Casca 32: The Anzac

by Tony Roberts

  Casca knew it was all over, but maybe he could still get away. The gate was a flimsy looking wooden frame with link fencing in the middle, standing six feet high. A good push would break the sliding wooden bar that held the gates together, but he’d need to neutralize the guards and the captain. A tall order.

  “You’re under arrest, Spiros, and so’s your friend. Come with us to the guard room.”

  “But-but,” Spiros began to protest.

  Casca pushed him into the captain and moved fast to the first guard, slamming the rifle up into the air and slamming a fist into his stomach. The guard gasped and doubled up. The second one snarled and brought his rifle round but Casca kicked up, knocking the barrel away. A shot went high into the air and Casca’s next move was to send a fist into the man’s neck, momentarily paralyzing him. The guard staggered and Casca tore the rifle out of his hands and charged the gate. His shoulder struck it and the gate gave way with a screech.

  “Move one more step and I’ll shoot,” the captain said menacingly.

  Casca turned slowly and saw the muzzle of the Smith & Wesson .38 lined up between his eyes. It was a distance of eight feet and it would be impossible to miss. Behind the captain the two guards groaned and slowly reached for their rifles. The captain remained still, his attention firmly on Casca. “That’s a good bloke, no moving.”

  Spiros was standing wringing his hands, his mustache waving with worry. “Before God, Captain Hieron, I didn’t know this man until today.”

  “Be silent. You’re in the shit enough.”

  The two guards were once more up on their feet and composed enough to cover Casca. Captain Hieron lowered his pistol and waved the scowling soldiers to search Casca. One did while the other kept the muzzle of his rifle pressed against Casca’s throat.

  “Nothing, Sir,” one guard announced, disappointed.

  “Very well. Off to the guard room with these two.”

  One guard was left at the gate while the two were marched to a square wooden building set to one side of the compound. Two military policemen were in the main room and both Casca and Spiros were handcuffed and searched again. Hieron kept on looking at Casca. “You move fast for a local. You hit hard, too. You’re no islander. That scar. Where did you get that?”

  Casca remained silent. Hieron motioned Spiros to translate.

  “Knife fight on Rhodes. Woman.”

  Hieron grunted. It could be true, it could be a lie. He sent one guard out to fetch Clark. The Welshman soon arrived and stared hard at Casca. “Looks a little like him but he should be burned on his face and chest.”

  Hieron ordered Casca’s shirt be opened and the MPs tore it open in enthusiasm. No burns but plenty of more scars met their eyes. Clark shook his head slowly. “It’s him, I’m sure of it. I’ll have that Australian brought here. He’ll know for sure.”

  Casca knew the game was up, but he wanted to see Rocky himself and ask why. Five minutes passed as the daylight faded, and the lights came on. Then there came the tramping of feet and the door crashed open. “Got him, sir,” came an Australian drawl and two Anzacs came in carrying a stretcher, upon which lay Rocky, still pale and sweating.

  “That’s him,” Rocky nodded almost immediately. “He joined us in Alexandria, said he’d been sunburned.”

  “Gotcha,” Captain Hieron said with relish. “You’re for the high jump, son.”

  “Why, Rocky?” Casca asked, pushing against the two soldiers who now tried to jostle him out of the guard house. “Why betray one of your mates?”

  “I think he’s keen on that nurse,” Clark said. “At least, he did a deal with me so he could be with her in exchange for your capture.”

  “You fucking idiot,” Casca snapped. “When she finds out what you’ve done she won’t have anything to do with you. And your mates in the platoon won’t want anything to do with you as well. You’ll be lucky not to get a bullet in the back during an attack.”

  Rocky went even paler. “She deserves better than a murderer.”

  “Keep on saying that you backstabber – one day even you might begin to believe that.”

  “Alright,” Captain Hieron cut in, “we’ve wasted enough time already. Let’s get this man – whatever he’s called – to our building. Let this idiot Greek go – he’s small fry. I’ll arrange for him to be removed from the hospital tomorrow.”

  Spiros was sent on his way with a smack around the back of the head. Casca was pulled outside and stood in between the two MPs while Hieron spoke to Clark in the doorway. “I’ll send a cable to Alexandria. He’ll be taken back there and tried in a Court Martial. As soon as a ship is sent he’ll be packed aboard and tied up so securely they’ll think he’s a fish that’s been caught at sea.”

  “What about his medical examination?” Clark insisted, “he’s an odd case I’ve never seen the likes of before. He heals so damned fast!”

  “I’ll see,” Hieron said reluctantly, “but my main responsibility is to get him securely locked up and then sent for trial in Egypt. Your job is done. My thanks, by the way.”

  “I’m sure,” Clark muttered, watching in disappointment as his quarry was pushed along the compound towards the gates.

  “What about the nurse?” Rocky asked from the stretcher.

  “I’ll tell her everything. Then you can see if she wants you.” Clark sneered at the prone Australian. If Hieron was to shit on him, then he at least could shit on the traitorous Australian. “If she has any sense she’ll tell you to fuck right off.” Clark rarely used such language, but he was so upset at having the man he’d hunted for so long taken away from him that he forgot himself for the moment. Rocky’s lower lip quivered. He slumped deeper into the stretcher. Clark waved angrily at the bearers. “Take him back. I have no further use for him.”

  Clark had one more task he was looking forward to. He sought out Alison and told her straight to her face what had happened and how. He enjoyed the look on her face and the tears that came to her eyes. “You can thank that young Australian you call Rocky in identifying him. He seems to fancy you, which is why he betrayed him. I hope the two of you have a long and lovely life together.”

  “You – you monster!” Alison sobbed. “You pitiful horrible man!”

  “Ah, we’ve all lost out on this one. I hope that bloody man burns in hell, the trouble he’s caused us all. Goodbye.” Clark turned his back on her and walked away, leaving Alison crying into her hands, her heart broken.

  Casca meanwhile was marched down the rutted dirt road to the town and escorted to the military police post on the edge of the harborside. There was a single cell at the rear and he was locked in after his handcuffs taken off. A single low bench acted as a bed and a seat, so he sat down on this and pondered on his situation.

  “What’s your real name, son?” Captain Hieron asked from his chair across the room. “You’ve led us all a merry dance, you know.”

  “What does it matter? I’m going to be shot.”

  “For the records, and for us to notify your next of kin.”

  “I have no next of kin,” Casca said looking up, “and you can stuff your records up your ass.”

  “That won’t help you,” Hieron said, his mouth turning down. “You’d be better co-operating with us.”

  “For what purpose? I’m as good as dead. So fuck yourself.”

  Hieron regarded the bulky figure of his prisoner for a moment, then turned away. Surly bastard. He’d loosen up in time, they all did once the prospect of being executed got to them.

  Alison went to see Rocky once she’d composed herself. Even though she was off duty, she had to see the man. As he looked up at her, hope in his face, she could see all that had been said was true. “You sent him to his death just because you wanted him out of the way – you thought to replace him in my affections? You stupid boy. I’ll never look at you ever again.”

  “He’s not good enough for you,” Rocky protested, “I’d be everything you wanted.”

  “I hate you! How could
I love someone who stabs a friend in the back? You despicable man!” She walked off, stiff-backed. Back in her room she fell onto the bed and cried her heart out.

  As she lay there, the door slowly opened, and a man stood there, looking down at her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY- FIVE

  Casca spent an uncomfortable night in the cell. He didn’t sleep. He was thinking too much about what was going to happen to him when he was brought back to Alex. All this was a mess. He’d somehow fallen into being the target of a murder hunt and it was driven by a doctor’s curiosity over his healing ability. He wouldn’t be allowed any chance of escape, that was for certain.

  There seemed to be some noise outside the guardhouse. People were shouting and laughing. Casca looked up from his position of lying flat out. The only window in the place was on the other side of the bars in the center of the wall opposite. The two MPs on duty looked out and remained there, craning their necks. “What’s going on out there?” Casca asked, curious.

  “Those daft Aussies are setting up a cricket match along the harbor front!” one of the guards laughed.

  Casca sat up. “What’s a cricket match?” He’d never heard of cricket.

  “You dumb Canuck, cricket. Civilized game, you colonials just don’t understand it.”

  Casca got up and tried to look through the window, but the two MPs were blocking the view.

  “So how do you play the damned game then?”

  One of the MPs turned round irritably. “You have two teams, and one side’s in, the other one’s not. The side that’s in sends two batsmen out and the other side try to get the guys who are in, out. When the batsmen are out, they go in and another one goes out so he’s in. Got it so far?”

  “Sorry I asked,” Casca muttered and sat down.

  “Anyway,” the MP carried on, oblivious that he’d lost Casca, “when all the side who’s in are out, the other side goes in and bat until they’re all out. Whoever’s scored the most runs wins. Simple game.” He turned back to watch.

  Casca made a grumbling noise and lay back down. It didn’t sound simple. What the hell did he care anyway? The peace of the guardhouse was suddenly shattered – literally – by the breaking of the window. The glass flew in, showering the two MPs who took evasive action, and a small, hard ball crashed against the wall next to the bars before falling to the floorboards. Casca shot up and watched in amazement as the door burst in and about a dozen shouting and very excited Australians poured into the room, all searching for the ball which had come to rest close to the bars. The two MPs were knocked over by the crowd and the room was suddenly full of shirt-sleeved men. Both MPs vanished under the pile and there were shouts of outrage, then a couple of dull thuds and the shouts subsided.

  One Australian spotted the ball and picked it up. “Bloody fine shot for six, a ripper!” he exclaimed excitedly, and ran back towards the door with the ball.

  Another man approached, holding the set of keys that had been hanging from one of the MPs belt. Casca recognized him and began laughing. “Archie!”

  Archie grinned and slammed a key into the lock. “Come on you drongo, get out of here before reinforcements arrive!”

  Casca pushed out and embraced the wiry man who pushed him away good naturedly. “Go on, Sandy, get out of here! Your Sheila’s waiting for you down by the harbor. Hurry!”

  Casca fled out of the room, noting that the two MPs had been knocked clean out. The Australians came flooding out of the guard house too and packed up their game and began scattering in all directions, hooting with laughter. Casca spotted Alison standing by herself at the far end of the harbor and ran over to her, still laughing. She smiled at his approach and they embraced.

  “Oh my god, I’m so glad they got you out!” she began, “Archie came to me last night and suggested a plan to get you out of there. He must have seen or heard what had happened – I had no idea he was here!”

  “I’m glad he was! Did he say what he was going to do with Rocky?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t ask – I don’t think I want to either. He told me you have to get away, and I know you must, but I don’t want to let you go…. But I have to,” she ended sadly.

  “Or else they’ll catch me again. You do understand, don’t you?”

  “Yes. There’s a ship loading up supplies in the harbor – that one,” she pointed to a grey colored transport across the waterfront, “and it’s off to a place called Salonika with some soldiers and supplies.”

  “That’s in Greece,” Casca said in surprise. “I could sneak aboard tonight.”

  “Yes – someone said they’re going to build up an army there because Bulgaria has just declared war on us.”

  Casca grunted. That made things a little more complicated. Now Turkey had a direct rail link to Germany and could have supplies and munitions sent quickly to them. The balance was tipping away from the Allied forces in this region. “I know a place to hide. There’ll be one hell of a search for me in no time. You’d better get out of here – that captain won’t leave any stone unturned. I’ll leave tonight.”

  She nodded, a sad look on her face. Casca kissed her long and lovingly, a farewell kiss. Alison melted into it and clung on to him for a long moment, then he broke it and made his way quickly to the jetty and the hiding place underneath. Alison watched him go for a while, then turned away and made her way slowly up the hill and away from the town.

  She got back around mid-morning and all hell was breaking loose. Soldiers were everywhere and passes were being inspected closely. She got through and went to her room, but Clark was waiting for her and grabbed hold of her arm, threw her onto her bed and slammed the door shut. “You know where he is, don’t you?” he hissed. “Conveniently missing this morning and he’s broken out of custody! Captain Hieron is going absolutely potty. He’s cordoning off the town and has got the local garrison commander to seal off this hospital. He won’t escape this time, and they’ve got orders to shoot. They were told a whole bunch of Australians got him out but nobody’s saying anything, nobody knows anything and nobody saw anything!”

  “Let me go!” she cried out.

  Clark clamped a hand across her face. “Keep your noise down or I’ll be forced to use this,” and he waved a particularly nasty looking surgeon’s scalpel in front of her face. “Now, tell me, where is he?”

  Alison struggled in his grasp, then squealed as the scalpel pressed lightly against her face.

  “You make one wrong move, one loud noise, and I’ll use this.” Clark took his hand away from her mouth.

  “I don’t know,” she breathed, hatred in her voice. “You can hunt all you like, but I don’t think you’ll find him. Go tell your captain friend that.”

  Clark sneered. “He’s no friend of mine, that sod. He can go hunt as much as he likes. I want your boyfriend for a different reason. I’m not working for those people anymore. So the deal is this: show me where he is and you can go free. I want to know more about him and his medical condition, he’s unique in my opinion. I don’t care about what Captain Hieron and the military want. You understand? But if you defy me, then I’ll turn you over to Hieron and you’ll be locked away for a very long time.”

  Alison looked at him in disgust and defiance. Clark muttered angrily under his breath. “Alright, it’s off to Hieron with you then.”

  “No!” Alison gasped as she was pulled towards the door. “He’s safe in a place nobody can find him, but you can’t get to him because of the soldiers. They’ll see you making your way there and they’ll follow.”

  Clark slapped her hard, his mouth an ugly slash. “Shut up! Take me to him – now!”

  Sobbing, Alison was dragged to the door. Clark snapped at her to shut up crying. They went out by the door to the passage and the two walked together across the hospital grounds to the gate. Both were checked and questioned, but Clark bluffed his way through, saying they were going to fetch supplies from the town.

  It took them two hours to get to the harbor front th
anks to the repeated checks and stops. It was a hornet’s nest and nobody could go anywhere without being checked. Even with the description of the man in question, women were to be checked too. Clark was getting very nervous the closer they got to the harbor, and for good reason. Captain Hieron was coordinating the search and his headquarters overlooked the harbor. Clark wanted nothing to do with him. He ran the real risk of being arrested and would spend the rest of the war locked up. He desperately needed to satisfy his curiosity about his quarry once and for all. It was becoming an obsession.

  Alison slowed as they neared the harbor edge and stopped. “He’s here somewhere but I don’t know exactly where.”

  “Don’t be silly – there’s nobody in sight, and he would have been found by now if he was here. Don’t go wasting my time! I warn you…”

  Alison suddenly lashed out and broke free of the surprised man. She ran along the harbor edge, hotly pursued by a furious Clark. The various crates, packages and assorted equipment that had been dumped on the harbor side helped in hiding their chase from curious eyes. But it also slowed Alison down and she made one or two wrong turns and Clark was right behind her when she broke out from the mass of crates, brushing past a shocked group of Greek or Turkish dock hands and ran along the jetty. Her mind saw only one chance and that was to get to the man she knew as Sandy and he would protect her.

  But it was too far and Clark had caught up. He grabbed her collar and pulled her back. Alison shrieked and threw her arm at his face. He ducked in a reflex motion and she tried one last time to break free. Clark’s other hand, the one holding the scalpel, moved forwards and Alison fell onto it. Both lost balance and fell onto the wooden surface, shaking it.

  Clark was oblivious to the presence of anyone else at that moment. He was aware that two ships were tied up on the jetty further down but they were empty and at that moment nobody was unloading or loading. It was that mid-afternoon period when most of the locals knocked off until it got cooler towards the late afternoon.