Chapter 5

Johann drove the truck, they had recently acquired, to the outskirts of the town, where he left Garrison, Actor and Goniff before returned to collect his own men. Dressed in German uniforms, Garrison and his team made their way to the railway sidings. Moving cautiously from wagon to wagon they managed to get within yards of the tunnel entrance before they spotted two soldiers sharing a cigarette not far away. However, the guards quickly disposed of the cigarette and stood to attention when they realised an officer was bearing down on them. Actor soon had their undivided attention as he accused them of slacking in their duties, thus allowing Garrison and Goniff to make their way past unobserved. Sending the soldiers off in the opposite direction, Actor quickly joined the others.

Having gained access into the hillside, Actor had been relieved to find the tunnel was not as confined as he had expected, though he would be glad when they were above ground again. Underfoot, the ground was mainly compacted earth and stone which enabled them to proceed quickly and quietly, constantly listening out for any sign of vehicles, soldiers or labourers.

They were faced with a long walk ahead and it wasn't long before Garrison knew he was beginning to tire, something he was determined to keep from the others. As they passed each opening at the side of the tunnel, one of the men glanced inside but they found nothing of interest until Goniff indicated one of the side passages, where Garrison was relieved to find what he had been looking for - a jeep and trailer. This would get them to their destination quicker, allow Garrison some rest and was a necessary component for a later part of his plan.

Jumping aboard, the three men moved off along the tunnel towards the cavern containing the boxes of chemicals. As they approached a third gantry, Goniff declared this was the one they had climbed down earlier. Garrison had no idea how he could distinguish it from the others in the dim light but he trusted the little cat burglar's instincts. At least they would soon reach the large cavern.

GG

Marking the boxes he wanted with a cross, they carefully loaded several at a time onto the trailer and transported them to the area above the silos. After 3 trips, Garrison checked the time. He hoped they would be able to tell when the diversion was in progress. He wanted as many people out of the mine before he set their charges, as there was no telling what might happen. Even the coal dust in the air was unstable. A spark could cause it to ignite and flash back in any direction. He wanted everyone well out of the way before anything like that occurred.

''Goniff, on my signal take the jeep as close to the other entrance as you can but give yourself enough time to get back to the gantry. Set the charge then get out of the ventilation shaft as quickly as you can,'' ordered Garrison. ''I don't want you down here when this lot goes up.''

GG

Chief led Casino and four of Johann's men along the perimeter fence. Wading out into the stream, they made their way to the jetty, where two guards, unaware of their presence were easily disposed of. Leaving Casino on the shore, Chief and the others made their way to the barges. Having checked there was no one aboard, Chief left the men to complete their work and rejoined Casino.

''Just hope they all know what needs to happen,'' hissed Casino as they waited in the shadows for the plan to get underway. He might have thought his time was up when he had been held captive but this was even worse. Used to working as a tight group, he hated having to rely on people he didn't know.

It wasn't long before there was an explosion, followed by a second as both barges erupted into flames, throwing burning debris in all directions. Ducking for cover, Chief and Casino watched as a number of soldiers from the camp, ran down to the jetty and attempted to douse the flames. Moving inland around the rear of the bunkhouses, the two men made their way towards the mine entrance. They were only half way there when they heard a loud crash, followed by gunfire, as a vehicle smashed its way through the gate. Johann and the rest of his men leapt from the truck, firing at the guards and throwing grenades.

The compound suddenly seemed to fill with people as more guards rushed from the mine and shocked inmates made their way from their tents and bunkhouses. As chaos ensued and, with an open escape route ahead of them, many labourers ran from the camp, helping injured friends where they could. Some of the conscripted workers soon realised what was happening in the compound and found any sort of weapon to join in the fray.

Ignoring the turmoil around them, Chief and Casino reached the piles of fuel containers which, they were glad to discover, were all full. As Chief started moving several to the mine entrance, Casino removed the caps from others. These he tipped over allowing them to empty half their contents onto the ground. Once they were light enough for him to carry, he began covering anything close by, that was flammable. Straightening up, to ease the pain in his chest, he caught a movement not far away. An inmate had been clubbed from behind by a soldier. As the soldier turned to land a second blow, Casino recognised him as the man who had taken delight by inflicting pain on both him and the Warden. With a roar, Casino charged. Caught by surprise, the guard was bowled over and punched several times, before he was able to retaliate. Adrenalin had fuelled his rage but Casino was injured and it wasn't long before he realised his muscles were failing him. With a heave, Casino was thrown to one side and soon found himself at the mercy of the guard again. Recognition registered on the man's face and he appeared to grin, as he hit Casino hard in the chest then grabbed him by the throat and began to apply pressure. The punch had winded the safecracker. While he gasped for breath and pulled at the fingers around his throat, stars started to flash in his vision. Refusing to give up, Casino gathered all his remaining strength, when the guard suddenly slumped to one side. Another of the workers had also recognised the guard and was more than pleased to get his own back on the man, striking him hard with a lump of wood across the side of his head.

Johann ran over just as Chief arrived. While Chief checked on his team mate, he realised Johann and Casino's saviour were known to each other.

''What happened?'' he asked but Casino was still gasping for breath and unable to answer. Johann quickly explained, introducing the man as Anya's father. Around them, men were still fighting, though it was becoming increasingly clear that the soldiers were losing control, with the inmates and the Romani men getting the upper hand.

But time was of the essence. ''Need to get your people away from here. This place could blow anytime.'' Johann nodded and moved off to gather his men. Chief helped Casino to his feet, guiding him back towards the jetty.

Finding a sheltered spot in the shadows, Chief took grenades out of his bag. ''Wait here,'' he said and ran off.

Casino watched the young man sprint away. ''Where'd he think I'm gonna go,'' he said to himself as he eased his new aches and pains into a more comfortable position.

Moments later, two explosions followed by a blinding flash of flames, tore across the compound as the grenades ignited the spilt fuel and the oil cans, blocking the entrance to the mine. Not waiting around to see the extent of the damage, Chief dashed back.

''Let's go!'' he shouted.

Supporting Casino as best he could, Chief made his way down to the shore. He was relieved to find the motor boat was still there. ''Think yuh can make your way into the water, while I go get the boat?'' Casino's nodded response was all he needed. Leaving Casino to wade out as far as he could, Chief dove into the water and swam out to the motor boat, clambering aboard. Releasing the mooring and starting the engine, he brought the boat as close as he dared, before helping Casino aboard. Without waiting for Casino to settle, he spun the boat around, heading away from the harbour, around the jetty and out into mid-stream.

GG

The sudden movement of guards and workers below them, making for the entrance to the mine, implied that things were going to plan outside in the compound. Garrison signalled to Goniff, who was waiting in the jeep, and he drove off down the tunnel.

Setting the timer, Garrison concealed the explosives in one of the boxes by the silo. He and Actor then returned to the cavern, where they hid more explosives. Quickly they made their way to the ventilation shaft and climbed up to the gantry.

''Actor, go on up, '' Garrison ordered. ''I'll wait here for Goniff.'' Actor made his way up the shaft as Garrison peered down the tunnel, willing Goniff to appear.

Time ticked by. Checking his watch again, Garrison was just about to go back down the ladder when he heard footsteps running towards him. Goniff was cutting it fine, the explosives were due to go off at any moment. The pickpocket was almost below him when shots rang out and Goniff staggered forward, clutching onto the rungs of the ladder. Sending a burst of gunfire down the tunnel, Garrison climbed down to help. Just when he reached the ground, the lights went out, accompanied by a sudden whoosh of air, followed by a loud explosion, knocking him backwards against the wall. Pain tore through his chest but Garrison staggered back to his feet, groping in the darkness until he felt clothing under his hand.

''Goniff, can you hear me?'' Garrison whispered urgently. A slight sound and some movement under his hand told him that the little thief was conscious, at least for now. ''We need to get out of here!'' As he said those words, Garrison felt another whoosh of the air in the tunnel and knew a second charge had gone off. A series of mini explosions quickly followed as the various chemicals reacted with each other. Even before the sound of falling rocks reached them, Garrison had managed to cover Goniff as best he could. But the air was acrid and it was becoming hard to breathe.

GG

A safe distance away, in the middle of the river, Chief eased back on the throttle, allowing Casino to pull himself up so he could peer over the side.

''Could've got yuh self killed back there,'' snapped Chief.

''I'm fine. Thanks for askin','' retorted Casino, rubbing his bruised neck and making himself cough.

Chief grinned. ''Still breathin' then.'' Casino's coughing prevented him from replying. Instead he eased his aching body into a slightly more comfortable position.

Across the water they could see men moving away from the flames at the mine entrance. It was impossible, at this distance, to distinguish individuals but they knew that Johann and his men had managed to get everyone out of the bunk houses. Judging by the chaos, most inmates should be able to escape, for now. Though unplanned breakouts rarely ended well, unless you knew where to go or had help on the outside.

As they watched, the flames around the entrance seemed to be sucked back into the mine. For a moment the flames turned blue, then with a roar, blew outwards, accompanied with copious black smoke.

''Wow! That don't look good,'' Casino gasped. He thought back to his time in the underground passages. ''Hope the others got out ok.''

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Movement nearby, had Garrison grabbing his gun in readiness. It was all he could do not to cough and give his position away.

''Lieutenant!'' a muffled voice hissed.

Relief swept over Garrison as he realised Actor had come back for them. ''Over here,'' he whispered, his voice catching in his throat. ''Goniff's been shot... Jeep hasn't exploded yet... Need to get him out.''

''Here, put this on,'' Actor thrust a cloth into Garrison's hand. As he covered his face with the cloth Garrison could hear Goniff moaning and knew Actor was trying to establish the extent of his injuries.

Another explosion from the opposite direction indicated the jeep had gone up and their only route to safety now, was upwards. Garrison shook his head to clear it but he was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate. The air had become dust laden and, along with the toxic mix of chemicals, he knew they needed to move soon before they were all overcome. Actor was aware of that fact too and had already decided the best course of action.

Hauling Garrison to his feet, Actor guided his hands to the rungs, urging him up the ladder. On the gantry, Garrison knelt down and reached for Goniff as Actor lifted him from below, easing the little thief up the ladder, one rung at a time. Between them they got Goniff to the base of the shaft and repeated the procedure to the surface. It was only sheer willpower and the fresh air that pushed Garrison on. His muscles were screaming with pain, as he clung to Goniff's clothing, when he felt himself being pushed out of the way, as Johann and another man took over. Garrison collapsed, dragging clean air into his lungs with each shuddering breath, while he watched Goniff being hauled from the vent. Actor emerged soon after, coughing and drawing in fresh air as he bent over Goniff, lying prone on the ground.

''Breathe Goniff,'' Actor pleaded, slapping his cheeks. Garrison just prayed. Then a huge inward gasp brought a collective release of breath all round. Ripping his own shirt to provide pressure to the wound and bandages, Actor attended to Goniff, while Johann briefly told Garrison of the success of the plan at the mine entrance.

However, their euphoria at a job well done was cut short, when the ground around them began to tremble. Realising what was happening, Garrison grabbed Actor's arm.

''The tunnels are collapsing!'' he yelled ''We need to get going. NOW!''

Johann began issuing orders to his men, who raced off to gather up family, friends and their possessions. ''Will you come with us?'' he asked Garrison.

''No, but thank you for all your help. We'll make for the river,'' replied Garrison getting to his feet. Meanwhile, Actor hauled Goniff over his shoulder and started off downhill.

''Good luck, my friends,'' shouted Johann, crossing the clearing to follow his people.

Feeling the ground tremble again, Garrison hoped the Romani group would manage to get away safely. Taking shallow breaths at each jolt of pain, he walked as fast as he could following after Actor, whilst sending up another prayer that the collapse would just be confined to the tunnels and that they would reach the road unscathed. Unscathed? What was he thinking. Maybe Casino and Chief were right, they should have just taken the information back to London.

Reaching the car, still hidden along the track, Actor was already making Goniff comfortable on the back seat. ''We will have to chance using the car part of the way,'' he said. ''I need to stop the bleeding before I can carry him any further. Do you think you can drive, at least as far as the road?''

Garrison nodded, climbing into the driver's seat. Once they were moving down the track, he was able to let the car coast along, making it easier for Actor to treat Goniff and requiring less effort on his part, meaning he could concentrate on avoiding pot holes and obstacles. He rolled gently to a halt when the road appeared ahead, beyond which he could just make out where it met the river bank. Would Chief and Casino be waiting? Could he chance taking the car any further? If they met reinforcements coming from the town, would they be stopped despite the German uniforms they were wearing?

''How is he?'' Garrison asked over his shoulder, trying to move as little as possible in the seat.

''The bullet went straight through his shoulder. I think I've managed to stem the bleeding for now. Can you get us any closer?''

Recalling the image he had of the meeting place, Garrison considered his next move, then put the car into gear...

GG

In a sheltered cove, where the road came alongside the river, Chief and Casino waited impatiently. They had tied up at the end of a wooden jetty, partially hidden behind a small fishing boat.

''Where are they?'' asked Casino, for the third time. ''Something must've gone wrong. Yuh sure this is the right place?''

Chief didn't bother to answer but was worried nevertheless. He was aware of a change in the movement of the boat, instead of just riding the current, it had also begun rocking from side to side.

Looking in the direction he expected the others to come, Chief noticed a moving glimmer of light coming down the road. He had expected them to arrive on foot but as a car broke through the fence and ground to a halt in the shingle, not far from the jetty, he knew something was wrong. Manoeuvring the boat closer to the shore, Chief watched as Actor carried Goniff down to the water followed by an unsteady Garrison. Helping them all aboard, Chief waited long enough to ensure the injured were settled, before moving out into the current. Not far downstream, he cut the engine and allowed the flow of the river to help them glide past the town. It was just after midnight and the cloudy skies had made them almost invisible from the shore, especially as the Germans had other things on their minds at the moment.

GG

Half an hour later, having replaced the bloodied dressings, Actor was pleased to find Goniff's breathing was less ragged and it wasn't long before he regained consciousness. Sitting close to Casino, sheltered from the spray and the wind, they were soon comparing injuries. Well, at least it kept Goniff's mind off the pain he was in and the little fact that he was in a boat!

''Where're we headed?'' asked Chief.

''Continue downstream. This is the Ems River which joins the North Sea at the Dutch border. There are still a few hours until daybreak. We should reach the mouth of the river within 2 to 3 hours, if we don't meet any problems,'' replied Garrison. A snort from the area where Casino and Goniff were resting indicated their opinion on that estimate. ''I have contacts along the Dutch coast who can get us back to England.''

With that, Chief opened the throttle a little more and they cruised off downstream, heading for the North Sea and beyond.