd shoved the table out of the way and pulled the narrow bed out to take its place, positioning it so the light from the open hatch fell across it. The Warden was still on it, one hand curled around the upright at the head of the bed, the other grasping the edge of the mattress; turned to give better access to the wound on his side. His eyes were closed, his breathing regular, though a bit shallow.

Actor quietly closed the door and went across to the counter to repack the satchel of supplies. He emptied the bag and separated the items; food, first aid supplies, clothing, ordering them as he tried to order his thoughts. Setting aside a shirt for the Warden, he used the other pieces to wrap the jars of food Sabine had taken from her limited stores to give to him. She truly had been a lovely young woman, graceful in her movements, soft of speech and charming in her manner. In another time perhaps… But, he thought, in another time, she would still be on her farm with her husband, and there would have been no reason for them to have met. There was a slight rustle behind him and he turned to find he was being observed.

"You alright?"

He held the jar of stew out and gave it a toss and caught it. "This was not quite as savory the second time around."

Garrison smiled in sympathy. "Where'd you send them?"

Actor sat the articles he held in his hands on the counter and moved across to the bed, looking down on its occupant. "What makes you think I have sent anyone anywhere?"

He cocked an eyebrow up at his second. "Because you'd never make that kind of admission if they were around to hear it."

"I have admitted nothing." Actor pulled the chair around and sat down on it. "An admission from me wasn't necessary in any case. I'm sure they were well aware of what was going on off in the bushes."

The comment caused Garrison to laugh, and that caused a grimace of pain as the broken ribs shifted under the bandages.

The conman looked at his commander with some concern. "I believe it would be safe for you to change position now, if you wish."

"Can't," the younger man admitted through teeth that were still clenched. "My hands have cramped up, I can't seem to let go."

Actor laughed. He reached out and started to carefully massage the corded muscles above Garrison's left wrist. After a few moments the knots started to soften and eventually his hand released the bedframe. He got up and moved to the other side of the bed and began the procedure on the right one. It took a bit longer but eventually that hand relinquished its grip on the side of the mattress as well, and the Warden gave a sigh of relief and shifted onto his back.

He flexed his fingers and kneaded the muscles in his palms with his thumbs while Actor walked back around to the chair and took a seat next to the bed. "So? Where are the other two?"

"They went back down the trail to the village to find a vehicle of some sort." To stop the Lieutenant's objections before they got started, he added. "There was no way of knowing if there would be a secure place for you to wait while they searched so we felt it was safer this way." And it enforced a period of rest which he knew the younger man would benefit from… but he wasn't about to tell him that.

"How long will they be gone?"

"Chief estimated it would take them approximately three hours." And if it took very much less than that, which the scout had said it probably would, they were going to lay back in the woods and wait until they'd reached that estimated time; unless they'd discovered some reason for haste. Actor watched the look of skepticism settle on the Warden's face as he tried to decide if he was being conned. He smiled, "So, you may as well get some sleep while we wait."

g

It had taken nearly the whole three hours for Chief and Casino to get back to the shack. He had just started pacing out his worry when Chief whistled his call. Actor checked to make sure the Warden was still asleep before he slipped out to meet with them.

The con they would be able to run would depend on the type of vehicle they were able to obtain. Though it would be risky, a simple truck would do if that was all they'd managed to come up with, as they all had civilian clothes. They could claim to be men looking for work, and they'd used that before. Papers would be a problem though, and he was certain there would be checkpoints and roadblocks to navigate, especially now that they suspected the Germans were hunting down resistance members.

Actor's spirits lifted a bit. The bundles his teammates were carrying indicated they may have found transportation a little higher up on what Casino would call his 'wish list'. "What were you able to find?" he asked eagerly.

Casino held his tongue for once, letting the scout deliver the disappointing news.

After a moment of silence Chief spoke up. "Staff car. But you'r not gonna like the uniforms."

The men pulled what they'd taken out of their bundles, dropped the boots on the ground and shook the pants and tunics out to spread them over the tops of the bushes that surrounded them. Actor surveyed the offering, spotting the problem immediately.

They'd found a German staff car, and then gone after uniforms to go with it, and they'd come back with three officers and one enlisted man's garb. Unfortunately, the only officer's uniform that looked like it would fit him held the rank of captain; and it wasn't even SS. If they were stopped on the road there would be no way for him to arrogantly bully their way through as was his habit and specialty. He'd planned on taking Garrison out as a prisoner. Being of lower rank it was very likely his 'prisoner' would be taken by someone of higher rank who was looking to garner favor with those of even higher rank by handing off a person who might be of value.

"Looks like the Warden's gotta be the colonel this time. Think he can do it?" Casino asked.

"He'll have to." Actor said as he took up the uniform he would use. "I suggest we change out here and leave the Lieutenant to sleep as long as he can."

g

As generally happened with second-hand clothes; the pants were a bit too short, that would be covered by the high boots; the sleeves were slightly too short as well, but that could be disguised by the gloves and how he held himself. Actor did up the last button on the tunic and smoothed down the front of the uniform. He ran his fingers through his hair before settling the cap on his head. He stood waiting for the others to finish, using the time to try and come up with a plan that would fit the characters they were turning themselves into. Eyeing his teammates from top to bottom he shook his head as he turned and headed back for the house. This was certainly going to be different.