Thank you for your continued support, reviews, queries and patience regarding this story. Real life and the end of the school year have a habit of getting in the way from time to time. That and I must confess that while writing this chapter I felt compelled to pen and post my first Rat Patrol story after watching one of the episodes. Anyway I hope you all enjoy this latest offering and a Happy New Year.
No Honour Among Thieves
Chapter 7
"Be quiet." Actor ordered harshly as he followed Goniff and Casino down the corridor to Chief and Garrison's room. "Major Richards may have cleared the way for us to come in early but that doesn't mean you two have to behave like a couple of drunks after a night at the Doves. This is a hospital remember and there are a lot of sick and injured people in here trying to rest, including Chief."
"Yeah sorry Actor," Goniff mumbled contritely, "Guess we got carried away, but we're just 'appy that Chief and the Warden are going to be alright."
"Speak for yourself, you dumb limey," Casino growled.
"What, you mean you're not 'appy they're going to be alright, Casino?" Goniff asked.
"Of course I am. What I don't like is you including me in your excuses when you get into trouble." Casino growled
"Me? You were making just as much noise as I was and Actor was speaking to both of us, ain't that right Actor?"
Actor sighed, why him, he wondered, halting outside the private room housing the last two members of their team. "We have a mission," he hissed in way of reply before quietly opening the door and stepping into the room closely followed by Goniff and Casino.
"'Ay Chiefy," Goniff bounded across the room when he saw both men sitting up in bed, awake and looking towards the door. "'Ow you feeling? You look a lot better than you did last night mate. Does it 'urt much, your ribs I mean? You 'ad us worried when we couldn't find you. You alright Warden?"
"Take a breath Goniff," Chief laughed a breathless laugh as the little Englishman shut his mouth in response to the Indian's order.
"He been like this all night Actor?" Garrison queried, having heard his conman's aggrieved groan.
"And all morning." Actor sighed. "It's a wonder we weren't thrown out before we got past the reception desk."
"'Ay you can't blame a man for being 'appy 'is mates are alright." Goniff whined.
"Yeah," Casino growled, "But you don't have to go on and on and on about it neither."
"Alright, that's enough," Garrison ordered before Goniff could retaliate. "How did you manage to get in here so early anyway? Visiting hours aren't until the afternoon."
"Major Richards cleared it with the doctor, a friend of yours I believe." Actor looked enquiringly at Garrison.
Garrison nodded, "Peter, we were at the Point together, but that still doesn't explain the early visit."
"We need to discuss ideas for this latest mission. The Major doesn't want any possible information to fall into the wrong hands. He's worried that if Bird was looking to pull a job on the Metternich's, others might be too." Actor explained, pulling up a chair and sitting down between the two beds. "How are you feeling Chief?"
"I'm fine." Chief hitched trying to take a deeper breath than his injured chest would allow.
"Yeah, sure you are mate," Goniff muttered.
Casino snorted, "And I'm the monkey's uncle."
"Alright, let's focus here," Garrison snapped, "You two," Garrison glared at the safecracker and pickpocket, "Try and keep any unhelpful comments to yourselves and Chief," Garrison turned a malevolent eye on his wheelman, "Get some rest."
"Perhaps we should come back later," Actor suggested, watching Chief's struggles to stay awake and the flashes of pain in the dark eyes with every breath the man took.
"No…stay…this is…important. I'll rest." Chief sank back into the pillows supporting him and closed his eyes. To be honest, he didn't have much choice in the matter anyway. His body seemed to be determined to get its own way, despite what his mind wanted.
The four men watched Chief as he fell into an uneasy sleep, pain lines creasing the furrowed brow with each breath.
"'E really going to be alright Warden?" Goniff asked quietly.
Garrison nodded, "With more time than a few hours sleep he will be."
"And what about your ankle Craig?" Actor studied Garrison carefully as the other shifted uncomfortably under his glare.
Garrison shrugged. "Nothing serious, I just put a bit too much pressure on it when we crashed. I'll be fine in a few days."
"Or ten." Actor corrected. "The Major has already informed me of the doctor's orders. I believe it was rest for another seven to ten days." Actor smiled knowingly, ignoring Garrison's defiant glare. "I promised the Major that you would follow the doctor's orders to the letter."
"So, you going to tell us how they got the drop on you and Geronimo?"
"They didn't exactly get the drop on us Casino. They were waiting for us on a blind bend in the road; we didn't see them until it was too late. Chief tried to avoid them but they hit the jeep just behind his seat. He lost control, hit the hedge. He was injured then, hit the steering wheel hard." Garrison paused and looked over at the sleeping man for a moment. "They didn't care that he was already unconscious. They pulled us out of the jeep; two of them worked Chief over, just for fun while the other one held a gun on me."
"There was nothing you could have done Craig, except get yourself and Chief shot." Actor interrupted, seeing the guilt in the blue eyes that had wandered back to their wheelman.
"I should have done something Actor. I thought they were going to kill him. It was me they wanted and he was the one to get punished for it."
"Like you could have done anything with a bum ankle." Casino scoffed.
"No Warden," Goniff shook his head, "It was us Bird wanted. You and Chiefy were just the bait."
"Yeah, dead bait." Casino growled. "Even if we did the job for Dicky, he wasn't going to let either of you go."
"Bird is no longer our concern. He and his men are in the hands of the army now. What we have to worry about is getting into that estate." Actor reminded them.
"Have you come up with any ideas?" Garrison asked, relieved to be changing the subject.
Just listening to Chief struggling to breathe heightened his guilt and he didn't need anymore reminders of what he saw as his inadequacies.
"Not a ruddy one. I mean we can't pretend to be SS or nothing like we usually do." Goniff complained.
Actor nodded, "And I doubt that posing as maintenance men will work. Too many innocent people would be affected if we were to cut off the water or lines."
"Yeah and it's not like we're going to get invited to no fancy party neither." Casino added. "Which means we're back to square one; no way in."
"No Casino, there is always a way in. We just haven't found it yet." Actor corrected.
"Why don't the army just knock on 'is door and ask 'im to 'and over whatever it is 'E's got." Goniff asked.
"Because they don't know that he has any information to give Goniff." Actor replied patiently. "The army didn't even know about him until Bird tried to coerce us."
Garrison had remained silent, listening to the ideas being thrown around by his men. While each idea on its own lacked merit, two of them together formed the seed of a possible plan in Garrison's mind and a slow smile began to spread across his face.
"'Ay Warden," Goniff called, having caught sight of the smile. "You got a plan?"
"No Goniff, you and Casino have a plan, of sorts."
"What's that supposed to mean, exactly?" Casino questioned warily.
Garrison looked at each of his men in turn, shrugging nonchalantly. "We knock on the door and invite ourselves in for a party."
"We what?" Casino snapped. "And just like that they'll let us in, complete strangers. Babe, are you sure you didn't hit your head when Bird's goons had you?"
Actor's dark eyes glowed as he saw the possibilities. He stood suddenly and headed for the door, he needed to make a phone call.
"Ay Actor, where are you going mate?" Goniff called.
"Not all of us will be strangers," Was all the answer the tall Italian gave as the door closed behind him.
Casino groaned. "Now what's he got planned?"
"Well what ever it is, I'm sure one of us," Goniff looked meaningfully at Casino, "isn't going to like it."
"Why is it always us?" Casino muttered in disgust.
"Because we're the brawn mate; and not the brains." Goniff replied.
"Yeah well, Geronimo there ain't no brains either and he never ends up on Actor's receiving end or hadn't you noticed."
Goniff shrugged. "Who'd you rather have watching your back? Me or Chiefy?"
Casino sighed, "You've got a point there, but he sure as hell won't be watching any of our backs on this caper."
"We're in England Casino. What could possibly go wrong?" Goniff stated blithely.
GG
"I'm your what?" Goniff squeaked as his eyes flittered from a too smug Actor to a smiling Lady Covington.
"It's the perfect cover, don't you see, Cherub?" Elizabeth Covington ignored Goniff's choked gasp and Casino's loud guffaws as she continued explaining hers and Actor's plan to gain access to the Metternich estate. "I mean I can hardly pass off Actor or Casino as my nephew. For one thing the hair colouring is all wrong." Elizabeth brushed a stray strand of blonde hair tinged with the first signs of grey from her face as if to confirm that statement. "And their accents are wrong too. The Lieutenant may have our colouring and the limp but again it will be too hard to explain why an Englishman would have such a strong American accent. And poor Chief, well you can't really expect him to crawl from his sick bed and pretend to be my nephew, now can you?" Elizabeth smiled warmly as she delivered what she considered was the coup de grace. "Besides, you could almost say we are related. Do you remember what you used to call me, Rodney love? Oh you were so cute with all those curls. How is your dear mother? I won quite the booty from your mother. Honest as the day is long, she was."
"Ch…ch…cherub!" Goniff spluttered as he stared in wide eyed wonder at the tall, dignified Englishwoman sitting between the two hospital beds, extolling all the reasons why he was the perfect choice to be her nephew. "Aunt Lizzie? Ruddy 'ell."
"Aunt Lizzie," Casino repeated as he looked from the stunned pickpocket to the poised woman in the chair. He had to hand it to Actor; the conman had really pulled one out of the hat this time.
"Oh wonderful, you do remember me." Elizabeth smiled warmly at the furiously blushing pickpocket.
"So Actor," Garrison broke in before the conversation drifted too far from the matter at hand, not that he wasn't amused to watch Goniff's reaction to Aunt Lizzie. "Let me get this straight, Lady Covington…"
"Please Lieutenant, call me Elizabeth."
Garrison nodded, "Elizabeth and her husband…"
"Charles, I didn't mention his name did I?"
Garrison raised an eyebrow as he and Casino swung around to stare at Actor. "Charles, as in the Charles who rescued us? Lord Charles Covington?"
"Oh yes, but Charles doesn't like to be called Lord anymore than I like the title Lady, unless of course business requires such formality."
"This just gets better and better." Casino stated as Garrison shook his head in bemusement.
"Perhaps I should explain it Craig, it will probably take less time." Actor offered.
"I doubt it but go right ahead Actor." Garrison agreed dourly.
"It is very simple really and I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier…"
"Just get on with it will you Actor." Casino groused.
"…Elizabeth, Charles and their nephew, Rodney, will pay a visit to the Metternich's offering a welcoming gift and afternoon tea…"
"But what if they don't let us in?" Goniff asked.
"They will. Propriety calls for them to be gracious hosts, especially in the face of a Lord and Lady visiting, even if they don't want to." Actor explained.
"Alright so they do let us in, but what about you and Casino. 'Ow do we get you both in to the 'ouse?"
"That will be easy. Casino will be your nurse and I will be the driver…"
"My nurse, what do I need a bleeding nurse for?"
"Yeah and what do I know about nursing?"
Actor groaned. "Lieutenant?"
"Don't look at me Actor, this is your plan."
Actor sighed heavily. "Stop asking questions and I will tell you both. Alright. Goniff you have been seriously injured in the war and are staying with your Aunt and Uncle to recuperate. Your injuries will require the use of a wheel chair. To assist you, your Aunt has hired a nurse, Casino. In order to get the wheel chair up the front steps, Casino and I as the driver will have to carry you. That gets all of us into the house. From there I will proceed to the kitchens for my refreshment, to act as a distraction for the staff and hopefully to garner some useful information while you partake of refreshments in the sitting room."
"Still don't see how all that is going to get us to the second floor and the safe." Casino stated grumpily.
"They do say patience is a virtue Casino." Actor snapped before continuing. "Goniff will have a 'turn' which will require the use of a bed. You and I will carry him upstairs and to a room. Once there you will proceed to the master bedroom and the safe while I keep watch."
"What am I supposed to do while you and Casino are doing your thing?" Goniff asked.
Actor shrugged, "Nothing except moan if someone comes past."
"'Ow will I know that?"
Actor inhaled deeply through his nose. "I will call out, asking if everything is alright."
"Oh, alright."
"Won't they contact the police once they discover the loot missing from the safe?" Chief asked quietly, joining the conversation for the first time and alerting everyone to the fact that he was awake. "It'll be pretty obvious who took it."
Actor turned and looked in surprise at their wheelman. "Chief, I didn't realize that you were awake. How are you feeling now?"
Chief shrugged gingerly, aware that any movement caused the pain in his chest to flare. "Being awake for a while; just didn't have anything to say. Besides it was more interesting listening to Casino and Goniff squawking like a couple of chicks over the last worm."
"Who's squawking you damn Indian?" Casino retorted.
"Alright, can it, all of you," Garrison warned, "But Chief does have a point Actor."
"Indeed, if we were taking the contents, but we aren't."
"Why the hell not?" Casino demanded.
"Watch your language Casino," Garrison ordered. "There is a Lady present or have you forgotten?"
"Don't worry about me Lieutenant," Elizabeth responded. "Casino can't say anything that I haven't heard before or used myself, for that matter." She added dryly.
"Even so, he can still keep a civil tongue in his head." Garrison threw Casino a warning glare, indicating that he wouldn't tolerate any further outbursts from the safecracker.
"Yeah, sorry Lady Covington," Casino mumbled, "But he…" Casino scowled darkly at Actor, "Said we could keep some of the loot from the job and now he tells us we ain't taking any of it and I want to know why."
"Simply because it is as Chief says. If Metternich finds anything missing from the safe he will know immediately who has taken it and we don't want the police asking a lot of awkward questions of Elizabeth and Charles."
"That's just great." Casino muttered.
"So when do you plan on pulling this caper Actor?" Goniff asked pensively.
"Tomorrow afternoon should give us enough time to prepare." Actor mused. "What do you think Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth nodded, standing and collecting her bag and gloves from where she had placed them at her feet. "Yes that should be ample time. I will have my cook prepare some cakes and a welcoming gift. Now I should really be going. Rodney love, it was wonderful seeing you again. Perhaps when this caper is over we can get together and talk about old times, not that you will probably remember much of it, you were so young." Elizabeth laughed lightly at the blush that appeared on Goniff's cheeks. "Actor."
Actor nodded in response to Elizabeth's farewell.
"Rodney love," Casino snickered, after the door closed behind Elizabeth. "And what else did she call you? Cherub. That was it, cherub."
"Aw, leave it be will you Casino?" Goniff turned pleading eyes to Garrison and Actor. "Warden, Actor, tell 'im to stop will you?"
Garrison sighed and rubbed tiredly at his face. Despite the nights sleep he still felt as though he had run a long distance marathon and all up hill. "Casino, for everybody's peace and quite, not to mention my sanity, put a sock in it will you?"
"But Warden…" Casino began only to be cut off by a warning glare from Garrison.
"'Ay Actor, just what are my injuries anyway?" Goniff asked in an effort to side track Casino from his current train of thought. "I 'ope you don't intend to mar this 'andsome face and what was that about a wheelchair?"
Actor shrugged, "We need some excuse to obtain entrance to the estate and carrying a wheelchair will gain us that entrance. You cannot wheel it up the stairs and there is no ramp. If you were on crutches there would be no need for Casino and I to be inside the house."
"Makes sense," Goniff agreed, "But what exactly is wrong with me? You aren't planning to cut off me leg are you?"
"More like your damn head you dumb limey," Casino muttered.
"Oi, I 'eard that."
Actor sighed, "No Goniff; that would hardly be wise. You have sustained shrapnel wounds in your back; that have caused some temporary paralysis."
"Blimey. Can that 'appen? The temporary paralysis, I mean." Goniff asked as he absently rubbed at his legs.
"Yes Goniff, more times than you would believe." Actor stated.
"That doesn't leave me much time," Garrison mused as he pushed the bed sheets off his legs.
"Time for…what do you think you're doing?" Actor demanded as Garrison swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"What does it look like I'm doing Actor?" Garrison retorted. "We have plans to make and…"
"Which we can do here. There is no reason for you to go anywhere Craig." Actor replied. "We can manage this mission without you. You need to rest, give that ankle time to heal."
Garrison glared darkly at his conman. "You've never been on a mission without me."
"Well technically we aren't going on a mission," Goniff stated, "I mean we aren't leaving the country so we aren't really going anywhere."
"And besides," Casino added his own two cents worth, "You could say we were on a mission when we were looking for you and Geronimo and you sure as hell weren't with us then either."
Actor raised an appraising eyebrow, "Strangely they do both have a point Craig. This is not a mission to infiltrate an SS stronghold in Germany. We are simply going to visit some new neighbours and do a bit of snooping, as it were."
Before Garrison could respond Chief voiced a question of his own. "What about me? What am I supposed to do?"
"Blimey, them two is just like one of them old gramophone records, what's got a scratch on it. They just keep going over the same bit again and again."
Actor sighed although he was unsurprised that both injured men would want to take part in the coming mission. "Aptly put Goniff," Actor agreed before turning his attention to the two men in the beds. "As for the both of you, you will follow the doctor's orders which I believe are to sleep and recover."
"But you might need me to drive the car" Chief objected tiredly.
"I think we can manage to negotiate a few hundred yards without your assistance Chief and I highly doubt that we will need to make a quick get away under fire."
"You never know" Chief mumbled, falling back to sleep.