Killer's Town (9 page)

The two men separated, moving cautiously through the dark. Above in her cage, Caroline looked down, wondering about the stealthy figures, wondered if she'd ever get out of this cage and this town. She'd been in it all day. It was inhuman. Yet she dreaded the moment they'd take her out There was a sharp yell from the alley at the side. She strained her eyes, but could see nothing. What was going on in this town of terror?

As Greasy moved slowly in the dark alley, straining his eyes to see ahead, he held the blackjack in position, ready to strike at the first shadow. But a shadow struck first. A fist whipped out of the darkness, hitting him flush on the jaw. He had only an instant to react and let out a terrified yelp. Then he dropped heavily to the ground. Gutsy had just turned the other corner when he heard the sound, as if a hound dog had had someone step on his paw. Was that Greasy? Gutsy raced around to the alley clutching a lead pipe, and saw a figure on the ground. He rushed to it bending down for a closer look. It was Greasy.

"Greasy," he started to say. But that was all as he suddenly passed into oblivion. Something hit him from the side with the force of a sledge hammer. He didn't even have time to yelp. Still wearing his hat, topcoat, and sunglasses, the Phantom bent over Gutsy, picked him up, and moved out of the alley with him over his shoulder. Light from the bar and casino came through the windows with music, excited laughter, and shouts. The Phantom, carrying the man over his shoulders, paused at the corner of the building. There was a heavy trellis there he'd noticed earlier. He started up the trellis with his load. In her cage, Caroline watched wide-eyed as the climbing man materialized out of the darkness. She gasped.

"Shh," he hissed as he came nearer.

In the casino, Koy sat at the bar and watched Pretty at the dice table. The crazy kid was having a run of lipk, and two of the "ladies" were draped around him, helping him rake in the money. Koy scowled. If the mad dog had enough sense to quit, he'd be way ahead. But that type never quit. And when he lost, as he must, he'd start to boil and make trouble. That one was bound to make trouble sooner or later. He'd be ready for him. Eagle walked by. Koy gestured to him.

"They find that stranger yet?"

"I'll see if they're in your office. Should be by now."

Eagle left, then returned. "No sign of them."

"Send Fats and Sport out to find them," snarled Koy.

Fats and Sports were in the middle of a double sirloin in the dining room and wanted to finish that first, but Eagle sent them out, angry and grumbling.

"Cook'11 keep the sirloin warm. Find those guys."

They found Greasy in the alley, out cold. They looked at his face in the light coming from the casino window.

"What's that on his face?"

"I dunno. Get Eagle."

Eagle came out, had a look, then rushed back for Koy to tell him about Greasy. Moogar, the black hoodlum, was at the bar getting drinks and caught something of Eagle's report. He followed them into the alley. Koy bent over the recumbent figure.

"Is he dead?"

"No. Knocked out, like he was hit with a brick."

"What's that on his jaw? Some kinda mark. Did he have that before?"

"No. Not that. Looks like—here, light a match, have
a
good look."

"Jeez, looks like a skull."

"Yeah, a death's head."

Moogar, still holding the two drinks, took a quick look, then pressed back against the wall, his eyes wide.

"Listen, you know what that is?" he said.

"You keep quiet about this. Where's the other one, Gutsy? Maybe he did this."

"Why would he? They're pals."

"Anyhow, that mark "

"Will you listen, you guys," said Moogar. "That mark "

"Keep out of this and keep your trap shut," said Koy angrily to Moogar. He'd seen the black man with Pretty—the two were buddies. That was enough to put Moogar in Koy's bad book. Sport and Fats had circied the inn, and found nothing.

"How about the girl up there in the cage? She might have seen something."

They looked up at the cage. The shape inside was vague against the dark sky.

"Go up and get her and bring her to my office. I'll talk to her," said Koy, suddenly remembering the trim beauty of the Colonel's red-haired daughter. Fats and Sport grinned and went inside the inn.

"Eagle, get some of the other boys, Scarface and Slim, to look for that guy Gutsy. I think he's playing games."

"Yeah, but how about the guy they were supposed to find with the sunglasses?"

"Yeah, find Mm too," said Koy, now eager to see the young girl in his office. As he started into the inn, he heard a voice from above. Fats and Sport had gone up to the top floor and pulled the cage near the window.

"Hey, boss," said Fats.

"What?" said Koy, looking up.

"Come up here."

"What do you mean, come up there? I told you, bring her to my office."

"She's not here."

"What do you mean, she's not there?"

"Come up, see," said Fats, and there was an edge of panic in his voice. Koy raced into the inn, up the stairs. What could have happened? Was the girl dead? Had some kook gotten into the cage, assaulted, and killed tier before he, Killer, could get hold of her, ruining his own plans for her?

Furious, he went up the stairs, three at a time. Moogar followed. Reaching the top-floor window, Koy peered out Fats and Sport had pulled the cage in. There was a body on the floor of the cage. Not the girl. A man.

"Who in hell is that?" said Koy.

"It's Gutsy."

"How in hell did he get in the cage?"

"I dunno. Maybe he came up after the girl."

"Then where's the girl?"

"I dunno."

"What happened to Gutsy?"

"He got slugged. Out cold, just like Greasy."

"The girl couldn't do that."

"No. Like Greasy—see his jaw?"

Sport had a flashlight. The beam was on the escaped lifer's jaw. The same mark as on Greasy. The Death's Head.

"I told you, you fools. You wouldn't listen. That's the Sign of the Skull—the Phantom! He's here!" shouted Moogar, his eyes wide with terror.

While Koy and his men were looking at Gutsy in the cage, the Phantom and Caroline were lying flat on the sloping tile roof, only a few yards away in the darkness. They clung to the peak of the roof, side by side, and could hear the voices of the men. Caroline began to tremble. Her arms ached.

"Oh," she sighed.

"Shh," warned her unknown companion.

"I'm slipping," she whispered, feeling weak and dizzy.

The ground was four stories below. The tiles were slippery. Her fingers and hands were numb. She clung with all her strength, but felt her fingers starting to lose their grip.

"Help me," she whispered in sudden panic but before she'd finished the brief sentence, a strong arm grasped her back, holding her firmly against the roof. She sighed, feeling secure and safe. The arm was like iron. Her cheek was against the cool tile, but she could hear the men's voices, so near, getting louder, angrier.

"Who's playing games here?" said Koy. That cage was locked. I had the only key—"

Sport turned his flashlight on the lock. They stared: It was obvious what had happened. The heavy iron lock had been twisted off as though it were tin foil, as if by a giant hand. And on the lock—that mark again—the skull!

"Like I told you, it's the Phantom's mark," said Moogar.

"Will you shut up that talk about phantoms, you loony!" shouted Koy, hitting him hard with the back of his hand. Moogar fell against the window.

"Get Gutsy outa that cage. Bring him to. Find out what happened to him," said Koy.

"What about the girl?" said Fats.

"What about her, you stupid tub of lard? Find her. Find that guy with the sunglasses," shouted Koy. A few men had gathered below in the street. Word had gotten around about the cage. Pretty was down there with Frenchy and Dutch, and the rest.

"Hey, Moogar," yelled Pretty. "What's going on up there?"

Moogar leaned out of the window, nursing his jaw where Koy had hit him.

"Girl's gone. Phantom did it. Phantom's here," he shouted.

"What?"

Koy slammed Moogar against the wall, his heavy hands ut his throat.

"Any more of that jungle rot out of you, and you're a dead duck. You got that?"

Moogar choked and nodded. Koy banged his head against the wall, then turned away from him.

"Watch that dumb idiot," he said to Sport. "If he makes any trouble, finish him." The men left the room carrying Gutsy. Moogar looked again at the Skull Mark on the lock, then followed. No question about it. That was the mark. The Phantom was somewhere nearby.

The casino and bar were empty now. Men were milling around in the big lobby, aware that Greasy and Gutsy had been laid out by somebody. But who?

As they descended the stairs to the office, carrying the heavy Gutsy, Koy gave his orders to Eagle.

"Get all our guys out with guns to find the girl and the guy with sunglasses. How far can they get?"

"How about all the rest of the guys?"

"Keep them in the bar and casino. We don't need them, we need their dough," said Koy.

But when they reached the lobby, it was filled with men from the bar and casino. They were buzzing with the mystery of the girl and the cage.

"Hey, Koy, where's the redhead?" yelled Pretty.

"None of your business," said Koy. "Now all of you guys get back to the bar and casino and have fun. This is nothing to bother anybody."

All watched as Gutsy was carried down the stairs into Koy's office.

"Yeah? Who laid him out?" said Pretty.

"I told you, none of your business," snapped Koy. "Maybe it is our business if somebody's taking potshots at the guys," said Finger. "We're paying for protection here."

"Right! Paying and paying!" yelled Frenchy.

"You can say that again," said Ossie.

Koy looked around. He was facing a possible riot, but his own men were in the doorways with rifles now—Fats, Sport, Banana, Scarface, Slim, and Spaghetti.

"You got protection. Any complaints?" he said, and his

men raised their rifles. Frenchy, Ossie, Fingers, and the others looked at each other.

"Okay, Koy," said Fingers. "What do you want us to do?"

"Nothing. Go back to the bar and casino. Enjoy yourselves."

"Sure, lose your money to Roy's crooked table," said Pretty. Koy glared at the smiling "mad dog." He was asking for it. Then Moogar stepped up and took Pretty's arm.

"Come, kid," he said. "Like he said, have fun. While you can."

"What do you mean by that?"

Til tell you," said Moogar, pulling him away.

The men drifted back into the bar and casino. Koy's riflemen moved into the street, searching dark corners for the girl and the man with sunglasses.

On the roof, the Phantom had pulled the girl up so that they were now straddling the apex. There were no lights near them; they could not be seen from below.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

"A friend of your father's," he whispered back.

"Are you in the Patrol?"

"In a way."

He turned away from her as he removed his hat and sunglasses. When he turned back, she was amazed to see that his head was hooded and his eyes masked. She gasped.

"Are you a thief?"

"No. Shh." He pointed down.

Below they could see Koy's men with rifles, moving through the dimly lighted street. Now she watched as he removed his scarf and topcoat, folding them and laying them over the apex of the roof. Then he wiggled slightly, removing his trousers. She stared. In the semi-darkness, she could see a powerful form, clad in a skintight dark costume and boots. Guns on either hip were in holsters hanging from
a
broad gunbelt. There was an insignia on the belt, but she couldn't make it out. It was all so weird. Who was this man? Did her father have friends who wore masks? In spite of everything, she began to giggle. He quickly covered her mouth with a big hand.

"Shh," he said.

"Sorry," she whispered. "It's all so strange up here with you."

He nodded, then took her arm. They started to work their way across the roof, then suddenly stopped. He point- cd down. Two of the riflemen were moving in the dark alley just below them. The masked man held her until the riflemen were gone.