Run From Death Epilogue
Chapter 2
It had been over a month and six more missions since the one with Sister Therese and the children. They had waited for word on the disposition of the children, but none had been forthcoming. Garrison had tried to contact the society that had taken the children into foster care, but had been unable to speak with anyone and had not received any response to his inquiries. The cons figured it was like everything else; they were cons so it didn't matter if they were told anything or not.
The mailbag arrived one fine day. Garrison handed out the letters and parcels to each of the men, keeping his in a separate pile. He took the empty bag and his mail into his office and sat down at his desk to read the missives. One was from his father, the General, in Washington. There was one from home. Three were from the military; routine paperwork and the latest edition of Stars and Stripes.
At the bottom of the small stack was a letter addressed to him in name only with no return address. Curious, Garrison opened that one first. A typed and folded piece of plain paper was the only thing in it. Opening it, he began to read, a smile coming to his face. He read it twice before rising and crossing to the door of his office.
The men were gathered around the game table, reading their mail and eating cookies sent by Casino's mother. Garrison approached and waited for someone to notice him.
Casino looked up. "Hey, wanna cookie, Warden?"
"Thanks," said Garrison, "in a minute."
Goniff spotted the paper in the officer's hand. "Wotcha got there, Warden?"
"Something that might be of interest to all of you," said the officer. "It's a letter from the care worker who picked the kids up at the hospital." That got everyone's attention. "The children have all found new homes. Armand is in Yorkshire with a family who has a dairy farm. He has two little brothers. Bettina is in Wales with a couple who lost their daughter a couple years ago. Henri is in Scotland on the farm of an older couple. He has Louie. And Jean went to a family in Nebraska. He has an older brother and a younger sister now."
"Hey," exclaimed Casino to Actor, "your kid made it to the States!"
"He is not 'my kid'," objected the confidence man with disdain, but a smile tickled the corners of his mouth.
"At least they all got homes," said Chief.
"Can we see the letter?" Casino asked.
"For a price," replied Garrison. All four men looked at him in surprise. "I want one of your mother's cookies."
Casino grinned at held the box up. "Here, take two."
"Don't mind if I do," said Garrison. He plucked two oatmeal raisin cookies from the box before handing over the paper.
Taking a bite of the first cookie, the lieutenant walked back to his office, grinning at the arguing going on behind him as the men tried to get the letter away from the safecracker. His 'hardened criminals' had sure come a long way since he had taken them from their prisons.