Read Online The Avenger 30 - Black Chariots by Kenneth Robeson - Free Book Online
Authors: Kenneth Robeson
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someplace.”
“Didn’t he say?”
“Nope, he came in to change clothes.”
“What’d he put on?”
“I didn’t pay much attention. Not a dress suit, if that’s what you mean. Dark clothes, I think. A black pullover and dark slacks.”
“Going to sneak up on somebody, maybe.”
“I don’t know.”
Early said, “When he comes back, try to find out where he went. Okay?”
Willet sat in the darkness for a moment, quiet. At last he said, “Okay.”
CHAPTER XV
Castle In The Desert
Smitty inserted two huge fingers under the collar of his dark turtleneck sweater and blew out his breath over his upper lip. “Pitch dark,” he observed, nodding in the direction of the desert castle of Old Man Guptill.
“The old gent must be ta home,” said MacMurdie, who was crouched beside Smitty on the rocky hillside above the fenced-in castle grounds. “ ’Twas my impression recluses nae did much traveling.”
“It may be,” said the Avenger, “that they’re expecting a visit.”
“From us guys?” asked Smitty.
“From someone. By now they certainly know those three underlings are in custody.” Benson pointed at the wire fence. “Take care of that, Smitty. Mac, you and I will go over the south side of the fence, down that way. Smitty, you come in from the north. We’ll circle the place, come at the castle from the backside.”
“Got you.” The giant fished a pancake-size black disk out of his pants pocket. Bobbing his head up and down once, he left them.
Despite his bulk, Smitty could move quietly. He climbed down the steep hillside without disturbing so much as a pebble. Head hunched, he moved along the edge of the roadway.
“If they’re in there,” he said to himself, “we got maybe five minutes before they catch wise to what I’m going to do.”
Smitty scanned the dark area beyond the fence. The sky was overcast tonight; there was no moon. He saw no sign of any guards.
Way off somewhere, a night bird made a fluting sound. Everything else was still.
“Too quiet,” thought Smitty. “Like everybody was waiting for something to happen.”
He slowed his pace as he drew nearer to the fence.
Only silence, darkness. No one else around, no one watching him.
He made an adjustment on the face of the disk he was carrying. Then, sucking one cheek in, he went running straight for the wire fence. He slammed the disk against the wire, with a pie-in-the-face shove. Then he pivoted and dropped back.
The fence made, for long seconds, a sizzling crackling sound.
“Well, she was electrified. And now, thanks to that little gadget, she’s shorted out good.”
The giant looked around him. Silence on all sides. He began to trot parallel to the fence, heading north.
Mac and the Avenger reached the top of the fence at the same instant, let go, and dropped to the ground.
“Ma bones dinna feel quite right, Richard,” said the Scot as they began cutting across the sandy acres. “Perhaps I’m jaded, but I’m suspicious of things what are too easy.”
“It’s possible the castle has been abandoned.”
The castle rose up a quarter of a mile to their right, a vast deep black shape against the black night. There was not one light showing on this side of the castle, either.
Large cactus trees grew in jagged rows across the ground the Avenger and Mac were covering. It made the area look like a surrealistic cemetery.
“Whoosh!” exclaimed Mac suddenly. “There’s . . . no, I was mistaken.”
“See something?”
“ ’Tis not but one of those skurlie cactuses. I thought I saw one of its arms swing around with a gun in it.”
They were now about a hundred yards from the side of the castle.
Benson stopped, looking up at it.
Mac halted, too. “There’s nae a soul inside there,” he said, shaking his head.
“I don’t think so . . . and yet.”
MacMurdie laughed quietly. “Wha’s the matter wi’ us, Richard? We’re letting this pile of masonry spook us.”
Benson resumed his approach of
“Didn’t he say?”
“Nope, he came in to change clothes.”
“What’d he put on?”
“I didn’t pay much attention. Not a dress suit, if that’s what you mean. Dark clothes, I think. A black pullover and dark slacks.”
“Going to sneak up on somebody, maybe.”
“I don’t know.”
Early said, “When he comes back, try to find out where he went. Okay?”
Willet sat in the darkness for a moment, quiet. At last he said, “Okay.”
CHAPTER XV
Castle In The Desert
Smitty inserted two huge fingers under the collar of his dark turtleneck sweater and blew out his breath over his upper lip. “Pitch dark,” he observed, nodding in the direction of the desert castle of Old Man Guptill.
“The old gent must be ta home,” said MacMurdie, who was crouched beside Smitty on the rocky hillside above the fenced-in castle grounds. “ ’Twas my impression recluses nae did much traveling.”
“It may be,” said the Avenger, “that they’re expecting a visit.”
“From us guys?” asked Smitty.
“From someone. By now they certainly know those three underlings are in custody.” Benson pointed at the wire fence. “Take care of that, Smitty. Mac, you and I will go over the south side of the fence, down that way. Smitty, you come in from the north. We’ll circle the place, come at the castle from the backside.”
“Got you.” The giant fished a pancake-size black disk out of his pants pocket. Bobbing his head up and down once, he left them.
Despite his bulk, Smitty could move quietly. He climbed down the steep hillside without disturbing so much as a pebble. Head hunched, he moved along the edge of the roadway.
“If they’re in there,” he said to himself, “we got maybe five minutes before they catch wise to what I’m going to do.”
Smitty scanned the dark area beyond the fence. The sky was overcast tonight; there was no moon. He saw no sign of any guards.
Way off somewhere, a night bird made a fluting sound. Everything else was still.
“Too quiet,” thought Smitty. “Like everybody was waiting for something to happen.”
He slowed his pace as he drew nearer to the fence.
Only silence, darkness. No one else around, no one watching him.
He made an adjustment on the face of the disk he was carrying. Then, sucking one cheek in, he went running straight for the wire fence. He slammed the disk against the wire, with a pie-in-the-face shove. Then he pivoted and dropped back.
The fence made, for long seconds, a sizzling crackling sound.
“Well, she was electrified. And now, thanks to that little gadget, she’s shorted out good.”
The giant looked around him. Silence on all sides. He began to trot parallel to the fence, heading north.
Mac and the Avenger reached the top of the fence at the same instant, let go, and dropped to the ground.
“Ma bones dinna feel quite right, Richard,” said the Scot as they began cutting across the sandy acres. “Perhaps I’m jaded, but I’m suspicious of things what are too easy.”
“It’s possible the castle has been abandoned.”
The castle rose up a quarter of a mile to their right, a vast deep black shape against the black night. There was not one light showing on this side of the castle, either.
Large cactus trees grew in jagged rows across the ground the Avenger and Mac were covering. It made the area look like a surrealistic cemetery.
“Whoosh!” exclaimed Mac suddenly. “There’s . . . no, I was mistaken.”
“See something?”
“ ’Tis not but one of those skurlie cactuses. I thought I saw one of its arms swing around with a gun in it.”
They were now about a hundred yards from the side of the castle.
Benson stopped, looking up at it.
Mac halted, too. “There’s nae a soul inside there,” he said, shaking his head.
“I don’t think so . . . and yet.”
MacMurdie laughed quietly. “Wha’s the matter wi’ us, Richard? We’re letting this pile of masonry spook us.”
Benson resumed his approach of
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