One-Way Ticket to Nowhere
Page 5
wearily, waiting for somesign. He heard Harror breathing loudly from the far corner. The blow onthe face must have dazed him.
Blake closed it slowly, listening to Harror. Waiting for him to strikeagain. Then two giant arms closed tightly around his chest, cutting offhis breath. He tried to shout, but his lips made no sound. He felthimself sinking toward the floor, Harror on top of him. Harror washolding on with all his strength.
Blake relaxed slowly, and his head fell to one side. He felt the griprelax just a trifle, and gathered all his remaining strength. With aterrific uppercut, Blake's arm shot upward, catching Harror squarely onthe chin. There was a sudden snap as the giant's head tipped back asthough unhinged. His arms relaxed and Blake fell away from him.
The Irishman had done his job well. The room was quiet.
Then: "Jeff, Jeff, are you all right."
Blake chuckled.
"I've got condensed ribs," he said. "But I think Harror will lie stillfor a while."
"Golly!" O'Toole sighed in relief. "You sure had a Goliath on yourhands. Wish I could have helped you."
"What became of those two guards," Jeff asked? "Seems to me they had youon the spot for a while."
"Aw!" O'Toole said. "I got hold of one of them fire guns and therewasn't anything to it."
Blake had reached the door to the outer cavern. He opened it a couple ofinches and looked out. The Silver Mask gang were still working on Mono6.
Even as he watched, a man detached himself from the gang at the far endof the train and came slowly toward the partially opened door. Blakejumped back and closed it tightly.
"Get two of these guards out of their uniforms," he said. "Make itquick. We've got more trouble coming."
* * * * *
A quick knock came on the door. Blake said, in a hard voice.
"Yeah! Who is it?"
"Slater," was the reply. "Tell the boss we got the train cleaned out.We're all ready to set it loose."
In the light of the open door, Blake looked at O'Toole. The Irishman wasalready in one of the Silver Mask uniforms. His face was hidden and helooked like one of the gang.
"Tell him the boss will be all set in a minute," Blake said. "I've gotto get into one of these outfits."
O'Toole flung the door open wider and pushed the bodies of the silentguards out of sight.
"We'll be out in a minute," he said to Slater. "Get her ready to roll."
"Yes sir," Slater answered him respectfully. "The cab is all fixed, andthe motors are turning. The hidden door has been opened so we bettermake it snappy."
O'Toole nodded.
"Okay," he said. "Make sure you don't leave anything on board that'suseful. And Slater...."
The man had turned. Now he hesitated and turned back.
"Yeah?"
"Harror is staying here," O'Toole said quickly. "He ain't feeling sogood. Says I'm to give the orders."
Slater laughed.
"That's a good one," he chuckled. "How long since that gorilla startedgiving orders around here."
Still laughing, he turned and went back toward the waiting masked men.
O'Toole closed the door and ripped the mask away.
"This is it," he said quickly. "I knew Wade was mixed up in thisbusiness. Harror isn't the real boss here."
Blake was half way into a uniform of the Silver Masks. He finished hisjob before answering. Then he spoke.
"I know you and Ferrell hate Wade's guts," he said slowly, "but...."
"It's not me so much," O'Toole protested. "Ferrell said long ago thatWade was in this mess. He didn't seem to get any action on the case. Nowwith the guy Slater saying Harror isn't the boss, there isn't any otheranswer."
* * * * *
"Sorry, O'Toole," Blake said. "I should be willing to admit that Wade'sour man. I don't know why I can't. It's just that blood is pretty thickstuff, I guess. It's hard to think your own brother would turn on youlike this."
O'Toole lowered his head.
"We've got to do something," he said quietly. "Those guys won't sit outthere waiting forever."
Blake stood up slowly.
"Supposing Wade isn't the chief," he asked. "What then?"
"They'll kill us all, just as they already plan to," O'Toole groaned."We might as well take a flying chance."
Blake shook his head.
"I've got a better idea," he said.
"Then spill it. We haven't much time."
"To begin with," Blake said. "If Wade was in this he'd have shown uphere long ago. The paper said he couldn't be located. I'd recognize mytwin even in one of these outfits."
O'Toole protested.
"Then who is the chief? He's here somewhere and Slater sure didn'tintend to take orders from Harror."
"He must be on the train," Blake answered.
"Now you're crazy," O'Toole answered savagely. "The people on Mono 6have been locked up for hours. If the leader of the Silver Masks wasamong them he'd have taken charge hours ago."
"Unless," Blake said thoughtfully, "he didn't want any of us to _know_he was the leader."
O'Toole pulled the mask down over his eyes.
"Let's get out of here," he said. "You've got something up your sleeveand I'll play the cards the way you want them."
"One more thing," Blake told him. "These men had to have a track to getMono 6 into this cave. When it goes out again we'll be on the sametrack, but it will end in a canyon or deep lake."
"Go on."
"Well! We've got to get started on that trip. After we are out you and Iwill have to take our chances of stopping the mono."
"And I thought Grudge Harror was a tough baby," O'Toole grinned.
* * * * *
"It isn't a matter of being tough," Blake said. "Can you handle theengine room alone?"
"Handled it for years," O'Toole said coolly. "But I'd like to know wherethat track ends."
"You will." Blake went toward the door. He gripped O'Toole's shoulder."You're a good Irishman, O'Toole. Now go out of here and straight to thecab. I don't think they'll dare send one of the other men. If thecontrols are tied into place, leave them alone. When I signal, set allmotors going full speed. Sit tight and keep her flying."
"And the end of the track?" O'Toole asked. "If I don't get shot in theback before I'm half way across the cave, how do I know when to stop?"
Blake chuckled dryly.
"Perhaps you won't," he admitted. "But I'll be in the rear lounge withevery male passenger within my sight. One of them is bound to break downwhen he knows he's at the end of the trail."
"So?"
"I'll jerk the emergency cord," Blake said. "Set your brakes the minuteyou hear it. O'Toole, it's a long chance but we've got to take it."
"One more thing," O'Toole asked. "Blake, who in hell is the leader ofthe Silver Masks?"
Blake hesitated, his face darkening. He opened the door and pushedO'Toole out gently.
"If I'm not mistaken," he whispered evenly, "Walter Ferrell knows moreabout this than he's telling."
* * * * *
The gang of Silver Masks were gathered around the front end of Mono 6 asHolly O'Toole and Jeff Blake emerged from Harror's office. They walkedswiftly toward the cab, and Slater who had evidently been waiting,stepped from the crowd and came toward them.
"How about it?" He addressed Holly O'Toole, as O'Toole seemed to beleading Blake. "Everything has been stripped from the baggage cars.She's ready for her trip into the lake."
"Okay!" O'Toole mumbled. He turned to Blake. "Take two men and get allthe passengers into the lounge car."
Blake's heart was pounding wildly. If O'Toole slipped now, they'd allpay for it. He turned toward the crowd of waiting masked men.
"Two of you guys step out," he ordered. "Open the doors and herd thosecattle into the last car back."
They obeyed him instantly. In five minutes every man and woman in theflyer were crowded into the ca
r with Walter Ferrell and Dauna. O'Toolehesitated, started to climb into the cab of Mono 6, and Slater stoppedhim.
Standing a few feet away, Blake heard them mumble