Read Online The Avenger 35 - The Iron Skull by Kenneth Robeson - Free Book Online

ordered the Iron Skull. “You will enjoy that, Wilson.”
    “Oh, yes, I’m sure to.”
    “And, Reisberson, tell them to bring Joshua Newton up and place him in my den.”
    “Yes, sir.” Little Reisberson bowed out of the dining room.
    “Aren’t you going to invite Josh to join us?” asked Cole.
    “I told you I do not like blacks,” said the Iron Skull. “Especially not as tablemates.”
    “He’s been fasting as long as I have.”
    The Iron Skull tossed off the last of the brandy in his glass. “You’ve seen something of my setup here, Wilson, and I have told you something about my purposes. What do you say?”
    “About joining your staff, you mean?”
    “Exactly.”
    “Well, I don’t see how I can afford to turn down your generous offer,” said Cole.
    “Very good. I am happy to have you working with me now, Wilson,” said the Iron Skull. “One of the things which I demand from all who work under me is complete and unquestioning loyalty. The kind of loyalty I am talking about cannot be feigned. After you have finished your meal, I will put your loyalty to me to a test.”
    “Oh, so?” said Cole. “What sort of test?”
    “I will have you,” said the Iron Skull, “kill Joshua Newton.”

CHAPTER XVII

Tussle
    Why had Smitty stopped talking on his belt-buckle radio?
    Two large men were coming up through the evergreens toward him. They were tough-looking customers, each wearing a red mackinaw and a knitted cap. They reminded Smitty of lumberjacks, and to make the impression complete, one of them was carrying an ax.
    “Hey, buddy,” called the one with the ax, “you’re trespassing on private property.”
    “Geeze, is that so?” Smitty gave himself a smack across the forehead and tried to look innocent. “I was out taking a hike and I must have strayed off the straight and narrow.”
    “Well, take yourself a hike away from here.”
    “Excuse it,” said Smitty with a shrug of his giant shoulders.
    “Hey,” exclaimed the one without the ax, “there can’t be two enormous gonzos like this around. He must be the one the boys had their tussle with in the warehouse.”
    “What’s that?” said Smitty. “Must be some kind of mistake. I ain’t the tussling kind.”
    The one with the ax held the weapon straight out by its handle, pointing its sharp head at Smitty. “If you want to avoid a tussle, big boy, you better come along with us.”
    “Naw, I don’t think I will, fellas.”
    “Like hell!” The one without the ax jumped for Smitty, intending to get a bear hug around him.
    Smitty avoided that, at the same time thrusting out a fist.
    “Wow!” The punch caused the charging man’s head to snap far over to one side. He followed the drift of his head and banged into a tree.
    “You hadn’t ought to of done that.” The one with the ax began slicing at the chill air with it. His intention seemed to be to practice on air for a while and then slice up the giant.
    “That’s dangerous,” said Smitty, “swinging that danged thing around like that.” Suddenly he dropped down and then tackled the man.
    The ax whistled harmlessly above his head.
    Smitty tumbled the man over backwards into the snow. With his left hand he grabbed the handle of the ax. “Gimme,” he said as he jerked it away from the man.
    He tossed it away, then delivered three short jabs to the man’s rising chin. His chin ceased to rise and returned to the ground along with the rest of him.
    “I’ll chop you into little pieces!”
    Smitty spun round. The other goon had gotten himself upright and rescued the flung ax. He was charging at the giant with it.
    Smitty hopped back, all but one foot, out of the way.
    The foot tripped the man. He went down face first into a mound of snow.
    Smitty gave him two chops to the neck. The man’s hands were limp when Smitty took the ax away from him.
    “Geeze, this has been one heck of an afternoon,” the giant said to himself. “If every day was like this, I wouldn’t have to