CHAPTER XI
RESCUE
Stan kept under cover until he located the bridle path leading over theridge. The Me's were still combing the ridge above, but the woods andthe meadows were full of long shadows which made spotting a camouflagedobject impossible.
Moving down the path Stan kept a sharp watch for guards. The pathway wasreally a tunnel under the trees. Overlapping branches formed a naturalroof. This cover made the path almost pitch-dark. But Stan movedswiftly. He wanted enough light to spot the prison where the boys werebeing held.
Reaching the opening in the hedge he discovered that someone had movedthe branches of the hedge row so that they entwined over the openinghiding it. Standing behind the hedge he listened. Judging by the sounds,there was plenty of activity in the camp, and Stan could see lightsshining through the wall of leaves. A motorcycle roared and a truckmotor joined it. Men's voices could be heard clearly.
Moving along the hedge Stan peered over it. He could see into the wideyard of the villa and also into the yards around the barns. Everybuilding was lighted up and the place swarmed with Germans. Stan hadnever seen so many German officers in a single spot before. Groups ofthem sat around outdoor tables in the back yard of the villa. They wereeating and drinking wine from the Bolero cellars. There was a lot ofshouting and laughter.
Stan turned to the barns. He moved along them until he could see theback yard of the big barn. Here there were a number of smaller sheds andbarns as well as the kennels. All of them were lighted and so were theyards around them. Guards marched back and forth in front of the kennelsand before three of the sheds. Stan was certain he had located theprisons, but there was no way of telling which one contained his pals.One thing was certain, the Germans felt safe here at Bolero Villa. Theyprobably figured Allied bombers would think the place was Italian andleave it alone. The many trees hid the trucks, cars, and Germansoldiers from view. Stan grinned. When he got back, the bomber boyswould know where to drop a stick of bombs.
This condition made it easy for Stan to observe because the guardsfigured their only job was to keep the prisoners from escaping. Theywere not worried about an attack. Moving around behind the kennels Stanfound darkness. He managed to wiggle up to the back wall. There were nowindows in the back of the shed. He checked the other guarded sheds andfound no windows in the rear of them. Moving back to the hedge hecrouched there watching the three buildings.
The only way to get into any of those buildings was through the doors orone of the front windows. The windows were open and not barred, but atleast a dozen guards patrolled the grounds. They were scattered out,making a blitz machine-gun attack difficult. By the time Stan hadblasted the guards out of the way he would have several hundred officersand men attacking from the grounds below.
A soldier approached one of the guards, spoke to him, then entered oneof the buildings, a shed between the kennels and the third barn. Alight flashed on and Stan could see men inside the building. They werepacked in, standing close together, those he could see through thewindow. All of them were Italian soldiers.
After a bit the soldier came out with an Italian officer walking aheadof him. They went directly to the grounds below. Stan eased along thehedge until he was opposite the kennels. Here he halted and parted thebranches of the hedge. He listened intently. The prisoners in thekennels were talking but their voices were very low. One of them laughedand the guard at the door shouted an order in German. With the butt ofhis rifle he hammered against the sill. There was silence inside andthen a voice called out:
"Get away from that door, ye dirty spalpeen! Yer disturbin' the pleasureo' gentlemen!"
Stan almost shouted. That was the voice of O'Malley. The guard beatharder upon the sill of the door and shouted louder. Stan heard Allisonwarning O'Malley to keep his mouth shut. Silence settled inside thebuilding.
Pulling out his sheath knife Stan began cutting a hole in the hedge. Thehedge had been carefully tended by the Bolero gardener. The limbs ofthe shrubs had been entwined and laced together, making the hedge almosta solid wall. Stan cut away a large hole, leaving only a few branchesover the inside to hide his work. Getting down he crawled into theopening.
The guard was standing facing the spot where Stan was crouching. Afloodlight in the yard made the whole place as light as day. Stanwatched the other guards as they moved about. Under a tree at theentrance to the yard a heavy machine gun had been planted. A crew ofthree men manned the gun. It was set to cover the three jails and thewhole yard.
The situation looked hopeless. With so much light an attack could not beengineered. Suddenly Stan's lips pulled into a straight line. He had abright thought. The yards and grounds had never been lighted up socompletely by the Bolero family. That meant the Germans had strung a lotof wire. If he could locate the main line and cut it, he could plungethe place in darkness long enough to break into the shed where his palswere being held.
After studying the yard and the lighting, Stan decided the wires came infrom the big barn. Working his way around the sheds he came to a spotwhere a wide and well-lighted roadway separated them from the big barn.Four Germans guarded the road and they were well spaced. Again he wasblocked.
Then he noticed that a set of heavy wires came down from somewhere inthe darkness to the corner of the big barn. They swung in from highabove his head. Stan grinned. The electricity for the whole villa camein from behind the barns. It was like General Bolero to have unsightlypower poles at the back of his estate. Stan turned and headed into thewoods. He was looking for a power line pole.
The job of locating a pole among a forest of trees was not easy, butStan had the general location from the run of the lines. After a fewminutes of hunting he located the pole and got set to climb it. Hestacked his things at the base of the pole. He would have to slide downin a hurry and dash to the attack. He hoped there would be plenty ofconfusion. He also hoped the lead-in wires were insulated. The line wasat least 220-volt, because there were three wires leading to the barn.
Climbing up the pole Stan came to a transformer. Gingerly he tested oneof the wires with the hard rubber handle of his knife. Nothing happened,so he started sawing away. He was not shorted by any part of thetransformer or any wire he might be touching in the darkness. The wirewas thick and heavy but it was copper and his sharp knife bit into it.With a tug Stan severed the heavy wire and felt it go twisting away intothe darkness, which had suddenly become very black because all of thelights in and around the villa had snapped off.
Stan almost fell down the pole. He heard shouting and bellowing from theyard. Shots were fired and flashlights began to stab back and forth.Stan grabbed his machine gun and leaped into the road leading to thesmall barns. Suddenly the machine gun under the tree opened up. TheGermans knew a prison delivery attempt was on. Stan halted and pulled agrenade from the sack slung over his shoulder. Jerking the pin, hetossed it just as he had often tossed a forward pass in a football game.
A sharp roar and a flash of fire told him the grenade had gone off, andthe sudden ceasing of the staccato voice of the machine gun told him hehad scored a hit. He did not have time to look as he charged toward thekennels. He ran into a German and knocked the soldier down with thebarrel of his machine gun. Reaching the door he came to grips with threeGermans. They had an electric lantern and they spotted him closing in,but not quick enough. Stan's tommy-gun blasted them off the wide stoneflagging before the door.
"Hi, Allison! O'Malley!" Stan hit the door with his shoulder in aleaping dive. He went crashing into the room with the door draped aroundhim.
"Stan!" O'Malley roared from the darkness.
"Here! Get close to me and follow me!" Stan shouted as he staggered tohis feet.
Outside, the flaming and the sound of Stan's tommy-gun had given awayhis location. Rifles and pistols began blasting away. Bullets splinteredthe front of the building.
"Get down low!" Allison called.
A dozen men had rushed out of the kennels, carrying Stan with them. Heheard a man groan an
d go down as a bullet hit him.
"Here!" he bellowed.
O'Malley and Allison located him. They knew just about where he washeaded. Wiggling along on their hands and knees, the three fliers movedto the hole in the hedge.
They slid through and, paused. "Where's Tony and Arno?" Stan asked.
"In the shed next to ours," Allison answered. "They were captured theday we were shot down."
"Sure, an' if you'll wait I'll go beat down the door," O'Malleywhispered.
"We'll all go," Stan answered. "We'll batter open both prisons."
The three, keeping close together, circled and charged into the mass ofmilling Germans. They were not spotted because there was little light.Flashlight beams stabbed here and there, but none of the fingers oflight found the three Yanks. They actually shouldered their way towithin a few yards of the first door.
"I'll take this one, you and O'Malley take the other. I'll clear the waywith the tommy-gun," Stan hissed.
He opened up with a burst of fire which scattered the Germans, thencharged the door. O'Malley and Allison smashed the other door. Stanheard the shouts of the prisoners as they piled out. He backed away asmen lunged out of the building he had opened. Stan thanked his luckthat the doors had been built out of light plywood. He leaped aside andturned his submachine gun on the Germans. He swung his arc of fireacross the yard and sent the Nazis charging for cover.
Ceasing his fire he ducked for the hole in the hedge. Allison wasalready there, but O'Malley had not showed up.
"Hope he hasn't gotten any crazy ideas," Stan growled.
"He probably has," Allison said. "How'd you douse the lights?"
"I cut the main line, but they'll locate the break and fix it in ahurry."
Suddenly they heard O'Malley coming. He ducked through the hedge. Behindhim came two other men. O'Malley had stayed to locate Tony and Arno.
"How did you find us?" Tony asked excitedly.
"Allison got someone to smuggle out a note. I have a bomber up on yoursecret field to take us off, if we can get up there," Stan answered."It's so dark, I don't know whether we can locate the path."
Arno laughed softly. "We will lead you and we will show you how to takeoff in the dark."
"I'm glad you're along," Stan said.
Arno led the way up the trail. He moved along at a fast pace. He knewevery twist and turn in the trail. The Yanks were hard put to keep upwith him. Tony brought up the rear, which helped to keep the partytogether.
They reached the little meadow that served as a runway. Arno led themstraight to the hidden parking ground. Here they halted under the wingof the Mosquito.
"What you flying?" O'Malley asked.
"A Mosquito bomber," Stan answered.
"One o' them wood crates?" O'Malley asked. He did not try to hide hisdisgust.
Stan laughed. "And I'm flying her, see? I wouldn't ride in as fast andtricky a ship as this Mosquito with you at the controls."
"I'll bet me auld grandmother could fly as fast," O'Malley said.
"The lights are on below," Arno broke in. "I hear German soldiers comingup the slope through the woods."
"They have a big force down there," Allison said. "I'll bet they combthis mountainside."
"We'll never be able to take off as black as it is," Stan said. "We'llhave to wait for the first light so we can see something."
"By that time the Germans will have found the ship. See the lightsflashing in the woods below?" Tony spoke sharply.
Arno laughed. "Now I will show you how we took off on black nights. Willyour bomber lift in a hurry?"
"Faster than a Nardi fighter," Stan said.
"Wait. I will show you," Arno said and disappeared into the blackness.
"We have done it many times," Tony said, laughing.
Arno was gone only a few minutes. When he returned he explained:
"First we roll the ship out from under the trees by hand if we can."
"That will be easy. There is a downgrade and the Mosquito is lightweight," Stan said.
"Then we get the engines warm enough to take off." Arno paused.
"That will take a little time. We may have to stand off the Germans,"Stan said.
"When the engines are hot I will place two blue flares with a red one inthe middle for a target. It is so easy. You head for the red flare andtake off before you get to it."
"Good work. You have the flares?" Allison asked.
"We keep a supply here," Arno said. "I will place them. When you shoutto me that the engines are ready, I will light them. Then I come runningand we take off."
"'Tis very simple," O'Malley said eagerly. "Sure, an' we better get herrolled out."
The boys got hold of the Mosquito and rolled her out. Arno made off toset his flares. Before the boys piled in, Stan handed his tommy-gun toAllison. "You're an artist with this sort of banjo. You stay on theground. If any German squads show up, you chase them back into thewoods."
"Good idea, old boy," Allison said as he took the gun.
Stan went up and wound up the radial motors. They coughed and sputteredbut finally took hold, first with a rumbling gallop that was uneven,then with a smoother roar. The sound of those powerful radials shook thenight air. Stan knew their full-throated exhausts could be heard by theGermans.
Flashes of light winked in the woods below, Stan judged that the Germansquads were not over two hundred yards down the slope. Some might beeven farther up the hill. He tested the engines with a jerk of thethrottle. They bogged down and sputtered, too cold to take off.
Suddenly rifle fire broke out across the open meadow. The Germans werefiring at the flaring exhaust flames from the Mosquito's engines.Bullets whistled past the ship. Allison opened up and the firing fromthe woods ceased. Suddenly a machine gun began to blast. Its bulletsripped into the ship and around it. Stan gunned the engines and theycaught, bursting into a perfect and unbroken stream of power.
On the ground Allison could tell by the sound of the engines that theship was ready. He began shouting to Arno. Stan throttled down to allowAllison's shouts to carry.
Suddenly a flare blossomed. A few minutes later another flamed. Stanwaited impatiently for what seemed a long time. He could tell by thestabs of flame from the rifles across the meadow that the Germans werecharging down upon Arno. Then the red flare burst into flame. Stan fixedthe spot in his mind, just in case a German got to the flare and put itout. Allison was blistering the Germans rushing down upon Arno, but thedistance was too great for a tommy-gun.
Stan kicked the motors on, setting his brakes hard. The attackers werenow fanned out and charging across the meadow. Allison could not haltthem because they had spread out thinly over a wide front.
"Should we leave Arno?" Tony asked. "He would want more than anythingelse that you men got away."
"We're not leavin' him!" O'Malley shouted. "I'll get down an' go helphim. He may have been hit by a bullet."
"No, we won't leave him," Stan agreed grimly.
Suddenly Allison climbed up. "They'll be on us in a minute!" he shouted.
"Here comes the boy!" O'Malley bellowed.
Arno's head appeared in the circle of light from the instrument panel.Allison gave him a hand, dragging him into the cockpit.
Before the trap could be closed Stan gave the Mosquito her head. Sheshot away like an arrow released from a bow as her brakes eased free.Straight at the stabbing tongues of rifle fire she roared. The firingceased as the Germans leaped frantically out of the path of the chargingbomber.
Stan held her straight for the red flare. Long before they reached it hehoiked her tail and bounced her off. She went up like a kite caught by agale. O'Malley, sitting beside Stan, looked over and grinned.
"That was sweet!" he shouted.
"You haven't seen anything yet!" Stan shouted back. He leaned towardO'Malley, "Have Allison get the radio set working."
A few minutes later Allison had established long-range communicationswith the base at Messina and was reporting in. O'Malley
went back to putin an order for three huckleberry pies and a steak. Arno took his place.Stan was letting the Mosquito cruise along. He leaned toward Arno.
"What about the general?"
"The Germans have him. He is a prisoner at Naples," Arno said in aworried voice.
"We'll take care of that. We're taking Naples very soon," Stan assuredhim.
"I'm afraid that may not help much. The Germans are in a fury over theaction we have taken. They will take revenge not only upon Father, butupon the people of Naples and of every city they have occupied." Arnolooked straight ahead into the night.
"We'll figure out something," Stan said grimly.
O'Malley came forward and sat back of Stan. Stan called over hisshoulder.
"I am to deliver you fellows to Colonel Benson."
"Colonel Benson!" O'Malley yelped. "Sure an' that means we'll spend therest o' the war in the guardhouse!"
"That's the safest place for you," Stan retorted.
Allison called forward over the intercommunication phone that thecolonel sent his regards and that he had personally ordered O'Malley'spies and steak for him. O'Malley listened in. He began to grin.
"Sure, an' mebby the old brass hat has some feelin's after all."
"Don't build up any false hopes," Stan warned.
"Did he send you after us?" O'Malley demanded.
"He did," Stan said.
O'Malley leaned back and licked his lips. He closed his eyes so as to bebetter able to get a mental picture of the pies awaiting him.
Stan eased down a bit and called to Allison for a check on theirlocation and course. Everything looked fine and fair, but Stan knew thatit was at such times that trouble usually popped.
Messina was easily located as they came in at low altitude because theYank and British batteries on the island were shelling the German-heldport of Reggio across the two-mile strait. Flares were blossoming alongthe mainland, dropped by Yank fliers. Allison got in touch with theirfield and they came in. The air traffic was heavy and the field was abeehive of activity. No special attention was given the De Havillandexcept by the crew assigned to take her over. They came racing out tomake her fast.
The master mechanic grinned at Stan as he jumped down. "Good work, sir,"he said eagerly. The Mosquito was his pet and he had worried about herall the time she was away. After finding out where she was going he hadbeen sure she would never get back.
Stan smiled at him. "She's home without a scratch, and she's a greatship, sergeant," he said.
The sergeant beamed happily. "She sure is, sir," he agreed proudly. Thenhe added, just having remembered the important message he was to deliverto the bomber's skipper, "Colonel Benson wishes to see your entire crewas soon as you land." He snapped a salute and turned to his crew.
"Sure, an' I'm starved. I'm hopin' he won't give us a two-hour lectureon how to invade Italy," O'Malley grumbled.
They hurried to the colonel's headquarters, where they found theircommanding officer waiting for them. He beamed upon the dirty, unshavengroup headed by Stan.
"I'll only keep you a few minutes, gentlemen," he said. "Be seated."
Stan saluted smartly and spoke his piece. "I'd like you to meet GeneralBolero's sons, Tony and Arno. They made it possible for us to deliverthe papers from the general and later to escape."
"What you have done is appreciated. I hope I may be able to be ofservice to you," the colonel said.
"We wish to fight the Germans. We are both pilots," Arno said.
"I believe that can be arranged," Colonel Benson said.
He looked at Allison and O'Malley and a broad smile formed on his lips.
"I have heard of the luck of the Irish. Now I am willing to add theBritish to that list. What I wanted to say is that you are requested notto talk about your experiences at all until you have reported toheadquarters in Malta. After that you will be returned to my command. Noone is going to talk me out of three fliers like you men." He looked atTony and Arno. "Possibly I might be able to make it five."
O'Malley seemed to feel this was a soft spot where he could safely makea request. He grinned at the colonel.
"We have a job to do, sor, one that won't wait very long."
The colonel's smile faded and he eyed O'Malley sternly. "I'm listening,"he said warily.
"General Bolero has to be rescued from them Germans. They may decide toshoot him."
The colonel looked suddenly very unhappy, "That is really a job I am notsupposed to handle. After all, I am only a sector commander and not incharge of the war in the Mediterranean area."
"It could be done aisy," O'Malley said. "I'd like to have the job."
The colonel regarded O'Malley grimly. "I don't doubt but you would doit. However, there is some little risk. While you men are reporting toheadquarters, Lieutenant Wilson and I will be giving the matter ourconsideration." He got to his feet. "Wilson, you see that our friendsare outfitted. Get cleaned up and have a big feed." He nodded towardO'Malley. "I have set aside a supply of pie for you, Lieutenant."
The party saluted and made off. O'Malley was not too happy. "If yousneak off alone to get the general, I'll thrash the daylights out o'you when I get back from seein' the brass hats," he growled.
"I won't take on the whole German army alone," Stan assured him. "I'llsee that you're in on it."
"You better," O'Malley warned sourly.
They found their quarters and all headed for the showers. O'Malleywanted to eat first but they talked him out of the idea.