Retribution

Chapter 5 Revised

The big house seemed cold and empty with all the lads gone. Still, there were advantages. Collins rested his still aching head back against the tall, padded chair that seemed to belong to Actor. He did not take Chief's chair. There was something about that young man and his fondness for his knife that made Harry afraid that somehow Chief would know if he had been sitting in 'his' chair. The shadows were lengthening, and he would have to go around closing all the blackout drapes soon.

Collins had attempted to catch up on some typing for the Leftenant, but the clacking of the keys had made his head hurt even more. Not one to sit idly, he took little breaks in the chair between dusting, straightening, and taking care of the garden and the chickens.

Miss Terry had a good idea with those chickens. It would be a shame to waste all those eggs. They scrambled so much fluffier than the powdered kind that were delivered with their rations. Tasted better too. In straightening up the butler's pantry, he had found the stash of kippers. It wouldn't hurt to eat one tin of the smoked little blighters. It never occurred to him he might have been around the cons a bit too much and they were rubbing off on him.

The Sgt./Major was worried about the young lady. They might not see eye to eye on the kitchen and the laundry, but she was a nice enough person. After the rest of the men had gone to London, Lt. Garrison had called to check on him and let him know there was no change in Miss Terry. He still felt like her being injured and all was partially his fault for not being more careful and letting the blokes get the jump on him. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of the chair and began closing the drapes.

GGGGG

A circle of the pop shops in the morning gained the cons no new information. Paolo had nothing for them either. With resignation, they headed for the hospital.

Casino was the first to enter the room, the other two men right behind him. Terry did not look any different than she had when they had left the day before. Neither did Actor. The tall Italian was sitting in the same chair, in the same position. It made the safecracker wonder if the man had ever moved. He must have though. He was wearing his own clothes instead of half of an SS uniform. The other chair was empty.

"Where's the Warden?" asked Casino.

Goniff took advantage of the empty chair and plopped down on it.

Actor sucked in his cheek in annoyance at the question. "Major Richards sent a car to pick him up."

"Mission," said Chief with certainty.

"Aw come on," objected Casino. "They can't send us out again."

"You're right there, Mate," agreed Goniff, glancing across the bed at the con man.

Actor shook his head. "The Warden did not know why he was summoned. Major Richards has taken over the military investigation into the occurrence at the Mansion. Teresa is under his command. Perhaps the good major has discovered something."

"You believe that, Actor?" asked Chief.

"No."

The men took turns sitting in the vacant chair, watching Terry and waiting for Garrison to return. Actor did not leave. Goniff left, much to the con man's relief. He was not in the mood for the gamin man's chatter. And to be truthful, he did not remember what the Englishman had been rattling on about.

Chief was the next to take the chair. Normally quiet, this time he wanted to talk.

"You get any sleep?"

"Some," replied Actor. "We took turns."

"Bet neither one of you left."

Actor lit a cigarette before replying. What he really wanted was his pipe, but the others had not thought to bring that either. It made him wonder if his pipes and tobacco had been taken by the intruders.

"We both took a shower after you left yesterday. Other than that, except to use the telephone, no."

Chief could see that. Though the man wore his usual inscrutable expression, the creases from nose to corners of mouth were more pronounced as were the creases at the outer corners of his eyes. They all knew the con man and the Warden's sister were closer than they were with the others. Except for maybe Casino, it didn't bother them. The fact that Actor had not accompanied them to the Windsor said something too. Chief wondered what the Warden thought about it, but figured it was none of his business, so he wasn't about to ask. Still he was surprised when Actor turned his head to look back at him with curiosity.

"The Lieutenant thinks there is a possibility Teresa has gone somewhere in her mind and shut all of this out. I know you and he are able to do that. He says Teresa can too, but he doesn't know how to bring her back. Do you?"

Boy that was a kick in the gut. As much as he wanted to, he didn't know either. Chief shook his head. "We know how to go there, but nobody knows how to bring another person back up before they're ready to."

Actor nodded with resignation.

Another hour had passed when Casino appeared at the door. "Warden's in the waiting room. He wants all of us there." He fielded a sharp look from Actor. "He's got a briefcase cuffed to his wrist. Guess we know what that means."

Actor shook his head in frustration. He did a careful perusal of the unconscious woman before getting up and following Casino and Chief down the hall.

The waiting room had a door on it and after the three men entered, Goniff closed it behind them. Garrison was wearing his usual stoic expression in response to an unsavory task.

"We have a mission."

"Aw no, Warden," objected Casino. "We ain't leaving Sister!"

"I will stay with her," offered Actor as if that was a given.

Garrison shook his head. "Can't. I need all of you for this one."

Actor cocked his head and looked at the lieutenant with pursed lips. "What about Carter? You tell me how good he is."

"Carter's with Randy in Belgium."

"We are not leaving Teresa here alone," countered Actor. "What if she awakens alone? You and I both know what that is like. I refuse to allow that to happen."

"This isn't up for discussion, Actor," said Craig with his bull dog expression. "You're going with us. End of story."

"Then leave one of the others with her," countered the Italian.

This was difficult enough without Actor digging his heels in. Craig pulled on his military bearing. "I said we all have to go. I don't like repeating myself."

"And I don't either!" shot back the con man. "It is not in Teresa's best interest to wake up alone."

Garrison did not want to continue this in front of the other men. "My office, Actor. Now!"

"Yuh, Warden," said Goniff hesitantly. "We're in London, remember? You don't 'ave an office 'ere."

"He knows what I mean," retorted Garrison angrily.

Craig walked stiffly from the room into the hall. Actor was behind him. They went to the men's room. Both washed their hands at the sink while they waited for a man to leave. The out of order sign was on a shelf over the sinks. Garrison took it and put it on the door knob out in the hall. He swung around toward his second, coming up to stand directly in front of the man.

"You think I want to do this?" he demanded.

"No," replied Actor quietly. He had calmed down while they were waiting for the rest room to empty. Now he took a chance and placed a hand on Garrison's shoulder. "No. I know you don't."

"Then don't make this any harder than it is going to be." Craig began to lose his anger too.

"How long will we be gone?" asked Actor, removing the hand that Garrison had not shrugged off.

Craig shook his head. "Two maybe three days." He adjusted his grip on the briefcase to take the strain from the cuff off his wrist.

Actor nodded, a frown on his face as he contemplated an alternative to one of them staying with Teresa. "Do I have time to make a phone call? I don't know if it is possible, but I know someone who might sit with Teresa and she knows him. You might have to get Major Richards to give him temporary clearance to be here."

"Who is this?" questioned Craig, not about to agree if it was this Paolo person.

"A friend," said Actor vaguely. "Let me see if it is possible first."

Craig ran his hand through his tawny hair. Another 'friend.' "Okay. Try it."

Garrison removed the out of order sign from the door, placing it back on the shelf, before following Actor out of the rest room. They returned to the waiting room and the three men who were strangely quiet, waiting to see how this had turned out.

Actor walked directly up to Casino and held his hand out. "Money for the telephone."

Casino eyed him in slight defiance. The con man's fingers beckoned sharply.

"Come on. I don't have all day."

A sour look from the Lieutenant made the safecracker dig in his pocket and dump a handful of change in the outstretched Italian's hand. Actor hoped this would remind the surly man to bring money next time this happened.

The confidence man walked down the hall to the pay phone. He dialed a number and hung on the phone, hoping the couple was home. On the fourth ring, the phone was picked up.

"Hello?"

"John?"

"Yes, Sir," said the man with a smile in his voice.

Actor's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "John, I need your assistance."

"What is wrong?"

"Teresa is in the Army Air Force base hospital here in London. She was attacked and has not regained consciousness. My other business requires me to be gone for several days. We do not want her to wake up alone."

"Good heavens, Vittorio! Of course. We'll both stay with her. But can you get us onto a Yank base?"

"By the time you get here, I should have that arranged. I am known as 'Actor', not my real name. And John? Thank you."

With a sense of some relief, Actor returned to the waiting room and gave a nod to the Lieutenant. Craig motioned him back into the hall and the two walked to the pay phone.

"So, who is this friend?" asked Garrison, before making the call.

"It is an older couple," said Actor. "You have heard of them before. John and Clara Mason. They are decent people and can be trusted."

If they were friends of Actor, Craig had to take that with a grain of salt. Before, the man had acquaintances and suddenly he had developed 'friends.' Friends Terry knew and had not bothered to inform him of. Now he held his hand out to Actor for change that was dropped into his waiting palm. Tucking the receiver between his chin and shoulder, Craig deposited the required change into the slot. Garrison dialed Major Richards' office and asked to speak to him on an urgent matter. It was only a couple seconds before the British voice answered him.

"Sir, there is an older couple, British, who are friends of Terry. They are willing to stay here with her. Is there any way you can make that possible, Sir?" There was a pause. "John and Clara Mason. I really don't know much about them, but they come with good references." Craig eyed Actor with that one.

The Italian held him hand out and took the phone. "Major Richards, you might check with British Intelligence. John Lawrence Mason. He was attached to the British attaché in Austria in 1934."

Garrison stared at the con man. He didn't know why anything about the con man could still amaze him.

"Thank you, Sir."

GGG

John and Clara hurried into the hospital and asked for Terry's room. They were met by a U. S. Army Lieutenant and Actor. The two were led to Terry's room before anything was said. One look at the girl had Clara going to the bed and stroking the girl's head, studying the damage to her face.

"John," said Actor. "This is Lieutenant Garrison. He is . . ."

"Ah, Teresa's brother." John held his hand out and shook Craig's. "A pleasure to meet you, Leftenant. Unfortunate under such circumstances though. My wife, Clara."

The matronly woman smiled and nodded to Garrison. She didn't approach but pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down as if settling in for the long haul.

"Thank you for taking the time and trouble to do this," said Garrison.

The older man smiled, "No thank you necessary. We met Teresa once before and she is a lovely girl."

"So, tell me, how did you meet Mr. Borghese?" Craig waited to see how the man and Actor would handle that one.

"It was 1934. Austria. I met Actor in a prison. We were cell mates. I was doing a little diplomatic spying for England and was caught. Actor conned his way out of prison, and for whatever reason, which I am eternally grateful for, he took me with him."

"Just a whim at the time," said Actor off-handedly.

"Is there anything we need to know?" asked John.

Garrison nodded and motioned with a nod of his head for them to leave the room. The three men stepped into the hall.

John became almost militarily serious. "What happened?"

"We don't know for sure," replied Actor. "Some men broke into the house we reside at, tore it up, stole antiques belonging to the family who owns the house, and took Teresa's Tickford. Apparently, they hit her with a cosh. She has a skull fracture and has been unconscious for almost three days now."

John frowned. "And you don't know who these men were?"

Craig shook his head. "Our Sgt./Major was knocked out and tied up. He didn't see them. No names used. They did have Cockney accents."

"I trust the military is looking into this?" asked John.

"Yes."

"I hope they find them, Sir," smiled John.

Man was learning the con well, thought Actor. He knew John would not sit idly by.

While Garrison was taking one last look at his sister, Actor pulled John aside and whispered to him. "1938 Tickford SA, British racing green with cream leather upholstery."

"Very good, Sir," said the older man with a formality that was offset by the smile and the twinkling eyes. As Garrison approached, John said, "Yes. A Major Richards called me and gave me a number to reach him if there is any change in the young lady's condition."

Garrison stopped beside his second and looked at the older gentleman. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"We're happy to do what we can for the young lady," smiled John.

GGGGG

Collins heard the car pull to a stop at the foot of the steps. He was out of Actor's chair as quickly as he could and over to the window. It was the Packard and all five men. The Sgt./Major was unsure if this was a good sign or not. He made it almost to the door before it opened.

Garrison entered first. He paused and looked at the non-com. "How are you doing?"

"Getting better," said Harry with a salute. He noted the briefcase. "You're going out?"

"Yes," replied Craig, continuing to his office.

"When, Sir?"

"Eight o'clock tonight," Garrison tossed over his shoulder.

Collins looked at the other four men. "Wot about Miss Terry? Is she better? Is somebody staying with 'er?"

Actor chose to answer. "Her condition is unchanged, and some friends are staying with her." His tone showed he was resigned with it, but not totally happy.

The other three men did not bother with him. The Sgt./Major waited for them to file into the Lieutenant's office before heading for the kitchen. He would have to find something besides Spam. Feed them good before they leave on a mission. That's what Miss Terry always said. Well, he would find something that was halfway between what he considered extravagant and rations.

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