Retribution

Chapter 8 Revised

Christine Garrison approached the nurses station on the floor her sister was supposed to be on. Though they had all been in this hospital before, either as a patient or visiting, she wasn't familiar with all the nurses. One looked up from the desk.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you. I'm looking for my sister, Teresa Garrison. I just found out she is here."

The nurse smiled and pointed up the hall. "She's in the third room on you left."

Chris started to turn away but stopped and looked back at the woman. "Do you know, has my brother been here?"

The nurse thought about it. "Blond Army Lieutenant? He's been here."

"That's one of my other brothers," smiled Chris. "I mean our brother, Montgomery Garrison. He's stationed at this base."

The nurse shook her head. "No. Every military person has either been Army or British Commando."

Major Richards, of course he would be here. He was Terry's handler. Chris smiled politely. "When you have time, do you think you could have Monty notified our sister is here? I'd really appreciate it."

The nurse smiled back at her. "I'll do it right away."

"Thanks," said Chris with appreciation.

Now she went down the hall to the room. Cautiously opening the door in case Terry was asleep, she peeked inside. The girl in the bed was her sister, but there was a wariness to the bruised eyes that looked back at her.

"Terry?" asked Chris in concern.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside. There was a strange man sitting on a chair next to the bed. Civilian by the looks of it. The man looked up with a smile and stood facing her, hand held out.

"Um, hello," said Chris.

"You must be Miss Christine," said the man. "My name is John Mason."

Chris shook hands with him. "Yes, I'm Chris Garrison." The name sunk in and her smile widened. "You're Actor's friend."

"Yes, Miss," said John. "My wife, Clara, should be here soon. She went to get something for us to eat. Have you eaten?'

Not since they had left Ireland. "I'm fine, thank you." She turned to her sister. "Terry, how are you?"

"I guess I'm doing okay," replied the girl in the bed. She frowned. "We're sisters?"

Chris froze. "Yes, we are. You don't know me?" she asked carefully. She had hoped things had changed.

"She doesn't know herself too well yet," said John, pleasantly, "but she is getting better, aren't you?"

Terry sighed and gave him an uncertain look. "If you say so, John."

Chris sank onto the other chair. "I have your car, by the way, Terr. The boys and I went and got it. Paolo found it, called Kit at the Fox and she called Collins."

The injured girl stared at her. "Who called who, who called who? Do I know these people?"

Oh, boy, this wasn't good. "Um, yes." Chris wasn't sure how much this man on the other side of the bed knew or should know. "Paolo is another friend of Actor's. He has a bar in London. You met him a while back?" she said tentatively. Terry just stared at her. "He-um-apparently found your car and called Kit."

"Okay, who is Kit?"

"Gallagher? She's our neighbor back home. She owns the Blue Fox in Brandonshire?"

The blank stare changed to a frown. "Nobody told me yet. Where are we from?"

"Bar G Ranch in Springfield, Montana. Ring a bell?"

Terry shook her head. "So, who is Collins?"

"The Sgt./Major at your base." Chris quirked a look with her eyes at Mason.

Terry shook her head. "He's got clearance. Retired British Intelligence."

Christine's eyebrows rose. He was a friend of Actor's? John smiled at her.

"How much do you know about us?" Chris asked Actor's 'friend.'

"I would assume you are special forces, as you are here in England. Your sister and brother and his men are. Actor was in an American prison until he was brought over here by your brother. I assume the other three men are convicts also."

This was getting stranger by the second, for both girls. The two sisters looked at each other and Terry frowned.

"If you're special forces and you're my sister, I guess I can say you look exhausted," ventured Terry. "Were you on the Continent?"

Chris shook her head. "Someplace else I would rather not say right now."

Terry nodded. It was so strange that some of what she knew seemed so normal and other things were a mystery . . . like people.

John's wife entered the room with a tray holding two covered plates and two teacups. Christine jumped up and motioned for the older woman to take her seat.

"Clara, this is Miss Christine, Teresa's sister. This is my wife, Clara."

Clara beamed warmly at the younger Garrison girl. "It's a pleasure to meet more of Teresa's family." She motioned the girl to sit down. "No, Dear, you sit with your sister. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, thank you," lied Chris.

Clara set the tray on a nearby table, which was a good thing as a tall, dark, rain-soaked man bounded into the room almost running into the woman. Chris looked up at him.

"No jacket, no hat?" Chris asked.

"Hey, I just got told Terr has a head injury and has been here a couple days now," said the black-haired man.

"I just found out myself," said Chris. She made the introductions. "This is our brother, Monty. He's Army Air Force. Monty, this is Mr. and Mrs. Mason."

"Pleased to meet you," said Monty automatically, having no idea who these people were.

John rose and motioned the young man to take his chair.

"Clara and I will just go down to the waiting room and have our lunch," he said. "They don't like too many people in the room at once."

The Masons took the tray out with them.

Monty took the recently vacated chair and studied the woman in the bed. "You look like crap, Sister. What happened to you?"

Terry stared silently at him. This was her brother? He was obviously American Indian. The younger girl didn't look as though she was. What kind of family did she have?

"The doctor said he thinks she was hit on the back of the head with a cosh. Bad concussion and skull fracture," explained Chris.

Monty stared at Terry. "And she can't talk?" He addressed the older girl. "You don't remember getting hit?"

Chris flicked her eyes brows up and answered for her sister. "She doesn't remember what happened. You don't remember Monty either do you?"

Terry shook her head slowly. "Nice to meet you, Monty." She looked at Chris. "How many of us are there?"

Chris laughed. "Three boys and three girls."

"And we're all over here? How'd that happen?"

"Long story," said Chris.

"Craig's twin sister, Cinder, is still on the ranch and Kelly is who knows where," filled in Monty, still staring at Terry. "Am I supposed to be telling her that?" he asked Chris.

"Normally no, but the Masons and Major Richards seem to be filling her in on some of it."

"You don't look like her," interrupted Terry, eyeing the man.

"I don't look like any of you." said Monty.

A knock on the open door, drew their attention. Major Richards stepped into the room. Monty sprang to attention. The major motioned him to be at ease. Monty went into the wide legged stance of 'at ease' with a superior office.

"Major Richards, Commando," said the officer.

"Corporal Montgomery Garrison, Sir," replied Monty.

"Army Air Corps," stated Richards. "The rest of your family is Army."

Monty gave a quick cock of his head. "Why walk when you can fly, Sir?"

"Right," said Richards. He'd heard that before. He looked at Terry. "Any better today?"

Terry shook her head. "Pain is better. But the memory isn't."

"Um, yes. Well, Lt. Garrison and his men are still on the Continent. The weather is making it impossible to fly and the sea is too rough for boat or sub."

Chris smiled. "At least we aren't getting bombed."

GGGGG

"The only good thing I see about this is we aren't being bombed and neither is England," said Actor after being informed by the resistance man they would be in the safe house at least one more day. Even the normally unflappable confidence man was becoming antsy.

Craig was feeling the same way. And the other men were far beyond that. Confining the group together is tight quarters was asking for trouble, but the men seemed to be at least partially on their best behavior. The quarrels were limited to verbal. No fisticuffs had erupted . . . yet.

Goniff had the only deck of cards, and they were Actor's. He was playing solitaire on the other end of the scrubbed wooden table from Garrison and the Italian. This was maybe his fiftieth game. As much as he played the game, he was still getting tired of it.

Casino was sprawled on the couch; it couldn't be called a sofa. It wasn't that good. He was bored and disgusted. They had divvied up the money he had lifted from the safe with the papers and all of it was now in his possession, except for Actor's cut. Face it, the other two jokers couldn't hold a candle to the safecracker at poker and the con man needed more of an excuse to play one on one with Casino.

Chief was glued to the cold window. Sometimes, when the slashing rain lightened up in intensity, he could see vague shapes of trees and bushes through the panes. Most of the time only sheets of water cascading down the glass were visible.

Luckily, there was plenty of firewood stacked along one wall. They kept the fire going in the stone fireplace for warmth and an attempt to keep the cold dampness at bay. The one bedroom stayed chilled, but there were plenty of quilts on the single metal spring bed. With nothing moving outside, it was safe for the men to take turns sleeping.

Sleep was a luxury the two leaders were rarely afforded on a mission. The accommodations were rather lacking in amenities and the safe house did not provide the safety of the Mansion. Correction, thought Craig, the safety the Mansion used to provide them.

Garrison was worried about Terry, but he was careful to not show it to the others. He could never fool his second though.

At one point in passing, the older man had squeezed his shoulder, saying in a low voice, "She will be all right."

"Maybe," said Craig. He looked up at Actor. "Are you telling me you're not worried?"

"No," the confidence man had admitted. He had given his patent smile. "I would just prefer not to have to break in another confidence woman. Your taste in choosing them is a bit questionable."

Craig remembered the con he had pulled with the Duchess on the Riviera. He grinned in satisfaction. He had even had Actor going for a while with that one.

GGGGG

Now the Sgt./Major had a dilemma. Kit had received a call from two pawn shops in London that some of the items on the lists they had been given, had turned up. With the men not there, Collins did not know what to do. He wasn't sure just how legal this investigation by the lads was and they had enough trouble without Allied Command being informed. Or so he told himself. He wrote down the names of the pop shops and ticked off the items from the master list he had. Kit drove over to bring descriptions of the men involved but wasn't allowed onto the grounds. Frustrated, she gave the papers to Meg Schaeffer who had clearance at G-2 in Brandonshire. Meg, in turn, drove to the Mansion that evening and was allowed in to see Collins. Now the descriptions were on Garrison's desk with the other information. The non-com called the hospital and requested Lt. Garrison, or the man named Actor, call him as soon as they arrived. He was certain they would check on Miss Teresa before they did anything else.

It was two more days before the weather cleared enough for Garrison and his men to meet a sub for the final step of their journey back to England, sans one German general. They had not even reached Terry's room before a nurse handed them an urgent note to call the Sgt./Major. At the same time, Colonel Hammond strode up the hall to meet them. Garrison handed Casino money for the phone and told him to find out what Collins wanted. The Lieutenant and Actor followed Hammond into a conference room.

Hammond, hands on hips, pinned the two men with a glare. "What happened to General Metz!" he demanded.

Garrison steeled himself to answer but his second smoothly stepped in.

"From my observation the man must have had an underlying cardiac condition. We reached the car without incident but once inside he dropped dead." Actor shook his head. "A sorry thing to happen."

Hammond sighed in resignation. He was fully aware of Actor's medical background. "What did you do with him?" Knowing Garrison's group that could have been anything.

Garrison picked up the ball. "We disposed of the body deep in some woods. It will be a long time before they find him, if ever." Craig held out a manila envelope he had obtained from the sub commander. "The papers from the safe are very detailed."

Hammond smiled like a barracuda and took the envelope. "Thank you, Gentlemen. Go see your sister, Lieutenant. I'll be in touch with you after we analyze these." He left without waiting for a salute from the younger officer.

Garrison and Actor turned and headed toward Terry's room. They seemed destined not to get there. A Major Jenkins, in scrubs and lab coat, intercepted them. This man was tall, dark-haired and thin; probably close to Actor's age or a bit older. He focused on the officer.

"Lt. Garrison?" he asked. "You are Miss Garrison's next of kin here?"

Both men stiffened, masking identical expressions of alarm on their faces at what was usually a term reserved for dead relatives.

"Yes," replied Craig.

"Your sister is slowly improving physically. Her memory is difficult to assess as everyone involved with her seems determined to 'fill in' what she has forgotten . . . against my better judgement. That is not the best way for her to recover." The latter was said with obvious disapproval.

John Mason emerged from Terry's room and joined Actor and Garrison. The doctor looked at him and continued with his report.

"We are going to allow her out of bed. If she can handle it well enough, you may take her home tomorrow afternoon."

GGG

Clara smiled and touched Terry's hand to wake her up. When the girl's eyes opened, the woman nodded to the hall. Terry looked through the door at the two men with John and a doctor.

"The blond one is your brother," said Clara quietly. "The tall one is Vittor – Actor."

Terry tried to get a better look but could only see the backs of the two men.

"Obviously I should know my brother. The other man, Actor. . . do I know him well?"

The older woman almost giggled. "I would say so."

"How?"

"There was an air raid one night. Actor brought you to his house and you stayed the night. You were in a hurry to leave in the morning otherwise I think he might have disposed of some items. You see, I clean his house. There were some, should I say, some used personal items in the bedroom trash basket."

Terry's eye brows lifted in surprise. "I slept with him?"

"I would say so. The other bed was not slept in."

Terry was having trouble digesting this turn of affairs. "Does my – brother know any of this?"

"Oh, no," denied Clara. "He doesn't know Vittorio's true name, the house, or your – friendship with him."

"Maybe better to keep it that way," said Terry, not knowing why she was sure that was the case.

She watched with a slight bit of apprehension as the blond man entered her room. This Actor person remained in the hall talking with John.

"How are you doing, Terry?" asked Garrison.

The girl eyed him with a frown. "Okay, I guess."

Garrison saw the non-comprehension in her eyes and was disappointed. "You know me?"

"You're my brother, so I've been told."

Garrison paused. "Yes. I'm your brother, Craig."

Clara stood up. "Here now, why don't you take my seat and the two of you can get reacquainted."

"Thank you," said Garrison, stepping aside to allow the woman past. He didn't think sitting down was going to help anything. "How is the rest of you?" he asked his sister.

"Headaches are still there. I'm not nauseated anymore." She turned the conversation away from herself. "What did the doctor have to say?"

"They're going to start getting you up and we can probably take you back to the Mansion tomorrow."

"Mansion?" asked Terry dubiously.

"Where we live," said Garrison. Apparently, she didn't remember that either.

His disappointment registered with the girl. "Sorry," she said guiltily.

Craig shook his head. "It's okay."

He looked over his shoulder and called for Actor to come in. The tall man got a hug from Clara and cautiously entered the room, studying the girl who was studying him back.

"You recognize him?" asked Craig.

Terry shook her head. "I'm sorry. You both look familiar, but I really don't know either one of you."

Casino had stepped up to the doorway just in time to hear that part. It made him chuckle to know Actor wasn't in any better position with the girl than Garrison was. He stepped into the room and grinned at Terry.

"Hey there, Sister," he said. "Yuh look a little better than you did."

The attitude went with what she had been told. "You must be Casino."

"You recognize him?" asked Actor in disbelief.

"Not any more than I recognize either one of you," said Terry. "Major Richards gave me a little background on all of you."

Garrison turned and looked at the cracksman in annoyance. "What's the matter now?"

"Hey, the Sgt./Major says some uh the stuff from the Mansion is showin' up in some of the pop shops. He has a list of what and where, and descriptions of the guys who brought it in."

The two leaders exchanged a look and a grin.

"We're stayin' here aren't we?" continued Casino.

Garrison nodded. "Probably."

"Okay," grinned the safecracker. "How 'bout I go back to the Mansion, get the papers and come right back." He shrugged. "Should only take me four hours."

With a show of reluctance, Craig reached in his pants pocket and pulled out the keys to the Packard. He held onto them, just out of Casino's reach. "You come right back," he ordered.

Casino gave him a disgusted look. "Where else would I go?"

"Any number of bars between here and there," replied Garrison.

"Not this time, Warden."

Garrison held the keys out to be snatched from his hand.

The cocky man with the dark curl hanging on his forehead said to Terry with a smirk, "Funny, you don't remember Beautiful."

"Casino, out," ordered Garrison.

The safecracker shoved snidely past Actor and out of the room. Craig watched the cracksman stride down the hall, calling for Goniff in the waiting room to come with him.

"Four hours?" remarked Actor skeptically.

"We should time them," suggested Garrison wryly.

Terry looked up at the two remaining men. Her brother went back to looking annoyed and the one called Actor wore a stony expression.

"Okay," said the girl. "I understand we are special forces and we have code names."

Garrison stared at her. "You remember that?"

Terry shook her head. "No, Major Richards has been visiting every day. He told me what it is we do." She frowned in puzzlement. "So, who or what is Beautiful?"

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