Back In Action

Chapter Thirty-Two

David looked toward the sounds of the voice and spotted Manny at the edge of the trees. He climbed down from the cab and quickly scanned the surroundings before he opened the rear doors. "Quickly five of you in here. Manny and Rick in the front."

He shook hands with each as they climbed in. "Quarter hour of bumpy going, then it smooths. We'll stop for lunch in half an hour." He closed the rear doors, started the engine again, climbed aboard and adjusted it, then shook hands with Rick and Manny.

As they drove down the slopes toward the lake, he had Manny describe the experience. "Marcel is a beaut. He and his sons are woodcutters, and they keep track on the movements of the Swiss patrols. Very easy route with an ace view of the Alps from up there. We've been here nearly a quarter hour. Great little hiding nook with a clear view of the approaches."

"So you watched me drive up, then?"

"We figured it was you heading up to the village."

"The van probably looks out of place, being so clean. I'll have to get it dirty for the next load."

"Next load? There are more of us?"

"Yes, but we'll discuss that later — once we've settled."

"This was a simple operation. An easy route. You going to do it with them?"

"Those were my thoughts. Anything you think could be changed with it to make it better?"

Manny laughed. "Cushions in the wood waggon. That's a rough road he brought us up yesterday. But, really, nothing that comes to mind."

"I'll have you write a report on it so we can give more information to those who follow. We had little knowledge of it to give you, so anything will be helpful."

They continued their conversation as David drove down the hill to the lake and followed the road beside its shore. "Back there, behind us along the lake, is Geneva, about fifteen miles. Did you see it from the ridge tops?"

"Very clearly. Wrapped around the end of the lake. Every time we ventured into a clearing to check the route forward, we had ace views."

"But you were able to remain in the trees for your entire route?"

"Yes, Sir. Only poked out to scout a few times."

"You still have the sir habit."

"Tough one to break with you, S..." Manny laughed. "See, told you it's tough."

Fifteen minutes later, David steered the van into the courtyard of Auberge de Perroy, set the brake and switched off the engine. "We'll have lunch here." He opened the door, climbed down and motioned to Manny and Rick to do the same.

He opened a rear door a bit and spoke quietly, "Wir sind in der Französisch Teil des Landes, aber auch Deutsch sprechen hier... We're in the French part of the country, but some also speak German here, which is what we'll use. Let's keep our conversations to a minimum and speak quietly. Remember, you're construction workers on your way home to Zürich from a project in Genf." He looked around. "Gut. Sie kommen... Good. Out you come."

A woman led the eight of them to a long table and pointed to the slates on the walls. "Les menus sont là. Voulez-vous les cartes?... The menus are there. Do you wish the cartes?"

David looked at the chalked menus, then replied, "Non, ça suffit... No, that will do." After the woman had left, David interpreted the items on the menus and described them for the others, then said, "I'm having the four Franc menu with the onion tart, the papet vaudois and the baked apple."