The Silver Owl Part 2

Dr. Metzger scowled. "His captain knows he's snooping down here. If we knock him off"

"There're ways," said the big attendant. "For example, how much heat can a guy like him stand?"

The doctor's eyes lit up. "Say, there are men who can't even stand the one hundred and seventy degrees we have in the hot-air room, Suppose we left him in there for a half-hour or so-with about two hundred degrees?"

The big man chuckled. "Now you're talkin', boss. Can we help it if the guy's heart is weak?"

"We'll have to clear out the customers, first," the doctor frowned. 'We can't just throw them out, either; they'd think something was funny. I just won't let any new ones in from now on. Those that're here'll be gone in an hour or so. Meanwhile, we can keep this guy on ice!"

Steele decided that if he were going to get away, now was the time. The doctor was to one side, behind the desk. The big killer stood at the far side. Steele was exactly opposite. The six-foot length of the desk separated Steele and the big man.

And before the big man on the desk, lay Steele's gun.

The desk was a huge affair. Picked up in the center it would have been too heavy for even a strong man. Pressure on one end, elevating the other end, would be a test of strength. Could Steele do it?

He dropped his hands down casually on the desk, one hand on each edge. He took a deep breath and, bracing himself solidly on both feet, leaned backward. At the same time he pulled down with his hands.

Perspiration broke out of every pore in his body. The far end of the desk shot up!

And Steele's gun slid across its smooth surface, down the slope, toward him.

At the correct instant Steele let the desk drop and caught his gun. He threw himself backward to the floor, aiming and pulling the trigger all at the same time. And then horror gripped him! The gun merely clicked! It was empty. When Steele had taken the bath treatment the second time, Dr. Metzger had emptied his gun. Those were the cartridges that had already been in the desk drawer.

The room rocked with an explosion! Augie's gun wasn't empty. A bullet whanged into the floor inches from Steele's head.

Steele threw his gun, then, frantically. It hit the big man on the shoulder, spoiled the aim of the second shot and gave Steele the opportunity of catapulting toward the door.

The pistol roared again, just as he made the corridor. He burst out on the street, darted into a saloon, went through to the rear exit and came out in an alley.

He walked a couple of blocks and stepped into a dining car. He ordered a cup of coffee and a couple of doughnuts and thought things over while he ate.

He had the tetradrachm. Dr. Metzger was ahead nothing by killing Louis Bishop, But would Metzger give up so easily? No! If Steele knew the man, he would make another effort to get that tetradrachm. Well, perhaps Steele could draw him into a trap.

He finished his coffee and got up. At that moment the door of the dining car opened and Steele froze. In the doorway were Dr. Metzger and the big rubber, now dressed in street clothes, their hands buried in their coat pockets.

Steele dropped a coin on the counter beside the empty coffee cup and said to the waiter: "Keep the change." He turned to the two killers.

"Looking for me, boys?"

"That's right," said Dr. Metzger. "We thought maybe you'd want to come along with us."

Steele looked at the hands in the coat pockets and shrugged. "Why not?"

The two men fell in behind Steele. He pa.s.sed out through the door and they were right on his heels. At the curb stood a small sedan.

"Get in the front seat," ordered Dr. Metzger.

Steele climbed in. The big rubber got behind the wheel and the doctor climbed into the rear seat. Steele felt the pressure of the gun against the back of his head as Augie drove the car back to the Turkish baths.

The two men flanked Steele as they walked into the building. Once inside, they brought their guns out openly.

A third man was in the office.

"Get them all out?" asked Dr, Metzger.

"Yeah; I yelled fire. You shoulda seen them hurry. Who's that you got there?"

"A lousy copper," said Metzger. "He stole something from me. Search him, Oscar."

"You'll be wasting your time," Steele said. "I had fifteen minutes to get rid of that tetradrachm."

The doctor's face twisted. "I killed a man for that coin! I'd just as soon kill another. What did you do with it?"

"I'll make him talk or I'll break his neck like I did Bishop's," Augie growled.

He caught hold of Steele's throat, but Dr. Metzger yelled to him. "Wait! The hot- air stunt is better. We'll put him in it until he talks. Then--"

Augie chuckled. "I get the ideal"

He ripped off Steele's clothes, except for his shorts. Then the three men herded him through the deserted pool room into the gla.s.s=fronted hot-air room. Oscar produced a stout clothesline, and while the other two watched closely with their guns, he bound Steele's ankles and wrists, the latter behind his back. Then they propped him up against the wall.

"We'll be outside, looking in," said Dr. Metzger. "When you get ready to tell us where the tetradrachm is start shaking your head. No use to holler because we wouldn't be able to hear you!"

On the wall to the left of him Steele could see the big thermometer. It registered one hundred and seventy degrees. Perspiration was already rolling from him

The three men left the room. Oscar went off somewhere, to attend to the heat, no doubt, while Dr. Metzger and Augie seated themselves upon wooden beach chairs on the runway beside the pool.

Steele realized that even if he told them where the tetradrachm was they'd kill him.

They had to, to cover up their first crime.

He looked at the thermometer. It registered one hundred and seventy-four degrees and even as he looked it seemed to move to one hundred and seventy-five degrees. He breathed in the hot air and it seemed to burn his entire nasal pa.s.sage; his lungs. He knew he couldn't stand it much longer.

What should he do? Tell them where the coin was-win a brief respite? Or go out now?

He strained at his bonds. Oscar had made a good job of tying him The clothesline was a strong one But could he put enough pressure on the rope? He took a deep, fiery breath and twisted his wrists. The rope cut deeply into his skin, but it gave.

Steele's greatest strength was in his arms and hands.

He took another deep breath, gritted his teeth and twisted frantically again and again. And suddenly he slipped the clothesline from his wrists.

He was gasping for air, now. He looked at the thermometer again One hundred and seventy-nine degrees! He couldn't stand it any longer! He brought his hands out from behind, caught hold of a single strand of the rope around his ankles and gave one tremendous jerk. And the rope snapped!

He climbed to his feet, Metzger and Augie, outside the plate-gla.s.s window, jumped up, guns in their hands. Then Steele made a single leap and caught up the big rubbing table in the center of the room. It was a heavy thing, weighing over a hundred pounds.

He rushed with it toward the window and hurled it with all his strength. There was a tremendous crash of gla.s.s.

The table hit both men, hurled them back into the swimming pool. Then Steele followed.

He plunged into the pool, hitting Metzger as he leaped. His left arm snaked about the man's head, caught it in a steely embrace. He splashed around for a second or two, then the bullet-shaped head of Augie broke the water. Steele lashed out toward it, caught it the same as he had the head of Dr. Metzger. Then he ducked both heads under the water.

It was the shallow end of the pool The water was less than five feet deep. Steele held both men under the water, keeping his own head above the surface. The men struggled furiously, clawed and struck at him; but they had lost their gums and barehanded were helpless in John Steele's arms.

A minute later he dragged the two half-conscious killers out of the water, through the locker rooms into the office. Then he picked up the phone and called Captain Marsden at the Howe Street Station.

The two killers were fully conscious five minutes later when the captain burst in with half a dozen policemen.