Chapter 1 – Love and Kisses

Garrison rose early. It was 5 am and he wanted to get his early morning run in before everyone else woke up. He put on his fatigues and padded quietly downstairs, he opened the door and smiled as he saw Chief waiting outside for him. He'd previously promised himself he'd find his scout's escape route and put a stop to it but soon realised he wasn't trying to escape. He'd appear, run with him and then disappear to return to the room he shared with the rest of the team. There'd been more than enough opportunity for him to vanish as only he could and escape on the last mission. He paused that thought, Chief had disappeared a couple of times only to reappear suddenly to deal with the danger they were in. It had turned out he was never far away, they just never saw him. He trotted down the steps and looked at his scout. "Didn't you do enough running around on the last mission?"

Chief finished his warm up stretches and smiled. "I like runnin', after all that time in prison it feels good."

Garrison nodded in agreement as he went through his stretching routine. "Yeah it does. Come on then, but if you beat me back again I'm gonna be pissed."

Chief gave him an amused look. "Prepare to be pissed then Warden 'cos if a mounted posse couldn't catch me you won't."

They set off down the track and ran side by side. Garrison was still amazed at his companion's easy, ground-eating stride and struggled to keep up, even though he thought his own fitness level was high. Halfway round the track he called a halt to catch his breath, he walked down to the grassy bank by the lake, sat down on the wooden bench and recognised this was the spot he'd talked to Chief only a short while ago about his place on the team. He looked up as the dark-haired young man came and sat near him, they both looked out over the lake. "If you don't mind me asking Chief, how the hell did you keep fit in prison if you were always kept in a cell in solitary?"

Chief watched a duck land on the water. "Wasn't always kept in solitary, I was let out for exercise. In Statenville Pryor'd tie me to his car and make me run for miles 'til I dropped. In the other prisons if I couldn't get out I just ran round the cell, the guards thought I was crazy, runnin' in circles but they let me do it. Couldn't take long strides like I can now. I ran whenever I was able to, when the injuries were too bad I walked but I always kept movin'. Hundred and ninety one way, turn, hundred and ninety the other."

Garrison looked at him. "A hundred and ninety?"

Chief returned the look. "Yeah, a cell is six by eight, go round it that many times and you've gone a mile, I ain't totally stupid despite what Casino says."

Garrison smiled. "Never said you were Chief, even Casino's had to eat his words in that respect. As you said, you both know different things, that's why you'd all make such a great team if you'd work together."

Chief stretched out his legs and watched the rising sun. "Yeah, Casino's ok when you get past the attitude. He's sharp, he likes to look at things and see what could go wrong and then 'have his say', as he puts it. Trouble is he goes about it all wrong and puts people's backs up."

Garrison nodded in agreement. "How are things working out between you and him? Do you think you two can work together?"

"Yeah, think he and I've come to an agreement after the last mission. It won't stop him hasslin' me but now I know he don't mean anythin' by it." He paused. "We also came to another agreement."

Garrison looked at him suspiciously. "What agreement was that?"

A small smile played on Chief's lips. "He agreed not to call you out like he did if I agreed not to kill him."

Garrison sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer a less violent arrangement between you two, but it'll do for now." He thought he'd try to wheedle some more out of Chief as he seemed to be in an unusually talkative mood. "You getting on alright with Goniff?" he asked nonchalantly.

Chief thought about the blonde thief. "Uh huh, I like him but if I had anythin' valuable I wouldn't trust him anywhere near it. He's clever but he don't want anyone else to know there's more to him so he turns everythin' into a joke. You notice how he makes himself look smaller so no-one thinks he's a threat?"

Garrison was impressed, he picked up a small stone and casually threw it into the lake. "What about Actor?"

Chief frowned. "He's the hardest to read. First of all I thought he was just lookin' out for himself, especially the first couple o' missions, but it looks like he's decided to be part of the team. He's the one who came up with the plan when we got you outta that prison in Norway ."

Garrison interrupted quietly. "Only because you insisted they go back in and get me Chief."

Chief shifted uncomfortably, he didn't want the Warden or anyone else to think he'd done it out of any feeling of loyalty. "I already told you why I went back for you. Someone had to get you out and Actor's got the brains for doin' that. You two make a good team, he'd make a good second if you're lookin' for one."

Garrison was amazed at Chief's insight, it was close to his own. "What about you Chief?"

Chief glanced at him. "Me? I ain't no second. Scout, lookout man, driver, nothin' more."

Garrison shook his head. "I think you're underestimating yourself, you're a natural leader. You stepped up and lead us through over a hundred miles of enemy territory without a hitch, I couldn't have done that. As I recall we were following your orders and you got us home. There's no-one else I'd rather have on my team."

Chief looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "Thanks Warden, that means a lot." He stood up and looked down the track. "Race you back to the mansion?"

Garrison shook his head. "No, I'd be running on my own in ten seconds flat, let's just keep it easy and get back together."

Chief nodded. "Together it is."

GG-GG-GG

Garrison had just got down to his office after his shower when the phone rang. He picked it up and had a quick conversation. He frowned, put the phone down, went to the coat rack, took his cap and adjusted it before opening the door. He stopped as he saw Chief standing by the front door. "Want me to drive?"

Garrison looked up the stairs, no-one else was awake yet, he nodded. "This is an urgent one, let's get going."

General Fremont had been in a bad mood. He ignored Garrison's request to give the mission to another team as his was in no condition to go out again so quickly. Heated words were exchanged but in the end Garrison was forced to back down.

Fremont was more than evasive about the mission, giving just the basic facts, he wouldn't answer any questions and seemed eager for the Lieutenant to leave. Garrison took the sealed envelope containing his orders, put it in his briefcase, saluted and walked out, his disgust at his superior officer concealed under a disciplined veneer. At times like this his well-hidden rebellious streak enabled him to understand what his men were going through when no one else did. Unknown to him this was the quality that had made him the perfect man to lead this team of equally rebellious cons.

Chief was waiting in the car, he looked at Garrison's expression, leaned over and opened the passenger door. "What's up Warden?"

Garrison shook his head. "I don't know. I got to read all this first."

Chief cast a quick glance over. "You got a bad feelin' about this one."

Garrison noticed this was a statement, not a question. He wondered how his scout picked up on his moods so easily; he tried hard to hide his feelings from his men. "I don't know Chief, but I'm going to give this a good going over on our way back."

Chief nodded and kept silent as he drove back to the mansion. Garrison opened the briefcase, took out the mission papers and started reading. A minute later he started swearing softly under his breath. Eventually he shoved the papers back in the case, lit a cigarette, leaned back and closed his eyes. Chief glanced over quickly, Garrison was going through plans in his head and didn't need to be disturbed, he concentrated on the road.

Garrison had been in his office for an hour before he came out and called his men together. Chief looked at him, he still wasn't happy. They went to the map room, Garrison took out a map and spread it on the table, the team sat down and looked at it. "We're going to Poland." He looked at Actor. "Have you been there before?"

Actor nodded his head. "A long time ago, Warden. I don't think anyone I knew then would be of any help now."

Casino took out his cigarettes, handed them round and tossed Chief a matchstick. "So why the big rush? We've got a few days rest haven't we?"

Garrison accepted a cigarette, lit it and took a long pull. He watched the smoke curl up to the ceiling as he breathed out. "An allied agent, Dawid Mazur, was captured last night near Gdansk, we've got to be ready to go in two hours."

Goniff looked up in alarm. "But we only just got back from our last mission! My muscles are still achin' from all that walkin' we did and I got blisters."

Casino gave Garrison a belligerent look. "Goniff's right. Why didn't you tell Fremont we're in no condition to go straight back in. Didn't you ask if someone else could do it?"

There was a look of annoyance on Garrison's face. "I did Casino and he reminded me there was a war on."

Goniff waved his cigarette. "Come on Warden, you know it ain't fair. We need a few days off to get over our last mission, it's only right."

Garrison leaned on the table and looked across at the thief, his patience was gone and his reply was snappish. "I'm sorry Goniff, I'll ask the Krauts to stop the war for a week so you can have some rest. I'm sure they'll be only too happy to oblige."

Goniff took a step back. "No need to be like that. I was only askin'."

Chief remembered Garrison's face as he'd left London HQ, he held up a hand to quieten the others, his voice was low. "What did Fremont threaten to do if we didn't go Warden?"

Garrison was surprised, he thought he'd managed to keep that hidden, he didn't want them to know. "He said something about sending you back to prison, no remission, no parole."

Chief looked him in the eye, he continued softly. "No, what did he threaten you with first?"

Garrison stared at him. "How did you...?" He looked embarrassed. "Demotion and a posting back out to North Africa."

Chief leaned his chair back and threw his matchstick on the table in disgust, his face was angry – he'd suspected from the moment the Warden had come out of the building what had happened.

Goniff was all indignation. "Bloody bastard! Blackmailin' you like that, the nerve of that guy."

Garrison's temper evaporated as his team looked at him with concern. "I told Fremont it was too soon but he wouldn't listen."

Actor narrowed his eyes as he thought about their situation. "I'm certain the General will hold that threat over our heads for the duration and there's nothing we can do about it."

Goniff grinned conspiratorially. "We could always go and explain things to him, friendly like."

Casino snorted. "That would get us all sent back faster'n you could say Sing Sing." He clapped Garrison on the shoulder. "At least you went to bat for us Warden, anyone else wouldn't have bothered."

Goniff nodded in agreement. "Fremont don't treat us the same as the other teams 'cos we're cons, we know that. You tried and we appreciate it."

Actor indicated the map. "Shall we continue with the briefing Warden?"

For a moment Garrison was speechless. He looked at his team and saw they were as annoyed about his treatment as he was about theirs. He promised himself he would get them a week's leave in London as soon as they got back. He pulled himself together and went back to the map. "Ok, we'll be working closely with Polish Resistance on this one."

Actor looked up. "Isn't that the largest underground Resistance movement in all of occupied Europe?"

Garrison nodded. "Yeah, they've been doing a great job of disrupting German supply lines to the Eastern Front as well as providing military intelligence to the Allies. Our contacts are in the main Polish Resistance movement, the Armia Krajowa, the Home Army." Garrison looked up at them. "This is a two-pronged attack. One team goes to Warsaw and gets information, the other team goes to Gdansk and carries out the mission."

Casino looked up sharply. "You splittin' up the team? That ain't good and you know it Warden."

Garrison nodded unhappily. "Yeah I know Casino but the cities are over two hundred miles apart and, as good as we are, we can't be in two places at once. We got our orders, there's nothing I can do." He looked back down at the map. "Mazur's being held somewhere near Gdansk, nobody knows exactly where the Krauts have got him but information is sent regularly to the German Commander in Warsaw in coded radio messages. So far nobody's been able to break the code."

Actor puffed his pipe and nodded. "So the decoded information will be in Warsaw, one team gets that and passes it on to the other."

Garrison looked uneasy. "Yeah. Mazur's been working with the Home Army so he knows a hell of a lot about their members, plans, safe houses and codewords. I've got orders to kill him."

That statement shocked everyone, Garrison gave them a despondent look. "This is the sharp end of espionage where the hard decisions have to be made. It's one life weighed against tens or even hundreds. My orders are that we've got to kill him before he gives the Krauts everything. This is a really important mission and we can't screw it up. I don't want to give Fremont the chance of carrying out his threat."

Goniff looked up and nervously puffed his cigarette. "Bloody hell. I don't want to be part of killin' anyone in cold blood."

Casino cast a belligerent look. "Neither do I, and I won't."

Actor weighed all the consequences and spoke up. "I don't like it either, but the Warden's right. The Allies can't risk Mazur talking, someone will have to kill him. Which group do you want me to lead Warden."

Garrison glanced at his new, self-appointed second-in-command. "Actor you'll take Goniff and Chief with you to Warsaw and get all the information you can about where he's being held. I'll give you details of the rendezvous and passwords. Casino, you and I'll go to Gdansk."

Chief took a deep breath and spoke quietly. "I'll go with you, Casino can go with the others."

Garrison was surprised. "Why?"

Casino looked up. "This got anythin' to do with our last mission Geronimo? I promise I won't shout and attract the Krauts."

Chief gave him a meaningful look. "The intel might be in a safe, Goniff won't be able to crack it. You'll be on the easier mission. I'll watch the Warden's back and do anythin' else needs doin'. Any problem?"

Casino backed down, he realised Chief was giving him a way out of doing something he didn't want to do without looking bad to the rest of the team, he gave him a quick nod of thanks. "Go right ahead Indian." He looked at the Lieutenant. "Besides, if someone's gotta kill the guy Geronimo's the man for the job not me."

Garrison ground out his cigarette. "Ok, but if he's going to be killed I'll be the one to do it, I wouldn't ask anyone else to do it, not even Chief."

Actor looked concerned. "How do we get the information to you once we got it?"

Garrison crossed his arms and looked hard at the map. "Any of you know Morse code?"

Casino nodded. "Yeah, used it when I was helpin' Uncle Vito run his bootleggin' operation. We'd tap into a telegraph wire and send messages about roadblocks, deliveries and where to take 'em." He grinned. "Brilliant Warden."

Actor looked worried. "How will you know if the message you receive is from us? If the Germans find out what we're doing they could send you into an ambush. We need to have a code of our own."

Garrison nodded. "It's got to be something that won't arouse suspicion, what would someone say if they were sending an ordinary message?"

Goniff looked up and smiled. "What about startin' off with 'Hi Ma,' and signin' off with 'Love and kisses'? No-one'd expect that from a load of big, strong fellas like us would they?"

Garrison chuckled. "'Love and kisses' it is Goniff."