The Hydra Monster (12 page)

When V306 stepped into the store, the Phantom allowed him three steps before he hit him. He dealt the man a numbing blow to the neck, and another chop which rendered him unconscious.

/

As each Vulture stepped into the store, in single file, the Phantom acted similarly. In thirty seconds, he had five unconscious Vultures strewn on the floor.

Working swiftly, he tied each man, using cord
102

he'd brought with him. Before gagging them, he inspected their mouths for possible concealed poison capsules. He found none.

He picked up the nearest man and hefted the limp form up over his broad shoulder. Carefully, he moved out through the rear of the diamond dealer's shop.

The masked man had decided to take prisoners. Since the Vultures had arrived by air this time his original plan- to trail them to their hideout was not practical.

There was no one in the lane behind the shop. He carried the stunned Vulture quickly to his minibus. He then drove the vehicle Hear to the rear of the shop and brought out the rest of his catch.

Fifteen minutes later, he was back on the highway to Lanza with his five captives.

CHAPTER TWENTY

"It was once a dungeon," explained Captain Miranda as they descended the stone staircase. "During a much earlier and less liberal administration. Of course we've made a good many improvements and modernizations."

The Phantom, in trenchcoat and dark glasses

once again, glanced up at the fluorescent lights in the stone ceiling. "So I notice."

"Senor Sumter has been quite persistent," said the tall Captain of Police. "He's aware we've captured these five Vultures and is very anxious to get a look at them."

"I imagine he is."

They reached the bottom of the steps and Miranda led the Phantom along a stone corridor. "He has all the necessary papers of identification, all the proper permits. Plus, I have read his stories in the South American edition of
N
EWS
often."

"That doesn't necessarily mean he's not passing information on to Hydra."

"Yes, admittedly."

"There wasn't a sign of the Vultures at any of the other possible raid locations yesterday, the places you had staked out," reminded the Phantom. "The place they hit was the one place not on your list when Sumter snatched a look at it."

Nodding, the Police Captain said, "Possibly this is only a coincidence, senor. Despite what you may have heard of justice in my country, I don't like to condemn a man without sufficient proof."

"I'll have proof, one way or the other," said the Phantom, "before I do anything about him. What I'm suggesting now is that you keep Sumter away from these captured Vultures, and away from any further information about the whole affair."

"Very well, I can see the wisdom of that." Halting, the captain pointed at a heavy glass window which was built into the grey stone wall. "One way glass."

The window looked onto a corridor. Across the corridor were three cells. There were two men each in the outer cells and one in the middle. All the men still wore their Vulture uniforms. The solitary prisoner had discarded his wig and the tattooed black V showed clearly.

"Since you brought them in yesterday, senor," said Captain Miranda, "they have steadfastly refused to talk. In recent years we have not been allowed to use the harsher forms of interrogation. I think that's for the best, and yet . . ."

"The man in the cell on our right, the one slouching against the bars," said the Phantom. "I'd like to talk to him."

"Ill have him brought to one of the questioning rooms," said Miranda. "Why this particular man?"

"He's known as V306. He was one of those who captured me and took me off to Lake LaPaz," replied the Phantom. "He's a great complainer, an injustice collector. I think he might be willing to give us information if I can promise him a deal."

"You can promise him a licjht sentence and protection if he talks," said the Police Captain. "Ill have him sent for."

V306 squinted over at the air conditioner. "They keep this damn prison too cold," he complained. "I got a stiff neck already from the chill."

The Phantom stood across the small, green room from the seated Vulture. "I can help you get out of here."

"Sure, and off to the gallows."

"Santa Florenza still favors the firing squad."

V306 shrugged. "Were you the one who ambushed us down in Zurrapa? It sounded like you from what some of the other guys said. You hit me so hard I didn't wake up until . . ."

"It was I."

"Too bad you didn't drown in the lake," said V306. "How'd you get out of that sack?"

The Phantom didn't explain. He asked, "How long have you been working for Hydra?"

"For what?"

"I don't think you're satisfied with the Vultures."

"Maybe not. It doesn't much matter now."

"If you tell us what you know about the Vultures, and about Hydra," continued the Phantom, "their plans, their possible hideouts . . . you won't have to serve a very long sentence."

V306 didn't speak for several seconds. "They took my cigars away when they threw me in this hole. You got any smokes?"

"No."

The Vulture shifted in his chair. Then he gave a short barking laugh. "I'm better off in jail," he said. "If I finked on them . . . well, I'd probably end up in a sack full of rocks myself."

"South America is very large," said the Phantom. "The world is larger still and . . ."

"I don't need a geography lesson, Walker."

"If you cooperate, Captain Miranda might even be able to get you a suspended sentence. He'll arrange for you to get safely out of the country. With a new passport, a new identity, perhaps even a new face. It's been done before."

V306 rubbed his fingers over his cheek. "You
don't
know them. It wouldn't matter where I went, they'd find me. Find me and kill me."

I intend to smash the Vultures, to destroy the wliole Hydra organization," the Phantom told liiin. "With your help, I'll be able to do that even
M
>< >ner. By the time you're safely out of Santa Flore nza, the Hydra could be well on the way to oblivion."

"Oblivion," echoed the Vulture. "That might be where I'd head, too. I ... I don't know, Walker. I ,et me think about it." He stood up. "You're not conning me? I mean, if I deal, you'll deal."

"That's right. You have my word."

"Ill think about it."

When the man had been returned to his cell, Captain Miranda came into the small, green room. "Were you successful?"

"He's getting ready to talk," said the Phantom. He made a slow circle of the room. "Better bring die other Vultures in, one by one, for me to talk to."

"Why?"

"I don't want them to get the idea we've made a special offer to V306. They might pressure him."

"You intend to offer any of the others immunity?"

"Probably not," said the Phantom. "I think most of the others will refuse to say anything much to

me.

Which proved to be the case.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

When the phone rang the man who called himself V came in from the terrace of his seaside villa.

The mammoth house was built on a cliffside several hundred feet above the Pacific. This was one of the most fashionable stretches of Santa Flo- renza coastline. The quakes had left this resort area untouched.

picked up the gold and white phone from his massive, wooden desk with one sinewy hand. "Yes?"

"Been thinking?" asked the man on the other end.

"I am always thinking."

"About the five captured men."

said, "I would imagine you'd be doing a good deal of thinking about this particular situation yourself. Since it's mostly due to your stupidity that the trap was sprung."

"Possibly. Name calling isn't going to save our bacon, though."

settled into his comfortable leather desk chair, turned to watch the midday sea. "Walker is the main source of our present trouble," he said.

His large head dipped slightly as he followed the flight of a distant white gull.

"Any opinions about what V2 said?"

"He's quite probably right. Walker is very likely

I I
K
; Phantom."

"Ordinary methods won't work on the Phan-

»

loin.

The gull was flying very low over the water. I wasn't aware ordinary methods were part of my stock in trade."

"So let's hear something extraordinary."

"You mentioned you'd obtained a good deal of in formation from San Francisco," said V. "I wasn't I here Jong enough on my last trip to pick up "much I lack ground on Walker. But I recall your saying lie had a girlfriend ..."

"Diana Palmer," answered the man on the other end. "She's still in Frisco."

"It would be much more to oxir advantage if she were here in Santa Florenza," said V. "Perhaps in I lie citadel in the hills."

"A lever to use on the Phantom?"

"A simple exchange. Something which is done quite often in international diplomacy, a swap," said the man who called himself V. "Our five men for the return of the fair Diana."

"Good idea. I'll set it up."

"Yes, do that." V hung up. He remained in his chair, watching the calm ocean and smiling.

Diana left the teahouse in Golden Gate Park, walked across the wooden bridge and onto a path which wound through green grass and trees.

Though San Francisco was one of her favorite cities, she was not as happy as she might be. And although she had friends here, she preferred to be alone. She was used to being separated from the Phantom, yet sometimes it wasn't an easy thing to go through.

She heard a car door close, somewhere not too far off, hidden by trees.

Then in a moment there were footsteps coming up the path behind her.

"Miss Palmer?" called a polite young voice.

The dark haired girl stopped, turning, "Yes?"

A clean-cut young man was approaching her. He had short, dark hair and was wearing a conservative, grey, business suit. "Forgive me for disturbing your vacation, Miss Palmer." He flipped open the flat leather wallet in his hand to display his identification. "My name is Lumbard. You can see from my ID I'm with the United States government."

Diana asked, "Yes, what is it you want with me?" There was a single picnicker stretched out on his back with a soft drink can balanced on his stomach far uphill. No one else was near them.

"You're acquainted with a man named Walker, I understand."

She hesitated before replying. "Yes, is there something . . . ?"

"Would you mind stepping into our car, right down there through the trees, Miss Palmer?"

"You can tell me what you want right here," said Diana. "We've got acres of privacy."

"One can't tell these days," said Lumbard, "with

I lie sophisticated scientific equipment available. It would really be much safer if you'd accompany me to the car."

Something, something she couldn't quite explain, about the way the affable young man insisted on her getting into the car bothered Diana. "It really, Mr. Lumbard, you'll have to explain a liltle more about what you want before I do anything at all."

"I don't want to be insistent, Miss Palmer. But ! must request you to come to the car with me a I once."

Diana turned her back on him and began walk- lug away. This wasn't quite right, this pleasant young man, none of it.

"Wait, Miss Palmer." He ran after her and caught her arm.

"Look, I don't . . ." Something concealed in the young man's palm jabbed into the bare flesh of her arm. "What's that you . . ." The sunlight began to dim, the trees began to stretch and twist, the grass turned black.

"Why, Miss Palmer, what is this? Another of your fainting spells?" He put an arm around her shoulders. "Let me get you to the car. You know what the doctor said about too much exertion so soon after leaving the hospital. It's not wise at all. No way to get back into first class shape. And you surely know how very much concerned we all are over you." He kept up the pleasant chatter until he had Diana in the rear seat of the large, black sedan.