Chapter 4 – Garrison's Gorillas

The bedraggled, soggy men traipsed across the countryside. Chief was still on point, ranging ahead of the group followed by Actor and Goniff, Garrison and Casino brought up the rear keeping an eye on the Major in case he had a change of mind. It was getting dark and conditions were worsening. Chief suddenly appeared out of the gloom and urgently motioned for them to take cover. "Foot patrol comin' this way, 'bout a dozen men." He leapt into the only cover available, a water-filled ditch and watched as they did the same, he crawled along until he was next to the Major. "Keep down and keep quiet," he hissed as his blade appeared in his hand to emphasise the point.

Actor had the most trouble hiding in the ditch, he crouched down but was still too tall, he sighed and laid himself full length on the steep bank with the lower half of his body in the cold, muddy water. He waited, ears straining for the approach of the patrol, he held his pistol ready to fire.

Garrison looked over and shook his head. "Don't fire unless you have to, we're outnumbered, let 'em go." He stretched out on his side below the level of the ditch, out of sight of the approaching patrol, his head slightly raised, his eyes scanning the darkening skyline for silhouettes and his ears straining for signs of their approach.

Gradually the sound of twelve men squelching through the mud and the rain got louder. The Major looked at the man next to him, his eyes hadn't left his. Chief slowly shook his head and put a finger to his lips, the Major nodded and tried to get even lower.

Garrison smiled to himself, he could hear the mutterings of the soldiers as they complained about water-filled boots, rain running down their necks and being chilled to the bone. He could sympathise with them, his boots were definitely full of water he was up to his knees in the stuff, rain was running down his neck and he was shivering in the cold. He exchanged amused looks with Actor and rolled his eyes.

They waited five minutes after the patrol had passed and quietly climbed the bank of the ditch. They stood round and shivered. Goniff patted his pockets and found his cigarettes, he breathed a sigh of relief to find they were still dry. He passed one to Casino, took out the fold of waterproof matches and prepared to light up. Chief stepped over and snatched the matches away. "You crazy?" he hissed.

Casino reached out to grab the matches, his hand was batted away. "What the hell Geronimo?"

Chief pointed in the direction the patrol had gone. "What way's the wind blowin? You start smokin' and those Krauts'll smell you and come back. Doubt they'll believe the cows round here smoke Lucky Strike."

Goniff put his cigarette back in its pack. "They're Chesterfields actually, but you're right Chief."

Garrison kept quiet, he was going to light up as well, he exchanged guilty looks with Actor as they both put their own packs away. He watched the dark shape of his scout lope off down the path and disappear into the rain. Ten minutes later he came back. "They're gone, you can have your smoke now."

Garrison looked at the other dark shapes round him. "I think we'll wait a while." He took out a small torch and shone it on his watch. "We've missed the pick up, let's find shelter, try to dry out and get some rest. Can you find us something Chief?"

"There's a place a couple hundred yards up ahead, didn't get a chance to check it out before the Krauts turned up. It looks deserted, it'll do for the night." They approached the building, it appeared to be an old shepherd's hut. Garrison made everyone wait as he and Chief checked out the area, once he was satisfied he waved the others over and they entered. He shone his torch around and frowned as he inspected the single room, he looked up and saw rain falling through a couple of holes in the roof.

Casino regarding their lodgings. "Welcome to the Ritz guys. Looks like you found us some classy digs Geronimo, where's room service?"

Goniff looked round. "Where's Chief? He's not here." Casino humphed. "Most probably figured he's better off outside."

Garrison found a dry spot on the floor and sat down. "Stop moaning Casino, at least you're in the dry. Get the cigarettes out."

A large drip landed on Casino's head. He threw Garrison a jaundiced look. "Dry huh?"

Goniff took a cigarette. "What's your problem mate? We're outta the rain, we're alive and got a good chance of catchin' that boat. Did you do that? No, it was Chief and you bitched every step of the way. Shut up and let him do his job, he's bloody good at it."

Casino was surprised at the unexpected outburst from his friend. "You takin' Geronimo's side?"

Goniff glared angrily. "You jealous he's better'n you? Yeah he's an Indian, what does that matter? He's pulled our asses outta the fire more than once on this mission. He's earned his place on this team. I'd trust him over you to get me outta this mess."

Casino walked to the back of the hut, found a dry place and sat down. He considered all the arguments and knew they were right. "Damn!" he thought to himself.

Fifteen minutes later Chief walked in with an armful of nearly dry kindling he'd gathered under the bushes around the hut. He dropped it in the centre of the room and held his hand out for Goniff's matches. He crouched down, made a pile of the driest material, struck a match and breathed the fire into life. He added more kindling until the fire was blazing. He threw the matches back. "Keep addin' kindlin', there's a wood pile outside there should be some dry logs in there somewhere, I'll bring some in."

Actor walked outside to see Chief throwing damp logs off the wood pile to find the dry ones. "I'll give you a hand Chief, you've done more than your fair share."

Chief glanced up. "Thanks Actor, you don't have to, you're the conman on this team, I'm just the scout, this is my job not yours."

Actor looked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean your job? Damn Casino and his big mouth! Don't listen to one word he says, we wouldn't have survived five minutes without you. I trust you to look out for me and the others, even Casino's said you're good, but he won't admit it to your face. I don't have to tell you the Warden trusts you implicitly, but I will."

Chief stood up with an armful of logs. "Appreciate it Actor."

The conman continued. "You've saved our lives, kept us safe and guided us here through all this. You're very good, I know you're capable of a lot more."

Chief shrugged. "I know I can do a lot more but I never got much schoolin'. I ain't stupid, I wanna learn, the Warden's already teachin' me stuff."

Actor picked up some dry logs. "I know you're not stupid Chief, if you're willing I'll be more than happy to instruct you, by the time I've finished you'll be the second best conman in the business."

Chief tilted his head and looked at the conman. "Actor, I'll be happy if I can read and write properly. Anythin' after that'll be a bonus. Don't say nothin' to Casino, he'll make my life hell, or more hell than usual."

Actor smiled at his new protégé and thought for a few seconds. "You should ask Casino and Goniff for their help too, they'll be happy to teach you what they know. Goniff thinks the same as me, he'll be happy to show you how to be a pickpocket and second-storey man, you've got the physical attributes and skills to do that. Casino would love having the chance to show off, you'll be cracking safes in no time," he chuckled as a random thought entered his mind. "You could be the Swiss army knife of crime." Chief shook his head despondently. "Don't wanna be anythin' like that, I wanna go straight when I get my parole."

Actor smiled. "Chief, don't dismiss the training we can give you. With your record you might not get the opportunity to go straight, I doubt any of us will. This'll give you the chance to survive, same as you've done for us."

"Never thought of that." Chief looked at Actor. "Ok, when we get back you can start teachin' me."

The two men walked back into the hut with armfuls of dry wood. They laid them down on the floor. Chief added a couple of logs on the fire to keep it going. He looked at the others. "This'll keep you warm."

Goniff crept up to the fire and held out his hands. "Oh God that's good. Thanks Chief, I'm frozen." He looked around hopefully. "Any chance of some food, I'm starvin'?"

Casino shook his head. "Sorry Limey, we've eaten all the rations, you're gonna go hungry 'til we get to England."

Goniff stared miserably at Chief. "Don't you ever get hungry Chiefy?"

Chief gave the thief a sympathetic look. "Yeah, I get hungry Goniff, I just don't think about it. Went hungry a lot, I'm used to it." Goniff curled miserably on the floor next to the fire and tried to get to sleep.

Chief headed towards the door. "I'll take first watch." He was gone before Garrison could say anything, he frowned at the stubbornness of his scout but accepted that once he'd set his mind on something there was no stopping him. The men settled as best they could and drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

GG-GG-GG

Garrison woke with a start, he looked at his watch and saw it was six in the morning. He glanced around and saw the Major, Casino, Goniff and Actor fast asleep on the floor. He pulled himself to his feet and shook the others awake. "Where's Chief? He was on first watch, didn't he come in again? Did any of you think to go out and take over from him?" He paused. "I should've thought about it. Dammit!" He looked at the fire, it was still burning. "He's been in here, unless any of you've put more wood on the fire during the night. Didn't anyone hear him?"

Actor rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "He didn't wake me. Do you think something's happened to him?"

Casino shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Doubt it, nothin' can creep up on that Indian, he's most probably fast asleep in the bushes somewhere."

Goniff headed towards the door. "As long as he's not in the bush I'm gonna pee on." He threw open the door and stopped. "Uh Warden, you gotta see this."

They all gathered in the doorway to see Chief walking up the track carrying four fat rabbits. He stopped and held out the bounty. "Breakfast."

Goniff stared at him in amazement. "How'd you catch 'em Chiefy?"

Chief gave him a fleeting smile. "Just like you said Goniff, I got skills," he looked at the safe-cracker. "You're not the only one that can go shoppin' Casino only my store's bigger'n yours."

Chief skinned and paunched the rabbits, they were roasted over the fire and eagerly consumed by the hungry men. Actor licked his fingers and savoured the last of the juices. "What else is in your store Chief?"

"Birds, fish, deer. Saw some wild pigs but they were too big to use my blade on."

Goniff grinned at the scout as he sat back contentedly and lit a cigarette. "I said you was the best Chiefy. We'll be campin' in style with you around and no mistake. Ain't that right Casino?"

Casino looked around. "I'll be impressed when Geronimo brings me steak."

Chief got up, grabbed his rifle and walked out the hut. Goniff glared at the safe-cracker. "Why'd you go and say that? Chief caught those for us and you rub his face in it, again. Ain't you ever satisfied?"

Casino looked at the faces glaring at him. "Did I say I wasn't happy with the rabbits, I just said I'd be impressed if Geronimo brought us steak. What's wrong with that?"

Garrison was going to comment but stopped when Actor raised his hand and turned to the safe-cracker. "Casino, you're an idiot. Chief's done nothing but look after this team, you'd be lying dead in a field if he hadn't. Stop your moaning or you'll be answering to me, is that clear?"

Goniff nodded and spoke up. "Yeah mate, Chief's more'n proven his worth, we wouldn't be here without him."

Garrison smiled to himself, at last the team was recognising they needed their scout. He got up and walked outside. "What's the safest tree to use?"

A voice drifted over from his right. "All of 'em, there's no-one around."

Garrison walked over and found his scout leaning against a large tree out of the rain. Chief looked at him. "You don't need to say anythin' Warden."

Garrison shook his head. "There's got to be something I can do to stop it. You're part of this team and I won't have Casino pushing you out like this."

Chief looked down. "Nothin' you can do Warden, Casino's all mouth, he treats everyone the same."

Garrison frowned. "Yeah, but you always seem to be top of his list. I know I said they'd fight you but this is out of order."

Chief took his matchstick out of his mouth. "Trouble is Casino talks before he thinks and I always act first. I'm tryin' not to let what he says get to me but for now it's safer for him if I stay away. We'll work somethin' out."

Garrison watched the rain. "Actor and Goniff appreciate what you've done for us."

Chief nodded. "Yeah, I talked with Actor earlier, he wants to teach me all about the con, he thinks I got potential. What do you think?"

Garrison smiled. "Learn everything you can Chief, hopefully you won't need it but I can't guarantee what'll happen later. What do you want to do?"

Chief sighed. "I wanna go straight, but Actor says I probably won't be able to with my record. What do I do Warden? I got no chance when people find out what I'm supposed to have done."

Garrison stared at him. "What do you mean, what you're supposed to have done?"

Chief looked away. "Nothin', don't matter anyway."

Garrison took Chief's arm. "Tell me."

Chief pulled away and walked off into the trees. "Maybe one day Warden, when I trust you more."

Garrison watched him disappear and leaned against the same spot on the tree Chief had just left. He ran Chief's prison record through his mind again and recalled how he thought a lot of it had been fabricated, now he knew for certain. This realisation made him determined to find out more about his scout. He knew this would take time, maybe he would never find out everything but he hoped he would come to understand the young man he was beginning to regard as a friend. He walked back into the hut and sat by the fire.

GG-GG-GG

It was 20:00, Garrison checked his watch and motioned for everyone to leave. He walked out the door and was relieved to see Chief waiting for them, he hadn't seen him all day although he knew he was close by. "Let's go, Chief you're on point take us to the rendezvous."

Chief nodded and trotted off towards the wide strand of beach north of St Malo. He stopped them on a long length of beach and nodded to Garrison, he took his torch out and signalled, two long, two short, two long. He waited. He looked at his watch and signalled again, two long, two short, two long. Nothing happened.

"What's goin' on Warden?" muttered Casino menacingly as he scanned the horizon. "There's no-one out there is there? They're not coming for us." He turned, balled a fist and strode towards the Lieutenant. "Dammit Garrison you said they'd be here." He was barrelled over by a dark figure that launched itself out of the shadows.

Chief knelt on Casino's throat and watched as he choked in the sand. "Knock it off, the Warden's doin' the best he can. You wanna argue then you go through me. You wanna argue?"

Casino shook his head and took a deep breath as Chief stood up. "Why you takin' the Warden's side Geronimo?"

Chief look at the safe-cracker with barely disguised disgust. "Cos I trust him, why don't you?" His head turned quickly as he caught the distant sound of an approaching boat engine, he looked at Garrison and pointed offshore. "Warden, over there."

Garrison breathed out a sigh of relief as he spied a brief flash of lights and sent the signal again in reply. "Well spotted Chief, come on everyone."

Chief held out a hand and hauled Casino up. "What'd I tell you?" He drew the safe-cracker in close, his voice was quiet and threatening. "You ever question or threaten the Warden again you'll have me to deal with, understand?"

Casino nodded. "Ok, but I'm still gonna have my say."

Chief handed him his gear. "That's ok, have your say but in the end what the Warden says goes, you understand that and we'll get on fine."

Actor watched the exchange and wondered why Chief's loyalty lay unwaveringly with Garrison, it seemed to be more than what happened in Norway when the Warden went back for him after events took a turn for the worse. As for himself, he'd decided to go with the flow and see how things worked out, he owed allegiance to no-one. He knew that his previous decisions had been made to serve his own agenda but he now recognised that anything he decided from here on would affect his future relationship with the team. "Merde," he thought as he realised how much he'd become a part of Garrison's motley crew. This was a totally unexpected result, but he smiled as he relished the opportunity to find out what he could do as part of a team of his peers, all equally accomplished in their different fields of expertise. He looked at the army officer as he encouraged his men for one last time and thought he caught a glimpse of what Chief saw in him. He decided he would join in with the Lieutenant and work towards getting his parole.

The six men ran down to the waterline and met the launch sent in by the MGB. A voice rang out. "So you decided to turn up then, who's Garrison?"

Garrison waved his hand. "I am, we've got a German Major with us, he's defecting. You got room for all of us?"

The dark figure laughed. "If you got defectors we can take a whole army of 'em. Get your men on board Lieutenant, we're heading home."

Garrison grinned at Chief and slapped his shoulder, regardless of what he'd do. "Thanks for getting us here. Get some sleep on that boat you deserve it."

They clambered up the side of the heavily armed Fairmile Motor Gunboat and collapsed in a compartment indicated by a crewman. They felt the one hundred and ten foot long vessel nicknamed the 'Spitfire of the Sea' surge forward as the powerful, supercharged engines kicked in to propel them away from the coast to its top speed of thirty one knots. Coffee and sandwiches were brought in, Goniff looked around warily and reached out for some food. "Seems to be ok so far, I'll risk it."

Half an hour later Casino looked down at their exhausted scout, he was stretched out on a bench and appeared to be fast asleep for the first time in days; his face showed how young he was now it was relaxed. He looked at Garrison with an apologetic smile. "Geronimo did good didn't he? You were right Warden, the kid does have a place on this team, we wouldn't have got here without him."

Garrison looked at the safe-cracker in surprise and was going to reply before a quiet voice floated up. "Thanks, you did good too, for an old man Pappy." Chief opened his eyes, slowly sat up and looked at the Lieutenant. "Well Warden, looks like Garrison's got his Gorillas, we're a team now."

Garrison stared at his scout in disbelief. "How'd you know that's what they call you?"

Chief snorted softly. "I ain't deaf Warden, I heard them soldiers call us 'Gorillas' after we landed on our first mission in France. Now it's all round the base. Those soldier boys don't hold back with their insults do they?"

Goniff grinned and passed round his cigarettes. "Insult or not, I like it. "Garrison's Gorillas", it'll scare the crap outta the Jerries."

Actor nodded as he took one. "It does have a certain ring to it," he chuckled.

Casino laughed as he lit his cigarette and then the others'. "Ok, Garrison's Gorillas it is, I can live with that."

Chief took a matchstick from Goniff. "Sounds a lot better than Garrison's Goons."

The Warden smiled. "You heard that one too?"