Free The Avenger 34 - The Glass Man by Kenneth Robeson Page B

activity.
    Apparently no one had gotten a warning through to the facility yet.
    Hurrying, but not so fast that his breathing might betray him, Lamont headed for his cottage.
    Through the huts and barracks and onto the dull road which led to the cottage row. Yes, there was his. Nobody around.
    He went carefully around to the back and let himself in through the kitchen door.
    Everything felt okay. There was no trap waiting to be sprang.
    He went quickly to his bedroom.
    As he opened the door a sack of flour dropped, covering him with a film of white.
    “Good morning, Alan,” said Dr. Coopersmith. She was seated on his bed, a Luger pistol pointed at his now visible chest.

CHAPTER XIX

Busting Out All Over
    Cole steadied his gun hand with his left and sent another shot out of the window of the now closed-up garage. “Don’t much fancy these huge weapons,” he observed, backing away with the automatic’s recoil.
    From outside came another burst of machine-gun fire. It cut a wavy line across the bottom of the wide, wooden garage doors.
    Cole dashed back to the window for another shot. “The fabled Machine-Gun Kelly was said to have been able to write his name in bullets,” he said, dodging away again. “Could Herr Konrad be attempting to autograph yon portals for us?”
    “I think it’s us ourselves he wants to scribble on,” said Jenny Keaton from the rear of the garage.
    Glancing around, Cole said, “Take these keys I swiped from the slumbering lad in the truck, Jen, and see if you can fit one into the ignition of that sturdy touring car there.”
    The redhead caught the jingling ring of keys and ran to the big black sedan which shared the shadowy garage with them.
    Another design was etched across the garage doors by Konrad’s submachine gun.
    “Suppose none of ’em fit?” asked Jenny Keaton as she slid into the front seat of the heavy car.
    “Then I shall have to, in the jargon of the back streets, hot-wire it.”
    “This one’ll do it.” She tried the key in the ignition and stepped gently on the gas as the engine came to life.
    Cole hurried to the car. “Scoot over and stay down,” he said, taking over the wheel.
    “Listen, I drove a jeep through—”
    “No time for war memoirs now, Jen. I don’t want you shot. Hence, keep down.” He shifted into gear, took a deep breath, and released the brake. “Hold on, this next bump’s going to be a darb.”
    The big closed car went shooting toward the wooden doors.
    It hit, ripped away the already weakened wood, and careened out into the sun-filled day amid a confusion of splintered wood.
    Konrad tried his machine gun once more, but it didn’t phase the big car or even dent the windshield.
    “Praise Allah,” remarked Cole, “they’ve got bulletproof glass in this crate.”
    He bore down on the Nazi agent.
    Konrad turned and ran. He circled the panel truck and jumped into the front-seat. Seconds later the truck was heading for the roadway.
    “Ah, the game’s afoot,” said Cole, “or rather awheel.”
    “May I emerge now?”
    “Yes, it’s relatively safe.”
    The girl, shaking her head and brushing a hand at her hair, said, “Looks like it’s going to be a real chase finish.”
    Their heavy car hit the road. Konrad’s truck was already about a quarter of a mile ahead of them.
    “He has somewhat of an advantage on us,” said Cole. “That jalopy of his is lighter and faster than this rolling mausoleum of ours.”
    “We’ll catch him.”
    “Let us hope.”
    The truck was a half a mile in front and growing smaller.

    Smitty spotted the truck first. “Hey, there’s a panel job up there at the side of the road,” he said. “Like those two Nazi rats said they were hauling Cole around in.”
    Hugo and Fritzi they’d left, sufficiently tied, back at the mesa. The authorities would be told where to pick them up.
    The Avenger slowed their car. “Might as well take a look,” he decided.
    “Seems like we’ll have company at it,” observed