The Hydra Monster

by Lee Falk

  Devil got himself upright. Limping very slight- 83

  ly, he began running again, on the trail of the" ambulance that was carrying the Phantom away.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  "Nothing serious," said Sumter.

  Captain Miranda sat up. He had been sprawled out on a bed of scarlet flowers. "How'd you get here?"

  The young blond reporter grinned. "Came over to see what you and Walker might have learned from viewing the body."

  The captain noticed one of the white-coated, morgue doctors standing nearby. "What condition am I in?"

  "Nothing serious," said the thin, old doctor.

  "I'm glad to have two expert opinions." With an assist from Sumter he stood. Brushing flower petals from his uniform, he asked, "How is Senor Walker?"

  "Question should be," said Sumter, "where is he?"

  When Miranda glanced around, it made him momentarily dizzy. "He was knocked out before I was. He's not here now?"

  The old doctor said, "Those bandits in black carried him away over the wall."

  "Why would they want Walker?" The captain frowned at the courtyard wall.

  "Maybe they're curious about him," said the NEWS reporter. "The way I am."

  "It could be in the hope of ransom," murmured the old doctor.

  "Ransom is not the Vulture style." Miranda began to move slowly toward the morgue. "I suppose they also took the body of their fellow Vulture.

  "The body is no longer here," said the doctor.

  Scratching at his blond hair, Sumter said, "You've used the word vulture twice, Captain. Any particular reason?"

  "It's a name Senor Walker suggested."

  "Very poetic. Or does he have some other reason?"

  "He has a theory that . . . but that's not important right now. I've got to get to the phone." I le turned to the doctor. "Did you see what kind of vehicle they used?"

  "No, Captain. We were warned to stay inside until they were gone," replied the old man. "I'm truly sorry."

  "What about you, Senor Sumter? Surely you know something."

  The young reporter laughed. "Got here after the fun was over, Captain. All I saw was you flat on your back among the tulips."

  "Well, maybe we can get a lead by questioning the people who live around here." He hurried inside.

  There were a half dozen simple adobe houses with red tile roofs on the hillside above the lake. The Vultures had left their truck and ambulance off the winding hillside road. The two men who had shared the long, bumpy ride with the Phantom were carrying him uphill.

  V306 was working on a new cigar, letting the ashes drift down into the Phantom's face. "Pretty soon we're probably going to have to carry him all the way back down, to the lake."

  "You may have to carry V202 as well," said his companion who was holding onto the Phantom's legs. "So save your breath."

  When they reached the first house, the Vulture . in the lead knocked three times on the door.

  The door swung inward.

  The Phantom was tossed inside onto a dirt floor. The men who'd carried him there did not enter.

  "You may call me V2," announced a thin, nasal voice.

  Seated in a high-back wicker chair across the room Was a lean man of about fifty. He, too, was dressed all in black. Around his neck, on a silver chain, hung a medallion with the letter V and the silhouette of a swooping vulture embossed on it. At each side of the chair stood a burly young Vulture.

  "Only number two?" said the Phantom. "Don't I get to meet number one?"

  The lean man laughed. "It isn't necessary for V himself to see you."

  Working himself into a sitting position, the

  1'hantom looked at the man. "Does V rim Hydra

  US WELL?"

  "Ah, so you do know something about us. That's one of the things I wanted to find out before he allowed the sentence to trail off.

  "I understand you plan to drop me into the

  lake."

  "Some of our newer recruits talk too much,"said V2. "But, yes, as a matter of fact, you will he joining the late V202. He, poor lad, is being disposed of at this very moment. Sinking to the bottom of the lake in a sack filled with rocks shouldn't bother him much. Our lake, is named Lake LaPaz, by the way. That means it's peaceful. I'm sure you'll find it so."

  "You haven't answered my question about V," the Phantom reminded him.

  "I see no harm in telling you, since this is your last day among the living, that we are part of the great Hydra organization," replied the lean V2. "An organization which grows more powerful with each passing hour."

  "What caused you to revive Hydra, and the Vultures?"

  The lean man left his chair. "You are familiar with some of. our history, are you?" He came nearer to the bound Phantom. "Hydra has never really died, my friend. No, not since it began many long centuries ago."

  "That's not the way I heard it."

  "I will admit Hydra fell on bad days in the 19th Century," continued V2. "However, it never completely died. For even though most of its leaders were caught and unjustly killed, many of their sons lived. Those sons had sons. While they carried on no direct activities for many decades, they still kept the flame of Hydra alive my friend. Finally, when there were "enough good strong men to rule Hydra, it emerged again. We the Vulture wing, are a part of the glorious rebirth."

  The Phantom asked, "Are you one of those who descends from the earlier Hydra members?"

  "Proudly," answered V2 in a louder voice, am able to say I am indeed. My family has been associated with Hydra for over two hundred years."

  "A long time to be crooks."

  V2 laughed. "And what of you, Mr. Walker? What is your interest in our organization?"

  "I came here to find Hydra and destroy it."

  Toying with his vulture medallion, the lean man said, "Things haven't quite turned out as you planned then, have they? It is we who will destroy you"

  "Perhaps," said the Phantom.

  "Who do you represent, Walker . . . Interpol, the CIA, who?"

  "I'm self-employed."

  "Then what is your motive for seeking us out?"

  "Let's say I have family reasons."

  V2's eyebrows rose. "Of course, that must be it." He gestured at his two minions, asking them, "Do you realize who this man must be?"

  "Huh?" said one of them.

  "You really must learn to pay attention, V196."

  Chuckling, V2 circled the Phantom. "Yes, I've read of your family in the chronicles of my ancestors, Mr. Walker. You might say there is a longstanding feud between your family and Hydra." He leaned his face close to the Phantom's. "For you are indeed the Phantom, aren't you?"

  The Phantom did not reply.

  "You needn't answer," said V2. "I'm certain I've guessed correctly. This will cause V to be quite elated, to know that after so many long centuries the struggle between Hydra and the Phantom is at long last at an end. Yes, at an end, with Hydra victorious." He laughed once again, long and loud.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  A light wind was blowing down through the brown hills and across the waters of the lake.

  V306 struck a wood match into flame on the sole of his black boot. After lighting a fresh cigar, he bent and picked up his end of the burlap sack. "This guy was heavy enough before," he complained. "Now with these rocks . . ."

  His companion merely grunted, hefting up the other end of the sack.

  "Suppose he starts struggling to get out of this

  bag?" asked the cigar smoker.

  "He has been rendered unconscious," said V2 from the doorway of the small adobe house. "Now stop grumbling and get down to the water. We've got to be up and moving." -

  When they had the unconscious Phantom some distance downhill, V306 said, "Are we moving our hideout again?"

  "You know Vulture policy as well as I do," answered the other black-clad Vulture. "We never stay in one place for more than a few days."

  "Seems like a lot of wasted motion. Nobody's likely to f
ind us here. This Walker guy isn't going to give anybody our address from the bottom of Lake LaPaz."

  "The reason we've been successful is because we have a system, a system that works."

  They reached the gritty shore of the lake. A rowboat was beached there. Straining, the two men tossed the sack into the prow of the boat.

  "If we're so successful, you'd think we could afford a motor boat," remarked V306 as they pushed the boat into the water.

  "I'll row," offered his companion.

  The pair of Vultures climbed into the little craft.

  When it was a half-mile from shore, they stopped.

  They lifted up the sack holding the Phantom. Struggling with the weight, they heaved it over the side.

  The Phantom's unconscious body, sewn up in

  a sack weighed with heavy stones, entered the water with an enormous splash.

  "Sinking straight down," observed V306.

  His companion rowed them quickly back to

  shore.

  Captain Miranda wandered around the large dining room he was using as an office. Dusk was touching the leaded windows. He turned on various lamps. Stopping at the gilt-framed mirror, lie studied his hair. He wasn't concerned about (he injury of this afternoon, but he wanted to make sure all he'd suffered through hadn't put more grey hairs in his head. Yes, that looked like a new one. If only the lights weren't so dim, he might be..."

  "Interrupting anything?"

  The tall police captain straightened his shoulders. "You were just learning to knock very nicely, Senor Sumter."

  "Sorry," said the blond reporter. "Shall I go out and come in again?"

  "That won't be necessary."

  "Anything new on the Walker kidnapping?"

  Miranda moved behind the big table desk. "You know we located three witnesses who saw Senor Walker and the dead Vulture loaded into an ambulance behind the mortuary building."

  "Yeah. Any leads after that?"

  "We've found the ambulance."

  "You don't say that with much enthusiasm."

  "The vehicle was abandoned a few miles outside the city. We found it a half hour ago."

  "Didn't give you anything to go on?"

  "It appears to be an ambulance stolen from the Sisters of Mercy Hospital last week. Nothin about it, at least nothing our preliminary check turned up, to indicate where they took, Walker."

  "No ransom requests?"

  Miranda shook his head. "I don't believe there will be."

  "Neither do I." Sumter slouched into the ornate chair and sat with his legs over one arm of the chair. "I hate to say it, but I think he's dead."

  "It's possible. The Vultures aren't noted for gentleness and restraint."

  "Exasperating," the reporter said. "They may have dumped him off in the wilds somewhere, in some remote canyon or at the bottom of a river. We may never find out what . . ." Sumter's feet swung round and he popped up out of his chair.

  "Good evening, captain," said the Phantom as he crossed the office. "Hello, Sumter."

  Devil, looking somewhat damp, followed his master into the room. He eyed the other two men before settling in front of the wall heating unit.

  "I would have been here sooner," said the Phantom. "Unfortunately, I had to stop at my hotel to change."

  Sumter swallowed. "Where the heck have you been?"

  "Most recently," replied the Phantom, "at the bottom of Lake LaPaz."

  "Perhaps you will explain," suggested Captain Miranda. He sat down.

  "The Vultures tied me up, put me inside a gunny sack with a load of rocks," said the Phantom. "Then they dropped me overboard into the lake"

  "How did you ... ?"

  Smiling in the direction of Devil, the Phantom said, "I had a helper."

  "You mean," asked Sumter, "that dog, or wolf, or whatever, saved you?"

  "A long time ago, I trained Devil to meet every I kInd of emergency," the Phantom said. "He's very expert at life-saving."

  "He was able to pull you out of, the water,

  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 t
racking."

  "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."