18 Biggles In Spain

by Captain W E Johns

  out that way. They'll be watching it, but you may get through. I couldn't. It would be hopeless. Don't move yet. I'm going out of the front door. They'll rush me then. That's your chance to go out the back way. Got that ?'

  'Quite clear.'

  'Good! But don't think I'm exaggerating. My chances of getting out of here alive are about one in a hundred. Yours are one in ten. They'll kill you without the slightest compunction if they think you're with me. I don't know what you're doing here, but it doesn't matter. Make for London. If you get there, tell them what happened.'

  From outside came again the wheezing cough. 'That's Goudini,' said Frazer.

  Ginger stole a glance at the man whom by this time he realized was a British Secret Service agent. There was nothing in his manner now to show that anything unusual was happening. He was leaning back, smoking a cigarette contentedly, his eyes on the ceiling.

  'All set ?' he inquired casually.

  'All set,' returned Biggles softly. Then to the others, 'You've heard what has been said.

  Stand by.'

  'Here comes the letter,' said Frazer, and took out his cigarette case. There was a clang of metal as he dropped it on the floor. Several cigarettes fell out. His foot jerked, and a small manilla-coloured envelope skimmed across the sawdust.

  Then he picked up the loose cigarettes, and laying his case open on the table, proceeded to put the cigarettes back into it.

  Biggles's foot was already resting on the envelope. He took out a hundred-peseta note and laid it on the table ; then he coughed, and the slight draught carried it to the floor.

  Stooping, he picked it up, and the envelope with it. Then he walked slowly up to the bar and paid his bill.

  Frazer was also on his feet, moving slowly towards the door. 'Cheerio,' he said quietly.

  `Cheerio,' answered Biggles, and turned to the lavabo.

  The others followed close behind.

  CHAPTER IV

  UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS

  As the door swung to behind them Biggles whirled round on the others. 'Trust us to walk into something like this,' he said grimly. 'Still, there it is. You know what we've got to do.

  The letter comes first. It's in my breast pocket. If anything happens to me, get the letter at any cost and go on with it. That's all. Come on.'

  As Frazer had said, a narrow corridor appeared in front of them, and down this Biggles strode. Before he had reached the door which faced them at the end, however, there came the crash of a pistol shot, followed by two more in swift succession. Biggles did not stop. 'I reckon they've got Frazer,' he said simply, and pushed open the door.

  An old woman looked over her shoulder from a pan in which she was cooking something, and greeted them with a stream of Spanish. Biggles took no notice, but crossing the kitchen, heavy with the smell of garlic, he opened the door on the far side, and looked out. The narrow street into which it opened appeared to be deserted, but two shadows that faded quickly into a doorway gave the lie to this illusion.

  `They're outside, waiting,' he flung over his shoulder to the others. 'Oh, be quiet, woman,'

  he said angrily to the old dame who was still assailing them with what sounded like a stream of protest. `Come on,' he said quickly to the others. 'We shall have to put a bold front on it, and try to bluff our way through. We can't stay here.' With that, he stepped out into the street, the others at his heels. The old woman slammed the door behind them.

  Biggles was not in the least concerned with the old woman. He was far more anxious about the three men who appeared suddenly in the road about ten yards farther along.

  Looking the other way, he gave an exclamation of warning as two more men stepped out of a doorway and hurried towards them. 'Looks as if we're in for a rough house,' he said quietly.

  Ginger, conscious of a feeling of helplessness, looked about for a weapon, even if it were only a stone. But there was nothing. 'Let 's rush 'em,' he suggested crisply.

  Biggles hesitated, as well he might. Had he been able to speak Spanish he would have felt better equipped for what he knew was coming, and in his impotence he muttered something to that effect. `Take it quietly until they show their hand,' he ordered, and took a pace towards the men now closing in on them.

  At that moment a new and unexpected development occurred. A saloon motor-car swung round a corner about fifty yards away, and with a screech of its electric horn, bore down on the men in a manner which at once made it clear that if they did not get out of the way the driver would run over them.

  It did not cross Biggles's mind that the car was associated with their own affair. There was little or no reason why it should. He, like the men in front of him, stepped back against the wall of the nearest house, for in the narrow street there was little margin of safety. He was not a little astounded, therefore, when he saw the door of the car swing open, although the car did not stop. He was completely taken aback when, as the car drew level, a voice yelled, in English, 'Get in!' That was all, but the desperate urgency in the speaker's tone of voice said volumes.

  Biggles did not hesitate. He realized that he might be stepping into a trap, but there was no time for consideration. No situation could have been more dangerous than the one they were already in, so he jumped, literally, at the opportunity offered for escape.

  Being nearest, he flung open the rear door for the others before diving into the seat beside the driver. Algy and Ginger flung themselves pell-mell into the back seat—no easy matter, for the car had started to accelerate the moment Biggles was inside it. They fell in a heap on the floor, which may have been just as well, for several shots rang out.

  There was a crash of glass and splintering woodwork.

  A man grabbed at the front door, which was still swinging open, but Biggles's foot shot out,

  and catching the man in the stomach, sent him flying. Yells mingled with more shots.

  There was a hiss of escaping air and a wheel bumped crazily on its rim, but the driver did not stop. Still on the floor, Algy tried to reach the rear door to close it, but with a fearful crash it struck a lamp-post, and he nearly lost his fingers as the door came to with a bang that shattered the window. Then the car swung into a broad, well-lighted thoroughfare, and in a moment the scene was changed.

  Biggles managed to reach the door beside him and close it. Then, for the first time, he looked at the man who had rescued them, and who was gazing ahead with a fixed expression as he picked his way through the traffic.

  His serenity told Biggles nothing beyond the fact that he was middle-aged, and clearly a foreigner, although to what nationality he belonged he could not even guess. He was well-dressed in a dark suit, and wore a black Homburg hat above what was undoubtedly a good-looking face. A carefully trimmed black moustache adorned his upper lip. But still he did not speak, nor did he, in fact, take the slightest notice of the men whom he had picked up in such alarming circumstances. They might not have been there for all the attention he gave them.

  Biggles opened the conversation—or rather, he tried to. 'Thanks,' he said. 'You arrived at what I believe is known as the crucial moment.'

  `Don't mention it,' replied the man without tak-

  ing his eyes off the road. His English was perfect, but there was just a suspicion of accent which told Biggles that he had not been mistaken in his opinion that the man was a foreigner.

  `How did you know we were in a jam ?' inquired Biggles, really in the hope of finding out something about the man and the new circumstances in which they now found themselves.

  Ìt's my business to know,' was all the answer he got.

  Biggles shrugged his shoulders at this uncompromising announcement. 'Where are we bound for ?' he next inquired.

  `You'll see.'

  After that Biggles gave it up. It was clear that their benefactor did not intend to talk.

  `You all right in the back ?' Biggles asked, looking over his shoulder.

  `Very comfortable, thank you,' replied Algy, who, with Ginger, was no
w sitting on the seat. `You might ask the gentleman next to you how far he is going,' he went on. 'You might point out to him, too, that our clothes are wet and we should very much like to dry them.'

  `The gentleman in front does not appear to be very communicative,' replied Biggles gravely, with a faint suspicion of sarcasm in his voice. 'He has no doubt decided where he is going to take us.'

  If the driver noticed the sarcasm he gave no indication of it. He drove on, not very fast on account of the punctured tyre, picking his way carefully through pedestrians, who were chiefly soldiers and girls, and other traffic. Several times he had almost to stop as he rounded bomb craters, or piles of fallen brickwork and other debris. Presently, however, he turned out of the boulevard into what was clearly a residential quarter of the city, for tall, well-built houses could be seen through a leafy screen of oleander trees that formed an avenue. An occasional palm reared its graceful fronds from the front garden of a house.

  They passed through several similar avenues, and after a drive lasting about twenty minutes the car approached another well-lighted rambla along which a stream of traffic was passing. There was surprisingly little to show that the country was in the throes of civil war, was the thought passing through Biggles's mind as the car pulled up in front of the portico of what appeared to be a large private hotel.

  The driver opened the window and looked round carefully before opening the door and stepping out. `Come on,' he said in a peremptory voice.

  `You know where we are—I don't,' murmured Biggles as he followed him on to the pavement.

  The others got out and followed their mysterious driver who, after a nod to a uniformed porter, entered the hotel, leaving the car where it stood. They crossed a small palm lounge and came to a halt before an elevator.

  Biggles was rather in a quandary. He was by no means happy at thus blindly following a man whom he did not know, nor did he intend doing so much longer without some sort of explanation. But in the circumstances he felt that, as the man had undoubtedly rescued them from a very serious predicament, he could not very well be churlish. As he reasoned it out, too, he felt that the man must be a friend or he would not have taken the risks he had, risks that had involved the partial destruction of an expensive motor-car.

  Nevertheless, while they were waiting for the lift, Biggles took the opportunity of pressing his inquiries a little closer. 'Look here,' he said quietly, addressing the stranger, '

  this is all very well, but what's the idea ? Naturally, we are very much obliged to you for getting us out of a scrape, but even so we have some right to know just who and what you are—that is, if you expect us to take orders from you.'

  `You'll understand when we get upstairs,' answered the man shortly.

  `Well, having come so far we may as well go the rest of the way, since we appear to be near the end of the journey,' returned Biggles.

  At that moment the lift appeared. Without speaking, they all got into it. Biggles noticed that it stopped at the fourth floor.

  The stranger led the way for a short distance down a corridor ; then, taking a key from his pocket,

  he opened a door and, switching on the electric light, invited the others to enter.

  Biggles glanced around swiftly. There was nobody in the room, which was comfortably furnished as a bed-sitting room, so he walked in. The others followed and stood beside him.

  The stranger closed the door quietly and then turned an expressionless face to the three airmen. He put his hand in his pocket, and before a suspicion of his intention crossed their minds, they found themselves staring blankly into the muzzle of an automatic pistol.

  The stranger fixed a pair of unsmiling eyes on Biggles's face. 'Give me that envelope,' he said.

  CHAPTER V

  GOUDINI AGAIN

  SILENCE followed this unexpected order.

  Biggles was as much taken aback as the others. Whatever he had expected—and he was prepared for almost anything—it was certainly not this. He could not reconcile it with the mysterious stranger's previous actions. In fact, he had not even considered the possibility of the man knowing that he had the document. How did he know ? he asked himself, for Frazer had passed the envelope so adroitly that nobody except he and those to whom he had passed it could have been aware of the transaction. It was impossible that Frazer had told the man what he was going to do before he entered the Casa Reposada, because he, Frazer, judging by his subsequent actions, did not know that Biggles was in Barcelona until he saw him in the bar. Once inside the room, he had not left it until he had departed for the last time. Biggles took into account the possibility of Frazer surviving long enough after he had been shot—if, indeed, he had been shot—to pass the information on, but the chances against this were so remote that they were barely worth consideration.

  `Come on; pass it over,' said the man again impatiently.

  But Biggles was not prepared to capitulate so

  readily, or even to admit that he had the document. 'Envelope ?' he questioned, putting on a blank look. 'What do you mean—envelope ?'

  Ì saw Frazer kick it across the floor to you,' was the cool reply.

  This ready answer shook even Biggles's composure, but it explained much. He perceived that if the man had actually witnessed the transfer of the envelope, and this was no longer in doubt, further denial would serve no useful purpose. 'I see,' he said softly. 'Where were you ?'

  `Where I could see, of course,' was the evasive answer. 'I didn't trail Frazer all the way from Rome to Barcelona to lose sight of him at the end of it.'

  Àre you a friend or an enemy ?' asked Biggles wonderingly, for there was still much that he did not understand.

  `Neither—or both, whichever suits my book,' was the curious reply, spoken curtly.

  Biggles nodded gently. 'You—work for yourself ?'

  Ìt's time you knew that, if you're in the business.'

  Biggles smiled faintly. 'That 's just it. I'm not in the business,' he said quietly.

  `From the way you acted to-night it doesn't look that way to me '

  `Maybe not, but it's true.'

  `How did you come into this?'

  `By accident,' admitted Biggles frankly.

  `Some people might believe that—but not me,' sneered the other. 'Try it on Goudini and see how it works. He'll be combing the city for us by this time. But come on, we've stood here talking long enough. I don't want to shoot you unless you make me, but I've got to get away, and when I go I'm taking the paper with me. Pass it over!' The stranger jerked up the muzzle of his weapon threateningly.

  Biggles could see no alternative but to comply. That the man knew that he had the letter was certain. To resist would mean that they would probably all lose their lives to no purpose, for the man would take the letter, anyway. So, reluctantly, he put his hand in his pocket.

  At that moment the light went out.

  The stranger choked a curse. Then his voice came from somewhere near the door. 'Keep still!' he snapped viciously. 'If I hear a sound I shall fire at it.'

  Before the man had finished speaking, Biggles, from the crouching position on the floor to which he had dropped the instant the light went out, guessed the reason for the sudden darkness.

  From outside came the distant wail of sirens, and, nearer at hand, shouts of alarm and warning. A steady drone of aero engines became audible. General Franco's bombers were making another raid.

  It was an extraordinary situation. Biggles, realizing the folly of such a move, had no intention of trying to reach the man, whom he could visualize standing with his back to the door and his finger on the trigger of the pistol, for to do so without being heard was out of the question. Movement in that direction would, he knew, invite disaster, for there was no doubt in his mind that the stranger would shoot on the slightest provocation. Yet he felt that this providential opportunity to do something should not be allowed to pass without an attempt being made to take advantage of it. As he entered the room he had noticed a door on the
left-hand side of it. It was not, he thought, a sitting-room, or the room in which he now crouched would not have been furnished as it was. Nor did he think that it could be another exit to the corridor. He suspected that it was either a large wardrobe cupboard or a bathroom. He decided to find out.

  But at his first movement the stranger's voice came warningly. 'Keep still!'

  Biggles obeyed. It was, he found, impossible to move without making some slight sound, so to persist would be only to court trouble. If the stranger started to shoot he could hardly fail to hit somebody.

  For a minute or two silence reigned, a silence broken only by the steady drone of the bombers, increasing in volume as the machines approached their objective. Biggles was not unprepared for what happened next. The roar of the first salvo of bombs, not far away, followed immediately by the rumble of falling brickwork, gave him an opportunity which he was not slow to seize, for the terrifying noises outside would effectually drown any sound that he was likely to make in a stealthy passage across the room. More bombs fell, and by the time the noise of the explosions had died away he had reached the doorway, after colliding with somebody—either Algy or Ginger, he did not know which—on the way.

  But if the stranger did not actually hear the movement he evidently suspected it, for the pistol spat, bringing down a small shower of plaster from the ceiling. The flash revealed the whereabouts of every one in the room. The stranger, seeing his suspicions confirmed, fired again ; but Biggles, knowing that the shot would come, had flung open the door and thrown himself inside. As he flattened himself against the wall another bullet struck the doorpost.

  From the faint moonlight that entered the window—for, unlike those in the other room, the blind and curtains had not been drawn—Biggles saw that he was in a bathroom. He noticed, too, as is customary in bathrooms, that the key was on the inside of the door, so he lost no time in turning it. A stride took him to the window, but a glance was sufficient to show him that there was no escape

  that way. It was a forty-foot drop into a yard, with some waste land beyond.