89. Getting Rid of That Bug

Chapter 6

The four men stood together by one of the buildings at the submarine pens. It was cold, damp and windy. There were still puddles and pools of water on the roadway.

"Never thought I would be unhappy to get back to England," said Casino.

"Pappy, you're never happy anyway," said Chief quietly.

For once not taking offence, the safecracker shook his head. "I tell you; I was happy where we were for the last three days."

"I'm still 'appy to be back on Ole Blighty," said Goniff, hugging himself in a vain attempt to get warm.

They all watched the straight figure of Lt. Garrison, deep in conversation with one of the commanders of the submarine base. It didn't look like he was getting anywhere.

Finally, Actor sighed and stepped away from the others to rummage through his kit bag, back to the others, so they could not see what he was doing. His hand slipped into his right pants pocket. He zipped up the kit bag and carried it with him as he walked over to Garrison and the naval officer.

"Is there a problem?" asked Actor with a light smile.

"Problem?" blasted the officer. "There's a problem all right. We weren't told by your superiors we had to drag you five over half of England"

Actor gave an almost sympathetic frown. "Isn't that what you usually do when we come into your base? Transport us to our base? Why is this a problem this time?"

The con man ignored the masked look of amazement on Garrison's face.

"We weren't told you were on that sub. Nothing was said to us about you coming," objected the naval officer.

"You are aware we were supposed to be here yesterday," said Garrison, calmly but tightly. "We could not get out to your sub from Marseilles, and I understand your sub couldn't get there either."

"That was yesterday," the officer said as if it made a world of difference.

Now Actor nodded sympathetically. "Excuse me," he looked at the man's rank, "Commander. Might I have a word with you in private?" As they were dressed in French civilian clothes, he was gambling the naval Commander was not aware he wasn't regular Army like the Lieutenant.

With a shrug the Commander nodded and led the way down the dock. Actor saw the narrow-eyed glare on Garrison's face and casually pointed a finger at him, turning to follow the navy man.

"From the looks of it," said Actor as the two walked away, "you were not spared the storm that hit us."

Garrison was surprised at Actor's play and the finger telling him to stay. Oh, what the hell, he hadn't been getting anywhere with the Commander. At the moment, Actor could pretend he was Gen. Eisenhower if it would get them transportation. He stayed where he was and watched the byplay that he couldn't hear. Actor seemed to be his smiling, persuasive self. Craig almost choked when the Italian reached in his pants pocket and pulled out what had to be currency in his hand. He was even more surprised when the Commander stealthily accepted the transfer of money into his hand. The officer walked away, and Actor returned to Garrison.

"I don't believe you," hissed Garrison. "You bribed an officer?"

"I am sorry, Lieutenant," countered the con man, "but this cold is causing my chilblains to act up. I merely assisted you as your second to arrange transportation. Alas, all I could get was a supply truck. However, I persuaded him to throw in some blankets."

Now Garrison was beginning to see the humor in it. "Actor, you wouldn't know a chilblain if it bit you."

"Whatever it takes, Warden," said the con man with a grin.

Ten minutes later, the men climbed into the back of an empty supply truck and sat on the side benches, wrapped in nice wool Navy blankets.

"Okay, Beautiful," said Casino. "How did you pull this off?"

"I used my powers of persuasion," replied Actor with his innocence act. "If the Commander erroneously thought I was the Lieutenant's immediate superior officer, who was I to correct him."

Even Chief laughed at that one.

GGG

An hour later, the truck turned up the drive to the Mansion. Even with the blankets, it had been an uncomfortable ride. Chief was out over the tailgate first and dropped it down for the others to get out. The driver came around to make sure everything was okay, or just to make sure the blankets remained in the truck.

"Would you like to come in and we will make coffee?" asked Garrison.

"Thank you, Sir, but I need to get back to the base," said the Petty Officer. "Commander Hurley keeps a close eye on the clock. But thank you, Lieutenant."

He got back in his truck and pulled out. This revealed to Garrison, what his men were grinning at. The green MG Tickford was parked where Terry usually parked it.

The men had a tiny bit more bounce in their stride as they mounted the steps to the front door. They went inside to find Terry, arms crossed in front of her, standing by the stairs. "Took you long enough . . .." She spotted the white sling on Casino's left arm. "Easy mission? What happened to you?"

Casino shrugged his good shoulder. "I didn't duck fast enough."

"Does that need attention?" asked the girl with concern.

"You might give it some attention later," suggested the safecracker. "You got any food?"

Terry chuckled at his main concern. "There's a plate of sandwiches on the dining room table. I'll bring out the coffeepot. I'm working on supper in the kitchen." She looked at the tall Italian, who was watching her silently. "Mushroom chicken," she said for his benefit and received a smile in return.

The kits were piled up by the coat tree and the four men headed for the kitchen. That left Garrison standing by the front door, arms crossed and studying his sister.

"How did you find out we were coming?" he asked.

"How do I usually find out?" she countered. "If I don't get a call, I make a few calls. Besides, I figured you would be late. We got that storm before you did. Lost a couple trees by the side road. Army's sending somebody out in a couple days to cut them up. After they season we ought to have a few cords of firewood out of them."

Garrison gave a jerk of his chin toward his office. Stifling a sigh of resignation, Terry walked into the room and waited for the blowup or whatever her brother had in mind. The Lieutenant followed her and shut the door.

"How long are you staying this time?" asked Craig.

Terry took a moment to answer. "I guess for the duration," she said with resignation.

"Why?" her brother asked curiously.

"Because I've been selfish," she said. "The guys have to put up with you. They don't need me making their lives worse by not being here."

She walked to the window to stare outside at the wet gloom, back to Garrison.

"What about you and me?" he asked.

She turned around and gave him a hard look. "Don't expect me not to fight with you. Always have and always will. Especially when you're taking whatever bug you have up your butt out on them."

"I think the bug's gone, at least for a while." He fingered a tall, tarnished silver urn that had somehow found its way to his desk. "Actor figured it out. I didn't know. All I knew was nothing was going right."

"Gonna tell me?" asked Terry. "I have a vested interest in you."

"Jenny," was all he said.

"Jenny? But she been dead . . ." Terry counted on her fingers and her voice was barely above a whisper, "Oh shit . . ." Her eyes shot to her brother's face. "Why didn't you say something, Craig? For me all the days run together. Go on a mission. Stay home and wait for you guys to get back. Worry about who is wounded and how bad or did one of you get killed. I didn't realize it had been that long."

"I wasn't thinking about it," said Craig. "I keep it pushed to the back of my mind, like you with Jaeger and Von Steuben. But it was eating at me."

"And we didn't help. I didn't help," said Terry with remorse.

"I don't even think you could have helped."

"What did Actor do?" asked Terry curiously.

"He took me to a brothel."

Terry stared at him. "What?"

"Long story," said her brother. "I'll give you the abbreviated version later. I'm going to go get a sandwich before Goniff eats them all." He turned toward the door and paused with his hand on the knob. "I'm glad you're back." He went out the door, not waiting for a response.

Terry stared at his receding back. Almost twenty-six years she had been with him and still he surprised her.

After they had eaten, Garrison called a debrief in his office. Terry parked in the chair across from his desk to listen and observe. Her vegetables were prepped and the chicken was still thawing so she had time.

"Transport in?" asked Garrison.

"No problem," said Casino.

"Okay. The break-in?" continued Garrison.

"I don't know," said Chief. "I don't know if that guard heard us or what. He came barreling in. Wasn't time to do anything. I guess I wasn't fast enough with my blade." It was as close to an apology as he was going to give Casino.

The safecracker was amazingly okay with that. "Naw, I just didn't have any place to go, and I wasn't fast enough getting out of the way."

Garrison moved on. "The accommodations afterward?"

"My kind of safe house," grinned Casino.

"Real comfortable, Warden," said Goniff cheekily.

"Not bad," agreed Chief.

"How come we was split up?" asked the pickpocket.

Craig looked at his second.

"There was not enough room in either location for all of us," said Actor. "I split us up according to the number of available rooms."

"Likely story," grumbled Casino. He looked sharply at the Warden. "Say, whatever happened to all that money? Why'd you keep it?"

"I can answer that, if I may?" said Actor to the officer. At Garrison's nod, he continued, holding up his hand and counting one finger at a time. "Let's see now. There was your lodging, your meals, and your 'guests'." He looked at Casino. "The doctor to attend to your injury. Then there was our lodging, our meals . . . We did not have to pay for our 'guests'. We put the money in the bottom of my bag. Then there was the bribe of the Commander at the sub base for our transportation. That took care of what the Lieutenant took from the safe, except maybe a Franc or two." He grinned his crocodile grin. "Do you have a problem with that, Casino?"

Remembering his bed partner he hadn't paid for, the safecracker grinned. "I guess that's okay."

Terry was sitting silently watching the byplay and listening to what was said. It struck her the men had all stayed in cat houses for three days. Including her straight-laced brother. Head tilted to one side and an eyebrow raised, she stared at Craig, who studiously avoided answering her question.

"Um, did you guys get what you went in there for, or just the side benefits?" Terry asked.

"We got more than what we were looking for on microfilm," answered the Lieutenant. "Yes, we were able to get it before we were surprised by the guard."

When their little meeting broke up, the guys took their bags to their rooms and Garrison sat down at his desk. Terry retreated to her kitchen to clean up after the sandwiches. About a half hour later, Craig entered. She thought he was after more coffee and did not stop what she was doing.

Craig stood in the kitchen and gave his sister a worried look. She glanced up at him and removed her hands from the soapy dishwater, wiping them on the dishtowel.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Would you step outside into your 'office'?" he asked.

"Um, don't you think it's a little cool out there?" she asked in reply.

"Yes, but we shouldn't be long."

Terry turned and headed toward the back door, Craig behind her. It was nippy outside, but they continued on to the gazebo. There the girl turned with hands on hips.

"What is it you have to say that you can't say with them around?" she asked.

"I don't know for sure if you are or aren't having some kind of romantic liaison with Actor, but there's something you need to know," said Garrison cautiously.

"You aren't ever going to let it go are you?" asked Terry in disgust. "I will always be a slut to you. Especially since I did 'ask' to be raped. So what is it I don't know about Actor?"

Garrison decided not to address the slut/rape issue right then. "He was partaking of the madam's favors in the bordello he took me to."

"Of course he was," said Terry with a little laugh. "He's Actor. Besides being a con man, he's a ladies' man. I wouldn't expect anything else from him."

Craig wasn't expecting that response. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Of course not," lied Terry. "Why do you think he and I could never be married to each other. I can't live his lifestyle outside of what we are doing during the war. And I need stability and somebody who will be faithful to me. Which isn't him. And it will never happen with anyone else either."

"Why do you say that?" asked Craig with a cocking of his head.

"Because I'm used goods, and I'm a whore. I don't take money for it, but I lived with Jake and obviously slept with him. You've taken a lot of pleasure in throwing that in my face."

She tried to walk past him to go back to the house, but her brother caught her arm and held her back.

"Terry, I'm sorry. I guess I needed to be in the same position with a woman that you were with Jake to understand that." He frowned. "I just didn't want you to find out about Actor and be hurt."

Terry gave a snort. "Craig, you aren't telling me anything I haven't already heard from the other guys. You think they don't talk in front of me about his habit of chasing skirts on your missions?" She pulled away from him and took one step down from the gazebo, turning to fix her brother with a quizzical look. "He paid for it?"

Garrison couldn't help giving a short laugh. "I don't think he had to pay for it. She knew him from years ago. She was all over him like a fly on a cow patty."

Terry had to laugh at the reversion back to ranch talk. "Good, I was worried he was losing his touch."

She continued on back to the house, leaving Craig to watch her in wonder. He wasn't sure if he had just been conned or not.