99. A Fox in the Hen House
Chapter 5
Casino followed some men carrying art boxes inside the house. There were now five painting boxes standing against the far wall. Garrison had moved to one of the boxes and was trying to open it with Terry's switchblade; something not making the girl any happier.
"I got it, Warden," said the safecracker pushing his way to the box and pulling his small pry bar from the back of his pants.
The Lieutenant stepped back and went to the window to watch outside from behind the blackout curtains. He was just as glad to leave the opening and closing of the boxes to Casino. If Garrison had accidently sliced a centuries old painting, his rank and position would not have prevented the tall Italian from venting his wrath.
The said Italian looked up from his perusal of a very old painting. "Lieutenant, if any of this artwork is going to be transferred by truck, wouldn't it be better to catalogue the statuary first so it is to the front of the truck?"
Garrison poked his head out and looked at the con man. "Matteo told me the statues are going in the back of a wagon of hay. The paintings will be taken by mules."
Actor gave a humph of disapproval. This seemed to be the only way the resistance knew how to move things this valuable.
"What's the matter, caro?" asked Terry in Italian. "Not the pristine way you handle stolen loot?"
The look Actor gave her was pinched mouth and squint-eyed. She smiled at him and looked at the painting that was still in his hands. To his further disgust, she correctly rattled off title of the work, the artist, the year which was only three numbers long, and the museum it had come from.
"Would you like to do this?" asked Actor grumpily in English.
"No," she replied. "I'm learning from you."
Garrison disappeared behind the drape and Casino made a show of concentrating on the box he was opening.
As with the last group they had been with, more and more boxes arrived from other cells. Finally, the three working with the paintings and statues had to take a break. Casino went outside to get a cigarette away from the paintings and Terry went into the kitchen. A woman entered with bags of somewhat fresh vegetables and began getting a soup pot ready to make a stew, with very little meat. Terry sat down at the table with a bowl of water and began washing the vegetables.
Actor sat down on a wooden chair next to Garrison. He felt older than his 41 years. However, he eyed the boxes still being brought inside and a tiny smile graced his face. It was seen by Craig.
"Okay," said the officer quietly. "What's going on in that devious mind of yours?"
Actor shook his head. "I was just thinking I have handled more valuable art pieces in the past, what, week than I have in my entire career. And with no material gain. Such a pity."
Garrison chuckled softly. "So how many have you come across that you 'handled' in your previous life?"
That brought a laugh from the con man. "Teresa asked me that question the very first day. There was one in the first load." He made a face of concentration. "I believe six or seven so far."
Garrison chuckled again. "You actually heisted museums?"
"I did in the beginning," He answered, wishing for a good pipe. "It was too dangerous. I did not like and do not like working with partners. You and Teresa are the exceptions. It was far easier to acquire paintings from other people, with or without their knowledge. If they were reported missing, nothing could be pinned on me because I had the pickup already set up before hand, so there was nothing linking me to paintings."
Craig asked in an innocent tone, "Has Terry stolen from a museum?"
"Not with me," said Actor seriously, not counting teaching her. "What she does on her own, I couldn't say. I think she is smarter than to try."
Craig looked at him. "This is my sister we're talking about."
Actor eyed him back. "Point taken. I don't know if she has or not. It would have to be for a legitimate cause."
Terry wandered back into the room. She frowned at the twin contemplative looks on the men. "What?" she asked warily.
Her brother smiled. "How many museums have you heisted?"
"What?" she asked in disbelief. "None," she answered firmly. Nodding to the tall Italian, she added, "He's the museum heister."
Garrison looked back at Actor with a grin. "Is that even a word?"
"In some areas, yes."
Terry shook her head. "I hope we all get some real sleep soon."
"Probably not," said Garrison.
Casino came back inside and they started again. It was after dark before they finished and were able to eat some of the stew. Sleeping arrangements were assigned and they were about to go upstairs when Matteo hurried in.
"We are finished," he said. "The Germans are sending no more artworks."
"Grazie Dio!" said Actor with an upward gesture of both arms.
"Can we go 'ome now?" asked Goniff.
"I hope so," said Garrison, as tired as his men, and sister.
They climbed the stairs.
The next morning, plans were relayed for Garrison's group to take the back roads to Bolzano in the late afternoon. Craig would just as soon moved on immediately instead of waiting for the SS to find them.
At close to ten o'clock, Matteo hurried inside and whispered in Terry's ear. With a frown, she followed him outside and away from the house. They stopped and Matteo looked urgently at her.
"Not another load, Matteo? We are leaving tonight," she questioned. "Or has something else come up?"
"Yes," nodded the man. "There is a train coming through in two hours. I don't have time to get enough of our people," he replied with a frown.
Now Terry sighed. "Matteo, we don't have time to catalogue the works. We were told there are no more trains with museum pieces."
"You don't understand," said the man in frustration. "This is not a train of art. It is a train of Jews. The pass is supposed to get snow tonight. These people won't survive in the open cars."
Terry contemplated the timing. Matteo watched her anxiously, waiting for a response.
"Stay here," she said and walked back toward the house.
She strode far enough into the main room to get her brother's attention. When he looked up, she beckoned sharply with her arm to come with her. Garrison's eyes narrowed, but he stood and walked toward her. The movement caught Actor's attention. Terry pointed a forefinger at him and made another sharp beckoning motion. The Italian followed the officer.
Casino watched. "Let me guess," he said to the other two men. "Sister's taking after the Warden and coming up with another mission."
"We don't have time," objected Goniff in non-comprehension.
"Guess we'll hafta make time," said Chief. "Unless ole Actor can talk some sense into them."
The two men and the women went outside and up to the resistance leader.
Matteo explained again to the two men that a train was heading for the pass.
"We don't have time," said Actor, trying to be a voice of reason to the two Garrison's. "We cannot catalogue all that and reach the pickup."
"It's not artwork," objected Matteo. "It is cattle cars. Jews. They won't survive the pass. It is going to snow up there."
"Ghetto di Roma?" Actor slipped back into Italian.
"Sì."
In the silence, Terry looked between Garrison and Actor.
"What are we supposed to do with them," asked Craig, uncharacteristically objecting.
"Open the doors and let them out," said Terry firmly. "At least some of them might have a chance."
The two American leaders exchanged looks. Finally Garrison nodded. He turned to Matteo and said, "Come with us. Show us on a map."
They walked back into the house and Garrison pulled a map out of the inside pocket of his jacket.
"Oh no!" objected Casino. "What are you gonna do? Stuff the boxes in the plane and tie us to the wings?"
Terry took a step forward, prompting her brother to watch. "It's not that kind of train."
"Then what is it?" countered the safecracker belligerently.
"Cattle cars," answered the girl.
There was a silent pause.
"And what are we gonna do with the people?" Casino continued in a quieter voice.
"Just open the doors and give them a chance to live," shot back Terry. "If you won't blow up that track, I will."
That took the wind out of Casino's objections. "I'll get the stuff ready."
Two hours later, enough partisans had been collected to help take care of the guards and open the locked doors on the train cars. They climbed into the truck again and headed up another track toward the railroad tracks leading into the entrance of Brenner Pass.
It took them an hour to reach it. The partisans scattered to both sides of the tracks and hid. Garrison, Terry and Matteo stayed close together, fielding questions, with Terry acting as interpreter for her brother when the resistance man slipped into Italian. Actor stayed back and observed.
Casino hauled his bag of remaining plastic explosive, wire and fuse, and the detonator. Working alone, without having to teach someone else, he had it set up quickly and was stationed behind some bushes where he could see when to push the plunger. Now they all disappeared from sight and waited. Chief and one of Matteo's men had gone further down the tracks to listen and watch for the train. Garrison, Terry and Matteo went over the map again and the location of the next safehouse in Bolzano.
When Matteo gave the codename of their contact, Terry looked sharply at him. She had heard that name before, more than once. "Frazini?" she asked in disbelief.
"Sì."
"In Bolzano?" questioned Craig.
"He's been having to move further afield," said Terry. "The SS managed to triangulate an area of his camps."
Garrison was silent, contemplating their next moves. "Do you have a vehicle we can take?" he asked.
"You can take the truck," replied Matteo. "We can retrieve it if necessary."
Craig nodded and walked back toward his men. Terry followed. Actor and Casino looked up. The safecracker batted Goniff's shoulder to get his attention.
"Now what?" asked Actor, wearily.
"When we get the train stopped and the guards taken care of," said Garrison, "get their uniforms for us. We're going to have to take real roads to get Bolzano."
"We're goin' as Krauts?" asked Casino.
Craig nodded. "Matteo is letting us have the truck."
"And what if we get stopped and they want to see in the back of the truck?" asked Terry. "We don't have papers."
Craig turned his eyes to his second-in-command. "Then Actor will just have to con them."
The said person sighed. It seemed to come down to that a lot of the time.
"Well, let's just hope this isn't the first time he can't," grumbled Casino.
Before anyone could object, Chief came running up. He skidded to a stop and took some deep breaths before saying, "Trains comin'. Three cattle cars, but there's two engines on the front and two on the back."
Casino swore. "I'm out of explosives."
Garrison thought a minute. "Okay, this is what we'll do. Casino will take care of the engines in front and we'll take care of the engineers and the engines in back the old fashioned way. When we take out the engineers, we hop in the engines and stop them."
"The train will probably be moving a little faster than the last one. Gotthard is two-thousand feet higher than Brenner," said Actor.
"So we move a little faster," said Garrison.
"What's going to keep the cattle cars from flipping over?" asked Terry.
Casino shook his head. "No guarantees, Babe. Just hope the timing is right on both ends of the train."
"Terry, stay with Casino," said the Lieutenant. To the others, he said, come on, let's go."
The four men began to run back the way Chief had come from. Terry jumped up and ran toward the tracks.
"Hey, you're s'pposed to stay with me!" yelled Casino.
"I have to talk to Matteo . . .!"
Casino grumbled to himself about the girl never following directions. As the sound of the approaching train could be heard, He saw Terry sprint back across the tracks and literally slid in the bushes beside him.
Just as the front of the train reached the explosives, brakes could be heard. Instead of pushing the plunger at the lead engine, Casino shoved it down hard almost between the two engines. The front engine began tipping over as its backend lifted. The front of the second engine lifted and disconnected beginning to fall. Casino and Terry stared as the first boxcar tilted to one side.
"No, no!" yelled the girl at the same time Casino yelled, "Stay up!" Things seemed to move in slow motion from there.
7