Goniff's Close Call

Goniff opened his eyes, stretched and slowly gathered his thoughts together before swinging his legs out of bed. He sat for a moment rubbing his hands through his blonde hair, gave a big sigh as he reluctantly left his comfy nest to start another day – no, not just another day! He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror as he shaved, today was June 16th, his birthday. He stared at his reflection and noted a few more lines on his face that had appeared over the past twelve months, a quick scan of his body revealed he'd gotten quite a few more scars, but he was alive and free. The thief looked into his blue eyes and gave himself a wink and a cheeky grin. "Well Goniff, you made it through another year mate 'n you're lookin' good, even if I do say so meself!"

He had a quick shave and wash before throwing on his fatigues, he threw open his door, stepped out into the passage and headed towards the stairs and the kitchen from whence the smell of freshly brewing coffee wafted.

Garrison looked up as Goniff skipped down the stairs and strode happily into the kitchen. "Happy birthday Goniff."

The thief stopped and looked at Garrison suspiciously. "What, no sneaky tricks, no chores for me today? No windows need washin'?" He looked at his dark-haired team mate who was quietly leaning against the counter. "Couldn't you find any mud to sling at 'em Chiefy?"

Chief raised his mug as he shook his head. "Uh uh Goniff, that trick only works once. Happy birthday."

Casino leaned back in his seat at the table and snorted. "That's right babe, no tricks up our sleeves this time."

Actor waved a hand to invite the thief to join him and Casino. "Come on Goniff, you've got some cards and presents to open here."

"In that case!" Goniff rubbed his hands together and smiled in anticipation as he took his place at the table. Garrison placed a mug of coffee in front of the birthday boy and the team watched the thief open his presents.

The gifts were modest and inexpensive: cigarettes, a couple of bottles of beer, the team didn't want to give the Warden any hint that they (and him) were all very rich men due to, as Actor termed it, the 'liberation and repatriation' of valuables that had crossed their paths during missions. They'd promised Garrison that they wouldn't commit any crimes in England so they reckoned anything found on missions abroad was fair game.

Chief knew that Garrison suspected something, he'd mentioned the size of the diamond in Trish's engagement ring when he attempted to convince him to take the rest of the team and flee to Switzerland after Pryor planned to get them arrested and tried for treason. Garrison hadn't mentioned it since but Chief knew his brother wasn't stupid.

Casino picked up the bottle of Scotch from Garrison and gave it an appreciative look as he inspected the label. "Hey this is the good stuff, you tryin' to make us look bad Warden?"

Goniff snatched the bottle back and read the label. "Bloody hell Warden, this must've set you back a pretty penny. We'll share this later on." He looked around expectantly. "Right, who's cookin'' breakfast, I'm starvin'!"

GG-GG-GG

The rest of the morning passed quickly including a session of target practice with Sergeant Major Ellis who presented a surprised Goniff with a small card and the gift of a woollen scarf, hand-knitted by his wife.

Casino nudged the thief in the ribs as they lined up to take aim. "He must be starting to like us," he whispered out the side of his mouth.

"Right you 'orrible lot, let's see if you can hit anything today, you sorry excuses for soldiers!" Ellis barked.

The safecracker snorted. "Maybe not!"

Goniff twirled his pistol round his finger, closed one eye and took aim in the general direction of the target. "Maybe I'll get lucky today 'n hit something."

A quiet voice drifted over from the end of the line. "Yeah, try aimin' at the mansion, it's bigger 'n a barn so you might hit it."

"Ha dee, ha ha, watch this." The gunshot echoed round the courtyard. "What do ya think of that?"

Chief looked at the target and then back at the thief with an amused glint in his eye. "Ya missed."

Actor and Casino dissolved into guffaws of laughter. "At least you're consistent Goniff," chortled the conman.

GG-GG-GG

After lunch and a quick circuit of the obstacle course the team got ready to head off to The Doves for a celebratory birthday drink. Goniff paused by the office door and looked at Garrison who was tackling a pile of paperwork. "You comin' Warden?"

Garrison signed a requisition for supplies, reached for the next sheet of paper and nodded. "Give me an hour to finish this and I'll be there as soon as I've changed out of uniform."

"We'll check the level in Goniff's bottle o' Scotch when we get back!" yelled Casino as he turned towards the door to leave.

Garrison did a double-take at the group. "Aren't you leaving by your usual route?"

Goniff shook his head. "Nah, we only climb down the ivy when we're bein' sneaky like, but you know we're goin' so we can use the door."

Garrison chuckled. "Well then get out of here."

"Yes Sir, Lieutenant Sir!" Casino gave a mock salute, turned on one heel, marched to the door, opened it and invited everyone out with a bow and an expansive wave of the hand.

Chief looked at his brother, rolled his eyes and smiled as Garrison did the same before shaking his head and getting back to finishing the paperwork.

GG-GG-GG

The fourth pint of bitter had gone down nicely and Goniff felt the need to make room for some more, he got up and headed for the exit. "Just goin' to the 'you know where', be back in two shakes."

"Two shakes o' what Limey?" retorted Casino with a smile as he lit a cigarette. "Hey, it's my round again, where's the Warden when you need him?"

"He'll be here soon," answered Chief, he swallowed the last of his beer and held his glass up for a refill.

Goniff wandered out into the fresh air and spent a couple of minutes communing with nature in the outside privy, he walked back and stopped to light a cigarette before going back in.

Suddenly a thick hood was thrown over his head and everything turned black, he struggled for a second and then relaxed. "Oh come on guys, you said no surprises for my birthday!"

A deep, menacing voice spoke next to his ear. "Happy Birfday Goniff, we got someone 'oo wants ta give you 'is best wishes."

The thief's blood froze as the gravelly, cockney voice promised unknown terror. "Who are you? You can't do this. I got friends inside!"

"'N inside they'll stay mate, if they got any sense," threatened the voice as Goniff felt himself dragged across the car park and thrown inside a vehicle of some kind.

"CHIEF!" yelled the thief as he landed heavily on the back seat. He was jostled as two men jumped in on either side of him, he heard the doors slam shut, the vehicle started up and roared off down the road. "Oh bugger!" he thought to himself.

Garrison was driving down the lane towards The Doves and swerved to avoid a large car heading at speed in the opposite direction. "Idiot!" he muttered as he glared in the rear view mirror at the disappearing vehicle and continued on his way. He parked up and entered the bar to be greeted by his team, he looked around. "Where's Goniff?"

Actor inclined his head towards the door. "He went outside to the Gents five minutes ago, he should be back by now."

Casino stood up. "I'll go get the little Limey, probably can't hold his beer and'll need some help gettin' back." Two minutes later he returned with a worried look on his face. "Goniff ain't out there, I looked but he aint nowhere to be found."

"Let me go see." Chief stood up and walked quickly outside followed by the rest of the team. He cast around looking for clues and found fresh scuff marks in the gravel, the scout knelt down and pointed at the signs. "There was a struggle here, maybe four men on one," he stood back up and walked a short distance across the car park. "They dragged Goniff this way and the track ends, it looks like they put him in a car."

Actor stared at the ground in bewilderment. "I can't see anything."

Casino nodded in agreement. "Neither can I." He clapped Chief on the shoulder. "Good thing we got you Geronimo."

Garrison felt a cold shudder run down his back as he recalled the recent close call with the other car and realised it had held his thief. "I know which way they're headed. Chief, you're driving!" he yelled as he ran towards the staff car and tossed the keys to his driver. Chief snatched the keys out of the air and leapt into the driver's seat, Garrison took shotgun, Actor and Casino threw themselves into the back and held on tight as the Packard fan-tailed out of the car park in a cloud of dust and gravel.

Garrison tried hard to recall the dark-coloured vehicle he'd managed to avoid. "I think it was a dark green Humber, I'll know it when I see it."

Chief concentrated on keeping the speeding car on the road as he threw it around bends in hot pursuit, twenty minutes later they saw the car in the distance. Garrison looked at his scout. "Don't get too close Chief, let's tail them and see where they're going, Goniff's safe for now or we would have found him."

Chief nodded and pulled his foot off the accelerator. "Okay Warden. They won't even know we're here."

Casino leaned forward and tapped Garrison on the shoulder. "What the hell do ya think ya doin'? Those crumbs have got Goniff 'n you're doin' nothin' to get him back!"

Garrison turned to face the irate safecracker. "We can get Goniff now but we'll never know who sent those goons. This road leads to London, if we follow them we can find out who sent them and make sure they don't bother any of us again."

Actor nodded in agreement. "Sound thinking Warden and I think I know who it might be."

Casino turned to face the conman. "What? You gone psychic all of a sudden? Who is it?"

Actor turned calmly to the New Yorker. "Do you remember when Garrison was arrested, accused and tried for cowardice and we needed funds?"

Casino sat back and looked at his friend in disbelief. "You think it was him?"

Actor nodded. "I'd bet on it and now he wants his money back. What was his name?"

Chief looked in the rear view mirror. "Max 'n I remember where to find him."

Garrison looked bemused. "You know who it is? What happened when I was arrested?"

Actor gave a short resume of the story and watched as Garrison's face went through a gamut of emotions. "You did what?"

"Hey babe, it was all we could do at the time 'n it got you out from under, that's all that matters," exclaimed Casino in justification. "We knew you weren't no coward, you showed that time 'n time again, we just had to prove it."

Garrison looked at his brother. "Is that true Rainey?"

Chief kept looking straight ahead but his expression told everything. "Yeah Craig, we did everythin' we could to prove you innocent."

Garrison realised what had happened. "You went and got that reporter, Dorfmann out of Germany to testify for me?"

Chief nodded. "Only thing we could do." He glanced quickly over before concentrating on the road. "We made an agreement with him 'n took him back after the trial."

Garrison leaned back against the car door and regarded his 'gang'. "That's what Goniff was talking about when he said you weren't there when I got back to the mansion."

Chief smiled as he recalled kicking Dorfmann out of the plane to parachute back into German occupied territory. "Uh huh, he told that panel the truth 'n got you off the charge, he kept his end of the bargain 'n we kept ours."

Garrison was lost for words as he realised what his men had done for him. "Thanks."

Casino snorted. "Hey, it was get you exonerated or go back to jail, you figure it out babe! We like things just the way they are."

Actor leaned forward. "We're approaching London, keep a good eye out Chief."

Garrison glanced back. "Chief won't lose them, I can guarantee that."

GG-GG-GG

Goniff tried to breath, it was stifling hot in the heavy hood and he was feeling light-headed. The car slowed down and came to a stop, the thief was dragged out and escorted a short distance. He heard a door open and once again he was hauled along, the door slammed behind him with ominous finality.

A deep, cockney accented voice rasped out. "Here 'e is Guvnor, just like you asked. Guess what? 'E says it's 'is birthday."

A low chuckle sounded. "I 'ope he enjoys it, it'll be 'is last. Take off the 'ood." The voice sounded familiar.

Goniff flinched as the hood was roughly torn off, he blinked, looked around and his heart sank as he looked at the fat man sitting behind a desk, his worst fear was confirmed.

The podgy villain regarded the thief with his piggy eyes and smirked. "'Ello Goniff What's 'Is Name!"

Goniff took a deep breath and beamed his best smile. "'Ello Max, nice to see ya again. You're lookin' good, have you put on weight?"

Max leaned back and regarded his prisoner. "I said I'd get ya back for what you did, stealin' money from me."

Goniff shrugged. "Now Max, you know that was my money, I won it fair 'n square only you wouldn't pay up. I only took it back plus interest."

Max snorted. "Yeah, you were cocky wiv all yer mates round yer. What you gonna do now?"

Goniff tilted his head and gave the gangster a cheeky look. "They were here to protect you from me Max." He received a blow to the head for his cockiness and turned to his assailant. "Oy, knock it off mate, I'm talkin' to me friend Max 'ere."

Max steepled his fingers and looked over them. "We ain't friends Goniff, you're nuffin' more 'n an annoyance. Last time you woz 'ere I told ya, "In cement I'll see ya," 'n I'm gonna keep that promise, the Thames is so nice this time o' year." He looked at one of his henchmen. "Ralph, take 'What's 'Is Name' in that side room 'n get 'is boots ready will ya?" Ralph nodded and dragged the thief into a small room where he threw him on a chair, tied him securely and walked away to prepare the cement.

GG-GG-GG

Chief coasted the Packard to a quiet halt some distance behind the Humber and turned off the engine. The team looked at the area around the nondescript building Goniff had been dragged in to, the scout noticed a man lounging against a wall nearby and pointed him out to Garrison, the bulge under his jacket made it obvious he was armed.

Actor leaned forward and looked around. "Yes, this is where we came before."

Garrison turned in his seat to look at the conman. "Are you sure?"

Actor nodded confidently. "Yes, this is where Goniff brought us to see Max, he said he was an old acquaintance of his who owed him a lot of money."

Casino nodded. "Yeah, only the guy didn't see it that way."

Actor looked out of the window at the barred entrance. "Goniff used a password to get in there, can anyone remember it?"

Chief frowned as he went back through that evening. "Got it, he said "A nicker on Angel in the fifth.""

Garrison rubbed his chin. "You sure that's what he said?"

Chief nodded. "Uh huh, I'm sure."

Casino let out a deep breath. "Yeah, but they've seen us, they'll remember who we are."

Actor looked at Garrison. "They might remember us but they've never seen you Warden. How's your English accent? They'll be suspicious if they hear an American one."

Garrison paused and answered in a crisp English accent, reminiscent of Richards. "I think I can pull it off."

"That's great Warden!" laughed Casino. "Now all we gotta do is get rid o' that guard."

Chief's blade appeared in his hand as he quietly opened the car door. "No problem Pappy."

Garrison watched his scout get out, walk away and disappear down a narrow alleyway, he turned back to keep an eye on what would happen next. A couple of minutes later the lookout jerked back and disappeared from sight down another alley. The team got out, walked to the rear of the Packard and waited as the Warden opened the boot and handed out weapons. "Here you go, we'll need these."

Casino hefted the pistol in his hand and checked it. "Always said you were a regular boy scout Warden, prepared for anythin'."

Garrison gave him his crooked smile. "I have to be with you lot around." He nodded at the building. "Shall we?"

GG-GG-GG

Ralph walked into the side room with two large buckets of cement, Goniff struggled as his feet were forced into the rapidly setting mix, a sharp blow to his head made him gasp in pain. "Don't move or I'll break yer legs."

In the main room everyone's head turned to the door as a loud knock sounded, one of Max's goons walked over and opened the spy hatch. "What you want?"

Goniff smiled to himself as a faint voice came through, he knew the tone but the accent was different. "A nicker on Angel in the fifth!"

The man at the door glanced at Max, he nodded. "Let 'im in, but close that side door first, can't 'ave the customer seein' what'll happen if he don't pay 'is debts, it might put 'im off."

The heavy, barred entrance door opened slowly and was then thrown back as four men forced their way in, Garrison, Casino and Actor led the way brandishing their pistols, Chief followed holding his blade in one hand and dragging the dead body of the lookout in the other, he dropped him on the ground and gave the other henchmen a challenging glare. "Anyone else wanna argue?" They stepped back until they reached the grimy wall and stayed there trying to look as inoffensive as possible.

Garrison stepped forward, pointed his gun at Max and put on his best New York hoodlum accent. "You got my man 'n I want him back."

Max's face paled at the sight of the weapons pointed at him but he rallied. "Don't know 'oo you're talkin' about me ol' Cocker."

Garrison fixed Max with his laser glare. "Who d'ya think ya talkin' ta? We know who ya are Max, a two-bit nuthin' who we've let operate up 'til now, but if ya've hurt Goniff ya'll get what's comin' to ya." He glanced at Chief who obliged by waving the bloody blade.

"Yeah, hand the Limey over now or else!" Casino gave a Max a hard, no-nonsense stare and aimed his gun at his head, he tipped a mental nod at the Warden's convincing performance, he couldn't have done better himself.

One of the men standing against the wall had been taking a long look at the intruders. "Max, dem free are da guys dat were wiv Goniff the last time 'e was 'ere. Dey mean business!" He nodded at Garrison. "Don't know 'im though."

Actor stepped forward, treated everyone to his best SS glare and slipped into a heavy Italian accent. "That's right and we got our Capo with us this time. Where's our man? La Famiglia keeps a very close eye on its own, especially the useful ones."

The connotations of that statement sank into Max's brain. "Mafia? Goniff's in da Mafia?"

Casino nodded and gave Max a sour look. "Better believe it babe, that Limey is high up in our ranks 'n we don't like crumbs like you thinkin' they can do what they want to him. Like the Boss said, hand him over."

Max pointed to the side room. "'E's in there, take 'im."

Garrison smiled grimly. "Good choice Max, Casino go get him."

Casino swaggered into the side room, winked at the bound thief, untied the ropes and waved at the buckets. "What's all this babe? You getting' some new cement boots?"

Goniff shrugged as Casino helped him pull his feet free. "They wanted to take me swimmin' inna Thames." He grimaced as he realised he was now in just his socks, his boots were still in the buckets, firmly encased in the cement.

The safecracker snorted. "Didn't you tell 'em you hadn't brought your trunks?" A thought occurred to him and he looked across at the safe in the corner. "Do ya reckon Max changed the combination since our last visit?"

Goniff grinned. "Let's find out mate!"

The two friends walked and squelched out into the main room, Casino patted his bulging pockets and smiled at Max. "We'll call this the price of doin' business pal. You even think o' touchin' one of us again and you'll be payin' more 'n money."

Actor leaned forward. "We know who you are and where you live, capiche?"

Max looked up at the tall conman nervously. "Yeah, I capiche. You won't 'ear anyfin' more from me."

Garrison nodded as he gestured for Actor, Goniff and Casino to leave. "Don't make me come back here Max or you'll regret it."

The gangster nodded.

Chief waited by the door as the team walked out, he waved the blade as he backed out the door and shut it firmly after him. Max breathed out a sigh of relief.

GG-GG-GG

It was the day after the escapade in London and the team were sitting at their usual table in The Doves, Goniff smiled at his friends as they toasted his birthday and dug into the cake they'd missed out on the day before. Garrison stood at the bar, ordered another round of drinks and carried them back to the table. "It's one day late but Happy Birthday Goniff."

Goniff reached out, picked up his pint and took a thankful swig. "Hey, if it wasn't for you lot lookin' out for me I wouldn't've lived to see today, I would've been sleepin' with the fishes at the bottom of the Thames. It's good to have friends."

Casino leaned back and regarded his friend fondly. "Hey babe, we're a team 'n teams watch each other's backs. Couldn't let anythin' happen to our favourite Limey could we?"

Chief picked up his pint. "To Goniff, long may he drive us crazy."

Actor laughed. "Amen to that."