HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

The question foremost on Cam’s mind only got asked once he was inside the mansion. He carefully stepped around the broken glass and waited for everyone to get inside before he asked John Wayne, “you sure you own this place? I don’t normally have to break the window on my back door, to get in.”

Wayne was slightly irritated when he answered, “well I didn’t come out here to go in the house. I just wanted to find that damn electric meter and see if the power company had read it right. You should have seen what they were charging me…”

Cam raised his hand, “ok, that’s nice. I suggest we go out the front door, and get the hell out of here. I’m assuming we can unlock that without making any more noise.”

Now it was Ness who raised a hand and said, “listen!” When he was sure about what he had just heard, a smile broke across his face, “thank god that’s the cavalry. Do you hear those sirens! Somebody must have heard something by god!”

Ely just shrugged, “we already got John Wayne, how much else do you need?”

Unfortunately, Cam had to agree with Ness. Those were sirens and from the sounds of it, the cavalry was bringing the police, the fire department, ambulances, and probably even a school bus or two! While Ness might have been happy, Cam only saw it as a complication. It got even more complicated when the first barrage of bullets began chewing up the back door they had just used. Cam grabbed Ely and tossed him to the ground as he rolled for some cover that would give him some kind of vantage point. He found it just beside the door along with more broken windows.

Cam called, “everybody ok? Looks like our buddies out there heard the sirens too.”

To illustrate that point, another barrage of bullets began impacting the doors and windows. Wayne, who was laid flat on the tile floor called out, “did those Indians bring the whole damn tribe!”

“One shooter,” Cam replied in disgust. He also knew what that meant, “he’s trying to hold us here so the others can flank us.”

Ely, who had been translating since he was the only one who knew even a little German, yelled out, “they aren’t using the radio. How do you know there’s more?”

Cam did not bother to answer. He knew a guy like Skorzeny was unlikely to the use radio any more. The guy already knew it was compromised. Cam backed away from his cover and slid down the small staircase that the others were using for cover. He looked back into the cavernous house. It was dark, empty, and the furniture was all covered with sheets. It also vaguely reminded him of, “who the hell lives here? Jed and Granny?”

Ness was quick to suggest, “let’s make a run for the front door. All we have to do after that is head for those sirens.”

Cam was tired of saying it now so he did not bother. He just ignored the suggestion and replied, “cause a guy like Skorzeny will be on our flanks long before his base of fire opens up. We’re going to have to take them out if we want to live.”

Wayne only asked, “Jed who? You don’t think he’d want to buy this place do you?”

Ely was a bit more optimistic, “I got an idea!”

Cam was already up and moving down the hallway. He did not have to tell anyone else to follow him since he was moving away from the shooting. He stopped at a juncture with another hall and took cover by the corner. The others fell right in behind him. Cam had to point for Ness to cover their rear. Then he yelled out down the hallway, “Skorzeny! I know you’re down there! Hey Otto, old buddy, old pal. Why don’t you come out and lets talk?”

Wayne asked, “you don’t really think he’s going to…”

A call came from further down the hall but, it was completely unintelligible to Cam. He looked to Ely who told him, “the guy wants to know who you are, I think. Some of those words sounded less than polite and I’m not sure what they meant.”

“OK,” Cam said with a smile, “that got his attention.”

The man down the hall called out again only this time Cam did understand what he was saying. That was because it was no longer in German. The guy was using French and Cam could follow that well enough. He was rusty but he managed an intelligible reply, “of course I know who you are. We know everything. You hear those sirens out there? We got back up so why don’t you do yourself a big fat favor and leave.”

No one even needed a word of French because the reply came in a very guttural sounding English, “you are lie.”

That did not sound to Cam like this guy scared very easily. Maybe the history books had got it wrong? Cam always figured the guy was a survivor but, maybe he was really just a fanatic after all? No, Cam decided that was not it, the guy was confident because he knew something. He was still confident he could accomplish his mission and get away. That meant only one thing at the moment, they had to move.

Cam waved for the attention of his little party and pointed towards the closest stair case, just to the other side of the hall. When they nodded he yelled back down at Skorzeny, “all your bases are belong to us!” Then he dropped to a knee, leaned around the corner, and sprayed the hallway with a burst of fire from his Thompson while he yelled, “go! Go! Go!”

Cam found that he had to keep right on shooting as he crossed the danger area. Apparently, Ness did not think to cover him in return. That left Cam running up the stairs to catch Ely who had his bag. Cam snatched the kid to a halt and grabbed for more ammunition.

All the while, Wayne stopped and caught his breath. Then he stated in no uncertain terms, “they’re going to pay for this.”

Ness, who was also breathing heavy, replied to the actor, “don’t you worry. The justice system is going to work here. I promise you that.”

Wayne got a strange look and then shook that notion off, “that’s your worry. I mean they’re going to pay for all the damage to this house. Do you have any idea how expensive this kind of sheet rock is?”

Cam ignored them as he ran past them and to the next floor. He went to a knee there and waited for Ely with the bag. He told the kid, “give it here.”

Ely was thankful, “you’re going to carry it now?” Ely then forgot about the question when he watched Cam set up what he was sure were explosives and a trip wire, “where did you get that? I’ve been carrying that?”

“Improvised kid,” Cam said as he tossed the bag back to Ely. Then he yelled down the stairs, “come and get us Otto!”

At the bottom of the staircase, Skorzeny stopped. He peeked around the corner, up the stairs, and mumbled to himself, “fuck this.”

Karl ran up behind him and took a covering position. He changed out the magazine on his MP-38 and asked Skorzeny, “did they go up there?”

The sirens were getting louder and Skorzeny could not help but think that if the FBI was sending a reaction team then they most certainly had this property mapped out as well. They would probably even use it to gain access to the back of Hughes mansion. He would do it if he were in their shoes. It was not that Skorzeny thought that much of the FBI. His assessment of their capabilities were not high and, maybe, just plain condescending. Still, Otto did not believe he’d live long in this business by underestimating anyone, even idiots.

“No Karl,” Otto told his man. “We get out of here. He now has the advantage and time is on his side.”

Karl was not particularly happy with that answer, “no, we have to finish the mission!”

“Fine,” Skorzeny told him as he was already headed for the back door, “you go to finish the mission. I’m going to live.”

Even after Skorzeny vanished, Karl remained. He almost followed the retreat but, then he heard someone moving around up stairs. Karl slapped the wall and grunted. Then he ran up the stairs. The blast that he tripped off, at the top of the staircase, left him blind, deaf, and stumbling down the hall. He was pretty sure he had dropped his weapon too but, he really didn’t care.

In between the drums beating in his head he also realized, he couldn’t go back. He was committed now. He went to a knee and pulled the Hitler Youth knife out of his boot. Except for the tears, his vision began to clear and, suddenly, he realized he caught a break. He could see the shadow of someone behind a door. The bottom crack was well lit and there was definitely someone moving behind it.

Karl quietly moved up to the door. He readied himself to bust it in. He reached out and gently touched the door handle. That’s when he saw wood chips, debris, and finally a fist that made contact with his nose. It was the final straw. The world went dark and Karl was laid out on the hall floor.

Wayne looked through the hole he had just put in the door. Once satisfied, he stepped out in the hall and kicked the knife out of the guys hand. Everyone else joined him from their respective doors and it was Cam who noted, “Skorzeny and his other guy just hauled ass out the back door.”

Ely pointed to the other side of the house, “we got cops and suits over there.” He then looked at the door with the hole it. Ely’s jaw dropped as he pointed too John Wayne. Ely finally managed to say, “did you really just punch that guy out through a door?”

All Wayne said in response was, “he had it coming.”

Cam patted Wayne on the shoulder, “no argument there Duke. Tell you what though, why don’t you go down and tell the cops what just happened. I’m sure they won’t shoot if they see you coming out the door first.”

“That’s a good idea,” Wayne said as he walked off for the stairs and was gone. Cam figured that the actors enthusiasm for the idea had more to do with him wanting to complain about monetary damages as soon as possible.

Now Cam had to do one last thing before he got out of here. Ness was, predictably, rolling the pockets of the unconscious German. He always said it was for clues but, Cam figured the guy had scored at least a years salary already. Of course, Cam did not care about that either.

Stepping behind Ness he said, “despite your obvious short comings, Ness. You did a good thing here. I’m sure it’ll put you right back in the headlines again.”

Ness never looked up from the wallet he was pilfering, “you think so?”

“Oh yeah,” Cam replied, “especially the way you got wounded and all.”

The Treasury Agent stopped what he was doing when he heard that. His head jerked up and he was about to say, “what do you mean wounded?” Cam’s Zat gun cut the conversation short and Ness fell unconscious right beside the German.

Ely was stunned, and a little afraid, “what did you do that for?!”

Cam did not bother to answer. He took his Thompson back from Ness and shoved it in the bag on Ely’s back. As he did he said, “there’s another staircase down there. We go out the servant’s entrance and, if we don’t see any cops, I won’t have to Zat anybody else. That means we move now before they cover this whole place.”