"Here! He's over here!" Goniff whispered as loud as he dared and then crept forward quietly, glancing all around the little glade, sure there would be German guns and soldiers bursting through the bushes any minute to surround him.

They broke up on this mission and that never seemed to work out for them. Once the plan had been set Actor went on to arrange their way out while the rest of them did the job. Of course something went wrong. Even though there was no sign they'd been followed they picked up a German patrol, and the Warden, being the Warden, tossed the film they'd taken to Casino and told them to run for it. He hung back and then turned off the other way to draw the Krauts off. There was a meeting place all of them knew about and the three of them pulled up there to wait… but Garrison didn't come. Even though it was strictly against the Warden's orders to do it they decided they had to go back and see if they could find him. And because they had to do it as fast as they could… because they all really did know they had to get the stuff out like they were ordered to, they split up, agreeing they'd take an hour and if they couldn't find Garrison they'd beat it.

Goniff crouched next to the Warden, still glancing nervously at the bushes that surrounded them, still cringing at every creak and rustle and bird chirp. Garrison had been shot and the amount of blood that soaked up through the jacket he wore said that was probably bad enough but then someone had staked him to the ground… arms and legs out away from his body as he lay on his back, held down by leather straps and pegs.

"Warden? Hey, Warden?" Goniff reached out and gently tapped the other man along the side of his face, moving in quickly when his eyes opened and he tried to jerk away. "It's me..' he hiss. "It's me, Goniff."

Garrison blinked hard once and then focused on the face hanging over him. "Get out of here Goniff."

"Yeah. Just a minute," the little burglar assured his commander as he turned his attention to the first stake and pulled it up.

"Don't…"

"It's okay Warden. I'll have you out of here in a trice and we'll go find the others."

"Goniff. Goniff stop!"

And thinking he was hurting him somehow, Goniff stopped.

"I'm laying on a land mine."

"What?"

"There's a land mine under me. If you move me it's going to go up and we're both going to go with it."

Goniff rocked back on his haunches and licked suddenly dry lips. Mines… Mines was bombs, right? Bombs could be diffused. "How do I make it so it don't go off?"

"You can't."

That didn't sound good, and Goniff fought the urge to run. "How come it didn't go off when they put you on it then?"

"It explodes when the pressure comes off."

Buying time to think Goniff shifted his weight and reached out to pull the stake that held the Warden's leg down out of the ground. He tried to figure out the whys…. "You're bait then?"

Garrison nodded his head as his eyes drifted closed.

"Are they still out there? "D'you think they're just waitin' for more of us to show up?"

"I don't know…"

There was something in the way the Warden's eyebrows pulled up a bit as he opened his eyes to look at him that flipped a switch in the back of Goniff's head.

"… I heard them take off. There weren't many of them, not enough to leave someone behind. But they'll probably circle back." Garrison took a breath and then continued. "You have to go warn the others."

Which sounded good. And he might have done it if he hadn't pulled up those two stakes so the Warden could roll off the bloody thing as soon as he was out of range. "Nah. They'll find us soon enough." And to give his teammates a little help he did his best to whistle like a bird like Chiefy did sometimes.

"Goniff!"

"Why n't you tell me how the bloody thing works 'stead a wastin your energy tryin' t' get me to leave, eh?"

And for the next few minutes, in jerks and snatches, Garrison told him how mines was made and how they were primed by pressure being put on them and went off when the pressure was took away. The little second-story man took in every word and used the times when the Warden was trying to convince him to leave to turn it all over in his head to try and come up with something that might get them out of this mess.

There was a bird call and a rustle in the brush to Goniff's back. He swiveled on the balls of his feet, pistol out but only pointed in the general direction. Chief peered through the leaves at them and then faded back out of sight as Casino stepped through and came across to drop down next to him. Since he couldn't hear or see anything of him, Goniff knew Chief was probably taking a lap around their position looking for Jerry's.

Casino took in the blood and stakes… "Jeeze! Now what?"

Garrison opened his mouth but Goniff just put up a hand. "Says he's layin' over a land mine and we gotta leave."

The east coast con swallowed hard at the thought of being blown to bits and then looked up into Goniff's face. "Well a course he'd say somethin' like that," and hoping his cockney partner had gotten some kind of useful information he asked. "So, what do we do about it?"

Goniff scratched at the bottom of his chin and they both ignored the Warden tellin' them that nothin' could be done and they had to beat it out of there. "Well I figure if we can get somethin' 'tween him and the bloody mine t' keep pressure on it sort a… Then when we take 'im off maybe it won't go up." And since he only just thought something like that might work Goniff turned to their commander, 'what d'ya think?" And he suffered through a list of all the reasons it wouldn't work before he asked, "Look, if it was me layin' there, what would you do?"

Garrison studied the faces turned towards him a moment before he shook his head, his mouth twitched up in a slight smile. "I'd try and find something to put between you and the mine and keep the pressure on it. And I'd keep my fingers crossed that," and he mimicked his cat burglar's accent, "when we took 'im off maybe it wouldn't go up."

Goniff grinned. "There ya go then!" And he turned on his teammate. "But what are we gonna use?"

There was another trill of bird song and a little rustle off to the left. "Ah, Geronimo'll find somethin'."

Chief crouched down with the rest, waiting to be told why they didn't already have Garrison up on his feet ready to go, why they hadn't even taken care of the wound…. And after he heard he rocked forward and rested some of his weight on the rifle butt that was jammed into the ground by his feet. "There's a shack 'bout a hundred yards that way," and he twitched his lips and flicked his eyes off to the west. "Might be able to find somethin' there."

Goniff and Casino held a silent conference of eyes before Casino decided, "It's your idea, you better go."

He watched the other two disappear into the bushes and then carefully moved around Garrison to pull up the other two stakes. Casino reached out to fold the bloody jacket back out of the way but stopped at the last moment and glanced at the Lieutenant. "Can I take care a this?"

Garrison shook his head. "I wouldn't risk it."

"Where is that damn thing, anyway?" The group's explosives expert asked.

"About the middle of my back."

He caught the edge of his lower lip between his teeth and reached out to trace a line lightly down the Warden's chest with his finger. When he got about a hand's width away from the belt the other man wore Garrison gave a nod.

"Off to the left."

He drew a line off that direction and waited for the next nod. When he got it, Casino looked around and picked up a pebble and placed it on Garrison's shirt where his finger tip had been. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know exactly where that thing was, just in case."

Casino shuffled back a bit and rested a knee on the ground. "How come they had land mines?" Actor wasn't the only one who could ask questions or read books about how military guys ran battles, but Casino had only read about land mines bein' used where troops were expected to be movin' through, and the Krauts had free range here, the allies were months away, so nothin' like that was gonna be needed for a long time. He couldn't come up with a good reason for just any German patrol to have some along.

"That shack Chief spotted. Booby trap for the resistance."

Casino studied the man laying in the dirt in front of him. He'd probably been knocked off his feet when he got shot, but the blood trickling through his hair, the split lip and the bruises blooming across his face said he'd been roughed up too. They'd used German uniforms to get their job done and then changed into civilian stuff for the trip out… "And they think your one a them resistance guys?"

Garrison nodded.

"How come they didn't just hide out in the bushes and wait?"

"They probably figured they had to get after you three." He winced as he took a breath to continue. "Besides, all they have to do is wait for the explosion and they can circle back to pick up any survivors."

Casino was still turning that over in his head when there was a chirp and then Goniff and Chief were back. "What'd ya get?"

"This." Goniff stood in front of his friend and hoisted a wooden plank in one hand, "an this." A metal sheet was raised in the other.

Casino looked from one to the other. Both offerings were about as long as Goniff was tall. The wooden board was thicker and narrower, the metal thin and wider. "Which one?"

Goniff looked from one to the other too. "This one." He kept the metal in his hand and gave the wooden board a little shove so it would drop away from them. "It'll prob'ly go under 'im easier." But after a moment's thought he crouched down next to their injured leader, the piece of metal resting against his shoulder, as he remembered about the mines that bloke on one of the submarines they had to ride on sometime told him about he asked. "Say, Warden? That thing isn't gonna be bothered by metal or nothing, is it?"

Garrison thought about telling them that it would. He thought about trying to tell them, again, that this wasn't going to work and that they were just going to get them selves caught or killed… but he ended up rolling his head back and forth in the dust. "No, it's not going to be bothered by metal. Only changes in pressure."

Goniff used the metal to push back up onto his feet. He took a few steps away, back into the little clearing and the other two joined him. "So?" he asked. And they stood there and had a little conference about what they could do and how they were going to do it. When they decided Goniff held the metal sheet out to Casino. "Gonna take a smooth hand, mate."

Casino looked at the thing for a moment before wrapping his fingers around the edge of it and lifting it out of Goniff's grasp. "Yeah. Okay."

The three men walked back over and positioned themselves around the Warden. He was still in the position Goniff had found him in. His eyes were closed and his breathing was a little fast and shallow. The group's second-story man crouched down close and called to him, waiting for his eyes to open and focus on him. "Okay, this is what we're gonna do." Then he laid out their plan. "Well?"

Garrison only made one suggestion: that they put the metal between him and his jacket rather than just trying to shove it under him. They took him up on it figuring there might be less chance of the fabric bunching up around the end of the metal sheet that way. So, they unfastened the front of the woolen jacket and then, to be safe, Chief took his knife and slit the sleeves from the cuffs clear through the front edge of the jacket so the fabric could lay out flat on either side.

Goniff dropped down and pulled the near flap out flat and tight while Chief crouched down and put a hand on either side of the Warden at hip and shoulder so he wouldn't move. Casino put the edge of the metal up against Garrison's side and kind of levered it under him as he sank down onto his knees on the other end of it. He gave the metal a slow steady push and felt it start to slide in under the Warden. Just about the time he thought they might get away with it the metal stopped moving. He gave another shove and met the same resistance.

"It's caught on my belt loop…"

The three men shared a look over the Warden's prostrate form. After a moment Goniff rolled his eyes and let go of Garrison's ruined jacket. He leaned out over him and reached his hand out, "Don't take this wrong, mate," he wriggled his fingers under the buckle of the belt the Lieutenant wore. When he had his hand wrapped around the belt he tried to lift slow, steady and straight up while Casino began to shove at the metal again. There was still a bit a resistance so Goniff eased back and lifted a bit higher. The sheet of metal continued its path under the Warden and appeared on the other side. Chief shifted out of the way and Casino continued to lean in on it until it looked like Garrison was stretched out in the middle. Casino eased the pressure off his end of the metal. Chief took his hands off their leader. And they all held their breath as Goniff gradually let the Warden back down and took his hand away.

For a moment they all just sat in silence.

"Right," Goniff said when he let out the breath he'd been holding. "Like we planned."

Chief and Casino pushed back up to their feet. Both of them eyed the metal plank before they stepped up on their end of it. Goniff moved up to Garrison's head and took him under the arms. He leaned back and gave a pull, easing the Lieutenant off the metal sheet and pulling him towards the edge of the clearing and out of the way. The little man left his teammates sweating as he scuttled through the bushes and disappeared.

After several trips there was a cairn of stones piled up in the middle of the metal sheet where Garrison had been. Goniff kept adding just one more stone, and then just one more… because they were all afraid of stopping to soon and setting the bloody thing off. When the last stone he'd brought back was only about the size of his fist they all knew they had to take the chance. Goniff pulled the Warden further out of the clearing and Casino and Chief eyed each other. Casino started to count and when he reached 'three!' they launch themselves as far away as they could manage and buried their faces in the dirt and waited…

"We did it!" Goniff shouted as he dashed back into the clearing. "It worked!" He grabbed Casino by the arm and pulled him up and turned to make a run for Chief but caught his toe on the edge of the metal. He'd have plowed face first into the pile of rocks if Casino hadn't grabbed a wad of his jacket at the shoulder and kept him from it….

Chief stood up, wide-eyed. Casino gripped the wad of fabric in a clenched fist for a moment before he finally released it and smoothed it down with a rough pat. Goniff just stood there, staring at that pile of rocks… he jerked a bit when he heard Garrison call out to them.

"Let's get out of here."

The three men turned and eyed the fourth who'd managed to struggle to his knees and was trying to get to his feet. And all of them started moving at the same time. Chief took the point and moved out first. Casino and Goniff hooked Garrison under the arms and followed along behind. They hadn't gone very far before Chief called a halt behind a low outcrop of stone. The Lieutenant had gone a little limp between them and Goniff eased the Warden down so he was leaning against the rock face.

"What's up?" Casino asked, glancing a frown from one man to the other.

Goniff grinned. "You'll see!" He tossed a German first aid pouch at the safecracker and then turned and followed the scout back the way they'd come.

Casino stared after them for a moment before he dropped down next to their injured commander. He opened the pouch and dumped the contents on the grass, poking around to find the sulfa powder. Then he used the bullet hole to tear the fabric of the Warden's shirt open around the wound. It looked to be a deep graze along his ribs. The furrow seemed to have a beginning and an end. Tearing the packet open Casino poured the contents over the wound. That brought Garrison around again as he hissed in pain. "Here." Casino picked up the padded dressing and gauze. "Lean forward." The Warden did, and ended up resting against Casino's shoulder as the con pressed the dressing down onto the wound. Casino could feel the shattered bone move under his fingers and Garrison stiffen on his shoulder. "Sorry," he mumbled as he tied the gauze off over the bandage.

Casino carefully leaned the Warden back, but as soon as his spine came in contact with the rock there was an explosion. Casino surged to his feet and started off in the direction of the clearing but Garrison had managed to get on his feet at the same time and had him by the arm. Knowing there was no way to convince the Warden to stay behind Casino just slipped a shoulder under his arm and started them staggering after Goniff and Chief.

They got close enough to see through the trees and into the clearing before Goniff reached out and tugged them down next to him.

"Jeeze! What are you two doing?!"

But before Goniff could answer there was a sharp whistle from the other side of the clearing and the little man brought his finger to his lips before moving closer to the edge of their brushy cover. They could all hear the movement of men through the underbrush. Goniff craned his neck and caught sight of Chief who was positioned about a third of the way around the glade. He had his hand up, waiting.

Goniff turned and hissed. "Warden! How many took you?"

"Six in the patrol." Garrison hissed back. "But I managed to shoot one."

The little cockney gave a snap to his fingers to get the scouts attention. He flashed a hand up, five fingers spread wide. Chief nodded and they settled down to wait. It didn't take long.

Five men in German uniforms walked boldly through the brush into the clearing. Sure they'd only face dead and injured foe they hadn't come with a point man, they hadn't left anyone to watch from the rear. If they were puzzled by the lack of bodies it didn't stop them. They came on and gathered around the stone littered crater the mine had left. Goniff watched for the signal from his teammate. As soon as he got it he flipped the cap off the handle of the German grenade, jerked the cord that fell out across his fingers and started to count…. When he reached four he tossed the thing out towards the group in the clearing. Chief did the same. One man saw it, but by that time it was too late.

When the echoes died away Goniff peaked up over the arm he'd buried his eyes in. The scene in the clearing wasn't very pretty so he didn't look at it long.

Casino brushed dirt out of his hair and glared at the little Brit. "You'r crazy, you know that?"

"Well," Goniff shrugged. "We found the fella the Warden killed and he had these grenades… seemed a shame not to use 'em. 'Sides," he reached up and let Chief hoist him to his feet when the youngest member of the team stepped through the brush to join them. "We can take our time gettin' outta here now. Won't be as hard on the Warden."

Chief moved from Goniff to Garrison and dropped into a crouch in front of him. "I make it about five miles. How ya doin' Warden? Can you make that?"

Garrison reached a hand up to Casino who was standing over them. "I'll make it."

"Couldn't we get a car or somethin'?" Goniff asked as he took up a position on the Warden's other side.

"It'll be longer by road." The Lieutenant told them. "Straight shot through the forest will be faster." Allowing Goniff to slip under his arm on the uninjured side he waved Chief on to take the point and tipped his head back, positioning Casino, who was a better shot, to cover the rear. He stood there a moment considering the men who, several months ago, would probably have followed his orders to leave him behind… if they'd even have come back to find him… Garrison gave a subtle shake to his head and a slight smile. "Alright, take off."