The Hydra Monster (11 page)

SENOR?

"Yes, he got me to a safe spot on shore, out of sight of the Vultures. I'd been knocked on the head, but I was awake by this time. Devil used liis teeth to rip open the stitched-up sack. I got hold of my knife and did the rest."

"Incredible, senor." Miranda looked from him to the resting wolf.

"How'd this wonder dog of yours know which lake to jump in?" Sumter wanted to know.

"Devil's also good at following a trail. He followed the. Vultures' trail from the morgue to the hike district. Fortunately, he reached there just as they threw me in."

"Fortunately," echoed Sumter.

The captain asked, "What of the Vultures, senor? Are any of them still there?"

"I'm afraid not. By the time I got myself free and returned to the house where I'd been questioned, it was empty," the Phantom told him.

"Did you learn anything while you were with them?"

"A few things," said the Phantom. "We can discuss them later. Nothing, I'm afraid, which will lead to the apprehension of the Vulture gang in the immediate future."

"Got the hint. You don't want one of America's leading journals listening in." Sumter drifted to the door. "I'll be on my way, Captain. Glad to see you back among the living, Walker. When you decide to tell all, keep me in mind."

"I will," said the Phantom.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Three fishing boats were coming in across the twilight harbor. Captain Miranda turned away from the panoramic window of the seaside restaurant. He refilled his wine glass from the bottle of local wine on the table, asking, "You're certain you won't join me, Senor Walker?"

"No, thanks," said the Phantom.

After an appreciative sip, the Police Captain said, "Now that we've enjoyed an ample dinner, perhaps you will tell me what else you know about these Vultures. I take it you were reluctant to discuss the matter further in front of Senor Sumter."

"Mis curiosity is a little excessive." "An American habit, is it not?" It could be simply that." "You don't trust him?"

"I'll reserve judgment until I know a little more about him."

After a bit more wine and a shrug, Miranda • lid, "So be it. Mow what of these scavengers?"

"They are, as I suspected, part of the Hydra organization," the Phantom said. "And the group responsible for the looting are known as Vultures. The cluster of shacks in the hills above the lake..."

"I sent three of my men out to investigate the locale, by the way, though it's not likely to produce much new information. But please continue, senor."

"At the shack, I met a thin man with a gaunt face in his early fifties. He refers to himself as V2."

"Indicating he's second in command?"

"That's the impression I got. The leader, and he may be the leader of the entire Hydra set up, is known simply as V."

"Do you think this V ... is he, too, in my country?"

"I have that impression."

"Then," said the captain, turning again to watch the darkening sea, "we might be able to put an end to the entire Hydra movement."

"Exactly what I'm aiming at."

"Do you have any suggestions for what they call in the United States a game plan?"

Grinning at the phrase, the Phantom replie "We might be able to anticipate them."

The captain tapped his finger against the ste of his glass. "By discovering some pattern to the raids?"

"Yes. You should be able to draw up a list of likely targets . . . other museums, banks and so forth which haven't been hit yet."

"I could," admitted Miranda. "But that list might include a good dozen or so possible loca tions, senor. With the country in such a state disorder, I can't spare the men for such an operation . . . and the army is in much the same position."

"Perhaps not enough men at each spot to appre hend the Vultures," said the Phantom. "Not enough to stand out in front of places and be shot down. But if you have, say, two dozen men who are good at keeping out of sight, and good tracking."

"You mean, station only two men at each target site and allow the Vultures to bring off their raid? asked Miranda. "Then follow them to their lair?

"Yes, it might work," the Phantom told him "Once your team gets a fix on the Vultures' current hideaway, they can radio in and you can send in more men."

Miranda grew thoughtful. "There's certainly some merit in your suggestion, Senor Walker," he said finally, "The thing is, I don't know if I can spare even twenty men for more than a few days

"A few days may be enough time."

"Very well, I'll draw up the list. Meet me in my

office tomorrow morning." Miranda refilled his glass.

Sumter was sitting on the edge of the desk table with the list in his hand. "Thorough, pretty complete."

The Phantom closed the door, crossed the room and took the list out of the reporter's hand. "I don't think Captain Miranda is ready to release this to the press."

"Excuse me. He stepped down the hall for a minute and I couldn't resist a peek."

Scanning the list, the Phantom said, "I don't want any of this to get out yet, Sumter."

The reporter smiled at him. "Carrying around a good ton of info in my head already," he said. "Stuff I'm not supposed to reveal. One more ounce won't bother me. So consider your deep dark secrets safe with Sumter."

"You're showing; considerable interest in the

Vultures," remarked the Phantom.

"Told you before, Walker, earthquakes make good copy, but they don't amount to much alongside a secret conspiracy," said Sumter. "People love to read about mysterious societies of criminals. If I can dig up enough material, I can get a book out of this, besides the
N
EWS
piece."

"Sounds like a valid motive."

"Speaking of motives, I'm still not very clear about yours."

"I told you as much about that as I'm going to."

"If you'd like to confide a little more in me,

Walker, I could make sure you'd get a nice play in my article. Some publicity wouldn't . .

Captain Miranda returned to his temporary office. "Good morning, Senor Walker, we're . . . Senor Sumter, I must ask you to leave us now."

The reporter hopped to the floor. "Okay, I'll go off and tap some other news sources. Good hunt-

E
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mg.

When the door closed on the reporter, the Federal Police Captain moved to his desk and picked up a pen. "While I was combing my hair, I thought of one more possible target for the Vultures. Ill add it to . . ."

The Phantom stayed his hand. "Don't write it down," he said. "And don't send any men there." "But why, senor?"

"Tell me what place you have in mind. I'll look after it."

"Very well," said Captain Miranda. "What makes you desire to take an active part in this operation?" "A hunch," the Phantom told him.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The city of Zurrapa was thirty miles inland and north of the port city of Lanza. Because of the fault pattern, Zurrapa had been much harder hit. AH its civic buildings, which had stood around the

plaza in the center of town, had now collapsed. Fissures cut across the plaza; palm trees lay on their sides, as though they'd been uprooted by a giant hand; a large pack of wild dogs, more than fifty of them, roamed the ruins of the square.

Most of the central core of Zurrapa had been evacuated. The buildings which hadn't toppled were leaning at odd angles, all out of kilter. The understaffed army had approximately two hundred men in the city. Only about fifty of the blue-uniformed soldiers were actually guarding anything. The rest, along with several hundred civilians, were in the rubble digging.out bodies. There was still a strong possibility of plague.

On the west side of the central area was a business district. Most of the buildings here had remained upright. It was here that Zurrapa's jewelry row was located. A line of ten shops, each dealing in retail and wholesale gems. The owners of the shops had had to vacate and leave much of their stock behind. The gems, mostly diamonds and rubies, were valued at over two million dollars. This was why a dozen armed soldiers patrolled the street which housed the jewel dealers' shops.

At twilight, three black shapes appeared over the tallest of the buildings. A harsh whirring filled the air. Then three dark helicopters, swaying, dropped down closer to the street.

Five of the soldiers aimed rifles at the lowering airships.

From one of the copters, cannisters began dropping. The black containers snapped open on hitting the paving stones, releasing wisps of a yellowish gas.

The rifles fell from the soldiers' hands. They began scratching at their throats, tearing at their tunics. Then they were lying sprawled on the street. In less than two minutes, eleven of them were down.

The twelfth man had run, trying to Keep ahead of the spreading yellow gas but it soon caught up with him, and yellow streamers tangled around him. He ran a few more wobbling paces before falling over into a stone bench.

The copters landed, waited for the gas to dissipate. Then black clad Vultures spewed out of the ships, armed and watchful.

"Too easy," said V306 when his booted foot hit the ground. "This is probably some kind of trap, too."

His companion said, "This is one target we know isn't on the police list. You can relax."

"Who can relax on one of these damn raids? I'm always waiting for some trigger-happy cop to pop out from behind a lamp post and start blasting away."

The two of them, along with three other Vultures, had been assigned the looting of the shop of Pieter, Goedewaagen, Diamond Merchant.

V306 tried the door. It was locked, so he smashed the glass out with the butt of his machine gun.

An alarm started to ring, but that didn't matter. The soldiers were in no condition to do anything, the Zurrapa police headquarters was now a heap of stone, wood and shattered glass two miles across town.

The five Vultures stormed into the diamond

shop.

It was the last time their comrades ever saw them.

The Phantom had arrived in Zurrapa slightly before noon that day. He had traveled alone from the port city, using a small minibus the Police Captain had loaned him. The military guards at the main entrance to town, after looking at the letter Captain Miranda provided him with, had passed him into the devastated city.

The only likely target for a Vulture raid which Miranda had failed to place on his original list was jewelry row here in Zurrapa. At the other dozen potential spots carefully selected police teams of two and three men had been stationed. The Phantom felt it would be worthwhile to keep an eye on this thirteenth target.

Traveling a roundabout route, because of the many impassable streets, he'd parked the minibus two blocks from the location he sought. Then, leaving his civilian clothes behind, he had moved through alleys and over rooftops, in his tight- fitting costume, to the street of the gem merchants.

He had let himself into one of the shops. So deftly had he accomplished this that the soldiers in the street were unaware he was waiting inside the shop of merchant Goedewaagen.

The jungle teaches many things, one of which is patience. The Phantom was able to remain for several hours in the back room of the gem store.

It was possible, he admitted to himself, the Vultures would not strike here today at all. He felt, though, that it was a likely spot.

When the day began to wane, the masked man heard the sound of helicopters dropping down through the darkening sky. "It may be a military patrol," he thought.

The soldiers outside began shouting to each other, running.

"Those copters aren't ours!"

"Must be scavengers!"

"It's the looters! It's the looters!"

"Get ready to fire!"

"Look out! They're dropping something!"

"Cannisters! It's gas! It's . . ."

The Phantom stayed in the back room of the diamond dealers. No gas penetrated into the store.

The whir of the Vulture helicopters grew louder and louder and then died. Booted feet began running on pavement.

The Phantom ran into the front of the shop and stationed himself next to the door. The heavy drapes on the shop windows hid him from view.