Chapter 17

The Marshal's deputy was nursing a glass of whiskey when Simeon, Gall, and Terry entered Gall's office. Simeon jerked a thumb at Terry, asked the deputy, "Is he the crud who wanted to see the Marshal?"

"That's him," he deputy said.

"You fink," Simeon snarled. He threw his right fist at Terry's jaw. Terry fell to the floor. He shooked his head, started to rise to his feet. Simeon's shoe caught him in the temple.

Terry Scott rolled gently toward the edge of an aperture, then toppled down into a black mist. A heavy thick fog kept him from falling to the bottom. He was not completely out. Voices, faint as if from a distance, came to him.

Slowly, his faculties returned.

He opened his eyes, saw Simeon sitting on the edge of Gall's desk. There was a bottle of gin in Simeon's hand. He lifted the bottle, took a slug.

Terry started to get to his feet.

"There better not be any funny business," Simeon said, taking an automatic from his jacket pocket. He took another slug from the bottle.

Terry sat on the divan.

There was no one else in the office, just he and Simeon. Terry took a pack of cigarettes from his jacket, lit one. "Where's Gall?" he asked. He blew out blue-gray smoke. He wondered where Leona was.

"Worry about yourself,, sweetheart. You ain't long for this world." He lifted the bottle, thrust the neck of it into his mouth, took a long swallow.

The door opened and Gall walked in. Joe Hurtze and Flagler were with him. Gall had the package in his hand. "You boys have met Mr. Scott." Gall said.

"We've met," Hurtze said.

"You boys know the deal," Gall said. "Get rid of him and the opium is yours."

"How do we know the stuff is genuine?" Simeon asked.

"It is," Flagler said. "I examined it carefully after we found it in Terry's room."

"I don't know why we have to knock this jerk off," Hurtze complained. "You've got guards here. Simeon is handy with a knife. Why pick on us?"

"You want the dope, don't you?" Gall said. "All you have to do is take him out in the mountains and bury him."

"I knocked that agent off, didn't I?" Simeon said. "You were shaking 'cause he was on your tail."

"That's your calling," Hurtze said. "It's not mine. I'm a heister. I never had to kill anyone yet. To deliberately kill someone ... well, I can't see it."

"You yellow bastard," Simeon snarled. "I'll do it myself. It'll be a pleasure, anyway."

"No," Gall said. "You're going back East right away. I have a plane waiting with Tailspin Tommy at the hangar. I want you and Hans to double check into Terry's background. I have to know who sent him."

"I could get that out of him," Simeon said. "You'd be surprised at what I could do with a knife."

Gall studied Terry. "I don't think it'll be so easy getting anything out of Mr. Scott. He's an experienced man or he wouldn't have been sent on this mission. And Mr. Scott is a limey. The limey's love to be heroic. It's their nature."

"I'm not the heroic type," Terry spoke up. "I'm as yellow as they come."

"Really?" Gall said, amused. "All right, Mr. Scott who sent you?"

"James Bond."

"Wise guy," Simeon sneered. He slid off the desk, advanced toward Terry. He drew his automatic back, ready to pistol whip the man in front of him.

"Forget it," Gail ordered.

"Why all the fuss?" Flagler broke in. He looked at Joe Hurtze. "You drive the car; I'll do the rest."

Simeon went back to die desk, leaned against it.

Hurtze licked his lips. ""You'll ... you'll do it?"

"Yes," Flagler said. He turned to Fall. "When do we get the opium?"

"When you come back," Gall said

"All right."

Gall opened a drawer in his desk, scooped out a .32 Automatic handed it over to Flagler. "It's fully loaded," he said. "Use the full clip."

"Pump him good," Simeon chimed in.

"You'd better tie his wrists behind his back," Gall suggested. "Don't take any chances. A man will try anything when he faces death."

Hurtze found some rope, ordered Terry to stand up. He tied Terry's wrists.

Flagler opened the door and motioned for Terry to walk through.

"So long, girls," Terry said, and left Gall's office.

"Nice night for a picnic," he said, and his two captors laughed.