Chapter 5 - Homecoming

Casino ground out another cigarette and glared at Actor. "Where are they? It's been two weeks and nobody's heard from 'em." He paced round Garrison's office in frustration, he was anxious to do something but he didn't know what.

Actor shook his head as he put down the phone after yet another call to London HQ. "I don't know, the last they heard Dawid Mazur was free and back working with the Armia Krajowa, there's no news about Garrison."

"Or Chief," added Goniff in a concerned voice. "He won't come back without the Warden and he won't leave Chief behind, that means they're most probably captured or ..." he didn't finish that thought.

Casino looked at the pair of them. "No way babe, those two are the toughest guys I know, Geronimo and the Warden can deal with anythin' the Krauts can throw at 'em. I'm glad he took the Indian with him instead of me. The kid'll keep him safe, they'll be back." He looked at the map of Poland which had been a permanent feature on the desk for the last week. "They'll be back."

Actor frowned. "They'd better be back soon or we'll be back... in jail."

Goniff looked at him in shock, he hadn't thought of that! "Bleedin' hell, I don't wanna go back to Sing Sing. What can we do?"

"Pray," said Actor.

Casino crossed himself irreverently and looked up. "Dear God, please make sure the Warden and Geronimo are ok and get back before we're packed off to jail. Amen."

Actor gave the safecracker a bemused look. "You think that'll work? When was the last time you prayed?"

Casino looked grim as he recalled the screams. "Every night in Leavenworth baby, every night. It worked."

Ten minutes later the phone rang, Actor picked it up, he listened and gestured for a pen and paper. He started writing. Goniff and Casino watched the conman's face as he wrote what was being dictated to him, his expression changed from apprehension to one of elation. "Thank you." He put the phone down and smiled at his fellow cons as he looked at the message. "Hi Ma. Coming home, got delayed, sorry we're late," he paused, savouring the moment. "Love and kisses."

Goniff gave a big sigh of relief and smiled. "It's them, it's the Warden and Chief."

"Yes!" yelled Casino, he punched a triumphant fist in the air. "That's what I call great service, thanks." He turned to the others with a huge grin, "the Big Guy ain't let me down yet!"

GG-GG-GG

It was another twenty four hours before they heard the sound of a vehicle drawing up. Goniff was looking out the window from Chief's usual perch. "It's an ambulance! Someone's hurt!"

They ran out and watched as Garrison slowly got out, his arm was in a sling. He turned and carefully helped Chief as he emerged. Actor saw how pale the scout was and how stiffly he moved, he immediately strode over to help and took his weight off the Warden, Chief gasped and nearly passed out as Actor wrapped his arms round his chest, the conman looked at Garrison with concern. "What happened?"

Garrison looked at his scout, they could all see the worry and concern evident on his face. "We were ambushed, Chief took a bullet for me."

Goniff's eyes widened. "Bloody hell, where'd he get hit?"

Garrison took position on the opposite side of Chief to Actor, he carefully pulled his scout's arm over his shoulder to support him. "In the chest, we waited until he was well enough to fly home."

He grimaced as he recalled the nightmare flight. He knew it was too soon but Chief insisted he was alright. He'd struggled to breath in the thin atmosphere and an oxygen mask had been strapped to his face. Chief had refused to have the plane turned around and Garrison had spent most of the flight staring into Chief's eyes, telling him to breath and stay with him, his breathing became easier as they'd descended.

Actor quickly removed his hold round Chief's chest. "I'm sorry Chief, I didn't know," he copied Garrison and gently pulled Chief's arm over his shoulders.

Casino gave Garrison a quick once over. "What about you Warden?"

Garrison shrugged. "Through and through, I'm fine. Let's get Chief inside, we'll open up one of the bedrooms for him, he needs peace and quiet and lots of rest, he won't get that in the common room with all of you around.

Actor gave the scout a look of deep concern. "Wouldn't you be better off in the hospital?"

Chief shook his head and tried to stand on his own. "I'm fine...Had enough o' hospitals ...wanna be here," he gasped.

Garrison gave Actor a meaningful look and nodded towards the building. "The Doc said it was alright," he readjusted his hold on his scout. "Not far now Chief, think you can make it?"

Chief raised his head, looked up the steps and then turned to look into Garrison's worried eyes, he nodded. "Made it here, didn't I Warden?"

Garrison's mouth curled up into his crooked smile. "Yes you did my friend." He looked at Goniff and tilted his head towards the ambulance. "Can you get our mission bag and bring it in? It's got Chief's medicine." He and Actor started to slowly ascend the mansion steps with Chief walking shakily but determinedly between them.

GG-GG-GG

The mansion was a hive of activity, Chief was made comfortable in one of the bedrooms down the hall from the common room. Everyone wanted to help out in some way or another.

Actor checked the medication that had been sent back with Chief and made sure the scout was current with his treatment. He tried to examine the wound and was ready when Chief resisted and tried to push him away.

"Come on Chief, let Actor take a quick look at you. I need to know you're alright." Actor watched in disbelief as Garrison stepped forward and sat down on the bed next to the agitated young man. The Warden slowly and deliberately put one arm behind Chief's back to gently help him sit up, his other hand on his scout's arm, quietly talking to him, calming him down and persuading him to let Actor tend to him and change the dressings on his wound.

Casino and Goniff brought food and beverages and generally hovered, anxious to help in any way they could.

Eventually Garrison shooed them all away. "I'll stay with Chief, you all go and get some sleep."

Actor looked at Garrison's bandaged arm. "You sure you don't want to get some rest yourself, Warden?"

Garrison leaned back in his chair. "I'll be just fine here. Get going."

Actor glanced at his watch. "I'll be back in four hours to give Chief his medication," he closed the door and went to the common room. The other two were waiting for him.

"How is he?" asked Goniff quietly.

Actor took a deep breath. "It was bad Goniff, but he got good care over there. They most probably saved his life."

Goniff lit a cigarette. "Only fair, he saved the Warden's first." He turned to Casino. "Would you take a bullet for anyone?"

Casino shook his head. "No way baby, I ain't crazy like Geronimo," he looked out the door and down the corridor. "I told you he'd look after the Warden, he brought him home."

Actor followed his glance, he thought about what had just happened, how Garrison had calmed Chief down and kept him relaxed when all he wanted to do was lash out, there was a strong bond of mutual trust between them that hadn't been there before. He wondered what they'd gone through on that mission and realised he'd never know. "They brought each other home," he said quietly.

GG-GG-GG

Garrison opened the mission bag, took out two large envelopes and handed one to Chief, it had his name on it. "Here you go, another souvenir of your trip to Poland to go with the bullet."

Chief opened it, took out a set of photos and looked at the top one. "These are from the night Borys brought his family."

Garrison nodded. "Borys gave me these before we left, two sets, one for me, one for you." Garrison smiled and held up a photo, it was the one of him and Chief. "I'm getting this one framed."

Chief looked at the back of his photo of himself and Garrison. "What does this mean?"

Garrison looked at the writing and then at his scout. "'Odważny Wojownik', Borys told me it means 'Brave Warrior'."

Chief went to hand the photos back. "This must be your set then Warden."

Garrison pointed at the name on the envelope. "No, definitely yours Chief."

Chief put the photos back in the envelope. "I ain't no brave warrior."

Garrison looked sincerely at his scout. "You're more than that Chief, I asked Borys to write this down for me so I could tell you myself, I hope I get the pronunciation right," he took out a piece of paper and read it out loud. "'Mój przyjaciel'. 'My friend'."