Mystery Of The Sea Horse (19 page)

"Very enterprising of you." The Phantom suddenly kicked out with one free foot. He aimed the toe of his boot at Danton's midsection.

But the handsome Danton had anticipated the kick by a few seconds. He swooped back out of reach, laughing. "Not quite good enough, Phantom." In the doorway, going out, he added, "You can begin counting the hours."

Hours later, light again sliced into his dark cell.

"I brought you something to eat, but you'll have to promise not to kick me or anything." It was the small red-haired Laura. She held a paper sack in her left hand, a thermos under her arm, and a .38 revolver in her other hand.

"Come on in," invited the Phantom. "I don't get many visitors in the brig."

"Chris doesn't really approve, but I told him it wouldn't do to have you die of starvation before he got around to killing you." She entered the cell, switched on the overhead lights with an elbow, and closed the door with her backside. "Do you like iced tea?"

"That would be fine."

"It's not poisoned or anything." Staying on the other side of the room from him, she placed the gun and the paper bag down for a moment. She then poured some tea from the thermos into its cup-lid. "I have to keep saying that because nobody quite trusts me anymore." Picking up the gun, she brought the cup toward him. "If you try anything, I'll have to shoot you." She pressed the gun to his stomach and the cup to his lips.

After he'd drunk the iced tea, the masked man said, "Thanks."

"Would you like a sandwich?"

"Nothing else, thanks."

"Not even a macaroon?" Laura backed away from him with the gun and the empty plastic cup. "I made them myself in the kitchen—galley rather. Baking cheers me up."

He said, "You looked somewhat unhappy last night."

"I was," she said. "I am. Listen, he hasn't got any mikes or other lands of bugs in here. I know that for a fact, so we can talk. I—"

"Getting tired of this set up?"

"Not exactly," she said. "Although, maybe the reason I didn't hit you and her the other night is because ... I don't know, I just don't want to kill anyone." She sighed, leaning back against the closed metal doors. "Listen, things were better all around before Chris met her. Better in a business sense, better between Chris and me and—well, just better."

"You'd like them to be that way again?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "I do know I want things to stop being like they are now. If I could help you get out of here—?"

"Can you?"

"Yes, I know where he keeps the spare keys to those things that have you clamped to the wall," she replied. "And I know where he put your automatics and gunbelt. If I ... if I could turn you loose, will you simply take her off the
Sea Horse
and away and leave Chris alone?"

"Yes," the Phantom promised, though he had no intention of keeping that promise. This didn't seem like the time to debate issues.

Laura nodded, more to herself than him. "Okay, I'll think about it." And she was gone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Laura handed him a seaman's outfit and said, "You'd better put these on."

Freed from the manacles, the Phantom was rubbing his wrists together, flexing his fingers, getting back control of his hands. "What about my guns?"

"You look like a Boy Scout trying to start a fire." She bent, straight-legged, and dived a hand into the plastic laundry basket she'd brought into his cell with her. "Here you are; I had them under the sailor outfit."

He took the wide black belt, and strapped it back round his waist. He had a little bit of trouble getting it buckled, but his hands were fast returning to normal. "Where's Danton right now?"

"He and Chuck and a few of the others are having dinner in the dining room off the galley. We won't have to pass that on our way upward," said the small red-haired girl.

"And Diana?"

"She's still in her cabin," said Laura. "Chris intended her to have dinner with him, but she, luckily for all concerned, turned down the invite. He didn't ask me."

The Phantom pulled the stiff white bellbottoms on over his costume. "Is Danton still planning to leave tonight?"

"I hope everything's the right size. I had to guess," she said, watching him shrug into the navy-blue jacket. "Yes, the
Sea Horse
... excuse it, were not supposed to be the
Sea Horse
any more. Our new gray yacht is going to pull out in less than two hours, which is why I decided I'd better hurry if I were going to spring you."

"I appreciate that." He reached under his jacket and drew an automatic out of its holster.

Laura kicked a foot at the basket on the metal cell floor. "Want a snack before you leave? I brought you a new sandwich and some donuts I made this afternoon."

"I wouldn't want to eat and run," he said, smiling. He pressed her arm, moved quietly to the cell door. "What about the key to Diana's cabin?"

"Oh, I forgot about her." Laura crossed and placed a gold key in his palm.

The Phantom looked down at her. "You sure you want to stay here?"

"I think so, yes," she answered. "And don't worry, Chris won't feed me to the sharks when he finds out what I've done."

If the Phantom had anything to say about it, Chris Danton would be in the hands of the authorities before many more hours had passed. He stepped out into the corridor now, scanned it in both directions, and headed for the metal stairway which would take him up to the main deck and Diana.

He had gone a half-dozen steps when the first of the explosions shook the
Sea Horse.

"Good lord!" Laura came running out of the cell into the corridor. "What's that?"

Another dull boom sounded.

The Phantom took hold of her arm. "Come on." He ran to the stairs, pushing her up ahead of him.

Down below, and behind them, doors were opening, men were shouting.

"What the hell's coming off here?" "It must be the engine room."

"How can that be?"

"Look, that's water coming in over there!"

"Water?" said Laura as she opened the door at the top of the stairs. "How can we have a sea disaster when we're not at sea?"

More men were scurrying along the deck. One was on the rail, contemplating diving off the
Sea Horse
and into the dark waters of the cavern.

There was a third explosion, stronger and more severe than the other two. The yacht reverberated in the water.

The Phantom left Laura standing, puzzled, amidst the confusion of the deck, and started for Diana's cabin. He inserted the gold key ill the lock, pushing the door open. "This is where we get off," he said.

Diana jumped up out of the chair she'd been sitting in. "Oh, Kit," she said, coming into his arms.

He hugged her, then eased her toward the door. "I want to get you safely up out of here and off the island. Then I'm coming back for Danton."

"The explosions," said the dark-haired girl. "What are they? Did you—?"

The Phantom guided her across the deck. "I don't know what's causing them," he told her. "Not me, anyway."

A passing crew member took time out from the pandemonium to realize who Diana was. "Wait, miss, you're not supposed to—"

The Phantom hit him twice and he dropped. "Just around this bend," he said to Diana, "and we'll reach the gangway."

They got there safely and made their way across to the cavern catwalk. The Phantom handed Diana one of his automatics. "Use that elevator over there," he instructed, "and get yourself topside. Wait for me in the house up there."

"Kit, what are you—?"

"I'm going back for Danton."

"Can't you forget just—?" She didn't finish her sentence. She had known the masked man long enough to realize he would not turn away from what he had vowed to do.

The Phantom raced back up the gangway. The giant
Sea Horse
was already starting to list slightly to starboard. He wasn't sure how long she'd stay afloat.

He heard Danton's voice, deep and booming, barking out orders.

Then he saw someone else. It was the tall smiling man he knew as Anderson. He was wearing a water-slick scuba outfit and stalking toward where Danton must be. Before the Phantom could catch up to him, he was lost around the side of a cabin. He heard two shots.

The masked man sprinted, moving with incredible speed, and in seconds he was looking on the scene.

Danton was standing on the deck near the starboard rail. Slumped on his knees and clutching at a bloody splotch on the chest of his white pullover was the blond Chuck Piper. And stalking toward them with his .32 revolver clutched in his right hand was Anderson. There was no one else around.

"My little diversion has succeeded in giving me a chance at you, Herr Langweil," said the smiling assassin.

"What did you do to my ship, you grinning fool?" cried Danton. "Some kind of plastic explosives placed against the hull, I imagine—but why?"

"First, the
Sea Horse,
Herr Langweil, then

you," Anderson told him. "And now that we've used your real name, let me tell you who I am. My real name is Neil Agron."

Danton looked at him blankly. "Yes?"

"It means nothing to you? And yet you killed my father—?"

The Phantom acted. He dived at the assassin, grabbed him from behind, and chopped the weapon from his hand. The pressure he exerted on the man's neck caused him to lose consciousness.

Letting him slump to the deck, the masked man reached for his remaining automatic.

"Thank you and good-bye." Danton laughed and vaulted over the rail toward the black water. Seconds later, there was a single enormous splash.

Without hesitating, the Phantom went after him.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The Phantom came to the surface of the cave lagoon. The dark surface of the water was illuminated by pale-blue light from far above. He did not see Danton anywhere.

There was much noise and frenzy on board the listing
Sea Horse,

But the Phantom's hearing was such that he could tune out distractions to concentrate on his quarry. He had done it often in the
Deep Woods.

Now he detected a faint splash from the direction of the camouflaged cave mouth. Silently, he sped through the cold water.

A faint metallic creaking came to his ears.

"He's got a way to get out through the gate," speculated the Phantom as he neared the blocked exit of the huge cavern.

He examined the metal fretwork and paneling. Its other side was coated with some kind of styro- foam rock, but back here, it was bare metal.