TBT Chapter 2

"You ain't sending me anywhere." It was said in a calm, forceful voice.

"And what makes you think we won't?" asked Craig angrily.

"You haven't been able to send Chris back," Kelly threw at him.

"Chris has six years on you," said Garrison. "That is a big difference."

"What is it?" asked Terry. "You think this is fun?"

"Fun?" Kelly's narrowed eyes turned to his sister, "No, I don't think this is fun." He walked up to lean on his hands on Craig's desk, facing his brother and sister. "Fun? You ever been to Warsaw, Brother?"

Craig eyed him narrowly and shook his head.

"I have. You seen the concentration camps on the Eastern Front?"

Craig just watched him. Terry's eyes moved back and forth between the two.

"I have. This isn't fun. This is beyond disgusting. It's not acceptable. Those bastards need to be stopped. That's what we're fighting for. I'm in it and I'm staying in it. With or without your blessing, Brother."

Terry tipped her head back, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It hadn't been that long ago she had said almost the same thing. Craig ran his hand through his hair and moved over to lean on his outstretched arm against the tall filing cabinet behind his desk. He had to admit there were younger children than his brother carrying guns and fighting on both sides. He just wished it wasn't Kelly. The boy had already been in a prison camp and almost been killed.

"I have to let Dad know you're back," said Craig quietly.

"Yeah, I know," acknowledged the younger blond. "But I promise you one thing, Craig. I will not let you do to me what you did to Terry and Chris in New York."

"Kelly, don't go there," warned Terry. "That is not your affair."

"It is my affair," countered Kelly. "It's what got Chris and me over here in the first place."

"What got Chris over here was Nick Bradford!" fired back Craig. "You just couldn't stay out of it!"

"Doesn't matter," said Kelly shaking his head. "We got here and we got involved in this and we're staying. Nick's dead. That ain't what's keeping Chris here. Or me."

Terry got up from her seat on the corner of the desk and walked around to stand shoulder to shoulder facing her older brother. She spoke in a whisper.

"I don't like it any more than you do. But you know he'll just come back. He got over here, knowing nothing and with only a little bit of help. He got himself out of that camp without help. If you even did get him back to the ranch, he'd be right back over here."

"Damn," whispered Craig back, shaking his head. "I know you're right. How do we tell that to Dad?"

"We don't," said Terry. "You call Dad and tell him Kelly's out. Then you keep the pressure on him that he's going back. He'll scarper. And I guarantee he knows every one of Crystal's hidey holes in London. He'll go to ground."

"We're letting him get himself killed," argued Craig.

Terry raised her hands in a gesture of defeat. "The odds of any of us making it through this war are slim to none. The work you're doing here is more dangerous than what you were doing in North Africa. Even if I never went in with you again, I could just as easily get killed in a bombing raid while I'm tending bar at the Fox. The way the air force is losing planes, Monty's on his tenth life already. And who knows what Chris is doing on the continent."

Craig turned his head to look at her. "Oh, that's optimistic, Sister."

"No, it's realistic." Terry snorted. "We lost an uncle and three cousins on Dad's side in the Great War. I don't know how many of Ma's kin we lost. This isn't looking to be any better."

Craig sighed. "Okay."

The two turned back to the waiting younger brother. Kelly eyed them warily. Terry stood back and let Craig do the talking.

"I'll call Dad in Washington in the morning. For now, at the top of the stairs go straight. The third room on the left is the spare." It was delivered with no emotion.

"Got any clothes I can borrow?" asked Kelly. "These can walk by themselves."

Terry stepped around and looked at him. He was tall and skinny. "Maybe a pair of Chief's pants and one of Goniff's shirts?" she suggested to Garrison.

He nodded agreement.

"I'll ask them," said Terry. "Come on, Brat," said young woman wearily and ushered her kid brother out the door.

Craig waited until the door to his office had closed behind them, before sinking into his chair. He rested his elbows on the desk and held his head in his hands. He felt ineffective and hated that feeling. He barely had control over his men, very little over Terry, none it seemed over Chris, and now this. Some officer, he couldn't even keep his own family in line. Forcing himself to pull it together, Craig reached for his files and opened them. He tried to concentrate on the papers.

About a quarter of an hour later, there was a quiet knock at his door.

"Enter," said Craig without his usual vigor.

The door opened and closed behind Actor. The con man walked up to the desk without a word and held out a brandy snifter with two fingers of liquor in it. Craig accepted it with a nod.

"My private stock," said Actor. "I thought you could use it."

"Thanks." Craig wished he could talk to the older man about it, but knew he couldn't.

Almost as if Actor were reading his mind, the Italian said, "You are not their father. You cannot expect them to follow your wishes if they do not want to. And as strong as the members of your family seem to be, I doubt your father will have any better luck with them." With that, Actor turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

The next morning, Terry was standing at the stove frying up rashers of bacon. Kelly sat straddling a chair, watching his older sister who had become much less familiar to him. She was back dressed in the pants, shirt and boots he was used to. She seemed older. He guessed war did that to a person. He knew it had him.

The swinging door opened and the tall Italian man walked in. He smiled and said, "Good morning, Kelly."

"'Morning," returned the boy with a wary look.

"Actor," said Terry.

"Good morning, Teresa." There was a bit more warmth to this greeting. Kelly watched the almost possessive hand that came to rest on the back of his sister's waist. She didn't pull away.

Actor sniffed, "Is that real coffee?"

"Yes," replied Terry. "Chris got some from her supplier for us."

She turned away from him and reached for a cup behind her on the table. Picking up the coffeepot using a potholder, she filled the cup for him.

"We must thank Christine," he said.

He took a sip and gave an exaggerated sigh of enjoyment.

"You're over acting again," teased Terry.

He gave an unconcerned shrug. "May I have my eggs scrambled this morning, Cara?" he asked.

Terry thought about it. "That means another pan. It's going to cost you, Caro."

The corner of his mouth turned up and he bent his head. Kelly watched with widening eyes as his sister tilted her head up and back to exchange a kiss on the mouth with the man. She paused with a grin on her face.

"Okay, scrambled," she smiled.

Actor contemplated her for a second and moved back in for a longer kiss. Terry eyed him suspiciously.

"What was that for?" she asked.

He gave a full grin now. "Omelet?"

"Oh, get out of here, Actor!" She backhanded him in the stomach with a solid thunk.

The grin on her face told him he would get one. As he retreated from the kitchen he heard her mutter, "Uomini." Well at least she knew a man when she was presented with one.

Kelly frowned behind Terry's back. He needed to talk to big brother about this one. Okay, she catered to the blond on the crutches, that was Terry. The Indian helped her with dishes. She traded barbs with the tough guy from New York. But what was going on with her and the Italian?

"You got coffee for Craig?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah," said Terry, reaching for another cup. "You want to take it to him? He should be in his office."

Kelly accepted the cup and carried it into his brother's office, shutting the door behind him. Garrison was working on papers as usual. He looked up with a smile at his kid brother, unable to help being glad the boy was alive and safe, for the moment.

"That real coffee I smell?" he asked.

"Yeah, Terr said Chris got it," replied Kelly.

Craig took the cup of coffee and enjoyed a sip. The puzzled look on the young man's face had him curious.

"Okay, Brat, what's bugging you?" asked Garrison.

"Terry."

Craig chuckled. "You must be growing up if she's starting to bother you now."

"I'm serious, Craig," objected Kelly. "What's she doin' with that old guy? I mean, I know she probably likes Italians, but jeez, he's so much older than her."

"What did he do?" Craig leaned back in his seat to drink his coffee.

"He kissed her . . . twice . . . in the kitchen!"

"What did he get out of it?"

"An omelet."

Craig laughed. "He got off easy this time. Last time he asked her to make him an omelet, she made him clear off and set the dining room table." It had amazed Garrison, at the time, the con man had done it.

"But he kissed her," persisted Kelly. "And she kissed him back."

"Yeah, they do that. A lot," said Craig, picking up some papers to get back to work.

"Huh?" asked the youngest Garrison.

"He's just keeping her in form. She's his mistress." Craig replied off handedly as he searched the pile on his desk for the paper he was missing.

"What?" Kelly's voice cracked up an octave.

Craig looked up at the stricken look on his brother's face and chuckled. "It's a game. I'm still getting used to it. Actor picked up where Zia left off. He's teaching her the con. When we go in on some of the missions, they work together at parties. He's an officer and she's his wife, girlfriend, mistress, whatever works at the time. They really are very good together."

"And you trust this guy?"

"Hell no," grinned Craig. He became more serious. "I do trust him up to a point. And he's getting better. I rely on him quite a bit. He's more knowledgeable about things on the continent. He's taken over the lead a couple times when I've been wounded."

Kelly was still unsure. "So Terry's working special forces with them?" he jerked his head toward the other room.

"Yes." Craig shrugged. "I won't tell her this, but she really is getting the hang of it. She's been in twice with the group without me."

"You aren't afraid they'll do something to her?"

Craig shook his head. "To tell you truth, she's probably safer with them than with anybody else."

"You call Dad yet?"

Craig nodded. "I started the call. It'll probably be a couple hours before I get a call back. Your sister done cooking breakfast?"

"She was finishing the bacon when I left."

"Good, let's go eat."

The men were seated around the table. Terry was busy setting their plates in front of them with their desired style of eggs, when the phone rang. She shot a glance at Craig. He shook his head. It was too soon for a call from Washington. Terry went around to the common room and answered the phone.

"Mansion, maid speaking," she said facetiously.

"Things not going well over there?" asked Christine's voice humorously.

"Where are you?" demanded Terry.

"London," replied Chris in surprise at her sister's abrupt change in demeanor.

"Get yourself on the next train and call me from the station when you get here. I'll come get you."

"Something happen to Craig?" asked the younger girl fearfully.

"No nothing like that," assured Terry. "A package arrived for you yesterday."

"A package? For me?"

"Yeah," continued Terry. "A big package. Kind of long and skinny. Postmarked Russia."

"Kelly?" asked Chris in disbelief.

"Yup."

"I'm on the next train."

Terry laughed as the phone was hung up in her ear. She was still chuckling when she went back to the dining room.

At Craig's questioning look, she said, "Chris is on her way."

Terry sat down at the table and ate her own breakfast. She ran an eye around the table. Seven people, two eggs each, was fourteen eggs as one setting. She would have to switch to powdered pretty soon.

"Craig, any objections if I get chickens come spring? I'm going to put in a victory garden too. It's not like there isn't room."

"Chickens?" asked Actor dubiously.

"Sure," piped up Casino. "My ma's got chickens in her backyard in Chicago."

Terry eyed him speculatively. "Could you build a coop?"

"I can probably fix up the one that's out there," he nodded.

Craig and Terry both looked at the safecracker. "There's a coop out there?" asked Terry.

"Yeah," he answered. "Behind the gazebo. It's covered with the vines from the wall. I might be able to do something with it."

Terry rubbed her hands together with a grin. "Oh yeah, that's what I like. Self-sufficient."

"There's a pressure canner down in the basement," said Craig, sopping up egg yolk with his toast.

"Jars?"

"A couple crates with jars."

Kelly shook his head. "It's not even Christmas and she's planning a garden already."

"Yeah," said Terry smugly, "and there's more than a three month growing season here too."

They finished their breakfasts and Terry got up from the table. "I'm going into Brandonshire and do some shopping and then I'll wait at the station for Chris to come in." She smiled at her kid brother. "Seeing as I cooked, you can wash the dishes."

"I'd rather go with you and pick up Chris," he said brightly.

"Oh, no." Terry had anticipated that one. "You are waiting for a phone call from Dad. You aren't getting out of it that easily. Besides, I know how good you are at hopping trains."

Kelly grinned. "Hey, I wanted to go to Great Falls and nobody would take me. Got there, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," answered Craig. "And you were all of twelve at the time. I imagine you're a little better at it by now. You're not going anywhere near that train station."

"You think you're grown up enough to stay here, then you deal with the General," said Terry. She smiled insincerely at her older brother. "He's all yours."

"Thanks."