"You'd best let me wash that out for you," Actor said quietly when he noticed the Warden trying to get a look at the back of his own left leg.
The 'withdrawal' they'd had to make from the last job involved rapid movement through dense underbrush and all of them had ended up with scratches and gouges. The Lieutenant had been in the lead once he knew they were all safely away. He generally broke trail for them if they found themselves going cross-country and had to move quickly, so had gotten the worst of it.
Garrison looked around the place they'd found once they knew they'd thrown off any pursuit. They'd made it better than halfway to the pickup that would take place after nightfall the next day, so it was safe to take a breather. The stone walls were crumbling, and the roof had so many holes in it if the rain that had been threatening for the last three hours started, they'd probably be drier outside under the trees. It looked like the door only hung on by one screw in the lowest hinge. They'd slipped over it when they came inside but if a quick exit was required one good kick and it would be laying out in the yard. The cupboards were bare, Goniff had already looked…Even if he'd found anything the stuff probably would have been at least a decade or two old. The hearth had fallen in but the wood pile, what was left of it, was so damp even Chief wouldn't have been able to make a fire with it. Casino turned up an old oil lamp, but the base had a crack in it and the oil was gone. There were a couple of benches inside that still held their weight, if they were careful. Other than that, the only thing that recommended the place was that it was in such dismal shape no one in their right mind would think they'd be inside it.
"I doubt you'd find as much as a sliver of soap in here to clean it out."
"I carry my own."
"Of course you do. French milled?"
"Scottish handmade. It is actually quite nice." Actor brought a small packet out of his pocket and unwrapped a thin piece of soap that in better days might have been thrown away or given to the poor to be melted down with others its size to make laundry soap or go into a new bar.
Garrison inhaled the slight aroma of the soap being wafted under his nose and chuckled, then turned serious. "You know you can't carry anything like that on you. If you were caught…"
"…This brand is quite sought after by the upper classes and higher-ranking officers in Germany, so it fits my persona perfectly. If I were to be picked up or questioned it would probably be more suspicious if I weren't carrying it." Actor tore the fabric on the trouser leg and folded it back out of the way revealing a crescent shape shallow tear that still contained bits of the branch that had probably caused the damage. "Besides, it does a very brisk business on the black-market."
They never brought 'foreign' items with them on a mission. The weapons they carried were models that were found where they were working and used by those they were pretending to be. It was the same for their clothing if they were dressed in civilian attire and extended to anything they carried in their pockets. Even the smallest item, the slightest slipup could give them away and get them killed.
Actor's reasoning seemed sound, and the argument had mollified him, until the last sentence. His ears pricked up at that one. He'd managed to get pay for the men; it wasn't much…but his Italian con man always had a steady supply of ready cash… The older man had risen to his feet and stretched, when he looked up, he saw the satisfied look on his face. … "That's aiding and abetting! You could get shot for that."
The Italian favored his commander with a slight smile before he turned on his heel and headed for the ruined door. "We'll need some clean water. Let me just check with Chief and see if he's found anything."
"Actor!"