Read Online The Death Strain by Nick Carter - Free Book Online
Authors: Nick Carter
Tags: det_espionage
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said the big Japanese, gesturing at me, little eyes hard as stones.
"No," Carlsbad said sharply. "He is obviously a top agent. He may be able to help us in time, willingly or unwillingly."
Rita was still there, but her eyes were on the floor. I knew that if I had a chance to get out of here, it would depend on one slim girl and one slim stiletto. Carlsbad bad turned to his niece and put a hand on her arm.
"We are going now," he said. "You'll be safe here till we return. Your room is not the Grand Hotel but it will suffice. Time has passed without anything having been done by the American government, or any of the others. We are beginning the most critical phase of our mission now, my dear. But it will be worth it one day."
He kissed the girl tenderly on the cheek and turned to the giant by his side. The huge man's impassive face showed nothing, yet I had the distinct feeling he was standing apart, making his own decisions. Perhaps it was the way his little eyes took in everything, glittering and vicious.
"Who are you leaving in charge?" Carlsbad asked, and the mountainous man gestured to a robed figure that stepped forward.
"Tumo," the giant said, and Tumo bowed deferentially to Carlsbad then shifted his eyes quickly to the huge man. Something passed between the two men, unspoken, fleeting, but nonetheless there. Tumo was in his late twenties, well-built, with a hard line of a mouth and eyes that almost matched Carlsbad's in their dark intensity. On his chest, bared by the loose-fitting robe, he wore a silver medallion with the human bone in the center. They all wore the piece, some as ankle bracelets, others had them suspended from their wrists.
"Tumo and I have carefully gone over exactly what he is to do," Sumo Sam said. "If anything should happen to us, he will carry on."
"Nothing will happen to us." Carlsbad smiled. "So long as I have the strain in my possession, they must take extreme care in their moves. Come, let us go."
Carlsbad kissed the girl again, this time on the forehead, and walked toward the doorway. The giant and the other two Japanese that had been with him right along followed. I had to give it a final try.
"The whole world's alerted, Carlsbad," I yelled after him. "You can't win. Call it off."
He paused in the shadows of the archway and smiled back at me. "You are wrong," he said. "I can't lose."
I cursed inwardly, knowing the truth of what he'd answered. The minute he let that strain loose, he'd made his point. But he wasn't content with just making a point any longer. He was going to use X–V77 to bring the world down around itself. I glanced up to see the man Tumo watching me. He abruptly turned and hurried away. The others had begun to drift off and disappear into the numerous corridors that led from the central portion of the crumbled old temple.
Rita Kenmore still stood there. She was about to say something when the sound of an engine made the walls of the temple reverberate. It was a helicopter. I knew that distinctive sound and I listened as the chopper took off and finally faded from hearing. Only the girl was left looking at me.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I am, really."
"Get me out of here," I said to her quietly. "Now, while nobody's around. Quick!"
The china blue eyes grew even rounder, mirroring her shock that I should even think such a thing. She didn't move but I felt her draw back.
"I can't," she said, keeping her voice low. "I'm sorry but I just can't."
"Look, what if I said I think your uncle is right but I know he can't win," I suggested. "Let me out of here and I will help him."
"I wouldn't believe you," she said, her eyes serious. "You don't think anything like that. But he is right, you know. And what he's trying to do is right."
I gritted my teeth. I didn't have time for philosophical abstractions, but I had to get through to her.
"All right, I'll admit I don't know whether he's right or wrong. But I do know this. You can't do the right thing in the wrong way. When
"No," Carlsbad said sharply. "He is obviously a top agent. He may be able to help us in time, willingly or unwillingly."
Rita was still there, but her eyes were on the floor. I knew that if I had a chance to get out of here, it would depend on one slim girl and one slim stiletto. Carlsbad bad turned to his niece and put a hand on her arm.
"We are going now," he said. "You'll be safe here till we return. Your room is not the Grand Hotel but it will suffice. Time has passed without anything having been done by the American government, or any of the others. We are beginning the most critical phase of our mission now, my dear. But it will be worth it one day."
He kissed the girl tenderly on the cheek and turned to the giant by his side. The huge man's impassive face showed nothing, yet I had the distinct feeling he was standing apart, making his own decisions. Perhaps it was the way his little eyes took in everything, glittering and vicious.
"Who are you leaving in charge?" Carlsbad asked, and the mountainous man gestured to a robed figure that stepped forward.
"Tumo," the giant said, and Tumo bowed deferentially to Carlsbad then shifted his eyes quickly to the huge man. Something passed between the two men, unspoken, fleeting, but nonetheless there. Tumo was in his late twenties, well-built, with a hard line of a mouth and eyes that almost matched Carlsbad's in their dark intensity. On his chest, bared by the loose-fitting robe, he wore a silver medallion with the human bone in the center. They all wore the piece, some as ankle bracelets, others had them suspended from their wrists.
"Tumo and I have carefully gone over exactly what he is to do," Sumo Sam said. "If anything should happen to us, he will carry on."
"Nothing will happen to us." Carlsbad smiled. "So long as I have the strain in my possession, they must take extreme care in their moves. Come, let us go."
Carlsbad kissed the girl again, this time on the forehead, and walked toward the doorway. The giant and the other two Japanese that had been with him right along followed. I had to give it a final try.
"The whole world's alerted, Carlsbad," I yelled after him. "You can't win. Call it off."
He paused in the shadows of the archway and smiled back at me. "You are wrong," he said. "I can't lose."
I cursed inwardly, knowing the truth of what he'd answered. The minute he let that strain loose, he'd made his point. But he wasn't content with just making a point any longer. He was going to use X–V77 to bring the world down around itself. I glanced up to see the man Tumo watching me. He abruptly turned and hurried away. The others had begun to drift off and disappear into the numerous corridors that led from the central portion of the crumbled old temple.
Rita Kenmore still stood there. She was about to say something when the sound of an engine made the walls of the temple reverberate. It was a helicopter. I knew that distinctive sound and I listened as the chopper took off and finally faded from hearing. Only the girl was left looking at me.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I am, really."
"Get me out of here," I said to her quietly. "Now, while nobody's around. Quick!"
The china blue eyes grew even rounder, mirroring her shock that I should even think such a thing. She didn't move but I felt her draw back.
"I can't," she said, keeping her voice low. "I'm sorry but I just can't."
"Look, what if I said I think your uncle is right but I know he can't win," I suggested. "Let me out of here and I will help him."
"I wouldn't believe you," she said, her eyes serious. "You don't think anything like that. But he is right, you know. And what he's trying to do is right."
I gritted my teeth. I didn't have time for philosophical abstractions, but I had to get through to her.
"All right, I'll admit I don't know whether he's right or wrong. But I do know this. You can't do the right thing in the wrong way. When
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