Coming Home

Chapter 2

The hours crept by and none of the three men slept. Goniff kept watch out the window. The rosy hues of light showed on the horizon and filled the sky before turning to clear blue. Still there was nothing.

Goniff turned worried eyes toward Actor. "You think they got her?" he asked, not sure he wanted an answer to that.

Actor's eyes opened to slits. His world was almost completely filled with pain. He had no answer to that question and truthfully, he was thinking the same thing.

"For someone so cheerful most of the time," drawled Chief in his own world of pain, "You can be so damned pessimistic."

"I were just thinkin' out loud," the Cockney replied with the beginning of his familiar whine.

"Well stop," said Actor firmly.

The Italian medical person of the group wondered if Teresa realized he could easily lose his arm. Of course she did. She had the medical background for it. She knew the longer he went without treatment of the wound, the more likely infection would set in and grow beyond repair. And his injury was not the only one. Chief's bullet wound had not been treated beyond a sliver of soap and water as had his. It further reinforced something had happened to the young woman.

It was early afternoon when the rumble of a truck could be heard approaching the house. Actor straightened painfully and picked up the Luger that Goniff had placed beside him on the sofa. Chief levered himself upright from the chair he was in and checked the pistol in his left hand. The switchblade fell into his right hand. Actor doubted the younger man would be able to fire the gun with the injured shoulder. Still, his throwing arm was free.

Goniff stared out the window. "It's a transport truck."

"German?" asked Actor.

"Truck is," replied the pickpocket. "The bloke drivin' it isn't."

Actor wanted to see for himself, but the couple attempts he made to rise from the sofa were unsuccessful. Silently, Chief walked over, set his gun on the seat beside the older man, got his good arm under Actor's good arm and they managed to wrestle him to a standing position. Pain washed over the con man at movement of the broken arm, but he managed to overcome it enough to walk to the window.

"Thank you," he said quietly to their scout.

"Welcome," replied Chief picking up his gun and following the Italian.

By the time Actor reached the window to look out, the man in peasant clothing was lowering the tailgate of the truck. He reached a hand up and helped the woman jump down. Terry turned and looked into the back of the truck, head dropping for a mere second before she straightened up and turned to walk with determination toward the house. A car pulled up in front of the truck and two men got out. They followed the woman toward the house.

Goniff opened the door and Terry walked inside, lightly touching the slight blond man on the arm in passing. She stopped in front of the other two men. Her face was closed and color pale, giving worry to all three of the men.

"There are pallets in the back of the truck," said Terry in a subdued voice. "Craig and Casino are in the back."

"How did you get them out?" asked Actor, concerned about her demeanor.

Terry shook her head. "Not now. Later. It wasn't good." She looked at Actor. "Can you ride in the front with me? I might need your help with a con if it comes to that." She paused. "You can't do anything for the others with the shape you're in. Casino has been taken care of." Taking a deep breath, she looked into the tall man's eyes. "Even with two good arms there's nothing you can do for Craig."

"What's that supposed to mean," demanded Chief.

"It means we are headed for Switzerland and Craig won't make it that far." She turned on her heel and headed for the door. "Come on. We have to get out of here."

"What has happened to the Warden?" asked Actor sharply.

"Later," said Terry. "I can't talk about it now." She turned her head toward Chief. "Let Goniff and the men help you into the back of the truck. It's easier getting you out than getting you in. Casino can tell you what happened."

Not waiting for them, the woman strode out the door. The three men exchanged looks of almost shock. Actor led the way outside behind the woman. When he angled off with the others to see Garrison for himself, Terry called to him. She shook her head.

"Actor, let me and Jacques get you into the front. We need to get out of here." At his glare, Teresa continued. "You don't want to see him like this," she said. "Trust me."

Her words and her countenance made him realize she wasn't exaggerating about the Lieutenant not making it. With resignation, Actor followed her. The Resistance man Jacques had the passenger door open for him. Looking at the high cab which normally would not be a problem for the tall man, Actor came to the conclusion he could not get up there by himself. With the Frenchman helping him from outside and Teresa kneeling on the seat to grab him by his belt they managed to get him inside the cab and situated in the seat.

Terry leaned in front of Actor and talked to Jacques in French, thanking him. She settled behind the wheel and started the big truck back up. The other two Resistance men came around her side of the truck and slapped her door telling her it was okay to go. She thanked them and put the truck into gear, starting off slowly to jar the injured men as little as possible. At the road, she turned southeast.

GGG

Goniff and Chief got their first look at the two men in the back of the truck. Casino, a mass of cuts and abrasions on his face and the arm that was visible under a blanket that was draped around him, was leaning against the side of the truck. One hand was sticking out from under the blanket and resting on the chest of the battered unresponsive man lying on the floor of the truck beside him. A blanket was tucked around Garrison up to his chin. Chief took a seat on the other side of the Lieutenant, leaning against the wall. Goniff opened a blanket and put it over the scout. The Englishman opened another blanket, wrapped it around himself, and took up watch out the back of the truck.

"Wot 'appened?" asked Goniff.

Casino did not want to relive it in his mind but owed an explanation to the other two men. "They were interrogating him. Doin' a heavy-handed job of it too when the Resistance and that crazy woman burst in the door. Two Frenchmen grabbed the Warden and were dragging him outside toward a car. I was with Terry. She threw a grenade in the interrogation room, and we ran toward the door. The room blew up as we got outside. The two Resistance men were half draggin' the Warden toward a car. Somebody tossed a grenade at them. The two Resistance took the brunt of it. They're dead. It was still enough to do this to the Warden." Casino shook his head, keeping his and on the unconscious man. "It was nuts out there. Two men picked Garrison up and shoved him in the backseat of a Kraut officer's car. I got in the front seat with Terry. We went to another safe house. They got me and the Warden bandaged up, put us in the truck and drove here."

The safecracker looked around with a frown. "Why ain't Actor back here?"

"He's hurt worse than me," said Chief as a way of explanation. "He wouldn't be able to do nuthin'." Chief shrugged his good shoulder. "Guess Terry thought he might be able to talk us through roadblocks or something."

"Sure," said Casino, "when Hell freezes over."

"It's gettin' cold enough for that to 'appen," said Goniff.

GGG

"What happened?" asked Actor, cradling the arm in the sling against his body.

Terry gave the same story as Casino. At the end she added, "He's breathing but that's about it. Multiple wounds, head injury." She looked straight ahead as she relayed the report. Actor wanted to touch her, just in some sort of reassurance, but he couldn't reach her with his good hand, and it probably wouldn't do any good anyway.

"Why Switzerland?" he asked instead.

"I was able to radio Major Richards. He is sending an unmarked Dakota to Zurich. We'll decide when we get there, if we get there, what you guys want to do. Either way, I'm taking Craig, or his body, back to England. I'll deal with things from there." She shot a glance at the Italian. "I don't figure we're going to make it," she admitted. "Do you?"

"We are in a German vehicle. We are not dressed in German uniforms. A woman is driving with three injured men. And you are dressed as Resistance," Actor said. "The odds are poor, but we have come through poor situations before. All we can do is wait and see." He paused. "It is not like you to give up."

Terry glanced at the side mirrors, watching for a tail. "It's not like me to see my brother in that condition."

"Do you have a plan for crossing the border check into Switzerland?" asked Actor, trying to keep both of their minds occupied.

"Kind of," Teresa replied. "I found out from Resistance there is a hidden track that is not patrolled. Would have been nice to know that before," she said cynically. "It bypasses Basel."

Actor grimaced at a bump in the road.

"Sorry," apologized Terry. "Couldn't miss that one."

He continued his questioning. "What about Dr. Műller in Zurich?"

"Brass wants us in England," said Terry. She did not say a couple more hours in the air would probably not make any difference in Craig's condition or the wounds on Actor, Chief, and Casino. And a hospital in England was better staffed and had access to more medicine and supplies than the doctor's office in Zurich. She thought Actor had probably already figured that out and he was trying to keep her talking.

They were not that far from the Swiss border and as much as she wanted to get there as quickly as possible, she tried to drive carefully to keep from hurting the men more than necessary. It was slower driving that allowed her to spot a truck and a car behind them. "Company," she said to Actor.

The Italian leaned forward a little, looking out the side mirror. He spotted the vehicles also. They were not gaining, but they were not falling back. "Faster," he said.

Terry shifted and pressed down harder on the gas pedal.

"They are staying with us," said Actor.

"Now what?" asked Terry.

"Faster."

"Shit," she said in frustration.

Actor tried to cradle the broken left upper arm against his body. Every bump, jolt, and pot hole sent excruciating pain through it. He glanced at the woman behind the wheel of the big truck. She had a determined look on her face and her foot had the gas pedal to the floor. She was not even trying to skirt the potholes in the road. And he didn't blame her. The Warden would probably die before they could get to safety, but she had to try to save her brother, and that meant outrunning whoever was chasing them. After a bit, the vehicles were out of sight. He had other concerns now and turned his head to look at the woman.

Terry had felt his eyes on her. She could not meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, Actor," she said sincerely.

"I know, cara," he said. "You must do what you have to do. The sooner we reach help, the better for all of us." He paused. "Are you sure your mother will take Julie in?"

Terry shot him a short, sharp glance. "I'm sure."

That seemed to ease Actor's mind, but not the pain he was in.

That was when she saw the glint on glass up ahead and slammed the brakes on, flinging her hand out in front of the con man. Actor flung his good arm out to keep from hitting the dashboard.

"I think it's a road block," said the woman.

She left the motor running and got out, disappearing into the trees to get a closer look. When she returned Actor could tell by the look on her face it wasn't good.

Terry climbed back into the truck. Actor was pale and drawn in the passenger side. She could tell he was in a great deal of pain. He was still trying to keep in control.

"How bad is it?"

"Bad," replied Terry. "No way can we con our way through that one. There are no side roads."

"We will have to run it."

Terry knew that. She also knew they would never make it. If they turned themselves in, there would be no hospital. They would be executed as spies. With four wounded, at least one of those dying, it no longer mattered. But at least they would not go down without a fight. Terry also knew, as the driver, she would be the first one killed. So she wouldn't have to watch her brother and the guys die.

She climbed back down from the cab and ran to the back of the truck, pulling the flap back.

"Terry, there was a tail," said Goniff.

"I know," she said. "That's the least of our worries. There's a roadblock up ahead. We can't work a con on it. We're going to run it. Get as flat to the floor as you can." She looked at her brother. "Is he still breathing?"

"Yeah, barely," said Casino. "Babe, you're gonna get killed."

"We all are, one way or another," said Terry resignedly. "I'm sorry, Guys."

"It was a good try, Terry," said Chief. "We got two schmeissers back here. If I have to die in this damn war, I'd rather go down fightin'."

Terry nodded. "Good luck."

She ran back and climbed back up behind the steering wheel. Terry looked at Actor. He looked silently back at her. Crap! Now his daughter would be an orphan again. It made her sad and angry at the same time.

"Get down on the seat," she said. If anyone had a chance to talk their way out of an execution it was the Italian.

"Hardly," he said. Actor rolled down the window and hefted the schmeisser one handed.

"There's no use both of us getting shot," said Terry. "Get down."

"Drive."

"Get down!"

"No! Drive!"

Terry put the truck in gear. She started swearing at him in Italian in a low voice. Actor gave her one of his crooked grins. She shook her head. For the moment she concentrated on her driving. She floored the big truck, shifting and shifting until she could get up a good head of steam.

"See you on the other side, My Love," she said in English.

"I'll be waiting, amore," he replied.

He turned sideways, trying to get a better angle with the schmeisser. Terry waited until he was concentrating out the window and reached over, grabbed a handful of his collar and jerked as hard as she could. Weak and off balance, Actor fell sideways and backwards, coming down on the broken arm as she had planned. He cried out in pain and passed out, lying across the seat.

With a grin from hell, Terry drove full speed through the barrier and the gunfire. She didn't know how many times she was hit. She just single-mindedly kept going. She did not hear the increase in gunfire behind her. She drove until things started to go black. Taking her foot off the gas, she hit the brake briefly and lost consciousness. The truck slowed to a stop and Terry slumped over the bloody steering wheel, not hearing the truck horn as her body lay on it.

7