Читать книгу Haunted Ocean - Kenneth Robeson - Страница 6

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"I'VE lost Doc!" exclaimed Renny, suddenly. "Now what's gone haywire with that radio?"

Long Tom, Professor Callus, Lora Krants and her brother pushed forward with eager interest. Doc's plane was already somewhere south of Baltimore, following the coast line. Renny had been keeping in touch with them by short wave.

Doc had replied only briefly to Renny's inquiries. Renny had started to report an apparent change in the locale of the ocean disturbance. Then the radio speaker had squealed and squawked. After sporadic bursts, it functioned imperfectly.

"Funny!" ejaculated Long Tom. "Have a look at the light recorders!"

The needles in circles at the ends of long steel cylinders were oscillating rapidly. These were recording the refraction and gyration of light atoms over a wide area of the ocean. Despite the absence of the sun, light appeared to be increasing over a considerable section.

"Doc!" boomed Renny into the broadcasting mike. "Can you hear me?"

"Um-bum-bum-bul-um!" hummed the speaker.

Undoubtedly, Doc had heard Renny. But likely his reception of the engineer's voice had been similarly jumbled.

The light recorder showed rising luminance somewhere much closer than the hitherto located blind spot somewhere in the North Sea.

"Do you think something might be happening to Mr. Savage's plane?" said Professor Callus.

"Oh, I hope not!" exclaimed the red-headed girl, breathlessly.

"Nothing to worry about," said Long Tom. "This ocean haunt hasn't been serious in any way."

Lora Krants's expression showed she doubted his words.

The corridor buzzer whined. It was less strident than usual. Long Tom, with his keen electrician's sense, noted this. When he applied the radio contact to work the electroscopic locks of the doors, it responded more slowly than it should.

It was as if the available electrical current had been lessened.

THE little man who came in bowed obsequiously. His flashing white teeth smiled at every one. His skin was of the yellow darkness of an Oriental. But his clothes were elegantly correct. His English was faultless.

"I do not need to confirm the information that this is the establishment of Clark Savage," he said. "I am Kama Dbhana. It would be much simpler to call me Kama, which is the family name."

"Sure!" grunted Renny, who was worrying about Doc. "Mr. Kama is all right with us! What can we do for you?"

"Mr. Savage, he is not now present?" said Mr. Kama.

He glanced with sparkling black eyes at Professor Callus. He had a passing gleam of appreciation for the pretty Lora Krants.

Renny explained that Doc was absent. He introduced the others briefly.

"You haven't said, Mr. Kama, what we can do for you?" Renny then said.

Kama's darting eyes lingered on the variety of instruments.

"I have been informed," he said, "that Mr. Savage is tracing atmospheric phenomena apparently of marine origin. I hoped he might be able to divulge something of its source."

"Holy cow!" thundered Renny. "You, too! And I suppose you have a friend in the Coast Survey, Mr. Kama?"

Mr. Kama, merely bowed and smiled.

The buzzer whined again. It was even fainter than when Mr. Kama had entered.

The man who entered was big and blond. He was a hearty, jolly fellow. His words rolled with Scandinavian slowness of speech.

"I am Hjalmar Landson," he announced. "My countryman, one of the consular staff of Norway, asked of me that I should have some conversation with Mr. Savage."

"Say!" rapped out Renny. "Have you got a friend on the Coast Survey who called you up and told you about it?"

Hjalmar Landson's mild, blue eyes went rather blank.

"I have no friend in what you call this Coast Survey," he said, slowly. "No, it is not that. My countryman, he informed me--"

"You haven't met Mr. Kama, or Professor Callus, or Miss Krants?" Renny asked.

"I have seen this Mr. Kama," said Hjalmar Landson, unexpectedly. "But it does not matter. The others I have not had the pleasure--"

Renny introduced him. Then he made another effort to contact Doc's plane. All he got was a louder squawling than before. Other instruments were beginning to oscillate. But those recording the weather showed no atmospheric changes.

Professor Callus seemed to take Mr. Kama under his wing. Now he was explaining also to Mr. Landson the purposes of the variety of gadgets.

Renny heard Mr. Kama say he came from San Tao. The engineer had heard of San Tao while he had been supervising a great tunnel in western China. He recalled San Tao was an isolated, little known, but immensely wealthy, mountain province of southern China.

THE telephone buzzed. Long Tom took the call. He looked up with quick suspicion.

"It's for you, Miss Krants," he said. "So others know you came here?" The red-headed girl smiled calmly.

"Oh!" she said. "I was hoping perhaps a cable might come from my father! I left word with the telegraph company!"

A few seconds later, she replaced the telephone.

"There's been a steamer report of father's yacht," she said. "I must go at once to pick up the message. If I leave a telephone number and anything happens, would you call me?"

Though the instruments were in increasing confusion, Renny put on his coat.

"I shall go with you," he announced. "You can give me the telephone number later."

"Why--" began Lora Krants. "You are so busy here--I had thought that--"

"I could very well escort Miss Krants to her home," offered Professor Callus. "There seems nothing more to be learned just now. I have my car."

"Thanks," said Renny. "But I think I had better take her home."

The engineer was following Doc's instructions to see Miss Krants safely home. Also, the big engineer, who wasn't usually susceptible, liked this snappy red-headed girl very much.

"Very well," bowed Professor Callus. "I shall be leaving soon, anyway."

"I should like very much to have the honor of remaining," said Kama, "but I have other urgent matters to which I must attend."

"Me, too," grunted Hjalmar Landson.

The very blond Norwegian and the very dark Oriental followed Renny, the girl and her brother closely, as they got to the lower floor.

ONE of Doc's armored roadsters provided ample space for Renny, Miss Krants and her brother. The thick-browed brother did not talk. The red-headed girl chattered her hope the message at the telegraph office might mean something.

Renny's hands looked big and clumsy on the steering wheel. But the girl gasped at the speed with which the car flicked past the steel pillars of the elevated tracks. The telegraph office from which the notification to the girl had come was about ten blocks from Doc's headquarters.

In the fourth block, Renny shaved a steel pillar. He swung at high speed around a street car on the wrong side. His eyes were fixed on the rear-view mirror.

At the next corner, Renny twisted suddenly into a wider street and drove fast through a block. He rounded through the city canyons and came back to the elevated tracks.

"Thought so!" he grunted. "We've got company, Miss Krants!"

"What do you mean?" said the red-headed girl.

"Closed car, sedan, has been following us," announced Renny. "Now we'll show that driver something."

For the next minute or two, the redhead let out occasional gasps. Her brother swore under his breath.

There was little traffic. But even that didn't seem to make seventy miles an hour safe. Elevated pillars swished past like a row of close-set fence pickets.

If the girl or her brother said anything for the next few seconds, it couldn't be heard. The motor of the car was only a sibilant rush, but the pillars crashed sound with their speed.

Renny grunted with satisfaction. The pursuing sedan apparently hadn't the speed to overtake them. Then they whizzed into a new block. Just ahead was a lumbering truck.

"Look out!" cried the red-headed girl.

Renny twisted desperately on the steering wheel. His strength almost tore it from the post. The big truck was squarely across both car tracks.

The roadster brakes squawled. The red-headed girl clutched convulsively at Renny's thick arm. Her hand slipped off. The tires of spongy rubber bit into the pavement. The rubber burned.

The long hood took the impact. The side of the big truck splintered. Lora Krants screamed.

THE girl's cry was short. Renny's bulky arm was across her body. He was attempting to prevent her being hurled through the windshield. That glass would not shatter. Likewise, it was bulletproof.

Renny's giant strength undoubtedly saved the girl's life. But she struck the glass with force enough to knock her completely out. Barton, her brother, flew from the side door. He was lucky in skidding, feet-first, on a smooth stretch of asphalt.

Renny was only slightly stunned. He attempted to get the girl back into the seat. Behind them a sedan skidded to an abrupt stop. Men poured from this car. Others were springing from the truck.

The murdered man at Doc's door had some dire meaning. But it was all a deep mystery to Renny. The snub-nosed gun suddenly shoved under his arm was definite. Not many men would have done other than lift their hands.

But Renny really liked this red-headed girl. Almost as much as he liked a good scrap. Renny had less caution than man power.

He hit the man holding the gun so hard and so unexpectedly, the weapon flew out of his hands. His fists were mauling sledges as he sprang into the street.

One of the attackers made a serious mistake.

"Don't shoot!" he growled. "She said to take him alive!"

Renny was not pausing to think about who "she" might be.

The engineer picked out the man who had spoken. One fist traveled in a wide arc. It was a haymaker that landed the man five yards away. Renny backed up to the truck.

The giant had no special rules about fighting. In less than half a minute he had piled six or seven men in a heap.

Renny downed two more men with sickening smashes. He waded toward the roadster.

A long arm reached out. It was lengthened by the snubnosed machine gun it held. The steel barrel rapped cruelly upon Renny's tough skull.

Renny went to his hands and knees. He thought the asphalt had heaved up and struck him. Then he was out.

WHEN Renny awoke, he was bound hand and foot. A tight blindfold covered his eyes. But the warmth about him informed him he was in some apartment. His head was aching. But his hearing was unimpaired.

He strained at the cords binding him when he heard the husky, and clearly angry voice of Lora Krants. Then he abruptly ceased his effort.

"Holy cow!" he grumbled. "I mighta known it was something like that! Darned if you can ever trust a woman!"